The BBC has announced that it has a sustainable plan for the future of the BBC Singers, in association with The VOCES8 Foundation.
The threat to reduce the staff of the three English orchestras by 20% has not been lifted, but it is being reconsidered.
See the BBC press release here.

Radio-Lists Home Now on BBC 4 Contact

RADIO-LISTS: BBC FOUR
Unofficial Weekly Listings for BBC 4 — supported by bbc.co.uk/programmes/



SATURDAY 29 MAY 2021

SAT 19:00 How the Celts Saved Britain (b00kps7h)
A New Civilisation

Dan Snow blows the lid off the traditional, Anglo-centric view of history and reveals how the Irish saved Britain from cultural oblivion during the Dark Ages, in this provocative, two-part documentary.

Travelling back in time to some of the remotest corners of the British Isles, Dan unravels the mystery of the lost years of 400-800 AD, when the collapse of the Roman Empire left Britain in tatters.

In the first episode, Dan shows how in the 5th century AD Roman 'Britannia' was plunged into chaos by the arrival of Anglo-Saxon invaders. As Roman civilisation disappeared from Britain, a new civilisation emerged in one of the most unlikely places - Ireland. Within a few generations, Christianity transformed a backward, barbarian country into the cultural powerhouse of early medieval Europe.

This is a visually and intellectually stimulating journey through one of the least known chapters of British history.


SAT 20:00 Michael Palin's New Europe (b0081kj7)
Danube to Dnieper

Michael Palin explores the countries that were for much of his life hidden behind the Iron Curtain but are now part of the new Europe. On a journey from Budapest to the Ukrainian resort of Yalta, Michael is engulfed in a swimming pool, shows what he can do on the catwalk, and rides pillion on a Harley. On the more serious side, he contemplates the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and its tragic aftermath, the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine 50 years later, and the Yalta Conference.


SAT 21:00 Blinded: Those Who Kill (p099cqzr)
Series 1

Episode 7

Unaware of who he really is, Louise gets far too close to Peter. But the terrible truth lurks beneath the surface. Karina tries to find new evidence for the investigation on her own, and an earlier clue resurfaces, moving the case forward. Peter sorts his life out and gives Johannes a message that his son has a hard time coming to terms with.


SAT 21:45 Blinded: Those Who Kill (p099crv1)
Series 1

Episode 8

The police take Johannes to the station, and Louise fears that the truth about her and Peter Vinge will be revealed. Meanwhile, Peter meets his ex-wife Masja, who has returned from Singapore without notice in order to set things straight. Karina, Søren and Torben desperately try to find Peter before he can claim another victim.


SAT 22:30 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (b0074tdz)
Series 1

Return to the Circus

Was George Smiley sacked after a scandal or is he merely retired? When he is summoned by the cabinet watchdog for intelligence affairs, Smiley agrees to head the hunt for a secret service mole.


SAT 23:20 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (b0074tg0)
Series 1

Tarr Tells His Story

Acclaimed adaptation of John le Carre's novel. Smiley is forced to go back over some very old ground when he is told a story about spies.


SAT 00:10 The Killing (b00z8v1d)
Series 1

Episode 14

With a major part of the investigation dead in its tracks, the screws are tightened on principal suspect Troels Hartmann, and political opponent Bremer loses no time in taking advantage of the situation. But Sarah and Jan persist with their own line of enquiry. Pernille is increasingly out of touch with the family, while the emotional state of the cast-out Theis takes a nosedive.


SAT 01:10 The Killing (b00zhcf2)
Series 1

Episode 15

Acclaimed Danish crime series spanning the course of a 20-day murder investigation.

Sarah has walked into a life-threatening situation but neither Jan nor anyone else knows her whereabouts. Meanwhile, it looks as if the puzzle of the murderer's identity might finally be resolved.

At the town hall, Bremer swoops in to deliver a coup de grace to Troels' political career, while a broken-down Pernille needs help when she gets into hot water. Theis continues to be untraceable.


SAT 02:10 The Killing (b00zhcf4)
Series 1

Episode 16

Acclaimed Danish crime series spanning the course of a 20-day murder investigation.

Sarah won't get on board when her superiors insist that Nanna's murder has been solved. But, having succeeded in distancing herself from almost everyone around her, will she have to continue the investigation alone?

At the town hall, Bremer holds out the olive branch, but Troels has some embarassing facts to unveil. Pernille and Theis attempt a reconciliation.



SUNDAY 30 MAY 2021

SUN 19:00 Blue Peter (b01hz6n0)
A 1974 edition of the children's magazine programme, presented by John Noakes, Peter Purves and Lesley Judd. Items include Petra the dog's twelfth birthday and Bonfire Night in Torrington, Devon.


SUN 19:25 Bagpuss (m000wn0f)
Series 1

Ship in a Bottle

Ship in a Bottle, the very first episode of the classic animated puppet series for children.

Emily brings home a bottle with some bits of wood inside.


