SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER 2022
SAT 19:00 Treasures of Ancient Egypt (p01mv16n)
The Birth of Art
In a visual treat taking in Egypt's greatest historical sites, Alastair Sooke tells the story of ancient Egyptian art through 30 extraordinary masterpieces. Tracing the origins of Egypt's unique visual style, he treks across the Sahara and travels the Nile to find the rarely seen art of its earliest peoples. Exploring how this civilisation's art reflected its religion, he looks anew at the Great Pyramid, and the statuary and painting of the Old Kingdom. Sooke is amazed by the technical prowess of ancient artists whose skills confound contemporary craftsmen.
SAT 20:00 Morecambe and Wise (b00plgv1)
Choice moments and festive fun from a decade of Britain's beloved comic duo, assembled from the BBC archives. Part of the Perfect Television Christmas.
Christmas with Morecambe and Wise launched Angela Rippon's legs, Shirley Bassey's boots and Andre Previn's acting career. Some of our biggest stars would fight to appear - or not appear - in the plays that Ernie wrote.
SAT 21:00 Wisting (p0d47q0h)
Series 2
Episode 3
A new disappearance makes Wisting and Stiller fear that the killers are about to flee the country. But has the new victim really been kidnapped? A fresh lead allows the police to apprehend a suspect, with surprising results. Line discovers that someone has leaked her sensitive material to the media.
SAT 21:45 Wisting (p0d47r55)
Series 2
Episode 4
Line's shocking discovery forces the police to re-evaluate the profile of 'The Other'. The killer is cleaning up loose ends, and time is running out.
Wisting finds out the painful secret his daughter has kept from him. But will they be able to stop the evil that has caused so much harm?
SAT 22:30 Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (b046ty6x)
Series 2
Episode 1
Victoria Wood casts a comic glance at the world with the help of Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston and Susie Blake.
SAT 23:00 Alas Smith and Jones (p031d0lw)
Series 1
Episode 5
Sketches include George Smiley British Spy, the face of pop music in 1984, Antiques Roadshow and a Head to Head discussing a near death experience.
SAT 23:30 The High Life (b00gsj9b)
Feart
It's Steve's thirtieth birthday, and he feels stuck in a rut. Sebastian suggests they apply to be stewards on Air Scotia's glamours long-haul flights. But first they have to contend with Capitain Duff, who thinks he is Leonard Nimoy, and a plane full of Gaga Tours OAPs, including an incognito Air Scotia Inspector. Meanwhile, Shona meets someone from her past.
SAT 00:00 Storyville (m001d7lc)
The Fire Within
On 3 June 1991 at
3.18pm, a pyroclastic flow erupted from Mount Unzen in Japan. A cloud of superheated gases and particles descended at more than 100mph from the peak of the volcano, consuming everything in its path.
It instantly killed Katia and Maurice Krafft, volcanologists and film-makers from the Alsace region in France. They were too close. They were almost always too close. On the day before they died, Maurice said in an interview, 'I am never afraid, because I’ve seen so many eruptions in 25 years that, even if I die tomorrow, I don’t care.'
The Fire Within pays homage to the Kraffts, who left an archive of more than 200 hours of footage of their final journey, unprecedented in its spectacular and hypnotic beauty.
SAT 01:25 Ever Decreasing Circles (p00c1kbb)
Series 4
Episode 1
The stress of continually seeking perfection, and organising others around him with military precision, finally takes its toll on Martin's nerves. Something has got to be done to make him relax - and soon!
SAT 01:55 Ever Decreasing Circles (p00c1kd5)
Series 4
Episode 2
Paul plans to leave the area if he can't find suitable premises for his new venture - putting Martin in a difficult position.
SAT 02:25 Treasures of Ancient Egypt (p01mv16n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER 2022
SUN 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (p032khzm)
Twelve Angry Men
Hancock and Sid are members of a jury and Hancock alone thinks the suspect is innocent. Sid changes his mind at the thought of cash, and the jury ends up in the dock.
