Among the slate of new factual programmes announced is a five-episode docuseries called Evolution in which Packham, 63, will take viewers back in time to explore the evolutionary journey of different animals with the help of cutting-edge CGI. Elsewhere, virologist van Tulleken, 45, will set off on an international hunt for the source of the next global pandemic in an hour-long Horizon special called Disease X. The documentary’s title refers to the name the World Health Organisation (WHO) gives to the yet-to-be-discovered virus most likely to cause the next pandemic.
The show will follow van Tulleken as he travels the world to speak to leading experts in the fields of virology, epidemiology, vaccinology and public policy. The doctor will also meet the teams who, since the Covid-19 pandemic, have continued their work in the science of preparation and visit their labs and outbreak monitoring facilities in the UK and abroad. A series returning to the BBC is The Secret Genius Of Modern Life, presented by Dr Hannah Fry, which tells the stories of the scientific innovations hidden in plain sight.
The five-episode series will feature behind-the-scenes access to tech innovators like Ring, Bosch and Philips. The BBC has announced another Horizon special called Secrets Of The Brain which will see Professor Jim Al-Khalili investigate the evolution of the brain. In the two hour-long episodes, Al-Khalili will find out: how vicious prehistoric predators gave us “left and right brains”.