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).

Born in Dvinsk, Russia (now Daugavpils, Latvia) Rothko moved with his family to Portland, Oregon in 1913. His painting education was brief - he moved to New York to study under the artist Max Weber and then struck out on his own. Rothko is known for his abstract expressionism paintings, but he moved through more traditional styles in his early career, including Surrealist paintings in the 1940s. In 1947 he embarked on the first of his large abstract 'colour-field' paintings, formalising their structure further in the 1950s. Rothko had huge success with largescale solo shows, but committed suicide in 1970.

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.

This episode: Peter Owen Jones continues his year long religious odyssey with a gruelling journey exploring the spiritual traditions of Africa. Peter sets off hoping to get a glimpse of man's first experience of the divine. His journey begins with the ancient practice of Voodoo in Benin, where he is confronted by ritual practices that contradict his own deeply held religious convictions. He is forced to decide whether he should even take part. In the continent where all human life began, Peter travels to Botswana to meet the San Bushmen, inheritors of the earliest religious faith on earth. In South Africa he discovers surprising new developments in religious belief when he meets the members of the 12th Apostolic Church and finds Afrikaners who believe the world is about to come to an end. In Ethiopia he finds a group of one of the world's youngest religions - Rastafarians - who have set up a Utopian community in this harsh and unforgiving land. His journey reaches its emotional conclusion in the highlands of northern Ethiopia where members of Africa's oldest Christian church have gathered. Faith 21: Voodoo – Mamywata: Benin fishermen in Cotonou perform ritual to serpent goddess Mamywata. -- Faith 22: Voodoo – Gris Gris: Visits the fetish market in Cotonou, Benin to see various dead animal parts. Practitioners claim these heal common ailments. -- Faith 24: San Trance Dance: San Bushmen from near Ghanzi, Botswana, perform a trance dance and reflect on modern encroachments on their religious practice. -- Faith 25: Zulu Sangomas: Visits a Zulu Sangoma in Johannesburg, South Africa to contact the spirit of the ancestors. -- Faith 26: Twelfth Apostolic Church: Witnesses an outdoor prayer meeting in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa, where rituals involving healing and protection through the intercession of the Holy Spirit are key. -- Faith 27: Afrikaner Calvinism: Attends a prayer meeting at home in Groot Marico, South Africa where worshippers believe the world will end by 2020. -- Faith 28: Rastafari: Visits a community of Jamaicans, four hours drive from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who believe Haile Selassie I is their messiah and that they are now in Zion. -- Faith 29: Ethiopian Islam: Visits a tearoom beside a mosque in Negash, Tigray, Ethiopia to chew khat. -- Faith 30: Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity: Witnesses a church service for the feast of St Michael at the Church of Mikael Imba, Tigray, Ethiopia and is moved to tears by the warmth of human love he witnesses. [Info from Wikipedia entry]

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.

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.

Eight ordinary people are given a million dollars, a fortnight of intensive training and two months to run their own hedge fund. Can they make a killing? The experiment reveals the inner workings of a City trading floor. The money is supplied by hedge fund manager Lex van Dam: he wants to see if ordinary people can beat the professionals, and he expects a return on his investment too. Yet no-one foresees the financial crisis that lies ahead. The traders were selected in spring 2008, before the US credit crisis gathered pace. The successful candidates were chosen, trained and dispatched to their specially created trading room in the heart of the Square Mile. Among them are an environmentalist, a soldier, a boxing promoter, an entrepreneur, a retired IT consultant, a vet, a student and a shopkeeper. As the novices learn the dark art of trading stocks and shares, the financial markets start to buckle. Making money takes second place to basic survival as the brutal realities of global economics take their toll on the traders. How do they cope? Will they secure themselves a bonus, or walk away with nothing?

In 1966, General Motors, the most powerful corporation in the world, sent private investigators to dig up dirt on an obscure thirty-two year old public interest lawyer named Ralph Nader, who had written a book critical of one of their cars, the Corvair. The scandal that ensued after the smear campaign was revealed launched Ralph Nader into national prominence and established him as one of the most admired Americans and the leader of the modern Consumer Movement. Over the next thirty years and without ever holding public office, Nader built a legislative record that is the rival of any contemporary president. Many things we take for granted including seat belts, airbags, product labeling, no nukes, even the free ticket you get after being bumped from an overbooked flight are largely due to the efforts of Ralph Nader and his citizen groups. Yet today, when most people hear the name "Ralph Nader" they think of the man who gave the country George W. Bush. As a result, after sustaining his popularity and effectiveness over an unprecedented amount of time, he has become a pariah even among former friends and allies. How did this happen? Is he really to blame for George W. Bush? Who has stuck by him and who has abandoned him? Has our democracy become a consumer fraud? After being so right for so many years, how did he seem to go so wrong?

