SATURDAY 16 JULY 2022

SAT 19:00 Clive James (m000f8wt)
Postcard from Rome

Rome was once the focal point for the world's jet set. Now Clive James travels to the eternal city in search of the dolce vita and to acquire some Roman sophistication.

During his stay, he meets a socialite prince, Mussolini's son and learns a lesson from a sexologist.


SAT 19:50 Women's Euro 2022 (m0019dsr)
Finland v Germany

Coverage of Finland v Germany in the Women's Euro 2022 competition.


SAT 22:00 Trom (p0cfkgj9)
Series 1

Wall of Silence

Karla struggles to lead the police investigation as she comes across new evidence that leaves her questioning everything. Continuing with his own inquiries into his daughter’s death, Hannis tries to piece together the clues Sonja left behind and finds himself at a dangerous dead end.

In Faroese and Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 22:40 Trom (p0cfkj5s)
Series 1

Defend, Conserve, Protect

Hannis befriends Sonja’s foreign activist group and discovers a covert operation – Sonja could not have died how and where the police claim she did. Meanwhile, Karla goes public in an attempt to close Sonja’s case, but she is soon confronted with the truth she has tried to withhold.

In Faroese and Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 23:25 Coast (b00mbcg0)
Series 4

Inner Hebrides to the Faroe Islands

Coast heads high into the wild Atlantic to the majestic Faroe Islands, where Neil Oliver discovers how romance blossomed for British soldiers and Faroese women during the Second World War's 'Operation Valentine'. Neil begins his island-hopping journey at Glensanda, the site of Europe's biggest quarry, which provides the rock to make the roads of Britain roll. He also searches for sea eagles, recently reintroduced to the island of Canna. As he heads northwards, Neil meets adventurer Tom McLean. In 1985, Tom attempted to claim Rockall for Britain, by living for a month on the tiny outcrop of volcanic rock perched in the turbulent seas 230 miles west of the Outer Hebrides

Kate Rew is hunting for the marvellously titled bone-eating snot flower, a mysterious creature which lives on whale skeletons. Alice Roberts visits Skye to explore what remains of a remarkable industry which grew up 200 years ago to extract chemicals for the glass industry from seaweed. Alice investigates the desperate living and working conditions for the locals who harvested the kelp.

And Nick Crane stretches credibility to the limits as he sets out to measure the true length of Britain's coastline. He discovers that the answer is infinitely absorbing as he stumbles across a brain-expanding branch of mathematics, which revels in the twists and turns of Nature. What's more, it turns out that it is because of this 'fractal' maths that we are able to make our mobile phones so small.


SAT 00:20 Timeshift (b00wwlll)
Series 10

Italian Noir: The Story of Italian Crime Fiction

Timeshift profiles a new wave of Italian crime fiction that has emerged to challenge the conventions of the detective novel. There are no happy endings in these noir tales, only revelations about Italy's dark heart - a world of corruption, unsolved murders and the mafia.

The programme features exclusive interviews with the leading writers from this new wave of noir, including Andrea Camilleri (creator of the Inspector Montalbano Mysteries) and Giancarlo De Cataldo (Romanzo Criminale), who explains how his work as a real-life investigating judge inspired his work. From the other side of the law, Massimo Carlotto talks about how his novels were shaped by his wrongful conviction for murder and years spent on the run from the police.

The film also looks at the roots of this new wave. Carlo Emilio Gadda (That Awful Mess) used the detective novel to expose the corruption that existed during Mussolini's fascist regime and then, after the Second World War, Leonardo Sciascia's crime novels (The Day of The Owl) tackled the rise of the Sicilian mafia. These writers established the rules of a new kind of noir that drew on real events and offered no neat endings.

Also featuring Italian writers Carlo Lucarelli and Barbara Baraldi, the film uses rarely seen archive from Italian television.


SAT 01:20 The Cruise (m000x8m4)
Let the Dream Begin

Classic docusoap featuring singer Jane McDonald. Go behind the scenes of luxury cruise ship Galaxy as she sails around the Caribbean.


