The Farnsworth Story

My favourite screenwriter has turned his hand to the stage again. The brilliant Aaron Sorkin ('West Wing', 'Studio 60...') has written a play about the American inventor of television, Philo Farnsworth which opens this week on Broadway. The story is a sad one - a farm boy from the Midwest with amazing vision who ended up having his invention stoeln by the giant RCA corporation and died an alcoholic.

It is also saddly mirrored in the UK where Marconi essentially stole John Logie Baird's simultaneous 'invention' of television.

The Farnsworth Invention is going to be on top of my list of things to do for my next visit to the Big Apple.

Comments