SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2025

SAT 00:00 Soul Music (b07zz5y8)
Series 23

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Memories of first love, first borns and loss are stirred by 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'.

This timeless love song was written by Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, and made famous by Roberta Flack.

Activist and folk musician Peggy Seeger recalls her first meeting with the Scottish folk musician, which would inspire him to write the song, and talks about what the song means to her today. Ewan MacColl's biographer Ben Harker explains why this song is so different from much of his other work.

Julie Young talks about singing the song to her son Reagan, who had severe complex needs following a cardiac arrest as a baby.

Writer Louise Janson speaks about what the song came to mean to her as she set out on the path to becoming a mother on her own.

Writer and academic Jason King tells the story of how Roberta Flack came to cover this ballad, and how it catapulted her to fame.

And Kandace Springs, a singer and pianist from Nashville, Tennessee, records her version of the song and talks about why the song is one of the greatest love songs of all time.

Producer: Mair Bosworth

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2016.


SAT 00:30 The Half: A Countdown To Performance (b08m9h2m)
The Half - called over the tannoy backstage at the theatre - is the beginning of the countdown to facing an audience.

Regardless of the highs and lows of daily life, performers have to harness themselves, step into the spotlight and use pressure to their advantage.

The 30-minute call is when it all becomes a bit more serious - there’s no escaping what lies ahead.

We hear the half-hour count down over the loudspeaker system as Fiona Lindsay takes us behind-the-scenes in a London West End theatre - and a hospital operating theatre.

The arts broadcaster and journalist explores how that crucial half-hour before the curtain goes up plays out for performers of all kinds.

Backstage at Matilda the Musical, actor Craige Els transforms into the terrifying Miss Trunchbull.

At the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Paediatric surgeon Ross Fisher lets us in on the half-hour before he performs an operation on a child.

Comedian Mae Martin sizes up the audience as she waits stage-side to perform stand up in London’s East End.

World champion snooker player Steve Davis remembers the rituals that played out in his changing room in the half-hour before he performed at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

Rabbi Miriam Berger describes how she prepares to lead a funeral service.

Performance psychologist Amanda Owens explains the techniques she teaches to top sports people.

Are there parallels that can be drawn between these very different kinds of performers?

Fiona uncovers the psychological and physical routines our performers have in common, as well as the highly idiosyncratic rituals that individuals come to rely on.

Producers: Peggy Sutton & Chris Elcombe

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2017.


SAT 01:00 Paul Temple (b007t1r7)
Paul Temple and the Margo Mystery

4. Bill Fletcher's Story

Debonair sleuth Paul Temple and wife Steve face danger when a bomb is sent to them at their home.

Francis Durbridge's thriller stars Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury as BBC radio's smoothest investigator and his glamorous wife.

Paul Temple …. Peter Coke
Steve …. Marjorie Westbury
Superintendent Raine …. Simon Lack
Sir Graham Forbes …. James Thomason
Tony Wyman …. Jon Rollason
Mike Langdon …. Tommy Duggan
George Kelburn …. Julian Somers
Mrs Fletcher …. Joan Matheson
Bill Fletcher …. William Bedle
Dr Benkarary …. Mary Wimbush
Larry Cross …. Hugh Manning
Charlie …. James Beattie
Bank Clerk/Police Sergeant …. Nigel Anthony
Bank Manager …. Haydn Jones

Producer: Martyn C Webster

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in January 1961.


SAT 01:30 Whodunnits (b009hp59)
Inspector Grant - The Singing Sands

4. The Holiday Ends

Inspector Alan Grant returns to London determined to clear up the mystery over the death of Bill Kenrick.

Josephine Tey's detective mystery, first published in 1952.

Abridged by Sian Preece.

Concluded by Paul Young.

Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

Made by BBC Scotland for BBC Radio 7 and first broadcast in March 2008.


SAT 02:00 A Very Private Man (b09jl1cv)
Episode 5

As Helen prepares to go away to celebrate her mother's birthday, David is fearing for his marriage...

Starring Rodney Bewes and Ann Bell.

Terry Gregson's north v south sitcom.

David Parkinson ...... Rodney Bewes
Helen Parkinson ...... Ann Bell
Mrs Henderson ...... Daphne Oxenford
Mrs Wilshaw ...... Marlene Sidaway
Mr Sands ...... Peter Wheeler

Produced at BBC Manchester by Ron McDonnell.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in February 1981.


SAT 02:30 Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead (b00j2j7c)
Series 2

Episode 8

A bizarre slice of Shakespeare - and a poem for a man with a plan.

A sequential entertainment for radio starring Ronnie Barker.

With:

Terence Brady
Pauline Yates
John Graham

Pianist: Gordon Langford
Guitarist: Dick Abell.

Written by Chris Allen, Peter Campbell, Ted Clayton and Patrick Ennis, John Graham, Roy Lomax, Donald Monat and June Dixon, Frank A Terry and Harold Arpthorp.

Producer John Fawcett-Wilson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1972.


SAT 03:00 Showstopper (b00y8yjn)
4. Super Heroes

The Showstopper team are here to create a hilarious improvised comic musical on the spot!

Featuring songs, plot and characters based entirely on suggestions from the live studio audience.

It’s curtain-up on the musical world of Super Heroes.

The cast includes:

Pippa Evans
Ruth Bratt
Dylan Emery
Lucy Trodd
Sean McCann
Oliver Senton

Producer: Sam Bryant

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2011.


SAT 03:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mrzx)
5. Propaganda Machine

Amid rising tensions within the commune, Slavkin builds his Propaganda Machine.

Early in 1914, 22-year-old Gerty Freely travels to Russia to work as a governess, little-knowing the huge upheavals in the world and in her own life that lie ahead.

In London, 1974, Gerty begins a memoir for her daughter Sophy, looking back at that extraordinary time of war, revolution and civil war.

Most of her memories are centred on a young inventor, Nikita Slavkin, who mysteriously disappeared in 1919 and was subsequently celebrated in Soviet culture as The Vanishing Futurist.

“No word has been heard from him since […] Yet the idea persists that one day he will reappear.”

Charlotte Hobson's novel abridged by Jeremy Osborne.

Read by Barbara Flynn.

Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2020.


SAT 03:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dpj2)
5. Adventure

Summer 1957 and after the family tragedy, Rosemary wants them all to go on holiday.

But her mother Penelope feels old and sad and can't embrace the drinking, dancing and jollity.

Margaret Forster's novel about family and conflicting memories.

Dramatised by Juliet Ace.

Penelope (mother) . . . . Angela Pleasence
Rosemary . . . . Nichola McAuliffe
Celia . . . . Jenny Funnell
Emily . . . . Jessica Lloyd

Director: Tanya Nash

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2000.


SAT 04:00 The Motion Show (b00768jd)
Series 3

Episode 2

Debates galore over money, radio and having children.

Graeme Garden chairs the quirky battle of words and wit.

With:

Steve Punt
Tony Hawks
Gyles Brandreth
Simon Bates

Producer: Helen Williams

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2000.


SAT 04:30 Odd Balls (b007608c)
Night Receptionist by Stan Rooker

Late one Saturday night, good Samaritan, Wilfred Parkin brings a man with a strange problem to the hospital reception.

But Stan Rooker seems strangely reluctant to call the doctor.

One of four character based comedies by Don Howarth.

Stan Rooker ...... Terry Malloy
Wilfrid Parkin ...... Paul Copley
Knight ...... Barry Farrimond

Director: Julie Beckett

Producer: Sue Wilson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2001.


SAT 05:00 Drama on 4 (b08dmrzv)
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

2. Only an Accident...

'It's only an accident that I'm not you, and you're not me.'

Frances Hodgson Burnett's tough tale shows us a London full of foreign wealth and child poverty. That's why for over a century, its shocking story and unforgettable young characters have influenced everything from Angela Carter to anime.

The conclusion of Kate Clanchy's radical dramatisation discovers the Indian heart of Sara Crewe.

When Sara is rich, she is treated just the same as other girls.

But when she is not rich - exactly who is she? And why has she been brought to England?

Archie Panjabi, Rebecca Front and Clare Perkins star in this much-loved gothic treat.

Sara Crewe ...... Archie Panjabi
Becky Perkins ...... Clare Perkins
Miss Minchin ...... Rebecca Front
Young Sara ...... Nishi Malde
Young Becky ...... Polly Allen
Ram Dass ...... Sagar Radia
Mr Carrisford ...... James Lailey
Mr O’Neill ...... Nick Underwood
Miss Amelia ...... Adie Allen
Mrs Brown ...... Elizabeth Bennett
Lavinia ...... Rebecca Hamilton
Ermengarde ...... Lucy Hutchinson
Anne ...... Kirsty Oswald

Director: Jonquil Panting.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2017.


SAT 06:00 The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (b0084qwv)
A Surfeit of Lampreys

The unpleasant head of a spendthrift aristocratic family meets a gruesome end.

So the glamorous Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn finds himself entering a rarefied atmosphere…

Another tale of Dame Ngaio Marsh’s gentleman detective.

Starring Jeremy Clyde.

Dramatised by Michael Bakewell.