SUN 19:30 Just Good Friends (b007bz48)
Series 1
After All This Time
John Sullivan's bittersweet sitcom. Penny meets Vince five years after he jilted her at the altar. The magic is still there, but can she forgive him?
SUN 20:00 Inside Classical (m001dh8z)
Series 1
A Birmingham Celebration with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
A showcase of music and spoken word celebrating Birmingham and the West Midlands. Featuring the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of principal guest conductor Dalia Stasevska, the concert is an emotional and energetic fusion of world-class musicians alongside some of the most exciting vocal talent from the city and area.
From the splendour of Birmingham Symphony Hall, with more than 100 musicians, and arrangements and orchestrations by Jules Buckley, this special one-off event explores the city’s musical heritage and spirit alongside an honest telling of the people’s love for Brum.
It is introduced by Casey Bailey, alongside a cast of performers including rapper SANITY, poet John Bernard, slam champion Jasmine Gardosi, artist TrueMendous, singer-producer Agaama and Birmingham vocal ensemble Black Voices.
Titled Beyond the Bricks of Brum, the concert is split into three parts:
Create the City is about the creation of Birmingham - its heritage, its people, its architecture and its spirit.
Interrogate the City is an exploration of people’s love for what is known as England’s second city, told honestly without glossing over its imperfections and showcasing the real Birmingham.
Celebrate the City is a round of applause to Birmingham as an important UK city and the home of the performers.
Recorded in June in the run-up to Birmingham’s successful Commonwealth Games.
SUN 21:20 'Allo 'Allo! (b007bjwp)
Series 2
The Gateau from the Chateau
The Resistance decide that their operations will be inhibited by General Von Klinkerhoffen's personal control of the district, and decree that he must be blown up. The Colonel comes to a similar conclusion, deciding on poison, while Herr Flick elects to terminate the general's appointment with a poisoned dart.
SUN 22:10 The Young Ones (b0074qw4)
Series 2
Bambi
Anarchic sitcom about degenerate north London students in the 80s. The reprobates from Scumbag College test their mental dexterity against Footlights College on a TV quiz show - but not before Vivian loses his head. With guest stars Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Ben Elton.
SUN 22:40 Red Dwarf (p00bpl70)
V
Quarantine
After an encounter at a viral research centre, Rimmer forces the crew to spend 12 weeks in quarantine.
SUN 23:10 I'm Alan Partridge (p00bvbc2)
Series 2
Never Say Alan Again
Alan makes plans to watch the entire back catalogue of James Bond films back to back over the bank holiday weekend.
SUN 23:40 Steptoe and Son (p00h1gt6)
Series 7
Divided We Stand
Classic comedy with the rag-and-bone team. When the arguments become just too much for Harold, he decides to take drastic measures to get some peace from Albert.
SUN 00:10 Till Death Us Do Part (p031czh6)
Series 7
Min the Housekeeper
Life in the Reads' household is very different for Alf - especially when, as he gets back from work, Min is in no rush to make his dinner.
SUN 00:40 Best of Chewin' the Fat (b007d047)
Series 2
Episode 1
Another chance to see some of the best bits from the comedy sketch show.
SUN 01:10 Secrets of the Museum (m000g6sp)
Series 1
Episode 6
Inside every museum is a hidden world, and now, cameras have been allowed behind the scenes at the world-famous Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Only a small part of the two million wonders in the collection are on display to the public. But in this series, we go behind closed doors to explore all the treasures of art, design and performance the museum has to offer.
We follow experts and conservators at work in this treasure trove of the nation’s favourite objects, as they breathe new life into fragile marvels, uncover hidden stories and battle to keep the past alive.
In this instalment, we join Catherine Sargent as she prepares a new exhibition devoted to cars. She must ensure these large objects are displayed at their best, but as with all the vehicles arriving on loan from around the world, it’s imperative that each one is moved into the museum without a scratch.
One of the largest and trickiest to transport is an extraordinary 1962 Chevy Impala, known as ‘Tipsy’, arriving from Los Angeles. It’s a unique car, that’s been painstakingly customised to turn it into a ‘low-rider’.
