A double dose of Darwniniana on BBC2 tonight

BBC 2 is screening the first episodes of two new Darwin-related series tonight:

Jimmy Doherty in Darwin's Garden 8pm

In three one-hour programmes, Jimmy Doherty tells the untold story of Darwin the experimental scientist. By recreating many of the ingenious experiments that helped Darwin form his theory, Jimmy explores evolution in an original and fresh way. Using Darwin's detailed notes as a guide, Jimmy feeds urine to insect-eating plants, throws a snake into a monkey enclosure at a zoo, and plays a bassoon to an earthworm. Enjoyable and accessible, the programmes drive home the continuing importance of Darwin's ideas - evolution really is all around us.

Darwin's Dangerous Idea 9pm

Andrew Marr's three-part series looks at how Darwin's idea escaped the world of science and took on a life of its own.

(I hope we don't get a dose of Darwin was responsible for Dachau nonsense that appeared in last summer's Dawkins shows!)

Both will be available on iPlayer after the screening. Viewers from outside the UK can use a proxy server to access iPlayer, so that the BBC thinks you are in the UK. If Mac users want to save the programmes, try using iPlayer Grabber.

Exciting stuff from the BBC for the Darwin bicentenary

Andrew Marr, the British political journalist who championed Darwin in the Greatest Britons series...

Here is a snippet from the programme:

...is returning to the life and works of the great man of evolution for a joint Open University/BBC production, tentatively entitled On Darwin's Legacy, which will appear in the bicentenary year.

More details here...