SATURDAY 11 MARCH 2023

SAT 19:00 Brazil with Michael Palin (b01nv9ch)
The Road to Rio

In the third part of his Brazilian odyssey, Michael Palin visits the source of Brazil's great mineral wealth and then travels to one of the world's greatest cities to see how this new-found wealth is being spent, changing the lives of millions of its inhabitants.

Michael starts this leg of the journey in the mineral-rich state of Minas Gerais - General Mines. He visits an old gold mine once owned by the British, before going to see a vast opencast iron ore mine that is such a feature of the Minas landscape. Iron ore deposits are fuelling Brazil's economic miracle but there is always an environmental price to pay, and Michael meets some ordinary Brazilians who are dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the state.

After Minas, it's down to Rio de Janeiro, host to the 2016 Olympics and 2014 World Cup. Rio has always had a reputation as a party town but also has suffered from terrible violence, with heavily armed drug gangs controlling the notorious shanty towns, or favelas, that make up a large part of the city. Now, the authorities have decided to spend some of Brazil's new money on healing the rift between the favelas and the rest of the city. The policy of 'pacification' aims to drive the drug gangs out and fund new infrastructure and social programmes to make the favelas truly part of the city. Michael visits what used to be some of the most violent places on earth to see how lives have been transformed by pacification.

Michael's time in Rio isn't all about what is happening in the favelas. He also finds time to visit some of Rio's best-known locations, learns how to celebrate a goal like a Brazilian radio commentator, and books a room in one of the city's infamous 'love hotels'!


SAT 20:00 Brazil with Michael Palin (b01qyq0f)
The Deep South

In the final episode of his travels through Brazil, Michael Palin finds many surprises as he encounters the rich diversity of the more European and Asian cultures that have created a new melting pot in the deep south of Brazil.

In the picture-perfect town of Parati, set amidst the Mata Atlantica, he meets up with Prince Joao de Braganza, heir to the defunct throne of Brazil. The prince argues that the arrival of the Portuguese court in Brazil, who escaped from Napoleon's occupation, did much to establish the institutions that have enabled Brazil's economy to flourish.

Michael joins Carolina Ferraz, star of a galaxy of telenovellas, the immensely popular Brazilian soap operas, on the backlot of her most recent TV success, where issues of poverty fuel the storylines alongside the racier love triangles.

Whilst taking to the skies of Sao Paolo to avoid the hundred-mile traffic jams with mega-rich king of waste disposal Wilson Quintela, Michael learns that there are millions to be made from garbage.

Travelling south to Blumenau and Pomerode, Michael finds German speakers - including model Priscilla Falaster, who dreams of becoming the next Giselle Bundchen - and tries his hand pulling steins from a mobile bierkeller. Bavarian schulplatte dancers and chance encounters with spiritualists, including Marcello Paes Leme, challenge his views on what makes a typical Brazilian.

Leaving the beauty and serenity of the Pantanal, Michael comes to his journey's end at the magnificent Iguazu falls, where he concludes that Brazil has much to offer the world as it takes its place as a new superpower.


SAT 21:00 Paris Police 1905 (p0f02wmt)
Series 1

Episode 3

Marguerite discovers that Adolphe has syphilis, and Inspector Jouin finally identifies the body in the Bois de Boulogne. On learning that the dead man is linked to the unsolved murder of a lawyer, Cochefert assigns Jouin to the case. Meanwhile, troubled by the Dentrement case, Lépine considers resigning.

In French with English subtitles.


SAT 21:55 Paris Police 1905 (p0f02z6t)
Series 1

Episode 4

Louise Lépine finds an unlikely ally in her attempts to persuade her father to postpone his retirement, Jouin and Cochefert hear testimony from the mother of Paul Cetinet, and Fiersi, now a free agent, talks to one of the maids at Château de Bagatelle.

In French with English subtitles.


SAT 22:50 A Bit of Fry and Laurie (p00bzcxh)
Series 1

Episode 6

Off-the-wall comedy sketches with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. A waiter keeps interrupting the punchline of a joke and a care worker in a retirement home brings an objectionable resident his cocoa.


