SATURDAY 28 MARCH 2015

SAT 00:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn5v)
Episode 5

Tom plans a third marriage to Elizabeth, but how will they cope with his possessive daughter?

Joanna Trollope's novel about the traumas and delights of adjusting to a step-family.

Read by Penelope Wilton.

Abridged in ten parts by Pat McLoughlin.

Producer: Di Speirs

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.


SAT 00:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvwxr)
The Flag That Failed

Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum, continues his object-based history. Taking artefacts from William Shakespeare's time, he explores how Elizabethan and Jacobean playgoers made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived.

With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and he considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.

Programme 15. THE FLAG THAT FAILED - The problems in uniting Scotland and England and in creating a Great Britain are encapsulated in a set of designs for a common flag.

This programme was originally broadcast in 2012.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.


SAT 00:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jy30)
Episode 5

Twelve-year-old Meena's mother finally gives birth, and she decides to form a gang with Anita. Meera Syal reads her own novel.


SAT 00:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlt9)
Douglas Rogers - The Last Resort

Episode 5

5/5

The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers, read by Jack Klaff. Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall Productions. The author tells the story of his parents fight to stay on their backpacker lodge in Zimbabwe despite the political upheaval of the last decade.

The day that Douglas's parents have been dreading finally arrives.


SAT 01:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b016w83r)
Series 4

Enfield, West, Green

Harry Enfield is a comedian and sketch character actor whose creations have made a permanent mark on the nation's psyche and whose catchphrases have echoed around playgrounds and building sites for decades. His monstrous creations include the iconic 80s character Loadsamoney, Stavros the Kebab Shop Owner and Tory Boy. Harry had a bit of a punkish image as a youth, but in fact he's quite posh. So posh that Virginia Woolf once famously referred to his grandparents in a notorious letter to Lytton Strachey. To find out what it was she said about them, either listen in or you could always Google it yourself.

Lucie Green is a solar researcher based at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London's Department of Space and Climate Physics, a Bletchley-like stately pile tucked away in the Surrey countryside that houses 150 of Britain's top space scientists. She studies activity in the atmosphere of the Sun. She takes a strong interest in science education, and in 2009 was awarded the Royal Society's Kohn award for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science.

Admiral Alan William John West, Baron West of Spithead GCB DSC PC once ran the entire Royal Navy. From June 2007 to May 2010, he was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the British Home Office with responsibility for Security and a Security Advisor to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Prior to his ministerial appointment, he was First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy, from 2002 to 2006. He has served aboard 14 ships, and in his first post as a captain, was the last to abandon ship as his vessel had been attacked by the Argentine Air Force during the Falklands war. As Head of Military Intelligence, he once had the honour of using a desk that played a unique role in history.


SAT 01:30 My Life in Five Books (b01394vt)
Series 2

Val McDermid

Treat yourself to a treat from the BBC Radio Scotland archives in this delightful programme where crime writer Val McDermid shares some of her all time favourite books with Stuart Cosgrove. Best selling author Val McDermid grew up in Kirkcaldy then was accepted to read English at St Hilda's College Oxford when she was only 17. Realising that she wasn't suited to a nine to five job Val became a journalist and after training in Devon she worked on national newspapers in Glasgow and Manchester. Following the success of her book Report for Murder published in 1987 Val was able to give up the day job and concentrate on writing, the rest, as they say, is history!

Val picks the following 5 titles and tells Stuart Cosgrove why they are significant books in her life.

1: TREASURE ISLAND by Robert Louis Stevenson

2: THE COLLECTED POEMS by Norman MacCaig

3: THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by Agatha Christie

4: SEXUAL POLITICS by Kate Millett

5: INDEMNITY ONLY by Sara Paretsky.

Produced by Mike Walker.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.


SAT 02:00 Detective (b01s5l3b)
Series 3

5. Murder of a Shy Girl

Reclusive Joan is found dead, but Detectives Brook and Tully wonder how solitary her life really was...

Starring Ray Brooks and Stephen Garlick.

More tough stories of crime and detection in London written by Robert Barr

DS Brook …. Ray Brooks
DC Tully …. Stephen Garlick
DS Harrison …. Peter Cleall
Chief Inspector Roach …. Stephen Yardley
Palmer …. Nigel Greaves
Mrs Stevens …. Margery Withers
Mr Johnson …. Arnold Diamond
Mr Sheldon …. Haydn Wood
Jonathan Evans …. Mark Straker

Producer: Martin Fisher

First broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 2 in July 1984.


SAT 02:30 The Bond Correspondence (b00bfczy)
Lucy Fleming embarks upon a quest to discover more about her mysterious uncle Ian, creator of James Bond. Roger Moore is the voice of Ian Fleming.


SAT 03:00 Graham Swannell - Kiss of Life (b05n7tp5)
Married 40 years, Dot tries to make Arthur fully appreciate her and show extra affection. Stars Brenda Bruce and Norman Bird.


SAT 04:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xh0ft)
The Revenant

An old man's guilt will haunt him and not release him until the truth is told. Read by Charlotte Emmerson.

