Terrestrial The Genius of Charles Darwin Channel 4, 8pm Richard Dawkins, scientist and atheist, presents a fascinating series about Charles Darwin, as we approach the 150th anniversary of the publication of his masterpiece On the Origin of Species. This purports to be the ultimate guide to Darwin and his theory of evolution by natural selection, which Dawkins considers the most important idea ever. According to recent polls, four out of 10 British people believe in God as the creator of the universe and everything in it; as a scientist, and Britain's best-known atheist, Dawkins suggests such people simply don't know enough about the evidence for Darwin's natural explanation of life on Earth. He hopes to convince them, through this series, that "evolution is a fact, backed by undeniable evidence".
Step Up to the Plate BBC1, 2.15pm Former Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke hosts as three amateur chefs try to beat two professionals by creating a three-course menu of the amateurs' choosing. Lloyd Grossman is the judge. Why does the BBC think we want to see pompous old Lloyd chewing away and cogitating over his decision? This is not a recommendation, more a warning so you know when to switch over.
Chinese Food Made Easy BBC2, 8.30pm Ching he-Huang is still putting her wok on and her oil in. The cookbook that accompanies the programme is one of Amazon's biggest sellers, so she's clearly doing something right in the kitchen. Tonight it's all about hot and spicy Szechuan cuisine as she cooks zesty chilli tiger prawns for people who know a few things about heat - firemen - and visits a chilli farm in Chorley. Yes, that's Chorley, Lancashire.
Digital Dickens' Secret Lover More4, 9pm Charles Dickens, one of the greatest Victorians of them all, had a great secret to keep: he was driven by adulterous passion for a woman 27 years his junior, one Nelly Ternan. This film is a quest to discover the truth behind the smokescreen set up by the Dickens industry to hide the love affair that continued for 13 years. It charts the author's frantic double life, looking at the impact of his obsession on both his life and work, and examines attitudes towards the public morality and private indiscretions of Victorian England. Presenter Charles Dance is a lifelong fan of Dickens and has appeared in adaptations of his work including Bleak House and Nicholas Nickleby.
Monster Film4, 10.45pm Gorgeous Charlize Theron is unrecognisable as female serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins's film, based on the true story of America's first female serial killer, who was executed in 2002. Theron won an Oscar for her role, and she movingly portrays the killer, while Christina Ricci is as compelling as Selby, her companion and lover, who in the end betrayed her.
Radio BBC Proms 2008 Radio 3, 7.30pm The name Ethel Smyth is not widely known today but in the early 1900s she was one of the most successful British composers on the international scene. From an upper-middle-class military family, she chose to fight on two fronts: firstly in the male-dominated world of classical music, and secondly for the suffragettes. Tonight the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to Smyth by featuring her violin concerto, written in 1927 when she was 70. The soloist is Tasmin Little; Stefan Solyom is the conductor.
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