SAT 23:20 As Time Goes By (p045tm60)
Series 1

Surprise, Surprise

Jean and Judy pay Lionel a surprise visit at a conference in Norwich, but find him staying with another woman. Meanwhile, Alistair starts to show more interest in Jean.


SAT 23:50 Louis Theroux Interviews... (m001ds7q)
Series 1

Dame Judi Dench

Louis meets Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench. Having graced the stage and screen for over 60 years, including iconic turns as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love and MI5 chief M in Bond, Judi is regarded as one of Britain’s greatest ever actors.

Louis meets Judi at her home in Surrey for a candid and lively conversation about her long career, her passion for theatre and her life away from acting. Judi also speaks openly about her relationship with her late husband Michael Williams and a fierce determination to carry on working.

Louis also accompanies Judi to the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End and joins her to spend time with her daughter Finty and grandson Sam. They discuss the difficulties of the lockdown and how it inadvertently led to surprise popularity on TikTok, introducing Judi to a whole new audience.


SAT 00:35 The Capture (m0008s7m)
Series 1

Blind Spots

Surveillance thriller. Carey develops a theory as answers begin to reveal themselves, and Shaun finds himself trusting an enigmatic stranger who promises to lead him to the truth.


SAT 01:30 The Capture (m0008zv5)
Series 1

A Pilgrim of Justice

Surrounded by the architects of his downfall, the truth behind what happened to Shaun is revealed to him in precise detail. Meanwhile, having seen the footage of Hannah entering the bus, and wholly convinced now that Shaun has been set up, Carey seeks for answers of her own and uncovers the complex conspiracy that is Correction.


SAT 02:30 The Capture (m000969y)
Series 1

Correction

Carey teams up with Shaun Emery to try and expose Correction, but Napier is one step ahead. Shaun’s future, and that of the nation’s system of justice, lie with one person. Carey has a decision to make.

SUNDAY 12 MARCH 2023

SUN 19:00 Come Dancing (m001k2nf)
1977

22/04/1977

Terry Wogan introduces an edition from 1977 of the classic interregional dance contest. The North East compete against the North West at Tiffany's Ballroom, Glasgow. Barri Haynes provides the commentary.


SUN 19:40 BBC Proms (b07rkvp4)
2016

BBC Proms Encores: Schubert's Rondo

From the 2016 BBC Proms, Martha Argerich performs Schubert's Rondo in A.


SUN 19:55 The Classical Collection (m001gn00)
Series 1

Nature

The natural world has always been a powerful inspiration to composers. From vast forests and tiny fish to wild storms and epic seascapes, this programme takes us on an evocative journey through some of the best-loved musical responses to our living planet.


SUN 21:00 Tartuffe (m001k2nk)
Filmed at Birmingham Rep, Molière’s classic Tartuffe is updated to the West Midlands. Lies and deceit unfold in this wickedly funny Brummie comedy about faith, family and faking it.

After a smash-hit run at the RSC in 2018, this version of Tartuffe received rave reviews during its acclaimed revival.

Written by the Bafta-winning duo behind Citizen Khan and Goodness Gracious Me, Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto, and directed by Iqbal Khan, creator of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.


SUN 23:10 Clive James (m000g6m0)
Postcard from Miami

Clive James goes to Miami in search of vice. He's given a boat tour of the Miami islands by an ex-CIA agent, speeds out into the Gulf with US Customs to track down drug runners, and cruises through Coconut Grove in a Miami Police patrol car.

He also meets Miami Vice star Don Johnson, Gloria Estefan of the Miami Sound Machine, columnist for the Miami Herald Dave Barry, and Joel Hirschhorn, who defends alleged drug barons.


SUN 00:00 Storyville (m000kbnw)
Scandalous! The Tabloid That Changed America

Sex! Gossip! Scandal! Over the course of 60 years, the National Enquirer became the most infamous tabloid in America, pumping out salacious stories, stretching the limits of journalism, blurring the lines between truth and fiction and changing the cultural landscape forever.

With outrageous anecdotes and biting wit, Scandalous traces the newspaper’s aggressive and cut-throat style of journalism across some of the biggest stories of our times - the deaths of Elvis and Princess Diana, the OJ Simpson trial and the Clinton impeachment saga. To satiate their readers’ obsession with the rich and famous, the newspaper poached veteran reporters from the British tabloid scene and allegedly used payoffs and blackmail to get its scoops.