SAT 01:50 Ever Decreasing Circles (b036d6fw)
Series 2

The Tea Party

The residents of a retirement home pay a visit to Martin and Ann. How will they keep their guests entertained?


SAT 02:20 Keeping Up Appearances (b007bb1t)
Series 4

Looking at Properties

Hyacinth decides to have a second attempt at finding a small weekend home in the country and Elizabeth is called in to help her on her property search. But it quickly becomes clear Hyacinth and Richard have different views on the meaning of the word 'small'.


SAT 02:50 Clive James (m000f8wt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]

SUNDAY 17 JULY 2022

SUN 19:00 Nigel Kennedy at the BBC (b04w0fyx)
Compilation of performances and appearances by Nigel Kennedy from the BBC archive, following his music development and career from a seven-year-old child on Town and Around to his virtuoso showstopper Czardas from the Last Night of the Proms 2013.

Featuring interviews with him through the years, and demonstrating a versatility of styles from classical to experimental to a jazz duet with Stephane Grappelli.


SUN 20:00 BBC Proms (m0019dsf)
2022

British Classics with John Wilson

The eagerly anticipated return of audience favourite John Wilson kicks off BBC Four's 2022 Proms season. He conducts award-winning orchestra Sinfonia of London in a packed all-British programme.

Much-loved classics, including Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Elgar’s Enigma Variations, sit alongside Walton’s colourful Partita and Arnold Bax’s portrait of the Arthurian castle Tintagel. And it’s the Proms premiere of Huw Watkins’s dazzling Flute Concerto, written specially for tonight’s soloist, Adam Walker.

Katie Derham is joined by special guests.


SUN 22:10 The Price of Everything (m000hqmq)
Documentary that explores the labyrinthine art world of the 21st century and examines both the place of art and artistic passion in our money-driven, consumer-based society.

Featuring collectors, dealers, auctioneers and a rich range of artists, from current market darlings Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter and Njideka Akunyili Crosby to one-time art star Larry Poons, the film exposes deep contradictions as it holds a mirror up to the values of the modern era, coaxing out the dynamics at play in pricing the priceless.


SUN 23:45 A History of Art in Three Colours (b01lng0m)
White

In the Age of Reason, it was the rediscovery of the white columns and marbles of antiquity that made white the most virtuous of colours. For flamboyant JJ Wickelmann and British genius Josiah Wedgwood, white embodied all the Enlightenment's values of justice, equality and reason.


SUN 00:45 The Cruise (m000x8nc)
Stranded in Paradise

Classic docusoap featuring singer Jane McDonald. The Galaxy pulls into Jamaica for Christmas, but only cocktail waiter Granville can go home. Meanwhile, Jane is reunited with her Danish boyfriend.


SUN 01:15 Nigel Kennedy at the BBC (b04w0fyx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


SUN 02:15 Charles I: Killing a King (m000cdzd)
Series 1

Episode 1

December, 1648.

The Puritan government has banned all celebrations and King Charles I is imprisoned in Windsor Castle. During Christmastide, the monarch would ordinarily feast and celebrate but instead he spends Christmas Day alone, in anticipation of what his future holds as king of England.

Parliament has been purged of all moderate MPs who are willing to compromise with the king. What is left is a contingent of MPs who are ready to remove Charles from power by whatever means possible. They are supported by the New Model Army, a powerful, professional fighting force, led by the religious zealot, powerful orator and talented solider, Oliver Cromwell. They spend Christmas Day urgently debating what to do with their king.

On Christmas night, there is a final attempt to reason with Charles when the Earl of Denbigh visits him at Windsor with terms. The king is convinced of his divine right to rule and refuses to see him. Three days later, new legislation is drawn up to put the Charles on trial for treason. Oliver Cromwell too stands by divine providence but believes his victory in the English Civil War is evidence that God is on his side and that the king must be brought to justice for the bloodshed he has wrought on the country.

The next day, their belief in bringing Charles to trial is cemented when a prophetess, Elizabeth Poole, stands before the Commons, claiming that the army will heal the wounds of the country, which is sick and ravaged by war. But there is still deliberation in Parliament, for this is dangerous ground. If the king is redeemed after the trial, those who sought to persecute him will be hunted down as traitors.