Eight ordinary people are given a million dollars, a fortnight of intensive training and two months to run their own hedge fund. Can they make a killing? The experiment reveals the inner workings of a City trading floor. The money is supplied by hedge fund manager Lex van Dam: he wants to see if ordinary people can beat the professionals, and he expects a return on his investment too. Yet no-one foresees the financial crisis that lies ahead. The traders were selected in spring 2008, before the US credit crisis gathered pace. The successful candidates were chosen, trained and dispatched to their specially created trading room in the heart of the Square Mile. Among them are an environmentalist, a soldier, a boxing promoter, an entrepreneur, a retired IT consultant, a vet, a student and a shopkeeper. As the novices learn the dark art of trading stocks and shares, the financial markets start to buckle. Making money takes second place to basic survival as the brutal realities of global economics take their toll on the traders. How do they cope? Will they secure themselves a bonus, or walk away with nothing?

Eight ordinary people are given a million dollars, a fortnight of intensive training and two months to run their own hedge fund. Can they make a killing? The experiment reveals the inner workings of a City trading floor. The money is supplied by hedge fund manager Lex van Dam: he wants to see if ordinary people can beat the professionals, and he expects a return on his investment too. Yet no-one foresees the financial crisis that lies ahead. The traders were selected in spring 2008, before the US credit crisis gathered pace. The successful candidates were chosen, trained and dispatched to their specially created trading room in the heart of the Square Mile. Among them are an environmentalist, a soldier, a boxing promoter, an entrepreneur, a retired IT consultant, a vet, a student and a shopkeeper. As the novices learn the dark art of trading stocks and shares, the financial markets start to buckle. Making money takes second place to basic survival as the brutal realities of global economics take their toll on the traders. How do they cope? Will they secure themselves a bonus, or walk away with nothing?

Julien Temple's new film is a vivid evocation of an apocalyptic vision: a slow-motion Katrina that has had many more victims. Detroit was once America's fourth largest city. Built by the car for the car, with its groundbreaking suburbs, freeways and shopping centres, it was the embodiment of the American dream. But its intense race riots brought the army into the city. With violent union struggles against the fierce resistance of Henry Ford and the Big Three, it was also the scene of American nightmares. Now it is truly a dystopic post-industrial city, in which 40 per cent of the land in the centre is returning to prairie. Greenery grows up through abandoned office blocks, houses and collapsing car plants, and swallows up street lights. Police stations and post offices have been left with papers on the desks like the Marie Celeste. There is no more rush hour on what were the first freeways in America. Crime, vandalism, arson and dog fighting are the main activities in once the largest building in North America. But it's also a source of hope. Streets are being turned to art. Farming is coming back to the centre of the city. Young people are flocking to help. The burgeoning urban agricultural movement is the fastest growing movement in the US. Detroit leads the way again but in a very different direction.

One immediately associates the name Boeing with the dynamic world of aviation, enormous aircraft, global air traffic, as well as success and economic power. Yet hardly anyone realises that the mighty “global player” was once a family-owned business, only very few people know that the family originally came from Germany. The film “William Edward Boeing – Ace of Aircraft” visits original sites where you can still feel the Boeing story to this very day. It delves into the archives and finds surprising new information about the family history, and includes interviews with the son of the company founder William Boeing. Detailed re-enactments, filmed in the USA with the help of a German-American team, revisit the days long gone by days of the late 19th and early 20th century in touching scenes. The result is an exciting family portrait, the gripping story of an immigrant family and an astounding documentary about an entrepreneur – the history of the Boeings and Boeing whose family ties span the Atlantic.