SUN 19:40 The Clangers (m000wn0h)
Series 2

The Tablecloth

Classic animated puppet series for children. The Clangers try all manner of materials in their efforts to keep the Froglets warm.


SUN 19:50 Ivor the Engine (m000wn0k)
Series 1

The Trumpet

Classic animated puppet series for children. Ivor receives an unusual item in the post, which turns out to be a trumpet, ideal for rounding up Old Idwoll's sheep.


SUN 20:00 Timeshift (b00pht5q)
Series 9

Oliver Postgate: A Life in Small Films

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a man whose name was Oliver Postgate. He had a shed where he made things.

With his friend Peter Firmin, Oliver created entire worlds for characters including Bagpuss, The Clangers and Ivor the Engine. These stories fired the imaginations of generations of children, and his lullaby voice became a universal reminder of childhood.

Time Shift celebrates Oliver Postgate's life and work through a treasury of clips from well-known and rarely seen films, alongside film and photos from the family archive. Fans including Lauren Child (Charlie and Lola) and Andrew Davenport (In the Night Garden) are on hand to heap praise on the man who is such an inspiration for their work.

Postgate's family help delve deep into his history and discover the inventions, such as Oliver's old camera adapted with Meccano, that powered his imagined worlds. Co-creator Firmin reveals the story behind his most celebrated characters and introduces his daughter Emily, familiar to millions as the owner of Bagpuss.

The documentary also reveals how, as the grandson of Labour leader George Lansbury, Postgate's life was shaped by radical politics. His deeply held beliefs influenced his classic creations, and campaigning became his focus until his death in December 2008.


SUN 21:00 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.


SUN 22:00 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (b0074th6)
Series 1

Smiley Tracks the Mole

Acclaimed adaptation of John le Carre's novel. In his search for the mole sitting at the heart of the Circus, Smiley sets out for Oxford to visit an invaluable friend.


SUN 22:50 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (b0074tjf)
Series 1

How It All Fits Together

Smiley recalls the past - his involvement with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier and Poorman, and Karla - the legendary head of Moscow Circus.


SUN 23:35 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (b0074tks)
Series 1

Tinker Tailor

Smiley thinks that the time has come to call on Jim Prideaux, whose assignment to Czechoslovakia went disastrously wrong, with the mole at the heart of the Circus to blame.


SUN 00:20 Motherland (p05j1k3t)
Series 1

Episode 1

Julia moves out of her comfort zone when she reluctantly invites the entire class to her daughter's birthday party. With her mum still refusing to help out she relies on Liz's party hacks and Kevin's entertaining skills. She organises events for a living anyway, so this will be a breeze.


SUN 00:50 Motherland (p05j36kl)
Series 1

Episode 2

A school fundraiser is not Julia's idea of an evening out but somehow she finds herself heavily involved in order to impress a former colleague and new mum crush. Kevin has a battle with the cloakroom and despite Anne's protests, Liz takes care of the bar.


SUN 01:20 Motherland (p05j376v)
Series 1

Episode 3

A pool party ruins Julia's plans before an important event at work. When an attractive man leaves his wallet in the newsagents, Liz takes it in the hopes of returning it and securing a date. And a new dad on the scene who has a history with Amanda puts Kevin's nose out of joint.


SUN 01:50 Motherland (p05j39b9)
Series 1

Episode 4

While Paul is away, he has the perfect solution to aid Julia: he sends his parents to help. Luckily, Kevin has a huge fondness for the elderly and assists Julia in her in-laws' wrangling. Meanwhile, Amanda has a clear-out and reluctantly gives Liz her old coat, which seems to have an effect on our Liz.


SUN 02:15 Motherland (p05j39xn)
Series 1

Episode 5

Anne's new car propels her into the limelight as the mums try to get in on her new car pool. Kevin finds himself in the new role of confidant as Amanda shares a deep secret. And Liz and Julia's friendship is under fire as Liz realises she is just a 'mum' friend.


SUN 02:45 Motherland (p05j3br1)
Series 1

Episode 6

Julia's childcare problems are solved after she finds the perfect nanny, but her friendship with Liz is strained. Amanda is keeping a low profile after Kevin blurted out her secret. Liz visits Lee's new partner to give her some advice. The school caretaker is in hospital, but the mums have lost their ringleader, and there's nobody to organise a card.



MONDAY 31 MAY 2021

MON 19:00 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzf0)
Episode 1

Griff Rhys Jones begins a personal restoration project at his 200-year-old farmhouse in Pembrokeshire.


MON 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000wn0t)
Series 4

Valley Waterfall

A regal vista on canvas. Bob Ross paints incredible mountains and a waterfall enclosed by proud evergreens and mossy cliffs.


