another part of evolution

I cant find anything on this (this is all from memory) but i saw a program on a newly discovered part of evolution.
Once it was found that there are only about 30,000 links in the chain of DNA people began to wonder how humans (and other animals were so complex.)
Eventually someone came up with a theory that maybe genes had a kind of hidden data in them.
Explained simply some genes carry on genetic diseases, one of these genes causes two froms of a very severe disease(cant remeber what the name is.) When it came from the mother it passed on one type of the disease but if it was passed on from the father it passed on a different disease.
It also went on to how i say when you were in the womb the world of parents could affect you. Say there was a famine while your mother carries you, you would have a higher survival chance than someone who was born at a time when there wasnt the risk opf a famine.

I would just lik to finish with I ahve no idea what the program was called although i believe it was on BBC1 (british tv channel.)

I recently saw something on tv about changing genes as well. It had something to do with the creation of the white eyed fruit fly. They inserted different genes into the dna structure, which created a mutation in the male flies. The only thing it was supposed to do was change the eye color. They all came out with white eyes, but they also began to actively court each other, forming chains of fruit flies, sometimes the leading male making a circle by meeting with the end male. Could this maybe be proof of hidden data in genes?