Fred Dibnah's search to discover how the work of the builders and engineers of the past helped to shape Britain brings him close to his home town of Bolton, where the mid-18th century saw the building of the first canals and the arrival of the first civil engineers. He travels to Worsley in Lancashire to see where it all started - the labyrinth of 52 miles of underground waterways that carried coal from the Duke of Bridgewater's mines to the canal. Back in his garden, he shows us how the early canal engineers actually went about digging the cut for a canal and making it watertight. He takes a canal boat on the 127-mile-long Leeds-Liverpool Canal, and demonstrates the back-breaking labour and enginering skills that went into building the tunnel that takes it under the highest point on his route.
American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.
In this series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.
Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.
In another 30-minute segment from the series, Bob Ross's imagination turns to creating a quiet place in which to sleep and dream - a cosy barn in winter, with the ground blanketed in snow, set against a soft sky.
Along with a hippo skeleton, a stuffed hedgehog and a log boat, Derby Museum has the best collection of Joseph Wright of Derby paintings in the world. Wright of Derby is one of the greatest English artists who ever lived. He painted the most astounding 'birth of science' scenes, his landscapes and portraits are exquisite and he was inspired by the Industrial Revolution.
But can our team peel back layers of modern restoration on a mysterious landscape painting stuck in the Derby vaults to reveal another hidden masterpiece by Wright of Derby? Dr Bendor Grosvenor and Emma Dabiri travel to Derby to investigate a painting which suffered industrial scale restoration in the 1970s. Can it be saved and carefully restored now? While Bendor travels to Italy to find where the landscape may have been painted, Emma investigates Derby as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution and the 'lunar-tics' of the Midlands who changed the world through science and philosophy.
A mysterious fugitive, a hijacked airplane and a daring mid-air escape. This is the extraordinary, real-life tale of one of the greatest unsolved heists in American history and a case that has taunted the FBI for decades. This documentary brings the stories of the four possible suspects to life through candid testimony, archive footage and stylised drama. Each account is gripping and highly plausible. But who is telling the truth, who is lying and, ultimately, who is DB Cooper?
Fighter pilot, inventor, spy - the life of Roald Dahl is often stranger than fiction. From crashing his plane over Africa to hobnobbing in Hollywood, and his remarkable encounters with everyone from Walt Disney to President Roosevelt - this is the story of his greatest adventures, and how his real-life escapades find expression in his most famous books, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Matilda.
Through a vast collection of his letters, writings and archive, the story is told largely in his own words, with contributions from his last wife Liccy, daughter Lucy and biographer Donald Sturrock. Long-term collaborator and illustrator Quentin Blake also creates exclusive new drawings for the film which are specially animated to bring Dahl's marvellous world to life.
Written in 1862 by the Reverend Charles Kingsley, The Water-Babies tells the story of a young chimney sweep called Tom who finds redemption amongst the pulsing life of the open ocean when he is transformed into an aquatic creature. Church of England vicar and former pop star Reverend Richard Coles dives beneath the surface of this children's classic to reveal the revolutionary science behind the story, the influence it had on social reform in Victorian England and how the author's racist viewpoints impacted its reputation.
Charles Kingsley was a man of contradictions - as changeable as the tide. He was a passionate outdoorsman who had to lock himself away during bouts of depression, a public speaker who suffered from a lifelong stammer, a social reformer who distrusted democracy, and a sensitive scholar with the instincts of a street-fighter. His most famous book, The Water-Babies, is as eccentric and compelling as he was.
Richard finds out how the book was born out of a sense of outrage at the suffering of young sweeps, and how its success led to a change in the law. He grapples with the dark side of The Water-Babies, exploring how the book's 'muscular Christianity' was tainted by racial prejudice. And he discovers how, at the same time, Kingsley's classic contained a sense of feminine spirituality seemingly at odds with whiskery Victorian stereotypes.
Richard meets Prof Steve Jones to discuss the close friendship between Charles Kingsley and Charles Darwin, whose On the Origin of Species Kingsley had been one of the first to praise. He talks to fellow Church of England priest Reverend Marie-Elsa Bragg about the book's mystical side, and visits the rectory where Kingsley wrote the first chapter of the work in half an hour under the insistence of his son.
