MONDAY 08 FEBRUARY 2010

MON 19:00 World News Today (b00qpk08)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


MON 19:30 Shooting the War (b00qjnmy)
Women

Series looking at how WW2 was documented by both German and British home movie makers.

Women who were drawn into the war were workers, mothers and combatants for the first time in history and those experiences were filmed, sometimes by women themselves.

In Germany, amateur filmmaker Elisabeth Wilms shot everyday life of women in her home city of Dortmund and as those lives changed she continued to record events, including the stunning films of the destitution experienced by women in the immediate aftermath of the blitz on her home town.

In Britain, Rosie Newman was doing very much the same, filming women as war changed their lives. She had remarkable access to the military and was able to capture the lives of woman at war in a way few others could match.

Jean Riesco's father filmed her life as she became a woman at the start of the war. Jean recalls how everyone felt that there was no point in being cautious, how she got married and had a child. Other women joined the war effort, some working for the first time. Anne Richmond joined the Land Army, Iris Watts made armaments and Betty Hockey danced for the troops.

It was the same in Germany. Renate Teller became a nurse, while Ilse Rohde, a member of the BDM, became a factory worker. The Jewish woman Esther Bejarano was a slave labourer in Auschwitz, her life saved by becoming a member of the Auschwitz orchestra.


MON 20:30 Only Connect (b00qpk0b)
Series 3

Exeter Alumni v Gourmands

Quiz show presented by Victoria Coren in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital.

Three former flatmates and graduates of Exeter University pit their wits against a news producer, a civil servant and an IT consultant who share a passion for fine food. Who will win the battle as they compete to draw together the connections between things, which, at first glance, seem utterly random?


MON 21:00 Getting Our Way (b00qpk0d)
Security

Sir Christopher Meyer, former British Ambassador to the USA, presents a series telling the behind-the-scenes story of British diplomacy over 500 years of intrigue and adventure.

In the opening episode, he puts himself in the shoes of diplomats battling to protect British national security at three very different stages of our history. From the Machiavellian days of Elizabethan espionage, he shows how the Virgin Queen's diplomat, Sir Henry Killigrew, foiled the Catholic terror on England's doorstep - as her ambassador to Scotland.

At the Congress of Vienna, arguably the most important summit in history, Foreign Secretary Lord Castlereagh survived the endless balls and bed-hopping to mastermind the redrawing of the map of Europe following Napoleon's defeat in a way that kept Britain safe and supreme for close to a century.

As British power waned in the 20th Century, there's a look at the crucial role played by one of Sir Christopher's predecessors in Washington, David Ormsby-Gore, in artfully manoeuvring to acquire nuclear weapons from a reluctant United States. This coup not only guaranteed Britain's security in the Cold War, but also its continuing place at the top table of nations.

Meyer uses these examples to tease out the timeless essentials of diplomacy - the need for tact, patience, charm, cunning and a focus on helping Britain Get Her Way at all costs.

Interviewees include Henry Kissinger, Douglas Hurd, Chris Patten, Alex Salmond, William Hague, JFK's speechwriter Ted Sorensen, Mrs Thatcher's foreign policy aide Charles Powell, former head of the FO Patrick Wright and 'the mandarins' mandarin', the late Sir Percy Cradock.

Meyer concludes by arguing that a nation which loses sight of its interests and neglects its diplomacy is a nation lost.


MON 22:00 Storyville (b00qpk0g)
Kim Jong-Il's Comedy Club

A journalist with no scruples and a pair of Danish comedians travel to North Korea with a mission to use humour to uncover the truth behind one of the world's most notorious regimes

On the pretext of being a small Danish theatre troupe on a cultural exchange, the filmmaker was granted permission by the North Korean government to stage a performance for a select audience in the capital. In reality, the troupe was comprised of an unscrupulous journalist, Mads Brugger, and two Danish/Korean comedians, Jacob and Simon, of whom the former is handicapped. Their goal is to use humour to expose the intricate effects of an oppressive regime.

The film follows the troupe as they are lovingly yet firmly escorted by a motherly government employee around the important historical sights, and as they 'collaborate' with other government officials on their performance.

Their double life is wearing on Jacob who feels conflicting emotions of affection and hatred for his hosts. With a sensibility similar to that of Lars Von Trier's controversial film The Idiots, this documentary takes a darkly humorous look inside the North Korean dictatorship.

North Korea's 23 million citizens are ruled by the iron hand of 'The Dear Leader', General Kim Jong-il. The country has a history of starving its people, violating human rights and abusing and killing its handicapped citizens.


MON 23:00 Dinner with Portillo (b00ptkjg)
Is It Dishonourable to Publish a Political Diary?

Michael Portillo and his guests discuss whether it is fair for politicians to profit from their years in power by betraying the confidences of their colleagues. Is the modern diarist motivated by money, fame or revenge, rather than the public interest? Or do political diaries serve an important purpose by throwing light on the inner workings of government? Guests include Gyles Brandreth, Oona King, Chris Mullin MP and Lord Hattersley.


MON 23:30 Chemistry: A Volatile History (b00qjnqc)
The Power of the Elements

The explosive story of chemistry is the story of the building blocks that make up our entire world - the elements. From fiery phosphorous to the pure untarnished lustre of gold and the dazzle of violent, violet potassium, everything is made of elements - the earth we walk on, the air we breathe, even us. Yet for centuries this world was largely unknown, and completely misunderstood.

In this three-part series, professor of theoretical physics Jim Al-Khalili traces the extraordinary story of how the elements were discovered and mapped. He follows in the footsteps of the pioneers who cracked their secrets and created a new science, propelling us into the modern age.

In the final part, Professor Al-Khalili uncovers tales of success and heartache in the story of chemists' battle to control and combine the elements, and build our modern world. He reveals the dramatic breakthroughs which harnessed their might to release almost unimaginable power, and he journeys to the centre of modern day alchemy, where scientists are attempting to command the extreme forces of nature and create brand new elements.


MON 00:30 Only Connect (b00qpk0b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


MON 01:00 Getting Our Way (b00qpk0d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


MON 02:00 Storyville (b00qpk0g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


MON 03:00 Shooting the War (b00qjnmy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]