Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

Born: March 26, 1941
in Nairobi, Kenya Colony
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL (born 26 March 1941), known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford, and was the University of Oxford's Professor for Public Understanding of Science from 1995 until 2008.

Dawkins came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which popularised the gene-centered view of evolution and introduced the term meme. In 1982, he introduced into evolutionary biology an influential concept, presented in his book The Extended Phenotype, that the phenotypic effects of a gene are not necessarily limited to an organism's body, but can stretch far into the environment, including the bodies of other organisms.

Dawkins is an atheist and humanist, a Vice President of the British Humanist Association and supporter of the Brights movement. He is well known for his criticism of creationism and intelligent design. In his 1986 book The Blind Watchmaker, he argued against the watchmaker analogy, an argument for the existence of a supernatural creator based upon the complexity of living organisms. Instead, he described evolutionary processes as analogous to a blind watchmaker. He has since written several popular science books, and makes regular television and radio appearances, predominantly discussing these topics. He has been referred to in the media as "Darwin's Rottweiler," a reference to English biologist T. H. Huxley, who was known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's evolutionary ideas. In his 2006 book The God Delusion, Dawkins contends that a supernatural creator almost certainly does not exist and that religious faith is a delusion—a fixed false belief. As of January 2010, the English-language version had sold more than two million copies and had been translated into 31 languages, making it his most popular book to date.

Movies for Richard Dawkins...

Science Friction
Title: Science Friction
Character: Self
Released: April 10, 2022
Type: Movie
Those TV documentaries you see, and the science experts they feature? Did you know that producers often edit them out of context, and twist their words, to make it seem like they promoted some pop sensationalism instead of the real facts? Science Friction exposes these faux documentaries by name, and gives the scientists a chance to clear the record.
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Title: Great Minds
Character: Self
Released: August 30, 2021
Type: TV
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Intersect
Title: Intersect
Character: Q42 / Computer
Released: February 12, 2020
Type: Movie
A group of young Miskatonic University scientists invent a time machine, only to learn that they are being manipulated by mysterious, unseen forces from another dimension.
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Title: La entrevista de
Character: Self
Released: January 19, 2019
Type: TV
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The Fool
Title: The Fool
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: August 24, 2018
Type: Movie
Thanks to an embarrassing stand-up routine promoting Christian intelligent design, Ray Comfort was dubbed "Banana Man" by Professor Richard Dawkins and mocked by an entire generation of atheists. But Ray's gotten used to it. In fact, he’s been using his banana-based infamy as a way to evangelize even more. Last year, he wrote a book, hoping that would provide some much needed context to his banana bit — it didn’t — and now he’s made this movie documenting the same thing. The problem with the entire routine, though, is that taking an hour to explain a horrible analogy doesn’t work when your starting point is a horrible analogy.
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Losing Our Religion
Title: Losing Our Religion
Character: Self
Released: October 6, 2017
Type: Movie
Brendan is a pastor in a small, evangelical church, and he has a secret. He doesn't believe in God anymore. His wife is still a true believer - and she just told the wrong person. Losing Our Religion is a feature length documentary about preachers who are not believers, and what atheists do when they miss church. Allowed access to the 600 members of The Clergy Project - a safe haven for preachers from all faiths who no longer believe - the documentary follows ex-members and clergy who are still undercover. They are not just losing their religion, for many they are losing their friends, community and even family. As well as their job. As events unfold that change lives forever, their stories also connect with secular communities that are growing in surprising places. New groups are experimenting in ways to have church without god, and asking the same question as unbelieving clergy - "what's next?"
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Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
Title: Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
Character: Self
Released: September 13, 2017
Type: Movie
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
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Supersapiens: the Rise of the Mind
Title: Supersapiens: the Rise of the Mind
Character: Self
Released: June 3, 2017
Type: Movie
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Nightwish: Vehicle Of Spirit
Title: Nightwish: Vehicle Of Spirit
Character: Self - Special Appearance
Released: December 16, 2016
Type: Movie
After touring for a year and a half throughout every corner of the world and leaving fans of all nationalities breathless, the time has come for Nightwish to immortalise their Endless Forms Most Beautiful tour on DVD. Vehicle Of Spirit features not only two concerts in full length, but also plenty of bonus material.