MON 20:00 Fake or Fortune? (m0007m6z)
Series 8

A Venetian View

In this episode, Philip and Fiona investigate a highly desirable Venetian view. It was inherited by owner Nick Hopkinson from his great-grandfather, Meyer Spielman. Nick grew up with the painting and has always loved it, but there’s a mystery about it that he would love to solve. On the back of the painting there are two labels from the Royal Academy – one names the artist as Marieschi and the other as Guardi. Nick has long wondered whose hand was behind one of his most treasured belongings, and how he has contacted the Fake or Fortune? team for help.

Francesco Guardi and Michele Marieschi are both known for their paintings of Venetian views and were contemporaries in the 18th century of the most famous view painter of them all, Canaletto. But there’s a big difference in value between them: if Nick’s painting is a Marieschi it could be worth £500,000, but if it’s a Guardi it could be worth up to £10 million.

With such high stakes, Philip and Fiona get to work. On a trip to Venice they learn that when it comes to attribution, even in the 18th century confusion reigned. There was such a huge demand for Venetian views that artists churned them out, often from workshops with apprentices or other artists filling in details such as the figures, and they rarely signed their paintings. At the Art Academy archives in Venice, Fiona and Nick look at a document that details a sort of 18th-century version of Fake or Fortune? A committee tried to establish who painted a picture, with some familiar names being debated – Canaletto is mentioned, as are Marieschi and Guardi. At that time, Guardi was still alive and so was brought in to verify the identity of the painting. Centuries later, Fiona and Philip will have to follow the clues in the painting itself to solve this mystery.

Back in London, Philip compares Nick’s painting to other known works by both Marieschi and Guardi and decides that stylistically, it’s far closer to Marieschi than Guardi. On the provenance trail, Fiona and Nick head to the Royal Academy to see if they can find out any more about the labels on the back of the painting. There, they make a shocking discovery that puts an even bigger question mark over Guardi’s name. It’s the first of several family stories that Nick discovers aren’t quite as he thought.

With Guardi in doubt, the team turn their attention to Marieschi. The view in the picture is one that Marieschi often depicted, which is encouraging, but it does also raise the possibility that this is a copy. The demand for these highly desirable Venetian views was so high that in the late 18th and 19th centuries the market was flooded with fakes and copies. A factory was even opened in London churning out what were known as ‘Canaletti’. We are entering murky waters and there’s a worrying prospect that Nick’s picture could turn out to be neither a Guardi nor a Marieschi but a fake, so the picture is analysed using a revolutionary new piece of imaging technology called Artmyn. A scanner takes 20,000 photographs, mapping the surface of the picture and revealing in minute detail how the paint has been applied. Such insights could be crucial in distinguishing a genuine Marieschi from a copy.

There is one more lead to follow up – an intriguing seal on the back of the painting that says ‘Firenze’. Could this place the painting in Italy in the 18th and 19th century and rule out the possibility of it being an English fake?


MON 21:00 Great British Photography Challenge (m000wn0w)
Series 1

Episode 2

This week sees 'The Six' challenged to use their smartphone to capture the fast-moving arena of the boxing ring, with Rankin offering the opportunity for one image from each to be uploaded to his social media platforms. Whose images will capture the imagination of his followers?

The students then travel to Birmingham's wholesale market to meet with award-winning artist and photographer Maryam Wahid, who takes them into the world of documentary photography. The third challenge featured in this episode sees them tasked with their first high-end fashion shoot, under the guidance of Rankin and creative direction of international stylist and fashion editor Cheryl Konteh.


MON 22:00 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (b0074tlq)
Series 1

Smiley Sets a Trap

Acclaimed dramatisation of John le Carre's novel. Smiley's investigation to snare the traitor at the heart of the Circus leads him to Jerry Westerby, a Fleet Street journalist.


MON 22:40 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (b0074tmm)
Series 1

Flushing Out the Mole

In the final part of John le Carre's classic story, George Smiley's search for the mole at the heart of the Circus finally comes to an end.


MON 23:25 Mark Lawson Talks To... (b00dwcp6)
John le Carre

John le Carre converses with Mark Lawson about his fragmented childhood, life in the diplomatic service, working with Alec Guinness and his book A Most Wanted Man. Le Carre worked as an intelligence officer in the 1970s before turning to writing full time. His personal experiences during the Cold War informed a string of best-selling espionage novels including The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He also wrote the corporate corruption thriller The Constant Gardener, which became a Oscar-winning film.


MON 00:25 Motherland (p07mvqj6)
Series 2

No Mum Left Behind

As a new school year begins, a new mum at the school gates attracts the attention of Julia, Liz and Kevin. Amanda has all the gossip and tells them Meg is a high-flying businesswoman with five kids and a sexy silver-fox husband.

Meanwhile, Julia is struggling to keep her head above water at work when she is offered the choice of promotion or redundancy. When Meg invites the gang for drinks, they go along against Julia’s better judgement and the evening takes a surprising turn, leading Julia to make a big decision.


MON 00:55 Motherland (p07mvr9b)
Series 2

Soft Opening

Having resigned from her job in PR, Julia tries to adapt to life as a freelancer and reluctantly agrees to help Amanda launch her new shop even though she believes it is nothing but a vanity project. The soft opening is a success but a careless online post threatens to destroy her good work.

