Prof. Susan Greenfield (Univ. of Oxford) discusses what it is that makes humans different from the rest of the animal world. She focuses on the human ability to work towards long-term goals and observes the results of damage to the frontal lobe of the brain, which seems to be the location of this skill. But planning is not a uniquely human skill - chimpanzees in a study by the University of Georgia demonstrated that they too can do this. Humans, however, have developed language which accounts for the rapid development of our culture; but some scientists argue that chimps, too, are capable of acquiring language. There seems to be a missing link between chimpanzees and humans, indicated by the post-Neanderthal appearance of new kinds of tools indicating a development from modular mental ability to lateral thinking. Among those taking part in the programme are Dr. Adrian Owen (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge) and Prof. Michael Gazzaniga (Dartmouth College, New Hampshire U.S).

The second episode in the series explores the conflicting theories of how Shakespeare spent the ten years between his marriage to Anne Hathaway and his emergence as a star writer in London.

In the final episode of his historical detective story, Michael Wood uncovers the story of Shakespeare's life in the "New Age" of King James I.

Episode 1 examines Shakespeare's life in the early years of Elizabeth's reign at the beginning of her cultural revolution.

There's an airy spirit of existential enquiry floating through Luit Bieringa's lovely portrait of Wellington art-dealer Peter McLeavey. A fundamental biographer's question - what makes this guy tick? - is quietly turned back on us by a subject who seems to live out a highly ordered daily existence in a state of perpetual curiosity about what makes any of us tick, himself included, in this corner of the world. Starting out as a dealer from his bedroom flat in 1966, McLeavey was already championing Toss Woollaston, Colin McCahon and Gordon Walters as purveyors of vision informed by New Zealand experience. He opened his two-room dealer gallery at 147 Cuba Street in 1968. Forty years and 500 or so exhibitions later he's still there. Cinematographer Leon Narbey follows the dapper man in a hat from his home in Hill Street on the circuitous scenic route he takes each morning to work. Bieringa intersperses this lyrical picture of McLeavey's Wellington with readings from his correspondence and frank, revealing conversations with the man himself.

Alan Yentob explores the magical and mysterious world of the best-selling children's author Roald Dahl to discover what made him such a great storyteller. This intimate portrait has exclusive access to his personal archive and features interviews with members of his immediate family, including his widow, Felicity, his first wife, the actress Patricia Neal, his children Tessa, Theo and Ophelia, and his granddaughter, the model Sophie Dahl.

Take ten volunteers, half have psychiatric disorders, the other half don't - but who is who? Over five days the group are put through a series of challenges - from performing stand-up comedy to mucking out cows. The events are designed to explore the character traits of mental illness and ask whether the symptoms might be within all of us. Three leading experts in mental health attempt to spot which volunteers have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. But will the individuals who have suffered from mental illness reveal themselves? Part 1 of 2.

This film for BBC's One Life looks at a radical new initiative to tackle childhood bullying: peer mediation. Visiting Heatherbrook Primary School in Leicester, it looks at several children's experiences of bullying, from their own point of view. Eight year old Jordan's big 'Dumbo' ears make him different to his mates, giving them an obvious nickname to taunt him with. Jordan is often alone in the playground, running around the periphery of games, being told he can't play, being pushed from one side of the playground to the other. "Everytime I'm being bullied, I look up at the sky and just say in my head, 'I wish I wish there were no bullies around, not ever'." Eight year old Stephanie has even thought about killing herself. Two experts are coming into the school to select and train a team of "peer mediators". Once on the job these pint-sized peacekeepers will be on duty every break and lunchtime to try to defuse minor disputes before they escalate into something far worse. The film follows a group of children as they go through the process of selection, training and starting on the job. The BBC's One Life series looks at the issue in depth this evening. "Beating the Bullies" takes us into the secret world of a junior school playground through the kids' eyes and shows us just what the reality of school bullying is.