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The Atheist Delusion
Title: The Atheist Delusion
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 30, 2016
Type: Movie
Having to prove the existence of God to an atheist is like having to prove the existence of the sun, at noon on a clear day. Yet millions are embracing the foolishness of atheism. “The Atheist Delusion” pulls back the curtain and reveals what is going on in the mind of those who deny the obvious. It introduces you to a number of atheists who you will follow as they go where the evidence leads, find a roadblock, and enter into a place of honesty that is rarely seen on film.
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Beware the Slenderman
Title: Beware the Slenderman
Character: Self
Released: March 11, 2016
Type: Movie
In this horrifyingly modern fairytale lurks an online Boogeyman and two 12-year-old girls who would kill for him. The entrance to the internet quickly leads to its darkest basement. How responsible are our children for what they find there?
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Title: StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Character: Self
Released: April 20, 2015
Type: TV
Host Neil deGrasse Tyson brings together celebrities, scientists and comedians to explore a variety of cosmic topics and collide pop culture with science in a way that late-night television has never seen before. Weekly topics range from popular science fiction, space travel, extraterrestrial life, the Big Bang, to the future of Earth and the environment. Tyson is an astrophysicist with a gifted ability to connect with everyone, inspiring us all to to "keep looking up."
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Breath of Life
Title: Breath of Life
Character: Self
Released: April 1, 2015
Type: Movie
Dr. Richard Dawkins and Dr. Robert Trivers talk about the potential for an environmental catastrophe and why humans are destroying the world.
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The Unbelievers
Title: The Unbelievers
Character: Self
Released: December 13, 2013
Type: Movie
Scientists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss travel the globe promoting a scientific worldview and the rational questioning of religious belief.
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Speciesism: The Movie
Title: Speciesism: The Movie
Character: Self
Released: September 18, 2013
Type: Movie
Modern farms are struggling to keep a secret. Most of the animals used for food in the United States are raised in giant, bizarre factories, hidden deep in remote areas of the countryside. Speciesism: The Movie director Mark Devries set out to investigate. The documentary takes viewers on a sometimes funny, sometimes frightening adventure, crawling through the bushes that hide these factories, flying in airplanes above their toxic manure lagoons, and coming face-to-face with their owners.
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The Reality of Me
Title: The Reality of Me
Character: Self
Released: November 1, 2012
Type: Movie
TROM (The Reality of Me) is an unique free online documentary, since no one has thought of such a documentary from our knowledge. We want to show, as well as we can, the whole picture, an insight into our world, a perspective from which you must extract meanings in order to understand, and curiosity to progress, because there is a lot of such information we call “scientific”. Moreover, we present alternative and existing solutions to radically improve every one's life. If you've never questioned your lifestyle and are well adjusted to our current society, you will, more than likely, get a shock, but if you watch the whole documentary you'll understand why. All chapters and sub-chapters are connected and in order to understand you have to watch the whole documentary, in order.
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Something From Nothing: A Conversation with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss
Title: Something From Nothing: A Conversation with Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss
Character: Self
Released: April 12, 2012
Type: Movie
Join critically-acclaimed author and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and world-renowned theoretical physicist and author Lawrence Krauss as they discuss biology, cosmology, religion, and a host of other topics.
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Title: Brave New World with Stephen Hawking
Character: Self
Released: October 17, 2011
Type: TV
Aided by some of the world's leading scientific figures, this new five-part series examines how 21st century scientists are battling the world's big killer diseases, breaking down the barriers between man and machine and expanding our understanding of the universe.
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Title: Great Thinkers: In Their Own Words
Character: Self
Released: August 11, 2011
Type: TV
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The Future Is Now!
Title: The Future Is Now!