With its low-slung chassis, gleaming paintwork and personalised motifs, the car was a six-year labour of love for owner Tomas Vasquez. Seeing Tipsy up close before it’s moved into the museum, Catherine has some concern that it will be a tight squeeze getting it into the exhibition space. And with the added pressure of the owner flying into the UK to give his pride and joy one last loving polish before the opening, she has to ensure the move runs without a hitch.
Meanwhile, some of the finest of the V&A’s one-off objects are in the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert collection, and curator Alice Minter is choosing a selection of her favourites to be displayed in an upcoming exhibition that will tour around the world.
She’s found one rare masterpiece in storage that she thinks is going to be the star of the tour. It’s a tabletop decorated using a technique known as ‘micromosaic’, in which thousands of individually coloured pieces of glass are set into a pattern producing an effect like a painting. The process of making a micromosaic is so intricate that this tabletop would have taken a craftsman years to finish.
But Alice discovers that her beloved table is going to struggle to make the tour, as conservators have discovered cracks and swellings on the surface. X-rays reveal the full damage inside, with holes and corrosion making this object too vulnerable to move anywhere. Conservator Mariam makes the brave decision to conduct an experimental operation to save the tabletop from falling to pieces. She injects grout into the micromosaic, in the hope of gluing together its internal structure. Alice hopes this life-saving surgery will give this masterpiece a chance of going on display and being admired by the public.
Other rare survivors are unearthed in the Rock and Pop archive, as curator Vicky picks out the latest acquisitions for the V&A’s collection of objects relating to The Beatles. She’s interested in some of the animation cels from the groundbreaking movie Yellow Submarine. One of the film’s animators, Malcolm Draper, has been invited in to explain how they were made. It’s important for Vicky to understand the whole story of these objects to help keep alive the craft of drawing animation cels by hand.
Over in textiles conservation, a rare men’s kimono is being repaired so it can be displayed in an upcoming exhibition. Worn by a samurai feudal lord in the late 18th century, Elizabeth-Anne Haldane has discovered rips in its fine inner silk lining near the waist that may have been made by a samurai sword. To have any chance of displaying the chequerboard-patterned kimono on a mannequin, she must delicately dye a patch and sew it into the torn areas.
In the jewellery galleries, conservators and curators are excited to take delivery of a rare buried treasure – a medieval jewel discovered in a field in Northamptonshire by a metal detectorist. The extraordinarily rare ‘cluster brooch’ is made of gold and set with diamonds and a reddish stone called a spinel.
With only seven of its type ever found in the world, this is a special piece. Experienced conservator and gemologist Jo Whalley has the task of giving it a deep clean.
Using a mixture of spit and polish (as saliva contains enzymes that help to degrade soil and dirt), Jo must delicately remove the earth embedded in the jewel to reveal once more the full beauty of this miniature treasure.
SUN 02:10 Dangerous Earth (b083bm5m)
Volcano
Dr Helen Czerski looks at volcanoes. With shocking eyewitness footage of eruptions, and new thermal imagery and ultra high-speed photography, we can now capture on camera the complex processes crucial to understanding how and why these forces of nature erupt.
SUN 02:40 Dangerous Earth (b0824cw7)
Avalanche
Dr Helen Czerski looks at the anatomy of an avalanche. From shocking eyewitness footage from within an avalanche to detailed CT scans showing the microscopic changes that cause them, we can now capture exactly what happens as snow transforms into a deadly and unpredictable danger.
MONDAY 24 OCTOBER 2022
MON 19:00 Porridge (p00bxn9j)
Series 2
Happy Release
A spell in the prison hospital is not as restful as Fletcher hoped, after he finds himself sharing a ward with Blanco.
MON 19:30 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (b0077srf)
Series 1
Have a Break, Take a Husband
Classic comedy series with one-man disaster area Frank Spencer. Frank and Betty go away for a second honeymoon. Can it be as disastrous as their first?