Edith Nesbit is probably best known these days for The Railway Children, but her earlier book Five Children and It was even more influential, its blend of magic and the everyday paving the way for the Narnia stories and Harry Potter. A classic fantasy story about a group of siblings who discover a creature that can grant wishes, Nesbit's warm, witty children's fable was shaped by her own troubled family life.
In this film, actress and Nesbit fan Samantha Bond discovers how a rootless childhood and terrible personal tragedy influenced Five Children and It, delving into the origins and legacy of a book that can be arguably said to have kick-started modern children's fiction.
TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2020
TUE 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9y)
Victorian Splendour
In the final programme of the series uncovering the construction and engineering skills that went into the building of Britain, Fred Dibnah indulges his personal passion for the achievements of the builders of the 19th century.
At Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, a young architect called Robert Smirke was commissioned to build a grand house that was as big and impressive as a great medieval castle. As Fred demonstrates, steam-powered machinery made this possible in a fraction of the time - if not the cost - involved originally.
Eastnor also provides an introduction to the work of architect and designer Augustus Welby Pugin, who was inspired by medieval Gothic architecture. At St Giles in Cheadle, Staffordshire, Fred examines one of Pugin's best Gothic works, achieved thanks to one of the finest teams of craftsmen that have ever been seen in the building of Britain. The building with which Pugin is most commonly associated is the Palace of Westminster, where he worked alongside fellow architect Sir Charles Barry. Fred reveals how the two men came up with a building that matched the medieval Westminster Abbey next door, as well as demonstrating how the builders overcame the challenges posed by the riverbank location.
Fred's final stop on this epic journey sees him scaling the heights again, this time inside the Westminster clock tower - the one we call Big Ben - where he reveals what makes the country's best-known clock tick to time and how the huge bell was originally constructed.
TUE 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000j47t)
Series 1
Sunset over the Waves
American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.
In this series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.
Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.
In another 30-minute masterclass, Bob Ross conjures up a fantastic seascape. Sense the waves crashing and enjoy the golden, pink and mauve tones Bob creates in the sky.
TUE 20:00 The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook (b07n7gtn)
The Sound of the Crowd
Sandbrook takes a fresh look at a dynamic decade. 1980s Britain changed in everything from politics and sport to fashion and popular culture.
In the opening years of the 1980s, the powerful new forces of choice and consumerism were radically reshaping British life. The first episode looks at how the early 80s saw the powerful new forces of choice and consumerism radically reshape British life, tearing down existing ways of doing things and ripping up the rule book of British politics. This new culture of consumer-driven populism propelled Margaret Thatcher to victory. For the first time, 'who we were' became a question less about the fixed identities of region and class, and much more about the choices we made, from where we shopped to how we cooked, to what we wore. Thatcher may have embodied this change - but she didn't drive it.
This episode takes in everything from the popularity of Delia Smith to affordable fashions on the high street, from the subcultures of Britain's youth to the crisis of identity that rocked and splintered the political left. But it also shows how the mood of aspiration that swept the nation left certain sections of society adrift and alienated, from the hollowed out industrial heartlands of the Midlands to the inner city communities of south London and Liverpool.
TUE 21:00 Thatcher: A Very British Revolution (m0005hkn)
Series 1
Power
Mrs Thatcher's victory in the 1979 general election propels her into power as Britain's first female prime minister. On the steps of Downing Street she promises "hope" and "harmony" but her first two years are characterised by disruption and division.
Her first cabinet is split between a small group who are aligned with her plans for radical change, but the majority are experienced ministers from the traditional power base of the party who prefer a more consensual style of politics. From day one there is friction between Mrs Thatcher and some of her senior colleagues.
She also confronts an economy that is in deep trouble. All the indicators are pointing in the wrong direction with inflation rising, unemployment spiralling and public spending growing. The government have to raise taxes and interest rates but these tend to make things worse. A year after taking power Mrs Thatcher sees the economy plunge into the deepest recession since the great depression.
