The Genius of Charles Darwin

Evolutionary biologist and popular science writer Richard Dawkins takes viewers on a journey through the life and work of Charles Darwin.

As the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, approaches, Richard Dawkins presents the ultimate guide to Darwin and his revolutionary theory of evolution by natural selection, which Dawkins considers the most important idea ever to occur to a human mind. In this powerful three-part polemical series, Dawkins explains who Charles Darwin was, how he developed his theory, what it is, and why it matters. He reveals how Darwin changed forever the way we see ourselves, the world and our place in it, and hopes to convince us that "evolution is a fact, backed by undeniable evidence". 

Dawkins retraces Darwin's journey as a scientist. He re-examines the rich evidence of the natural world - iguanas on the Galapagos islands, giant fossilised sloths in the Americas and even pigeons back home in England - which opened Darwin's eyes to the extraordinary truth that all living things must be related and had evolved from a common ancestor. 

Series 1 | 3 x 60 mins | Channel 4