Character: The Scientist
Released: June 24, 2011
Type: Movie
A journalist meets “Man of Today” who, while a responsible citizen, is disengaged from greater society. He believes once he’s dead nothing more matters. As an experiment to see if she can turn his pessimistic view around, the journalist sends him on a journey of enlightenment to prove that the future does matter. Travelling the globe, he finds himself in surprising encounters with great minds in the arts and sciences. Starting with an unexpected poetry reading and conversation with experimental poet Christian Bök, Man of Today engages with architect Shigeru Ban, activist Francis Dupuis-Déri, philosopher Alain de Botton, artist Marlene Dumas, novelist Rivka Galchen, leading scientists and a ghost. Will the journalist succeed in turning a cynic into an optimist? Will it matter? What can one person do?
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Title: All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace
Character: Self
Released: May 23, 2011
Type: TV
We have been colonised by the machines we have built. Although we don't realise it, the way we see everything in the world today is through the eyes of the computers.
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Robin Ince: Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People
Title: Robin Ince: Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People
Character: Self
Released: December 24, 2010
Type: Movie
'Welcome to my folly', declared Robin Ince as he opens Nine Lessons..., his massive sell-out Rationalist Celebration of comedy and science for Christmas. With a star-studded line-up included Richard Dawkins, Stewart Lee, Josie Long, Simon Singh, Richard Herring, Gavin Osbourne, Isy Suttie, Ben Goldacre, Andrew Collins, Waen Shepherd, Christina Martin and Philip Jeays - all accompanied by Martin White and his amazing Mystery Fax Machine Chamber Orchestra. What more could you ask for?.... Oh go on then, as it's Christmas there's also interview contributions from Dara O'Briain and Javis Cocker.
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Faith School Menace?
Title: Faith School Menace?
Character: Self
Released: August 18, 2010
Type: Movie
Richard Dawkins looks at Government funded faith schools and the effect they could have on children.
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Title: Genius of Britain
Character: Presenter
Released: May 30, 2010
Type: TV
Genius of Britain is a five-part television documentary presented by leading British scientific figures, such as Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, James Dyson, David Attenborough, Robert Winston, Paul Nurse, Jim Al-Khalili, Kathy Sykes and Olivia Judson. The series charts the history of some of Britain's most important scientists and innovators. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 on 30 May 2010.
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Sex, Drugs & Religion
Title: Sex, Drugs & Religion
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 2010
Type: Movie
A 71 minute look into the wacky world of religion. Targeting groups from Catholics to Baptists, this movie exposes the idiocy that is associated to religion in general. This is the fourth film release from B.A. Brooks and is quickly causing quite a stir in religious communities across the globe, while also hailing acclaim as a very entertaining, and insightful film experience.
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A Universe from Nothing
Title: A Universe from Nothing
Character: Self
Released: October 3, 2009
Type: Movie
Lawrence Krauss gives a talk on our current picture of the universe, how it will end, and how it could have come from nothing. Krauss is the author of many bestselling books on Physics and Cosmology, including "The Physics of Star Trek."
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Title: Inside Nature's Giants
Character: Presenter
Released: June 29, 2009
Type: TV
Inside Nature's Giants is a British science documentary, first broadcast in June 2009 by Channel 4. The documentary shows experts performing dissection on some of nature's largest animals, including whales and elephants. The programme is presented by Mark Evans. The series attempts to uncover the secrets of the animals examined. Mark is assisted by evolutionary biologists Richard Dawkins and Simon Watt, and comparative anatomist Joy Reidenberg. The show is currently airing on PBS in the United States and repeats are currently airing on Eden and Watch in the UK. There is an iPad application that allows you to see every animal the show have worked on close up.
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Dawkins vs Lennox: Has Science Buried God?
Title: Dawkins vs Lennox: Has Science Buried God?
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 2009
Type: Movie
Two scientists return to the Oxford Museum of Natural History, the famed site of the 1860 Evolution debate between Huxley and Wilberforce. Discussing an issue the BBC calls "as fierce as ever," the two go head to head in a remarkable match of intellect. Holding the Atheistic position is Prof. Richard Dawkins, celebrated author of The God Delusion and regarded by many as the spokesman for the "New Atheism." Opposing Dawkins is fellow Oxford professor John Lennox. Lennox, like Dawkins, has dedicated his career to science, but arrives at very different conclusions.
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Title: The Genius of Charles Darwin
Character: Presenter
Released: August 4, 2008
Type: TV
The Genius of Charles Darwin is a three-part television documentary, written and presented by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. It was first shown in August 2008 on Channel 4. It won Best TV Documentary Series 2008 at the British Broadcast Awards in January 2009.