This episode: he travels to throughout Australasia to find out how tribal faiths have survived into the 21st Century. He goes into the Australian outback in search of the meaning of Aboriginal Dreaming; to Indonesia for the elaborate funeral of a woman who died 20 years ago; to Sydney to witness the survival of ancient persecuted faiths like the Iraqi Mandeans and Witchcraft, and to the remote volcanic islands of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ring of Fire to unravel the mystery of the Cargo Cult. He also witnesses the culmination of the nine-day Pulilan Carabao festival and a fertility festival that's thriving in the Philippines in spite of attempts to ban it. Faith 1: Islam and Spirit Worship: Attends a sword-stabbing ritual performed by the Bugis people of Sulawesi, Indonesia. -- Faith 2: Christianity and Ancestor worship – Attends a funeral rite performed by the Tana Toraja people of Sulawesi, Indonesia and reflects on their relationship with the dead. -- Faith 3: Catholic Carabao festival: Visits the Carabao festival of Pulilan, Bulacan, Philippines in honour of the town's patron saint, San Isidro Labrador. -- Faith 4: Catholic fertility ritual: Attends the Obando Fertility Rites in Obando, Bulacan, Philippines, a pagan fertility festival now held in reverence to three Catholic saints. Locals dance during the festival for fertility, out of tradition for past successful dances, and just to be a part of the festival. A priest delivers prayers before directing a large dance in the Church. Peter reflects on the cross-fertilization between Catholicism and animism and suggests that instead of the Catholics simply incorporating the dance into a prayer to the saints the festival may instead be a mutual coupling of fertility and creation. -- Faith 5: Aboriginal Dreaming: Visits Alice Springs to meet with the Indigenous Australian people, the Aborigines, to witness a baby smoking ritual. Peter accompanies a group of locals on a trip to find the bush used in the ritual. A baby is then held in a small sand pit containing smoldering leaves for a few seconds at a time. A local tells him that the ritual is done so that the baby will be healthy and strong. Peter hoped to witness some of the Aboriginal Dreaming rituals, however, a local tells him that baby smoking is not related to Dreamtime. Peter reflects that the ritual seems to have lost its meaning as the locals are sparse in their explanation of the spiritual aspects of the event. The women of the group then removes their shirts and paints their chest and arms. With feathers in their hair, they dance around a fire. The women tell Peter they are Christian and do not know of the old Aboriginal religion. -- Faith 6: The Iraqi Mandaeans: Attends a regular baptism service inspired by John the Baptist and performed by the persecuted Mandaeans of Iraq in a park in Sydney, Australia. -- Faith 7: Urban witchcraft: Visits a group of witches who have established their coven, led by Tim Hartridge, within Sydney, Australia. -- Faith 8: Indigenous Kastom: Meets practitioners of the tribal faith of Kastomism on the South Pacific island of Tanna, Vanuatu. -- Faith 9: John Frum cult – Meets practitioners of the new religion of John Frum of Tanna, inspired by the American presence on the island after the World War II. -- Faith 10: Prophet Fred and Unity: Witnesses the religion of Unity and interviews their prophet, Fred from Tanna and Killian. [Info from Wikipedia entry]

Kohanga reo, or 'language nest', is a unique and innovative programme for babies and pre-schoolers, based on a simple but powerful principle: total immersion in Maori language and values. More than 25 years on the movement can be seen as a turning point and cornerstone for Maori, in the fight to revive the language - the heart of any living culture - for future generations. The impact and influence of kohanga reo is profound. These days it is taken as given that children can grow up and do all their learning – from pre-school to primary and secondary school - entirely in te reo Maori, anchored by that early immersion experience. International groups, inspired by the success of kohanga reo, have used it as a model to create native language nests in their own corners of the world. And many of the original generation of tamariki have come full circle, and are back in the kohanga reo fold with their own young ones. This documentary, by director Tainui Stephens, examines the struggles that led to the growth of this movement - and the woman at the forefront of change, Iritana Te Rangi Tawhiwhirangi. An inspiration to many, a thorn in the side to some, Tawhiwhirangi is a woman whose reputation precedes her as someone unafraid and compelled to speak her mind. She is one of a generation of leaders who emerged in the post-war era to take the Maori world forward into the future, and her influence has ranged across government, broadcasting and tribal issues, and of course, education.

