Adam Curtis presented the 1992 BBC documentary series Pandora’s Box about political and economic ideas.
Pandora’s Box is a six-part documentary series written and presented by British filmmaker Adam Curtis. Rather than retelling the Greek myth, the series examines how political and economic systems have been shaped by ideas about control, expertise, rational planning, markets, and technology. Its episodes connect historical events with arguments about the consequences of applying abstract theories to society.
The series is known for Curtis’s distinctive use of archival footage, voice-over narration, and juxtaposition. Its title uses the Pandora metaphor to suggest that attempts to solve social problems can release unforeseen consequences. This is a cultural use of the phrase, not an adaptation of Hesiod’s narrative. The program is also distinct from Curtis’s later BBC series The Century of the Self and All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace, which explore different historical themes.