It all began when a small recording studio opened in an old bus depot in the seaside town of Devonport. Producer Rikki Morris blames a teenaged Finn Andrews who wandered in off the street and asked to record a demo. As soon as he heard that voice, Rikki says he knew that Finn Andrews was going to be a star. Before long, Finn was signed in the UK with his band, The Veils - but that was just the beginning! News travels fast in small towns they say, and in Devonport, the possibility of becoming a rock star suddenly became an 'achievable dream' in the minds of the young locals. At the nearby high schools, lunchtimes were taken up with jamming with whoever was around, and absorbing the lessons of 60s and 70s rock history from mum and dad's dusty collection. Bands were formed, The Bus studio became the place to be, and the 'achievable dreams' started to happen. Filmed over 18 months, the film takes up the stories of three of these bands - The Checks, the Electric Confectionaires, and White Birds & Lemons, who each have their own take on the lessons of 'the old masters' of their parents era. The documentary features recording sessions, impromptu jams, and indoor and outdoor gigs on the journey toward every guitar band's dream. Amidst the music and impromptu comedy, Rikki Morris and the band members share insights on the inner workings of bands, and the prospects and process of 'making it'. While there are currently over 40 bands who now use the old bus depot as their practice/recording space, the three featured bands are at the core of the 'Devonport band phenomenon' - two of them have been signed to international labels, and all three bands have played at The Big Day Out.

The first comprehensive television biography of Jane Austen, the first indisputable genius of the English novel. This definitive documentary will satisfy the surge of interest in her life following the acclaimed BBC adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, and forthcoming productions of Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility and at least two Emmas. Fast paced and witty, this film visits the stately home of her brothers, the ballrooms of her friends, and the beach at Sidmouth where she fell in love. Descendents of her aristocratic family and contemporary writers including PD James act as guides through her life.

In this episode of The Ascent of Money Niall Ferguson investigates the creation of the bond market in Renaissance Italy and its effects on military history as it swept westward across Europe and on to the United States. One of the great pillars of world finance, it also played a significant role in the establishing of rich and powerful dynasties such as the Rothschilds and retains its influence to this day.

Since the 1990s, once risky markets in Asia, Latin America and eastern Europe have become better investments than the UK or US stock market. The explanation is the rise of 'Chimerica' - the economic marriage of China and the United States. But does it make sense for poor Chinese savers to lend to rich American spenders?

With bricks and mortar the favourite form of investment across the English-speaking world, Niall Ferguson examines the role of the property-owning masses in the global economy. He explores how the sub-prime mortgage crisis that began in 2007 heralded the current downturn, when for the first time in years the price of property began to fall and lenders realised their security was a house of cards.

Niall Ferguson describes the history of global finance and charts the epoch-making events of the capitalist system through the centuries, seeking lessons for the present crisis. He begins by examining the origins of banking with the Medici family and the innovative concepts of credit and debt which underpin the world economy and have driven progress for millennia.

Niall Ferguson explores stock market bubbles by tracing the rise and fall of two of the most famous investment companies in history, the Dutch East India and the French Mississippi. Finding parallels between the American crash of the 18th century and the more recent Enron scandal, he uses theories of behavioural finance to explain the human herding instinct when it comes to investment.

Anna Wintour, Editor American Vogue Anna Wintour, British-born doyenne of American Vogue, is reputedly the world's most powerful fashion editor. This compelling documentary provides a window on the inside world of glamour and power at the highest possible level. It asks what it is like to work for Anna and explores how she is perceived by the fashion industry.

Pauline Clare, Police Constable 53-year-old Chief Constable Pauline Clare made history four years ago when she was appointed the first female Police Chief Constable in the 80 years since women were first admitted to the Police Force in Britain. The film follows Pauline Clare as her force tackle drug-related crime and plan the security for the Conservative Party Conference in Blackpool.

The Curry Queen Perween Warsi, also known as The Curry Queen, is the second richest Asian businesswomen in Britain. A mere 13 years ago, she was selling samosas from the small kitchen of her Derby home. Today, her business has an annual turnover of ú100 million, and in 1997 Perween was awarded an MBE for her services to the food industry. Boss Women follows Perween as she develops new dishes for the supermarket Safeway, and follows her search for a site for a new factory.

