Presented by Lex Runderkamp Original language(s) Dutch, English First episode date 13 September 2009 Number of seasons 1 Genre Popular science | Country of origin The Netherlands No. of seasons 1 Final episode date 30 May 2010 Number of episodes 35 Networks Canvas, VPRO | |
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Also known as (English) Beagle: In Darwin's wake Starring Dirk Draulans, Anthony Smith (sculptor), Sarah Darwin, Redmond O'Hanlon Similar Droomland Amerika, Maartens Moestuin (Maarten, 30 minuten, Loenatik, Holland Sport | ||
Beagle: In het kielzog van Darwin (English: Beagle: In Darwin's wake) was a Dutch-Flemish television series from 2009 and 2010 initiated by the VPRO in collaboration with Teleac (Dutch educational broadcaster) and Canvas to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. The series is centered on an 8-month voyage around the world on board of the clipper Stad Amsterdam which follows the route of the five-year-long voyage of Charles Darwin on board of the ship HMS Beagle between 1831 and 1836. The Stad Amsterdam departed from the English port of Plymouth on September 1, 2009.
The series consisted of weekly television episodes with a duration of 35 minutes (with the exception of the first and last episodes which had a duration of 70 minutes) and an interactive website which gave more background information about the covered subjects and which allowed viewers to follow the course of the ship 24 hours per day. There was also coverage in the radio programme Noorderlicht.
The recurring shipmates were journalist and presenter Lex Runderkamp, biologists Dirk Draulans and Sarah Darwin (who is the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin), the artist Anthony Smith and the writer Redmond O'Hanlon. Apart from them several other more or less well-known people joined the voyage and some joined for only one or more legs of the voyage, including some other descendants of Charles Darwin.
On November 11, 2009 four people from the series were involved in a car crash in Argentina, in which two people died including British historian and Falklands archivist Jane Cameron.