Channel 4: The Genius of Charles Darwin

1 August 2008 · Comments 

Starting next week, Channel 4 in the UK is screening a three-part documentary series on the scientific legacy of Charles Darwin, hosted by our old friend Richard Dawkins.

Digiguide describes the series:

In 1859, English naturalist Charles Darwin published his masterpiece On the Origin of Species. In it Darwin put forward his theory - that everything on this planet has evolved by natural selection rather than by God or a higher being. The book caused outrage at the time, but radically changed perceptions of our existence.

Nearly 150 years later, Darwin’s theory remains controversial, despite overwhelming evidence backing it up. Richard Dawkins — ethologist, scientist and one of Britain’s best-known atheists … — examines the theory in our programme of the week, The Genius of Charles Darwin. A strong three-parter, Dawkins retraces Darwin’s journey aboard The Beagle and re-examines the evidence of the natural world, showing how the ongoing process of sex, suffering and death drives evolution on as the fittest survive and the weakest perish. But although the evidence seems irrefutable, Dawkins has some tough critics to convince — a class of intelligent but sceptical British teenagers. Can he convince them that Darwin’s theory is true?

Screenings on Channel 4 and S4C

Watch clips from the series

Update: There’s also a BBC Radio 4 interview with Dawkins about the series available on his web site.

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Out of the frying pan…

17 September 2007 · Comments 

Dispatches: Unholy War (Channel 4, Monday 17 September, 8pm)

Tonight sees yet another Channel 4 Dispatches treatment of religion, this time in the context of the intimidation and threats faced by ex-muslims who have swapped one unlikely fairy tale for another converted to christianity.

Dispatches investigates the violence and intimidation facing Muslims who convert to Christianity in Britain. Dispatches reporter Antony Barnett meets former Muslims who now live under the threat of reprisals from their former communities. Many are still living in fear. He interviews a family who have been driven out of their home and a convert whose brother was beaten close to death.

The investigation uncovers a network of churches supporting converts from Islam who have to worship under a veil of secrecy. It is estimated there are as many as 3,000 Muslims who have converted to Christianity living in Britain.

I don’t know why I insist on watching this kind of car-crash tv.

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