series watch
A Species Odyssey
World, 9pm
This two-part series charts the history of the human race - from the first primate to stand and walk to homo sapiens in the modern era. Using computer graphics and fictional reconstructions, the episodes take us back in time, restoring our ancestors to life and examining their appearance, behaviour and environment. The story begins eight million years ago with the original accident: the formation of the Great Rift Valley and the draining of east Africa - the point at which the great apes were differentiated from the first pre-humans.
The Godfather, Part II
Pearl, 9pm
Francis Ford Coppola's sequel to The Godfather tells the story of both a young Vito Corleone (Robert de Niro), newly arrived in America, and his son Michael (Al Pacino, above), 40 years later, running the family empire. Also starring Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale, Harry Dean Stanton and Danny Aiello. (1974)
The Touch
Star Movies, 9pm
In modern Qingdao, Yin (Michelle Yeoh, above) and her brother Tong (Brandon Chang) are the last in a long line of acrobats entrusted with the skills to retrieve the sharira - a hidden relic purported to contain the pure essence of a Buddhist holy man. One day, Eric (Ben Chaplin), a man from Yin's past, shows up with a medallion - the heart of Dunhuang - a key to unlock the secrets of the legend of the sharira. Together they embark on a hazardous journey to rediscover what Yin and Tong's ancestors once protected. Following closely on their trail is Karl (Richard Roxburgh), an unscrupulous rich man who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the treasure. (2002)