Using rare archive footage, Scandalous is the story of how one American tabloid newspaper’s clear-sighted grasp of its readers’ darkest curiosities garnered massive profits, influence in powerful places and a central role in Trump's presidency.


SUN 01:35 Africa with Ade Adepitan (m0002p4d)
Series 1

Episode 3

The third leg of Ade Adepitan’s epic four-part journey around Africa, a continent undergoing huge change. This leg takes him to the east of the continent, from Tanzania, through Ethiopia and on to war-torn Somalia.

Ade begins in Tanzania, in Selous Game Reserve – a game park the size of Switzerland. He is on the lookout for elephants. But the numbers in this park have fallen by 90 per cent over the last few decades. As well as poaching, one of the big problems is that elephants trample and eat crops – so the locals don’t like them. But a new collaring programme is helping numbers to recover.

Ade’s next stop is Ethiopia’s far north. He travels to the hottest place on the planet where he spends a night with some of the toughest people on earth - the Afar. He joins them doing what their ancestors have done for centuries – hacking blocks of salt from a dried-up salt lake and loading them onto camels. But change is finally coming to this place – thanks to another of its resources, the fertilizer potash. It is a sign of Ethiopia’s development, which Ade sees more of in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Having grown up with images of starving children in the famine-plagued 80s, Addis is nothing like Ade expected. The city is booming. And it is driving Ethiopia’s economy - now one of the fastest-growing in the world. Ade gets a guided tour from perhaps the world’s greatest-ever long distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie. Haile is now a businessman, with investments in coffee and construction
.
The real fuel in Ethiopia’s boom is manufacturing. Asia is still the workshop of the world, but with wages there on the rise, Chinese companies are increasingly looking to countries like Ethiopia to set up factories – as Ade discovers on a visit to a shoe factory.

Leaving Addis, Ade travels on Ethiopia’s new high-speed Chinese built train, which whisks him all the way to neighbouring Djibouti, a vital port for Ethiopia’s export-led economy.

The final stop on this leg of Ade’s trip is war-torn Somalia. He joins the African Union troops on a mission out of Mogadishu and discovers a country in ruins, thanks to decades of conflict with Islamist group al-Shabab. Even in areas ruled by the government conservative Islam dominates and women face restriction on their freedom. Back in Mogadishu, Ade shoots some hoops with a group of women defying the odds by playing basketball. His final encounter is with a female doctor who worked for the NHS for 30 years, and has now returned to Somalia to rebuild her country. She is prepared to give her life, if necessary, in her efforts to provide quality maternity care for new mothers.


SUN 02:35 Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins (m000slkq)
Series 1

Masterminds

In this episode, Chris Packham investigates how nature’s masterminds measure up against human brain power. Looking at a variety of animals, such as ravens, crows, bees and starlings, Chris explores how different animals can use tools, solve complex puzzles, recognise themselves in mirrors and even reason like humans.

MONDAY 13 MARCH 2023

MON 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m000d2gj)
Series 11

Elgin to Loch Ness

Michael Portillo is in the Scottish Highlands on the last leg of his rail journey through 1930s Britain. He begins in Elgin's port, the coastal town of Lossiemouth, where James Ramsay MacDonald, the Labour Party's first prime minister was born. Michael meets his granddaughter to visit the family home and discovers what shaped his politics.

On the outskirts of Lossiemouth, Michael finds a remote boarding school established in the 1930s and famous today both for its unusual ideas and its royal former pupils. He hears how the school's founder fled Nazi Germany and joins its fully-working fire service, manned entirely by pupils, for training.

Michael's last stop is the city of Inverness, where first he uncovers the work of female photographer MEM Donaldson. She documented a Highland way of life that was rapidly disappearing at the time of his guide.

Michael's journey ends at one of the most notorious bodies of water in the world, Loch Ness. He joins the Deep Scan research team as they scour the deep for signs of the elusive monster.


MON 19:30 Villages by the Sea (m0010d00)
Series 2

Charlestown

Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the picturesque Georgian village of Charlestown on the south west coast of Cornwall and learns how it was
shaped by the vision of one man.


MON 20:00 Archaeology: A Secret History (p0109k28)
The Search for Civilisation

Archaeologist Richard Miles shows how discoveries in the 18th and 19th centuries overturned ideas of when and where civilisation began as empires competed to literally 'own' the past.


MON 21:00 Art of France (b08f1bw0)
Series 1

This Is the Modern World

In the final episode, Andrew begins with the impressionists. He plunges into one of the most wildly creative periods in the history of art, when France was changing at a rapid pace and angry young artists would reinvent how to paint, finding their muses in the bars, brothels and cabarets of belle epoque Paris and turning the world of art on its head. Monet, Degas and friends launched a febrile conversation about the role of painting in the modern world that would pave the way for just about every modern art movement of note, from the cubists to the Fauves, from the surrealists to the existentialists and from conceptual artists to the abstract expressionists.


MON 22:00 The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty (m000kxvz)
Series 1

Kingmaker

Kingmaker meets Rupert Murdoch in 1995, a pivotal year that sees him presiding over two important dilemmas - who he wants to be Britain’s next prime minister and which of his children he wants to take over his business.

This episode charts the growing relationship between Rupert Murdoch and Tony Blair, and the Murdoch press and Blair’s Labour Party - a relationship that becomes almost uncomfortably close. Critics claim that Murdoch’s organisation cultivated too much influence over the British government – lobbying for war in Iraq, enjoying open access to the prime minister and favourable treatment when it comes to business. Supporters, however, claim that this is how business works, not least when you are as influential as Rupert Murdoch.

Murdoch’s family dynamic is rocked when he marries a woman 37 years his junior, polarising the children and jeopardising Murdoch’s plans for succession. Just as Murdoch is approaching the peak of his powers and influence in the UK, cracks begin to appear that point to deeper, darker problems within his empire.


MON 23:00 Donald Campbell: Speed King (b01rrk63)
Donald Campbell is world famous for his speed records on land and water and, of course, that fatal crash in Bluebird on Lake Coniston in 1967. His story as one of the last of the great British boffins, his place in the making of modern Britain and his daredevil feats made him a household name. However, the behind-the-scenes story of a man driven by fear of failure, by a desire to keep both himself and his country at the top of their game, has never been told. Until now.

For the first time ever this film goes behind the carefully orchestrated public image Campbell created to reveal a very different man. Backed by exclusive access to extensive new colour archive that covers his whole life (from private and public collections), Campbell's close family and friends describe his quest for success and ultimate transformation from a man at the top to someone struggling for recognition, to myth after the tragic events of 1967.


MON 00:00 Archaeology: A Secret History (p0109k28)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


MON 01:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m000d2gj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


MON 01:30 Villages by the Sea (m0010d00)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


MON 02:00 The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty (m000kxvz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


MON 03:00 Art of France (b08f1bw0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]

TUESDAY 14 MARCH 2023

TUE 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m000dbpg)
Series 11

St Ives to St Day

Michael Portillo boards the Great Western Railway at the Cornish seaside resort of St Ives. Steered by his 1930s Bradshaw’s Guide, this week he explores the West Country between the wars.

In Britain's first studio pottery, Michael attempts a decorative wax technique and feels the heat of the firing kiln. He discovers a Cornish fisherman, who, although he began painting only in his seventies, inspired established artists from the capital.

Along the Cornish Riviera at Hayle, Michael joins a family on holiday in a railway carriage called Harvey. From Redruth, Michael makes his way to the former mining village of St Day, where Feast Day celebrations are in full flow.


TUE 19:30 The Yorkshire Dales (m0003yk1)
Series 1

Wensleydale

Adventurer and explorer Paul Rose heads for Wensleydale in a three-part series about the Yorkshire Dales. He starts his journey in the small town of Hawes, where locals now run many of their own services, including the buses.

Paul checks out why cycling is so popular in the Dales and tries to get to the top of the Buttertubs Pass, which is one of Wensleydale’s most difficult routes. Along the way he meets a family of beautiful Dales dormice – and spends time with a man who looks after one of Yorkshire’s most imposing castles.


TUE 20:00 As Time Goes By (p045tmnk)
Series 1

Relationships

After their visit to Norwich, it becomes clear that Alistair is in love with Jean, not Judy. Meanwhile, Jean aims to get back at Lionel for what happened at the lecture.


TUE 20:30 The Mistress (m001k2n6)
Series 2

Episode 4

Luke finds himself in the unusual position of spending a night at home alone. Why have both his wife and mistress deserted him at the same time?


TUE 21:00 A History of Britain by Simon Schama (b0074ls0)
Series 2

Britannia Incorporated

Simon Schama's epic history reaches the 18th century and the birth of modern Britain. Due to an economic explosion, the consumer society is born, agriculture becomes big business and London becomes the fastest growing city in Europe.

However, many in Scotland are unhappy with the union of the Scottish and English parliaments. When Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite army advance on London, the country's new-found peace and prosperity are threatened.


TUE 22:00 Bent Coppers: Crossing the Line of Duty (m000vlmw)
Series 1

Taking a Drink

By the late 1970s, armed robbery had been brought to a state of near-perfection. Seen as a ‘glamour crime’, it was committed by men prepared to take big risks, survive shootouts with the police and die for the prize. But despite violent armed robbers being arrested, evidence was being watered down, and criminals were being granted bail. Money seemed to be passed to bent cops via middlemen to get lawbreakers released.

Despite sweeping changes brought in by Sir Robert Mark in the Metropolitan Police, this final instalment reveals how, in the late 1970s, corruption within the City of London’s CID had grown out of control - and how Operation Countryman was launched in response.


TUE 23:00 Horizon (b08tj2zr)
2017

Antarctica - Ice Station Rescue

Britain's state-of-the-art Antarctic research base Halley VI is in trouble. Built on the Brunt Ice Shelf, it sits atop a massive slab of ice that extends far beyond the Antarctic shoreline. But the ice is breaking apart and just 6km from the station is a ginormous crevasse, which threatens to separate Halley from the rest of the continent, setting the £28 million base adrift on a massive iceberg.

So Halley needs to move. But this is probably the toughest moving job on earth, and the team of 90 who have been tasked with the mission aren't just architectural or engineering experts. They are plumbers, mechanics and farmers from across the UK and beyond - ordinary men and women on an extraordinary adventure. Their practical skills will be what makes or breaks this move. The rescue mission has one thing in its favour: Halley was built on giant skis that mean it can be moved - in theory. But no-one has actually done it before. Embedded with the team, BBC film-maker Natalie Hewit spent three months living on the ice, following these everyday heroes as they battle in the most extreme environment on earth to move this vital polar research station.


TUE 00:00 Storyville (m0009m7s)
The PM, the Playboy and the Wolf of Wall Street

A Malaysian wealth fund is robbed of US$3.5 billion. It is the world’s biggest white-collar heist involving government corruption at the highest level, an abuse of power and international money laundering.

With little to go on, dogged investigative reporters from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Hollywood Reporter retrace the dirty money - via real estate deals and movie financing including ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ - back to the top echelons of the Malaysian government.

Malaysia’s prime minister and his inner circle are implicated, assets are frozen, money is seized, but the Malaysian people fight back.


TUE 01:25 Africa with Ade Adepitan (m0002tdd)
Series 1

Episode 4

The final leg of Ade Adepitan’s epic tour of Africa sees him travelling from the beaches of Mozambique, through South Africa, before ending his entire trip in Zimbabwe.

He begins on the golden sand beaches of Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, one of Africa’s highlights. At Paradise Island, he finds an abandoned hotel, a visual reminder of Mozambique’s recent history - this place was once a high-end tourist destination, but 25 years of colonial and then civil war put a stop to development. But the local wildlife has benefited from the fact that so few tourists now come here, and Ade is able to snorkel with one of the world’s most elusive sea creatures - a dugong.

Since the wars, Mozambique has struggled to develop, and Ade meets someone for whom life is especially hard – a wheelchair user like himself. In a country where disability is viewed with fear and superstition – and believed by many to be contagious – even catching a bus proves impossible for Castigo. The best thing in his life is exactly the same thing that turned Ade’s life around - wheelchair basketball - and Ade can’t help getting carried away in a game. Along the coast, at one of Mozambique’s largest ports, Ade finds out that China is investing a huge amount in Mozambique – and elsewhere across Africa. The money often comes with strings attached, but a poor country like Mozambique needs financial help, which has to come from somewhere.

Ade’s next stop is South Africa. The country is famous for its wildlife but Ade hears how Chinese influence is having a dramatic impact here – the country’s rhino population has been decimated by poachers, driven by a demand for rhino horn in Chinese medicine. Ade follows rangers with a surprising way of tackling the problem - by cutting off the rhino horn themselves, they hope to deter poachers.

Ade travels to Johannesburg to see how the country is faring 25 years after apartheid ended. On a tour of the city, he is upset to discover that although the black population now have voting rights, they are living in an economic form of apartheid, with 25% unemployed and many squatting on whatever land they can find. In an emotional scene, Ade visits a squatted piece of land, moments after the police have destroyed people’s houses, to hear claims that Mandela’s legacy has been forgotten. Land reform is the big political issue here today, with many calling for a redistribution of land from rich white farmers to the black population.

The final stop on Ade’s African adventure is Zimbabwe – where land reform has already happened, with disastrous results. Ade finds a country still struggling economically. His first stop is the Kariba dam, and a hair-raising boat ride on the vast and stunning Lake Kariba. Ade finds that locals are worried about the stability of the Kariba dam and work has begun to stabilize undermined foundations. The worrying decay of this crucial dam is a sign of how much this country suffered under the rule of Robert Mugabe.

As Ade has seen so often on his trip around Africa, Zimbabwe is a country that should be rich. It has huge quantities of gold – enough, in theory, for the entire population to be a millionaire. But there isn’t the infrastructure of investment to get at it - in a country dogged by poverty and corruption. But the departure of dictator Robert Mugabe brought a new optimism, and Ade meets gold miners who are willing to risk daily exposure to toxic mercury for every scrap of gold they can get and an entrepreneur who believes the industry can be transformed. Despite the return of violence and repression in Zimbabwe, Ade ends his journey on a high, visiting a remote hut that has been turned into the set of a music video. He joins UK indie musician Shingai Shoniwa as she shoots the video for her forthcoming debut single, Coming Home, in a country that she believes is on the up, and deserves a fresh chance.


TUE 02:25 Great British Railway Journeys (m000dbpg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


TUE 02:55 A History of Britain by Simon Schama (b0074ls0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]

WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2023

WED 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m000dbj2)
Series 11

Truro to St Mawgan

Michael Portillo is in Cornwall’s county town, Truro, with his 1930s Bradshaw’s Guide. In the surrounding countryside, he finds the historic estate of Trewithen, whose gardens were stocked from China by professional plant hunters commissioned by its owner.

The Atlantic Coast branch line carries Michael north to Newquay, where he discovers a pioneering surfer and braves the waves on a belly board.

In the nearby village of St Mawgan, Michael is introduced to the ancient Cornish sport of 'wrassling', which surged in popularity between the wars as part of a Cornish Celtic revival. Champion wrestler Johnny Platt is standing by to take Michael on.

At Newquay Airport, he hears about the beginnings of passenger air travel to Cornwall as tourism took off during the 1920s and 30s and finds that future flight could be even faster – in space.


WED 19:30 The Yorkshire Dales (m0004513)
Series 1

Swaledale

Explorer Paul Rose heads for Swaledale in the latest of his Yorkshire Dales adventures. Swaledale is the wildest of the Yorkshire Dales and Paul joins the farmers who look after rare upland hay meadows. Paul also visits Muker Show and enters the cake making contest using a pressure cooker he’s used on Everest.

He also goes underground to try and find rare industrial artefacts left behind by lead miners in the 19th century. Paul’s journey also includes a meeting with actor Peter Davison who played Tristan Farnon in the All Creatures Great and Small TV series.

He also joins a community choir whose members include 13 farmers.


WED 20:00 Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins (m000stfb)
Series 1

Communicators

In this episode, Chris Packham reveals some of the cleverest animal communicators on the planet.

For decades, people have longed to emulate Dr Doolittle and be able to understand what animals are communicating to one another. But their methods often go far beyond the capabilities of our human senses.

Now, thanks to dedicated researchers, new science and cutting-edge technology, we’re being given a glimpse into the ingenious ways that animals get their message across - that dolphins have individual names for each other, that cuttlefish use covert signals, and that humans can understand apes without even realising it.


WED 21:00 Six Wives with Lucy Worsley (b085zjww)
Episode 2

This episode follows the end of Henry's marriage to Katherine of Aragon, made possible by Henry's rejection of Catholicism and the pope, with him setting himself up as head of the Church of England. He marries his second wife, Anne Boleyn, and she gives birth to a baby girl, Elizabeth.

After rumours spread that Anne has been unfaithful to the king, she is arrested and executed, leaving Henry free to marry Jane Seymour. Jane gives birth to a son, Edward, but Henry's joy is overshadowed by grief as Jane dies 12 days later.


WED 22:00 The Six Wives of Henry VIII (m001k2pf)
Series 1

Jane Seymour

Classic series of historical plays, first broadcast in 1970, each taking as its focus one of Henry VIII's six wives. In this episode, Anne Stallybrass stars as Jane Seymour.


WED 23:30 The Six Wives of Henry VIII (m001k2ph)
Series 1

Anne of Cleves

Classic series of historical plays, first broadcast in 1970, each taking as its focus one of Henry VIII's six wives. In this episode, Elvi Hale stars as Anne of Cleves.


WED 01:00 Stephen: The Murder That Changed a Nation (b0b09dss)
Series 1

The Loss of Joy

Three-part documentary series examining the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

The first episode focuses on the run-up to Stephen's murder and the police investigation that follows. As the suspects remain free, tip-offs from the community worry Doreen and Neville, Stephen's parents, about why the police are not making arrests.

A visit from Nelson Mandela seems to prompt action, but Stephen's friend Duwayne, also a victim of the attack, gets into difficulty with the police. When the charges against the suspects are dropped, Doreen realises she must take action into her own hands.


WED 02:00 Stephen: The Murder That Changed a Nation (b0b09f62)
Series 1

The System

A second police investigation captures shocking surveillance footage of the racism of the gang alleged to have killed Stephen. With help from their lawyer Imran Khan, Doreen and Neville Lawrence launch the first private murder prosecution in 150 years. When it collapses, questions about the failure of the first police investigation mount.

The Daily Mail stages a dramatic intervention. A public inquiry shines an uncomfortable light on the police and leads to some devastating revelations.


WED 03:00 Stephen: The Murder That Changed a Nation (b0b09fnz)
Series 1

Corruption and Conviction

Stephen's killers remain free. The public inquiry leads to a change in the law that means that the suspects can be retried. Questions of racism and corruption swirl around the police.

An unconventional detective, Clive Driscoll, takes on the case and, with the help of advances in forensic science, arrests Gary Dobson and David Norris. As justice seems to be done, revelations that the police spied on the Lawrence family start to surface.

THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2023

THU 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m000dbdg)
Series 11

Bodmin to Totnes

Clutching his 1930s Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo reaches Bodmin en route to Totnes as he explores the West Country from St Ives to Salisbury Plain.

Out on the rugged moor, Michael hears how the celebrated author Daphne du Maurier captivated readers between the wars with her tales of smuggling at the Jamaica Inn.

In Devon, Michael takes the plunge at Plymouth’s beautiful art deco Tinside Lido. At Ivybridge, he boards a vehicle like no other to cross the causeway to Burgh Island, where a 1930s playboy built a splendid art deco party palace.

One stop further on the line, Michael arrives in Totnes, at the medieval Dartington Hall, which at the time of his guidebook became a haven for artists seeking refuge from the dictatorships of Europe. Michael discovers the wealthy couple who owned the estate drew many musicians and controversial choreographers to it. The spirit of modern dance is hard to resist.


THU 19:30 The Yorkshire Dales (m0004c12)
Series 1

Wharfedale

Paul Rose’s Yorkshire Dales adventure takes him to Wharfedale. He meets the butchers in Ilkley whose Yorkshire produce is being sold all over the country. Paul also heads for Bolton Abbey and spends time with the Duke of Devonshire. He then takes time out with the Calendar Girls, who shot to fame after their nude calendar became a worldwide sensation two decades ago, and has a close encounter with bats that live along the River Wharfe. Finally, he meets the families from inner-city Bradford who are having their first Dales experience.