The instability of Charles’s position is not news to the people. On New Year’s Eve, a play is secretly held at Salisbury Court, where comically a king is crowned and then uncrowned. This might be comedy, but the undercurrent is deeply engrained with the truth. On New Year’s Day, the Commons overcome the first hurdle and pass an act to try the king. However, it is rejected by the Lords. Three days later, in an extraordinary, bold move, the Commons claim sovereignty over the country, ahead of the king and the Lords. On the 6 January 1649, the act to try the king is passed. Charles I will face trial as a tyrant, murderer and public enemy.

MONDAY 18 JULY 2022

MON 19:00 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qm80q)
Series 3

Burlington to Plattsburgh

Michael Portillo continues his American rail journey through New England as he heads for the Canadian border. First stop is Burlington, Vermont, a busy timber port at the time of his Appleton's guide. Michael ventures deep into the forest to learn how sustainable and technological innovations have transformed the state's billion dollar logging industry.

Following the old trade route across Lake Champlain, he hears of a pivotal battle during the War of 1812 where a British defeat gave the United States a new confidence on the world stage. In Plattsburg, Michael learns of the surprising origins of a classic Christmas carol.

Lead by his guidebook, he travels into the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains. Here the rich and famous of Appleton's day established great camps to get back to nature, in the lap of luxury. He visits the largest of the camps, reached by boat and even a private funicular railway. In Lake
Placid, Michael braves the steep curves and speeds of an Olympic bobsleigh run. Last stop is an American fort mistakenly built in Canada!


MON 19:30 Coast (b00vm5dr)
Series 4 (Shortened Versions)

Wexford to Killiney

Miranda Krestovnikoff goes in search of the beautiful and rare white-fronted goose, which makes an epic migration from Greenland to Ireland every year to feed on the rich grasses of the Wexford 'Slobs'.

Dick Strawbridge takes a ride on 'Brunel's Folly', the dramatic and dangerous coastal railway that the great engineer constructed to cling to the cliff face at Bray Head. Dick learns of the disasters the railway has faced since it opened in 1855.

Hermione Cockburn creates an earthquake on Killiney beach to discover how 160 years ago a local man, Robert Mallet, invented seismology, the study of earth tremors that has helped to save countless lives.


MON 19:50 Women's Euro 2022 (m0019dvf)
Italy v Belgium

Coverage of Italy v Belgium in the Women's Euro 2022 competition.


MON 22:00 Deep Ocean: Giants of the Antarctic Deep (m000jy3h)
The team behind the world's first footage of a live giant squid in its natural habitat follows three marine biologists as they venture into the deep sea of the Antarctic. Equipped with custom 4K UHD cameras, the team embarks on the world’s first scientific research by a submersible in the Antarctic.

The dive in the Southern Ocean reveals a surprising world of bountiful marine life, where many creatures are gigantic forms of their shallow-water-dwelling relatives. A hostile and previously inaccessible, world, locked away under ice and snow, finally permits us the first vivid glimpse of its long-concealed secrets.


MON 22:50 Natural World (b03fq319)
2013-2014

Killer Whales: Beneath the Surface

The killer whale was long feared as a sea monster until, in May 1964, one was brought into captivity for the first time. This spawned a journey of discovery into the killer whale's true nature.

It quickly became clear these were not mindless killers - they were, in fact, highly intelligent social creatures. Today, our understanding is deepening still further and the latest revelations are among the most sensational - not only will these top predators 'adopt' and care for injured and abandoned orphans, but it seems there's no longer just the 'killer whale'.


MON 23:50 Ocean Autopsy: The Secret Story of Our Seas (m000jy2l)
Two-thirds of our planet is covered in water, split into five distinct oceans, but in reality Earth's seas are part of one huge global water system - a system that has been instrumental in shaping our destiny for millions of years. Now, however, in the 21st century, it is mankind that is shaping the destiny of our oceans. In unprecedented ways, humans are changing our seas and the life within. The ocean bed, the currents, marine life, even the water itself is transformed by what we are putting into our oceans.