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The Genius of Charles Darwin
Title: The Genius of Charles Darwin
Character: Self - Host
Released: August 4, 2008
Type: Movie
A documentary series from Channel 4, hosted by professor Richard Dawkins, well-known darwinist. The series mixes segments on the life and discoveries of Charles Darwin, the theory of natural selection and evolution, and Dawkins' attempts at convincing a group of school children that evolution explains the world around us better than any religion.
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Title: Q&A
Character: Self - Panellist
Released: May 22, 2008
Type: TV
Hosted by Hamish Macdonald, Q&A puts punters, pollies and pundits together in the studio to thrash out the hot issues of the week. It's about democracy in action - the audience gets to ask the questions.
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Atheist Alliance International Convention 2007
Title: Atheist Alliance International Convention 2007
Character: Self
Released: May 5, 2008
Type: Movie
The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science presents a DVD collection of 9 speakers from the Atheist Alliance International 2007 Convention (AtheistAlliance.org) held in Washington, D.C. Hear from some of the world's leading rationalists on a variety of subjects including suicide terrorism (Thomson), the Intelligent Deign movement (Scott), Islam (Hirsi Ali), church/state separation (Tabash), "The OUT Campaign" and the labeling of children (Dawkins), atheism, religion and much more. Q&A sessions follow most of the talks.
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Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Title: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Character: Self
Released: April 18, 2008
Type: Movie
Pro-intelligent design scholars and scientists are often chastised, fired or denied tenured positions by those who believe in Darwin's theory of evolution.
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Discussions with Richard Dawkins, Episode 1: The Four Horsemen
Title: Discussions with Richard Dawkins, Episode 1: The Four Horsemen
Character: Self
Released: January 10, 2008
Type: Movie
Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sits down for an unmoderated 2-hour discussion on religion.
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The God Delusion Debate
Title: The God Delusion Debate
Character: Self
Released: October 3, 2007
Type: Movie
On October 3rd of 2007 in Birmingham, Alabama, Professor Richard Dawkins and his Oxford University colleague Professor John Lennox engaged in a lively debate over what is arguably the most critical question of our time: the existence of God. The debate centered on Dawkins's views as expressed in his best-seller, The God Delusion, and their validity over and against the Christian faith. Both presenters agreed to the format and topics of discussion. It was one of the great debates of the last 100 years and is well worth watching and studying.
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Title: The Big Questions
Character: Self
Released: September 9, 2007
Type: TV
Nicky Campbell hosts a series of moral, ethical and religious debates.
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The Enemies of Reason
Title: The Enemies of Reason
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 2007
Type: Movie
Documentary written and presented by scientist Richard Dawkins, in which he seeks to expose "those areas of belief that exist without scientific proof, yet manage to hold the nation under their spell", including mediumship, psychokinesis, acupuncture, and other forms of alternative medicine.
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The Trouble with Atheism
Title: The Trouble with Atheism
Character: Self
Released: December 18, 2006
Type: Movie
More and more people are turning to a position that prides itself as a modern, scientific response to the irrationality of faith. Atheism. Rod Liddle argues in this authored documentary, those that turn to Atheism for a rational, logical and moderate approach to modern problems are in for a shock. 21st century Atheism shares many characteristics with belief systems it opposes.
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A War on Science
Title: A War on Science
Character: Self
Released: January 26, 2006
Type: Movie
When Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution nearly 150 years ago, he shattered the dominant belief of his day – that humans were the product of divine creation. Through his observations of nature, Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection. This caused uproar. After all, if the story of creation could be doubted, so too could the existence of the creator. Ever since its proposal, this cornerstone of biology has sustained wave after wave of attack. Now some scientists fear it is facing the most formidable challenge yet: a controversial new theory called intelligent design.
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Root of All Evil?
Title: Root of All Evil?