THU 20:00 Michael Caine: Acting in Film (m001k2q4)
Michael Caine gives a masterclass on the craft of acting for the silver screen by conducting a workshop with five actors using scenes from some of his films.


THU 21:00 The Ipcress File (b0074sv0)
Spy thriller in which intelligence agent Harry Palmer is plunged into the shabby and treacherous world of counter-espionage as he uncovers a bizarre brain drain among scientists. Based on the novel by Len Deighton.


THU 22:45 Funeral in Berlin (m001k2q8)
Harry Palmer is sent to Berlin with instructions to assist Colonel Stok, the Russian head of security for the Berlin Wall, who is eager to defect to the West. However, Palmer discovers he cannot trust anyone in the city where the double cross is a unit of currency.


THU 00:25 Great British Railway Journeys (m000dbdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


THU 00:55 The Yorkshire Dales (m0004c12)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 01:25 Michael Caine: Acting in Film (m001k2q4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 02:25 Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins (m000stfb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Wednesday]

FRIDAY 17 MARCH 2023

FRI 19:00 Top of the Pops (m001k2r1)
Jack Dee presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 12 May 1994 and featuring Iggy Pop, Michael Bolton, Gloworm, East 17, Joe Roberts, E.Y.C., Marcella Detroit and Elton John, and Stiltskin.


FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (m001k2r3)
Bruno Brookes and Alice Cooper present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 19 May 1994 and featuring Deep Forest, 2 Unlimited, Bad Boys Inc., Wet Wet Wet, Seal, Julia Fordham, East 17, Alice Cooper and the Manchester United Football Club squad.


FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (b07mzkxz)
Steve Wright presents the chart show, first broadcast on 18 March 1982 and featuring Tight Fit, Gary Numan, Japan, Classix Nouveaux, ABC, Imagination and Visage.


FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m0002dx5)
Simon Bates and Peter Powell present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 19 March 1987 and featuring Boy George, Erasure, Genesis and The Mission.


FRI 21:00 Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away (m0012bsy)
Documentary on the life and music of Phil Lynott, telling the story of how a young working-class black boy from 1950s Dublin became Ireland's greatest rock star.

As lead singer of Thin Lizzy, Phil was a songwriter, a poet, a dreamer and a wild man. Told extensively through the words of Phil himself and focusing on some of his iconic songs, the film gets to the heart of Philip as a father, husband, friend, son and rock icon.


FRI 22:30 Sight and Sound in Concert (b0074szr)
Thin Lizzy

Classic, archive performance by Irish guitar rockers Thin Lizzy in concert at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin. The set includes Jailbreak, Cold Sweat and The Boys Are Back in Town.


FRI 23:05 Irish Rock at the BBC (b0556qc9)
A whistle-stop tour of rock from over the water, taking in some of the finest Irish rock offerings from the early 70s to the present day, as captured on a variety of BBC shows from The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops to Later... with Jools Holland.

Kicking off with Thin Lizzy's 1973 debut hit Whiskey in the Jar, the programme traces Irish rock's unfolding lineage. Performances from guitar maestro Rory Gallagher, Celtic rock godfathers Horslips and John Peel favourites The Undertones feature alongside rivals Stiff Little Fingers, with their Top of the Pops performance of Nobody's Hero, followed by post-punk U2's 1981 debut UK performance of I Will Follow from The Old Grey Whistle Test.

Then there is Sinead O'Connor's debut single performance of Mandinka, and The Pogues play the Ewan MacColl classic Dirty Old Town from 1986. Into the 90s, there is The Frank and Walters and Therapy? on Top of the Pops, along with early performances on Later... with Jools Holland from Ash and The Divine Comedy.

There is rockabilly with Imelda May's debut hit Johnny Got a Boom Boom, and then more recently Cavan's The Strypes and Hozier, whose Take Me to Church completes this hit-driven tour through Irish rock.


FRI 00:00 Top of the Pops (m001k2r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


FRI 00:30 Top of the Pops (m001k2r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


FRI 01:00 Top of the Pops (b07mzkxz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


FRI 01:30 Top of the Pops (m0002dx5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


FRI 02:00 Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away (m0012bsy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]