CDI Alleyn ...... Jeremy Clyde
DI Fox ...... John Baddeley
Nigel ...... Nick Waring
Lord Wutherwood ...... Christopher Godwin
Lady Wutherwood ...... Miriam Karlin
Lord Lamprey ...... Charles Kay
Lady Lamprey ...... Thelma Barlow
Lady Katherine ...... Kathleen Helme
Henry ...... Jonathan Forbes
Frieda ...... Sarah Paul
Stephen ...... Peter Damey
Colin ...... Carl Prekopp
Roberta ...... Helen Longworth
Tinkerton ...... Marlene Sidaway

Director: Enyd Williams

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2002.


SAT 07:00 Drama on 4 (m00121b4)
Whoopsie by Rikki Beadle-Blair

Ashley is a lively, mixed race 15 year-old who is into show tunes and performing. After waiting many years to be fostered, finally the perfect match is found - a well-heeled, mixed race gay couple, Ken and Victor.

At last, Ashley is living the dream - cool parents, progressive school, his own room with a balcony and sea views in Brighton. Plus exciting new friends and a welcoming place in the local gay football team.

But surprises lie in wait for Ashley, his new foster parents and his newly made friends, forcing all sides to make choices.

Produced by an all queer, multi-ethnic production team and cast, including British/West Indian queer writer Rikki Beadle-Blair. Whoopsie is the first of three LGBTQ+ short dramas commissioned from queer BAME production company Bona Broadcasting.

The other two dramas are Twenty Odd written by Philip Meeks and The Road and the Miles to Dundee by internationally acclaimed crime writer Val McDermid.

Written by Rikki Beadle-Blair.

Ashley .….. Jules Chan
Ken …… Stephen Hoo
Victor …… Arun Blair-Mangat
Darragh …… Simon Castle
Kelly …… Chanel McKenzie

Director: Turan Ali

A Bona Broadcasting production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2021.


SAT 07:30 Viewfinders: Ways of Seeing at 50 (Omnibus) (m002dx8d)
First shown in 1972 on BBC2, ‘Ways of Seeing’ was a collaboration between the writer John Berger and director Mike Dibb.

Across a series of four half-hour episodes, Berger talked about how we look at art, and why it matters:

"The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled ... The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe ... Every image embodies a way of seeing. Even a photograph ... Our perception or appreciation of an image depends also upon our own way of seeing".

The book published to accompany the series has never been out of print and has had a profound influence on popular understanding of art criticism and visual culture.
John Berger was a storyteller, novelist, painter, poet, critic, screenwriter and playwright. He died aged 90 in 2017.

Made to mark the 50th anniversary of ‘Ways of Seeing’, five writers tell us about an image that is important to them, and to reflect on how the programme influenced their own ways of looking at - and thinking about - art.

An omnibus of five parts.

* Geoff Dyer - A Photograph by Robert Capa
* Olivia Laing - A Painting by Giovanni di Paolo
* Tom Overton - A Self-Portrait by John Berger
* Sinéad Gleeson - A Performance by Amanda Coogan
* Melissa Chemam - An Installation by Lubaina Himid

Producer: Mair Bosworth

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2022.


SAT 08:40 Inheritance Tracks (b065h6s7)
Claudia Winkleman MBE

Strictly and Traitor's host Claudia Winkleman chooses the theme from the film ET and 'As' by Stevie Wonder.


SAT 08:45 Diplomatic Dinners (m0008hpw)
Avoiding the Crudites

Chris Bowlby hears what it's like to eat for Britain from such wined-and-dined luminaries as Chris Patten and Christopher Meyer.

In this episode, discover how at the Tehran Conference in 1943, Stalin was bemused by the array of cutlery stretching out on either side of his plate - eating dinner was so much simpler in post-Revolutionary Russia.

Also, how a game of musical chairs at a British embassy white tie event split opinions among the higher echelons.

Producer: Mark Savage.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2006.


SAT 09:00 The Men from the Ministry (b007k2bx)
A Motley Crew

A mission to an oil rig leaves the bungling bureaucrats all at sea.

A weekly tribute to all those who work in government departments.

Written by Edward Taylor and John Graham.

Lennox-Brown …. Deryck Guyler
Lamb …. Richard Murdoch
Mildred Murfin …. Norma Ronald
Sir Gregory Pitkin/O’Leary …. Ronald Baddiley
Pilot/Mr Hoover …. John Graham
Daphne …. Hilary Pritchard
Newsreader …. Bryan Martin

'The Men from the Ministry' ran for 14 series between 1962 and 1977. Deryck Guyler replaced Wilfrid Hyde-White from 1966.

Producer: Edward Taylor

First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in July 1977.


SAT 09:30 All Gas and Gaiters (b0082bbs)
Series 1

The Bishop Rides Again

The Bishop works to try and secure a bequest.

Ecclesiastical sitcom which started life on BBC TV.

Meet the easy-going Bishop, the elderly Archdeacon with an eye for the ladies and who enjoys a tipple, and the naive and accident-prone Bishop's Chaplain.

Their wish to live a quiet bachelor life is under continuous threat from the overbearing Dean.

Written and adapted by husband-and-wife team, Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps.

The Archdeacon …. Robertson Hare
The Bishop …. William Mervyn
Reverend Noote …. Derek Nimmo
The Dean …. John Barron

With:

Rosalind Adams
Ingrid Bower
Anne Davies
Frank Abbott

'All Gas And Gaiters' started life as a TV pilot in Comedy Playhouse, ahead of a run on BBC1 from 1966 to 1971.

Selected scripts were revised and re-recorded for radio.

Producer: David Hatch

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1971.


SAT 10:00 The Mastertapes Guide to Writing the Perfect Song (m000zfbk)
2. Protest and Proclaim

Elvis Costello denies his role as a protest singer and David Crosby describes the process by which the song ‘Ohio’ became an anthem for ‘70s American counterculture.

In the second of three programmes, John Wilson looks back over more of his conversations with 45 acclaimed songwriters for BBC Radio 4's series ‘Mastertapes’.

Recorded with an audience of fans at the BBC Maida Vale studios in London, each guest focuses on a key album from their career, describing in detail how dozens of much loved hit songs were written.

Now, the ‘Mastertapes’ guests are brought together to offer a unique how-to guide to writing the perfect song.

Presented and produced by John Wilson.

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in May 2021.


SAT 11:00 The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (b0084qwv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SAT 12:00 Drama on 4 (m00121b4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


SAT 12:30 Viewfinders: Ways of Seeing at 50 (Omnibus) (m002dx8d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


SAT 13:40 Inheritance Tracks (b065h6s7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]


SAT 13:45 Diplomatic Dinners (m0008hpw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


SAT 14:00 The Men from the Ministry (b007k2bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


SAT 14:30 All Gas and Gaiters (b0082bbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


SAT 15:00 The Mastertapes Guide to Writing the Perfect Song (m000zfbk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SAT 16:00 Drama on 4 (m001140k)
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

Lolly Willowes lives a quietly dull life with her overbearing brother Henry and his family.

But when she opts to move to the countryside, she discovers a darker calling: witchcraft.

Sylvia Townsend Warner's wondrous novel was her attempt to show the world the unfulfilled potential that was to be found in women who were tied to hearth and home.

Women were 'sticks of dynamite' waiting to explode on to the world stage but so often denied the chance.

Published in 1926, the novel is a joyously comic-ride that defies genre and pulsates with originality.

Louise Brealey stars in feminist playwright, Sarah Daniels’ dramatisation.

Laura ..... Louise Brealey
Titus ..... Hugh Skinner
Henry ..... Robert Bathurst
Caroline ..... Rhiannon Neads
Mrs Leek ..... Ellie Piercy
Satan ..... Sam Dale
Pandora ..... Grace Cooper Milton
Shopkeeper ..... Joseph Ayre
Mr Arbuthnot ..... Shaun Mason

Director: Sally Avens

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2021.


SAT 17:00 The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (b0084qwv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SAT 18:00 Drama on 4 (m00121b4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


SAT 18:30 Viewfinders: Ways of Seeing at 50 (Omnibus) (m002dx8d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


SAT 19:40 Inheritance Tracks (b065h6s7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]


SAT 19:45 Diplomatic Dinners (m0008hpw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


SAT 20:00 The Men from the Ministry (b007k2bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


SAT 20:30 All Gas and Gaiters (b0082bbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


SAT 21:00 The Mastertapes Guide to Writing the Perfect Song (m000zfbk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SAT 22:00 The Harri-Parris' Radio Show (b0662trn)
Series 1

The Visitor

Ani tries to stop cultures clashing when her boyfriend Ben meets her farming family.

Sitcom with songs by Llinos Mai about the latest goings on from West Wales' most dysfunctional farming family.

Starring:

Llinos Mai
Daniel Rochford
Rhys ap Trefor
Oli Wood
Rhian Morgan

Producer: Mark Harrison

First broadcast on BBC Radio Wales in August 2015.


SAT 22:30 Start/Stop (b04v2z6p)
Series 2

6. Date Night

Jack Docherty’s sitcom about three marriages in various states of disrepair.

The three couples end up on a 'date night' together and Evan is a surprise convert to French cinema.

Meanwhile Barney tries to get his smartphone to answer some of life's big questions.