He was only 18 when he made his first million. Today he is the boss of the international company Virgin Enterprises and nobody can stop him. Richard Branson is one of the richest men in Britain and he is definitely one of its most eccentric and courageous entrepreneurs. Richard Branson began his entrepreneurial trajectory in the 70s, making money from what was then a hobby. With the success of the album "Tubular Bells" which he produced he launched a music label, Virgin Records, and stars like the Rolling Stones, U2, Janet Jackson and Phil Collins came flocking to a label that seemed to nurture creativity. Today, Virgin Enterprises runs a huge number of businesses - from condoms to airlines. More than 50.000 people work for Virgin, despite the fact that Branson claims to not know how to use a personal computer. His strengths lie in founding new enterprises, not necessarily in leading them himself, and moving on to the next challenge.

E-Bay is the quintessential global market. This lively film travels from a small town in Germany, to the island of Sky, to a dusty village in Mexico and then to bustling cities in China to show how individuals all over the world are using the internet to buy and sell. Of course, not everyone is making a bundle. Some offerings don't sell at their price and have to be re-listed, at a cost. But the film shows that opportunities abound. An unemployed family in Germany is starting to make a living as traders. As the narrator says, nationality, race, education, skin color, all these differences fade away on the internet. E-bay is shown celebrating its 10th anniversary in San Jose, California with great festivities and acclaim. With all its success, it is beginning to face a challenge in the Chinese market where an ambitious competitor is steadily growing.

Niall Ferguson visits New Orleans to explore how insurance can be inadequate cover for catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina, looking at what happens when the state is forced to step in. He examines the development of the welfare system in post-war Japan and studies Chilean reforms in the 1970s and 1980s, before assessing the role of hedge funds as reliable protection against an uncertain future.

This episode: In the fifth episode Pete discovers a dangerous side to the Bible Belt when he gets too close to the serpent handlers in the Appalachian mountains, before taking his seat at a table-tipping séance. He continues to challenge his own faith when he comes face to face with a miracle-working evangelist and a boy preacher. In Utah he visits the heartland of Mormonism and ventures into the wilderness to seek out religious outlaws who practice polygamy. Pete experiences a traditional Navajo sweat lodge and visits a sect where mummification is alive and well. His journey across the most religiously diverse country in the world reaches an explosive climax in Nevada when he joins fifty thousand revellers to witness a ceremonial burning. Faith 40: Snake handling: Witnesses a prayer meeting involving holding venomous snakes at the Edwina Church of God in Jesus Christ's Name, Newport, Tennessee. -- Faith 41: Baptist preacher prodigy: Attends a prayer meeting conducted by 10 year old minister Jared Sawyer at the Greater Travelers' Rest Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia. -- Faith 42: Evangelical revival: Witnesses a prayer meeting and a laying-on of hands at the Ignited Church, Lakeland, Florida. -- Faith 43: Spiritualism: Attends a séance at the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, Cassadaga, Florida. -- Faith 44: Navajo sweat lodge: Joins members of the Navajo in a sweat lodge in the Arizona desert. -- Faith 45: Mormons: Discusses Mormon theology at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), Salt Lake City, Utah. -- Faith 46: Religious polygamists: Interviews religious polygamists in St George, Utah who have broken with the LDS church over its attitude to polygamy. -- Faith 47: All Saints Episcopalian Church: Witnesses a same-sex marriage ceremony at the All Saints Episcopalian Church, Pasadena, California. -- Faith 48: Summum: Visits the Summum Pyramid in Salt Lake City, Utah. -- Faith 49: Burning Man festival: Attends the annual event in Black Rock Desert, northern Nevada. [Info from Wikipedia entry]

