The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
Stephanie Calman reads from her new book about the perils of reaching 40. What constitutes a grown-up and how does one achieve such status?
Mark Tully celebrates libraries. From the famous to the obscure, libraries are dusty and mysterious, solemn and weighty, dull and boring, chaste and wickedly romantic. They have contained the collected wisdom of groups and nations, they have enabled the poor to climb out of their circumstances, the poet to survive penury, the revolutionary to plot and the theologian to speculate. But do they remain as important in the modern media age?
Lionel Kelleway joins two TT race fanatics and naturalists on a trip around the famous 37-mile course on the Isle of Man. They observe the local wildlife, including cave spiders, lampreys and orchids.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
Prunella Scales appeals on behalf of The Stroke Association. Donations: Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. Credit cards: Freephone 0800 404 8144.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
Repeat of a broadcast by the late priest and poet John O'Donohue, who died in January. He draws on the spiritual wisdom of the Celtic world with reflections on saintly living in the unseen presence of God. Recorded in Glenstal Abbey, near Limerick, where the monks of the Benedictine community are joined by the singer Noirin ni Riain.
News and conversation about the big stories of the week with Paddy O'Connell.
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the actress Ruthie Henshall. A West End and Broadway star she has performed in many of the most successful productions of the past twenty years, including Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and Chicago. On stage she has left audiences and reviewers breathless at the dazzling brilliance of her performances. But, off-stage, her life has often been defined more by shade than light.
In this moving interview she talks openly about the abuse she endured as a child and the depression she suffered as an adult. She speaks too of her grief after the death of her "warm and brilliant" sister Noel last year and of the lasting impact Noel has had on her life. Now, Ruthie's happily married with two young daughters but, of the dark days behind her, she says, "I'd spent so many years entertaining and pretending everything was alright, but no matter where you get to it's never enough: you're always looking for the next thing."
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Nicholas Parsons chairs the devious word game from the Opera House in Manchester. Panellists are Tony Hawks, Paul Merton, Shappi Khorsandi and Ian McMillan.
The Berry Business: Who decides which strawberry and raspberry varieties we will be eating in the years to come? A look behind the scenes of the modern berry business.
David Frost and guests look back at some of the most memorable interviews of his long career.
Interviewees include Billy Graham and convicted Nazi war criminal Baldur von Schirach. Guests include Max Hastings and Joan Bakewell.
Bunny Guinness, Bob Flowerdew and John Cushnie answer questions from members of the Collingham and District Gardening Association near Newark-on-Trent.
The series on gardening fundamentals continues with Anne Swithinbank and Pippa Greenwood looking at the Liliaceae family.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen visits a pre-fab and considers ways in which the post-war government urged a reluctant public to embrace 'good design'. From March 2008.
Chris Dolan's dramatisation of Honore de Balzac's entertaining tale of family rivalry and fortunes lost and won, set in 19th-century France.
After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Philippe Bridau becomes a reckless gambler who steals from his mother to finance his obsession. She foolishly continues to idolise him, and it is left to his more dependable brother Joseph to rescue the family from destitution.
Narrator ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Philippe Bridau ...... Thomas Arnold
Joseph Bridau ...... Mathew Pidgeon
Agathe Bridau ...... Briony McRoberts
Madame Descoings ...... Phyllida Law
Desroches ...... Jon Glover
Monsieur Hochon ...... Christian Rodska
Madame Hochon ...... Colette O'Neil
Max Gilet ...... Alan Cox
Baruch ...... Nyasha Hatendi
Giroudeau ...... David Holt
Mariette ...... Liz Sutherland
He visits Brooklyn to find out why it has displaced Manhattan as the city's literary heart. He talks to novelists Paul Auster and Siri Hustvedt, the First Couple of the borough's literary scene, and finds out why the label Brooklyn Writer is beginning to cause some irritation to those who live and work there.
The story of artist Donald Crossley's quest for the truth in his own life and amazing journey around his own backyard that began when he heard that his childhood friend Ted Hughes had become Poet Laureate.
John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 40 years ago. A BBC programme examines democracy in America.
Matt McGrath looks at allegations that the level of abuse of the performance-enhancing drug EPO could be much higher among athletes than is commonly believed. Scientists claim that urrent tests to catch the cheats are almost useless, and that the criteria being applied to define users of EPO are far too narrow.
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
Gerry Anderson presents a selection of highlights from the past week on BBC radio.
Chris meets Alice at the riding course with a CD for her. He's quick to point out that it's just a favour, it's what mates do. When Alice pops into the shop later Susan's keen to get information from Chris about their friendship. Chris is giving nothing away. He says that whatever happens in his love life, he can't make as much of a mess of it as his sister has.
Despairing Clarrie tells Emma that Will's leaving and he's not even sure he will see George before he goes. Emma immediately takes George to the release pens and suggests to Will that they go for a walk. Reluctantly Will agrees.
Emma tries to reassure Will that she still cares about him, and pleads with him not to shut them all out, for George's sake. She suggests that she can bring George to Gloucester for visits, but Will says he'd rather his mum and dad brought George. He can't handle seeing Emma, or the thought of her with Ed. He knows other blokes wouldn't feel this way, but he can't help it - he can't bear it, not all over again.
