SATURDAY 15 JUNE 2024
SAT 19:00 How the Wild West Was Won with Ray Mears (b045nz9q)
Deserts
Ray Mears looks at how the landscapes of America's five great deserts challenged the westward push of the early pioneers.
As Ray travels through the cold high mountain Great Basin desert and the hot Sonoran desert of southern Arizona, he discovers how their hostile geography and rich geology shaped the stories of fortune hunting and lawlessness in the Wild West, and were the setting for the last wars between the US Army and the Apache warrior tribes.
Ray's journey begins in Monument Valley, whose dramatic desert landscape has become synonymous with the Wild West years. He explores how plants and animals survive in this waterless climate and how the Navajo Indian people adapted to the conditions. In Tucson, he meets up with desert coroners Bruce Anderson and Robin Reineke, who show him how the desert still kills people today.
He explores how the Apache adapted their warfare methods to the desert and how the US cavalry struggled in the hot arid landscape. In Tombstone, he gets to grips with the myths around lawmakers and lawlessness and how it flourished in the remote desert regions of the Old West. He discovers how this forbidding landscape was the perfect refuge for bandits and pursues the outlaw trail to Butch Cassidy's hideout at Robber's Roost. His journey ends with the story of Geronimo's surrender which marked the end of the Indian Wars, and of the Old West.
SAT 20:00 Castles: Britain's Fortified History (b04tt2f9)
Kingdom of Conquest
Sam Willis tells the story of the English ruler who left the most indelible mark on the castle - the great Plantagenet king, Edward I, who turned it into an instrument of colonisation. Edward spent vast sums to subdue Wales with a ring of iron comprised of some of the most fearsome fortresses ever built. Castles like Caernarfon and Beaumaris were used to impose England's will on the Welsh. But when Edward turned his attention to Scotland, laying siege to castles with great catapults, things didn't go so well for him.
SAT 21:00 Jana: Marked for Life (m001z7p4)
Series 1
Episode 3
Jana breaks into Monica's house and steals a DVD that contains records of her therapy sessions as a child. As police investigate the death at the harbour, Mia realises there is a link to the note found in Hans Juhlen's pocket.
In Swedish with English subtitles
SAT 21:45 Jana: Marked for Life (m001z7p6)
Series 1
Episode 4
Jana makes another visit to Monica and confronts her with the evidence that she has seen on the DVD she has stolen. Tracking down Hades, Jana is warned to leave Sweden immediately and told not to continue in her search for answers or her family will be in danger. Henrik is deeply affected by the trauma of seeing what Jana has had salvaged from the ocean floor.
In Swedish with English subtitles
SAT 22:35 imagine... (b01nw51c)
Winter 2012
Ian Rankin and the Case of the Disappearing Detective
Britain's most successful crime writer, Ian Rankin, invites imagine... to get up close and personal and follow him as he writes his next novel.
Maverick cop DI John Rebus propelled Rankin to fame as an author, but having retired his most famous creation five years ago, Rankin is now faced with a dilemma: what will he write about next? Through Rankin's own video diary footage, we see him wrestle with his demons and numerous unfolding plots. Will they lead to a dead end?
Alan Yentob and imagine... were there on the first day of writing and on the very day Ian Rankin finished the novel. Tune in to find out the result.
SAT 23:35 Mark Lawson Talks To... (b0074tgx)
Ian Rankin
Ian Rankin talks to Mark Lawson about his life and work, including how his parents and his younger son, who was born with a rare genetic condition resulting in severe learning difficulties, have influenced his writing.
SAT 00:35 One Foot in the Grave (b007blqq)
Series 1
Alive and Buried
Sitcom about grumpy senior citizen Victor Meldrew, whose attitude lands him in comical predicaments.
Replaced at work by a box, Victor embarks on his enforced retirement but finds it exasperatingly difficult to adapt to this directionless new existence. As he struggles without his security guard job, he begins magnifying mundane aspects of everyday life into major dramas.
SAT 01:05 Butterflies (p00hm23v)
Series 1
Breaking the Silence
Ben and Russell decide to talk after a year of silence. It is not as happy an experience as Ria would have wished. She has also lied to Leonard about her age.
