The Voyage of Charles Darwin

- Season 1

(1978)

After denying his father's wish to become a physician or theologian Darwin makes acquaintance with professor Henslow, who recognizes his talent for geology and biology, thereby supporting him to join the travel of captain FitzRoy for mapping the coasts of South America.

The three years voyage starts. Darwin has to come over his seasickness, he learns to team-up with the crew of the small ship and makes first steps toward his later profession when he set foot on the shore of Brasil, learning the richness of diversity of flora and fauna but also the inhumanity of slavery when he visits a Scottish farmer.

Getting down to Argentina FitzRoy continues with mapping of the coast while Darwin is continuing with his exploration's. He sends his findings and commentaries back to London. Getting closer the the lands end captain FitzRoy makes a stop and let the three natives, he had taken with him to Britain giving them on his first voyage, accompanied by a young missionary to a camp to bring education and the right believing to the natives. But one year later when FitzRoy comes back, he has to recognize that the mission has failed.

Coming back from a land expedition it comes to a strong debate between FitzRoy and Darwin regarding the firm religious conviction of FittzRoy and the scientifically thoughts of Darwin, that beclouds the friendship between them. Not satisfied with the results of the mapping, FitzRoy decides to go back to Rio de la Plata. Darwin takes the opportunity to travel over land to Buenos Aires learning the cruelty of the white race against the indigenous people. Sayling back to Fireland the moral of the crew weakens, members are dying. Finally they reach the Pacific and ...

Captain FitzRoy suffers a deep depression but recovers. Being ashore they experience a vast earthquake. As a result some small rocks normally covered by the sea are now about one meter above sea level. The ongoing voyage leads them to the Galapagos islands. FitzRoy feels disgusted when he sees the creatures. For Darwin for Darwin it is a richly laid table to continue with his exploration. The circumstance that nobody knows from where the animals came from it was astonishing to Darwin that each species on the various islands has developed variants. He starts to think ...

Darwin is ongoing with his exploration. He recognizes, that only the fittest will survive. When on their voyage home after 5 years Darwin starts to draw a conclusion about his experiences and what he will going to do professionally when back in England. At the end the differences between FitzRoy and Darwin regarding religion and rational understanding will be ongoing. But they agree that FitzRoy will take chance to take over parts of Darwin's travel report in his one. Darwin' patrons at Cambridge introduce him into sciences. His considerations lead him to the question...

Darwin meets Joseph Dalton Hooker, botanist and friend, and discusses with him his theory about the evolution of species, but he has still too little evidence to make it public. Captain FitzRoy is now in politics. But his inability to control himself hinders his political career in parliament. He becomes governor of New Zealand for 5 years. The loss of Darwin's daughter and later on of his son make Darwin an agnostic. Forced by a publication of Alfred Russel Wallace Darwin agrees to make his results public. FitzRoy is visiting Darwin. He has not changed, he still ...