British Comedy Guide
The Mark Steel Lectures. Mark Steel
The Mark Steel Lectures

The Mark Steel Lectures

  • TV factual / stand-up
  • BBC Four
  • 2002 - 2006
  • 18 episodes (3 series)

Series telling the story of some of the world's greatest names, from Byron to Pankhurst, in an accessible, comic manner. Features Mark Steel and Martin Hyder.

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Episode menu

Series 1, Episode 5 - Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin is the fifth of Steel's subjects.

Further details

Delving further, and more imaginatively, into the evolution of Charles Darwin than ever before, the Mark Steel Lecture takes this modern hero off the ten pound note and into the present day. We follow him onto the Beagle and into the bedroom, and worry for his sanity as he fashions a turtle out of mashed potato.

A tortured figure whose distress eventually forced him to take to his bed and watch Animal Hospital and Countdown all day (probably), this is the show that tells you things about Darwin you never knew - including his opinion on the taste of Galapagos tortoise urine.

Featuring Martin Hyder as Charles Darwin and - in one of his final TV appearances - the late Bob Monkhouse as himself.

Broadcast details

Date
Tuesday 4th November 2003
Time
10pm
Channel
BBC Four
Length
30 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Mark Steel Host / Presenter
Martin Hyder Ensemble Actor
Guest cast
Bob Monkhouse Self
Geoffrey McGivern Self
Writing team
Mark Steel Writer
Pete Sinclair Writer (Additional Material)
James Serafinowicz (as James Sezchuan) Writer (Additional Material)
Phil Clarke Script Editor
Production team
Michael Cumming Director
Jon Rolph Producer
Graham Smith Executive Producer
Jon Blow Editor
Claire Buckett (as Clare Buckett) Make-up Designer

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