As the heavy industries that are the backbone of many British communities collapse, unemployment starts to climb. Mrs Thatcher refuses to reinflate the economy and invest millions in failing industries. She gains a public reputation as uncaring and harsh that will become part of her image and her legacy. Within her own party there is deep dispute about economic policy and she is forced into a famous conference speech asserting her determination, stating “You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning”.
Within the cabinet, Mrs Thatcher’s style creates tensions. Many of her colleagues find her demanding and argumentative and she finds many of them indecisive and insufficiently committed to her political philosophy. In stark contrast her close staff however find her an unusually sympathetic and attentive boss.
1981 is a year of unrest and change. Serious riots scar British inner cities with many pointing the finger at Mrs Thatcher and her policies as the cause of the trouble. In government Mrs Thatcher’s doubters are emboldened and seek to force her into a change of direction. But the prime minister refuses to relent and moves against her critics removing them from the cabinet and bringing in allies who will back her as she leads Britain into the turbulence of the 1980s.
Featuring interviews with the surviving members of her first cabinet, John Nott, Michael Heseltine, Norman Fowler and David Howell, her private secretaries Tim Lankester, John Cole and Nick Sanders, her personal assistant Cynthia Crawford, her protection officer Barry Strevens, Downing Street secretary Janice Richards and press secretary Bernard Ingham. We also hear from senior Conservatives who were close to her, including Michael Dobbs, Lord Gowrie, Jonathan Aitken, Norman Tebbit, Kenneth Baker and Nigel Lawson, as well as political opponent David Owen.
TUE 22:00 The Last Days of Anne Boleyn (p015vhp1)
Anne Boleyn is one of the most famous and controversial women in British history. In 1536, she became the first queen in Britain's history to be executed. The brutal speed of her downfall and the astonishing nature of the charges against her - treason, adultery, even incest - make her story shocking even to this day.
Yet whilst we know how Anne died, the story of why she had to go and who authored her violent end has been the subject of fiery debate across six centuries. In a radical new approach to televised history, a stellar cast of writers and historians, including Hilary Mantel, David Starkey, Philippa Gregory and others, battle out the story of her last days and give their own unique interpretations of her destruction.
TUE 23:00 Arena (b03yg3yn)
Whatever Happened to Spitting Image?
Reuniting the founding creative team, this documentary tells the vexed and frequently hilarious story of the genesis of the satirical puppet show Spitting Image, with exclusive contributions from caricaturists Peter Fluck and Roger Law and TV producer John Lloyd.
Spanning the early years of Margaret Thatcher's government to the end of John Major's, Spitting Image puppets became almost as famous as the politicians they lampooned. In 2000, the puppets were auctioned off at Sotheby's and in the course of the programme the team sets out to discover where they now reside and who is taking care of them in their old age.
Revealing the extraordinary technical achievement of the series, Arena meets the caricaturists, puppet-mould makers, designers, puppeteers, impressionists, writers and directors who worked tirelessly to ensure the show landed its weekly jibes and punches at the politicians, royals and celebrities of the day.
Tracing its journey to our televisions screens through 12 years of huge audience figures and weekly controversy to its eventual demise, the film asks what Spitting Image got right, where it went wrong and whether its absence since 1996 has left a hole in the schedules that has yet to be filled by modern broadcasting.
TUE 00:00 The Valhalla Murders (m000pqtq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Saturday]
TUE 00:45 The Valhalla Murders (m000pqtv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:45 on Saturday]
TUE 01:35 The Joy of Painting (m000j47t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
TUE 02:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
TUE 02:35 Thatcher: A Very British Revolution (m0005hkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2020
WED 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam (b0078kym)
The Early Pioneers
Fred Dibnah traces the development of steam power from the earliest experiments in the ancient world to the modern nuclear power station. Fred visits Cornwall to look at the early history of the steam engine, first developed to pump water from tin mines.
WED 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000jb6s)
Series 1
Golden Glow
American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.
Across the series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.