Starring:

Couple 1:

Barney ...... Jack Docherty
Cathy ...... Kerry Godliman

Couple 2:

Evan ...... John Thomson
Fiona ...... Fiona Allen

Couple 3:

David ...... Charlie Higson
Alice ...... Sally Bretton

Voice of Barney's smartphone ...... Jon Briggs

Producer: Claire Jones.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.


SAT 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m002f3ld)
Alfie Moore 1/3

From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, The Comedy Club has two hours of the funny stuff. And tonight Jon Holmes chats to the copper turned comedian, Alfie Moore.


SAT 23:00 Nick Mohammed in Bits (b00tjdnz)
Witness Statement

There's been a robbery!!

So Nick dons a police helmet to take statements.

An unhappy couple are called on to testify.

Written by and starring Nick Mohammed.

With:

Colin Hoult
Anna Crilly

Series of one-off comic plays showcasing the best of Nick Mohammed's idiosyncratic comic character creations.

Producer: Victoria Lloyd

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2010.


SAT 23:30 Micky Flanagan: What Chance Change? (b00smngp)
1990s

Cockney comedian Micky Flanagan charts his life story during the 1990s.

This was the decade when he returned to education and became a teacher.

He chats to his parents, his sister and his school friends in interviews that shed light on the stand up comedy.

In his first radio series, Micky charts his progression from working-class Herbert to middle-class intellectual and being caught awkwardly between the two.

Told through reflective interviews, but mainly, Micky's acclaimed stand up comedy. Micky's transition from the mean streets of the East End to the leafy lanes of Dulwich is a fascinating story, with each episode focusing on a different decade of Micky's life.

Written and performed by Micky Flanagan.

Producer: Tilusha Ghelani

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2010.

SUNDAY 22 JUNE 2025

SUN 00:00 Drama on 4 (m001140k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Saturday]


SUN 01:00 The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (b0084qwv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]


SUN 02:00 Drama on 4 (m00121b4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Saturday]


SUN 02:30 Viewfinders: Ways of Seeing at 50 (Omnibus) (m002dx8d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]


SUN 03:40 Inheritance Tracks (b065h6s7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 on Saturday]


SUN 03:45 Diplomatic Dinners (m0008hpw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 The Men from the Ministry (b007k2bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Saturday]


SUN 04:30 All Gas and Gaiters (b0082bbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 The Mastertapes Guide to Writing the Perfect Song (m000zfbk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m002dxh5)
King Lear

Brian Cox CBE

Brian Cox CBE is castaway by Lauren Laverne.

Brian is a Scottish actor whose career spans almost 60 years, from his early days sweeping the stage at his local theatre in Dundee to his current Golden Globe-winning role as the media patriarch Logan Roy in the HBO series Succession.

He has appeared in more than 100 films, many TV series, and has won two Olivier awards for his work on stage.

Brian was born in 1946, the youngest of five children, and grew up in a working-class household in Dundee. His father died of cancer when he was eight and his mother, who was receiving regular psychiatric treatment, was unable to take care of him. He moved in with his sister Betty and her family.

He left school aged 14 with no qualifications, and started out as a stage hand and stage cleaner at Dundee Rep, before winning a place at drama school.

Years of theatre work followed, alongside actors such as Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud and Albert Finney. His later stage roles include acclaimed performances as King Lear at the National Theatre, and Titus Andronicus for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

On film, his work includes the first screen portrayal of Hannibal Lecter - renamed Lecktor - in Manhunter, and blockbusters such as The Bourne Identity, X-Men 2, Braveheart and Troy.

He received a CBE in 2002, and lives in New York City with his second wife Nicole Ansari.

DISC ONE: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Johnny Cash
DISC TWO: Saturday Night at the Movies by The Drifters
DISC THREE: The Air That I Breathe by KD Lang
DISC FOUR: Get Back by The Beatles
DISC FIVE: La quête by Jacques Brel
DISC SIX: Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
DISC SEVEN: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
DISC EIGHT: Don’t Get Me Wrong by The Pretenders

BOOK CHOICE: In Search of the Miraculous by P.D. Ouspensky
LUXURY ITEM: A sewing kit
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys

Producer: Sarah Taylor

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2020.


SUN 06:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00mj16h)
Series 1

Tracks

Following the tracks left by animals is a great craft owned by many aboriginal people.

Doing the same with fossilised tracks is much the same skill, but with a whole new set of extraordinary revelations.

Series of talks by Sir David Attenborough on the natural histories of creatures and plants from around the world.

Producer: Julian Hector

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2009.


SUN 07:00 Poetry Extra (m002dxh7)
Edward Thomas and the Song of the Path

Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and selects Edward Thomas and the Song of the Path.

Edward Thomas was a great writer, a great walker, and he loved to sing.

In 1907, these attributes came together when he compiled The Pocket Book of Poems and Songs for the Open Air.

Two contemporary walkers writer Robert Macfarlane and actor and musician Johnny Flynn, met through their love of Thomas's work.

They set off with copies of The Pocket Book in their pockets, trying it out, walking in the footsteps of Thomas himself, near his home at Steep. They have been walking companions for years; they often sing as they go. Along the way they create a new song.

The Pocket Book of Poems and Songs for the Open Air includes poems by Yeats, de la Mare, Masefield, WH Davies and Housman.

Macfarlane and Flynn recite from what is, Thomas wrote, a volume for those 'who like a book that can always lighten some of their burdens or give wings to their delight, whether in the open air by day, or under the roof at evening.

Just as important are the songs - sailor songs, folk songs supplied by Cecil Sharp, Westmoreland songs.

They sing some of these, delving into an overlooked aspect of Edward Thomas's nature and work, his interest in folk traditions and the lives of the working people he met while walking

Producer: Julian May

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2022.

**** And Daljit reads from his Poetry Extra Book of the Month: That Broke into Shining Crystals by Richard Scott - his second collection.


SUN 07:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (Omnibus) (m002dxh9)
Episode 1

Early in 1914, 22 year-old Gerty Freely travels to Russia to work as a governess, little-knowing the huge upheavals in the world and in her own life that lie ahead.

In London, 1974, 82 year-old Gerty embarks on a memoir for her daughter Sophy, looking back at that extraordinary time of war, revolution and civil war.

Most of her memories are centred on a young inventor, Nikita Slavkin, who mysteriously disappeared in 1919 and was subsequently celebrated in Soviet culture as The Vanishing Futurist.

“No word has been heard from him since… Yet the idea persists that one day he will reappear.”

Omnibus of the first five of ten episodes written by Charlotte Hobson.

Read by Barbara Flynn.

Abridged and produced by Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2020.


SUN 08:40 Inheritance Tracks (p0l4077s)
Penelope Wilton

Actor Dame Penelope Wilton chooses ‘Que Reste-t-il de nos Amours? by Charles Trenet and ‘I'll Remember April’ by Erroll Garner.


SUN 08:50 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (Omnibus) (m002dxhf)
Episode 1

Rosemary finds some papers, written by her mother, hidden at the back of a drawer. They contain her mother's version of their family history.

Rosemary secretly adds her views.

Margaret Forster's novel about family conflict, first published in 1986,

Omnibus of the first five of ten episodes dramatised by Juliet Ace.

Penelope (mother) . . . . Angela Pleasence
Rosemary . . . . Nichola McAuliffe
Oliver . . . . Simon Armstrong
Grandmother Butler . . . . June Barrie
Mike . . . . Oliver Ryan
Celia . . . . Jenny Funnell
Jess . . . .Gemma Kelly
Emily . . . . Jessica Lloyd

Director: Tanya Nash

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2000.


SUN 10:00 Frankie Howerd (b00n3ptz)
Series 3

Episode 2

The King of Titters pays a visit to the house where he was born and prepares for a royal visit.

Frankie takes a comic look back through his eventful life and illustrious career.

Written by David McKellar and David Nobbs.

With:

June Whitfield
Ray Fell
Madi Hedd

Producer: David Hatch.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in November 1974.


SUN 10:30 Huddwinks (b00fsmzd)
Series 2

The Fall of the House of Slaithwaite

A northern black pudding maker must deal with the consequences of some unexpected ingredients

Starring Roy Hudd.

Series of comedic parodies written by Laurie Rowley.

With:

Denise Coffey
Chris Emmett
David Gooderson
Fred Harris

Producer: Jonathan James-Moore

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in July 1988.


SUN 11:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m002dxh5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SUN 11:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00mj16h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]


SUN 12:00 Poetry Extra (m002dxh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


SUN 12:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (Omnibus) (m002dxh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


SUN 13:40 Inheritance Tracks (p0l4077s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]


SUN 13:50 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (Omnibus) (m002dxhf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


SUN 15:00 Frankie Howerd (b00n3ptz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SUN 15:30 Huddwinks (b00fsmzd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]


SUN 16:00 Dear Brutus by JM Barrie (b0bn5b71)
In a magic wood, on Midsummer's eve, a second chance is offered to those who believe they’ve taken the wrong turning in life.

Some will take the same path, while others will have a precious glimpse of what can now never be...

Starring Bernard Hepton and Jenny Quayle.

Written in 1917, JM Barrie's play was adapted by Jeffrey Segal.

