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Limelight

One Five Seven Years: 3. Jacob

Limelight

BBC

Fiction, Drama

4.4698 Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2022

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Imagine you could live for two lifetimes. Would you want to? How would it change you and those you love? What would you do with all those extra years? What second chances might you get? Would this be a blessing or a curse?

This world is an alternative version of our own. Except in this world, a minority of people are discovered to have Extended Life Syndrome (ELS). The condition might give an "Elser" two decades in their thirties, two in their forties, double the time in their fifties, and so on. Little is understood of the biological factors that govern ELS except that it affects a random selection of people. It is the ultimate lottery of genetics, crossing class, race, culture and gender.

And if a simple test existed to check your DNA for this double life, would you take it? Would you want to know?

Now think again. Would you?

Jacob has ELS and is serving life for a murder he committed when he was nineteen. But how many years are enough years for justice to be served?

Written by Marietta Kirkbride

Cast: Jacob ….. Robert Emms Miles ….. Ben Crowe Mum …..Sirine Saba Psychiatrist ….. Asif Khan Lawyer ….. Jessica Murrain Inmate ….. Simon Darwen

Other voices played by the cast

Sound Design ….. Adam Woodhams and Steve Bond Theme Music ….. Ioana Selaru and Axel Kacoutié

Academic Consultants ….. Tamas David-Barrett & James Fasham Executive Producer ….. Sara Davies

Series created by Marietta Kirkbride Directed and Produced by Nicolas Jackson

An Afonica production for BBC Radio 4

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts.

0:05.0

One thing I know is that people are not born the same.

0:11.0

We're different, aren't we?

0:15.0

You'd agree with that.

0:17.0

But if I said some people are born genetically superior,

0:21.6

suddenly you'd have a problem,

0:24.6

even though I'm not saying what you think I am.

0:28.6

Year 2023. Year 2023

0:38.4

Your face

0:43.1

What?

0:45.1

State your face?

0:47.5

You have to hit back in here.

0:49.6

You hit back, you get bullied.

0:51.0

That's so it works, isn't it?

0:53.1

Did you hit back?

1:01.4

Jacob. Yeah. back you get bullied that's so it works isn't it did you hit back jacob fine don't talk to me

1:12.0

no god what i've come here for you i've come to see you and all you've got for me is what? No Well, I'm not worthy of speaking to?

1:14.4

Is that part of your thing now?

1:17.4

What a waste of a life

1:19.0

Double the years to live

1:20.6

This is what you decide to do with him

1:22.0

It's in the House of Lords now. Can you see that?

...

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