This episode: Peter encounters the exotic and inscrutable religions of the Far East, from anarchic Buddhist Naked Man and Shinto Fire festivals in Japan to enlightening Taoist monks in the mountains of China. He visits an obscure Shamanic sect in South Korea, and finds out how war helped to create the biggest church in the world. In Buddhist Thailand he explores the meaning of non-attachment, and in Vietnam he comes under the spell of a divine eye, before giving money away to a mother goddess. Faith 11: Japanese Shinto: Witnesses the cleansing, Shinto fire festival of Shingū, Wakayama, Japan. -- Faith 12: Buddhism, The Naked Man festival – Visits the Buddhist fertility festival at Okayama, Japan. -- Faith 13: Hindu street shrine – Visits a busy, popular Hindu shrine in downtown Bangkok used by Buddhist worshippers. -- Faith 14: Theravada Buddhism – Interviews a monk of Theravada Buddhism, describing its importance in Thailand. -- Faith 15: Confucianism – Looking at the Confucian religion within communist China. -- Faith 16: Chinese Taoism – Interviews a solitary Taoist monk on Mount Hua, China about Taoism. -- Faith 17: Korean Pentecostalism: Reflects on the rise of Pentecostalism in South Korea and visits the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as having the world's largest congregation. -- Faith 18: Korean Shamanism – Visits a shaman in rural South Korea and reflects on the possible revival of Korean shamanism. -- Faith 19: Cao Dai – Visits the headquarters of the recently created religion of Cao Dai at Tay Ninh, Vietnam. -- Faith 20: Mother Goddess – Attends a ceremony celebrating the Vietnamese spirit religion of the Mother Goddess. [Info from Wikipedia entry]

Adolescent boys struggle to grow up in a home for juvenile delinquents in rural Russia, where life behind bars may be better than the release to freedom. Filmmaker Alexandra Westmeier provides an intimate glimpse at a society from the inside out, where boys under the age of 14 are held for crimes ranging from theft to rape to multiple murders. They receive food and clothing. They go to school and engage in sports. For the first time in their young lives, they no longer have to fight for their daily existence; they can simply be what they are--children.Like many of the boys here, Tolya, a murderer, recounts his crimes with unnerving nonchalance. Nonetheless, moments come through in each lad’s speech or mannerisms that reveal the child within the criminal. A 13-year-old newbie is not even allowed to say good-bye to his mother. He fights back tears that somehow reflect the sorrows of all his comrades.

Joe is 19, he went into care 5 years ago when his relationship with his mother broke down. Jamaal went into care aged 9 and grew up in a children’s homes and in foster placements. Emma is an orphan and lives in a home with other children in care. When she turns 18 she will have to move out and live it alone.Each year 6000 young people leave social services care. After growing up in children’s homes or with foster parents the transition to independent living is hugely fraught. A young person who has been in care is 10 times more likely to go to prison than go to university. A quarter of young women leaving care are pregnant or already have children. Within two years of leaving care and moving in on their own, one in five teenagers will be come homeless.Into the Big Wide World follows a groundbreaking project to take Joe, Emma Jamaal and 8 other teenagers to work as volunteers in South Africa. For these young people trying to grow up without Mum or Dad, this project could change their lives forever.

Born in Naples, Bernini was an exceptional talent from an early age and went on to dominate the art world of 17th century Rome. His work epitomised the Baroque style and his sculpture, church interiors and exteriors and town planning could be seen everywhere. He was also a painter, playwright, costume and theatre designer. Bernini worked under successive Popes; Pope Gregory XV made him a knight and Pope Urban VIII took him as his best friend. He was revered in his time until a jealous rage caused him to have the face of his mistress slashed after discovering her romance with his brother. His reputation fell further after his bell towers for the Cathedral of St Peter's started cracking in 1641. He redeemed himself and kick started his career again with arguably his most famous work, The Ecstasy of St Theresa, in 1652.

Born in Malaga, Spain, Picasso's many styles and prolific work rate have marked him out as one of the most recognised artists of the twentieth century. Not limited to one medium he created sculptures, etchings and prints. His artistic career only began to boom once he moved to Paris in the early 1900s. His Blue Period, reflecting the colour and his mood at the time was followed by his Rose Period, work inspired by primitive art and then Cubism, which shocked the critics, but ultimately made his name. Guernica (1937) was created during Picasso's Surrealist period and captures the horror of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. By the end of World War II, Picasso had become an internationally known artist and celebrity. Simon Schama on Picasso - "Pablo Picasso's Guernica is so familiar, so large, so present. It's physically bigger than a movie screen. But what is the painting about? Is it an account of the Spanish town obliterated by Nazi warplanes - a piece of reportage? Is that why it's in black and white? This is the reason why the painting has such an impact. Instead of a laboured literal commentary on German warplanes, Basque civilians and incendiary bombs, Picasso connects with our worst nightmares. He's saying here's where the world's horror comes from; the dark pit of our psyche."