In this 30-minute segment, Bob Ross shows how to make a snow scene in a painting glow. Even a tiny shanty by the pond can be a warm place in the dead of winter.
Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.
WED 20:00 The Mayflower Pilgrims: Behind the Myth (b084fmgq)
Documentary exploring the Pilgrims' journey west across the Atlantic in the early 17th century. The voyage of the Mayflower in 1620 has come to define the founding moment of America, celebrated each year at Thanksgiving. This drama documentary, based on governor William Bradford's extraordinary eye-witness account, reveals the grim truth behind their voyage across the Atlantic.
The Pilgrims' story has come to define the founding moment of America and all it stands for. It is remembered as a pious crusade aimed at founding a Puritan paradise. However, their journey from a harsh, often violent part of England to a colony assured of survival less than ten years later is also one of wealth, cruelty and entrepreneurial genius.
WED 21:00 Great Barrier Reef (b019851n)
Nature's Miracle
Three-part series exploring Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders of the world and the largest living structure on our planet.
Monty Halls explores its full 2,000-kilometre length, from the wild outer reefs of the Coral Sea to the tangled mangrove and steaming rainforest on the shoreline, from large mountainous islands to tiny coral cays barely above sea level, from the dark depths of the abyss beyond the reef to colourful coral gardens of the shallows.
Along the way, he experiences the reef at its most dangerous and its most intriguing, and visits areas that have rarely been filmed, from the greatest wildlife shipwreck on earth to the mysterious seafloor of the lagoon, where freakish animals lurk under every rock.
The first film explores the complex structure of the coral reef itself and the wildlife that lives on it. So vast it is visible from space, the reef is actually built by tiny animals in partnership with microscopic plants. It is a place full of surprises that is always changing, responding to the rhythms of weather, tide, sun and moon.
Within this magical and intensely crowded world, this episode reveals how the amazing reef creatures compete and cooperate - from deadly fish-hunting snails to sharks that can walk on land, fighting corals and parrot fish that spin sleeping bags every night.
Remote cameras, cutting-edge underwater macro and digital time-lapse photography have captured many sequences which have never been filmed before, providing completely fresh perspectives on this extraordinary natural wonder.
WED 22:00 Life Cinematic (m000pr04)
Series 1
Sofia Coppola
American Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Sofia Coppola talks to Edith Bowman about the films that have shaped her life and career. Her choices range from contemporary cult classics - To Die For, Safe and Fish Tank - to some vintage Hollywood greats including Gilda and A Place in the Sun.
As well as discussing her latest film On the Rocks, she reflects on her working methods and the influence dad Francis Ford Coppola had on early viewing habits.
WED 23:00 Fish Tank (b012rfpw)
Drama. Volatile Mia, 15, is straining to find potential escape from her harsh life on an Essex council estate through learning to street dance. Excluded from school, with no friends and a hostile and resentful mother, she has little other inspiration. While trying to free a starved horse, she meets Billy and a tentative friendship forms. At the same time her Mum brings home Connor, her handsome and charming new boyfriend.
WED 01:00 Frank Lloyd Wright: The Man Who Built America (b08ywgvm)
Frank Lloyd Wright is probably America's greatest ever architect. But few people know about the Welsh roots that shaped his life and world-famous buildings. Now, leading Welsh architect Jonathan Adams sets off across America to explore Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpieces for himself. Along the way, he uncovers the tempestuous life story of the man behind them and the secrets of his radical Welsh background.
In a career spanning seven decades, Frank Lloyd Wright built over 500 buildings and changed the face of modern architecture. Fallingwater, the house over the waterfall, has been called the greatest house of the 20th century. The spiralling Guggenheim Museum in New York reinvented the art museum.
Wright's Welsh mother was born and raised near Llandysul in west Wales, and emigrated to America with her family in 1844. Her son Frank was raised in a Unitarian community in Wisconsin. The values he absorbed there were based on a love of nature, the importance of hard work and the need to question convention and defy it where necessary. Wright's architecture was shaped by these beliefs. He built his lifelong home in the valley he was raised in, and he named it after an ancient Welsh bard - Taliesin. It was the scene of many adventures and of a horrific crime. In 1914, a servant at Taliesin ran amok and killed seven people. They included Wright's partner Mamah Cheney and her two young children.
