The question of human origins, and of the beginning of life itself, is one of the most controversial science has ever wrestled with - and the debates are as divisive today as they were in the 19th century. This program tells the story of how scientists came to explain the genesis and diversity of living things; it also explores the connection between evolution and the long and violent history of our planet. Although Charles Darwin figures in most any discussion of evolution, viewers will also encounter ocean adventurers, eccentric French aristocrats, mountain climbers, a secret Victorian publisher with 12 fingers, and a ridiculed German meteorologist.

A BBC Production.