MON 20:00 The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (b0077xfg)
Series 1
Episode 1
When Reginald Perrin set out for work on Tuesday morning, he had no intention of calling his mother-in-law a hippopotamus. But he did, and from then on everything began to change.
MON 20:30 Yes, Minister (b00785g8)
Series 3
The Moral Dimension
Jim Hacker has to balance conflicting moral demands when he travels to Qumran to ratify a British electronics firm's contract.
MON 21:00 In Conversation with Alan Yentob (m001dh8p)
Series 1
Stephen Fry
At the BFI Imax, in the context of a TV festival leading up to the centennial of the BBC and before a sell-out audience, Alan Yentob engages Stephen Fry - writer, presenter, comedian, actor - in a wide-ranging discussion of the deeply personal challenges he has faced, and the professional achievements he has enjoyed, in his extraordinary life so far, from his jail time as a teenager convicted of credit card theft to his four-decade relationship with the BBC.
Fry reflects on his high-achieving Jewish family roots, his love of language, his life-changing times at Cambridge University, discovering the work of Oscar Wilde, the realisation he was gay, the extraordinary thrill of falling in love, and the mental health challenges he has bravely and publicly confronted.
Some of the TV highlights of his career are screened and discussed, including a comedy classic with Hugh Laurie and Rowan Atkinson.
MON 22:00 Blackadder (b0078vmr)
Blackadder II
Bells
Classic historical comedy. The Blackadder genes resurface in Elizabethan England in the guise of Edmund, great-great-grandson of the repulsive original. Blackadder is struck by Cupid's arrow when he takes on a new servant - a girl named Bob.
MON 22:30 A Bit of Fry and Laurie (p00bzczc)
Series 2
Episode 6
The final episode this series of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry's comedy sketch show. There's a discussion about the concept of beauty and Stephen expounds on his vision of Britain. Nigel Havers and Rowan Atkinson guest-star.
MON 23:00 Wilde (b0074nq6)
Poignant dramatisation of Oscar Wilde's life, telling the story of the devoted husband and kind father who also happened to be attracted to men - in particular to the spoilt Alfred Lord Douglas, or 'Bosie'. Their relationship outraged Bosie's father, the maniacal Marquess of Queensberry, and led to a sensational trial which spelled Wilde's downfall, vividly highlighting the brutal homophobia of the Victorian legal system.
MON 00:50 Dangerous Earth (b083dgt5)
Lightning
Dr Helen Czerski examines the hottest natural phenomenon on the planet - lightning. Bolts of lightning five times hotter than the surface of the sun strike our planet over three million times every day - and yet we still know little about this deadly force of nature. Now, specialist photography is revealing how lightning travels through the air, high-speed cameras are unlocking the secrets of upward lightning that's triggered by our urban landscapes, and scientific expeditions are capturing rare images of intense electrical discharges over 80 kilometres wide.
MON 01:20 Dangerous Earth (b08445rk)
Aurora
Dr Helen Czerski looks at the latest scientific insight into the aurora - dancing lights in the night sky that have fascinated cultures throughout our history. From the networks of cameras now capturing its vast scale, to novel experiments that probe the threat it poses to modern technology, Helen reveals the dramatic transformation in our understanding of the aurora, and the many mysteries that remain to be solved.
MON 01:50 In Conversation with Alan Yentob (m001dh8p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
MON 02:50 Yes, Minister (b00785g8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 today]
MON 03:20 Porridge (p00bxn9j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
TUESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2022
TUE 19:00 Open All Hours (b007bndt)
Series 2
The Reluctant Traveller
Classic comedy series about a miserly shopkeeper. Granville can't believe his luck when the milkwoman makes a pass at him.
TUE 19:30 The Liver Birds (b07hpd5v)
Series 4
Follow That Ring
A classic episode of Carla Lane's sitcom set in Liverpool, starring Polly James and Nerys Hughes. A mad rush to hospital ensues after Beryl loses her engagement ring while making Sandra a trifle.
