Series synopsis
The Gene: An Intimate History is an American documentary television series that premiered on PBS on April 7, 2020. It ended on April 14, 2020. It stars David Costabile, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Edward Wild and Audrey Winkelsas.
“The Gene: An Intimate History” brings vividly to life the story of today’s revolution in medical science through present-day tales of patients and doctors at the forefront of the search for genetic treatments, interwoven with a compelling history of the discoveries that made this possible and the ethical challenges raised by the ability to edit DNA with precision.
Premise
“The Gene: An Intimate History” brings vividly to life the story of today’s revolution in medical science through present-day tales of patients and doctors at the forefront of the search for genetic treatments, interwoven with a compelling history of the discoveries that made this possible and the ethical challenges raised by the ability to edit DNA with precision.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- David Costabile as Narrator (voice)
- Siddhartha Mukherjee as Self
- Edward Wild as Self
- Audrey Winkelsas as Self
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 2 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 2 | April 7, 2020 | April 14, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Dawn of the Modern Age of Genetics Part One interweaves the present-day story of the Rosens, a young family on an odyssey to find a cure for their four-year-old daughter’s rare genetic disease, with stories of the exciting discoveries of the early pioneers in genetics. This episode also tracks the dark period in human history when a little genetic knowledge was used to justify terrifying human experiments. |
April 7, 2020 |
| 2 |
Revolution in the Treatment of Disease Part Two begins with the story of the signature scientific achievement of our time: the mapping of the human genome. As scientists learn to read the genetic code, they grapple with the dangers inherent in increasingly sophisticated and easily available methods of intervening in the very essence of what makes us human, our DNA. |
April 14, 2020 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | PBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 7, 2020 |
| Last aired | April 14, 2020 |
| Runtime | 115 minutes |
| Status | ended |