This episode: He finds a series of unexpected and surprising rituals and sects - huge underground New Age temples in Italy, shamans in Norway, and Europe's only Buddhist republic. Pete also discovers a darker side to faith in the tumultuous history of religion in Europe and finds that his own church was responsible for intolerance, persecution and death. This turns out to be a troubling and deeply personal journey for Pete. Faith 71: Norwegian Lutheran Church: Attends a Lutheran baptism at Sussjavri, Lapland, northern Norway -- Faith 72: Sami shamanism: Witnesses a spiritual invocation of ancestors (Yoik) at Vesterama Sami Camp, Lapland, northern Norway -- Faith 73: Judaism in Lithuania: Attends Shabbat prayers and meal in Vilnius, Lithuania -- Faith 74: Christianity: Visits the Hill of Crosses, 12 km north of Šiauliai, northern Lithuania -- Faith 75: Russian Orthodox Church: Attends the Feast of the Epiphany and Baptism of Christ at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Kropotkinskaya Square, Moscow, Russia, and an ice hole on Zhivopisnaya Street where worshippers swim in the freezing water. -- Faith 76: Atheism in Russia: Attends an Atheist discussion meeting in Moscow. -- Faith 77: Hare Krishna: Witnesses Hare Krishna procession in Moscow. -- Faith 78: Buddhism in Kalmykia: Witnesses Kalmyk Buddhist meditation at the Syakyusn-Syume Temple in Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation. Also visits an apartment built above the temple intended for a visit by the Dalai Lama. -- Faith 79: Benedictine monks: Attends Vespers at San Benedetto's Monastery, Subiaco, Italy. -- Faith 80: Damanhur: Visit to the Damanhur Community, Baldissero Canavese, near Torino, Italy. [Info from Wikipedia entry]

This episode: Pete's exploration of world faiths takes a bizarre turn in Latin America. He smokes cigars with Saint Death in Mexico, ventures deep into a Bolivian mine to meet a terrifying god of the underworld and takes a mind-expanding natural hallucinogen with a New Age community in the forests of Brazil. In this episode Pete discovers how the centuries-old dominance of the Catholic Church has been challenged by a huge explosion of new religions and the re-emergence of dormant practices from the past. His search to understand the diverse spiritualities of the New World proves to be a testing experience. Pete encounters the radical methods of an influential Pentecostal preacher in one of Rio de Janeiro's most notorious prisons, and has to hold his nerve when the minister tries to exorcise Pete's demons. He travels to the shores of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and dances to the top of a sacred hill with local Shaman as part of an annual llama sacrifice. In Brasilia he witnesses the strange pageantry of a UFO worshipping cult, where a mediumistic reading gets out of control and dark forces seem to be brought down from the spirit world. Faith 61: Roman Catholicism in Mexico: Attends Midnight Mass at the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City, Mexico -- Faith 62: Roman Catholic Church: Witnesses prayers to Santa Muerte, Barrio de Tepito, Mexico City. Also sees devotee of Santa Muerte being tattooed. -- Faith 63: El Tio: Witnesses offerings to a mine god at Cerro Rico mine, Potosi, Bolivia -- Faith 64: Pachamama: Witnesses llama sacrifice on hill above Sampaya, Bolivia -- Faith 65: Roman Catholic Church: Automobile blessing outside the basilica of the Virgen de la Candelaria, Copacabana, Bolivia -- Faith 66: Pentecostalism: Cleansing and exorcism of prisoners at Benfica detention centre, Leopoldina, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Assemblies of God minister. Minister later exorcises Owen-Jones in attempt to stop him smoking. -- Faith 67: Candomblé: Witnesses Samba Day celebrations and orixa possession -- Faith 68: Temple of Goodwill. Meditation at a pyramid shaped temple in Brasilia -- Faith 69: Valley of Dawn: Takes part in the Vale do Amanhecer ritual, a spirit reading, at location near Planaltina, Brazil which proves to be a nerve-wrecking experience. -- Faith 70: Santo Daime: Takes part in Ayahuasca service where participants drink powerful substance that is said to induce a higher state of consciousness and reveal aspects of an individual's inner divine self. Location: Ceu do Mapia, State of Acre, Brazil [Info from Wikipedia entry]