TUE 20:00 Bread (p032kjrp)
Series 5
Episode 1
Jack has flown the nest to seek his fortune in California. Errant cousin Shifty is released from prison and comes to stay with Grandad.
TUE 20:30 Ever Decreasing Circles (p00c1kfz)
Series 4
Episode 3
Paul and girlfriend Sarah join Hilda, Howard, Ann and Martin on a weekend away at a country cottage. Martin takes the chance to demonstrate his practical knowledge, but he finds his style somewhat cramped.
TUE 21:00 Absolutely Fabulous (p00db2b0)
Series 1
France
Edina and Patsy head to Provence on holiday, but things do not go as expected. Bubble and Saffron come to their rescue.
TUE 21:30 French and Saunders (p032kk1t)
Series 3
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Jennifer's Marilyn Monroe and Dawn's Jane Russell spell it out with an outrageous rendition of Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.
TUE 22:00 The Lenny Henry Show (m001dh9m)
Series 1
Episode 5
A classic edition of Lenny Henry's character sketch show, introducing boxer Joe 'Bomber' Baxter and Billy Bradford, the singing comic.
TUE 22:30 The Thick of It (b00nt81s)
Series 3
Episode 2
The return of Armando Iannucci's political comedy.
Nicola Murray MP has only been secretary of state for just over a week, but already there is press speculation on how long she will last. And now someone at the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship has completely wiped the immigration records of 170,672 people.
Who's going to get the blame? Who's going to get the job of breaking the news to Malcolm? And how is Nicola going to get through an entire lunch with the staff of the Guardian without revealing the catastrophic scale of the latest computer disaster?
TUE 23:00 My Family (b007c0my)
Series 3
Misery
Janey is appalled when her mother comes to visit at university - especially when she begins to reminisce about her own student days. Meanwhile, Ben's plans for a relaxing round of golf do not go according to plan, and Nick lands a job as a female impersonator.
TUE 23:30 The Real McCoy (p031d2fv)
Series 5
Episode 5
Join the regulars from the comedy sketch show, and their special guests singer Maxi Priest and stand-up comic Lorraine Benloss.
TUE 00:00 Navalny (m0016txs)
In August 2020, a plane travelling from Siberia to Moscow made an emergency landing. One of its passengers, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was deathly ill. Taken to a local Siberian hospital and eventually evacuated to Berlin, doctors there confirmed that he had been poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent implicated in attacks on other opponents of the Russian government. President Vladimir Putin immediately cast doubt on the findings and denied any involvement.
While recovering, Navalny and his team unravel the plot against him, finding evidence of the Kremlin’s involvement, and prepare to go public with their findings.
TUE 01:35 Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley (b0b5y4zg)
2018 marks 100 years since the first women over the age of 30, who owned property, were allowed to vote in the UK. The fight for the vote was about much more than just the Pankhurst family or Emily Davison's fateful collision with the king's horse. In this film, Lucy is at the heart of the drama, alongside a group of less well known, but equally astonishing, young working-class suffragettes who decided to go against every rule and expectation that Edwardian society had about them.
Lucy explores the actions of these women as their campaign becomes more and more dangerous, while their own words are delivered in simple but strikingly emotive pieces of dramatised testimony. Lucy also tells this story from a range of iconic original locations, from the Houses of Parliament and 10 Downing Street to the Savoy Hotel, and has access to an amazing range of artefacts, from hunger-striking medals to defused bombs and private letters between the government and the press.
In this Edwardian history drama, Lucy and her group of suffragettes from the Women's Social Political Union reveal what life was like for these young women, as she follows the trail of increasingly illegal and dangerous acts they would end up committing. For while they would start with peaceful protests, but they would go from to obstruction to vandalism and finally to arson and bomb making.
Lucy investigates what drove them to break the law, to the prison conditions they experienced, including violent force feedings and the subsequent radicalisation of these women that occurred, driving them to more and more extreme actions. Lucy looks at the ways in which the press responded to the suffragettes and their own use of PR and branding to counteract the negative portrayals - from WSPU postcards to pennants and exhibitions.
The decisive and largely negative role that members of Parliament played is unpacked, as they would throw out numerous attempts to give women the vote. The role of the police is explored, both in the ways in which the suffragettes' demonstrations were handled and the covert and sometimes violent tactics that were used against them.
As the actions of the suffragettes became increasingly extreme, it would take a world-changing event to stop their campaign in its tracks and allow some form of equality at the ballot box.
TUE 03:05 Open All Hours (b007bndt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
WEDNESDAY 26 OCTOBER 2022
WED 19:00 The Two Ronnies Sketchbook (b00cvbpr)
Episode 6
In a television career that has spanned 98 shows, 12 series and more than 30 years in the business, Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker entertained millions with their inimitable brand of comedy - from gags, sketches and unique monologues to spectacular music numbers.
First transmitted as an hour-long version a few months before Ronnie Barker's death in 2005, the Two Ronnies reunite to delve into the backstage stories behind some of their classic moments as they reveal their own personal memories from one of the most impressive comedy catalogues in mainstream entertainment.
This episode contains the popular 'fork handles' sketch.
WED 19:30 As Time Goes By (b007b61x)
Series 6
A Surprise for Jean
Sitcom about a couple who are reunited after years apart. As Jean longs for a few surprises from Lionel, Alistair comes up with a plan to give her the surprise treat of a lifetime.
WED 20:00 Last of the Summer Wine (m001dhgt)
Series 3
Isometrics and After
Compo and Clegg are not as fit as they used to be, according to Foggy, who recommends some exercise. But Clegg has a nagging suspicion that some of the world's nicest people are among those with tired, flagging limbs.
WED 20:30 Are You Being Served? (b007b9qf)
Series 5
It Pays to Advertise
Classic sitcom set in a department store. Mrs Slocombe and Mr Humphries are to have their faces used to advertise Grace Brothers display garments. In addition, young Mr Grace wants to produce a store-made advertisement to show in cinemas.
WED 21:00 The Vicar of Dibley (b007bmd1)
Series 3
Autumn
Ecclesiastical sitcom about the unconventional Reverend Geraldine Granger. The vicar is caught in a dilemma when David's handsome brother comes to stay, and risks the wrath of the villagers when she gives in to temptation.
WED 21:40 One Foot in the Grave (b007bbp5)
Series 4
The Pit and the Pendulum
Sitcom about grumpy senior citizen Victor Meldrew. Patrick's cherry tree launches an attack on Victor's junipers, which prompts Victor to seek professional help. Victor's interest in tropical fish arouses the interest of the local Greenpeace branch.
WED 22:10 Goodness Gracious Me (b0077f87)
Series 1
Episode 1
Asian comedy sketch show. Highlights include life with the Coopers, nightclubbing with the Bhangramuffins, and why brown is the new black.
WED 22:40 dinnerladies (m000slkh)
Series 1
Scandal
Not only does Bren's mother Petula cause mayhem in the factory with her ill-considered romance, but her caravan gets in the way of Stan's work.
WED 23:10 The Catherine Tate Show (p00d5gmk)
Series 1
Episode 1
Argumentative schoolgirl Lauren and foul-mouthed Nan Taylor appear in the first episode of the award-winning Catherine Tate's acclaimed sketch show.
WED 23:40 Still Game (b0078xyw)
Series 4
Who's the Daddy
Sitcom. It's three men and a baby all over again, except the baby is a grown man wanting to knock down the Clansman, and the three men are Jack, Victor and Winston.
WED 00:10 British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves (b07vxlnl)
Documentary celebrating the British sitcom and taking a look at the social and political context from which our favourite sitcoms grew. We enjoy a trip through the comedy archive in the company of the people who made some of the very best British sitcoms. From The Likely Lads to I'm Alan Partridge, we find out the inspiration behind some of the most-loved characters and how they reflect the times they were living in.
Narrated by Rebecca Front, with commentary and insider knowledge from Steve Coogan, Richard Curtis, Beryl Vertue, James Corden, Jack Dee and top writing team Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.
WED 01:10 Wild China (b00bwky1)
Tibet
Documentary capturing pioneering images to exhibit the dazzling array of mysterious and wonderful creatures that live in China's most beautiful landscapes.
The vast Tibetan Plateau is one of the world's most remote places and home to chiru antelopes, wild yaks, foxes and bears. It has a remarkable culture shaped by over one 1,000 years of Buddhism, while its mountains and glaciers provide a vital life support system for half the planet.
WED 02:10 Why the Industrial Revolution Happened Here (b01pz9d6)
Professor Jeremy Black examines one of the most extraordinary periods in British history: the Industrial Revolution. He explains the unique economic, social and political conditions that by the 19th century, led to Britain becoming the richest, most powerful nation on Earth. It was a time that transformed the way people think, work and play forever.
He traces the unprecedented explosion of new ideas and technological inventions that transformed Britain's agricultural society into an increasingly industrial and urbanised one. The documentary explores two fascinating questions - why did the industrial revolution happen when it did, and why did it happen in Britain?
Professor Black discusses the reasons behind this transformation - from Britain's coal reserves, which gave it a seemingly inexhaustible source of power, to the ascendency of political liberalism, with engineers and industrialists able to meet and share ideas and inventions. He explains the influence that geniuses like Josiah Wedgewood had on the consumer revolution and travels to Antigua to examine the impact Britain's empire had on this extraordinary period of growth.
WED 03:10 Goodness Gracious Me (b0077f87)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:10 today]
THURSDAY 27 OCTOBER 2022
THU 19:00 The Good Life (p02qydvr)
Series 3
The Early Birds
After the Leadbetters reach the end of their tether with the Goods' crack-of-dawn activities, Tom and Barbara search for new ways to design their schedule.
THU 19:30 To the Manor Born (b0078986)
Series 3
Back to the Manor
Stately sitcom. Audrey's hopes of regaining her position as lady of the manor look like being dashed when Richard's business crisis forces him to sell up.
THU 20:00 Dad's Army (b0078827)
Series 6
The Deadly Attachment
Classic wartime sitcom. Captain Mainwaring and his platoon are instructed to guard a captive U-boat crew. Are they up to the job?
THU 20:30 Miranda (b00w8pf9)
Series 2
Before I Die
Miranda is a clumsy woman but falling in a grave at the end of a funeral service was something not even she was expecting. The experience gets her thinking about what people will say at her funeral and she wants it to be good, so she signs up a for a charity parachute jump, reads to the elderly and helps her mother Penny and her boarding school nemesis Tilly organise a charity wine tasting event. Hilariously, and much to the embarrassment of everyone around her, her good deeds do not go as well as planned.
THU 21:00 The Office (p02qy215)
Series 2
Charity
It's Red Nose Day, and the staff are in a charitable mood, but David Brent receives some devastating news.
THU 21:30 The Royle Family (p00bkbck)
Series 2
Episode 6
Sitcom set in a Manchester council house. Barbara and Jim throw a party for Antony's eighteenth birthday and invite all their friends and neighbours.
THU 22:00 The Fast Show (b064n12b)
Series 2
Episode 3
This episode includes rare footage of Arthur Atkinson recording his wartime radio show 'How Queer!', the off-roaders trying out paintballing, Professor Denzil Dexter's amazing experiments with water and Ralph's attempt to take Ted out for dinner. There are also more words of wisdom from soccer pundit Ron Manager.
THU 22:30 Gavin & Stacey (b00p4yy1)
Series 3
Episode 2
Stacey is trying for a new job while ensuring that Gavin sticks to his recent promise. Dave is not a happy bunny when Nessa tells him she's taking Neil the baby to Essex to see his dad. Meanwhile, over at the Shipmans' house, Dawn and Pete have joined Pam and Mick for a beer and curry night of huge proportions - at the Billericay house of fun.
