TV Reviews : ‘Human Dawn’ Digs Deeper Into an Age-Old Question

What does it mean to be human? And how did we get to be that way?

“Tales of the Human Dawn,” a “Smithsonian World” presentation airing at 8 tonight on Channels 28 and 15, attempts to illustrate those two simply stated but maddeningly complex questions.

“Tales” documents the mix of myth and science that comprise our stories of human evolution. Through a series of interviews with scientists from various disciplines, the show demonstrates how the human need for meaning and identity colors the work of these “fact-driven” examiners of our planet.

Fossils and other physical evidence of life from millions of years ago are all grist for the mill. Like your Uncle Henry on the back porch spinning out the family history on a hot summer’s night, paleoanthropologists also use stories to communicate their “facts.” As one anthropologist puts it: “In the long run, the questions . . . cannot be answered without some myth-making involved.”

Veteran “Smithsonian” producer Sandra Wentworth Bradley has put together a somewhat interesting package, but “Tales” is not as accessible as most of the “Smithsonian World” series. In a show about science, the best segment is the one with novelist Kurt Vonnegut, who discusses “Galapagos,” his tale of “devolution.”

Bradley has also made some poor choices in pacing and visuals. One example: The show’s segments are linked with some startling dance imagery by the Dendy Dance troupe--vital, intriguing choreography but jarring and disruptive in this context.

“Tales” can be faulted for its composition, but not for its reach. Like a good professor having an off-day at the lectern, “Tales of the Human Dawn” offers food for thought for those patient enough to wait for it.