SAT 01:35 Castles: Britain's Fortified History (b04tt2f9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
SAT 02:35 How the Wild West Was Won with Ray Mears (b045nz9q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
SUNDAY 16 JUNE 2024
SUN 19:00 Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor (b06fq03t)
George McGavin investigates the highly varied and dramatic life of oak tree. Part science documentary, part historical investigation, this film is a celebration of one of the most iconic trees in the British countryside. It aims to give viewers a sense of what an extraordinary species the oak is and provide an insight into how this venerable tree experiences life.
Filmed over a year, George uncovers the extraordinary transformations the oak goes through to meet the challenges of four very different seasons.
In autumn, George goes underground, digging below an oak tree to see how its roots extract precious resources from the soil. And he sees why the oak's superstrong wood made it the perfect material for building some the most famous ships in naval history, including Nelson's flagship The Victory.
In winter, George discovers the sophisticated strategies the tree uses to survive gales and bitter frosts. He finds out about the oak's vital role in architecture, showing how some very familiar sights, such as the tower of Salisbury Cathedral, are in fact giant oak structures.
In spring, George investigates how the oak procreates, spreading its pollen through the countryside. He discovers the incredibly sophisticated strategies it uses to withstand savage onslaughts from predators hellbent on eating it alive.
In summer, George uses a high-powered microscope to see the hundreds of species that regard the oak as their home. Humans too rely on the oak for their own form of 'sustenance'. Whisky gets its unique flavours from the oak wood barrels in which it's matured.
SUN 20:30 BBC Proms (m001q211)
2023
Northern Soul at the Proms
The roof of the Royal Albert Hall nearly comes off in this special Prom dedicated to northern soul, curated by Wigan’s Stuart Maconie and Manchester’s Joe Duddell.
A celebration of raw, rare American soul music that first obsessed young people across the north and the Midlands in the 1960s and 70s, inspiring an all-night dance culture.
Epic new arrangements of northern soul anthems are performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by a dancing Edwin Outwater, and featuring the vocals of six incredible singers led by Vula Malinga of Basement Jaxx fame.
A night of freedom, passion and euphoria presented by Andi Oliver, with special guests Clarke Peters and PP Arnold.
SUN 22:00 Eileen Atkins Remembers… She Fell Among Thieves (m0020cmn)
Dame Eileen Atkins takes us back to 1920s France and a fantastic world of foul play, chateaus, dungeons and fast cars in Tom Sharpe’s 1978 adaptation of Dornford Yates's She Fell Among Thieves.
Atkins’s performance as the villainous Vanity Fair, where she starred alongside Malcolm McDowell, was among the most sinister and scene-chewing of her career. Here, she recalls how this tale of mystery and murder was brought to life by the deadly femme fatale who always had her claws out and her tongue wedged firmly in her cheek.
SUN 22:10 She Fell Among Thieves (m0020cmq)
France, 1924. Two English gentlemen join forces to investigate notorious villainess Vanity Fair in her fortified chateau. Tongue-in-cheek 1978 TV film based on the novel by Dornford Yates.
SUN 23:30 Talking Heads (p032kkzq)
Series 2
The Hand of God
Celia, an antiques dealer, is finding it hard to get new stock. While sitting at the bedside of the unwell Miss Ventriss, Celia notices she has a house full of beautiful things.
SUN 00:05 imagine... (b09wc6kj)
Winter 2017/18
Ingrid Bergman in Her Own Words
Widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses of the 20th century, Ingrid Bergman's talent was matched only by her incandescent screen presence. From her infamous performance as Ilsa in Casablanca, to her work with directors Alfred Hitchcock and Roberto Rossellini, her performances won her Oscars, Emmys and Golden Globes, as well as a place in Hollywood history.
Ingrid Bergman in her Own Words is a captivating documentary which paints a portrait of her life away from the film and the theatre. Combining access to Bergman's archives of home movie footage, private diaries and letters, read by Oscar-winning Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, with contributions from her children, including Isabella Rossellini, director Stig Bjorkman reveals Bergman's journey from Swedish schoolgirl to Hollywood icon, in a life lived to the full.
SUN 01:45 Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor (b06fq03t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
MONDAY 17 JUNE 2024
MON 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002k0s)
Series 10
Hillhead to Connel Ferry
Armed with his Edwardian Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo falls into line with the University of Glasgow’s Officer Training Corps. Founded in the early 20th century, the Corps flourishes today and Michaels joins students for drill.
