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.
Episode menu
Series 1, Episode 5 - Charles Darwin
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
| Mark Steel | Host / Presenter |
| Martin Hyder | Ensemble Actor |
| Bob Monkhouse | Self |
| Geoffrey McGivern | Self |
| Mark Steel | Writer |
| Pete Sinclair | Writer (Additional Material) |
| James Serafinowicz (as James Sezchuan) | Writer (Additional Material) |
| Phil Clarke | Script Editor |
| Michael Cumming | Director |
| Jon Rolph | Producer |
| Graham Smith | Executive Producer |
| Jon Blow | Editor |
| Claire Buckett (as Clare Buckett) | Make-up Designer |