New film pokes fun at population fears and celebrates the news of 7 billion

To mark the world’s population reaching 7 billion on Halloween 2011, the Citizen TV channel WORLDbytes has launched a hilarious parody of modern day Malthusian thinking. Entitled Get off My Planet: Happy Birthday to 7 billion of us, the programme features the extraordinarily talented Blood Brothers star and ex-RSC actor James Hirst as the central character, Bill. From his sofa in front of the telly, Bill contemplates the news of 7 billion and for him it’s a Halloween nightmare. The only solution he tells us is to get rid of the useless people in the useless countries. His prescriptions include euthanasia, gelding, getting rid of ‘thick’ people and paying poor African women not to have children- a carbon offsetting scheme first proposed by the Optimum Population Trust, now rebranded as Population Matters. Bill is also worried about no electricity, cold tea, the green belt, polar bears, plastic waste, disposable nappies and a litany of horrors produced by more births. He worships David Attenborough and his message amounts to saying ‘get off my planet’.

WORLDbytes Director, Ceri Dingle said today:
“James’ character sends up the anti-human modern Malthusian perfectly and he is not a Daily Mail but a Guardian reader. Making no bones about it, he’s going for the cull. This parody reflects WORLDwrite’s and our Citizen TV channel WORLDbytes’ concern to challenge overpopulation fears and shed light on their profoundly anti-human roots. Unlike prevailing prophets of doom across the media we are organising a birthday party to celebrate 7 billion on bonfire night and are keen to promote the more the merrier.”

WORLDwrite will be screening the programme in London at their bonfire night party on 5th November where they will be celebrating the global population expansion to 7 billion.

For details, interviews and photographs contact:
Directors Ceri Dingle or Viv Regan on Tel: +44 (0) 208 985 5435 or email world.write@btconnect.com
The programme “Get off my planet- Happy Birthday to 7 Billion of us” is available to watch on WORLDbytes at: http://www.worldbytes.org/get-off-my-planet-happy-birthday-7-billion/

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Notes to editors:
WORLDbytes is a unique online Citizen TV channel featuring reports and programmes created by young volunteers learning to shoot 'on the job'. Its programmes aim to get behind the headlines and promote a people-first perspective on a wide-range of issues. The channel's credo is "don't shout at the telly, change the message on it".

WORLDbytes is run by the education charity WORLDwrite, registered charity number 1060869. The charity champions quality citizen reporting and provides free film training to make this possible. The charity's website address is www.worldwrite.org.uk

WORLDwrite has an open door policy and encourages all-comers to get involved and recognise there are no limits to what's possible.
For more general information, please visit: www.worldwrite.org.uk & www.worldbytes.org