Dearth …... Bernard Hepton
Margaret ..…. Jenny Quayle
Lob ..…. Jeffrey Segal
Mrs Murdie ..…. Carole Boyd
Jenny Dearth …... Frances Jeater
Matey …... Stephen Thorne
Lady Caroline …... Brenda Kaye
Joanna ..…. Jane Knowles
Mr Coade …... Anthony Newlands
Mrs Coade ..…. Katherine Parr
Purdie …... Geoffrey Beevers

Written over a decade after Peter Pan, JM Barrie’s title is taken from a line in ‘Julius Caesar’ summing up Shakespeare's argument that we should take responsibility for our own actions:

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars. But in ourselves that we are underlings.'

Director: Gordon House.

First broadcast on the BBC World Service in February 1987


SUN 17:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m002dxh5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SUN 17:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00mj16h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]


SUN 18:00 Poetry Extra (m002dxh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


SUN 18:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (Omnibus) (m002dxh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


SUN 19:40 Inheritance Tracks (p0l4077s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]


SUN 19:50 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (Omnibus) (m002dxhf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]


SUN 21:00 Frankie Howerd (b00n3ptz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SUN 21:30 Huddwinks (b00fsmzd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]


SUN 22:00 Colin Hoult's Carnival of Monsters (b04wwqcy)
Series 2

Episode 1

Enter the Carnival of Monsters, a bizarre and hilarious world of sketches, stories and characters, presented by the sinister Ringmaster.

Master character comedian Colin Hoult returns with the second series of his sinister sketch show.

A host of characters are the exhibits at the Carnival - all played by Colin himself.

Meet such monstrous yet strangely familiar oddities as: Wannabe Hollywood screenwriter Andy Parker; Anna Mann - outrageous star of such forgotten silver screen hits such as 'Rogue Baker', 'Who's For Turkish Delight' and 'A Bowl For My Bottom'; plus characters ranging from acid jazz obsessives, to mask workshop coordinators.

Writers Guild Award-winner Colin Hoult is best known for his highly acclaimed starring roles in Paul Whitehouse's 'Nurse', 'Being Human', Rickey Gervais' 'Life's Too Short' and 'Derek', and 'Russell Howard's Good News', as well as his many hit shows at the Edinburgh Festival.

He has also appeared and written for a number of BBC Radio 4 series including 'The Headset Set' and 'Colin and Fergus' Digi-Radio'.

Producer: Sam Bryant.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2015.


SUN 22:30 Armando Iannucci (b007jzbt)
Series 2

Episode 1

From world religious strife to greeting cards and crank calls.

Armando lannucci hosts wry comical discussion, sketches and music.

With:

Rebecca Front
David Schneider
Richard Herring

Written by Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Richard Herring, Stewart Lee and Ben Moor.

Producer: Sarah Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in March 1994.


SUN 23:30 The Sofa of Time (b00hy949)
Night of the Sexicle

Things hot up as Raamen Bod calls upon the services of Morpheena, the sexiest assasin in Gravyr.

Tragedy befalls the village of Klausbergen, while Milford and Parker discover that cab drivers are the same wherever you go.

Continuing the epic and timeless tale of two men and their quest to find "The Sofa of Time", the most magical and powerful item of furniture in the entire universe.

It is said that those who sit on the sofa can be transported to anywhere and anytime.

Fantasy sitcom written by Nick Frost and Matt King.

Milford ...... Matt King
Parker ...... Nick Frost
Marmite ...... Mark Heap
Raamen Bod ...... Peter Serafinowcz

With:

Kevin Eldon
Julia Deakin
Janei Anderson
Daisy Jones
Andrew Maxwell
Simon Pegg

Producer: Mario Stylianides

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2002.

MONDAY 23 JUNE 2025

MON 00:00 Dear Brutus by JM Barrie (b0bn5b71)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]


MON 01:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m002dxh5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Sunday]


MON 01:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00mj16h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 on Sunday]


MON 02:00 Poetry Extra (m002dxh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Sunday]


MON 02:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (Omnibus) (m002dxh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]


MON 03:40 Inheritance Tracks (p0l4077s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 on Sunday]


MON 03:50 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (Omnibus) (m002dxhf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Sunday]


MON 05:00 Frankie Howerd (b00n3ptz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


MON 05:30 Huddwinks (b00fsmzd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Sunday]


MON 06:00 Paul Temple (b007t1sf)
Paul Temple and the Margo Mystery

5. Breakwater House

As they hunt for the killer of Julia, a fortune teller in Brighton warns the Temples that they're in grave danger...

Francis Durbridge's thriller stars Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury as BBC radio's smoothest investigator and his glamorous wife.

Paul Temple …. Peter Coke
Steve …. Marjorie Westbury
Sir Graham Forbes …. James Thomason
Tony Wyman …. Jon Rollason
Mike Langdon …. Tommy Duggan
George Kelburn …. Julian Somers
Linda Kelburn …. June Tobin
Mrs Fletcher …. Joan Matheson
Larry Cross …. Hugh Manning
Charlie …. James Beattie
Bank Clerk/Police Sergeant …. Nigel Anthony
Edgar Northampton …. Haydn Jones
Hotel Receptionist …. Peter Watts
Fiona Scott …. Armine Sandford
Fortune Teller …. Kathleen Helme
Vicar …. Peter Wilde

Producer: Martyn C Webster

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in January 1961.


MON 06:30 After Eden (m0008hnn)
1. The Keys of the Kingdom

When the Reverend Elaine Metcalfe is inducted as the vicar of Pontvale, she hopes the job will have more to it than lending out spare sets of keys.

Alison Leonard's warm-hearted six-part drama about the life of a woman priest.

Rev Elaine Metcalfe …. Christine Pritchard
Sian …. Sue Jones Davies
Phil …. Hywel Morgan
Mr Hudson …. Steve Hodson
Gareth …. Simon Harris
Melvyn …. Michael Povey
Sergei …. Oliver Senton
Christina …. Jilly Bond

Director: Alison Hindell.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1995.


MON 07:00 The Pasadenas' Almanac (b06qjvqp)
The Mysterious Affair at Harrogate

The queen of the whodunnit, Agatha Christie is missing.

Another musical excursion for the Pasadena Roof Orchestra through great moments in 20th Century history.

It's a light-hearted take on the massive 1926 trawl for the missing author, involving 1000 police constables, civilians - and for the first time aeroplanes.

Agatha was eventually found mysteriously in Harrogate, so what really happened?

Written by Chris Emmett and Tony Hare.

Starring:

June Whitfield
Jeffrey Holland
Chris Emmett

With vocalist Duncan Galloway.

Producer: Richard Wilson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in January 1992.


MON 07:30 Steptoe and Son (b007jlb0)
Series 2

Pilgrim's Progress

Old soldier Albert is eager to revisit the First World War battlefields of Flanders, but Harold's in the mood to mock.

Starring Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett.

Classic sitcom about the lives of rag and bone men Albert Steptoe and his son Harold.

Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

Albert …. Wilfrid Brambell
Harold …. Harry H Corbett

The 1962 BBC TV comedy pilot 'The Offer' sparked a run of 8 series.

Adapted for BBC radio from the TV script by Gale Pedrick.

Producer: Bobby Jaye

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in June 1967.


MON 08:00 On the Rocks (b05wq1bl)
Series 2

Swimming

War is looming and Ben still isn't getting anywhere with Morwenna-May.

Christopher William Hill's comedy set on a remote island of the Isles of Scilly, just before the Second World War.

Frank Gunwallow ...... Joseph Kloska
Tommy Trenear ...... Stuart Fox
Father Tregarthan ...... Peter Marinker
Ben Trenear ...... Alex Palmer
Len Oliver ...... Ed Gaughan
Morwenna-May ...... Alex Tregear
Pender ...... Christopher William Hill

Director: Mary Peate

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2015.


MON 08:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000my75)
6. Socialisation Capsule

To Gerty’s chagrin, Sonya begins to assist Slavkin in the building of the Socialisation Capsule.

Meanwhile the whole commune waits anxiously for news of Pasha and Volodya.

Early in 1914, 22-year-old Gerty Freely travels to Russia to work as a governess, little-knowing the huge upheavals in the world and in her own life that lie ahead.

In London, 1974, Gerty begins a memoir for her daughter Sophy, looking back at that extraordinary time of war, revolution and civil war.

Most of her memories are centred on a young inventor, Nikita Slavkin, who mysteriously disappeared in 1919 and was subsequently celebrated in Soviet culture as The Vanishing Futurist.

“No word has been heard from him since […] Yet the idea persists that one day he will reappear.”

Charlotte Hobson's novel abridged in ten parts by Jeremy Osborne.

Read by Barbara Flynn.

Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2020.


MON 08:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxl8)
6. Celia Leaves Home

Rosemary continues to read her mother's private account of their family history, adding her views as she does so.

The three sisters are now adults, and their lives seem very strange to their mother.

Margaret Forster's novel about family and conflicting memories.

Dramatised in ten parts by Juliet Ace.

Penelope (mother) . . . . Angela Pleasence
Rosemary . . . . Nichola McAuliffe
Celia . . . . Jenny Funnell
Emily . . . . Jessica Lloyd
Andrew Baylis . . . . Brendan Charleson
Daniel . . . . Ben Sullivan

Director: Tanya Nash

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2000.


MON 09:00 It's a Fair Cop (m002dml8)
Series 9

4. Citizen's Arrest

In this week’s case Alfie asks if you saw someone being robbed in the street, would you step in to help?