A year on from Barack Obama's inauguration, Simon Schama examines the issue that more than any other will determine the fate of his presidency: Afghanistan. It's a war which Obama inherited but which he has pledged to continue fighting - a conflict that will cost many more American and British lives. As Simon Schama explains, it wasn't just a political miscalculation which landed the US and its allies in military crisis, but a historical miscalculation - a refusal to learn from the conflicts of the past. By committing America and its allies to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, George Bush and the neocons allowed the battle against the Taliban to slide. The neocons were obsessed with World War Two, and persuaded themselves that both wars would - like the Second World War - be glorious liberations; decisive military victories. However, as Schama discovers, it's not to World War II, but to America's forgotten war in Korea, that US policymakers should have looked if they wanted to understand the thorny reality of America's twentieth-century conflicts. The president who took America into Korea was Harry Truman. As Simon Schama explains, in Truman's handling of this bloody war, and in his statesmanship at a time of international crisis, there are profound lessons for Obama today.

Born in Groot-Zundert, The Netherlands, Van Gogh spent his early life as an art dealer, teacher and preacher in England, Holland and Belgium. His period as an artist began in 1881 when he chose to study art in Brussels, starting with watercolours and moving quickly on to oils. The French countryside was a major influence on his life and his early work was dominated by sombre, earthy colours depicting peasant workers, the most famous of which is The Potato Eaters, 1885. It was during Van Gogh's studies in Paris (1886-8) that he developed the individual style of brushwork and use of colour that made his name. In 1888 he moved to Arles where the Provençal landscape provided his best-known subject matter. However, it also marked the start of his mental crisis following an argument with his contemporary Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh was committed to a mental asylum in 1889 where he continued to paint, but he committed suicide in 1890. In this episode, Simon Schama examines his masterpiece Wheatfield with Crows. "Vincent's passionate belief was that people wouldn't just see his pictures, but would feel the rush of life in them; that by the force of his brush and dazzling colour they'd experience those fields, faces and flowers in ways that nothing more polite or literal could ever convey. His art would reclaim what had once belonged to religion - consolation for our mortality through the relish of the gift of life. It wasn't the art crowd he was after; he wanted was to open the eyes and the hearts of everyone who saw his paintings. I feel he got what he wanted. So what are we looking at with this painting? There’s suffocation, but elation too. The crows might be coming at us, but equally they might be flying away, demons gone as we immerse ourselves in the power of nature. It's a massive wall of writhing brilliant paint, in which the colour itself seems to tremble and pulse and sway."

Born to a wealthy Parisian family, Jacques-Louis David was aged seven when his father was shot dead in a pistol duel. Brought up by his uncles, his desire was to paint and he was eventually sent to his mother's cousin, Francois Boucher, the most successful painter in France at the time. Painting became an important means of communication for David since his face was slashed during a sword fight and his speech became impeded by a benign tumour that developed from the wound, leading him to stammer. He was interested in painting in a new classical style that departed from the frivolity of the Rococo period and reflected the moral and austere climate before the French Revolution. David became closely aligned with the republican government and his work was increasingly used as propaganda with the Death of Marat proving his most controversial work. Simon Schama on David. "If there's ever a picture that would make you want to die for a cause, it is Jacque-Louis David's Death of Marat. That's what makes it so dangerous - hidden away from view for so many years. I'm not sure how I feel about this painting, except deeply conflicted. You can't doubt that it's a solid gold masterpiece, but that's to separate it from the appalling moment of its creation, the French Revolution. This is Jean-Paul Marat, the most paranoid of the Revolution's fanatics, exhaling his very last breath. He's been assassinated in his bath. But for David, Marat isn't a monster, he's a saint. This is martyrdom, David's manifesto of revolutionary virtue."