After examining 49 faiths, Pete Owen Jones journeys from the Nepalese Himalayas to the south of India to make sense of the mystery of Indian religions, including the transmigration of the soul, karma, the pantheon of gods and the high regard for gurus. Pete visits a Tibetan Buddhist monastery high in the mountains. In Calcutta, he takes part in the colourful Durga Puja festival and meets the Agori who live amongst the dead. He then travels to the deserts of Rajastan, where he finds Hindu sects ready to walk on fire or even pay the ultimate price for their gurus. In Mumbai, Pete attends a Zoroastrian marriage and explores why one of the world's oldest religions is in danger of disappearing. He discovers how Sikhism had a violent birth when he attends the 300th anniversary of its greatest guru's death, and then journeys south to learn about the remarkable faith of Jainism, which renounces violence against every living creature. Finally Pete spends Diwali in a tiny village at a dung-slinging festival - with inevitable results. Faith 50: Tibetan Buddhism Witnesses a tara ritual at Kutsab Ternga monastery, near Jomsom, Mustang district, Nepal. -- Faith 51: Hinduism: Muktinath Walks through 108 waterspouts at the Stupa of Muktinath, near Jomsom, Mustang district, Nepal. -- Faith 52: Hindu/Buddhist: Child blessing. Attends a child blessing in a house in Kathmandu, Nepal. -- Faith 53: Hinduism: The Durga Puja festival. Witnesses the Durga Puja festival in Calcutta, India. -- Faith 54: Hinduism: Aghoris Meets an aghori in Tarapith, West Bengal, India. -- Faith 55: The Bishnoi Visits The Bishnoi and discusses their belief system in Rajasthan, India -- Faith 56: The Nath Firewalkers Witnesses Fire walking at Purnima in Rajasthan, India. -- Faith 57: Zoroastrianism Attends a Parsi wedding at the Parsi Fire Temple, Mumbai, India. -- Faith 58: Sikhism Attends the 300th anniversary of the consecration of the Guru Granth Sahib at Nanded, Maharashtra, India. -- Faith 59: Jainism Witnesses celebrations at the monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara, Shravanabelagola, Hassan district, India and here meets a Jain wandering nun, which proves to be a moving experience. -- Faith 60: Hinduism: Gorehabba ritual. Takes part in the Gorehabba ritual during Diwali at Gummatapura, a village on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, southern India.

With obesity and weight-related health problems rising at an alarming pace in developed countries, thousands are looking to religion to help them lose weight. The evangelical Christian weight-loss corporation 'Weigh Down Workshop' has 30,000 classes in the USA and now there are dozens of branches opening in the UK. Everyman follows the stories of two women looking to God to help them lose weight, and the American organisation that can help them - for a fee - to slim for Him.

He explores how American optimism about the infinite possibilities of its land and resources is in danger of coming to a grinding halt. Nowhere is it more evident than in the American West, which has always been a symbol of opportunity and freedom. Oil at four dollars a gallon may dominate the headlines, but here it is the lack of water that is an bigger threat to the American future. The West is in the grip of a years-long drought. America's optimism about its natural resources has always been spiced with clashes over conservation, going back to the first man to navigate the Colorado river, John Wesley Powell. American ingenuity made farming on an industrial scale possible in the early years of the 20th century, but at the cost of making Oklahoma a dust bowl. The Hoover Dam, a modern American miracle which used to provide essential irrigation for farming and for the new city of Las Vegas, is not able to cope with the demand for water any more.

In American War, Simon reveals how different the American attitude to war is from what outsiders assume it to be. Two of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, disagreed about whether America should even have a professional army - a division still evident when Simon visits America's premier military academy at West Point. From the Civil War right through to Mark Twain's denunciation of President Teddy Roosevelt's imperial adventure in the Phillipines, American wars have inspired profound debate. And nowhere more so in the 2008 election than San Antonio, Texas, nicknamed Military City because of its high population of veterans and serving soldiers, where Simon finds feelings about the war are deeply divided. As with the great war elections of the past, it's a debate which forces America to dig deep and rediscover what it stands for.

Simon explores the ways in which faith has shaped American political life. His starting point is a remarkable fact about the coming election: for the first time in a generation it is the Democrats who claim to be the party of God. It is Barack Obama, not John McCain, who has been talking about his faith. In Britain we have always thought of American religion as a largely conservative force, yet Simon shows how throughout American history it has played a crucial role in the fight for freedom. Faith helped create America - it was the search for religious freedom that led thousands to make the dangerous journey to the colonies in the 1600s. After independence was won, that religious freedom was enshrined in the constitution; America was the first country in the world to do so. Simon also looks at the remarkable role the black church has played, first in the liberation of the slaves in the 1800s, and again in the civil rights movement of the 1960s; neither would have happened without its religious activists. It is this very church that has been the inspiration for Barack Obama, who traces the roots of his political inspiration to his faith.