Join Alfie and his audience of sworn-in deputies as they explore when it’s ok to make a citizen’s arrest. And when it’s best to leave well alone.

Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor: Will Ing
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow
Producer: Sam Holmes

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4


MON 09:30 Prime Ministers' Props (b07mxt94)
Series 1

Neville Chamberlain's Umbrella

Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop - whether chosen deliberately or otherwise - can come to define a political leader.

What do the props of power mean and what do they become?

What happens when, almost inevitably, Prime Ministers lose control of their image and their props take on a hostile meaning, very different from their original intentions.

Neville Chamberlain always liked to carry a big black umbrella. It was intended to project an image of the quintessential Englishman, who was always smart, prepared and, in a manner of speaking, neatly furled.

When Chamberlain arrived home after meeting Hitler at Munich in 1938, he was clutching Hitler's signed piece of paper in one hand and his brolly in the other.

His umbrella now took on a new and potent symbolism as a "peace umbrella" and one that would keep the German bombs from raining down on British heads. He was sent hundreds of umbrellas by a grateful public.

There was even a song composed at the time which contained the lyrics: "You look swell holding your umbrella / All the world loves a wonderful fella".

Yet as war broke out in Europe, Chamberlain's trademark brolly was quickly seized upon by his enemies as a laughable symbol of his gentlemanly ineffectiveness and it became a lightening-rod for critics of appeasement.

Declassified MI5 records reveal how Hitler mocked him for it - and Chamberlain's once so celebrated umbrella morphed from useful trademark into an embarrassing symbol of political weakness and pusillanimity.

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2016.


MON 09:45 Daily Service (m002dxlb)
The Life of Lambeth Palace - Worship

A week-long series of services exploring the life and ministry of Lambeth Palace in London, home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, led by Tosin Oladipo, Chaplain to the Archbishop, and Shannon Preston, Chaplain to the Community of St Anselm, with reflections from members of the palace community.

Reading: Ephesians 1:15-19

with music from the Emerging Artists of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Producer: Andrew Earis


MON 10:00 That Reminds Me (b007jmnf)
Series 1

Barry Cryer

Veteran comedian and writer Barry Cryer shares some highlights of his showbiz career in the world of comedy.

Featuring memories of:

* Alan Bennett
* Willie Rushton
* Peter Cook
* Roy Castle

Series in which some well-known performers reminisce and entertain an audience with tales from their lives.

Producer: Claire Jones

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1999.


MON 10:30 Drawn To Be Wild (b00ft64f)
Jenny Eclair explores the world of outrageous animated ladies and reveals why certain creations have upset censors and infuriated moralists.

Throughout history animated females have pushed the boundaries and led a very colourful existence.

Popular characters such as Betty Boop, Minnie the Minx and Wonder Woman appearing on film, cartoons and in comic strip form have frequently challenged stereotypes of how 'good girls' should look and behave.

Examining today's female comic-book heroes, the programme illustrates how far we have come from being offended by Betty Boop's garter.

With contributions from comic-strip enthusiasts:

* Paul Gravett
* Mel Gibson

Producer: Stephen Garner

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2008.


MON 11:00 Paul Temple (b007t1sf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


MON 11:30 After Eden (m0008hnn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


MON 12:00 The Pasadenas' Almanac (b06qjvqp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


MON 12:30 Steptoe and Son (b007jlb0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


MON 13:00 On the Rocks (b05wq1bl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


MON 13:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000my75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


MON 13:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


MON 14:00 Just a Minute (b00t97p0)
Series 57

Episode 2

Nicholas Parsons presides over the devious game where panellists are challenged to speak for one minute without hesitation, deviation or repetition.

With:

Paul Merton
Sue Perkins
Liza Tarbuck
John Sergeant

Subjects include: My Philosophy, Going Green, The Scenic Route, A Man Walks Into A Bar, Current Affairs, Butterflies and The Cleaning Rota.

Created by Ian Messiter.

Producer: Tilusha Ghelani

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2010.


MON 14:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dxld)
An Alternative To Suicide by Stephen Gallagher

In the strange world of the 22nd century, Maverick Lesterman is a highly developed computerised human 'meat machine', created and employed by a multi-national company.

When he is involved in an fatal accident aboard a spaceship, he is returned to Earth to be 'comforted' by Esther Anderson, a 17 year-old clone.

However, the dispassionate world of the company is suddenly shattered when Maverick, relieved from the pressure of drugs and hypnosis that control his thinking, rediscovers areas of his submerged personality with frightening consequences.

Starring Michael Jayston and Catherine Kessler

Written by Steve Gallagher for BBC Radio 4’s Hi-Fi Theatre.

This was a 1970s series of plays presenting new and classic dramas exploring the world of stereophonic sound. (How quaint it seems now?)

Lesterman .... Michael Jayston
Esther .... Catherine Kessler
Lydecker .... Paul Maxwell
Spacerwatch 1/Marshall .... Brian Haines
Goldeneye/Handyman:.... John Bull
Driver/Admin Officer .... Michael Drew
First Company Agent .... Adrian Egan
Second Company Agent/Radio DJ/Vendor .... Murray Kash
Spacerwatch 2 .... Carole Boyd
Capt Delisle .... Margaret Robertson
Chesman .... Peter Marinker
Wingman Anlaby .... Nigel Lambert
Dr Preger .... Danny Schiller
Dr Foresight .... Roger Hammond
Director .... Patrick Barr
Computer/Guard .... Graham Faulkner
Pickford .... Henry Knowles

Director: Martin Jenkins

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1979.

*****************************************************

'An Alternative to Suicide’ is part of BBC Radio 4 Extra's Hidden Treasures collection of selected titles returned to the BBC by various collectors.

Our warm thanks go to the Radio Circle.


MON 16:00 That Reminds Me (b007jmnf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


MON 16:30 Drawn To Be Wild (b00ft64f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]


MON 17:00 Paul Temple (b007t1sf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


MON 17:30 After Eden (m0008hnn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


MON 18:00 The Pasadenas' Almanac (b06qjvqp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


MON 18:30 Steptoe and Son (b007jlb0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


MON 19:00 On the Rocks (b05wq1bl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


MON 19:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000my75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


MON 19:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


MON 20:00 Just a Minute (b00t97p0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]


MON 20:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dxld)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]


MON 22:00 It's a Fair Cop (m002dml8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 22:30 Big Problems with Helen Keen (b09c0pw8)
Series 2

Personality

Who are we?

Why do we have a personality?

Do different brains give us different personalities?

Does our environment shape our personality?

Is, as they believed in Shakespeare's day, the liver still the seat of the passions?

Comedy series looking at the biggest problems our species has faced since the beginning of time - and offering some incredible, absurd and possible scientific solutions.

Starring Helen Keen

With:

Jon Culshaw
Susy Kane

Written by Helen Keen, Jenny Laville, Lloyd Langford and Carrie Quinlan and special thanks to Professor Richard Wiseman.

Produced by Katie Tyrrell

A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2017.


MON 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m002f3lb)
Alfie Moore 2/3

From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, The Comedy Club has two hours of the funny stuff. And tonight, Jon Holmes has another chat with the copper turned comedian, Alfie Moore.


MON 23:00 Dead Ringers (m002dlhx)
Series 26

De-escalation and nuclear proliferation

The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.

This week: Iran plays host to a surprising WMD Inspector, Laura Kuenssberg is de-escalated, and Ross Kemp on Grooming Gangs.

Cast: Jan Ravens, Jon Culshaw, Lewis Macleod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey and Kieran Hodgson.

The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Tom Coles, Sophie Dickson, Toussaint Douglas, Rob Darke, Cody Dahler, Edward Tew Jon Holmes, Davina Bentley, Katie Sayer, Alice Bright and Chris Donovan

Created by Bill Dare
Producer: Jon Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow


MON 23:30 Old Harry's Game (b00bf9z0)
Series 4

Beautiful England

As Satan sets out to prove England is the worst nation, Scumspawn tackles a lager lout.

Andy Hamilton’s devilishly funny sitcom set in Hell.

Satan …. Andy Hamilton
The Professor …. James Grout
Thomas …. Jimmy Mulville
Scumspawn …. Robert Duncan

Other characters played by:

Felicity Montagu
Philip Pope
Nigel Pegram
Michael Fenton Stevens

Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2001.

TUESDAY 24 JUNE 2025

TUE 00:00 That Reminds Me (b007jmnf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]


TUE 00:30 Drawn To Be Wild (b00ft64f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 Paul Temple (b007t1sf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]


TUE 01:30 After Eden (m0008hnn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 The Pasadenas' Almanac (b06qjvqp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]


TUE 02:30 Steptoe and Son (b007jlb0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]


TUE 03:00 On the Rocks (b05wq1bl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Monday]


TUE 03:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000my75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Monday]


TUE 03:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 Just a Minute (b00t97p0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]


TUE 04:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dxld)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]


TUE 06:00 Paul Temple (b007rwkt)
Paul Temple and the Margo Mystery

6. Mainly About Wyman

The suave sleuth wonders whether an international criminal is behind Julia's murder.

Francis Durbridge's thriller stars Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury as BBC radio's smoothest investigator and his glamorous wife.