Born to a family of millers in Leiden, Rembrandt left university at 14 to pursue a career as an artist. The decision turned out to be a good one since after serving his apprenticeship in Amsterdam he was singled out by Constantijn Huygens, the most influential patron in Holland. In 1634 he married Saskia van Uylenburgh. In 1649, following Saskia's death from tuberculosis, Hendrickje Stoffels entered Rembrandt's household and six years later they had a son. Rembrandt's success in his early years was as a portrait painter to the rich denizens of Amsterdam at a time when the city was being transformed from a small nondescript port into the economic capital of the world. His historical and religious paintings also gave him wide acclaim. Despite being known as a portrait painter Rembrandt used his talent to push the boundaries of painting. This direction made him unpopular in the later years of his career as he shifted from being the talk of the town to becoming adrift in the Amsterdam art scene and criticised by his peers.

Michelangelo Merisi left his birth town of Caravaggio in the north of Italy to study as an apprentice in nearby Milan. In 1593 he moved to Rome, impatient to use his talents on the biggest stage possible. Caravaggio's approach to painting was unconventional. He avoided the standard method of making copies of old sculptures and instead took the more direct approach of painting directly onto canvas without drawing first. He also used people from the street as his models. His dramatic painting was enhanced with intense and theatrical lighting. Caravaggio's fate was sealed when in 1606 he killed a man in a duel. He fled to Naples where he attempted to paint his way out of trouble, he became a Knight, but was then imprisoned in Malta and then finally he moved to Sicily. He was pardoned for murder in 1610, but he died of a fever attempting to return to Rome.

One of Britain's most celebrated artists, JMW Turner showed exceptional artistic talent from an early age and entered the Royal Academy aged fourteen. His English landscapes made his name but there was a darker side to his paintings that was difficult for the critics to swallow, both in the increasingly informal use of paint and the subject matter that was critical of the romanticised vision of Britain in the late nineteenth century. Turner bequeathed 300 of his paintings and 20,000 watercolours and drawings to the nation. He led a secretive private life. He never married, but had a mistress and fathered two children. He died in a temporary lodging in Chelsea, under the assumed name of Booth. Simon Schama on Turner. "In 1840 in London, an international convention of the Great and Good was planned to express righteous indignation against slavery in the United States. Turner, initiated into the cause many years before by his patron, Walter Fawkes, wanted to have his say in paint. So how does he do it? By being a thorn in the side of self congratulation. He reaches back 60 years to resurrect one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the British Empire when 132 Africans - men, women and children, their hands and feet fettered - were thrown overboard into the shark infested waters of the Caribbean. And Turner has drowned you in this moment, pulled you into this terrifying chasm in the ocean, drenched you in this bloody light - exactly the hue you sense in your blood filled optic nerves when you close your eyes in blinding sunlight. Though almost all of his critics believed that the painting represented an all time low in Turner's reckless disregard for the rules of art, it was in fact his greatest triumph in the sculptural carving of space."

New Zealand documentary that captures candid thoughts and philosophies from, and about teenagers. Directed and produced by Robyn Scott-Vincent ; series executive producer, Sue Woodfield.

There is hardly a place in the world where nobody is wearing jeans. There are countless myths and legends that have developed around the invention of blue jeans. The film takes the audience on a trip back to the past. It explores the exciting and thrilling days of Lola Montez and Buffalo Bill, and reconstructs young Levi Strauss’s arduous journey from Buttenheim via Bremerhaven to New York and San Francisco.

Pianists have always regarded the concert grands of Steinway & Sons as the best in the world, which is why these instruments stand in 98 per cent of all concert halls across the globe. They are still produced mainly by hand in Steinway’s factories in New York and Hamburg and comprise more than 12,000 individual parts. The scenic documentary “Henry Steinway – Birth of a Legend” by Christopher Weinert tells the moving story of Heinrich Engelhardt Steinweg, who emigrated to America from the German town Seesen in the Harz in the mid-19th century and advanced in his new home town New York to become the most famous piano maker of all times.

The series on the global crash examines the boom years before the bust. With testimony from many of the key decision makers who shaped our lives over the last two decades, including Gordon Brown, governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King, and an exclusive interview with former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan, it charts how the financial bubble grew and grew. The programme explains how we changed our attitude to risk, learnt to live with debt and, above all, how governments stepped back from regulating any of it. At the heart of the story is Alan Greenspan, who for 20 years was one of the most powerful people in the world. In October 2008, weeks after the catastrophic collapse of Lehman Brothers, the man whose ideas influenced the world admitted he might have been 'partially' wrong. Series producer, Michael Tuft ; directed by Tim Robinson ; narrator, Alex Jennings.

