BIBI, Lee Eun-ji, and Yoo Seung-ho have been cast as “individuals who can interpret science and the future of humanity.”
The production team of the EBS anniversary special ‘The Last Humanity’ revealed the program’s planning intent and behind-the-scenes stories on May 26.
Set in the near future where humanity can no longer rely solely on Earth, ‘The Last Humanity’ is the world’s first science survival reality show where seven participants challenge survival within a closed ecosystem using science.
The production team explained that the show started with the question, “Can humanity actually survive after leaving Earth?” They added, “Now that the era of space development is fully opening, humans must be able to build their own ecosystem where air, water, and food circulate, rather than just building spaceships. We wanted to experiment to see if humans are capable of creating a ‘second Earth’.”
The core stage of the program is ‘Biosphere 2’ located in the Arizona desert, USA. Built in 1991, Biosphere 2 is the world’s largest closed ecosystem experimental facility, where eight crew members once lived self-sufficiently for two years, completely cut off from the outside world. It was the first scientific survival experiment involving actual humans.
The production team stated, “Biosphere 2 felt like a grand declaration from an era when people believed humans could create their own Earth.” They added, “However, in the actual experiment, unexpected problems like oxygen shortages, food scarcity, and ecosystem imbalances occurred constantly. Including those failures and chaos, Biosphere 2 still seems like the biggest question regarding the future of humanity.”
Furthermore, the team noted, “Concerns that seemed like science fiction 30 years ago are now becoming reality.” They expressed a desire to explore how far humans can reproduce an ecosystem in an era where living on the Moon and Mars is discussed, and whether science can truly lead humans to a new world. They emphasized their wish to redo the experiment from 30 years ago with seven Koreans today.
Behind-the-scenes of the casting process were also revealed. The production team shared, “From the start, rather than simply looking for people with great survival skills or scientific knowledge, we wanted individuals who could interpret science and the future of humanity in their own way.” They believed that having various professions, including actors, entertainers, and artists alongside scientists, would make the process of colliding and cooperating through different judgment methods and values another experiment in itself.
The direction of the program also evolved during production. The team mentioned, “Initially, we considered a more traditional survival format, but as the symbolism of Biosphere 2 combined with questions about human civilization, it developed into the current worldview of humanity preparing for a ‘second Earth’.” They hoped the program would go beyond a simple survival story and make viewers rethink the relationship between humans, science, and the environment.
‘The Last Humanity’ features actor Yoo Seung-ho, comedian Lee Eun-ji, and artist BIBI, along with brain scientist Jang Dong-seon, ENT specialist and writer Lee Nak-jun, Kwangwoon University chemistry professor Jang Hong-je, and Earth scientist Dr. Kim Han-gyeol from a US aerospace research institute, as they conduct a survival experiment that crosses genre boundaries.
‘The Last Humanity’ received production support from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, and will premiere on June 4.