Simon looks at the bitter conflict over immigration in American history. Who should be allowed to enter America and call themselves an American has always been one of the nation's most divisive issues, and it continues to be so at this election. He traces the roots of this conflict to the founding of America. The early settlers were themselves immigrants, but they saw America as fundamentally a white and Protestant nation. Simon looks at the key events that challenged this view: the annexation of parts of Mexico in 1848 that made 100,000 non-whites American citizens, the immigration and subsequent expulsion of the Chinese in the late 19th century, and the massive immigration from Eastern Europe during the industrialisation of the 1920s. Each time there have been those who have insisted America must stay white if it's to stay true to itself, and each time they have been defeated by the sheer force of history. John F. Kennedy defined America as a Nation of Immigrants in 1964 and Simon argues that the candidacy of Barack Obama represents the final triumph of the vision of America as a multi-ethnic nation.

What do we know about Google beside the fact it is the name of the world's most famous website? Meet the people in the Googleplex - the inventors, the managers, advisors and users.

The American icon behind the Guggenheim museum, Fallingwater and his own home, Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright became the greatest architect of the 20th century - not only because of his magnificent talent but because he was a master showman and self-publicist. The sheer scale of Lloyd Wright's career - over 450 buildings in 70 years - is astonishing in itself but there is much more to his story than the romantic myth his autobiography revealed. This BBC documentary explores Lloyd Wright's visionary works and reveals how his life was beset with periods of devastating critical derision, financial chaos, scandal, and a violent but little-known murder.

It takes a certain kind of obsession to make pinot noir wine. Known as the heartbreak grape, pinot noir is very particular, and only flourishes in a few locations around the world. So when a few passionate - some thought foolhardy - New Zealanders planted pinot noir in Central Otago, in the deep south of New Zealand, it seemed an enterprise destined for failure. Yet the best can come from the most unlikely of places. Today the rocky slopes and thyme-filled valleys of Central Otago make up the fastest growing wine region in the world. This evocative film explores the challenges of chasing pinot noir perfection, finds out why Central Otago pinot noir is unique, and tells the remarkable story behind the one of the most elusive wines in the world.

For Muslims everywhere, the ultimate goal is to make the Hajj at least once during their lifetime. This spiritual journey is the basic premise of an entire religion and sees impoverished African Muslims mixing with their incredibly wealthy Western counterparts. This documentary follows some of the 20,000 Britons who make the journey to Mecca, unravelling the mysterious aura that surrounds this remarkable event. This documentary combines the backdrop of Mecca with interviews to provide a previously undocumented view of Islam.

This BBC Channel 4 documentary shows how the experiences of five lesbian and gay Muslims in Britain challenge the heterosexual bias in Muslim communities and illustrate the diversity within Islam. There are diverse perspectives on homosexuality amongst Muslims, ranging from condemnation through to the Muslim Canadian Congress's welcome for legislation redefining marriage to include same-sex partners. Some 200 lesbian and gay Muslims were contacted by the programme makers but only a handful were willing to be interviewed, and most of those insisted on keeping their identities hidden. Only one was prepared to show his face and give his true name. The interviewees speak of their commitment to and belief in Islam, though instead of having their beliefs supported by their community and family, they face being ostracised. 'Shakir' and his parents find it easier to accept lesbianism than gay men's homosexuality. 'Farah' contemplates going back into the closet, to lie about her sexuality to ease the tension in her relationship with her parents.

The changes in the brain during the growth and development of a baby into an adult are explored. Susan Greenfield looks at how little of the fine structure of our brains is predetermined at birth, how the connections between nerves are constantly changing in response to what we encounter in the outside world. She explains her view that learning, memory and even the process of becoming a unique individual, should all be seen as a restless brain adapting minute by minute to the environment it encounters. Life is about how the world leaves its mark on us.

In this film, acclaimed documentary maker Jane Treays enters the worlds of children on the edge of society, examining how they cope when their lives are shaped by extreme circumstances. Young Carers examines the situation in the UK where children as young as eight are asked to act as grown-ups, taking care of relatives who are unable to look after themselves. This challenging film follows children seeking to manage their parents' physical and mental health problems, losing their childhood as they do.

