SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER 2023

SAT 00:00 Algernon Blackwood - The Nemesis of Fire (m000tvp9)
'We are facing a mental phenomenon: it is aware of your mind as a force, a power - it is not aware of you as a person. All energy is finally controlled by the mind. Grasp this fact: and you hold the universe in your hand.'

Dr John Silence investigates the appearance of smoke and spontaneous fires at an English manor house.

One of the John Silence series of Stories of the Supernatural and the Uncanny by Algernon Blackwood.

Adapted by Shelia Hodgson.

Dr John Silence .... Malcolm Haves
Stephen Hubbard .... Fraser Kerr
Col Wragge .... Hector Ross
Ellen Wragge .... Grizelda Hervey
Dr Corbin .... Denis McCarthy
Jane .... Madeleine Cemm
Porter ....Jack Carr
Cabby/Waiter .... David Ericsson

Producer: Harry Catlin

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1974.


SAT 00:45 Edgar Allan Poe (m0007xyr)
The Pit and the Pendulum

A man held prisoner in a dark dungeon by the Spanish Inquisition faces a grim fate.

David Horovitch reads Edgar Allan Poe's chilling tale.

Producer: Emma Harding

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2007.


SAT 01:00 Catherine Czerkawska - Running Before the Wind (b09q39l5)
4. Weathering the Storm

Like her namesake yacht, Isabella still survives - the last of the Lynns. But without help, Alison can't pay for the work needed on the yacht Isabella.

Having learned about the family, she hates the possibility of losing her Lynn yacht...

Starring Sybil Wintrope and Louise Beattie.

Conclusion of Catherine Czerkawska's family saga set on the River Clyde.

James Lynn .... James MacPherson
Isabella ... Sybil Wintrope
Alison .... Louise Beattie
Paolo ... John Buick
Hetty ... Monica Gibb
Ian ... Liam Brennan
Maclehose/Luke ... Gilbert Martin
David ... Mark McDonnell
Emily ... Irene MacDougall
Alex ... Tom Smith
Jessie/Receptionist ... Astrid Wilson
Annie ... Sheila Donald
Old David ... Alec Heggie

Director: Hamish Wilson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1994.


SAT 01:45 Short Works (m000gvmj)
Take Me Home by Louise Kennedy

When her beloved grandmother falls ill, a woman is forced to reconnect with her estranged mother who abandoned her as a child.

An original short work for BBC Radio 4 by author Louise Kennedy.

Read by Cathy White.

Louise Kennedy grew up in Holywood, Northern Ireland. Her short stories have been published in journals including The Stinging Fly, The Tangerine, The Lonely Crowd and Banshee. Her work has won the Ambit Short Fiction (2015), Wasifiri New Writing (2015), John O’Connor (2016) and Listowel Los-Gatos (2016) prizes and was short-listed for the 2019 Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award.

She is a PhD candidate at the Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast. She lives in Sligo with her husband and two teenage children.

Producer: Michael Shannon

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2020.


SAT 02:00 Deep Six (m000fwy9)
5. Blackmail

An extensive nationwide search is underway for ex-SAS agent Terry Prince, which so far he’s evaded.

Now he’s making his way out to a mansion in Oxfordshire, the setting for a deed he’s been blackmailed into carrying out...

Starring Freddie Lees.

John Fletcher’s thriller serial about an ex-SAS agent still hired for special 'jobs'.

Terry ...... Freddie Lees
Sir James Simpson ...... Conrad Phillips
Chris ...... Elwyn Johnson
Fortescue ...... Hubert Rees
Thompson ...... John Abineri
Linda Taylor ...... Madeleine Cemm
Radio voice ...... Roger Leach

Directed at BBC Bristol by Brian Miller.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1984.


SAT 02:30 Inspector Purbright - Lonelyheart 4122 (m001rhrn)
5. Follow the Money

Cupid takes Miss Teatime and Commander Trelawney to the bank and into deep water.

Colin Watson's Flaxborough Chronicles.

Why are lonely, well-off middle-aged women disappearing from the sleepy, small market town?

John Rowe stars as Inspector Walter Purbright.

Dramatised by Christopher Denys.

Insp Purbright .... John Rowe
Lucy Teatime .... Linda Gardner
Jack Trelawney .... John Branwell
Rev Leaper .... Renny Krupinski
Maddox .... Peter Rylands
Chief Constable .... Geoffrey Banks
Evelyn .... Susan Sheridan
Cambridge .... Nigel Carrington
Beech .... Richard Cole

Directed at BBC Manchester by: Tony Cliff.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1990.


SAT 03:00 The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (b0080sjp)
10. The Return

A funeral sparks a big reunion of old faces at the house in Cornwall.

Mary Wesley's novel abridged by Elizabeth Bradbury.

A house - with a fragrant lawn stretching down to the Cornish cliffs - is the link between five cousins which neither the war, nor adulthood, can break.

Concluded by Sian Phillips.

Producer: Tracey Neale

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1989.


SAT 03:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01g65gz)
5. Swordplay and Swagger

The essential accoutrements of any self-respecting gentleman - the rapier and the dagger- show us the extent of violence in Elizabethan London - both onstage and off.

Object-based history series presented by Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum.

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.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2012.


SAT 03:30 Ed Reardon's Week (b05vcsdq)
Series 10

One Man, Two Charlies

Ed finally finds himself homeless.

However, all is not lost as an unexpected bonus of the recent financial apocalypse is that there are many premises in need of temporary caretakers.

So it is that Ed finds himself residing in a furniture warehouse in Berkhamsted, complete with 'dream kitchen' fake fruit and a massage chair. He also somehow finds himself an author with a two book cookbook deal and a three figure advance.

Ed Reardon leads us through the ups and down of his week, complete with his trusty companion, Elgar, and the curmudgeonly attitude to life that he's mastered over years of failure.

The comical world of an author, pipe smoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive e-mail.

Starring Christopher Douglas.

Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds.

Ed Reardon ..Christopher Douglas
Suzan......... Raquel Cassidy
Olive....... Stephanie Cole
Pearl........... Brigit Forsyth
Frank...... Simon Greenall
Charlotte... Celia Imrie
Jaz Milvain... Philip Jackson
Cliff....... Geoff McGivern
Ping...... Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Charlie....... Phaldut Sharma
Stan.......... Geoffrey Whitehead

Producer: Dawn Ellis.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2015.


SAT 04:00 Marriage Lines (b04wjsjw)
Series 1

The Divorce

When some friends split up, Kate and George become rather nervous.

Starring Richard Briers and Prunella Scales.

Richard Waring’s sitcom based on the mutual love and mistrust of two newlyweds.

Originating on BBC TV, it ran between 1963-65 and was adapted in two series for BBC radio due to its popularity.

George ...... Richard Briers
Kate ...... Prunella Scales
Teddy ...... Philip Guard
Hilary ...... Rosemary Miller
Wally ...... Peter Gilmore
Jill ...... Isabel Rennie
Odd Man Out ...... John Baddeley

Producer: Charles Maxwell

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in August 1965.


SAT 04:30 Kathmandu or Bust (b07p6ksb)
Turkish Delight

The over-land expedition has reached Turkey, the land of Kismet, and gateway to the East.

It's just the place for Joan to discover romance and Trigger to catch up on all the kebabs he's missed since leaving Romford.

The five travellers battle on with their expedition to Kathmandu

Series written by Mike Yeaman and David Napthine.

Simon …. David Haig
Mechanic …. Peter Serafinowicz
Petra …. Michelle Chadwick
Callum …. Forbes Masson
Trigger …. Richard Ridings
Joan …. Sarah Crowden
Ellie …. Lolly Susi
Joan's Lover …. Jonathan Keeble
Callum ....... Forbes Masson
Guide ...... Andrew Branch

Producer: Lissa Evans

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1996.


SAT 05:00 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.


SAT 05:30 Barbara Nice (m000p155)
Series 1

The Fib

A school reunion with Barbara's long standing frenemy Pat Burrows leads Barbara to make a rash white lie that has dramatic consequences.

Meanwhile Ken is trying in vain to get a better broadband deal.

Janice Connolly from 'Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights' stars in this warm-hearted sitcom about married couple, Barbara and Ken.

Written by Janice Connolly and Steve Turner.

Barbara Nice...Janice Connolly
Ken Nice... John Henshaw
Mary... Angela Curran
Pat Burrows...Sally Lindsay
Thelma... Liz Hume Dawson
Zachary...Lizzie Griffiths
Mary's grandson...Charlie Burchill
Party goers... Jarvis, Niamh and Gabriel Papworth

Producer: Rebecca Papworth

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 2 first broadcast in March 2017.


SAT 06:00 David Pownall (m001rpjn)
Fishing for Ghosts

The panel of a well known literary prize suspect something fishy when they discover that a major political figure has entered the competition.

Starring Peter Vaughan.

Written by David Pownall.

Salmon Trout .... Peter Vaughan
Betty .... Susan Fleetwood
Martin .... Hugh Ross
Michael .... Neville Jason
Bill .... George Parsons
Tony .... Gavin Muir
Daffyd .... Tom Bevan
Judith .... Kristin Milward
Fergil .... Don McCorkindale
Angus .... David Jarvis
Lionel/Robert .... Derek Waring
Hostess .... Elaine Claxton
Liz .... Susannah Corbett

Director: Eoin O'Callaghan

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1994


SAT 07:30 Salt on Your Tongue by Charlotte Runcie (Omnibus) (m0007c9t)
Charlotte Runcie has always felt pulled to the sea, lured by its soothing, calming qualities but also enlivened and inspired by its salty wildness.

When she loses her beloved grandmother and becomes pregnant with her first child, she feels its pull even more intensely.

Charlotte explores what the sea means to us, and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages. This book is a walk on the beach with Turner, with Shakespeare, with the Romantic Poets and shanty-singers.

It's an ode to our oceans - to the sailors who brave their treacherous waters, to the women who lost their loved ones to the waves, to the creatures that dwell in their depths, to beach combers, swimmers, seabirds and mermaids.

Charlotte shows how the sea has inspired, fascinated and terrified us, and how she fell in love with the deep blue. Navigating through ancient Greek myths, poetry, shipwrecks and Scottish folktales, Salt On Your Tongue is about how the wild untameable waves can help us understand what it means to be human.

Omnibus of five parts abridged by Polly Coles.

Read by Jasmine Hyde.

Producer: Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2019.


SAT 08:45 Could Do Better (b03lbzfg)
Kenneth Williams

Robert Booth summons Kenneth Williams to his study for a quiet word about his school reports.

Summer 1941. General remarks of Principal: Kenneth has worked very successfully on his allotment.

Series in which Robert Booth talks to famous comics about their school days.

Producer: Nigel Acheson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1987.


SAT 09:00 The Men from the Ministry (b013dzmy)
Food for Thought

The antics of the bungling bureaucrats attract some sinister interest from abroad...

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

Stars Richard Murdoch and Deryck Guyler.

Written by Edward Taylor and John Graham.

Lennox-Brown …. Deryck Guyler
Lamb …. Richard Murdoch
Mildred …. Norma Ronald
Sir Gregory Pitkin …. Ronald Baddiley

With:

John Graham

The Men from the Ministry' ran for 14 series between 1962 and 1977.

Producer: Edward Taylor

First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in April 1973.


SAT 09:30 Something to Shout About (m000k9t1)
Series 3

Episode 17

Shirley the temp sees trouble ahead when she reads the tea leaves in Michael’s cup.

"A light-hearted exposé of the advertising world!"

Set in a London ad agency called 'Apsley, Addis, Cohen, Barbican, Blythe, Giddy & Partners'.

Written by Myles Rudge and Ronnie Wolfe.

Michael Lightfoot …. Michael Medwin
Janet Harris …. Fenella Fielding
Maggie Tufnell …. Eleanor Summerfield
Mavis Willis …Joan Sims
Adrian Beales …. Nicholas Phipps
MacLeish …. Warren Mitchell
Shirley …. Sheila Hancock

Producer: John Simmonds.

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in January 1962.


SAT 10:00 The Real Comedy Controllers: The Things That Made Us Laugh (m0016xkn)
Alternative Comedy...and Beyond

1. Lenin of the Rovers

BBC Comedy Controllers from across the decades look back at radio shows from the past.

Clocking up over 150 years on the job between them, Paul Jackson, Beryl Vertue, John Lloyd and Jimmy Mulville reveal what they do, why they do it and what makes them laugh.

From London's iconic BBC Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House - the home of British Radio comedy.

In the first of three programmes, they travel back to the 1980s to celebrate alternative comedy.

Featuring:

Extracts from BBC TV's NOT THE NINE O'CLOCK NEWS and THE YOUNG ONES.

* LENIN OF THE ROVERS – first episode first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 13/02/1988.

Sadly Beryl Vertue passed away, aged 90, in 2022.

Series Producers: Paul Kobrak and Dixi Stewart.

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in April 2017.


SAT 11:00 David Pownall (m001rpjn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SAT 12:30 Salt on Your Tongue by Charlotte Runcie (Omnibus) (m0007c9t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


SAT 13:45 Could Do Better (b03lbzfg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


SAT 14:00 The Men from the Ministry (b013dzmy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


SAT 14:30 Something to Shout About (m000k9t1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


SAT 15:00 The Real Comedy Controllers: The Things That Made Us Laugh (m0016xkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SAT 16:00 Algernon Blackwood - The Nemesis of Fire (m000tvp9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:00 today]


SAT 16:45 Edgar Allan Poe (m0007xyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:45 today]


SAT 17:00 David Pownall (m001rpjn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SAT 18:30 Salt on Your Tongue by Charlotte Runcie (Omnibus) (m0007c9t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


SAT 19:45 Could Do Better (b03lbzfg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]


SAT 20:00 The Men from the Ministry (b013dzmy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


SAT 20:30 Something to Shout About (m000k9t1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


SAT 21:00 The Real Comedy Controllers: The Things That Made Us Laugh (m0016xkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SAT 22:00 Susan Calman - Keep Calman Carry On (b09hw51h)
Series 2

Festivals

Susan Calman is the least relaxed person she knows. Unless she finds a way to switch off, and soon, her wife says she's going to be unbearable.

Susan decided her best bet was to try to immerse herself in the pursuits that her friends find relaxing, to find her inner zen and outer tranquillity.

So now she’s taking a trip to the Latitude Festival with Robin Ince, to try and understand why all her friends think a weekend of noisy camping is a relaxing way to spend their time.

In this audience stand up show, Susan reveals how successful she's been - both at relaxing and at the pursuit itself - as well as playing in and discussing a handful of illustrative clips from her efforts.

Written by Susan Calman and Jon Hunter.

Producer: Lyndsay Fenner

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2017.


SAT 22:30 Cowards (b00fbkz5)
Series 2

Episode 1

Step inside the strange and happy world of the Cowards.

The return of the sketch comedy with a comic slant on human frailties

Written by and starring:

Tom Basden
Stefan Golaszewski
Tim Key
Lloyd Woolf

Producer: Victoria Lloyd

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2008.


SAT 23:00 Fred at The Stand (m0003qyl)
Series 2

Ria Lina, Eshaan Akbar, Susan Riddell and Hal Cruttenden

Fred MacAulay is back at The Stand Comedy Club in Glasgow doing what he does best - making people laugh.

The series brings another selection of some of the best of stand-up comedians working in the UK right now. Some you’ll know and some you won’t - yet.

Fred introduces:

* The incredible Ria Lina who celebrates her favourite child with her unique parenting style.

* The challenging Eshaan Akbar sees through thinly-veiled racism on public transport.

* The self-confessed underdressed Susan Riddell wants part of her body to be dishwasher friendly.

* One of the country’s favourite stand-ups Hal Cruttenden is planning his own funeral down to the gristly end.

Fred At The Stand is the closest thing your ears are going to get to an actual night in a comedy club.

A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2019.


SAT 23:30 Seekers (b0612hk1)
Series 2

The Boy With the Wogan Tattoo

It's the morning after Stuart's stag night, his back hurts, and Mr Big is looking for him...

Starring Mathew Horne, Daniel Mays, Tony Way and Zahra Ahmadi.

Sitcom set in an Essex job centre written by Steve Burge.

Stuart ------ Mathew Horne
Joseph ------ Daniel Mays
Terry ----- Tony Way
Nicola ------ Zahra Ahmadi
Vanessa ----- Natalie Walter
Gary Probert ----- Steve Oram

Producer: Victoria Lloyd.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2015.

SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER 2023

SUN 00:00 Carey Harrison - A Call From The Dead (b01nf2h9)
It's good to talk - or so they say - but not when you're called from beyond the grave...

Deathly drama written by Carey Harrison

Dr Edward Elmore ...... John Shrapnel
Stephen Warburton ...... Nick Dunning
Rev Neville Barber ...... Christopher Scott
Martha ...... Carolyn Jones

Director: Sally Avens

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1997.


SUN 00:30 The Price of Fear (b01nt4qh)
Cat's Cradle

A small party of tourists visit an old castle in Bavaria – unaware of a horrifying series of events awaiting them in a dank and dismal torture chamber...

Fright master Vincent Price introduces a tale of horror.

Bram Stoker’s story ‘The Score’ dramatised by Richard Davis.

Starring:

Kenneth J Warren
Frederick Schrecker
John Samson
Bonnie Hurren

Producer: John Dyas

First broadcast on the BBC World Service in 1973.


SUN 01:00 David Pownall (m001rpjn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]


SUN 02:30 Salt on Your Tongue by Charlotte Runcie (Omnibus) (m0007c9t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]


SUN 03:45 Could Do Better (b03lbzfg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Saturday]


SUN 04:00 The Men from the Ministry (b013dzmy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Saturday]


SUN 04:30 Something to Shout About (m000k9t1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Saturday]


SUN 05:00 The Real Comedy Controllers: The Things That Made Us Laugh (m0016xkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 Poetry Extra (m001rpvc)
A Manual For Dreaming Womxn

Poet Dajlit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and selects A Manual for Dreaming Womxn - in which poet Rachel Long demonstrates how to turn dreams into poetry.

What’s the most compelling dream you’ve ever had?

Poet Rachel Long, in this workshop-for-radio, leads the listener in a dreamy guide – how to turn our night-time sequences into a poetic form.

With the help of poet and psychoanalyst Nuar Alsadir, poet and playwright Caroline Bird and literary editor Kishani Widyaratna, Rachel explores the links between dreams and poetry, including her own. How might we transform our sleep-time wanderings into something more than just a funny story for the morning?

Dreams can be many things - they are narratives constructed and experienced in image; a portal into our unconscious and, more simply, a way to keep our mind occupied while sleeping. But Rachel argues, we can also harness their metaphoric capabilities to deepen our understanding of poetry, and the process of writing poems. Not only that, but poets really can use their unconscious as a guide for their writing.

Rachel Long is a poet and founder of Octavia Poetry Collective for Women of Colour, which is housed at Southbank Centre, in London. Her debut collection, My Darling from the Lions, was nominated for the Forward Prize for best first collection.

Presented by Rachel Long

Produced by Eliza Lomas

Mixed by Olga M Reed

A Boom Shakalaka production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2020.


SUN 06:30 The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (Omnibus) (m001rpvw)
Episode 2

Sophie tells all, and Calypso has a secret for Hector, but where is he?

A house, with a fragrant lawn stretching down to the Cornish cliffs, is the link between five cousins - Oliver, Calypso, Polly, Walter and Sophy - which neither the Second World War nor adulthood can break.

Conclusion of Mary Wesley's novel, first published in 1984.

Omnibus of the last five of ten parts abridged by Elizabeth Bradbury.

Read by Sian Phillips.

Producer: Tracey Neale

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1989.


SUN 07:40 Inheritance Tracks (m001rpwd)
Lou Sanders

Comedian, writer and Taskmaster champ Lou Sanders picks 'Dido Bendigo' by The Waterstones and 'Mr Tambourine Man' by Bob Dylan.


SUN 07:50 Shakespeare's Restless World (Omnibus) (m001rpwz)
Episode 1

Object-based history series presented by Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum.

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.

Omnibus of the first five of 20 episodes.

Beginning with Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the globe and how it changed the way Shakespeare's audiences viewed the world and their country's place on it.

For the first time, England was engaging with the whole world.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2012.


SUN 09:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01c6h6v)
1. Setting Off

George, Harris and J holiday on the River Thames from Kingston to Oxford - with Montmorency the dog.

"We arranged to start on the following Saturday. Harris and I would take the boat up to Chertsey, and George, who would not be able to get away from the city till the afternoon, would meet us there. (George goes to sleep at the bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside at two)."

Adapted and performed in three episodes by Jeremy Nicholas.

Music by Jeremy Nicholas.

Performed by The Grimethorpe Colliery Band

Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1984.


SUN 09:30 Tony's (b007jsz2)
Series 1

Putting on the Style

Tony's misadventures get under way with a battle against his rival, Boris the Russian.

The life and times of a corner-shop barber.

Starring Victor Spinetti as Tony.

Written by Jim Eldridge.

Tony …. Victor Spinetti
Hector …. John Laurie
Maisie …. Deborah Watling
Mama …. Norma Ronald
Guest …. Bill Pertwee
Guest …. Joanna Wake
Guest …. David Tate

Incidental music by Max Harris.

Producer: John Fawcett Wilson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1979.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m001rpxl)
Black American Icons

George Foreman

Former heavyweight champion, George Foreman is castaway by Sue Lawley.

George was born in Texas into a large but poor family. His earliest memories are of being hungry. He found school difficult and felt he was written off because of his scruffy clothes. He had a short temper and would often get into fights as a child, sometimes beating people up for no reason. Soon he discovered that mugging was an easy way to get funds and terrorised his neighbourhood, although he never used knives - just his fists.

Heading nowhere fast, George was saved by The Job Corps, a project started by President Lyndon Johnson which aimed to get training and jobs for young people with few opportunities in life. It introduced him to boxing and he began to train seriously.

George won the gold medal for heavyweight boxing at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 and became a professional boxer. He defeated Joe Frazier in 1973 and became heavyweight champion at the age of 24.

After being defeated by Muhammed Ali at the infamous Rumble in the Jungle in 1974, George took up religion and became a preacher, giving up boxing for good, or so he thought.

By the mid-1980s George was short of money: he was building a community centre and wanted it to be well stocked with equipment. So he returned to the only honest way he knew of making money. Ten years out of practice in 1987 when he was 38, George started to train again.

Remarkably, on 5 November 1994, at the age of 45, George won the heavyweight title for the second time - this time against Michael Moorer, aged 26, by a knockout in the 10th round.

DISC ONE: You Send Me - Sam Cooke
DISC TWO: William Tell Overture - Gioachino Rossini
DISC THREE: Don't Be A Dropout - James Brown
DISC FOUR: I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations
DISC FIVE: George Foreman's Little Girls - Vienna Boys' Choir
DISC SIX: Mamma Say Knock You Out - LL Cool J
DISC SEVEN: All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
DISC EIGHT: Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra

BOOK CHOICE: An anthology of poems which include the poem Waiting by John Burroughs
LUXURY CHOICE: A pillow
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2003.


SUN 10:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
Series 1

Collecting

Why do we collect things? Is it a male response to ancient hunting instincts to provide food for the family?

Today, collecting by children is in decline, and with it the development of an early fascination with the natural world around them.

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 October 2009.


SUN 11:00 Poetry Extra (m001rpvc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SUN 11:30 The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (Omnibus) (m001rpvw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


SUN 12:40 Inheritance Tracks (m001rpwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:40 today]


SUN 12:50 Shakespeare's Restless World (Omnibus) (m001rpwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:50 today]


SUN 14:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01c6h6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


SUN 14:30 Tony's (b007jsz2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


SUN 15:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m001rpxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SUN 15:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


SUN 16:00 Carey Harrison - A Call From The Dead (b01nf2h9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:00 today]


SUN 16:30 The Price of Fear (b01nt4qh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:30 today]


SUN 17:00 Poetry Extra (m001rpvc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


SUN 17:30 The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (Omnibus) (m001rpvw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


SUN 18:40 Inheritance Tracks (m001rpwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:40 today]


SUN 18:50 Shakespeare's Restless World (Omnibus) (m001rpwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:50 today]


SUN 20:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01c6h6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


SUN 20:30 Tony's (b007jsz2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


SUN 21:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m001rpxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]


SUN 21:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]


SUN 22:00 Start/Stop (b07nrzjd)
Series 3

4. Cathy's Dad

Cathy's Dad is in a nursing home but Cathy wants him to come and live with them, especially since he's just developed a condition where the wrong words come out all the time.

Barney is not keen but then realises he can use looking after Cathy's Dad to make him seem more caring and, as it turns out, more attractive to Alice.

Meanwhile David gives his daughter a big role in the school play. And Evan finds there are some plusses to Fiona losing her voice after a throat operation.

But will Cathy's Dad ever be able to tell Barney what he thinks of him?

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

Starring:

Couple 1:

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

Couple 2:

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

Couple 3:

David ...... Charlie Higson
Alice ...... Laura Aikman

Cathy's Dad ...... John Sparkes

Producer: Claire Jones

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


SUN 22:30 Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme (b09tdz8n)
Series 4

Under the Stars

Comic poet Tim Key is on a double-date, on a houseboat in Hertfordshire.

He has a well-planned itinerary for a romantic evening under the stars, but his date has other ideas.

Written and presented by Tim Key.

With musical support from Tom Basden, while his wife Megan attempts to catch dinner.

Producer: James Robinson

A BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2018.


SUN 23:00 Andy Hamilton Sort of Remembers (m0007kjx)
Series 2

Class

More potentially misremembered anecdotes from Andy Hamilton.

Andy concludes his series by considering class.

As a middle-class child of working-class parents he recalls some of his bumps up against the class system at university and at work, and suggests comedy is a better mirror of class than drama ever has been.

Andy was born in Fulham in 1954, read English at Cambridge and then in 1976 began writing comedy for BBC Radio, on programmes like Week Ending and The News Huddlines. In 1990, he and Guy Jenkin created Drop the Dead Donkey for Channel 4.

Andy has spent much of his working life making acute observations about politics and family life.

In 2007, again with Guy Jenkin, he created the massive TV hit, Outnumbered, which celebrated the chaos of life with young children. More recently they created the highly topical Ballot Monkeys for Channel 4, which charted the absurdities of the General Election and then the EU Referendum.

For over 20 years he has been playing the part of Satan in his Radio 4 sitcom, Old Harry's Game. Andy is also a popular panellist on shows such as The News Quiz and Have I Got News For You.

Producer: Claire Jones

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2019.


SUN 23:30 Clayton Grange (b047zk79)
Series 2

Episode 4

Spurred on by Saunders, our weary scientific team tries to impress a visiting Nobel Prize judge with their self-replicating killer robo-ants.

But this is Clayton Grange. When do things ever go right?

Anthony Head leads the team thinking the unthinkable.

Comedy by Neil Warhurst with additional material by Paul Barnhill.

Professor Saunders ...... Anthony Head
Geoff Prowse ...... Neil Warhurst
Roger Bucks ...... Paul Barnhill
Anders Bjornstad ...... Simon Kunz
Alice Jameson ...... Stephanie Racine
Gwynnie ...... Heather Craney
Announcer ...... Clive Hayward

DIrector: Marion Nancarrow

Anthony Head returns for the finale of this sparkling comedy series, described by The Observer as "brilliantly funny".

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2014.

MONDAY 23 OCTOBER 2023

MON 00:00 Poetry Extra (m001rpvc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Sunday]


MON 00:30 The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (Omnibus) (m001rpvw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Sunday]


MON 01:40 Inheritance Tracks (m001rpwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:40 on Sunday]


MON 01:50 Shakespeare's Restless World (Omnibus) (m001rpwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:50 on Sunday]


MON 03:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01c6h6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Sunday]


MON 03:30 Tony's (b007jsz2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Sunday]


MON 04:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m001rpxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


MON 04:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Sunday]


MON 05:00 Tull (m001rpwq)
The remarkable life of Walter Tull: footballer, First World War hero and the British Army’s first black officer.

Follow his battles against racism from his turbulent time at Tottenham Hotspur and the revival of his career at Northampton Town, through to his army years.

Starring Paterson Joseph and Peter de Jersey.

Dramatist Andy Merriman and historian Rod Wickens' collaborate to tell Tull's story.

Walter Tull .... Paterson Joseph
Edward Tull .... Peter de Jersey
Cissie Tull .... Syan Blake
Alf Hudson .... Trevor Fox
Pendlebury .... Ioan Meredith
Mrs Warnock .... Jenny Lee
Edward as a child .... Tomas Hunt
Walter as a child .... Benjamin Minkah

Director: Pam Fraser Solomon

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2003.


MON 05:45 This Dog's Life by Kate Atkinson (m001rpx4)
Gerald and his dog both muse on their predicaments, as they wait interminably at the vets.

Bob Peck reads Kate Atkinson's short story.

Producer: Pauline Harris

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1996.


MON 06:00 Deep Six (m000fx14)
6. Battle

Terry Prince lurks in the darkness near an Oxford mansion - the setting for the deed he’s been blackmailed into carrying out.

The ex-SAS agent is preparing to do battle, with whatever forces await him....

Starring Freddie Lees.

The gripping conclusion of John Fletcher’s thriller serial.

Terry ...... Freddie Lees
Thompson ...... John Abineri
Sir James Simpson ...... Conrad Phillips
Fortescue ...... Hubert Rees
Manny Silverman ...... Arnold Diamond
Linda Taylor ...... Madeleine Cemm
Radio voice ...... Roger Leach

Directed at BBC Bristol by Brian Miller.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1984.


MON 06:30 Inspector Purbright - Lonelyheart 4122 (m001rpw4)
6. Outconned

Miss Huddlestone has a flash of inspiration while weeding - but has it come in time?

Conclusion of Colin Watson's Flaxborough mystery.

Why are lonely, well-off middle-aged women disappearing from the sleepy, small market town?

John Rowe stars as Inspector Walter Purbright.

Dramatised by Christopher Denys.

Inspector Purbright .... John Rowe
Lucy Teatime .... Linda Gardner
Detective Sergeant Love .... Paul Downing
Maddox .... Peter Rylands
Sulvia Staunch .... Ann Rye
Jack Trelawney .... John Branwell
Lintz .... Nigel Carrington
Miss Huddlestone .... Daphne Oxenford
Chief Constable .... Geoffrey Banks

Directed at BBC Manchester by: Tony Cliff.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1990.


MON 07:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qb6)
1. Betrayal

Nora Ephron's tabasco-spiked and bittersweet novel about a marriage on the rocks.

Seven months into her pregnancy, irrepressible food writer Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband Mark - a man who ‘would be capable of having sex with a Venetian blind’ - is in love with another woman.

In between trying to work out what went wrong, trying to win him back and loudly wishing him dead, Rachel offers us her favourite recipes.

Nora Ephron was the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle.

The breakdown of Ephron’s own marriage to Carl Bernstein proved the perfect fuel for her only novel. Packed with snappy, hilarious, endlessly quotable one-liners – the stock-in trade of her award-winning screenplays - Heartburn is a rollercoaster of love, betrayal, loss and - most satisfyingly - revenge.

The novel was later made into a successful film starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. Nora Ephron died aged 71 in 2012.

Abridged in five parts by Antonia Hodgson.

Read by Julianna Jennings

Producer: Justine Willett

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2019.


MON 07:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gf5t0)
6. Europe: Triumphs of the Past

As a tourist attraction in Westminster Abbey, Henry V's instruments of battle reflect the view of English history as depicted on the Elizabeth stage.

Object-based history series presented by Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum.

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.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2012.


MON 07:30 Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully (b01r0fv7)
Series 1

Taking Overs

A successful pilot sparked the first of two series of Eddie Robson's sitcom about an alien invasion of a small English village.

Starring Hattie Morahan and Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Katrina Lyons was only visiting Cresdon Green, where she grew up, to borrow cash from her parents. But when she tried to return to London, it turned out alien beings known as the Geonin had lowered a force field around the village - refusing to let anyone in or out.

Unfortunately almost everyone in the village is too cowardly, apathetic, polite or stupid to stand up to this alien menace, so Katrina has no choice but to start the resistance movement herself, in the cricket pavilion.

In this episode, the force field around the village is keeping out all the rain, so the villagers can no longer moan about the weather.

Uljabaan realises this means they're moaning about him instead. So he distracts villagers with a cricket match - aliens versus humans - whilst trying to build a device to simulate rain.

Katrina sees an opportunity to sabotage Uljabaan's computer - if she can keep the match going long enough...

Katrina Lyons ...... Hattie Morahan
Field Commander Uljabaan ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Margaret Lyons ...... Jan Francis
Richard Lyons ...... Peter Davison
Lucy Alexander ...... Hannah Murray
Computer ...... John-Luke Roberts

Producer: Ed Morrish

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in March 2013.


MON 08:00 Steptoe and Son (b00t3tws)
Series 2

Sunday for Seven Days

Harold lives to regret taking his dad Albert to the cinema.

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

With:

Peter Hawkins
Nigel Clayton.
Marianne Stone
Beth Boyd

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 July 1967.


MON 08:30 Semi Circles (b0962xwz)
Series 1

A Bit on the Side

What is the connection between Bagpuss and Beethoven's Fifth and what does it have to do with the Controller of BBC1?

Ben and Helen wonder if they’re missing out on adventures beyond the marital bed.

The improving story of life and improving times in an improving neighbourhood.

Starring Paula Wilcox and David Wood.

Sitcom written by Simon Brett.

Helen ...... Paula Wilcox
Ben ...... David Wood
Mrs Kelly ...... Pay Heywood
Alastair ...... Bruce Alexander
Nigel ...... James Griffiths
Blythe ...... Bryan Coleman
Linda ...... Jill Lidstone

Producer: Pete Atkin

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1982.


MON 09:00 It's Your Round (b01b8zw3)
Series 2

Episode 6

Another panel of comedians endeavour to beat each other at their own games, watched over by Angus Deayton.

Trying to beat each other at their own games:

Alex Horne
Roisin Conaty
Paul Sinha
Rufus Hound

Featured rounds:

Alex Horne's "Font, Fighter or Fragrance" in which panellists are given a word and they must guess whether that word refers to a typographical font, the name of a Gladiator from ITV's show "Gladiators" or a "Lynx deodorant" fragrance.

Roisin Conaty's "Four Second Pitch" in which panellists have but four seconds to pitch Angus the elements of an idea for a blockbuster film and a new religion.

Paul Sinha's "World Record Recall" in which panellists have to fill in the missing details from the description of a real record from the Guinness Book of World Records.

And Rufus Hound's "Which Lady Done Say That Thing" in which panellists must guess which audience member said a certain phrase. As the title suggests.

Producer: Sam Michell

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2012.


MON 09:30 Snap (b00tvql2)
Series 2

Episode 4

A problem aired is a problem shared, but will Ryan find a way to deal with being bullied on his own?

And Molly doesn't care who Doug goes out with now they’re divorced, but she'd still like to know all the details...

Starring Rebecca Lacey and Paul Venables.

Paul Mendelson’s sitcom about life for a couple after they've split.

Molly ....... Rebecca Lacey
Doug ....... Paul Venables
Kaz ....... Soumaya Keynes
Ryan ....... Jessie Sullivan
Annie ....... Marlene Sidaway
Dawn ....... Samantha Spiro
Raymond ...... Jonathan Tafler

Producer: David Ian Neville

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2004.


MON 10:00 Tull (m001rpwq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 today]


MON 10:45 This Dog's Life by Kate Atkinson (m001rpx4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


MON 11:00 Deep Six (m000fx14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


MON 11:30 Inspector Purbright - Lonelyheart 4122 (m001rpw4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


MON 12:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qb6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


MON 12:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gf5t0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]


MON 12:30 Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully (b01r0fv7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


MON 13:00 Steptoe and Son (b00t3tws)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


MON 13:30 Semi Circles (b0962xwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


MON 14:00 It's Your Round (b01b8zw3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 14:30 Snap (b00tvql2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


MON 15:00 Tull (m001rpwq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 today]


MON 15:45 This Dog's Life by Kate Atkinson (m001rpx4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 today]


MON 16:00 Deep Six (m000fx14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


MON 16:30 Inspector Purbright - Lonelyheart 4122 (m001rpw4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


MON 17:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qb6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


MON 17:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gf5t0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]


MON 17:30 Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully (b01r0fv7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


MON 18:00 Steptoe and Son (b00t3tws)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


MON 18:30 Semi Circles (b0962xwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


MON 19:00 It's Your Round (b01b8zw3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 19:30 Snap (b00tvql2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


MON 20:00 Radiolab (m00180gf)
Series 9

Life In A Barrel

Radiolab is a Peabody-award winning show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and the human experience.

The Radiolab team investigate a strange world.

Radiolab explores the chaos of life through a barrel of seawater, a 70s era computer, and underwater geysers.

With Latif Nasser.

From WNYC. First broadcast on public radio in the USA in 2022.


MON 20:55 Inheritance Tracks (m000fn21)
Frank Skinner

Comedian Frank Skinner chooses ‘Winter Wonderland’ by Dean Martin and ‘Why Women Don't Like Me?’ by George Formby.


MON 21:00 Mastertapes (b088f9zq)
Series 6

Shirley Collins (A-side)

Shirley Collins discusses her 1971 classic album, 'Love, Death and the Lady'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Shirley talks to John Wilson.

Released on the Harvest label (also home to Deep Purple, Kevin Ayers and Pink Floyd), Love Death & the Lady exuded a darkness that reflected Shirley's own personal loneliness at the time. With tracks like The Outlandish Knight, The Oxford Girl and Geordie, the album revolves around the themes of murder, class conflict and betrayal.

Shirley Collins began the 1970s releasing what is now regarded by many as one of her finest albums... and she ended the decade by losing her singing voice through dysphonia.

Yet she remains revered today by the likes of Graham Coxon, Billy Bragg, Stewart Lee, Jonny Greenwood and Angel Olsen.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2017.


MON 21:30 Charles Chilton - Journey into Space (b007jqb9)
The Red Planet

11. The Desperate Search

Captain Jet Morgan and the crew reach freighter number two after it crash landed, but they fear they're not alone on Mars...

Charles Chilton’s 1954 classic set in 1971.

CAST:

Jet Morgan …. Andrew Faulds
Lemmy …. David Kossoff
Doc …. Guy Kingsley Poynter
Mitch …. Bruce Beeby
Announcer/Various …. David Jacobs

Music composed and conducted by Van Phillips.

Producer: Charles Chilton

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1954.


MON 22:00 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m001rgxh)
Series 2

Episode 7 - Manchester

Which monkey, in the words of Winston Churchill, "caused the death of a quarter of a million people"? Which chimpanzee had the most commendably honourable attitude towards democracy? And what's wrong with the Um Bongo advertising jingle? This week, Paul Sinha is in Gorilla, Manchester to test his audience's knowledge on these questions, and more.

Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience

Original music: Tim Sutton

Sound engineer: Jerry Peal

Producer: Ed Morrish

A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4


MON 22:30 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b01m5n7s)
Series 2

Gravinia and Plumpf

Brian Gulliver, a seasoned presenter of travel documentaries, finds himself in a hospital's secure unit after claiming to have experienced a succession of bizarre adventures.

More memories as Brian relives his adventures in Gravinia, a land where the military are revered above everything.

Starring Neil Pearson and Mariah Gale.

A satirical adventure story from Bill Dare.

Brian Gulliver ..... Neil Pearson
Rachel Gulliver..... Mariah Gale
Fillick ..... Marcus Brigstocke
Chaplain ..... Adrian Scarborough
Guest ..... Tracy Wiles
Host..... Patrick Brennan
Stegga ..... Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Barista..... Harry Livingstone
Dragit ..... Nick Mohammed
Glugas Hold ..... Dan Tetsell

Producer: Steven Canny

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2012.


MON 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m001rrpt)
Laura Smyth 1/3

From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, The Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. And tonight, Rob Deering talks to Laura Smyth.


MON 23:00 The News Quiz (m001rh7x)
Series 112

Episode 7

Andy Zaltzman quizzes the week's news. Providing the answers, hopefully, are Ian Smith, Lucy Porter, Anushka Asthana, and Simon Evans.

In this episode Andy and the panel discuss the language of war, our crumbling infrastructure, and massive rats!

Written by Andy Zaltzman

With additional material by

Jade Gebbie, Simon Alcock and Cameron Loxdale

Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Dan Marchini
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

A BBC Studios Production


MON 23:30 Forty Nights in the Wildebeest (b008gdcr)
Episode 2

Dan Freedman and Nick Romero push the pun count beyond the pain threshold.

Recorded at the Edinburgh Festival.

Including:

An American guide to 'Scotchland'
A song about Roget's Thesaurus
Sherlock Holmes handles a case in which a man is attacked with a large fruit. Cue pun.

Music is performed by the Gents.

Producers: Julian Mayers & Jayne Gibson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2000.

TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2023

TUE 00:00 Tull (m001rpwq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 on Monday]


TUE 00:45 This Dog's Life by Kate Atkinson (m001rpx4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:45 on Monday]


TUE 01:00 Deep Six (m000fx14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]


TUE 01:30 Inspector Purbright - Lonelyheart 4122 (m001rpw4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]


TUE 02:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qb6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]


TUE 02:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gf5t0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 on Monday]


TUE 02:30 Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully (b01r0fv7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]


TUE 03:00 Steptoe and Son (b00t3tws)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Monday]


TUE 03:30 Semi Circles (b0962xwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Monday]


TUE 04:00 It's Your Round (b01b8zw3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]


TUE 04:30 Snap (b00tvql2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Monday]


TUE 05:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6c7)
1. The Affair

Brenda Last embarks on an affair that is the talk of London society.

Bu there are tragic consequences for all those involved...

Starring Tara Fitzgerald and Jonathan Cullen.

Evelyn Waugh's novel was first published in 1934.

Dramatised in two parts by Bill Matthews

Brenda Last ...... Tara Fitzgerald
Tony Last ...... Jonathan Cullen
Beaver .... Ronan Vibert
Mrs Beaver .... Sally Grace
Jock .... James Simmons
Marjorie .... Victoria Carling
John Andrew .... Nathan Grower
Milly .... Dariel Pertwee
Ambrose..... Kim Wall
Babs .... Jane Whittenshaw
Polly .... Colleen Prendergast
Veronica .... Patience Tomlinson
Jenny .... Alice Arnold
Ben .... Keith Drinkel
Nanny .... Ann Beach

Director Sally Avens

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1996.


TUE 06:00 The Candle of Darkness (b0b51vyp)
1. The Kind Man

"I don't dig you and I don't dig your tone."

Steve Gardiner - a hip Londoner and Korean War veteran - arrives in a small Scottish seaside town where locals are all under threat from a serial killer dubbed 'The Kind Man'.

Starring Teddy Johnson.

Edward Boyd's six-part serial thriller is reminiscent of American radio thrillers of the era, as our hero also addresses us directly.

Steve Gardiner ...... Teddy Johnson
Jimmy Morton ...... Jimmy Logan
Miss Wylie ...... Marjorie Dalziel
PC McKenzie ...... John Young
Police Sergeant ...... Kalman Glass
Detective Inspector Gordon ...... Moultrie R. Kelsall
Mrs McGann ...... Helen Norman
Stella ...... Isobel Gardner
Albert ...... Paul Young
Porter ...... Eric Wightman
Tramp ...... Douglas Murchie
Delia Dewar ...... Effie Morrison
Wilfred Morton ...... Leonard Maguire

As well as acting, Teddy Johnson sang with his wife Pearl Carr - coming second in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Sing Little Birdie'. Johnson was also a DJ on Radio Luxembourg and later BBC Radio 2.

Produced in Glasgow by Eddie Fraser.

First broadcast on the BBC Home Service Scotland in March 1954.


TUE 06:30 The Dark Island (m000b0hy)
1. Escape

Lonely and withdrawn, the mist-veiled islands of the Outer Hebrides stand like a breakwater off Britain's north-west coast

Beyond them. out in the Atlantic, foreign trawlers maintain constant patrol, keeping an eye on the rocket range on South Uist- and more besides...

A strange discovery is made. Could it be the sign of a plot that leads all the way to the Iron Curtain?

Starring Edward De Souza.

Robert Barr's six-part story of espionage in the remote islands of the Outer Hebrides.

Jim Nicholson ...... Edward De Souza
Bill Grant ...... Geoffrey Frederick
Ian McLeod ...... Bryden Murdoch
Lieutenant Ritchie ...... Roy Spencer
Major Williams ...... Peter Hawkins
Brigadier ...... Michael Kilgarriff

Producer: Peter Titheridge.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1969.


TUE 07:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qyz)
2. Memories

Nora Ephron's tabasco-spiked and bittersweet novel about a marriage on the rocks. Nora Ephron was the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle.

Seven months into her pregnancy, irrepressible food writer Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband Mark - a man who ‘would be capable of having sex with a Venetian blind’ - is in love with another woman. In between trying to work out what went wrong, trying to win him back and loudly wishing him dead, Rachel offers us her favourite recipes.

In this episode, Rachel recalls meeting her husband-to-be at a Washington party.

The breakdown of the late Ephron’s own marriage to Carl Bernstein proved the perfect fuel for her only novel. Packed with snappy, hilarious, endlessly quotable one-liners – the stock-in trade of her award-winning screenplays - Heartburn is a rollercoaster of love, betrayal, loss and - most satisfyingly - revenge. The novel was later made into a successful film starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

Nora Ephron was the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. This is her only novel. She died in 2012.

Read by Julianna Jennings
Produced by Justine Willett
Abridged by Antonia Hodgson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2019.


TUE 07:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gg7dt)
7. Ireland: Failures in the Present

A rare woodcut offers a equally rare visual impression of the troubles and tragedies of Elizabethan Ireland.

Object-based history series presented by Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum.

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.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2012.


TUE 07:30 Making the Best of It (b03ttg81)
Shock Jock

DJ Asif has dragged Barry out of his room to act as on air 'posse' in his Lake Vista Care Home radio show.

But can Barry and Asif hold it together in the cupboard next to the vending machine, and make the kind of radio magic which will propel Asif all the way to a photocopying placement with Chris Evans?

Starring Adil Ray and Roy Hudd

The first in a series of comedies developed with the Comedians Theatre Company.

Asif ...... Adil Ray
Barry ...... Roy Hudd
Norman ...... Peter Polycarpou
James ...... Peter Polycarpou
Rupert ...... Peter Polycarpou
Leonard ...... Steve Toussaint
Anish ...... Anil Desai
Kevin ...... Anil Desai
Vlad ...... Anil Desai
Doris ...... Priyanga Burford
Emily ...... Carolyn Pickles
Marie ...... Carolyn Pickles

Written by Dave Florez

Director: Jonquil Panting.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2014.


TUE 08:00 The Goon Show (b007jz4z)
Series 9

The Gold Plate Robbery

Neddie Seagoon goes overseas to pursue some stolen booty, but can Bloodnok be far behind?

Groundbreaking, surreal BBC radio comedy written by Spike Milligan.

Starring:

Harry Secombe
Spike Milligan
Peter Sellers

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: John Browell

First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in February 1959.


TUE 08:30 Growing Pains (m001rpvg)
5. Better Luck Next Time

Will Pat and Tom be able to deal with the emotions of fostering their first baby?

Steve Wetton’s six-part series featuring the Hollingsworth family. Carpet salesman Tom and wife Pat have three children, Mark [15], Lisa [14] and Simon [12]. Pat, her older sister, Miriam - a lecturer - and their mother moved south from Yorkshire 25 years previously.

With no plans to have more children of her own, and no means of income, Pat feels that fostering may be the way forward.

Tom Hollingsworth .... Ray Brooks
Pat Hollingsworth .... Sharon Duce
Gran .... Jean Heywood
Miriam .... Jacqueline Tong
Caroline Thornley .... Susan Sheridan
Mark .... Richard Pearce
Lisa .... Tika Viker-Bloss
Simon .... Nicholas Delve
Miss Crabbe .... Melinda Walker
Nurse .... Eva Stuart
Careers officer .... Simon Cuff

Producer: Lissa Evans

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1989.


TUE 09:00 Quote... Unquote (m000bvwz)
Ken Cheng, Helen Lewis, Luke Jennings

Nigel Rees quizzes his celebrity guests on the origins of sayings and well-known quotes, and gets the famous panel to share their favourite anecdotes and quotes.

With:

Stand up comedian Ken Cheng
Journalist and author Helen Lewis
Author and dance critic Luke Jennings

Producer: Simon Nicholls

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2019.


TUE 09:30 The Change (b0076cp6)
Series 2

Episode 1

George is trying to persuade Carol to let him move back in but she’s having none of it. All she wants is a new haircut - and a new life.

Lynda Bellingham and Chris Ellison star as troubled hormonal wife Carol whose husband George revealed he's a transvestite - and she's kicked him out.

Sitcom by Gavin Petrie and Jan Etherington.

Carol ...... Lynda Bellingham
George ...... Chris Ellison
Violet ...... Sylvia Syms
Maureen ...... Maureen Beattie
Dave ...... Mark Powley
Ken ...... James Vaughan
Jerry ...... Barnaby Kay
Sonia ...... Emma Kennedy

Producer: Elizabeth Freestone

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2003.


TUE 10:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6c7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 today]


TUE 11:00 The Candle of Darkness (b0b51vyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


TUE 11:30 The Dark Island (m000b0hy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


TUE 12:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qyz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


TUE 12:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gg7dt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]


TUE 12:30 Making the Best of It (b03ttg81)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


TUE 13:00 The Goon Show (b007jz4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


TUE 13:30 Growing Pains (m001rpvg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


TUE 14:00 Quote... Unquote (m000bvwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 14:30 The Change (b0076cp6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


TUE 15:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6c7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 today]


TUE 16:00 The Candle of Darkness (b0b51vyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


TUE 16:30 The Dark Island (m000b0hy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


TUE 17:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qyz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


TUE 17:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gg7dt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]


TUE 17:30 Making the Best of It (b03ttg81)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


TUE 18:00 The Goon Show (b007jz4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


TUE 18:30 Growing Pains (m001rpvg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


TUE 19:00 Quote... Unquote (m000bvwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 19:30 The Change (b0076cp6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


TUE 20:00 TED Radio Hour (m0016jch)
Series 9

Far Flung Places

A journey through fascinating ideas based on talks by riveting speakers on the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) stage.

Manoush Zomorodi talks to journalist Saleem Reshamwala about the surprising people and places that have inspired him.

Journalist Saleem Reshamwala gives us a tour of surprising people and places — Lima, Nairobi, and prehistoric New Jersey — to inspire new perspectives on travel and cultures.

First broadcast in the USA on National Public Radio in 2021.


TUE 20:50 Inheritance Tracks (m000pw61)
Tony Hadley

Singer and ex-Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley chooses My Boy Lollipop by Millie Small and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.


TUE 21:00 Mastertapes (b088fg44)
Series 6

Shirley Collins (B-side)

Shirley Collins answers audience questions about her classic 1971 album, ‘Love, Death and the Lady’.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

B-side: Shirley Collins - ‘Love, Death and the Lady’

Having discussed the making of "Love, Death and the Lady" (in the A-side of the programme) Shirley Collins responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of songs from her new album, the first she has released in 38 years.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2017.


TUE 21:30 Charles Chilton - Journey into Space (b007jqdn)
The Red Planet

12. Mysterious Lights and More...

An alien ship disturbs the space crew - and is Captain Jet Morgan's childhood dream becoming a reality on Mars?

Charles Chilton’s 1954 classic set in 1971.

CAST:

Jet Morgan …. Andrew Faulds
Lemmy …. David Kossoff
Doc …. Guy Kingsley Poynter
Mitch …. Bruce Beeby
Announcer/Various …. David Jacobs

Music composed and conducted by Van Phillips.

Producer: Charles Chilton

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1954.


TUE 22:00 Best Medicine (m001rgyt)
Series 1

Cytosponge, Fresh Air, Showmanship, Alkaline Breathing

Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by funny and fascinating comedians, doctors, scientists and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future.

Each week, Kiri challenges her guests to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each of them champions anything from world-changing science to an obscure invention, an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure.

Whether it’s micro-robotic surgery, virtual reality syringes, Victorian clockwork surgical saws, more than a few ingenious cures for cancer, world-first lifesaving heart operations, epidurals, therapy, dancing, faith or laughter - it’s always something worth celebrating.

Joining Kiri this week are Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald OBE who demonstrates the Cytosponge test which detects throat cancer with a revolutionary pill on a string, Dr Jack Hartnell brings tales of surgical showmanship from the middle ages, comedian Thanyia Moore extols the virtues of alkaline breathing, and Dr Tolullah Oni explains how you treat an entire city like a patient.

Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Featuring: Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald OBE, Dr Jack Hartnell, Thanyia Moore and Dr Tolullah Oni

Written by Laura Claxton, Edward Easton, Pravanya Pillay, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Nicky Roberts and Ben Rowse

Producer: Ben Worsfield

Assistant Producer: Tashi Radha

Executive Producer: Simon Nicholls

Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones

A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 22:30 Mr and Mrs Smith (b01bgp22)
Pilot Episode - The Anniversary

A weekend break to celebrate their anniversary ends in disaster for Will and Annabelle.

Will's terrible anniversary present is the last straw so Annabelle signs them up for marriage counselling.

Guy mediates between Will and Annabelle, with flashbacks to the events that spawned the argument. By the end, the couple find marital equilibrium once more. Sort of.

Pilot for the following series written by and starring Will Smith.

Will Smith ...... Will Smith
Annabelle Smith ...... Sarah Hadland
Guy, Darryl ...... Paterson Joseph
John, TV repairman ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Receptionist, Sally ...... Morwenna Banks

Producer: Tilusha Ghelani

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2010.


TUE 23:00 The Pin (b08yqb9k)
Series 3

Stocks

In a bid to diversify, Alex and Ben are attempting to enter the world of high finance...

More of double-act, The Pin's trademark offbeat nonsense.

Written and performed by Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen.

With:

Liam Williams

Producer: Sam Bryant.

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2017.


TUE 23:30 Elvenquest (b01r5lnp)
Series 4

The Bard

The Questers find themselves in possession of the magical Dagger of Razzak-Dar, which kills anyone it touches, and realise this might be a golden opportunity to use it on Lord Darkness. The problem is, Lord Darkness' castle is impenetrable.

Luckily, Lord Darkness is looking for a new bard to soothe his nerves, so decides to hold a talent contest so throws open the doors of his castle to welcome applicants.

If only one of the Questers had any musical or acting experience.

Enter Penthiselea, stage left...

Fantasy-based sitcom set in Lower Earth written by James Cary.

Vidar ...... Darren Boyd
Dean/Kreech ...... Kevin Eldon
Amis/The Vet/Grunter ...... Dave Lamb
Sam ...... Stephen Mangan
Lord Darkness ...... Alistair McGowan
Penthiselea ...... Ingrid Oliver

Producer: Sam Michell.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2013.

WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2023

WED 00:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6c7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 on Tuesday]


WED 01:00 The Candle of Darkness (b0b51vyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]


WED 01:30 The Dark Island (m000b0hy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]


WED 02:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qyz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]


WED 02:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gg7dt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 on Tuesday]


WED 02:30 Making the Best of It (b03ttg81)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]


WED 03:00 The Goon Show (b007jz4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Tuesday]


WED 03:30 Growing Pains (m001rpvg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Tuesday]


WED 04:00 Quote... Unquote (m000bvwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Tuesday]


WED 04:30 The Change (b0076cp6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 05:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6q1)
2. Consequences

Tony's life is shattered by Brenda's revelation of adultery.

Starring Tara Fitzgerald and Jonathan Cullen.

Conclusion of Evelyn Waugh's 1934 novel dramatised by Bill Matthews

Brenda Last ...... Tara Fitzgerald
Tony Last ...... Jonathan Cullen
Beaver ..... Ronan Vibert
Jock .... James Simmons
Milly ..... Dariel Pertwee
Mrs Beaver .... Sally Grace
Dr Messinger .... Robert Glenister
Rosa .... Vivienne Rochester
Mr Todd .... Jack Klaff
Teddy Last .... Daniel Philpott
Reggie .... David Timson
Ambrose ... Kim Wall
Babs .... Jane Whittenshaw
Polly .... Colleen Prendergast
Tony's Solicitor .... Denys Hawthorne
Senior Detective .... Geoffrey Whttehead
Winnie .... Jade Williams
Jenny .... Alice Arnold

Director: Sally Avens

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1996.


WED 06:00 The Candle of Darkness (b0b51vyr)
2. The Voice

As the terror intensifies in the town, Steve Gardiner is drawn in to the search for the Scottish seaside serial killer now dubbed 'The Kind Man'.

Teddy Johnson stars in Edward Boyd's serial thriller.

Steve Gardiner ...... Teddy Johnson
Jimmy Morton ...... Jimmy Logan
Romily Foster ...... Douglas Murchie
Wilfred Morton ...... Leonard Maguire
Detective Inspector Gordon ...... Moultrie R. Kelsall
The Librarian ...... Leslie Blackater
Lindy Marshall ...... Hannah Gordon

Produced in Glasgow by Eddie Fraser.

First broadcast in April 1954 on the BBC Regional Home Service - Scotland


WED 06:30 The Dark Island (m000b0dx)
2. Risk

Officer Jim Nicholson risks his life investigating the spy torpedo.

Could it be the sign of a plot that leads all the way to the Iron Curtain?

Starring Edward De Souza.

Robert Barr's espionage serial set in the remote islands of the Outer Hebrides.

Jim Nicholson ...Edward De Souza
Bill Grant ... Geoffrey Frederick
Ian McLeod ... Bryden Murdoch
Mary Somers…Rosemary Miller
Colonel Jamieson / Hotel Manager … Alaric Cotter
Alec Thompson … John Graham
Major Williams ... Peter Hawkins

Producer: Peter Titheridge.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1969.


WED 07:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qdf)
3. One More Chance

Nora Ephron's tabasco-spiked and bittersweet novel about a marriage on the rocks. Nora Ephron was the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle.

Seven months into her pregnancy, irrepressible food writer Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband Mark - a man who ‘would be capable of having sex with a Venetian blind’ - is in love with another woman. In between trying to work out what went wrong, trying to win him back and loudly wishing him dead, Rachel offers us her favourite recipes.

In this episode, Mark tries to persuade Rachel to give him one more chance...

The breakdown of the late Ephron’s own marriage to Carl Bernstein proved the perfect fuel for her only novel. Packed with snappy, hilarious, endlessly quotable one-liners – the stock-in trade of her award-winning screenplays - Heartburn is a rollercoaster of love, betrayal, loss and - most satisfyingly - revenge. The novel was later made into a successful film starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

Nora Ephron was the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. This is her only novel. She died in 2012.

Read by Julianna Jennings
Produced by Justine Willett
Abridged by Antonia Hodgson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2019.


WED 07:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gg8h6)
8. City Life, Urban Strife

The life of London's apprentices and Shakespeare's groundlings told through a rare woollen cap.

Object-based history series presented by Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum.

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.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2012.


WED 07:30 Relativity (m000ltrs)
Series 3

Episode 6

Holly and Jane are both back at home, as Pete and Jane try to work things out.

Ian and Chloe have made it up, Ken and Margaret are relieved to have their house back. So celebrations for Holly’s 18th birthday look set to go swimmingly- until the vegan cake debacle.

Even a brief appearance by Richard Osman can’t lighten the mood.

The third series of Richard Herring’s comedy drama builds on the warm, lively characters and sharply observed family dynamics of previous series.

His affectionate observation of inter-generational misunderstanding, sibling sparring and the ties that bind will resonate with anyone who has ever gone back to live at home, after the age of 40.

Richard Herring is a comedian, writer, blogger and podcaster and the world's premier semi-professional self-playing snooker player.

Margaret …… Alison Steadman
Ken …… Phil Davis
Jane …… Fenella Woolgar
Ian …… Richard Herring
Chloe …… Emily Berrington
Pete …… Gordon Kennedy
Holly …… Tia Bannon
Mark …… Fred Haig
Nick …… Harrison Knights
George …… Danny Kirrane
Richard Osman ...... Richard Osman

Produced by Polly Thomas
Executive Producers: Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner.

An Avalon Television production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2020.


WED 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jsqv)
Series 5

Around the World in 80 Days

The Lad accepts a bet when challenged to copy Phileas Fogg's trip - but in far less time.

Stars Tony Hancock.

With Sidney James, Bill Kerr, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams.

Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

Theme and incidental music written by Wally Stott.

Producer: Tom Ronald

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in March 1958.


WED 08:30 King of Bath (b049f20z)
The Clockwork Man

Beau Nash turns detective to track down a highwayman, but all the clues point back at him.

Conclusion of the comedy drama series by Arnold Evans casting the 18th-century dandy Richard 'Beau' Nash in a series of adventures.

Beau Nash ...... David Bamber
Daniel Brewster ...... Simon Ludders
Ned ...... Stephen Thorne
Annie ...... Eiry Thomas
Sir Percy ...... Andrew Wincott
Sophia ...... Claire Cage

Composer: John Hardy.

Directed at BBC Wales by Alison Hindell

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1999.


WED 09:00 Counterpoint (b01gvlfp)
Series 26

2012 Heat 2

Paul Gambaccini chairs the general knowledge music quiz

The questions cover every aspect of music - from the classical repertoire to world music, show tunes, film scores, jazz, rock and pop

The first trio of 27 competitors are in the BBC Radio Theatre in London for the opening heat of the 26th series

James Leggott from Gateshead
Clive Summers from Bow in London
Charlie Wakely from Hitchin in Hertfordshire

Producer Paul Bajoria

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2012.


WED 09:30 The Right Time (b00c0btz)
Series 3

Episode 3

Vengeful parents, school day memories - and an unusual police stop and check...

The sketch comedy for people growing older disgracefully.

Stars Eleanor Bron, Graeme Garden, Neil Innes, Clive Swift, Roger Blake and Paula Wilcox.

Written by Tony Bagley, Julie Baloo, Colin Bostock Smith, Jan Etherington, Graeme Garden, Mike Haskins, Emma Kennedy, Bob Sinfield, David Spicer, Peter Usher, Chris Thompson and Pete Reynolds.

Script Editor: Jed Parsons.

Music by Ronnie & The Rex and Neil Innes.

Producer: Claire Jones

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.


WED 10:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6q1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 today]


WED 11:00 The Candle of Darkness (b0b51vyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


WED 11:30 The Dark Island (m000b0dx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


WED 12:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qdf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


WED 12:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gg8h6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]


WED 12:30 Relativity (m000ltrs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


WED 13:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jsqv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


WED 13:30 King of Bath (b049f20z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


WED 14:00 Counterpoint (b01gvlfp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 14:30 The Right Time (b00c0btz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


WED 15:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6q1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:00 today]


WED 16:00 The Candle of Darkness (b0b51vyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]


WED 16:30 The Dark Island (m000b0dx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]


WED 17:00 Heartburn by Nora Ephron (m0007qdf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]


WED 17:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gg8h6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]


WED 17:30 Relativity (m000ltrs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]


WED 18:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jsqv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]


WED 18:30 King of Bath (b049f20z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]


WED 19:00 Counterpoint (b01gvlfp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


WED 19:30 The Right Time (b00c0btz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]


WED 20:00 Redcar: Made of Steel (b00t5zp5)
Felicity Finch - 'Ruth' in the Archers -returns home to witness the end of 170 years of steelmaking on Teesside.

As the last blast furnace on Teesside is mothballed, Felicity Finch - who plays Ruth in The Archers - returns to her home town of Redcar to mark the end of 170 years of steelmaking in the area. Iron and Steel from Teesside helped build the world - the name is stamped on structures from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Canary Wharf. At one time there were more than a hundred blast furnaces lining the River Tees from Stockton to Redcar.

Now, with the decommissioning of Redcar's Corus plant, it means the end of an industry which defined the region and defined it's people. It also means a bleak future for jobs on Teesside.

It was the discovery of huge deposits of iron ore under the Cleveland Hills in the 1840's which prompted a mini-Klondyke and brought migrant workers from across the country and the continent to dig for "rusty gold". Communities sprang up virtually over-night and Middlesbrough became known as "Ironopolis" , and was christened by Gladstone, "An Infant Hercules".

The deposits of iron ore ran out in the middle of the tewntieth century - but by then, the steel making industry was well established. The last of the Cleveland iron miners were recorded for posterity 20 years ago by a local film maker, Craig Hornby, who was curious to know more about his own history and heritage. The men - then in their 80's and 90's - told stories of life underground in an industry which had been over-shadowed by coal mining. Hornby was determined that their story should be heard - and released a film - about their lives and the way they'd helped build Teesside, which played to packed houses across the region. Archive of the old iron miners from Hornby's film "A Century in Stone" is included in the programme.

Felicity Finch - who spent her childhood years in Redcar - revisits the region to see how much it's changed ; she climbs Eston Nab with Craig Hornby, visits the iron-rush settlement of California - named after the US gold rush city - and goes underground to see the old iron workings; she hears from workers at Corus who started - and finished - their careers at the Redcar blast furnace; and discovers how much identity is tied up with heavy industry in Teesside - a region often overshadowed by its more assertive neighbours, Yorkshire to the south, Durham and Newcastle to the north.

Producer: Lindsay Leonard

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.

**** Update: The steelworks were demolished in October 2022.


WED 21:00 Short Cuts (b07jysdq)
Series 9

Illuminations

A mysterious character offering to illuminate a course of action, an activist thrust into a glaring spotlight and the dull glow of car tail lights - presenter Josie Long looks for stories featuring illuminations in the darkness.

Featuring the actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather walking onstage to collect Marlon Brando's oscar, a singing medium and Laura Barton on driving at night.

Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall

A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

First broadcast in 2016.


WED 21:30 Charles Chilton - Journey into Space (b007jqgq)
The Red Planet

13. Dream or Reality?

In the Martian city from Captain Jet Morgan's childhood dream, Lemmy is under telepathic attack...

Charles Chilton’s 1954 classic set in 1971.

CAST:

Jet Morgan …. Andrew Faulds
Lemmy …. David Kossoff
Doc …. Guy Kingsley Poynter
Mitch …. Bruce Beeby
Announcer/Various …. David Jacobs

Music composed and conducted by Van Phillips.

Producer: Charles Chilton

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1954.


WED 22:00 Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere (m001rh6h)
Series 4

2. '... so I decided to date an AI...'

In this new series, Daliso is in a more philosophical mood. We find him working through his thoughts, feelings, and opinions by sharing his stories with a live audience in his hometown of Manchester.

Episode 2 - 'So I decided to date an AI'

Unlucky in love, Daliso tries dating an AI. In this second episode Daliso takes us on a journey through his relationship history whilst sharing his thoughts on how technology and Artificial Intelligence are changing our lives.

Writer... Daliso Chaponda
Additional Material... Meryl O'Rourke
Production Coordinator... Katie Baum
Sound Manger... Jerry Peal

Theme music by Lawi
Image by Steve Ullathorne

Producer... Carl Cooper

This is a BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

--
Daliso Chaponda shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent, making it to the final of the 2017 series and establishing himself as a firm favourite with the judges and the British public. He became a Facebook and YouTube star amassing over 200 million views of his performances. He's also appeared on the Royal Variety Performance.

He has performed around the world and at the Edinburgh, Melbourne, Singapore, and Cape Town comedy festivals. He has also toured the UK and Africa to sell out audiences and rave reviews.

In addition to stand-up comedy, Daliso is also a prolific fiction writer. He has published science fiction, murder mysteries and fantasy fiction in numerous magazines, and anthologies. He is currently working on his new novel and a children’s book.

This is this fourth series of his Rose D'Or nominated Radio 4 series.


WED 22:30 Agendum (m00094m2)
Series 2

Meltdown

A current affairs parody and stupidly feasible visit to the 24-hour Hall Of Opinion Mirrors, helmed by helmster Alexandra Palisades, in this parody created by Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris. Because there are two stories to every story.

In this show, we visit the English Channel, Liverpool and Waitrose, and have an enjoyable chat about a new form of murder.

With Carrie Quinlan as Alexandra Palisades and, at the very least, the voices of:

Justin Edwards
Melanie Hudson
Kath Hughes
Simon Kane
Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong
Jess Robinson
Kerry Shale
Luke Sumner
Tony Way

Produced by David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2019.


WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m001rrpw)
Laura Smyth 2/3

From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, The Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. And tonight, Rob Deering talks to Laura Smyth.


WED 23:00 Kevin Eldon Will See You Now (b08pf09q)
Series 3

Where's David?

The Napoleonic Wars, boiler parts and a nice rollercoaster.

Comedy's best kept secret ingredient, Kevin Eldon hosts his very own sketch show.

Also starring:

Amelia Bullmore
Julia Davis
Paul Putner
Justin Edwards
David Reed
Rosie Cavaliero

Written by Kevin Eldon.

With additional material by Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris.

Original music by Martin Bird.

Director: David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2017.


WED 23:30 The Skewer (m001rh7p)
Series 10

Episode 2

Jon Holmes's comedy current affairs concept album remixes news into award-winning satirical shapes. This week - An Arse on a Plate, Corbyn Neutral, and Peter Bone-y M.

Created and produced by Jon Holmes

An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:45 The Problem With Adam Bloom (b00gf8pp)
Series 2

Edinburgh

Adam Bloom has taken a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival over many years.

This is a retrospective of his time performing in Scotland's capital city.

Written by and starring Adam Bloom.

With:

Alistair McGowan.

Producer: Victoria Lloyd

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2004.