In this revelatory BBC Four documentary special, oceanographer Dr Helen Czerski and zoologist Dr George McGavin carry out an ‘autopsy’ on the ocean itself and reveal the startling changes it's undergoing. Moving the story beyond the well-known impact of discarded plastic on our seas, the autopsy will investigate the effects of high levels of life-threatening toxins on marine ecosystems and the invisible plague of micro- and nano-plastics saturating the water. The destiny of our oceans is on a knife edge and the window of opportunity to save them is rapidly closing.

But all is not lost. Along the way, George and Helen follow some surprising stories of hope as scientists uncover biodiverse ecosystems at the bottom of wind turbines that act as artificial reefs. George also visits the team at the Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project, a coastal wetland restoration initiative on the Essex coast twice the size of the City of London, that has been transformed into a nature reserve for rare and threatened birds and other wildlife using excavated soil from Crossrail.

Our precinct is the North Sea. Industry has polluted these waters for longer than any other sea on the planet and, in the past 50 years, the North Sea has warmed twice as fast as the rest of the world’s oceans. The unique levels of human impact provide oceanographers with a crystal ball for the future of ocean change. If it is happening in the North Sea now, scientists can predict where they will see it globally in the future.

Embedded with a team of leading researchers on board the Pelagia, a Dutch Oceanographic research vessel, Helen is on a mission to perform a comprehensive health check on the North Sea, using gas-sampling techniques to investigate a mysterious methane leak that may be caused by sea temperature rise. Understanding its origins could be critical to uncovering the human effects of global warming. The team will have to work for 48 hours straight on this ‘floating laboratory’ in the ocean.

They also carry out a survey of the North Sea to generate a comprehensive map of micro-plastic movement in our oceans. Ninety-nine percent of the plastic we dump in the oceans is missing, so the team wants to find out where it is all going. Starting off on the coastline, the team samples plastic on the surface, documenting where they find each piece and what it is. They also sample the depths of the sea for micro-plastics and discover marine fungi that could provide a possible solution - they might be ‘eating’ micro plastics.

Intercut with this survey, Dr George McGavin visits Utrecht University. Here, leading animal pathologist Lonneke IJsseldijk performs a necropsy (an animal autopsy) on a harbour porpoise to try to find out how and why it died. Lonneke believes the best way to understand what is in our oceans is to look inside the animals that live there. She looks for chemical fingerprints of human toxic pollutants hidden inside, like PCBs that were used in the building industry in the 1980s but which never break down.

Throughout this ocean autopsy, Helen and George find terrifyingly high levels of micro- and nano-plastics, rising sea temperatures changing the ocean ecosystems, and marine mammal life whose very existence is threatened by human toxic pollutants saturating the oceans at every level - the ocean floor, the life in the oceans and even the water itself. But they also find stories of hope, where nature may be able to repair itself if given a chance. What they discover is that it is not too late, but the window to action the change we need is closing quickly. If we can understand what is happening to our waters now, can we act to save them?


MON 01:25 The Cruise (m000x8p3)
Scotty to the Rescue

Classic travelogue featuring Jane McDonald. It's New Year on the Galaxy, and Scotty, the ship's madcap DJ, takes charge of the new high-tech disco. Jane helps with the countdown to midnight.


MON 01:55 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qm80q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


MON 02:25 The Wonder of Animals (b04m9r3s)
Snakes

Chris Packham delves beneath a snake's skin to discover what has made them some of the most successful predators on earth. Their simple body plan hides remarkable adaptations that enable them to rival their limbed, winged and finned counterparts.

Chris reveals the variety of ways in which snakes use their bodies not just to slither, but to climb, fly and swim. He explores how they use their senses to hunt, from heat-sensitive pits used to capture prey in the dark to tongues used to lure fish, and how venom acts not just to kill prey but also to predigest it.


MON 02:55 Natural World (b03fq319)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:50 today]

TUESDAY 19 JULY 2022

TUE 19:00 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qmc7b)
Series 3

Montreal, Quebec

Following a special 1899 Canadian edition of his Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo has left the United States and crossed the border to embark on the next leg of his rail journey in Canada.