This documentary offers a sweeping look at China's recent past and its future as the great country prepares to enter the 21st century. The filmmaker Peter Kauffman explains that the reason he made the film was due to an excited phone call from Xiozhen Jiang, his longtime friend and daughter of renowned Chinese screen actress Bai Yang. During the call she told Kauffman that China had turned into "the wildest place on Earth." Intrigued, Kaufman and his father, distinguished filmmaker Philip Kaufman, journeyed to China and made this film. The film's scope addresses the country's social, political, and economic history leading up to 1989 and the Tiananmen Square massacre. Special attention is paid to the dilemmas facing the millions of residents who are wheeling and dealing amidst new freedoms and a burgeoning economy leading to problems such as homeless itinerant workers, corrupt officials, gangsterism and prostitution.

A series profiling some of the remarkable women and men who had the greatest influence on the last century.

This documentary film follows ten Midwestern teenagers as they attend the first overnight Bible Camp for gay Christian youths. For these six boys and four girls, it’s just as hard to come out as Christian as it is to come out as gay. They’re caught in the battle between religion, politics and sexuality that’s raging in the United States today. These kids are outsiders – their straight classmates ostracize them and their churches reject them. But like all teens, they yearn to feel at home, somewhere. Struggling to find a way to be true to both their spirituality and their sexual identity, these teens come to camp hoping to finally find a place of acceptance.

Meet the scientific prophets who claim we are on the verge of creating a new type of human - a human v.2.0, in this BBC Horizon documentary. It’s predicted that by 2029 computer intelligence will equal the power of the human brain, a point of convergence referred to as the Singularity. Some believe this will revolutionize humanity - we will be able to download our minds to computers extending our lives indefinitely. Others fear this will lead to oblivion by giving rise to destructive ultra intelligent machines.

In July 2005, filmmaker Scott Hicks started shooting a documentary about the composer Philip Glass to celebrate his 70th anniversary in 2007. Over the next 18 months, Scott followed Philip across three continents - from his annual ride on the Coney Island 'Cyclone' roller coaster, to the world premiere of his new opera in Germany and in performance with a didgeridoo virtuoso in Australia. Allowed unprecedented access to Glass' working process, family life, spiritual teachers and long time collaborators, Hicks gives us a unique glimpse behind the curtain into the life of a surprising and complex man. 'GLASS: a portrait of Philip in twelve parts' is a remarkable mosaic portrait of one of the greatest - and at times controversial - artists of this or any era.

One of the most influential composers of the 20th century is profiled and his music re-interpreted by contemporary musicians and commentators. Born in Germany, Weill came to the US in 1935. Composer of the Threepenny Opera, Mahagonny, Lady in the Dark, Street Scene and many other innovative works for the theater. His extensive list of works also includes well-known songs and instrumental music, preserved on innumerable recordings.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder kids are often bright and able, but for some reason unable to concentrate. The repercussions, for all involved, can be devastating. The current, controversial treatment, Ritalin, is a powerful amphetamine. This sensitive, uplifting documentary shows what it is really like to live with ADHD, and investigates the new science that is giving hope to its victims. To some doctors, ADHD is merely an excuse for bad parenting. They blame too much television, poor diet and parents who just don't bother. Try telling that to the Fischer family. Two of the children have ADHD, as does Charlotte, their Mum. Charlotte's life was blighted by years of people refusing to believe anything was wrong with her. It led to failure at school and drug abuse. But now she is determined to make sure that what happened to her won't happen to her kids. Follow the Fischer family as they cope with these pressures, and are helped to make sense of the condition by a team of paediatricians and child psychologists. This film shows that ADHD need not be a disaster for its victims. One of the key revelations is that strong, early intervention can transform these children. And what effect does the powerful drug, Ritalin, have on the children? A powerful amphetamine, it would make most people manic, but actually calms ADHD kids down. Ritalin is highly controversial, with allegations that some doctors subscribe it to children whom many would regard as simply annoying. But parents of true ADHD kids say it gives them a crucial window of opportunity in which a child can learn how to behave, build relationships and lay the foundations of a normal life. Other available drug treatments are also explored. The cameras also follow another family going through the traumatic, shocking process of diagnosis and captures the gradual transformation of their lives as science, in the form of new treatments, comes to their aid. Full of love, tears and laughter, this is ultimately an uplifting tale of real people triumphing over tough situations. The fact is that the Fischers are a happy family. They may be different but, in their words, "That's your problem, not ours".