Meanwhile, Liz rails against the gentrification of the area and the loss of her beloved kebab shop and Kevin reveals he has written an unusual children’s book, which he wants Amanda to sell in her shop.


MON 01:25 Motherland (p07mvrqr)
Series 2

Mother's Load

Julia finds that working from home is impossible due to all the tasks she has to do for her family. Meg tells her this is her 'mother’s load' - all the things that no-one else will do but that need to be done to keep the home running. Julia removes herself to the cafe to work but even there finds that it is not that easy to get her work done. A possible solution presents itself when she shares a table with a fellow freelancer, but is Julia taking advantage of him?


MON 01:55 Motherland (p07mvsgm)
Series 2

The Purge

Kevin reluctantly agrees to host a last-minute Halloween party despite the fact that he’s had no time to prepare. Meanwhile at the school gates the mums are all talking about a celebrity who has moved into the neighbourhood - Lee Mead from Holby.

As this is Julia’s favourite programme she is determined to meet him and decides to take all the kids trick or treating hoping that they will find his house. Liz tags along as she has been stood up by a date and Anne is in attendance trying to make sure that the kids are safe. However by the time they reach Kevin’s one of the kids is missing - Amanda’s little boy Manus. Despite the fact that the happy teatime trick or treat atmosphere has now turned violent and terrifying Liz, Kevin and Julia must venture back out into the streets to search for him through terrifying hordes of teenage zombies and mutant nuns.


MON 02:25 Motherland (p07mvszc)
Series 2

Le Weekend

The gang are delighted when Kevin books a cottage for them to spend half term holidays in the countryside with all their kids. But it is not as nice as the pictures online, and Kevin seems to have miscalculated the number of bedrooms.

When it transpires that Julia has failed to bring any booze, the atmosphere takes a turn for the worse. All hopes rest on Kevin’s plan to cook an event meal by roasting a whole pig in a pit he has dug in the garden. As the long night wears on, tempers begin to fray. Meanwhile, Liz catches the eye of a handsome shepherd.


MON 02:55 Motherland (p07mvtbr)
Series 2

Good Job

Julia struggles to abide by the rules and clashes with Mrs Lamb as she attends her first ever school sports day. Apparently it's no longer acceptable to cheer for individual kids, and you can only offer generic support like 'good job'. Over at the Kidiverse soft play centre, Kevin is devastated that an important work presentation means he will miss the dads' race. Liz worries that her new boyfriend is blanking her. And Anne discovers something that leads to a nasty surprise for Amanda.


MON 03:25 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzf0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



TUESDAY 01 JUNE 2021

TUE 19:00 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzfj)
Episode 2

Documentary series following Griff Rhys Jones as he restores his 200-year-old farmhouse in Pembrokeshire. As Griff's restoration drama continues, nature decides to intervene.


TUE 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000wn1y)
Series 4

Toward Day's End

Bob Ross paints a delightful, riverside cabin in an oval bursting with succulent, glorious foliage.


TUE 20:00 Yes, Minister (b007845r)
Series 2

The Greasy Pole

Sitcom about a British government minister and the advisers who surround him. Jim Hacker finds himself in the middle of a row over the British Chemical Corporation.


TUE 20:30 To the Manor Born (b0078629)
Series 1

Nation's Heritage

Stately sitcom. DeVere moves his multinational grocery business to the manor and crosses swords with Audrey over a fireplace.


TUE 21:00 Ian Hislop's Olden Days (b041dqp3)
Forward into the Past

Ian Hislop travels back to the era of the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Britain. This was a time of some of the greatest progress and modernisation the country had ever seen - and yet, throughout these decades, writers, artists and politicians were trying to make sense of this new world by retreating into a very old world indeed: the Middle Ages.

The medieval revival had a huge impact on the country as it faced enormous upheaval. The novelist Walter Scott became a bestseller with his books Waverley and Ivanhoe, tales of gallant heroes and knights in armour. A dissatisfied workforce, faced with the threat of job losses from industrialisation, formed an ancient-style band of brothers to protest, calling themselves the Luddites. The Houses of Parliament were rebuilt in a medieval gothic style. And prime minister Benjamin Disraeli led a government that improved living and working conditions for millions by looking back to the values of the olden days.

With rich storytelling, fascinating anecdotes and a wry sense of humour, Ian explains how the Middle Ages actually made Britain modern.


TUE 22:00 Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer (m000wn21)
Series 1

Data

The emergence of ingenious and dogged fact-based research, data mapping and analysis has made tremendous improvements in public health. Before a vaccine or an effective treatment can come into play, data is the first line of defence against a new pandemic.

Epidemiologist William Farr identified the importance of medical statistics in the 19th century when he began studying cholera mortality reports in London. The painstaking work of past data detectives like Farr and groundbreaking sociologist WEB Du Bois, who studied race and health in the US, revealed the extent of health inequalities between poor and rich and black and white communities, and how the two were often correlated.