Character: Self
Released: January 9, 2006
Type: Movie
In this two-part Channel 4 series, Professor Richard Dawkins challenges what he describes as 'a process of non-thinking called faith'. He describes his astonishment that, at the start of the 21st century, religious faith is gaining ground in the face of rational, scientific truth. Science, based on scepticism, investigation and evidence, must continuously test its own concepts and claims. Faith, by definition, defies evidence: it is untested and unshakeable, and is therefore in direct contradiction with science. In addition, though religions preach morality, peace and hope, in fact, says Dawkins, they bring intolerance, violence and destruction. The growth of extreme fundamentalism in so many religions across the world not only endangers humanity but, he argues, is in conflict with the trend over thousands of years of history for humanity to progress to become more enlightened and more tolerant.
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Title: The Root of All Evil?
Released: January 8, 2006
Type: TV
The Root of All Evil?, later retitled The God Delusion, is a television documentary written and presented by Richard Dawkins in which he argues that humanity would be better off without religion or belief in God. The documentary was first broadcast in January 2006, in the form of two 45-minute episodes, on Channel 4 in the UK. Dawkins has said that the title The Root of All Evil? was not his preferred choice, but that Channel 4 had insisted on it to create controversy. The sole concession from the producers on the title was the addition of the question mark. Dawkins has stated that the notion of anything being the root of all evil is ridiculous. Dawkins' book The God Delusion, released in September 2006, goes on to examine the topics raised in the documentary in greater detail. The documentary was rebroadcast on the More4 channel on the 25 August 2010 under the title of The God Delusion.
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Title: The Colbert Report
Released: October 17, 2005
Type: TV
The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program that airs Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. It satirizes conservative personality-driven political pundit programs, particularly Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor. The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits. The Colbert Report has been nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards each in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, two Television Critics Association Awards Awards, and two Satellite Awards. In 2013, it won two Emmys. It has been presented as non-satirical journalism in several instances, including by the Tom DeLay Legal Defense Trust and by Robert Wexler following his interview on the program. The Report received considerable media coverage following its debut on October 17, 2005, for Colbert's coining of the term "truthiness", which dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster named its 2006 Word of the Year.
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The God Who Wasn't There
Title: The God Who Wasn't There
Character: Self
Released: May 21, 2005
Type: Movie
Did Jesus exist? This film starts with that question, then goes on to examine Christianity as a whole.
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Title: Doctor Who
Character: Richard Dawkins
Released: March 26, 2005
Type: TV
The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.
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Title: Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief
Character: Self - Biologist
Released: October 11, 2004
Type: TV
Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief – known in the United States as A Brief History of Disbelief – is a 2004 television documentary series written and presented by Jonathan Miller for the BBC and tracing the history of atheism.
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Title: Real Time with Bill Maher
Character: Self
Released: February 21, 2003
Type: TV
Each week Bill Maher surrounds himself with a panel of guests which include politicians, actors, comedians, musicians and the like to discuss what's going on in the world.
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Title: Richard & Judy
Character: Self
Released: November 26, 2001
Type: TV
Richard & Judy was a British chat show presented by the married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. The show originally aired on Channel 4, from 2001 to 2008, but later moved to digital channel, Watch, in October 2008. The programme featured a number of celebrities and a book club. Its final episode aired in July 2009 due to low ratings.
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The Mind's Big Bang
Title: The Mind's Big Bang
Character: Self
Released: September 27, 2001
Type: Movie
The events and coincidences that led to rapid advances in human intelligence 50,000 years ago.
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Title: Break the Science Barrier
Character: Presenter
Released: October 30, 1996
Type: TV
Break the Science Barrier is a 1996 television documentary written and presented by Richard Dawkins, which promotes the viewpoint that scientific endeavour is not only useful, but also intellectually stimulating and exciting. Featuring interviews with many well-known figures from the world of science and beyond, it was originally broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom — the first of a series of collaborations between Dawkins and the station — before being released on DVD more than a decade later. The documentary contains many of the themes later expounded in his book Unweaving the Rainbow, which was published two years after the initial broadcast.
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Title: The Simpsons
Character: Richard Dawkins (voice)
Released: December 17, 1989
Type: TV
Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.
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The Blind Watchmaker
Title: The Blind Watchmaker
Character: Self
Released: January 19, 1987
Type: Movie
Richard Dawkins in a 1980's television special based on his book The Blind Watchmaker.