Al Gore’s Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth has done a lot to raise the international awareness of the environmental issue of global warming. But where do things stand today? The Antarctica Challenge is a documentary that goes to the source of the climate change crisis: Antarctica. Here it explores first-hand the environmental challenges facing that frozen continent and, by extension, the world.

Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam, follows William Dalrymple on a personal journey into the mystical and musical side of Islam as he charts the traditions of Sufi music in Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, India and Morocco. Taking many different forms across the Islamic world - from the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey to the Qawwali music of Pakistan or the latest Grammy-winning CD by Youssou N'Dour - Sufism has produced some of the world's most spectacular and inspirational music celebrated by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Sufi Soul shows the music in its authentic, live setting in Sufi shrines and meeting places across the Islamic world, but also how it's a part of popular culture. In Pakistan it features the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen, the extraordinary Sufi troubadour Sain Zahoor and Pakistan's most popular pop group Junoon. In Turkey there's ney player Kudsi Erguner, Whirling Dervishes from Istanbul and the club-Sufi Mercan Dede.

Every year, foreign factory trawlers with foreign crews, Korean, Russian or Polish, operate in New Zealand waters, chartered by New Zealand companies to catch their Deep-sea Quota, depriving New Zealand crews and processing workers of much needed jobs, and our economy of revenue. New Zealand has the 4th largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world (within a 200 mile boundary line around our country) measuring 4.4 million square kilometres, controlled by our government. Within that zone, 130 fish species are commercially caught every year, with a quota value of $3.8 billion and an export value of $1.5 billion and yet New Zealanders are not reaping due rewards. Foreign fishing boats and their foreign crews have been fishing in New Zealand waters since the early 1950's. These vessels are chartered by New Zealand companies to catch their quota for them. Some of our largest fishing companies use them extensively as well as individual New Zealanders who own massive quota holdings, this despite the fact that since 1996, New Zealand has had the capacity to catch all its own fish without the need to use foreign trawlers, except for the harvesting of squid. Foreign fishing boats catch 45% of all Deep-sea fish, and over 50% of all fish caught in New Zealand waters are processed overseas, mainly in Thailand and China. Profit, not employment has been the priority in managing a resource that all New Zealanders should benefit from. This documentary explains how foreign boats can deliberately overfish certain species, knowing that the fine can often be less than the market price for that fish. Those most often hit by this practice are the local fishermen. If a fish stocks numbers reduce, the Ministry of Fisheries reduces the quota that can be caught. What often happens is that companies chartering foreign boats will then take remaining quota away from New Zealand fishermen and add it to existing quota for foreign boats, making sure that these boats stay financially viable for the whole year. The problem is that NZ fishermen now have a lot less fish to catch, reduced income with increasing costs, and are forced to either sell their boat and downsize, or get out of the industry altogether - a tough call when you've spent all your life at sea. No credits.

Film maker, Fran Landsman, spent 11 weeks at Moorlands Infant School in Bath to make this highly original film revealing the dramas that mark these first crucial weeks for the four year old new entrants.

The Road to Jerusalem tells the life and times of James K. Baxter, using his own words in poetry and prose, given context by reminiscence from family, close friends and confidants. And all the words are supported and further illuminated by the dense stream of visual imagery running parallel. Baxter's childhood in Brighton, painful adolescence in Dunedin, and then his steady rise in fame as a poet are all documented, as it were, from the inside. His split with his family and later elevation to the status of resident guru in the commune at Jerusalem are all presented in intimate and often painful detail.

Allan Wilson was the Pukekohe-raised scientist who revolutionised the study of evolutionary biology. Inspired by birds, he developed molecular approaches to 'clock' evolutionary change, and raised the hypothesis that humans evolved from one 'Eve' in Africa about 200,000 years ago. He is the only New Zealander to win a pretigious US MacArthur “genius” Award. The Listener called the film, a "shrewd insight into the man himself: the quintessential pioneering expat Kiwi individualist." It was made in partnership with UC Berkeley where Wilson was based for 35 years.