150 years after his birth, Adams argues that Frank Lloyd Wright is now a vitally important figure who can teach us how to build for a better world. Wright's belief in what he called organic architecture - buildings that grace the landscape and respond to people's individual needs - is more relevant than ever, in Wales and around the world.
WED 02:00 The Joy of Painting (m000jb6s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
WED 02:30 Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam (b0078kym)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
WED 03:00 Great Barrier Reef (b019851n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2020
THU 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam (b03lzh78)
The Age of the Steam Locomotive
Fred Dibnah traces the development of steam power, from early colliery railways to the end of steam travel in Britain in the 1960s.
THU 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000jb7m)
Series 1
Roadside Barn
American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.
Across the series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.
In this programme, viewers can follow Bob Ross on an escape to a new destination as he paints an old dirt road leading up to a quaint country barn nestled in nature’s greenery.
Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.
THU 20:00 Dad's Army (b00cyl2y)
Series 4
Mum's Army
It occurs to Captain Mainwaring that much of the valuable time of his unit is taken up with non-combatant activities such as button sewing, brass polishing and office duties. He discusses with Sergeant Wilson a scheme to recruit some women members to the platoon, thus releasing the men for their duties as front line fighting troops. Jones introduces Mrs Fox, Walker brings along his girlfriend and Mainwaring loses his heart to Mrs Gray, an attractive middle-aged widow. As a result, tongues begin to wag in Walmington-on-Sea.
THU 20:30 Brief Encounter (m00041p7)
Classic love story. A chance meeting in a suburban railway station brings together Laura Jesson, a happily married woman, and Dr Alec Harvey - who is also married. They fall in love, but their secret happiness is marred by the furtive way they must carry on the affair and the realisation that eventually a choice must be made.
THU 22:00 Big Screen Britain: Brief Encounter (m000pr02)
Ben Fogle visits Carnforth station in Lancashire, which was made famous by the classic 1945 film, Brief Encounter.
THU 22:15 Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema (b0bbn5x8)
Series 1
The Rom-Com
Five-part documentary series. Film critic Mark Kermode presents a fresh and very personal look at the art of cinema by examining the techniques and conventions behind some classic genres: romcoms, heist movies, coming-of-age stories, science fiction and horror. In each episode, Mark uncovers the ingredients needed to make a great genre film and keep audiences coming back for more. How do you stage, shoot and edit a gripping car chase or orchestrate the shock moment in a horror movie? What is the secret to sizzling on-screen chemistry?
Mark begins with one of the most popular genres of all. They are sometimes sneered at by critics, but from the 1930s to the present day, many of our most beloved movies have been romantic comedies.
From Bringing Up Baby and The Lady Eve by way of Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally and Pretty Woman to Love, Actually (a particular Kermode favourite) - as well as recent hits such as The Big Sick and La La Land - Mark examines the cinematic tricks and techniques involved in creating a classic romcom.
Mark celebrates old favourites, reveals hidden treasures and springs plenty of surprises. Examining films from Hollywood to Bollywood via other gems of world cinema, he reminds us how, much like love itself, the art of the romantic comedy is international.
THU 23:15 What We Were Watching (m000pjdl)
Song and Dance Spectaculars
Grace Dent invites you to lose yourself on a joyful journey back through the BBC archives, celebrating the broadcaster's song and dance extravaganzas of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s – in many ways, the fantastic forerunners to Strictly Come Dancing. They were fun, family-focused and had fondue levels of cheesiness as well as a host of stars such as Cilla Black, Cliff Richard, Lulu, Twiggy and Shirley Bassey. Also featured are some of the biggest dance troupes of the time, including Pan’s People and The Young Generation, one of whose members gets special attention - a pre-Blue Peter Lesley Judd.
All the weird but usually rather wonderful musical performances that Grace has uncovered existed in a strange parallel universe to the pop charts of the time – not remotely cool, even then, but looking back the only way to describe them is ‘fabulous’.
