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The Mum's Line

Episode 1 of 2

Comedian Eddie Izzard embarks on an epic journey as he uses cutting-edge DNA science to explore the secrets of his mother's family history over 10,000 generations.

Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard embarks on a unique, epic and personal journey using his own DNA to trace the migration of his ancestors out of Africa and into Europe over almost 200,000 years. A simple saliva swab and the latest cutting-edge DNA science help Eddie explore the secrets of his genetic history. In this first film Eddie explores his mum's line over the last 10,000 generations, tracing her ancestral route across 10,000 miles all the way back home to Britain.

Along the way he meets some of his modern DNA cousins, from the African bush to the shores of the Red Sea, as he discovers how humans populated the globe, why he has blue eyes and how the Izzards ended up in Europe.

1 hour

Last on

Tue 12 Mar 201300:50

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Credits

RoleContributor
PresenterEddie Izzard
PresenterEddie Izzard
Executive ProducerEric Harwood
Executive ProducerEric Harwood
Series ProducerHarvey Lilley
Series ProducerHarvey Lilley
DirectorHarvey Lilley
DirectorHarvey Lilley

Broadcasts

  • Wed 20 Feb 201321:00
  • Tue 12 Mar 201300:20
  • Tue 12 Mar 201300:35
  • Tue 12 Mar 201300:50

Eddie Izzard: 'I'm 2.8% Neanderthal'

Eddie Izzard: 'I'm 2.8% Neanderthal'

Geneticist Dr Jim Wilson has discovered that Izzard is 2.8% Neanderthal.