The BBC today, has announced that they're to air a season of "landmark content" to mark "one of the most astonishing and influential scientific ideas ever conceived." Big booming stuff eh? David Attenborough, Andrew Marr and Jimmy Doherty are just some of the well-known names who will be helping the BBC and the nation to mark the life and work of Charles Darwin on the BBC Winter 08/09.

Of course, the timing of the season marks some anniversaries and all that, but I don't want to bog you down with facts. Fact is, a very influential man is being honoured with a load of programmes to watch on telly and some of 'em should be pretty good... surely that's all you need for now? For a full run-down of what's on, read over. There's a good chap.

The season sets out to explore evolution, regarded as one of the most far-reaching and influential scientific ideas ever... an idea which has robustly stood the test of time. Thus far. George Entwistle, Controller Knowledge Commissioning, BBC Vision said: "The key Darwin anniversaries provide an excellent opportunity for the BBC to explore in real depth this revolutionary idea, and the man behind it. The season will stretch across the BBC landscape and we're delighted to have content from across television, radio and online. We hope it will connect our audiences to Darwin the man, as well as Darwin the scientific revolutionary. I hope this season will inspire our audiences and deliver real insight into his ideas and what they mean for contemporary society."

BBC Darwin Season highlights

BBC One kicks off the season with a one-off special from David Attenborough and the Natural History Unit (NHU) in Bristol.

Tree of Life (working title, 1 x 60-minute) explores the origin of Darwin's great idea. David Attenborough makes a powerful case for the importance of the science of evolution.

Andrew Marr On Darwin's Legacy (working title) is a landmark new 3 x 60-minute series for BBC Two.

Marr will explore the radical impact of Darwin's theory not only in science, but also society, political movements (capitalist, Marxist and fascist) and religion. It will also show how that impact continues today, underpinning much of our modern understanding of human life.

BBC Four will present two specially commissioned one-off documentaries: What Darwin Didn't Know and Darwin: In His Own Words.

What Darwin Didn't know is a new 90-minute film exploring a new field of genetics, 'evo devo' - the combined study of evolution and development in the womb - which is allowing us to solve some of Darwin's unanswered questions.

Darwin: In His Own Words will use newly-released documents from Cambridge University to chart Darwin's thoughts during the long period before he made his theory known to the public.

Entomologist and farmer Jimmy Doherty recreates many of Darwin's ground-breaking plant experiments at Down House, the Darwin family home in Kent, in Darwin's Garden (3 x 60-minute) for BBC Two.

BBC One has also commissioned Life (10 x 60-minute) from the NHU, a natural history spectacular which captures the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring animal survival behaviours ever shown on TV. Four years in the making, Life is filmed in the most extreme environments across the globe. Co-funded by the OU. A co-production with BBC Worldwide and Discovery.

It's all very exciting... if a little heavy... and the Darwin season isn't solely a TV outing with more documentaries and discussions on BBC radio and online.