Paul Temple …. Peter Coke
Trent …. Marjorie Westbury
Sir Graham Forbes …. James Thomason
Supt Raine …. Simon Lack
Tony Wyman …. Jon Rollason
Mike Langdon …. Tommy Duggan
George Kelburn …. Julian Somers
Linda Kelburn/Sidney …. June Tobin
Charlie …. James Beattie
DI Burton …. Douglas Storm
Ken Sinclair …. Peter Wilde
Waiter/Man …. Nigel Anthony
Mrs Perkins …. Janet Morrison
Prison Governor …. Peter Pratt
Midge Harris …. Frank Partington

Producer: Martyn C Webster

First heard on the BBC Light Programme in February 1961.


TUE 06:30 After Eden (m0008q26)
2. Grace and Truth

The Rev Elaine Metcalfe’s culottes raise parish eyebrows and her "green" opinions raise her ex-husband's hackles.

Alison Leonard's warm-hearted six-part drama about the life of a woman priest.

Rev Elaine Metcalfe …. Christine Pritchard
Sian …. Sue Jones Davies
Phil …. Hywel Morgan
Mr Hudson …. Steve Hodson
Gareth …. Simon Harris
Melvyn …. Michael Povey
Sergei …. Oliver Senton
Christina …. Jilly Bond

Director: Alison Hindell.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1995.


TUE 07:00 Winston (b00pgpm3)
Winston Back Home

A Whale of a Time with Chekhov

Angry Nancy takes action when she hears what old rogue Winston has been up to...

Peter Tinniswood's bawdy comedy serial.

Winston …. Bill Wallis
Father …. Maurice Denham
Nancy …. Shirley Dixon
Rosie …. Liz Goulding
William .… Christian Rodska

Director: Shaun MacLoughlin.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1994.


TUE 07:30 The Goon Show (b00cb8ls)
Series 8

Spon

A certain brown terror awaits Dick Emery, who is filling Harry Secombe's shoes, but not his trousers.

Groundbreaking, surreal BBC radio comedy written by Spike Milligan.

This a particularly bizarre episode with not only with Dick Emery in place of Harry Secombe but also the musical turns in reverse order. Sapristi!

With:

Peter Sellers
Spike Milligan

First billed as Crazy People, ten series of The Goon Show were recorded between 1951 and 1960, but sadly many of the earliest shows weren’t kept in the archive.

With the Ray Ellington Quartet and Max Geldray.

Orchestra conducted by Wally Stott.

Announcer: Wallace Greenslade

Producer: Charles Chilton

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in September 1957.


TUE 08:00 A Trespasser's Guide to the Classics (b06mg2vb)
Series 1

Tell Me A Story

In ancient Persia, the new Queen cheats death by captivating the King with stories.

For almost three years, she's kept the executioners waiting and now they're taking matters into their own hands by hatching a plot to kidnap her.

The comedy troupe Peepolykus assume the roles of minor characters in great works of fiction and derail the plot of the book through their hapless buffoonery.

Written by John Nicholson, Richard Katz and Javier Marzan.

Richard . . . . . Richard Katz
The King . . . . . Javier Marzan
John . . . . . John Nicholson
Hayley . . . . . Hayley Carmichael
Scheherazade . . . . . Sirine Saba
Grand Vizier . . . . . Sam Dale
Guards . . . . . Richard Pepple & George Watkins

Director: Sasha Yevtushenko

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2015.


TUE 08:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mzmx)
7. Life-Changing News

While the commune starts to fragment, Gerty’s life changes forever.

Early in 1914, 22-year-old Gerty Freely travels to Russia to work as a governess, little-knowing the huge upheavals in the world and in her own life that lie ahead.

In London, 1974, Gerty begins a memoir for her daughter Sophy, looking back at that extraordinary time of war, revolution and civil war. Most of her memories are centred on a young inventor, Nikita Slavkin, who mysteriously disappeared in 1919 and was subsequently celebrated in Soviet culture as The Vanishing Futurist.

“No word has been heard from him since […] Yet the idea persists that one day he will reappear.”

Written by Charlotte Hobson
Read by Barbara Flynn
Abridged and produced by Jeremy Osborne

Charlotte Hobson graduated from Edinburgh University with a first in Russian. Thereafter she travelled widely in the former Soviet Union, working as an interpreter in the Caucasus, a translator, and dabbling in civil rights. Her book, Black Earth City (2002) won a Somerset Maugham Award and was shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize and the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award 2002. The Vanishing Futurist was her first novel, published in 2016.

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2020.


TUE 08:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxgw)
7. Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary continues to read her mother's private account of their family history, adding her views as she does so. The three sisters are now adults, and their lives seem very strange to their mother.

Penelope (mother) . . . . Angela Pleasence
Rosemary . . . . Nichola McAuliffe
Celia . . . . Jenny Funnell
Emily . . . . Jessica Lloyd

Written by Margaret Forster

Dramatised by Juliet Ace

Director: Tanya Nash

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2000.


TUE 09:00 Unspeakable (m002dnk6)
Series 2

6. Touchy, touch-screens and touch-ups

This episode we hear Miles Jupp's word for the ubiquity of touch-screens, Michelle de Swarte's coinage for a Turkish makeover, and Ashley Storrie's creation for anger that spreads virally.

Ever struggled to find the right word for a feeling or sensation? Unspeakable sees comedian Phil Wang and lexicographer Susie Dent invite celebrity guests to invent new linguistic creations, to solve those all too relatable moments when we're lost for words.

Hosts: Phil Wang and Susie Dent
Guests: Michelle de Swarte, Miles Jupp and Ashley Storrie
Created by Joe Varley
Writers: Matt Crosby and Katie Storey
Recorded by Jerry Peal
Producer: Jon Harvey
Executive Producers: Joe Varley and Akash Lockmun

A Brown Bred production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 09:30 Prime Ministers' Props (b07nrlqn)
Series 1

Stanley Baldwin's Iron Gates

Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop, whether chosen deliberately or otherwise, can come to define a political leader - from Winston Churchill's cigar and siren suit to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.

Sir David looks at the significance of these props of power - what they mean and what they become, and what happens when, almost inevitably, Prime Ministers lose control of their image and their props take on a hostile meaning, very different from their original intentions.

In 1937, Stanley Baldwin retired in what was considered a blaze of glory, and he expected to live out his remaining days as a revered elder statesman behind his wrought-iron gates at his country estate, Astley Hall. But the Second World War changed everything and Baldwin's reputation collapsed when he became the scapegoat for Britain being ill-equipped to fight Hitler.

The problem became centred on his iron gates when, in September 1941, Stanley Baldwin's old enemy, Lord Beaverbrook, asked all local authorities to survey their area's iron and steel gates for requisitioning as scrap metal. Baldwin duly applied for exemption for the Astley Hall gates on the grounds of artistic merit. However Beaverbrook bit back and Baldwin's gates became something of a cause celebre and the focus for a national campaign hounding an old appeaser who was now seen to be hampering the war effort.

Stanley Baldwin's iron gates at Astley Hall were eventually removed, all except the pair of presentation gates given to him by the Worcestershire Association on his retirement. Sir David Cannadine goes in search of Baldwin's remaining gates to find out what happened to them.

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2016.


TUE 09:45 Daily Service (m002dxgy)
The Life of Lambeth Palace - The Garden

A week-long series of services exploring the life and ministry of Lambeth Palace in London, home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, led by Tosin Oladipo, Chaplain to the Archbishop, with reflections from members of the palace community.

Reading: Isaiah 55: 8-13

with music from the Emerging Artists of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Producer: Andrew Earis


TUE 10:00 A Good Read (m0002z47)
Lemn Sissay and Mick Herron

Poet Lemn Sissay and writer Mick Herron join Harriett Gilbert to discuss their favourite books by JM Coetzee, Caroline Blackwood and John Steinbeck.

The Life and Times of Michael K by JM Coetzee
Publisher: Vintage

Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood
Publisher: New York Review of Books

Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
Publisher: Penguin

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2019.


TUE 10:30 St Pancras Pianos (b097cjzc)
A lyrical improvisation captures the music and the stories of those who stop to play the street pianos at St Pancras Station in London, exploring the communities the music creates in this transient urban setting.

Around 45 million people pass through the station each year, travelling not only to the North of England or Kent, but also to Paris, Brussels and Lille. Visitors who stop unexpectedly - and regulars who come frequently - play the station's unusual street pianos with a wide range of musical styles and ability. Their personal stories reinforce ideas about the universal language of music and its ability to cut across class, nationality, creed and colour.

Over the years, top performers from Sir Elton John to Laura Mvula, Jamie Cullum to John Legend, have all played here - with Sir Elton signing and donating a piano.

But this programme tells the story of the ordinary people and the tunes they play. It provides intimate access into strangers’ lives and to this London station at both its busiest and its quietest moments.

Producer: Sophie Sparham

An Overtone production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2017.


TUE 11:00 Paul Temple (b007rwkt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


TUE 11:30 After Eden (m0008q26)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


TUE 12:00 Winston (b00pgpm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


TUE 12:30 The Goon Show (b00cb8ls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


TUE 13:00 A Trespasser's Guide to the Classics (b06mg2vb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


TUE 13:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mzmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


TUE 13:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxgw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


TUE 14:00 The Food Quiz (b0076gyp)
Series 1

Episode 1

Jay Rayner puts well-known gastronomes through their culinary paces.

