The Voyage of Charles Darwin

This series has been repeated on BBC from its initial transmission in the UK - about five years ago I think. Why it has not re-appeared in the USA is an interesting point but I do know that there is a new TV production about Darwin's life which used his house to shoot some scenes .

That will be interesting to see but should not take anything away from this earlier effort which does remain an excellent introduction to the life and work of arguably one of the most influential people who have ever lived. With the exception of religious or creationist cranks, the evolution of species by natural selection remains the corner stone of biology - and in this series we can see how the young Darwin comes across this insight. Perhaps the debt owned to others is not always acknowleged in this series and the important role of Alfred Russel Wallace who came to the same conclusion as Darwin is glossed over but undoubtedly the series is best when it is on board the Beagle. The role of Captain Fitzroy is also important - and he does not come across as a religious bigot but as a man who ridiculed in his efforts to assist the poor indians he found in Terra Del Fuego . Only recently in England was his name immortalised as well when an area of sea used for weather forcasting was changed to his - in debt to his other work as a map maker and a pioneer in accurate weather forecasting .

A recommended series - and perhaps the BBC have got round to re-issuing it on DVD sometime,

Video tapes of the series are available on interlibrary loan from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. As one would expect, the quality of the images after 28 years of sitting on the shelf is not good. Nonetheless, I used copies in my two-quarter course on Darwin and evolution. My course, attended by 50 retired persons from our lifelong learning institute program, gave the series rave reviews. My online search indicates that the series is also available via interlibrary loan from Idaho State University. Like many of you, I'd like to purchase DVD's of the series from Time-Life. Please contact me if DVD's become available.

I have this series online. All one person has to do is download a program called Limewire (they have their own site just search for it) and download it from me. I have one through 3 online right now and i will get the rest on line soon. I HST want to see how these download. They do not look or sound good because they were taped 26 years ago. This is an excellent mini series and I would really like for people to download it as I would like to see if putting them on line was worth my effort. This is a first rate biography of one of the worlds greatest scientists. Like I said they don't look or sound good but are still watchable.

For some inexplicable circumstances or reasons which are known only to the BBC, this film has never been released to the public. Had I not had the opportunity to see it on PBS Channel WNET in New York several years ago, I would not have known of its existence. It is time that the BBC made some effort to consider their audience and the needs of teachers and students alike - not to mention all the adult persons in the world that are being treated to a declining quality of films and television programs. This film not only carefully and faithfully covers the life and times of Darwin, one of the greatest scientists of all time, but it lays before the viewer a very precise overview of Darwin's theories of species orgins and the principles of evolution. I wonder, as do others, if the disappearance of this film has anything to do with the fanatics of the so-called 'Christian' right that sees the work of science as a threat to their tawdry and ignorant grasp of science and scientific principles. Someone out there: make this film available to any and all who cannot fail to enjoy it and profit from its salutary content. Is anyone listening?

Please release this title on video/DVD! It is a wonderful, wonderful account of Charles Darwin's Beagle Voyage, and would be a very helpful addition to the curriculum in many a college course on evolution and/or the history of science. It would be great if local PBS stations would pick up this series and show it from time to time, so that interested viewers could at least tape it (the local museum of television history was the only place I could get access to it). It's a real shame that, because of the religious beliefs of a small minority of people (who could simply elect not to watch), the rest of the TV-watching audience are deprived of excellent programming such as this.