From hobby gardener to millionaire: Henry John Heinz, the son of German immigrants, becomes not only one of the most successful food producers with his mother’s recipes, but also one of the best salesmen in the world. With everyday products like gherkins, sauerkraut and his famous ketchup, he has changed the eating habits of America and the world. “Henry John Heinz – Ketchup King” is the portrait of an unusual man of many talents, a man who goes through many trials and tribulations, and who founds a company that now counts as one of the big brands in the world.

Oh, he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone was Ebenezer Scrooge. A squeezing, grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner.” This is the man every child thinks of when it hears the name Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. Far less well-known is the real-life person the character is based on: John Jacob Astor. The fact that he did not only make history for being a miser can be seen in the film “John Jacob Astor – America’s richest man”. The film “John Jacob Astor – America’s richest man” is a breathtaking trip to a world of danger and adventure, full of new ideas and opportunities. It is a film about one of the most famous names in the world, whose namegiver has almost been completely forgotten.

Ever since he was at school, actor and comedian Alan Davies has hated maths. And like many people, he is not much good at it either. But Alan has always had a sneaking suspicion that he was missing out. So, with the help of top mathematician Professor Marcus du Sautoy, Alan is going to embark on a maths odyssey. Together they visit the fourth dimension, cross the universe and explore the concept of infinity. Along the way, Alan does battle with some of the toughest maths questions of our age. But did his abilities peak 25 years ago when he got his grade C O-Level? Or will Alan be able to master the most complex maths concept there is? Presenters, Marcus du Sautoy, Alan Davis ; Producer & director, Dan Walker.

DescriptionWarren Buffett is the greatest investor of all time. His decisions about buying shares and companies have beaten the stock market year after year and made him the richest person in the world - thought to be worth 37 billion dollars. Yet Buffett lives modestly in his native Omaha, in America\'s mid-West, and runs his 150 billion dollar business with a staff of just twenty. Evan Davis meets him to find out about his unique investment strategy and his eccentric lifestyle. He talks to Buffett\'s family, friends and colleagues about the man they call the Sage of Omaha, and Buffett\'s friend Bill Gates praises his philosophy of life. As the greed of the super-wealthy is widely criticised in the current financial crisis, Davis asks whether Warren Buffett is the acceptable face of the filthy rich. Poduced, directed and narrated by Charles Miller.

Journey with Tthe Future Express from the former Yugoslavian capital Belgrade, to Kosovo, the youngest nation in Europe. Hear the stories of Serbian and Albanian train travelers, with varying perspectives on post-war life. On February 17, 2008, parliament proclaimed Kosovo's independence. People rejoiced in the streets and fell into each other's arms. For many years the Albanian population of Kosovo lived under the yoke of the Serbians; many were either deported or left the country in search of refuge. The stationmaster of Pristina recounts the night he was rounded up on the train platform of the capital city together with thousands of others. Heavily armed Serbians were using trains to deport Albanians. "They all had to hand in their belongings. We were packed in a compartment, we could hardly breathe." Listen to their stories in this episode of The Future Express.

In the month that followed the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, the world stared into the abyss of total financial collapse. The third part of the BBC's definitive series on the crash tells the extraordinary story of how politicians reacted, and asks what has been learnt from the entire calamity. Could it happen again? With unrivalled contributions from the key decision makers including US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Gordon Brown and five other finance ministers, the programme pieces together the details of an extraordinary moment in history, when the world faced its greatest financial crisis. Series producer, Michael Tuft ; directed by Paul Mitchell ; narrator, Alex Jennings.

In September 2008, the collapse of Lehman Brothers tipped the world into recession. A cast of contributors including national leaders, finance ministers and CEOs describe the tense negotiations in New York and London as the investment institution headed towards bankruptcy. Gordon Brown, Tim Geithner and Alistair Darling reveal the dilemmas they faced and the decisions they took. One year on, the programme explains why the collapse of one bank had such disastrous consequences for the world's economy. Series producer, Michael Tuft ; directed by Guy Smith ; narrator, Alex Jennings.

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.