TUE 22:55 Horizon (b038p1pm)
2013-2014

Monitor Me

Dr Kevin Fong explores a medical revolution that promises to help us live longer, healthier lives. Inspired by the boom in health-related apps and gadgets, it's all about novel ways we can monitor ourselves around the clock. How we exercise, how we sleep, even how we sit.

Some doctors are now prescribing apps the way they once prescribed pills. Kevin meets the pioneers of this revolution. From the England Rugby 7s team, whose coach knows more about his players' health than a doctor would, to the most monitored man in the world who diagnosed a life threatening disease from his own data, without going to the doctor.


TUE 23:55 Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines (p01f53b9)
Poison

Dr Michael Mosley ends the series with a look at poisons, exploring the turning points when scientists went from finding antidotes to poisons to applying poisons as cures, and celebrating the eccentrics and mavericks whose breakthroughs were to pave the way for some of the most striking treatments of modern medicine. Of the medicines explored in this series, those that are derived from poisons are perhaps the most extraordinary. The story of turning poisons into medicines encompasses the planet's most deadly substances, in which we turned killers into cures.


TUE 00:55 The Beauty of Anatomy (b04gbdwt)
The Hunter Brothers

Dr Adam Rutherford investigates the story of the Hunter brothers, the celebrated anatomists who controversially transformed both medicine and art in 18th-century Britain.

Their belief that their students could only learn anatomy by carrying out dissections created an unprecedented demand for dead bodies and a market for the growing trade of body snatching from graveyards.


TUE 01:25 The Joy of Painting (m000wn1y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 01:55 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


TUE 02:25 Great British Photography Challenge (m000wn0w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Monday]



WEDNESDAY 02 JUNE 2021

WED 19:00 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzfy)
Episode 3

As summer arrives, the farmhouse is stripped down to its bare essentials. Meanwhile Griff takes a tour of the local rock scene with geologist Sid Howells.


WED 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000wn45)
Series 4

Falls in the Glen

A partially blackened canvas is all you need to create this dark, mood-filled, misty waterfall scene with artist Bob Ross.


WED 20:00 Skies Above Britain (b07v77jd)
When Speed Counts

Racing champion Martin is a member of the oldest flying club in Britain, the Royal Aero Club. He is preparing to compete for the Schneider Trophy, where 14 pilots will fly wing to wing around outlying islands in Alderney in the Channel Islands. The hair-raising race attracts an eclectic mix of pilots, from Geoffrey, a baron, to dentist Roger, who has bought his first plane especially for the race.

Cargo pilot Mark flies solo from the Isle of Man to Dublin to East Midlands daily in his Piper Navajo plane, delivering anything from fresh flowers to human remains. His schedule is so tight that even during bad weather he must cross the Irish sea.

East Midlands Airport is the cargo hub that connects the whole of Britain to the world beyond. A hundred and fifty thousand parcels run through DHL's warehouse each night. Graham, a senior sorter, must make sure his team can respond when a crucial conveyor belt breaks down, while senior loader Tony Parkinson works against the clock to load thousands of parcels onto cargo flights.

At NATS, bad weather grounds planes and dangerous wind sheer causes pilots to abort landings, wrecking the carefully planned landing and take-off schedule.


WED 21:00 Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain (b09jggy5)
Series 1

Episode 4

During the Blitz, over 450,000 bombs dropped on Britain and every bomb has its own story. This series examines the specific effect of four bombs, from their initial impact on individual lives, right through to their wider consequences for the Second World War, and all the way to the present day. Each episode begins with a single bomb in a single street in a single place - London, Hull, Clydebank and Bristol. Across the series, incredible personal testimony, gut-wrenching memoirs and the meticulous records kept at the time provide a visceral and terrifying account of the Blitz that directly connects with the human experience of the bombs. As survivors and relatives attest, these bombs touched the lives of everyone and created a legacy we all still live with today.

This episode looks at the deadly impact of an incendiary bomb that sets fire to St Peter's Church in the historic heart of Bristol. Before November 1940, the Castle Street area was full of shops, businesses and homes all served by St Peter's. But on the night of Sunday 24 November 1940, the German bomber aircraft came.

That evening, Geoffrey Serle and his father had been attending church when the raid began, and almost 80 years later, he recounts the terror and their desperate attempt to find shelter amongst the chaos. Bill Hares was a tobacconist in nearby Merchant Street and the film explores his carefully preserved account of that November night when Bristol's firefighters simply couldn't cope. Bev Reynolds also tells his father's story - he was a police driver who tried to help the firefighting effort. Following the bomb, Castle Street's residents and workers took in the dreadful damage the Luftwaffe had done. One local photo journalist stepped in to take pictures of the devastation, telling a human story of the bombs that many at the time would never see thanks to government censorship.


WED 22:00 How to Build... (b00t0yx9)
Series 1

A Jumbo Jet Engine

As Boeing's 787 Dreamliner makes its inaugural flight, Rolls-Royce engineers celebrate the performance of its revolutionary Trent 1000 jet engines. They're the latest in a family of sophisticated aero engines that have driven Rolls-Royce to become world leaders in the market for jumbo jet engines.

This is the story of the thousands of people who design, build and test engines at Rolls-Royce's manufacturing plants in Derby and across the UK, making Rolls-Royce a central part of life for the people who work there.

Exploring some of the astonishing technology behind the engines' advanced components, the programme meets the skilled engineers who design and build them, and experience the ups and downs of life on the assembly line.


WED 23:00 Great British Photography Challenge (m000wn0w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Monday]


WED 00:00 Blinded: Those Who Kill (p099cqzr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]


WED 00:45 Blinded: Those Who Kill (p099crv1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:45 on Saturday]


WED 01:30 The Joy of Painting (m000wn45)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 02:00 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzfy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


WED 02:30 Ian Hislop's Olden Days (b041dqp3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]



THURSDAY 03 JUNE 2021

THU 19:00 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzg9)
Episode 4

Building work on Griff's farm moves to the inside of the house. At last, things are being built up instead of knocked down. But as the deadline looms, tempers begin to fray.


THU 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000wn5r)
Series 4

Frozen Beauty in Vignette

A truly graceful scene. Bob Ross paints an icy pond and weather-worn cabin that appear to float in the air.


THU 20:00 Arena (b01pjlhv)
Screen Goddesses

Documentary about the early female movie stars: Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe - immortal goddesses made by Hollywood to reign over the silver screen.

With the beginnings of Hollywood, the star system was born with an archetypal bad girl - the vampish Theda Bara - and the good girl - the blazingly sincere Lillian Gish. From the 1920s, vivacious Clara Bow and seductive siren Louise Brooks are most remembered, but none made the impact of Marlene Dietrich, an icon of mystery, or Greta Garbo, with her perfect features and gloomy introspection.

From the power of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis to the seductiveness of Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner, Hollywood studios produced their own brand of beautiful, sassy and confident women. But it wasn't to last. The era drew to a close with the supreme fame of Elizabeth Taylor and the tragic death of Marilyn Monroe.

Narrated by Elizabeth McGovern.


THU 21:00 My Week with Marilyn (b01nx8kb)
It is 1956 and The Prince and the Showgirl is being made at Pinewood Studios in London, directed by and starring Laurence Olivier, who has recruited one of the biggest Hollywood stars of all time, Marilyn Monroe, to co-star with him.

Colin Clark, a junior assistant on the production, is assigned the job of looking after Marilyn and keeps a journal about the week he spent with her. It proves to be a turbulent experience as Marilyn is going through marital problems with her husband and uses Colin as a much-needed sounding board for all her pent-up neurosis.


THU 22:30 Talking Pictures (b06vp212)
Sex Symbols

Sylvia Syms looks at the handsome heroes and gorgeous heroines, pin-ups and bombshells who came to be known as cinema's greatest sex symbols. They were the actors who made audiences' hearts beat fastest - the men and women whom the camera just seemed to love that little bit more than most.

The programme hears from the stars themselves talking about what their sex symbol status meant to them, and the good-looking line-up includes Gary Cooper, Jane Russell, Brigitte Bardot, Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Hollywood's ultimate sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe.


THU 23:10 On Camera: Photographers at the BBC (b08jgr3w)
Drawing on the BBC's rich archive, this documentary reveals the working practices, lives and opinions of some of the greatest photographers since the 1950s. From Norman Parkinson to David Bailey, Eve Arnold to Jane Bown, Henri Cartier-Bresson to Martin Parr, for decades the BBC has drawn our attention to the creators of what has become the most ubiquitous, contemporary art form.

Pioneering BBC programmes like Arena, Monitor and Omnibus have given unique insights into the careers of photography's leading practitioners. Through a selection of fascinating clips, this programme brings into focus the key genres - fashion, portraiture, documentary and landscape - and the characters behind the camera who have helped define them.


THU 00:10 The Joy of Painting (m000wn5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 00:40 A Pembrokeshire Farm (b007hzg9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


THU 01:10 The Beauty of Anatomy (b04gvbdt)
Gray's Anatomy

The world's most famous study of the human body is Gray's Anatomy. The accuracy of the descriptions and the stark beauty of the illustrations made it an instant bestseller. Adam Rutherford tells the story of how, in just three years, Dr Henry Gray and Dr Henry Carter put it together based on dissections they personally performed.


THU 01:40 Arena (b01pjlhv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 02:40 Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer (m000wn21)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Tuesday]



FRIDAY 04 JUNE 2021

FRI 19:00 Pop Go the Sixties (b00cw0pf)
Series 2

Procol Harum

A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum was one of the 1960s' most popular and most-played songs. It's performed here by the group who first recorded it, on Top of the Pops in 1967.


