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Charles Darwin And The Tree Of Life – Sunday 1 February, 9.00pm, 1 x 60 minutes

David Attenborough is a passionate Darwinian. He sees evolution as the cornerstone of all his thinking – and Charles Darwin's ideas have permeated everything that David has ever filmed or written.

In this one-hour documentary special that is a highlight of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Darwin season, David shares his deeply personal views on this globally important idea. He asks three key questions: How and why did Darwin come up with his theory? Why do we think he was right? And why is it more important now than ever before?

And to find out the answers he goes on a journey through the last 200 years, tracking the changes in our understanding of the natural world. Since Darwin's time major scientific discoveries have helped to underpin and strengthen the evidence for his revolutionary and controversial idea.

David starts his journey in Darwin's home at Down House in Kent, where Darwin worried and puzzled over the origins of life. David revisits his alma mater at Cambridge where the DNA double helix was discovered and goes back to his roots in Leicestershire where a schoolboy unearthed a significant fossil in the Fifties.

As David concludes: "So now we can trace the ancestry of all animals in the tree of life and demonstrate the truth of Darwin's basic proposition. All life is related."

Charles Darwin And The Tree Of Life has been co-produced with the Open University (OU).

And coming up on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One later this year...

Life

Later this year, look out for a ten-part landmark blockbuster on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One, Life, from the NHU – narrated by David Attenborough.

A natural history spectacular, Life will capture extraordinary and awe-inspiring animal survival behaviours. Co-produced with the OU, this is a co-production with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide and Discovery.

Please note: Schedules are subject to change, please keep an eye on weekly TV/Radio listings details for further information