From Glasgow, Michael heads west along the Firth of Clyde to Helensburgh, where he discovers a pioneering group of artists known as the Glasgow Boys.
The idyllic West Highland Line takes Michael deep into the Highlands to Inveraray and the ancestral home of the Clan Campbell and the Dukes of Argyll. Here, he discovers an unconventional royal marriage between Queen Victoria’s spirited daughter, Princess Louise, and a commoner, the Marquess of Lorne, later the 9th Duke of Argyll.
Michael’s final stop is Connel Ferry, near Oban, where, on the Achnacloich Estate, he discovers Lily, a pedigree Highland calf. Michael learns how Lily’s herd has been owned continuously by the Nelson family since 1901 and hears how the breed has become an icon of the Highlands.
MON 19:30 Villages by the Sea (m0010chv)
Series 2
Bamburgh
Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers how the health and fortune of the village was shaped by those in charge of Bamburgh’s famous castle.
MON 20:00 Digging for Britain (m000bn2l)
Series 8
West
Professor Alice Roberts returns with the eighth series of BBC Four’s Digging for Britain. In the first episode, we explore this year’s finds in the west of Britain.
A secret location in the Cotswolds, with all the hallmarks of a high-status Anglo Saxon cemetery, gives up a very precious and fragile artefact. And at the site of Shaftesbury Abbey, Dr Naoise MacSweeney joins archaeologist Julian Richards in his hunt for the missing cloister.
We visit the bone cave of Wales once inhabited by Neanderthals and early humans, while on Salisbury Plain archaeologists have a puzzle. Have they found more remains of the mysterious Beaker People, even though there’s no beaker? The programme also follows an archaeological rescue as a team from Cardiff University is called in to investigate medieval bones protruding from cliff face on the Welsh coast.
MON 21:00 Archaeology: A Secret History (p0109jny)
In the Beginning
Archaeologist Richard Miles presents a series charting the history of the breakthroughs and watersheds in our long quest to understand our ancient past. He begins by going back 2,000 years to explore how archaeology began by trying to prove a biblical truth - a quest that soon got archaeologists into dangerous water.
MON 22:00 Britain's Pompeii: A Village Lost in Time (b07myxws)
Professor Alice Roberts joins the team excavating a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age village in the Cambridgeshire Fens that has been called the British Pompeii.
The village earned its nickname because 3,000 years ago it burned to the ground, and as it burned it fell into the peat, preserving both the houses and their contents. Until its discovery, we had little real idea of what life was like in Bronze Age Britain.
Now we can peek inside our Bronze Age ancestors' homes as archaeologists discover perfectly preserved roundhouses, and the contents inside them - right down to the utensils in their kitchens. These roundhouses were built in a style never seen in the UK before - testimony not only to the villagers' technical skills, but also of their connections to Europe.
The team has made other incredible discoveries on the dig - from Britain's oldest-found wheel, to swords used in battle, and bowls still containing preserved remnants of food. One of the biggest revelations is the discovery of a complete set of the early technology used to produce cloth - a full industrial process we've never seen in Britain before.
This glimpse into domestic life 3,000 years ago is unprecedented, but it also transforms our impressions of Bronze Age Britain - far from being poor and isolated, it seems the villagers were successful large-scale farmers who used their farming surplus to trade with Europe, exchanging their crops for beautiful glass jewellery and multiple metal tools per household.
As part of the dig, the archaeologists also investigate the cause of the fire - was it just a terrible accident, or did the villagers' wealth provoke an attack?
MON 23:00 Queen Victoria's Letters: A Monarch Unveiled (b04pl2mn)
Episode 2
AN Wilson discovers the real story behind the woman who supposedly spent the last half of her life in hiding, mourning the loss of her beloved Prince Albert. Alongside this well-known image of Victoria as the weeping widow, Wilson reveals that the years after Albert's death were actually a process of liberation and her most productive and exciting.
By examining her closest relationships in the four decades after Albert's death, Wilson tells the story of the Queen's gradual freedom from a life spent under the shadow of domineering men. Victoria's marriage had been a source of constraint as well as love, as Albert had used her pregnancies as a way to gain power and punished her for resenting it. But in her widowhood Queen Victoria, although bereft and deranged, was free to move in the world of politics and make deep friendships without concern.