THU 23:00 Nighty Night (b0074cd6)
Series 1
Episode 1
Comedy series about the owner of a suburban beauty salon who sees her husband’s terminal illness as a fresh start for herself. She immediately falls for a new doctor, who moves into the house opposite, with his wheelchair-using wife.
THU 23:30 The Kumars at No 42 (p07tqrpk)
Series 5
Episode 6
Sanjeev's guests are David Baddiel, Kelly Holmes and Donny Osmond.
THU 00:00 Don't Look Now (m0010zjr)
Grieving the loss of their young daughter in a tragic accident, Laura and John Baxter visit Venice, where John is helping to restore a delapidated church. As John works, Laura is befriended by two sisters, one of whom warns them to leave the city, claiming she has seen their dead daughter.
Classic mystery thriller from Nicolas Roeg.
THU 01:50 The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (b0077xfg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
THU 02:20 British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves (b07vxlnl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
00:10 on Wednesday]
FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER 2022
FRI 19:00 Top of the Pops (m001dhj6)
Tony Dortie presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 7 October 1993 and featuring Haddaway, Meat Loaf, Paul Young, Billy Joel, Go West, Crowded House, Right Said Fred, and Take That with Lulu.
FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (m001dhjb)
Mark Franklin presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 14 October 1993 and featuring Iron Maiden, The Lemonheads, Eternal, Dina Carroll, One Dove, Phil Collins, and Take That with Lulu.
FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (b04n1pln)
Peter Powell presents another edition of the weekly pop chart with performances by the Specials, Viola Wills, Queen, Dr Hook, Iris Williams, the Dooleys, Janet Brown, Lena Martell and Errol Dunkley and dance sequences by Legs & Co.
FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m0004vz8)
Gary Davies and Steve Wright present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 29 October 1987 and featuring The Style Council, George Michael, Rick Astley, Ray Parker Jr, Eurythmics, George Harrison, T'Pau, Scarlet Fantastic, The Bee Gees and Fleetwood Mac.
FRI 21:00 Cleo Laine at the BBC (m001dhjg)
A special celebration of Dame Cleo Laine’s finest moments on the BBC to coincide with her ninety-fifth birthday. Britain’s ‘First Lady of Jazz’ became a star after joining The John Dankworth Seven in the 1950s and then marrying the bandleader. Internationally renowned for her mastery of the ‘scat’ singing style, and with a voice that has been described as ‘one of the richest contraltos in recording history’, Cleo has now enjoyed over six decades of success and acclaim here and across the world.
These are the highlights of her extraordinary career, with classic songs like Send in the Clowns and I Love You, Porgy, and duets with John Williams, Dudley Moore, Tony Bennett, and of course, her musical partner and fellow jazz legend Johnny Dankworth.
FRI 22:00 Show of the Week (m001dhjl)
Cleo Laine
Jazz legends Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth in concert, recorded at the Collegiate Theatre, London, in 1974.
FRI 22:55 Sir John Dankworth at the BBC (b00tp21y)
With an introduction from his widow Dame Cleo Laine, this programme pays tribute to Sir John Dankworth, jazz musician, big band leader and composer for TV and film.
Featuring a wide variety of performances from the BBC archive, it includes John playing saxophone in the company of his hero Duke Ellington from Monitor 1958, an appearance with his orchestra at the Royal Variety Performance 1962, classic tracks from the series Jazz 625 including John's band accompanying Cleo Laine, and Cleo and John's 2007 performance on Later with Jools Holland.
Information captions give background details about the tunes played and John's illustrious career. John, who died in February 2010, was a pioneer of modern British jazz and an ambassador for all genres of British music.
FRI 23:55 Top of the Pops (m001dhj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
FRI 00:25 Top of the Pops (m001dhjb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
FRI 00:55 Top of the Pops (b04n1pln)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
FRI 01:25 Top of the Pops (m0004vz8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 today]
FRI 01:55 Cleo Laine at the BBC (m001dhjg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRI 02:55 Show of the Week (m001dhjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]