THU 00:15 Life Cinematic (m000pr04)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:15 The Joy of Painting (m000jb7m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
THU 01:45 Fred Dibnah's Age of Steam (b03lzh78)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
THU 02:15 The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook (b07n7gtn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2020
FRI 19:00 Fern Britton Meets... (b09hzylk)
Series 9
Barbara Dickson
Fern Britton speaks to recording artist and actress Barbara Dickson. Barbara describes how, a folk singer by heart, she was restyled as a pop star but has always been cautious about the shallowness of fame. She reveals that at the height of her success she came close to breaking point, after suffering from exhaustion and anxiety. Barbara also talks about how her conversion to Catholicism helped her overcome many obstacles and how faith is a key part of her life.
FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (m000pr1x)
Mark Goodier presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 12 April 1990 and featuring The Cure, Bizz Nizz and Jesus Jones.
FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m000pr1z)
Jakki Brambles presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 19 April 1990 and featuring Sonia, Faith No More and Adamski.
FRI 21:00 Reel Stories (m000cdx0)
Rod Stewart
How do you go from Rod the Mod to Sir Roderick Stewart? Dermot O'Leary sits down with the man himself to find out.
From Abbey Road to the Albert Hall, Motown to Maggie May - Dermot takes Rod back to his childhood cinema to relive moments from a career spanning six decades.
In previous episodes, Reel Stories has taken a front row seat with Kylie Minogue and Noel Gallagher, but this time we are going all the way back to the swinging sixties.
FRI 21:30 ArtWorks Scotland (b0140v4c)
Gerry Rafferty: Right Down the Line
Gerry Rafferty, who died in January 2011, was one of Scotland's best loved singer/songwriters, famous around the world for hits such as Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle With You.
This ArtWorks Scotland film, narrated by David Tennant, tells the story of Rafferty's life through his often autobiographical songs and includes contributions from Gerry's daughter Martha and brother Jim, friends and colleagues including Billy Connolly, John Byrne and Joe Egan, admirers such as Tom Robinson and La Roux, and words and music from Rafferty himself.
FRI 22:30 Proclaimers: This Is the Story (b08w51r4)
In 1987, two brothers from Auctermuchty in Fife released an album called This Is the Story. Featuring songs such as Letter from America, the album propelled The Proclaimers and the Scottish accent into the charts.
Superfan David Tennant talks to Craig and Charlie Reid about 30 years in the business which has taken them from playing small pubs and clubs across Scotland to become one of the nation's most iconic bands.
FRI 23:30 BBC One Sessions (b00j4d90)
Annie Lennox
Pop's enduring diva is on scintillating form in an intimate concert from LSO St Luke's in London. Accompanied by her band and 21 strings from the BBC Concert Orchestra, Annie Lennox storms through a set packed with hits from her solo career and back to the Eurythmics days, including classic hits Here Comes the Rain, Little Bird, Cold, Sweet Dreams and No More 'I Love You's'.
Lennox shows her voice has lost none of its ability to thrill and her showmanship is undimmed.
FRI 00:30 Travis with the BBC SSO at the Barrowland (b07pqqsw)
A very special night of music from one of Scotland's top artists, Travis, collaborating with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in one of the world's most iconic music venues - the Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom. If you were one of the lucky 1,000 to get a ticket, this is another chance to experience this unique event, and if not, sit back and enjoy what makes music collaboration so special.
FRI 01:30 Radio 2 In Concert (b0bsrsnp)
Emeli Sandé
Multiple Brit Award-winning singer and songwriter Emeli Sandé established herself as one of the UK's most exciting artists in 2012, with the release of her debut album Our Version of Events. The album spent a total of ten weeks at number one and was the bestselling album of 2012 in the UK. Her follow-up Long Live the Angels came in 2016 and featured the singles Hurts and Breathing Underwater. Expect songs from both of her big-selling albums in the intimate setting of the BBC Radio Theatre in London.
FRI 02:30 Proclaimers: This Is the Story (b08w51r4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:30 today]