In the vibrant metropolis of Montreal, he discovers how French and British colonial roots have influenced the city's construction, cuisine and culture. Undaunted by his guidebook's description of the treacherous Lachine Rapids, Michael gets a thorough soaking on a white-knuckle boat ride down the St. Lawrence River.

At the city's prestigious McGill University, Michael learns of its role as a pioneering medical establishment in the 19th century. He unearths a mausoleum amidst the text books and volunteers as a guinea pig at the university's cutting-edge neurology department. In search of the city's black Canadian heritage, Michael is introduced to the dazzling piano playing of 20th-century jazz legend Oscar Peterson.

His Montreal tour ends with a visit to Cirque du Soleil HQ for a very special behind-the-scenes tour of an icon of modern French-Canadian culture.


TUE 19:30 Digging for Britain (m000gg26)
The Greatest Discoveries

Episode 1

Professor Alice Roberts re-examines key archaeological sites of prehistoric Britain, from the arrival of the earliest humans to mysterious ceremonies at Stonehenge.


TUE 20:00 Keeping Up Appearances (b007brrq)
Series 4

Please Mind Your Head

Domestic sitcom. Hyacinth and Richard have finally moved into their 'country retreat'. Although Hyacinth views the flat as 'old world bijou', Richard finds it anything but.


TUE 20:30 Ever Decreasing Circles (b007bn62)
Series 2

The Cricket Match

Sitcom about domestic disharmony in suburbia. Martin's not happy when Paul asks if he can join him in the local cricket team.


TUE 21:00 Royal History’s Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley (m000fj9c)
Series 1

The Reformation

Lucy Worsley discovers how the history of the English Reformation has been manipulated and mythologised by generations of politicians and writers. It’s usually portrayed as a lusty royal soap opera. But Lucy reveals that it was about far more than just a randy king in pursuit of a younger wife and a long-awaited male heir.

Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon, a Catholic, created a religious and political schism between England and Europe that can be still be felt in Britain today. It also laid the foundations for our modern constitution and economic power as an empire.

But this fundamental shift in our cultural, political and economic fortunes wasn’t driven by Henry VIII’s Protestant zeal. Lucy begins by demolishing one of the founding myths about the English Reformation: far from being a ready ally of Martin Luther’s Protestant revolution, Henry remained a Catholic to his death. It was his wife Anne Boleyn and his fixer Thomas Cromwell who championed the Protestant cause.


TUE 22:00 Charles I: Killing a King (m000cf12)
Series 1

Episode 2

January, 1649.

On Tuesday 9 January 1649, crowds gather in Cheapside, London as a proclamation is read out. King Charles I will be put on public trial at Westminster Hall in ten days’ time. It sends shockwaves through the city.

The next day, commissioners - senior judges from around the country - gather to prepare for the unprecedented trial of the king. Their meeting is recorded in surviving transcripts. Words like ‘wicked’, ‘tyrannical’ and ‘cruel’ are all used to describe the monarch. Although the consensus is that Charles is a tyrant, only half of the commissioners appointed actually attend the meetings at Westminster Palace, in fear of being indicted as traitors. Support is on thin ice and many parliamentarians are uneasy about the process of a treason trial, for the outcome is plain for all to see. Lord Fairfax, the lord general of the New Model Army, is representative of the view of many parliamentarians. He believes a compromise should be made and declares he will have no part in the King’s trial. However, Fairfax’s counterpart - Oliver Cromwell is going full steam ahead. He allegedly states, ‘We will cut off his head with the crown upon it!’

Up and down the country, printing presses are in overdrive. A wave of pamphleteering discusses the topic of the day - Crown verses Parliament. However, one printed text has not been cleared for circulation. On 14 January, the first edition of Eikon Basilike (Royal Portrait), a spiritual autobiography of the king, is destroyed before it can leave the print house.

Parliament cannot risk the release of powerful royalist propaganda as they struggle to build a case against the king. They are already hamstrung by the existing law, which has been written by the monarchy. In less than a week they need to create a watertight charge that will see Charles brought to justice for his crimes against a devastated country. The trial will essentially accuse the king of war crimes.

