BBC Sets Season of Darwin-Focused Programming

LONDON, July 3: The BBC is
celebrating the life and work of scientific theorist Charles Darwin with a
range of content to roll out across multiple platforms—BBC One, Two and Four;
BBC Radio 3 and 4; and online—from winter 2008/09.

BBC One will kick off the
Darwin-dedicated season with a one-off special from David Attenborough and the
Bristol-based Natural History Unit (NHU), tentatively titled Tree of Life. The hour-long program will explore the origin of
Darwin’s idea about the science of evolution. BBC One has also commissioned Life
from the NHU, which looks at
animal-survival behaviors. Four years in the making, the 10×1-hour series is a
co-production with BBC Worldwide and Discovery.

The new 3×1-hour series
for BBC Two tentatively titled Andrew Marr on Darwin’s Legacy will explore the impact of Darwin’s theory on
science, society, political movements and religion. The show also highlights
how the theory continues to impact the modern understanding of human life
today. Additionally, BBC Two will air Darwin’s Garden, a 3×1-hour program that features entomologist and
farmer Jimmy Doherty recreating Darwin’s groundbreaking plant experiments.

BBC Four will present two
specially commissioned one-off documentaries: What Darwin Didn’t Know and Darwin: In His Own Words. The 90-minute What Darwin Didn’t Know looks at a new field of genetics, evo devo, which
combines the study of evolution and development in the womb. Darwin: In His Own
Words will use newly released
documents from Cambridge University to chart Darwin’s thoughts during the long
period prior to making his theory known to the public.

BBC Radio 4 will feature a
range of programs centered on the now-legendary book On the Origin of
Species, which laid out the theory
of evolution by natural selection. BBC Radio 3 is presenting a range of
programs that explore the roots of Darwin’s ideas and their influence across
the intellectual spectrum in sciences, arts and philosophy.

Online, bbc.co.uk will
serve as a hub for a wealth of Darwin-related content, covering both his life
and work. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski