The Royal Opera House presents a double bill of two short operas, premiered within a couple of years of each other in the 1890s by two great Italian composers - Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo.
The two operas epitomise the style known as verismo - where being true to life meant dealing directly with the real problems of real people.
A star-studded cast is led by the Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko and features the sopranos Eva-Maria Westbroek and Carmen Giannattasio, alongside the Greek baritone, Dmitri Platanias. The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House is conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano.
David Attenborough takes a look at deserts, which cover a third of the Earth's land surface. From space they appear lifeless but a closer look reveals a different picture.
Deserts, in fact, are surprisingly varied; from Mongolia's Gobi desert where wild Bactrian camels have to eat snow in lieu of water, to the Atacama in Chile where guanacos survive by licking the dew off cactus spines.
Changes are rare in deserts but they play a crucial part in their story; from Saharan sandstorms nearly a mile high to desert rivers that run for a single day; from the brief blooming of Death Valley in the USA, to a plague of desert locusts 40 miles wide and 100 miles long - two events that might occur once in 30 years.
The highlight of the programme is a unique aerial voyage over the dunes and rocky escarpments of a Namibian desert. From this lofty viewpoint, we follow elephants on a desperate trek for food and - most amazingly of all - desert lions searching the wilderness for wandering bands of oryx.
The programme unravels the secrets behind desert survival - and reveals the ephemeral nature of this stunning environment.
The Sky at Night focuses all its attention on one object - M51 aka the Whirlpool Galaxy.
Sitting approximately 30 million light years from Earth, this spectacular spiral galaxy was first discovered in 1773 by the French astronomer Charles Messier. It is thought to have been the inspiration behind the swirling patterns of van Gogh's Starry Night, and ever since it has fascinated astronomers and star watchers.
So for this month's Sky at Night we have declared June 1st Whirlpool Galaxy Day. On this one day we will be aiming as many telescopes as possible at the galaxy. Images will be taken by optical and infra-red telescopes on top of volcanoes in Hawaii and La Palma, the radio signature will be captured at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in Cambridge, and in orbit the Swift space telescope will aim its ultraviolet and X-ray sensors at the galaxy.
By examining the galaxy at as many magnifications and wavelengths as possible the programme will build up a portrait of this galaxy - unlocking the secrets of the formation of the spiral arms and revealing how they have triggered a wave of intense star formation.
Documentary telling the intimate but explosive story about the man behind the greatest fraud in recent sporting history, a portrait of a man who stopped at nothing in pursuit of money, fame and success.
It reveals how Lance Armstrong duped the world with his story of a miraculous recovery from cancer to become a sporting icon and a beacon of hope for cancer sufferers around the world. The film maps how Armstrong's cheating and bullying became more extreme and how a few brave souls fought back, until eventually their voices were heard.
Director Alex Holmes tracks down some of his former friends and team members who reveal how his cheating was the centre of a grand conspiracy in which Armstrong and his backers sought to steal the Tour de France. Friends and fellow riders were brought into a dirty pact that no-one could betray, lest the horrifying extent of complicity be revealed. But the former friends whose lives he destroyed would prove to be his nemesis, and help uncover one of the dirtiest scandals in sports history.
Having explored the wonders of the solar system, Professor Brian Cox steps boldly on to an even bigger stage - the universe.
Who are we? Where do we come from? For thousands of years humanity has turned to religion and myth for answers to these enduring questions. But in this series, Brian presents a different set of answers - answers provided by science.
In this episode, Brian seeks to understand the nature of time and its role in creating both the universe and ourselves. From an extraordinary calendar built into the landscape of Peru to the beaches of Costa Rica, Brian explores the cycles of time which define our experience of life on Earth. But even the most epic cycles of life can't begin to compare to the vast expanse of cosmic time.
For instance, just as the Earth orbits the Sun, the solar system orbits the entire Milky Way galaxy. This orbit takes a staggering 250 million years to complete.
Ultimately, Brian discovers that time is not characterised by repetition but by irreversible change. From the relentless march of a glacier, to the decay of an old mining town, the ravaging effects of time are all around us. The vast universe is subject to these same laws of change. As we look out to the cosmos, we can see the story of its evolution unfold, from the death of the first stars to the birth of the youngest. This journey from birth to death will ultimately lead to the destruction not just of our planet, but also the entire universe, and with it the end of time itself.
Yet without this inevitable destruction, the universe would be without what is perhaps the greatest wonder of all - the brief moment in time in which life can exist.
Horizon goes behind the scenes at Nasa to discover how it is preparing for its most ambitious and daring mission: to land men - and possibly women - on the surface of Mars.
It's over 40 years since Neil Armstrong made the first human footprint on the moon. But getting to the red planet would involve a journey of at least three years.
Horizon meets the scientists and engineers who are designing new rockets and space suits, and finding ways to help astronauts survive the perils of this long voyage.
And it turns out that having the 'right stuff' for a mission to Mars might not be quite what you expect.
Geologist Prof Iain Stewart shows how the continent of Africa was formed from the wreckage of a long lost supercontinent.
Beneath the jungle-clad temples of Mexico's Yucatan a startling discovery has been made - the largest network of flooded caves and underground rivers in the world. The intrepid cave divers exploring this surreal landscape have made remarkable discoveries - bizarre new animals, as well as the skeletons of the ancient Maya and the offerings they made to the spirits. This was their underworld, and its secrets are finally being revealed.
MONDAY 13 JUNE 2016
MON 19:00 World News Today (b07g8nh8)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
MON 19:30 Railway Walks with Julia Bradbury (b00fd1dd)
Gateway to the Highlands
Julia Bradbury faces an epic walk in more ways than one. Not only is this the longest and arguably most dramatic walk yet, but it passes through the unruly territory of Scottish clans and Rob Roy. The Highlands were a place to be wary of, until the railway arrived.
MON 20:00 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b06823cv)
Geology
Liz McIvor discovers how carving up the landscape in order to build canals helped further our understanding of the earth below. The canal builders struggled with rocks. Without maps or geological surveys, construction often relied on guesswork. The Kennet and Avon had more than its fair share of problems. William Smith, a surveyor working on the connecting Somerset Coal Canal, discovered a way of ordering layers of rocks. He eventually created the first geological map of England and Wales - the so-called 'map that changed the world'.
MON 20:30 Handmade: By Royal Appointment (b07g9q28)
John Lobb Shoes
In the shadow of St James's Palace is the workshop of shoemakers John Lobb. Since the mid-19th century, they have handcrafted shoes for gentlemen and boast royal warrants from both the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales. It's a rare heritage company still run by the original family and this film follows a day in the life of the shoemakers, who use methods that have barely changed since the company was founded. From pencilled outlines on brown paper to the cutting and stitching of leather, heels hammered on soles to the final polishing, the film follows the meticulous craft process and hears from the shoemakers themselves, many of whom have spent decades working for the company.
MON 21:00 Horizon (b04b763n)
2013-2014
What's Wrong with Our Weather?
Over the last few years, our weather in Britain has become more extreme.
The winter of 2013/14 was the wettest ever recorded, as deadly storms battered the country for weeks on end. But previous winters have seen bitter lows of -22, as Britain was plunged into a deep freeze.
Everyone wants to know why our weather is getting more extreme, whether we can expect to see more of it in the future, and if it has got anything to do with climate change.
Physicist Dr Helen Czerski and meteorologist John Hammond make sense of Britain's recent extreme weather and discover that there is one thing that connects all our recent extreme winters - the jet stream, an invisible river of air that powers along 10km above us. What's worrying is that recently it has been behaving rather strangely.
Scientists are now trying to understand what is behind these changes in the jet stream. Helen and John find out if extreme winters are something we may all have to get used to in the future.
MON 22:00 Wonders of the Universe (b00zm833)
Stardust
In the second stop in his exploration of the wonders of the universe, Professor Brian Cox goes in search of humanity's very essence to answer the biggest questions of all: what are we? And where do we come from? This film is the story of matter - the stuff of which we are all made.
Brian reveals how our origins are entwined with the life cycle of the stars. But he begins his journey here on Earth. In Nepal, he observes a Hindu cremation. Hindu philosophy is based on an eternal cycle of creation and destruction, where the physical elements of the body are recycled on to the next stage. Brian draws a parallel with the life cycle of the stars that led to our own creation.
Next, he explains how the Earth's resources have been recycled through the ages. How every atom that makes up everything we see was at some time a part of something else. Our world is made up of just 92 elements, and these same 92 elements are found throughout the entire universe. We are part of the universe because we are made of the same stuff as the universe.
MON 23:00 Rise of the Continents (p019bd2j)
Australia
Professor Iain Stewart uncovers the mysterious history of Australia, and shows how Australia's journey as a continent has affected everything from Aboriginal history to modern-day mining, and even the evolution of Australia's bizarre wildlife, like the koala.
Iain begins searching for the platypus - a strange creature that is half mammal and half reptile. 200 million years ago reptile-like mammals were found across much of the world because at this time Australia was just one part of a huge landmass called Gondwana, that dominated the southern hemisphere.
Piecing together evidence from fossils found in a sea cliff outside Sydney and rocks recovered from Captain Scott's expedition to the South Pole, Professor Stewart shows that Gondwana was covered by a forest of now extinct trees called glossopteris. This was the habitat of the ancestors of today's platypus.
To discover the fate of Gondwana, Iain visits an unusual mining town called Coober Pedy where many of the buildings are underground in dug-out caves. The opals that are mined here enable him to recreate the breakup of Gondwana, and also show how Australia's formation led to the creation of a vast underground aquifer. This source of hidden water sustained the Aboriginal people as they criss-crossed the otherwise arid Australian interior.
Iain travels to the cliffs of the Australian Bight to show how Australia was once joined to Antarctica, and how their split led to the evolution of the biggest group of mammals on earth - the filter feeding whales.
Australia's journey away from Antarctica has also left its mark on the koala. Its big, round face and fluffy ears are a result of adaptations to the climate change that Australia has undergone on its northwards journey.
Finally Iain travels to Indonesia to meet the Bajau people of the Banda Sea - sea gypsies who glean almost all they need to live from the waters around them. Contained within these waters is evidence that shows Australia's eventual fate. Over the next 50 million years, Australia will collide with Asia, its isolation will be over, and it will become forested and lush once again.
MON 00:00 D-Day: The Last Heroes (b02xdncc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Saturday]
MON 01:00 Revolution and Romance: Musical Masters of the 19th Century (b07f2blk)
Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution
In the 19th century, as Suzy Klein shows in the second episode of the series, music wasn't just a backdrop to life, easing pain and enhancing pleasure. It became a revolutionary force that could - and did - change the world.
As the impact of the violence and turmoil unleashed in the French Revolution reverberated around Europe, it was music that most viscerally carried the message that the people could stand up to kings and emperors. In France during the revolution, La Marseillaise emerged as a rallying cry - sung by the mob as they stormed the royal palace. When Napoleon imposed his grip on the nation it became an anthem of subversion, along with countless songs that pilloried the return to autocracy and the crushing of freedom.
But it was not just on the streets, as Suzy shows, that revolutionary fervour was stoked up. Even opera, intended by the authorities to reinforce the status quo, became politically potent, fanning the flames of nationalism and revolution throughout Europe. One French opera actually helped trigger a revolution when it was performed in Belgium in 1830.
Suzy shows how music came to express not only revolutionary fervour, but also the growing force of nationalism that was sweeping Europe. She discovers how Chopin's music, beneath its lyrical surface, expressed more powerfully than words the defiant spirit of the Polish people suffering under the oppression of a foreign power. And she explores how Carl Weber's lovely work Der Freischutz articulated the longings for nationhood of the Germans and inspired Richard Wagner to attempt the transformation of the human spirit through his work.
But it was Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi whose music had the most profound political impact in the 19th century. Suzy travels to Parma, Verdi's home town, to meet the disciples who keep his flame alive to this day, venerating the man whose music embodied the fight for freedom and whose very name came to symbolise Italy's fight for nationhood.
MON 02:00 Storyville (b048wq0z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:30 on Sunday]
TUESDAY 14 JUNE 2016
TUE 19:00 World News Today (b07g8nhf)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
TUE 19:30 Orangutan Diary (b007clgv)
Series 1
Episode 1
Michaela Strachan and Steve Leonard present a series featuring orphaned and rescued orangutans in Borneo. Steve heads up river where he rescues a tiny orangutan being kept illegally as a pet. Back at the rescue centre she is named Ellie and takes her place alongside the other orphans.
Michaela visits the forest school where the young orangutans are trained in climbing, feeding and socialising - skills their mothers would have taught them in the wild. Steve attempts to rescue an adult orangutan from a fragment of forest destined for destruction. After being shot with an anaesthetic dart, the orangutan must fall more than 50 feet into a net. It's touch and go whether the mission will succeed.
TUE 20:00 MAKE! Craft Britain (b07f2g2v)
Special
Britain is a nation of crafters, and now more than ever we are seeing an explosion in the number of evening classes and craft workshops up and down the country. People are discovering the simple pleasure of learning a new skill and the enormous sense of pride and well-being as hidden talent and latent creativity is unleashed.
On a quest to understand the power of craft, presenter Martha Kearney begins by asking why her mother's dexterity with a quilting needle passed her by - 'Your head was always in a book ...' explains Martha's mum, but she reassures her daughter that it's never too late to start making things with your hands.
This film is a tale of two workshops. On the edge of the Yorkshire moors embroiderer Marna Lunt welcomes a mixed group of students to her two-day course making embroidered lampshades. Ex-copper Tony is a complete beginner, while textiles student Catherine has been sewing all her life. Under Marna's instruction, they quickly master the basic stitches and learn how to draw inspiration from the colours and sounds of the moors.
Meanwhile, on a Sunday morning in London, six students take up their scalpels for a crash course in paper-cutting. Teacher/practitioner Christine Green explains the long heritage of this new craft craze, teaches them the basics of designing, cutting and finishing, and gets them going on their 3D cards. They are all complete beginners. Richard and Mark draw inspiration from their local park, Crystal Palace, while newlyweds Eri and Jamie make cards that celebrate their one-year 'paper' anniversary.
In both workshops, the students get completely absorbed by the process and the room falls almost silent in quiet concentration and creative 'flow'. Both teachers give 'how to' demonstrations that are easy to follow so that viewers at home can try their hand at these crafts too.
Harnessing the breadth of the craft community through social media, and especially BBC's Get Creative page, MAKE! also features jaw-dropping images of beautiful handmade crafts sent in by viewers.
TUE 21:00 Revolution and Romance: Musical Masters of the 19th Century (b07g9q4w)
Party Like It's 1899
Music was both transformed and transformative in the 19th century. It burst out of court, church and tavern into the world and became a universal soundscape, transcending language and borders. This revolution was made possible by economic and social change, and by a technological revolution.
The 19th century witnessed advances in communication that made the world a smaller place. People could travel by train and steamship with ease across the globe. At the close of the century hundreds of thousands came to the great Paris Exposition of 1889 - the centenary of the French Revolution - to witness the latest inventions and marvel at the strange cultures that came to make music in the temporary halls and theatres on the Champ de Mars.
They heard the music of the Orient, they listened to recording devices, they saw the future. Composers such as Claude Debussy were profoundly influenced by the sounds of the east, in particular the Balinese gamelan. With its non-European harmony and rhythm, such music offered western composers new musical horizons and a way to innovate and escape from the high romanticism of Richard Wagner.
But it was not only the music of the east that inspired the new composers. Developments in manufacturing were changing instruments and creating new ones - exemplified by the saxophone. Suzy witnesses a 'battle of the bands' in which the new and versatile instrument demonstrates its capabilities and - for the luddites - its threatening versatility. And in the spirit of the new age she makes her first recording on a vintage phonograph, one of the earliest recording machines. To our ears they may lack quality, but they were mind-blowing to those who first heard them - and they presaged a new future of recorded music that is still with us today.
TUE 22:00 Seven Ages of Britain (b00qxyv0)
Age of Power
The story of Britain through its art and treasure.
This episode looks at the Tudors and spans from Henry VIII's accession in 1509 to the first performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII exactly 100 years later.
David Dimbleby shows how the Tudors used art as an instrument of power and propaganda. Featuring a look at Henry VIII and the lavish, gilded tomb in Westminster Abbey he commissioned for his father; the epic Field of Cloth of Gold painting in Hampton Court made to celebrate his diplomatic triumph over the French; and the extraordinary patron-artist relationship he cultivated with Hans Holbein. Henry favoured blunt statements of power, but his daughter Elizabeth was more subtle.
Dimbleby's journey also takes in the Reformation, the wreck of the Mary Rose, John White's extraordinary watercolours of the New World, the mouthwatering Cheapside Hoard, the Spanish Armada, Henry VIII's armour and Drake's Drum.
TUE 23:00 Timeshift (b044yw1d)
Series 14
Mods, Rockers and Bank Holiday Mayhem
A trip back to the days when 'style wars' were just that - violent confrontations about the clothes you wore. Spring 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the bank holiday 'battles of the beaches', when hundreds of mods and rockers flocked to seaside resorts on scooters and motorbikes in search of thrills and spills.
Timeshift tells the story of how this led to violence, arrests and widespread concern about the state of British youth. But mods and rockers had more in common than was first obvious - they were the first generation of baby boomers to reach their teenage years at a time when greater prosperity and wider freedoms were transforming what it meant to be young.
TUE 00:00 Hidden Killers (b03lyv9x)
The Edwardian Home
The dawn of the 20th century and the reign of a new king ushered in an era of fresh inventions and innovations that transformed the way we lived. Electricity, refrigeration and a whole host of different materials promised to make life at home brighter, easier and more convenient. But a lack of understanding of the potential hazards meant that they frequently led to terrible accidents, horrendous injuries and even death.
Dr Suzannah Lipscomb takes us back to an age when asbestos socks and radioactive toothpaste were welcomed into British homes. She reveals how their lethal qualities were discovered and why some of us are still living with the consequences of our Edwardian forebears' enthusiasm for untried and untested products.
TUE 01:00 The Art of Gothic: Britain's Midnight Hour (b04nqpz3)
Blood for Sale: Gothic Goes Global
Gothic fantasy horror would be outstripped by real horror as the truth of mechanised warfare dawned on an innocent world in 1914. The language of Gothic would increasingly come to encapsulate the horrors of the 20th century - from Marx's analysis of 'vampiric' capitalism to Conrad's dark vision of imperialism and TS Eliot's image of The Wasteland, a Gothic narrative seemed to make more sense of the modern world more than any other.
TUE 02:00 How the Devil Got His Horns: A Diabolical Tale (b01nmt3q)
Art historian and critic Alastair Sooke reveals how the Devil's image was created by artists of the Middle Ages. He explores how, in the centuries between the birth of Christ and the Renaissance, visual interpretations of the Devil evolved, with the embodiment of evil appearing in different guises - tempter, tyrant, and rebellious angel. Alastair shows how artists used their imaginations to give form to Satan, whose description is absent from the Bible.
Exploring some of the most remarkable art in Europe, he tells the stories behind that art and examines the religious texts and thinking which inspired and influenced the artists. The result is a rich and unique picture of how art and religion have combined to define images of good and evil.
TUE 03:00 Revolution and Romance: Musical Masters of the 19th Century (b07g9q4w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
WEDNESDAY 15 JUNE 2016
WED 19:00 World News Today (b07g8nhn)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
WED 19:30 The Sky at Night (b07g9z87)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Sunday]
WED 20:00 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b068c3zh)
Engineering
Liz McIvor tells the story of the early canal builders who struggled with the rugged terrain of England's Pennine hills. Creating a network of canals in this landscape was an uphill challenge - sometimes literally! But connecting the powerhouses of Yorkshire and Lancashire was a great prize at the time of the industrial revolution. What should the engineers do? Should they build over, under or around the hills? Who succeeded, and who struggled?
WED 20:30 From Andy Pandy to Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children's Television (b06t3mhm)
Nigel Planer narrates the story of the struggle to make programmes for children in the days before everything went digital.
WED 21:30 UK's Best Part-Time Band (b07f2hmw)
North
Rhod Gilbert joins up with former Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook and sets off in a ropey old tour bus van for a road trip across northern England and the Midlands to discover the UK's best part-time band.
The tour takes them to Liverpool where they meet a primary school teacher/lead singer of a mariachi band and are treated to an intimate band rehearsal in his mum's bedroom. Hooky relives his punk youth with a band made up of junior doctors in Sheffield, and the pair meet a father and daughter who have a bizarre connection to Noel Gallagher and Oasis's Definitely Maybe album.
And the family theme continues as they meet several bands of brothers - a ska outfit from a car plant in the west Midlands, and finally Rhod and Hooky are treated to the acoustic harmonies of the Geordie equivalent of the Eagles in the lead singer's kitchen with a band looking to resurrect a career killed by punk in the 70s.
At the end of the road trip, Hooky selects five acts to play the biggest gig of their lives at the Leadmill in Sheffield, where they'll battle it out for a place in the grand final, and the coveted title of 'The UK's Best Part-Time Band'.
WED 22:30 Tales from the Tour Bus: Rock 'n' Roll on the Road (b05rjc9c)
Rock legend and tour bus aficionado Rick Wakeman takes us on a time-travelling trip through the decades in this first-hand account of rockers on the road from the late 1950s to the 80s and beyond.
It's an often bumpy and sometimes sleepless ride down the A roads and motorways of the UK during the golden age of rock 'n' roll touring - a secret history of transport cafes, transit vans, B&Bs, sleepless roadies and of loved ones left at home or, on one occasion, by the roadside. And it's also a secret history of audiences both good and bad, and the gigs themselves - from the early variety package to the head clubs, the stadiums and the pubs.
This is life in the British fast lane as told by Rick and the bands themselves, a film about the very lifeblood of the rock 'n' roll wagon train. With members of Dr Feelgood, Suzi Quatro, The Shadows, The Pretty Things, Fairport Convention, Happy Mondays, Aswad, Girlschool, The Damned and many more.
WED 23:30 Horizon (b04b763n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Monday]
WED 00:30 Natural World (b00wwbm4)
2010-2011
Butterflies: A Very British Obsession
Wildlife documentary featuring the fascinating lives of Britain's beautiful butterflies filmed in exquisite detail, and also a celebration of their enduring appeal to the British people. Butterfly-costumed carnival-goers dance at Notting Hill, street artist Nick Walker uses their image to brighten bare city walls, burlesque dancer Vicky Butterfly recreates butterfly dances, and women reveal their butterfly tattoos at Britain's biggest tattoo convention.
Britain's butterflies have never been so threatened, three-quarters are in decline - but do they still have a message for us? A search for butterflies leads to some of the most beautiful parts of Britain. It opens up the intriguing possibility that a passion for butterflies could help us preserve the landscapes that we love.
WED 01:30 Seven Ages of Britain (b00qxyv0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 From Andy Pandy to Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children's Television (b06t3mhm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 today]
THURSDAY 16 JUNE 2016
THU 19:00 World News Today (b07g8nhw)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 Top of the Pops (b07g9zmn)
David 'Kid' Jensen presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 24 December 1981. Includes appearances from Bucks Fizz, Dollar, Roy Wood & Wizzard, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Altered Images, the Human League and Zoo.
THU 20:00 The Treasure Hunters (b040r3bv)
Raw Treasure
From pirates' hoards and shipwrecked booty to dazzling gems to precious metals, we lust after treasure, fight over it and go to the ends of the earth to find it - our planet is a treasure chest just waiting to be opened. In this series, Ellie Harrison and Dallas Campbell journey around the globe on the ultimate treasure hunt.
They scratch the surface of our planet to uncover its most extraordinary riches - from mountains of gold to the most valuable gemstones in the world and the largest natural treasure ever found.
In this episode, Ellie ventures down one of the deepest gold mines in the world in search of the gleaming metal that was once thought to be the skin of the gods and the sweat of the sun. Dallas free-dives for lustrous pearls in the waters around north west Australia and, using one of the largest treasure-hunting machines, he seeks out diamonds from the bottom of the ocean.
Dallas and Ellie reveal how you could make your fortune on the beach. Lumps of ambergris can wash up on almost any shoreline in the world. Although it starts life in a sperm whale's stomach, it ends up as a costly raw ingredient in the most expensive perfumes.
And while Dallas tries his hand at opal mining in one of the most hostile places on earth, Ellie discovers how one of the largest and most unusual treasures ever uncovered has helped us solve a 67-million-year-old puzzle.
THU 21:00 Genius of the Modern World (b07gpdbx)
Marx
Bettany Hughes investigates the revolutionary ideas of Karl Marx. Born to an affluent Prussian family, Marx became an angry, idealistic radical, constantly on the run for his political agitating and incendiary writing. In Paris, he first formulated his explosive analysis of capitalism and its corrosive effects on human nature. In Brussels, he co-authored the Communist Manifesto with Frederick Engels. In London, his obsessive theorizing dragged his family into poverty and tragedy.
Marx's masterpiece Das Capital was largely overlooked in his lifetime, and only 11 people attended his funeral. Yet his ideas would generate one of the most influential, and divisive, ideologies in history. Drawing on expert opinion and new evidence, Bettany reveals the flesh-and-blood man and his groundbreaking ideas.
THU 22:00 Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time (b01rn6c2)
The city of Pompeii uniquely captures the public's imagination - in AD79 a legendary volcanic disaster left its citizens preserved in ashes to this very day. Yet no-one has been able to unravel the full story that is at the heart of our fascination - how did those bodies become frozen in time?
For the first time, the BBC has been granted unique access to these strange, ghost-like body casts that populate the ruins and, using the latest forensic technology, the chance to peer beneath the surface of the plaster in order to rebuild the faces of two of the people who were killed in this terrible tragedy.
Margaret Mountford turns detective to tell a new story at the heart of one of history's most iconic moments, as she looks at the unique set of circumstances that led to the remarkable preservation of the people of Pompeii. By applying modern-day forensic analysis to this age-old mystery, Margaret dispels the myths surrounding the events in AD79. She also explores the lives of the individuals who once lived in this vibrant and enigmatic city and recreates the last moments of the people caught up in this tragedy.
THU 23:00 Natural World (b00ybvz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
THU 00:00 Storyville (b01nyz3p)
From the Sea to the Land Beyond: Britain's Coast on Film
Made from over 100 years of BFI archive footage, From the Sea to the Land Beyond offers a poetic meditation on Britain's unique coastline and the role it plays in our lives. With a soundtrack specially created by Brighton-based band British Sea Power, award-winning director Penny Woolcock's film offers moving testimony to our relationship to the coast - during wartime, on our holidays and as a hive of activity during the industrial age.
THU 01:10 Top of the Pops (b07g9zmn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
THU 01:55 Great Guitar Riffs at the BBC (b049mtxy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:45 on Saturday]
THU 02:55 Genius of the Modern World (b07gpdbx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRIDAY 17 JUNE 2016
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b07g8nj4)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (b07gmrvl)
Mike Read presents the hits of 1981, in a show first broadcast on 31 December 1981. Includes appearances from Adam & the Ants, John Lennon, Roxy Music, Aneka, The Police, The Specials, Joe Dolce, Julio Iglesias, Bucks Fizz, Soft Cell and The Human League.
FRI 20:00 The Good Old Days (b07g9rby)
Leonard Sachs presents the old-time music hall programme, filmed from the stage of the City Varieties Theatre, Leeds in 1975. Guests include Ken Dodd, Barry Kent, Lyn Kennington, John Bouchier and Saxburger.
FRI 20:45 Sounds of the Seventies (b01pcwhp)
Shorts
Roxy Music, Queen and Elton John
Glamour with a seventies subversive quality in this selection from the BBC's back pages. Roxy Music operate their Ladytron, Queen are Killer and Elton John is back.
FRI 20:55 Pop Go the Sixties (b00cyz26)
Series 2
Peter and Gordon
Pop moments from the BBC's sixties archive. From a 1964 edition of Crackerjack, pop folk duo Peter Asher and Gordon Waller sing A World without Love written by Paul McCartney - who was going out with Peter's sister at the time.
FRI 21:00 UK's Best Part-Time Band (b07g9rc0)
South
Rhod Gilbert joins up with Soul II Soul legend Jazzie B in a ropey old tour bus for a road trip across southern England to discover the UK's best part-time band.
This is no ordinary talent show - the film follows Rhod and Jazzie as they drop in on bands playing in rehearsal spaces, bars, barns and front rooms. The tour takes them to Somerset where they meet a six-piece country and western outfit the Redhillbillies. Fronted by husband (hedge repairer Tom) and wife (district nurse Jo), the band have 42 children and grandchildren between them so have a ready-made audience at their weekly gigs.
Rhod faces an anxious trip to Bournemouth to hear Jazzie's favourite type of music, dub reggae. In a potentially awkward and intimate gig in the keyboard player Dave's front room, Dubheart aim to impress the Soul II Soul legend. Over in Stroud, the pair meet a guitar-based four-piece called Russian Flying Squirrel - formed of dads who met at their kids' school gates. They've yet to play a gig despite honing their musical skills for over three years.
At the end of the road trip, Jazzie selects five acts to play the biggest gig of their lives at the Scala in London, where they'll battle it out for a place in the grand final, and the coveted title of the UK's Best Part-time Band.
FRI 22:00 Top of the Pops (b07g9rc2)
The Story of 1982
1982 marks the peak of British 'new pop' as Wham, ABC and Culture Club make sensational appearances, and Shalamar's Jeffrey Daniel premieres the moonwalk on British TV. Dexy's new Irish sound tops the summer charts for four weeks with Come on Eileen, while their follow-up single Jackie Wilson Says leads to a notorious moment in TOTP history. Featuring ABC, Culture Club, Wham, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Shalamar, Pigbag, Foster and Allen, Shakatak and Bucks Fizz.
FRI 23:00 Top of the Pops (b07g9rc4)
1982 - Big Hits
The Top of the Pops vaults are opened once more, this time to celebrate the mega-hits of 1982.
A new pop sound had arrived, shattering the chart domination of mainstream pop-rock, which in turn coincides with a second British invasion of the US charts. Step forward Adam Ant, Yazoo, Wham, ABC and The Associates, all breakthrough acts in a golden year for British pop.
Madness provide a little two-step with their ska revival, and Junior and Patrice Rushen's R&B tracks pack a punch. Pop-infused reggae beats are provided by Culture Club and Musical Youth, while the mods get a nod from The Jam. And did we mention Tight Fit?
FRI 00:00 Top of the Pops (b07gmrvl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
FRI 00:40 UK's Best Part-Time Band (b07g9rc0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRI 01:40 Top of the Pops (b07g9rc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
FRI 02:40 Top of the Pops (b07g9rc4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
23:00 today]