On 20 January, the first day of the trial, Westminster Hall is packed. People hang off balconies to watch as the king is made to answer to the common man. The charge is delivered - ‘tyrant, traitor, murderer' - but no-one could have predicted what was to happen next. Charles will not acknowledge the court, a court he deems illegitimate. If the king will not plead guilty, or not guilty, there is little trial to be had.

Over the next three days, the king and the lord president, John Bradshaw, become embroiled in a battle of wills. Is it Charles’s arrogance that leads him to refuse to accept the authority of the court, or is it a cunning and politically astute method to defend his crown and his life? With only days left to try the king, Parliament have to move fast. Otherwise, they will end up on the scaffold.


TUE 23:00 The Stuarts (p01lknsc)
And I Will Make Them One Nation

Presented by Dr Clare Jackson of Cambridge University, this three-part series argues the Stuarts, more than any other, were Britain's defining royal family. We tend to take today's modern United Kingdom for granted, but there was nothing inevitable about its creation. During the 17th century, the Stuarts grappled with the chaos of three separate Kingdoms, multiple religions and civil war. Britain has not known a century like it and some of the questions this dynasty faced have not gone away.

In the opening episode, Clare looks at James VI and I's attempts to unite Scotland and England under the umbrella of his crowns and persuade his subjects to feel more 'British'.


TUE 00:00 World War Speed: The Drugs That Won WWII (m0007zd5)
It’s long been known that German soldiers used a methamphetamine called Pervitin during WWII. But have tales of Nazis on speed obscured the massive use of stimulants by British and American troops? Did total war unleash the world’s first pharmacological arms race? And in the face of industrial slaughter, what role did drugs play in combat? Historian James Holland is on a quest to dig deeper and unearth the truth behind 'World War Speed'.


TUE 00:55 The Wonder of Animals (b04n1npr)
Birds of Prey

Chris Packham explores what enables birds of prey to rule the aerial roost. Their ability to dominate their fellow birds in terms of strength, manoeuvrability and phenomenal speed is down to a combination of anatomical and physiological adaptations.

Chris explains the internal workings of the bald eagle's ratchet talons and how sharp eyes and a gyroscopic head enable the goshawk to keep its sight firmly fixed on both its prey and its surroundings as it tears through the undergrowth. New research reveals how pop-up feathers on the peregrine falcon's back act like pits on a golf ball to reduce drag - allowing it to reach 220mph.


TUE 01:25 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qmc7b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


TUE 01:55 Digging for Britain (m000gg26)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 02:25 Royal History’s Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley (m000fj9c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]

WEDNESDAY 20 JULY 2022

WED 19:00 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qmd3g)
Series 3

Montreal to Ottawa

Steered by his Appleton's guidebook Michael Portillo's train journey continues in Canada's Quebec province.

Venturing into the wooded hills of Vaudreuil, Michael explores a Canadian icon, maple syrup, and unearths its sweet secrets. Returning to the rails, he journeys west into Ontario and learns of Scotland's influence on Canadian culture. At Alexandria, a tartan army escorts Michael to the 70th annual Canadian Highland Games, where he dons his kilt and attempts to toss the caber!

In the capital, Ottawa, Michael visits Canada's parliament and hears how the new nation slowly developed its autonomy after confederation in 1867. Michael visits Ottawa's historic Central Experimental Farm where pioneering discoveries at the time of his guidebook launched a wheat boom that helped Canadian agriculture to dominate the world.


WED 19:30 Digging for Britain (m000gp0f)
The Greatest Discoveries

Episode 2

Professor Alice Roberts re-examines the key archaeological sites of Iron Age Britain, from an incredible chariot burial in Yorkshire to a vast coin hoard on Jersey.


WED 20:00 Rise of the Continents (p019bd2j)
Australia

Professor Iain Stewart uncovers the mysterious history of Australia, and shows how Australia's journey as a continent has affected everything from Aboriginal history to modern-day mining, and even the evolution of Australia's bizarre wildlife, like the koala.