On the menu:

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Anissa Helou
Matthew Fort
Clarissa Dickson Wright

Producer: Rebecca Wells

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2003.


TUE 14:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dxh1)
Country House Mystery by Guy Meredith

Successful author Max Hanfmann dies before completing his last book. His family, greedy for the royalties, secretly employ a hack writer Ben Sharp to complete the work.

Reading between the lines of the unfinished novel, it’s not long before Ben begins to suspect that Hanfmann's death is not straightforward.

The unfinished novel appears to depict the last few months of his life.

Ben Sharp .... James Laurenson
Marion Hanfmann .... Caroline Blakiston
Richard Hanfmann .... Peter Jeffrey
Wallace Keyes .... Roger Hammond
Jackie .... Christine Absalom
Paul Kidd .... Christopher Scott
Max Hanfmann .... Malcolm Hayes

Director: Cherry Cookson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1981.

***********************************************

'Country House Mystery’ is part of BBC Radio 4 Extra's Hidden Treasures collection of selected titles returned to the BBC by various collectors.

Our warm thanks go to the Radio Circle.


TUE 16:00 A Good Read (m0002z47)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


TUE 16:30 St Pancras Pianos (b097cjzc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]


TUE 17:00 Paul Temple (b007rwkt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


TUE 17:30 After Eden (m0008q26)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


TUE 18:00 Winston (b00pgpm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


TUE 18:30 The Goon Show (b00cb8ls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


TUE 19:00 A Trespasser's Guide to the Classics (b06mg2vb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


TUE 19:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mzmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


TUE 19:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxgw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


TUE 20:00 The Food Quiz (b0076gyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]


TUE 20:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dxh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]


TUE 22:00 Unspeakable (m002dnk6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 22:30 Inside Alan Francis (b00hlf5j)
Episode 1

Comedian Alan Francis explores the workings of his own mind in relation to his life, friends and long-suffering girlfriend Jane.

Alan realises he must have done something wrong to annoy Jane, but can't remember what it is?

With:

Julian Dutton
Barnaby Power
Kali Peacock.

Written by Alan Francis with Julian Dutton, Anthony Neilson and Richard Turner.

Producer Julia McKenzie

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2009.


TUE 23:00 Tina C (b06s0njv)
Tina C: Herstory

Episode 3

It's 2003 and Tina has geo-political aspirations, and a role promoting US values overseas.

Ritula Shah asks about Tina's role as a special advisor to US President George W Bush.

Written and performed by Christopher Green.

Additional voices:

Debra Baker
Leo Wan

The band: Duncan Walsh-Atkins, Mark Hardisty & Phil Wraith.

Producer: Victoria Lloyd.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.


TUE 23:30 And Now in Colour (b007wqf1)
Series 1

Salisbury Plain

The sketch show team take their audience on Territorial Army manoeuvres – and a surprise Book at Bedtime.

Precision comedy written and performed by:

Tim Firth
Tim de Jongh
Michael Rutger
William Vandyck

Producer: Lissa Evans

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1990

WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE 2025

WED 00:00 A Good Read (m0002z47)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]


WED 00:30 St Pancras Pianos (b097cjzc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Tuesday]


WED 01:00 Paul Temple (b007rwkt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]


WED 01:30 After Eden (m0008q26)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 Winston (b00pgpm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]


WED 02:30 The Goon Show (b00cb8ls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]


WED 03:00 A Trespasser's Guide to the Classics (b06mg2vb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Tuesday]


WED 03:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mzmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Tuesday]


WED 03:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dxgw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 The Food Quiz (b0076gyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]


WED 04:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dxh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]


WED 06:00 Paul Temple (b007rwnw)
Paul Temple and the Margo Mystery

7. A Time to Worry

The suave sleuth edges one step closer towards solving the murder and discovering the identity of The Fence.

Francis Durbridge's thriller stars Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury as BBC radio's smoothest investigator and his glamorous wife

Paul Temple …. Peter Coke
Steve …. Marjorie Westbury
Sir Graham Forbes …. James Thomason
Supt Raine …. Simon Lack
Mike Langdon …. Tommy Duggan
George Kelburn …. Julian Somers
Linda Kelburn …. June Tobin
Mrs Fletcher …. Joan Matheson
Dr Benkaray …. Mary Wimbush
Larry Cross …. Hugh Manning
Charlie …. James Beattie
Inspector Milton …. Kenneth Dight
Prison Governor …. Peter Pratt
Midge Harris …. Frank Partington
Oscar …. Douglas Storm
Maid …. Eva Stuart
Wally Stone …. Malcolm Hayes

Producer: Martyn C Webster

First heard on the BBC Light Programme in February 1961.


WED 06:30 After Eden (m0008yb0)
3. One Flesh

Arranging weddings and funerals on the same day is just part of a vicar's job.

Alison Leonard's warm-hearted six-part drama about the life of a woman priest.

Rev Elaine Metcalfe …. Christine Pritchard
Phil …. Hywel Morgan
Rev Melvyn Johns …. Michael Povey
Tash … Clare Isaac
Bryn … Rhodri Hugh
Gwen … Manon Edwards
Shelia … Kristin Milward
Colin … Oliver Senton

Director: Alison Hindell

First heard on BBC Radio 4 in March 1995.


WED 07:00 Nineteen Ninety-Eight (b01bwm9f)
Episode 2

"Yes, it's all in your sizzling Nineteen Ninety-Eight! Edward Wilson - superstar? Plus - What was the luscious Tabatha Minx doing in Milton Keynes all night? And: who is the mysterious Lunk?"

Edward wakes up with urgent news, but who will listen?

Orwellian sitcom starring David Threlfall.

Written by William Osborne and Richard Turner

Edward Wilson ...... David Threlfall

With:

Pam Ferris
Hugh Laurie
Steve Steen
Rebecca Stevens
Richard Turner
Jenny Luckcraft

Produced at BBC Manchester by Nick Symons.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1987.


WED 07:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007w3y4)
Series 4

The Emigrant

The Lad is keen to emigrate, but is met with refusals from other countries including Australia and Canada.

Can Sid help him to leave Britain?

Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's classic comedy about the life and times of Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock.

Starring Tony Hancock.

With:

Sidney James
Bill Kerr
Hattie Jacques
Kenneth Williams

Theme and incidental music composed and conducted by Wally Stott.

Producer: Denis Main Wilson

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in February 1957.


WED 08:00 Dot (b071skpf)
Series 1

The Extraordinary Example of the Ha'penny Exchange

A little East End snotling has infiltrated the Cabinet War Rooms. But Dot's got important propaganda work to do.

How will she dispose of the little gremlin, whilst simultaneously concocting a stirring, yet pithy slogan for the war effort?

For King and country, she'll bally well try!

Comic adventures with Dot and the gals from personnel in the rollicking wartime comedy by Ed Harris.

Dot ...... Fenella Woolgar
Myrtle ...... Kate O'Flynn
Peg ...... Freya Parker
Millicent ...... Jane Slavin
Peabody ...... David Acton
Ha'penny ...... Alicia Ambrose-Bayly
Matron ...... Susan Jameson
Right Honourable Washtunrub ...... Sean Baker

Director: Jessica Mitic

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2016.


WED 08:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mzr6)
8. Dramatic End

Gerty unburdens herself on Pelyagin. And dramatic events bring the communal experiment to an end.

Early in 1914, 22-year-old Gerty Freely travels to Russia to work as a governess, little-knowing the huge upheavals in the world and in her own life that lie ahead.

In London, 1974, Gerty begins a memoir for her daughter Sophy, looking back at that extraordinary time of war, revolution and civil war. Most of her memories are centred on a young inventor, Nikita Slavkin, who mysteriously disappeared in 1919 and was subsequently celebrated in Soviet culture as The Vanishing Futurist.

“No word has been heard from him since […] Yet the idea persists that one day he will reappear.”

Written by Charlotte Hobson
Read by Barbara Flynn
Abridged and produced by Jeremy Osborne

Charlotte Hobson graduated from Edinburgh University with a first in Russian. Thereafter she travelled widely in the former Soviet Union, working as an interpreter in the Caucasus, a translator, and dabbling in civil rights. Her book, Black Earth City (2002) won a Somerset Maugham Award and was shortlisted for the Duff Cooper Prize and the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award 2002. The Vanishing Futurist was her first novel, published in 2016.

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2020.


WED 08:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dzl5)
8. Births and Deaths

Rosemary continues to read her mother's private account of their family history, adding her views as she does so. The three sisters are now adults, and their lives seem very strange to their mother. Celia is a social worker and devoted to Frank but misses her stress free gardening job.

Penelope (mother) . . . . Angela Pleasence
Rosemary . . . . Nichola McAuliffe
Celia . . . . Jenny Funnell

Written by Margaret Forster

Dramatised by Juliet Ace

Director: Tanya Nash

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2000.


WED 09:00 Henry Normal: A Normal... (m002dmns)
Humanity

Join Henry Normal as he uses his unique blend of comedy and poetry to investigate what it truly means to be human.

How are we different from other animals? Is there such a thing as a soul? Is it green or brown bin day today?

