Documentary demystifies Darwin

Despite being a household name, English naturalist Charles Darwin's colorful life and theory of evolution are not familiar to many ordinary Chinese.

Now, Darwin, the Son of Nature, a full-length TV documentary produced by China Central Television (CCTV) that is being broadcast on Channel 10 every night since Tuesday, offers viewers a peek into the challenges he faced, and the successes he achieved.

The seven-episode documentary is part of the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of his seminal work, The Origin of Species, which was first published on Nov 24, 1859. The documentary vividly chronicles Darwin's childhood in his hometown, Shrewsbury, his early taste for nature and creatures, his adventurous voyage around the world and his secret studies on evolution amid significant social pressure which culminated in The Origin of Species.