FRI 19:05 Singer-Songwriters at the BBC (b00tzpbq)
Series 1

Episode 1

Compilation which unlocks the BBC vaults to explore the burgeoning singer-songwriter genre that exploded at the dawn of the 1970s and became one of the defining styles of that decade.

Featuring Elton John's Your Song, whose line 'My gift is my song and this one's for you' helps define this new, more personal style of songwriting, alongside an eclectic selection of classic artists and songs. James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Harry Nilsson, Sandy Denny, Steve Goodman, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Judee Sill, Jackson Browne, Neil Diamond, Tim Hardin, Joan Armatrading, Tom Waits all feature next to more commercial hits from the likes of Terry Jacks and Gilbert O'Sullivan.

Programme sources include The Old Grey Whistle Test, In Concert, Top of the Pops, The Shirley Bassey Show and Twiggy's Show of the week.


FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (m000wn3f)
Anthea Turner presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 31 January 1991 and featuring EMF, Nomad and Soho.


FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m000wn3k)
Bruno Brookes presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 7 February 1991 and featuring The KLF, Kenny Thomas and Kim Appleby.


FRI 21:00 Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (m000wn3p)
A confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson’s young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band. It is a moving story of Robertson’s personal journey, overcoming adversity and finding camaraderie alongside the four other men who would become his brothers in music, together making their mark on music history. The film blends rare archival footage, photography, iconic songs and interviews with Robertson’s friends and collaborators including Martin Scorsese, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and more.


FRI 22:35 Guitar, Drum and Bass (m0002700)
Series 1

On Guitar... Lenny Kaye!

Lenny Kaye, Patti Smith’s guitarist, explains how the quest for new guitar sounds has driven the history of popular music, from Les Paul’s first guitar to Bo Diddley’s tremolo, Duane Eddy’s whammy bar, Keith Richards’s fuzz pedal, The Who’s feedback, The Byrds’ 12-string, Hendrix’s wah-wah pedal, Uli Roth and Van Halen’s shredding, The Edge’s digital delay, Ry Cooder’s slide, and KT Tunstall and Ed Sheeran’s looper pedals. With Duane Eddy, Roger McGuinn, The Edge, Bonnie Raitt, Seasick Steve, KT Tunstall, Joe Bonamassa, Uli Roth, Vernon Reid, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, The Runaways’ Lita Ford and producer Shel Talmy.


FRI 23:35 Huey Morgan's Latin Music Adventure (m000kjmp)
Series 1

Brazil

BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Huey Morgan begins his Latin music adventure in Rio de Janeiro with a visit to Mangueira Samba School as they prepare for carnival. It is an important time. Joining rehearsals, Huey learns that the country’s government has come out against carnival’s hedonistic atmosphere. This samba group are just one of many planning a protest, and Huey realises that the revolutionary spirit isn’t just in Brazilian music, it is out on the streets.

Huey then hits the beach but discovers that Brazilian music in the 1960s wasn’t confined to the slick bossa nova swing of the Girl from Ipanema. Released in 1964, this song provided the soundtrack for cocktail parties around the world, but in Brazil that same year a military dictatorship had taken control of the country and civil unrest was brewing.

Huey meets up with Gilberto Gil, who pioneered a new, politically conscious sound to push back against the authoritarian government. Fusing bossa nova with psychedelic rock, avant-garde musique concrete, samba, funk and soul, Tropicália was so radical, and its social implications so politically profound, that Gil and fellow musician Caetano Veloso were arrested, imprisoned and finally exiled in 1969. Tropicália burned brightly for only a few short years, but its impact still resonates today.

Landing in Salvador, Huey is straight into the heat and the chaos of Brazil in the run-up to carnival. Everywhere you turn there are Afro blocs rehearsing, enormous drum ensembles beating out samba rhythms. Salvador is the ancient capital of Brazil, and it was here that millions of slaves were shipped to from Africa by the Portuguese conquistadors - more than anywhere else in the Americas. Salvador is said to be the largest African city outside of Africa, and the revolutionary sound of Brazil has its foundations here. These Afro blocs are more than just music ensembles - they also play a crucial political role in the communities that host them. Huey meets with Carlinhos Brown, percussionist and Salvador native, to experience the rhythms of an Afro bloc up close and to talk about how Afro-positive music has shaped the sound of Brazil. Huey also joins BaianaSystem to learn the secrets of the Bahian guitar - a revolutionary electric instrument invented in Salvador in the 1940s and performed on floats called trios electricos that traverse the city during carnival.

Leaving Salvador, Huey heads to São Paulo, the centre of the Brazilian music scene today, to meet up with his good friend Supla. Taking a tour of the punk and metal scene, Huey discovers that Brazil is still using music to protest against the authoritarian government currently in power and heads to the studio to meet Karol Conka, a rapper and outspoken feminist who is making party anthems with a purpose.


FRI 00:35 Latin Music: A Session with (m000kjmt)
Series 1

Bossacucanova and Roberto Menescal

Pioneer of Brazilian bossa nova Roberto Menescal joins his son’s band Bossacucanova in their Rio studio for a re-interpretation of classic bossa hits.