From the controversial friendship with her highland servant John Brown to her most unconventional behaviour with her young Indian servant Abdul Karim, Wilson uncovers Victoria as a woman who was anything but 'Victorian'. Far from being prim and proper, she loved life in all its richness - she was blind to class and colour and, contrary to what we think, had a great sense of humour.
Queen Victoria's journals and letters are read by Anna Chancellor throughout.
MON 00:00 Treasures of the Indus (p02qvb6j)
Pakistan Unveiled
This is the story of the Indian subcontinent told through the treasures of three very different people, places and dynasties that have shaped the modern Indian world.
All too often, Pakistan is portrayed as a country of bombs, beards and burkhas. The view of it as a monolithic Muslim state is even embodied in the name of the country, 'the Islamic Republic of Pakistan'.
Yet, as Sona Datta shows, it used to be the meeting point for many different faiths from around the world and has an intriguing multicultural past - a past about which it is to some extent in denial. It also produced some extraordinary and little-known works of art which Sona, from her work as a curator at the British Museum, explores and explains.
MON 01:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002k0s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
MON 01:30 Villages by the Sea (m0010chv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
MON 02:00 Archaeology: A Secret History (p0109jny)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
MON 03:00 Digging for Britain (m000bn2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
TUESDAY 18 JUNE 2024
TUE 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002p6c)
Series 10
Warwick to Radley
Michael Portillo embarks on a journey through Edwardian Britain, steered by his early twentieth century Bradshaw’s Guide. In Warwick’s medieval castle he uncovers the scene of an extravagant and scandalous ball, which changed the life of its hostess, Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick.
At Cowley, Michael marvels at a spectacularly automated state-of-the-art production line producing 1,000 Minis a day and probes the pre-First World War origins of the Morris Oxford. He is delighted to find that cars for export are loaded in Italian Job style on to trains at the factory’s own railhead.
In Oxford, Michael finds how medieval pottery at the Ashmolean Museum inspired TE Lawrence to pursue archaeology in the Middle East, where he was co-opted into British intelligence and helped to mastermind the famous attacks on the Hejaz Railway. And at Radley, Michael hears a song setting by composer George Butterworth, who taught music at Radley College before he and many former pupils were killed in the First World War.
TUE 19:30 Villages by the Sea (m0010ckg)
Series 2
Staithes
Archaeologist Ben Robinson visits the village of Staithes in North Yorkshire and unearths its role in kickstarting the chemical industry in the north east of England.
TUE 20:00 One Foot in the Grave (b007cg1z)
Series 1
The Big Sleep
Sitcom. Margaret tries to help her husband cope with early retirement by getting him a book from the library entitled Coping with Old Age.
TUE 20:30 Butterflies (p00hm29k)
Series 1
Thinking About a Job
It is time for Ria to break away from the family. But as the provider, Ben's ego is at stake, so the tug of war begins.
TUE 21:00 Tankies: Tank Heroes of World War II (b01pvbds)
Episode 1
The Second World War was the ultimate conflict of the machine age, and the tank was its iconic symbol. The 'tankies' who fought inside had experience of much of the conflict from the fall of France to the deserts of Africa, from the invasion of Italy to D-Day, and on to the final victory in Germany.
In this two-part series, historian, BBC diplomatic editor and former officer in the Royal Tank Regiment, Mark Urban tells the story of six remarkable men from one armoured unit - the Fifth Royal Tank Regiment, also known as the Filthy Fifth.
Using first-hand testimony from the last surviving veterans alongside previously unseen letters and diaries, Mark brings the story of an extraordinary 'band of brothers' to life, in visceral detail. At the same time he analyses the evolution of tank production in Britain and illustrates how we fell far behind our German enemies in both technology and tactics, relying instead on dogged determination and a relentless drive to victory, whatever the costs.
In part one, Mark begins his journey in northern France, introducing our band of brothers in the midst of the fall of France and the retreat to Dunkirk. Characters such as 'rookie' tank driver Gerry Solomon join veterans, themselves still only in their twenties, such as and Jake Wardrop and Harry Finlayson.