"The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting Tales" is a collection of haunting short stories written, abridged and introduced by Kate Mosse. They are all inspired by legends and folktales from the French and Sussex Countryside and each story explores the relationship between landscape and emotion. Grief and Guilt. Loss and happiness. They are timeless in their telling, ranging from the mythical past to the present day. Kate Mosse has chosen 5 out of the collection that exemplify the redemption experienced by the various grief stricken men and women as they come to terms with their destiny.

Producer: Celia de Wolff
Made for 4 Extra by Pier Productions.


SAT 04:15 Frances Byrnes - An Unchoreographed World (b01pr7s5)
Dancer Margot Fonteyn and her lover are trapped in Holland during the German invasion of May 1940. Stars Sophie Jerrold.


SAT 05:00 Beachcomber... By the Way (b0084hyx)
Series 1

Episode 5

Lady Cabstanleigh holds a party, Mrs McGurgle gets into an argument, Chief Inspector Blunderton follows up a few leads, and Justice Cocklecarrot has to contend with the antics of the Filthistan trio.

Richard Ingrams, John Wells, John Sessions and Patricia Routledge recreate the world of the JB Morton.

Running in the Daily Express from 1924 to 1975 – JB Morton’s surreally comic ‘Beachcomber’ column paved the way for a great deal of modern humour.

Adapted by Michael Barfield with Richard Ingrams.

Announcer: Brian Perkins

Producer: Harry Thompson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1989


SAT 05:30 Rent (b007522v)
Series 3

Episode 1

The new baby needs a name and Richard doesn’t want to reveal one of his.

Series 3 of Lucy Flannery's award-winning sitcom about Maria and Richard Reynolds and their lodgers.

Maria …. Barbara Flynn
Richard …. Patrick Barlow
Amy …. Linda Polan
Ruby …. Vivienne Rochester
Paul …. Dave Lamb
The Barrister …. Sally Grace
The Judge …. Brian Bowles

Producer: Liz Anstee.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1997.


SAT 06:00 David Buck - Barnsdale Wake (b05nxrtc)
In the heart of an English forest, King Richard I is encamped with a group of soldiers, prior to moving against a hunted enemy. To entertain his men, he orders two of his ballad singers to recount tales and legends of Robin Hood.

A Ballad play of the life and times of Robin Hood by David Buck.

Robin Hood ...... Bernard Hill
King Richard ...... Julian Glover
Prentis ...... David Timson
Serjeant ...... John Hollis
Blundel ...... Denis Quilley
Boy ...... Simon Hunt
Little John ...... Nigel Graham
Will Scarlet ...... Henry Stamper
Alan-a-Dale ...... Nigel Anthony
Friar ...... Alan Dudley
Much ...... Timothy Bateson

Characters in Ballads:
Bishop of Hereford ...... Timothy Bateson
Bishop of Pontefract ...... Steve Hodson
Scarlock ...... David Peart
Much ...... James Bryce
The Sheriff ...... Michael Bilton
Monk/Foster ...... Peter Tuddenham
Prioress ...... Simon Hunt

Music by Jim Parker.

Musicians: Francis Baines, Philip Thorby and Christopher Wilson

Director: Martin Jenkins.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1983.


SAT 07:30 Unearthing Mysteries (b00ghyx3)
Series 1

Kings Valley 55

Professor Aubrey Manning travels to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt to unearth the mystery behind Tomb 55.


SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b00mz53r)
In the Beginning Was the Nerd

Stephen Fry recalls how, in the build-up to the year 2000, the world prepared itself to face a terrifying scare - The Millennium Bug.

Who or what was to blame for such an expensive and unnecessary panic? With the help of the BBC Archive, Stephen travels back to the dawn of the digital age to argue that a major cause was our attitude to the technology and the people we held responsible for it.

A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4.


SAT 09:00 Inside the Music: From Score to Encore (b05nybcs)
Gavin Henderson is passionate about music. Formerly a noted trumpeter in an orchestra, he's been Director of Brighton Arts Festival, Principal of Trinity College of Music and is now Principal of the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.

In this sequence of programmes, he explores the complex creative communities that coalesce to bring a piece of music to life in a concert hall. Becoming a member of a musical ensemble has been described as "more like joining a cause than a profession". He talks to members of orchestras and ensembles to get their personal perspectives on music making. What do they feel about their own instrument? What are relations like between members of the orchestra? Or between an orchestra and a conductor?

It's a world of titanic egos, and creative humility; where the rigours of touring and performing, the frustrations of forever being the second violin and the vagaries of venue acoustics and audience responsiveness can be forgotten in a feat of collective creative expression.

Gavin throws light on some of the less known inner workings of an orchestra and the sometimes intuitive relationships "behind the podium" – such as that between the Orchestral Librarian and Conductor, or piano tuner and pianist.

And he tries to understand and convey what motivates a group of individuals to act like an organism greater than the sum of its parts, bringing pleasure and, occasionally, transcendence, to performers and audience alike.

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Pier Productions

First broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in 2015.


SAT 12:00 15 Minute Drama (b05nybcv)
How Does That Make You Feel

Series 5 Omnibus

Series 5 Omnibus. Meet a group of people who share both a therapist called Martha and a growing set of neuroses.