Iain begins searching for the platypus - a strange creature that is half mammal and half reptile. 200 million years ago reptile-like mammals were found across much of the world because at this time Australia was just one part of a huge landmass called Gondwana, that dominated the southern hemisphere.

Piecing together evidence from fossils found in a sea cliff outside Sydney and rocks recovered from Captain Scott's expedition to the South Pole, Professor Stewart shows that Gondwana was covered by a forest of now extinct trees called glossopteris. This was the habitat of the ancestors of today's platypus.

To discover the fate of Gondwana, Iain visits an unusual mining town called Coober Pedy where many of the buildings are underground in dug-out caves. The opals that are mined here enable him to recreate the breakup of Gondwana, and also show how Australia's formation led to the creation of a vast underground aquifer. This source of hidden water sustained the Aboriginal people as they criss-crossed the otherwise arid Australian interior.

Iain travels to the cliffs of the Australian Bight to show how Australia was once joined to Antarctica, and how their split led to the evolution of the biggest group of mammals on earth - the filter feeding whales.

Australia's journey away from Antarctica has also left its mark on the koala. Its big, round face and fluffy ears are a result of adaptations to the climate change that Australia has undergone on its northwards journey.

Finally Iain travels to Indonesia to meet the Bajau people of the Banda Sea - sea gypsies who glean almost all they need to live from the waters around them. Contained within these waters is evidence that shows Australia's eventual fate. Over the next 50 million years, Australia will collide with Asia, its isolation will be over, and it will become forested and lush once again.


WED 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.


WED 22:00 Second City Firsts (m0019dxq)
Club Havana

1970s drama. A son turns up in Birmingham, 12 years after his mother left him in Jamaica. Starring Don Warrington and Julie Walters in early TV roles.


WED 22:35 Second City Firsts (m0019dxv)
Glitter

'I want to be so famous that I'm a household name all over the world.' Sue, a teenage singer whose dream is to perform on Top of the Pops. Stars Toyah Willcox in her first professional role.


WED 23:05 Second City Firsts (m0019dxx)
Girl

1970s drama. Just as she is about to leave the army, Jackie has an encounter with an old lover. Stars Alison Steadman in an early TV role.


WED 23:40 The Many Faces of... (b00wylqq)
Series 1

Alison Steadman

A documentary in which Alison Steadman talks about her impressive career, featuring archive clips, both treasured and rarely seen, weaved together with sincere testimony from friends and colleagues.

The programme contains footage and stills from programmes such as Gavin and Stacey, Abigail's Party, Newshounds, Nuts in May and her early appearances in Frost's Weekly. It progresses from her earliest appearances on screen to what drove her choices, for good or ill, and their consequences.


WED 00:40 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qmd3g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


WED 01:10 Digging for Britain (m000gp0f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 01:40 Rise of the Continents (p019bd2j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 02:40 Great British Photography Challenge (m000wn0w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]

THURSDAY 21 JULY 2022

THU 19:00 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qmdfb)
Series 3

Thousand Islands to Oshawa, Ontario

Using his 1899 Appleton's guide, Michael Portillo's rail odyssey through eastern Canada continues along the Grand Trunk railway, following the route of the St Lawrence River.

At Brockville, he leaves the tracks for a nautical pilgrimage through the beautiful Thousand Islands. In the port city of Kingston, Ontario, Michael visits Fort Henry and, dressed for the occasion, is entrusted to fire the naval guns that protected the nation's southern border during the 19th century.

Travelling west to Port Hope, he learns of the antics of a celebrated 19th-century high-wire walker known as The Great Farini. And, in the spirit of showmanship, Michael tests his balance with the modern sport of slack lining.

This leg of the journey ends in Oshawa at the opulent home of the McLaughlin family, who helped build a new economy for Canada when they switched from manufacturing carriages to motor cars.


THU 19:30 Digging for Britain (m000gx1f)
The Greatest Discoveries

Episode 3

Professor Alice Roberts re-examines the key archaeological sites of Roman Britain, from the foundation of Londinium in the south to fierce siege battles in the north.