Mark then follows in the tankies' footsteps across the deserts of North Africa. Here he looks at the game-changing tank battles of Sidi Rezegh, Alam Halfa and, of course, the battle that changed the course of the Second World War - Alamein. He then takes us back to England where the tankies expect a well-earned rest, instead they are confronted with the news that as battle-hardened troops they must fight again, this time on the beaches of Normandy.
With spectacular archive footage, including rarely seen colour footage, it brings to life the Second World War from a unique point of view.
TUE 22:00 Storyville (m0020csl)
Flee
A Storyville documentary, mostly animated, that charts the extraordinary true tale of Ali, a gay Afghan man, and the desperate measures he is forced to take to escape persecution.
TUE 23:25 Gateways Grind: London’s Secret Lesbian Club (m0018k3h)
Sandi Toksvig goes behind the iconic green door of one of the most famous lesbian venues in the world, The Gateways Club in London. Starting off as a meeting place for bohemians, it became lesbian-only under the watchful management of the enigmatic Gina Ware and her sidekick Smithy until its closure in 1985.
The Gates’ former clientele recount the many stories of love, heartbreak, friendship, scandal and sanctuary that played out in the club, including the venue's appearance in a Hollywood film. They open up the secret history of this haven for women who could lose homes, jobs and children if their truth became known.
TUE 00:25 Storyville (p057n8sz)
Queerama
Created from a treasure trove of archive, Queerama traverses a century of gay experiences, encompassing persecution and prosecution, injustice, love and desire, identity, secrets, forbidden encounters, sexual liberation and pride.
The soundtrack weaves the lyrics and music of John Grant, Goldfrapp and Hercules & Love Affair with the images and guides us intimately into the relationships, desires, fears and expressions of gay men and women in the 20th century - a century of incredible change.
TUE 01:35 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002p6c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
TUE 02:05 Villages by the Sea (m0010ckg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
TUE 02:35 Britain's Pompeii: A Village Lost in Time (b07myxws)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Monday]
WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE 2024
WED 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002p7r)
Series 10
Reading to Taplow
Armed with his Edwardian Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo picks up his rail journey from Warwick to Rye along the River Thames. In Reading, he traces the origins of education for workers. Messing about in boats is the name of the game in Henley-on-Thames, where Michael slips into a launch to hear about the world-famous regatta. Afternoon tea on the bank offers a chance to hear about four heroes of early 20th-century literary classic The Wind in the Willows.
In the pretty village of Cookham, Michael encounters heaven on earth for the artist Stanley Spencer, and across the river at Cliveden he explores the great Italianate mansion, which once belonged to the Astor family. Michael finds out about one of its most famous members, the first woman to take a seat in Parliament, Nancy Astor.
WED 19:30 Villages by the Sea (m0010cg7)
Series 2
Thorpeness
Archaeologist Ben Robinson uncovers the secrets of the Edwardian village of Thorpeness in Suffolk, the first purpose-built seaside village in the UK.
WED 20:00 Full Circle with Michael Palin (p00whc5t)
Australia and New Zealand
Michael Palin reaches Australia, where his activities include a cameo role in Home and Away. He also looks for sperm whales in New Zealand's icy waters.
WED 20:50 Wild (b007hh6n)
2006-07 Shorts
Mull: Eagle Paradise
The story of the white-tailed sea eagle is one of the great successes of British conservation. When wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan grew up on Mull there were no sea eagles at all, but now they are back and thriving. A third of all Britain's sea eagles now live on the island. Gordon returns to Mull to find out what makes this place such a paradise for the magnificent birds.
WED 21:00 Rise of the Nazis (p0gc9bk5)
The Manhunt
The Ratline
The most senior-ranking Nazis have been executed or imprisoned following the international trial at Nuremberg, but many of the worst criminals are still at large. As the American zone's CIC shifts its attention to containing communism, it takes its eyes off wanted Nazis like Klaus Barbie - before making him an extraordinary offer to work as a US agent, hunting communists in return for his freedom.
WED 22:00 Remembering... The Cops (m0020cs3)
In 1998, the BBC unveiled its latest look at the world of crime and policing, a new series called The Cops. Set in an unnamed northern town, it was gritty, hard-hitting and uncompromising, capturing a world where the line between criminal and crime-fighter is thin as well as blue.
Many viewers were at first unsure if they had sat through a drama or a documentary, thanks in no small part to the talents of the cast of actors playing a team of police officers under pressure.