FRI 01:05 Top of the Pops (m000wn3f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


FRI 01:35 Top of the Pops (m000wn3k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


FRI 02:05 Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (m000wn3p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]




LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 19:00 MON (b007hzf0)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 03:25 MON (b007hzf0)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 19:00 TUE (b007hzfj)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 01:55 TUE (b007hzfj)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 19:00 WED (b007hzfy)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 02:00 WED (b007hzfy)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 19:00 THU (b007hzg9)

A Pembrokeshire Farm 00:40 THU (b007hzg9)

Arena 20:00 THU (b01pjlhv)

Arena 01:40 THU (b01pjlhv)

Bagpuss 19:25 SUN (m000wn0f)

Blinded: Those Who Kill 21:00 SAT (p099cqzr)

Blinded: Those Who Kill 21:45 SAT (p099crv1)

Blinded: Those Who Kill 00:00 WED (p099cqzr)

Blinded: Those Who Kill 00:45 WED (p099crv1)

Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain 21:00 WED (b09jggy5)

Blue Peter 19:00 SUN (b01hz6n0)

Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer 22:00 TUE (m000wn21)

Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer 02:40 THU (m000wn21)

Fake or Fortune? 20:00 MON (m0007m6z)

From Andy Pandy to Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children's Television 21:00 SUN (b06t3mhm)

Great British Photography Challenge 21:00 MON (m000wn0w)

Great British Photography Challenge 02:25 TUE (m000wn0w)

Great British Photography Challenge 23:00 WED (m000wn0w)

Guitar, Drum and Bass 22:35 FRI (m0002700)

Horizon 22:55 TUE (b038p1pm)

How the Celts Saved Britain 19:00 SAT (b00kps7h)

How to Build... 22:00 WED (b00t0yx9)

Huey Morgan's Latin Music Adventure 23:35 FRI (m000kjmp)

Ian Hislop's Olden Days 21:00 TUE (b041dqp3)

Ian Hislop's Olden Days 02:30 WED (b041dqp3)

Ivor the Engine 19:50 SUN (m000wn0k)

Latin Music: A Session with 00:35 FRI (m000kjmt)

Mark Lawson Talks To... 23:25 MON (b00dwcp6)

Michael Palin's New Europe 20:00 SAT (b0081kj7)

Motherland 00:20 SUN (p05j1k3t)

Motherland 00:50 SUN (p05j36kl)

Motherland 01:20 SUN (p05j376v)

Motherland 01:50 SUN (p05j39b9)

Motherland 02:15 SUN (p05j39xn)

Motherland 02:45 SUN (p05j3br1)

Motherland 00:25 MON (p07mvqj6)

Motherland 00:55 MON (p07mvr9b)

Motherland 01:25 MON (p07mvrqr)

Motherland 01:55 MON (p07mvsgm)

Motherland 02:25 MON (p07mvszc)

Motherland 02:55 MON (p07mvtbr)

My Week with Marilyn 21:00 THU (b01nx8kb)

On Camera: Photographers at the BBC 23:10 THU (b08jgr3w)

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band 21:00 FRI (m000wn3p)

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band 02:05 FRI (m000wn3p)

Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines 23:55 TUE (p01f53b9)

Pop Go the Sixties 19:00 FRI (b00cw0pf)

Singer-Songwriters at the BBC 19:05 FRI (b00tzpbq)

Skies Above Britain 20:00 WED (b07v77jd)

Talking Pictures 22:30 THU (b06vp212)

The Beauty of Anatomy 00:55 TUE (b04gbdwt)

The Beauty of Anatomy 01:10 THU (b04gvbdt)

The Clangers 19:40 SUN (m000wn0h)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 MON (m000wn0t)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 TUE (m000wn1y)

The Joy of Painting 01:25 TUE (m000wn1y)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 WED (m000wn45)

The Joy of Painting 01:30 WED (m000wn45)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 THU (m000wn5r)

The Joy of Painting 00:10 THU (m000wn5r)

The Killing 00:10 SAT (b00z8v1d)

The Killing 01:10 SAT (b00zhcf2)

The Killing 02:10 SAT (b00zhcf4)

Timeshift 20:00 SUN (b00pht5q)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 22:30 SAT (b0074tdz)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 23:20 SAT (b0074tg0)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 22:00 SUN (b0074th6)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 22:50 SUN (b0074tjf)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 23:35 SUN (b0074tks)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 22:00 MON (b0074tlq)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 22:40 MON (b0074tmm)

To the Manor Born 20:30 TUE (b0078629)

Top of the Pops 20:00 FRI (m000wn3f)

Top of the Pops 20:30 FRI (m000wn3k)

Top of the Pops 01:05 FRI (m000wn3f)

Top of the Pops 01:35 FRI (m000wn3k)

Yes, Minister 20:00 TUE (b007845r)