SAT 13:15 Baldi (b00wh00x)
Series 5

A Very Neglected Fish

Probing a murder set amongst the competitive world of celebrity chefs, Paolo finds himself sampling the world of secret recipes, Italian passions and an unexpected live TV appearance...

Starring David Threlfall as Paolo Baldi - Franciscan priest turned Dublin sleuth
With Tina Kellegher as Tina Mahon, Owen Roe as Rynn, James D'Arcy as Gavin Farley, Paolo Tullio as Giorgio, Amanda Root as Lucy, Paul Reid as Martin, Nick Dunning as Franco Palametti, Niall Buggy as Tom Harrington and Bronagh Taggart as the Flight Attendant.

Murder mystery written by John Murphy.

Format by Barry Devlin. Developed and produced by BBC Northern Ireland.

Directed in Belfast by Mark Lambert.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008.


SAT 14:00 The Michael Bentine Show (b00k9dbv)
From 22/04/1984

From duelling kings to a Commons washroom attendant.

Michael Bentine stars in the ultimate one man show written and performed by the host.

Producer: Jamie Rix

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in April 1984.


SAT 14:30 The Ken Dodd Show (b05ncjz0)
From 18/04/1965

Home wine-making tips from Andy Mann, and poetic tributes to those who watch over us at night. With John Laurie. From April 1965.


SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00mz53r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


SAT 16:00 David Buck - Barnsdale Wake (b05nxrtc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SAT 17:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b01mx27b)
Series 2

Episode 3

John Finnemore, the writer and star of Cabin Pressure, regular guest on The Now Show and popper-upper in things like Miranda and Family Guy, records a second series of his hit sketch show.

The first series was described as "sparklingly clever" by The Daily Telegraph and "one of the most consistently funny sketch shows for quite some time" by The Guardian. It featured Winnie the Pooh coming to terms with his abusive relationship with honey, how The Archers sounds to people who don't listen to the Archers and how Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde decided whose turn it was to do the washing up.

This episode doesn't feature any of those things, but it does feature a sketch about messengers, a sketch about the history of alchemy and a sketch... Sketch? "Sketch"? Sorry, you know when you repeat a word so often it starts to go weird? "Sketch". Sketch! Ssssssketch. That's got it, better now. Anyway, there's a sketch about that.

John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme is written by and stars John Finnemore. It also features Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan. It is produced by Ed Morrish.


SAT 18:00 Simon Guerrier - Graceless (b01l1wsj)
Series 1

The End

Space pirate Kreekpolt knows Abby and Zara can save his daughter's life, even at the cost of their own. Stars Ciara Janson.

Abby - Ciara Janson
Zara - Laura Doddington
Marek - Fraser James
Earl Kreekpolt - Michael Keating
Garstang - Roger Watkins
First Pirate - Alex Mallinson
Persephone - Lisa Bowerman
Daniel - David Warner
Uncle Lindsay - Colin Spaull

Written by Simon Guerrier
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
A Big Finish Production.


SAT 19:00 Inside the Music: From Score to Encore (b05nybcs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


SAT 22:00 Life: An Idiot's Guide (b01cwrtd)
Series 1

Dishonesty

Stephen K Amos and his pick of the circuit's best stand-ups attempt to unravel the knotty problems of modern life

With the help of Sara Pascoe, Matt Forde, Carey Marx and David O'Doherty, Stephen offers his idiot's guide to dishonesty.

Producer: Colin Anderson.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2012.


SAT 22:30 The Lawrence Sweeney Mix (b00klk4r)
Series 1

Episode 3

Understanding phones – and what women never do...or do they?

Josie Lawrence and Jim Sweeney make it up as they go along!

Faced with a live studio audience and a couple of microphones - the masters of improve create sketches from shouted out suggestions.

Producer: Dawn Ellis

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2007.


SAT 23:00 Goodness Gracious Me (b007jv3v)
Series 1

Episode 3

Bhangraman must save the world - and the downside of keeping a cow as a family pet

Stars Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Nitin Sawhney, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia.

Gold Winner of the Sony Radio Academy Awards. The sketch comedy show originally ran on BBC Radio 4 from 1996 to 1998, later transferring to TV on BBC Two from 1998 to 2001.

Scripted by Sharat Sardana, Richard Pinto and the cast.

Produced by Gareth Edwards and Anil Gupta.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1996.


SAT 23:25 The Comedy Club Interviews (b05p6v7t)
From 10pm to midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Arthur Smith chats again to Doc Brown.


SAT 23:30 Wondermentalist Cabaret (b00y8vsn)
Series 1

Episode 2

Poet, performer, enemy of all that's difficult and upsetting, Matt Harvey presents this comedy-infused, musically-enhanced, slightly interactive poetry cabaret.

Recorded in front of an audience at the Swindon Arts Centre, he's joined by the poet and musician Zena Edwards and one man house band Jerri Hart.

Fellow poets AF Harrold and Kate Fox battle it out with Zena in a Dead Poets' Slam, while the audience compose their own highly flavoured poem on the subject of cheese.

Producer: Mark Smalley.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2011.