Here, two members of that cast, Katy Cavanagh-Jupe and John Henshaw, look back on their experiences on the show – Katy on her role as party-loving new recruit Mel, and John on his time as Roy, the hard-faced old-timer who likes helping justice along with a clip around the ear.
Together, Katy and John discuss the joys of improvisation for an actor, the personal touches they brought to their characters and the pride that came with being part of a show that won instant acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
WED 22:15 The Cops (p0j0297g)
Series 1
Episode 1
Mel Draper is high on speed at a nightclub when she realises her shift is about to start. The arrival of mysterious Sergeant Giffen causes a stir.
WED 23:05 The Cops (p0j029rn)
Series 1
Episode 2
A young man threatens to jump from the top of a town-centre department store.
WED 23:55 The Cops (p0j029vt)
Series 1
Episode 3
Mike and Natalie come face to face with an armed criminal.
WED 00:45 The Cops (p0j029yl)
Series 1
Episode 4
It's Mike's stag night but a fight puts his reputation and his career on the line.
WED 01:35 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002p7r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
WED 02:05 Villages by the Sea (m0010cg7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
WED 02:35 Rise of the Nazis (p0gc9bk5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
THURSDAY 20 JUNE 2024
THU 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002p8y)
Series 10
Ealing Broadway to South Kensington
Michael Portillo reaches the capital on his rail journey from Warwick to Rye in East Sussex. In the Queen of the Suburbs, Ealing, he finds comedy at the home of British cinema and is transformed for the silver screen by expert hair and make-up.
In Fulham, Michael heads underground to London’s new super sewer, which is taking shape beneath the River Thames. In central London, he visits the London School of Economics and Political Science to hear about its foundation by Fabians at the turn of the 20th century and to meet present day students.
An introduction to Japanese martial arts awaits Michael at the Budokwai dojo in Kensington. Will there be a soft landing?
THU 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.
THU 20:00 Tales of the TARDIS (m0020crw)
Doctor Who: Tales of the TARDIS
Far away in time, on board an old Remembered TARDIS, the Doctor and Ruby pause in battle to reflect on their recent adventures.
THU 21:15 Talking Doctor Who (m001s1n0)
As part of the sixtieth anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who, David Tennant time-travels back through the BBC archives to tell the story of the Doctor’s classic era, with a selection of rarely seen interviews and clips covering William Hartnell’s first incarnation right through to the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy.
On the way, David compares some of his own experiences with the actors who came before him and shares special archive moments that reveal, amongst other things, how to film a regeneration, which actor was a master of modern gadgetry - including a collapsible caravan - and what the factors were that helped to decide how a Doctor selects his own individual and distinctive costume.
THU 22:15 Eileen Atkins Remembers… Mrs Dalloway (m0020crz)
In 1997, the film version of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway was released in cinemas, based on a screenplay by Dame Eileen Atkins and with her friend Vanessa Redgrave playing the title role, a party-throwing socialite remembering the freedoms of her younger life.
Here, we join Eileen Atkins looking back just as her heroine does – telling the story of her lifelong fascination with Woolf and recalling how she took on the challenge of adapting of one of the 20th century’s great novels for the big screen, and ended up winning the praise of the critics of the day, who called the resulting film ‘sensitive’, ‘delicate’ and ‘compelling’.
THU 22:30 Mrs Dalloway (b0078ryg)
An adaptation of the classic Virginia Woolf novel. As society hostess Clarissa Dalloway prepares for another of her legendary parties, she finds herself haunted by figures and scenes from her passionate youth.
THU 00:05 Glastonbury (m0018lm9)
Glastonbury: 50 Years and Counting
Three years in the making, Francis Whately’s film is a social and musical history of (probably) the world’s greatest music festival, as told by its principal curators, Michael and Emily Eavis, and many of the key artists who’ve appeared there between 1970 and 2019 – Billie Eilish, Thom Yorke, Florence Welch, Dua Lipa, The Levellers, Aswad, Orbital, Fatboy Slim, Linda Lewis, Noel Gallagher, Ed O’Brien, Chris Martin, Stormzy and more.
Balancing the driving forces of social conscience and hedonism, Glastonbury has always been both a world apart and a barometer of the state of the nation. Looking at the hippie days, CND, the contribution of the travellers, dance music, Britpop, The Wall, the impact of television and the first black British solo headliner, this film takes viewers backstage and deep into the archive to reveal the forces that have driven this alternative nation between utopia and dystopia, the greatest night of your life and a muddy field in the middle of nowhere.