These are just some of the unanswered questions Henry will be leaving unanswered in this new show, recorded live at the Hay-on-Wye Festival. This is the latest episode in his acclaimed, occasional series where the celebrated writer tackles subjects so vast only radio can possibly contain them.

Written and performed by Henry Normal
Production Coordinator - Katie Baum
Produced by Carl Cooper

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4

--
Henry Normal is a multi-award winning writer, producer and poet. Co-writer of TV classics including The Royle Family, The Mrs Merton Show, Coogan’s Run and Paul Calf, and producer of, amongst many others, Oscar-nominated Philomena, Gavin and Stacey and Alan Partridge.

He’s published twelve collections of poetry, including his most recent An Alphabet of Storms, and co-wrote the memoir A Normal Family with Angela Pell – the everyday adventure of life with their autistic son.

Praise for previous episodes in this series:

"Shove up National Treasures. We need to make room for Henry Normal" – Simon O'Hagan, Radio Times

-"It's a rare and lovely thing: half an hour of radio that stops you short, gently demands your attention and then wipes your tears away while you have to have a little sit down"

-"It's a real treat to hear a seasoned professional like Henry taking command of this evening comedy spot to deliver a show that's idiosyncratic and effortlessly funny"

-"Not heard anything that jumps from hilarious to moving in such an intelligent, subtle way as Henry Normal's show"


WED 09:30 Prime Ministers' Props (b07pgwg1)
Series 1

Anthony Eden's Homburg Hat

Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop, whether chosen deliberately or otherwise, can come to define a political leader - from Winston Churchill's cigar and siren suit to Margaret Thatcher's handbag.

Sir David looks at the significance of these props of power - what they mean and what they become, and what happens when, almost inevitably, Prime Ministers lose control of their image and their props take on a hostile meaning, very different from their original intentions.

Anthony Eden was one of the briefest serving Prime Ministers of modern times, and his name became inseparably linked with the Suez fiasco of 1956, from which his reputation has never recovered. But in the earlier stages of his political career, Eden was widely regarded as the most attractive and glamorous figure in British public life. These qualities were both proclaimed and symbolised by his Homburg hat, which he briefly made fashionable when it became known as the Eden on Savile Row. In fact, Anthony Eden is the only British Prime Minister, apart from the Duke of Wellington, to have had an item of apparel named after him.

But with Eden's fall from grace, the Eden hat was quickly forgotten and one biographer wrote scathingly in the 1960s, "who wears an Anthony Eden hat today?"

And while we still use the phrase Wellington boot, and remember the victor of Waterloo, the Eden Homburg, and the man who gave his name to it, have both been largely forgotten.

Producer: Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2016.


WED 09:45 Daily Service (m002dzl7)
The Life of Lambeth Palace - Community

A week-long series of services exploring the life and ministry of Lambeth Palace in London, home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, led by Shannon Preston, Chaplain to the Community of St Anselm, with reflections from members of the palace community.

Reading: Hebrews 13

with music from the Emerging Artists of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Producer: Andrew Earis


WED 10:00 Archive on 4 (b09f3ry4)
Close to Home - The Story of Local Radio

As well as the launch of BBC Radios 1 to 4 in 1967, that year also saw the arrival of the BBC's first batch of local radio stations: Radio Leicester on 8th November, Radio Sheffield on 15th November and Radio Merseyside on 22nd November.

In a programme made to mark the 40th anniversary of BBC Local Radio in 2007 - Libby Purves takes an affectionate look back at the first chaotic days of local programming - from unruly guests and erratic phone-ins to technological mishaps - and explores how the ideals of the early pioneers survived into the 21st Century.

Libby charts the history of the stations which were to bring us the likes of Kate Adie, Tony Adamson, Michael Buerk, Paul Heiney and Des Lynham.

From its early beginnings, and after much deliberation and research, the BBC began to build a network of local radio stations across England. The project was driven mainly by the energy of Frank Gillard, then BBC Radio's Managing Director.

The other five stations in the original batch of eight BBC local stations were: Radio Nottingham (31st January 1968); Radio Brighton (14th February 1968); Radio Stoke-on-Trent (14th March 1968); Radio Leeds (24th June 1968) and Radio Durham (3rd July 1968).

Producer: Paula McGinley

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2007.


WED 11:00 Paul Temple (b007rwnw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


WED 11:30 After Eden (m0008yb0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


WED 12:00 Nineteen Ninety-Eight (b01bwm9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


WED 12:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007w3y4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


WED 13:00 Dot (b071skpf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


WED 13:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mzr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


WED 13:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dzl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


WED 14:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b09ly26h)
Series 12

Episode 2

Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Sally Phillips welcome:

* Comedian, Joe Lycett
* Sociologist, Professor Tom Shakespeare
* Blue Peter's longest-serving female presenter - Konnie Huq.

The Museum's Guest Committee discovers how wheels turned for the French Revolution, how a little blue ship on a plastic chip can get you into over 200 UK attractions, and the brain-tinglingly sensational significance of towels in the hands of a woman called Maria.

Researchers Anne Miller and Mike Turner.

Producers: Richard Turner and Anne Miller.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2018.


WED 14:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dzl9)
Butterfingers by David Pownall

Government cuts in the Health Service are taking place. How are they to be brought about? A certain large mental hospital decides on a wonderfully novel way of achieving these cuts. Meanwhile, it's the annual hospital cricket match.

Starring Henry Moxon as Doctor Walton, Geoffrey Beevers as Doctor Phillimore, Kathleen Helme as Nurse Wylie and Roy Barraclough as the hospital radio DJ Jolly Jerry.

Written by David Pownall.

Doctor Walton ... Henry Moxon
Doctor Phillimore ... Geoffrey Beevers
Nurse Braces ... David Mallinson
Nurse Wylie/Edith/Gloria ... Kathleen Helme
Tosher/Flixton .... Christopher Good
William/Major ... John Branwell
Henry/Member 1/ Nurse Robinson .... Robert Keegan
George/Al Geary/Member 2 ... James Tomlinson
Delilah ... Valerie Murray
Chairman/Merrivale ... Stanley Page
Johnstone ... Michael Carter
Jolly Jerry – hospital DJ - Roy Barraclough
Reverend Thomas/ Dermot/Pedro ... Ronald Herdman
Superintendent Ross ... Roger Phillips
Lidell/Corporal ... Stephen Hancock

Director: Caroline Smith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1981.

******************************************************

'Butterfingers’ is part of BBC Radio 4 Extra's Hidden Treasures collection of selected titles returned to the BBC by various collectors.

Our warm thanks go to the Radio Circle.


WED 16:00 Archive on 4 (b09f3ry4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


WED 17:00 Paul Temple (b007rwnw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


WED 17:30 After Eden (m0008yb0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


WED 18:00 Nineteen Ninety-Eight (b01bwm9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


WED 18:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007w3y4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


WED 19:00 Dot (b071skpf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


WED 19:30 The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (m000mzr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


WED 19:45 Private Papers by Margaret Forster (m002dzl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


WED 20:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b09ly26h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]


WED 20:30 Hidden Treasures (m002dzl9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]


WED 22:00 Henry Normal: A Normal... (m002dmns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 22:30 Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting (b008wmnh)
Series 2

Museum of East End Life

A new museum of East End Life, shaped like an enormous upturned whelk cup, means more structural damage to Linda's laid-back lifestyle.

Sitcom written by and starring Linda Smith.

With Femi Elufowoju Jnr, Jeremy Hardy, Margaret John, Martin Hyder and Chris Neill.

Producer: Jon Rolph

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2002.


WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m002f3lg)
Alfie Moore 3/3

From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, The Comedy Club has two hours of the funny stuff. And tonight, Jon Holmes once again chats to the copper turned comedian, Alfie Moore.


WED 23:00 The Skivers (b00hr7g8)
Series 3

Michael Winner

Calm down, dear! Special guest Michael Winner joins Nick and Tim.

Skilful sketch show written and performed by Nick Golson and Tim de Jongh.

With:

Peter Bradshaw
Sally Phillips

Special guests: Michael Winner and Patrick Allen.

Producer: Jon Naismith

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1997.


WED 23:30 Warhorses of Letters (b03srddp)
Series 3

Episode 4

The last in the series of the epistolary equine love story starring Stephen Fry as Napoleon's horse Marengo and Daniel Rigby as the Duke of Wellington's mount Copenhagen, with an introduction by Tamsin Greig.

Old age has come to our horses, and Marengo is sick. Copenhagen is determined that he and his true love will be truly together just once before Marengo quits this earthly life for a new paddock in the sky.

In perhaps the most moving exchange of letters ever sent by one horse to another the final act of this tragic love story unfolds.

Written by Robbie Hudson and Marie Phillips.

Produced by Gareth Edwards.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.


WED 23:45 The News at Bedtime (b00pftgs)
Series 1

Episode 7

Twin presenters John Tweedledum and Jim Tweedledee present in-depth news analysis covering the latest stories happening this 'once upon a time'.

It's New Year's Day and riot police are called in as the Teddy Bears try to have their picnic.

Written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

Starring Jack Dee and Peter Capaldi.

With:

Joseph Cohen-Cole
Kate Leyden
Lewis MacLeod
Lucy Montgomery
Vicki Pepperdine
Dan Tetsell

Producer: Simon Nicholls

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2009.