THU 20:00 Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano (m0019dwz)
Ian Holm narrates this documentary, originally broadcast in 1983, about Hollywood star Bette Davis. Spanning her life and career from the 1920s to the 1980s, on stage and on screen, the programme includes an interview with the actress herself.


THU 20:45 Now, Voyager (b007874m)
Heartwrenching drama about a repressed woman's struggles to break free from her overbearing mother and assert her independence. On the advice of a skilled psychiatrist, she embarks on a cruise, during which she finds love and self-esteem for the first time in her life. But her newfound confidence is shaken when it is revealed her beau is a married man.


THU 22:40 Dark Victory (m0019dx2)
Judith Traherne (Bette Davis) is a free-spirited young socialite whose fortune suddenly changes when she is diagnosed with a brain tumour. Kindly Dr Fredrik Steele (George Brent) takes charge of her care and the two grow increasingly fond of each other. But Judith's negative prognosis casts a shadow over their romance, as she must prepare to face the worst.


THU 00:20 Talking Pictures (b01ps8jc)
Bette Davis

A retrospective look at television appearances made over the years by Hollywood legend Bette Davis, capturing the milestones and highlights of her life and career.


THU 01:05 Great American Railroad Journeys (b09qmdfb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


THU 01:35 Digging for Britain (m000gx1f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 02:05 Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano (m0019dwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 02:50 World War Speed: The Drugs That Won WWII (m0007zd5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:00 on Tuesday]

FRIDAY 22 JULY 2022

FRI 19:00 Sight and Sound in Concert (b013yw1j)
Gilbert O'Sullivan and Chris de Burgh

Pete Drummond introduces performances by Gilbert O'Sullivan and Chris de Burgh in 1978 at the Golders Green Hippodrome.


FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (m0019dvm)
Mark Franklin presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 1 April 1993 and featuring Capella, Madonna, Mica Paris, Sunscreem, Bruce Springsteen, Barry Manilow and The Bluebells.


FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m0019dvp)
Tony Dortie presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 8 April 1993 and featuring Sub Sub ft Melanie Williams, Sybil, Jade, David Essex, Robin S., The Beloved, New Order and The Bluebells.


FRI 21:00 BBC Proms (m0019dvr)
2022

Radio 1 Relax at the Proms with Kojey Radical and Friends

Radio 1 presents this late-night Prom, featuring Ivor Novello and Mobo Awards-nominated Kojey Radical. The genre-defying London musician, poet and visual artist released his debut album Reason to Smile earlier this year to universal acclaim. For this Prom, Kojey welcomes friends including singer-songwriter Poppy Ajudha, and teams up with revolutionary string orchestra 12 Ensemble, one of Europe’s most exhilarating collectives.

Expect a night of unprecedented artistry. Radio 1’s Sian Eleri hosts from the Royal Albert Hall.


FRI 22:00 In Concert (b0074sf0)
The Eagles

Footage of Californian country rockers The Eagles from 1973, performing classic US hits such as Peaceful Easy Feeling, Witchy Woman and Take It Easy.

At the time, they were the epitome of the California sound, with a sweet blend of sophisticated country music that took them to the top of the charts in the US.


FRI 22:30 The Old Grey Whistle Test (m00116fq)
Linda Ronstadt

Bob Harris introduces Linda Ronstadt in concert at the New Victoria Theatre, London, in 1976.


FRI 23:20 The Old Grey Whistle Test (m001299s)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Bob Harris introduces Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert at the BBC Television Centre in London's Shepherd's Bush in 1978.


FRI 00:05 It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC (b063m6wy)
A celebration of rock 'n' roll in the shape of a compilation of classic artists and songs, featuring the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion and Dick Dale who all featured in the Rock 'n' Roll America series, alongside songs that celebrate rock 'n roll itself from artists such as Tom Petty (Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll), Joan Jett (I Love Rock 'n' Roll) and Oasis (Rock 'n' Roll Star).


FRI 01:05 Top of the Pops (m0019dvm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


FRI 01:35 Top of the Pops (m0019dvp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


FRI 02:05 Sight and Sound in Concert (b013yw1j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]