This is not a chronological plod through the festival’s evolution so much as a thematic and story-driven exploration of the peaks and troughs, and the agonies and ecstasies, that have shaped Glastonbury’s 50 years and counting.
THU 01:45 Great British Railway Journeys (m0002p8y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
THU 02:15 Villages by the Sea (m0010d00)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
THU 02:45 Tales of the TARDIS (m0020crw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
FRIDAY 21 JUNE 2024
FRI 19:00 Top of the Pops (m0020crr)
Andi Peters presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 11 April 1996 and featuring Gina G, Paul Carrack, 2Pac featuring Dr Dre, Longpigs, Suggs Feat. Louchie Lou & Michie One, Babylon Zoo, Upside Down, Rage Against the Machine, Manic Street Preachers and The Prodigy.
FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (m0020crt)
Beertje Van Beers presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 18 April 1996 and featuring The Wildhearts, Alanis Morissette, The Presidents of the USA, Everything but the Girl, George Michael, The Cranberries, Michael Jackson, The Cure, Mark Morrison and Manchester United FC.
FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (m0014rlm)
Mark Franklin and Sir Bob Geldof present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 18 June 1992 and featuring Take That, The Orb, Sophie B. Hawkins, Utah Saints, Elton John, Def Leppard and Erasure.
FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (b02xbj8s)
David 'Kid' Jensen introduces the weekly pop charts featuring performances from Black Sabbath, Heatwave, Showaddywaddy, Brotherhood of Man, San Jose, Thin Lizzy, Bob Marley and the Wailers and a dance routine by Legs & Co.
FRI 21:00 Studio 54 (m001tvnj)
In 1970s New York, one nightclub defined an era and a generation. For the first time, Ian Schrager, one of the two people behind the infamous Studio 54, tells the in-depth story of how one of the world’s greatest nightclubs was created.
Studio 54 was the epicentre of 70s hedonism - a place that not only redefined the nightclub, but also came to symbolise an entire era. Its co-owners, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, two friends from Brooklyn, seemed to come out of nowhere to suddenly preside over a new kind of New York society.
Now, 46 years after the velvet rope was first slung across the club’s hallowed threshold, a feature documentary tells the real story behind one of the greatest clubs of all time.
FRI 22:35 Disco at the BBC (m001tvnd)
Volume Three
Another fantastic selection of dance floor disco classics, featuring a wealth of performances from the BBC’s music archives, including Tina Charles, The Real Thing, Sister Sledge and The Bee Gees.
FRI 23:35 Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution (m001tmjk)
Series 1
Stayin’ Alive
At the end of the 1970s, the founding principles of disco – queerness, diversity and feminism – were coming under increasing attack from a predominantly white, straight, rock-loving audience.
By the summer of 1978, disco appeared untouchable, but mass marketing and rampant commercialism were beginning to turn the tide. A glut of bad disco singles and the perceived elitism of clubs like Studio 54 fuelled a surge in anti-disco feeling. This is the story of how disco died - and where it went.
FRI 00:35 Glastonbury (m001n4p7)
Anthems
Episode 1
Classic anthems performed at Glastonbury over the years from the likes of Radiohead, Robbie Williams and Blondie.
FRI 01:05 Glastonbury (m001n47p)
Anthems
Episode 2
Classic anthems performed at Glastonbury over the years from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Jay-Z and Neil Diamond.
FRI 01:35 Glastonbury (m001n4rj)
Anthems
Episode 3
Classic anthems performed at Glastonbury over the years from the likes of Dolly Parton, Coldplay and The Cure.
FRI 02:05 Glastonbury (m001n49m)
We Love Glastonbury
As the excitement builds for Glastonbury 2023, this is a trip down memory lane as some of the festival’s biggest fans take a look at some of their favourite performances and the stories behind them.
Noel Gallagher, Self Esteem, Jessie Ware, Nish Kumar, Kerry Godliman, Joe Wicks and more reflect on seeing the likes of Pet Shop Boys, Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe, Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus and The Killers at Glastonbury.
FRI 03:05 Top of the Pops (b02xbj8s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 today]