In a special Olympics programme, he invites young 2012 Olympic hopefuls for a studio grilling. UK pupils who are twinned with Chinese schools offer first-hand reports from Beijing. Plus an interview with teenage diving sensation Tom Daley, who is attempting to win his first Olympic medal at the age of fourteen.
In Ruth Thomas's tale, Cathleen is mourning her much-loved dog. She receives a visit from her nephew, who is nursing a very different sense of loss.
On August 21, 1968, Russian tanks entered Czechoslovakia to put an end to Alexander Dubcek's Prague Spring. An extraordinary irony saw the Soviet State Symphony Orchestra making its debut at the Proms on the same day in a programme featuring Czech composer Antonin Dvorak's Cello Concerto. The performance by soloist Mstislav Rostropovich remains one of the greatest ever live recordings of the piece.
Jane Little presents the obituary series, analysing and celebrating the life stories of people who have recently died. The programme reflects on people of distinction and interest from many walks of life, some famous and some less well known.
He investigates a controversial treatment that claims to have helped tens of thousands of people with learning difficulties. Insiders tell of their concerns over the way courses were sold, and others question the research the company relies on to show that the treatment works.
Historian Richard Weight asks why many nations with far fewer resources than Britain frequently perform much better at sports. Does the country that invented so many sports take them too seriously or not seriously enough, and does it really matter?
Reports from behind the scenes at Westminster. Including Westminster Follies.
Another chance to look back at the events making the news 40 years ago with John Tusa.
48 passengers die in an air crash near Munich. Many are injured when a stand collapses at the National Jazz and Blues Festival in Kempton Park. Leonard Cohen appears on the BBC's Top Gear radio programme. Riots in Los Angeles leave three dead. Two deputy editors of the Czech Communist party newspaper are suspended. Record producer Mickie Most explains the secret of his success.
MONDAY 18 AUGUST 2008
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b00cztp9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b00cyhhz)
Imagination and the Countryside
IMAGINATION AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
Laurie Taylor discusses how imagination and reality combine to create the environments in which we live.
What happens when our view of the countryside collides with the reality of rural life? In part one of a series exploring how imagination and reality combine to create the environments in which we live,Novelist Joanna Trollope, sociologist Howard Newby and rural ethnographer Martin Phillips discuss the rural idyll. The dream the British have of the countryside is not always borne out by the experience of living there, yet the ideas we hold about the countryside often prompt changes. Martin's research revealed long-term residents complaining of too many village fetes and incomers who are simply too keen to get involved in everything. Joanna Trollope explains what drove her out of the countryside five years ago.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b00czlw4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00cztpc)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00cztpf)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00cztph)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b00cztpk)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00cztlv)
Daily prayer and reflection with Graham Daniels.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b00cztpm)
News and issues in rural Britain, with Anna Hill.
MON 05:57 Weather (b00cztpp)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 06:00 Today (b00cztlx)
Presented by James Naughtie and Edward Stourton.
Including:
Prof David Taylor of the University of London discusses how much the NHS spends on drugs.
British Olympians have claimed eight gold medals in one weekend. Andy Swiss reports from Beijing.
Winifred Robinson looks at how the police are dealing with gun and knife crime among local teenagers in Liverpool.
Thought for the Day with Reverend Dr Alan Billings.
British Chambers of Commerce Director General David Frost discusses the economic situation.
Former British athlete Kriss Akabusi and Simon Clegg of the British Olympic Association assess sporting success and evaluate the UK's chances for the rest of the Olympics.
Sir Michael Rawlins, chairman of the health body NICE, discusses whether drug companies are overcharging for their products.
Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, examines the investigation into the shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians last year.
Michael Leapman shares his tips for growing prize-sized vegetables.
A catalogue of publicly owned paintings is being compiled for the first time. Steve Blears reports on where some of them can be found.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who is facing increasing pressure to resign, is addressing the nation. Chris Morris reports from Islamabad and writer Tariq Ali discuss what he thinks will happen.
MON 09:00 Our Food, our Future (b00czyjv)
Episode 4
Tom Heap examines the global food crisis and its impact on Britain.
He asks what role technology can play in solving the problem. Can science provide the answers to food shortages, rising demand, drought and climate change and are scientists looking in the right places for solutions?
Dutch scientists are experimenting with creating meat from pigs' stem cells, while their UK counterparts complain of underfunding.
MON 09:30 Top of the Class (b00czyjx)
Series 1
Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes was making Sunday lunch for his mum when he was 14. The 1970s was not an era for a football loving boy to tell his schoolfriends that his dream was to be a top chef, so he applied secretly to Thanet Catering college.
Overjoyed to be accepted, he panicked on the first day when he couldn't answer the question "what is a sauce bechamel?" He thought he would never make it in the world of cookery, but he ended up being the college's top student, became a successful restauranteur and a TV Chef who now has restaurants around the globe and is a prolific cookery writer.
Much of his success he feels was down to the excellence of the training he got from Thanet Catering College and in particular, his mentor Mr. Barrett. John Wilson reunites Gary with Mr. Barrett and his great friend and rival from college days, Martin Nash, who followed his own catering career.
Producer - Sarah Taylor.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b00czyv2)
Corvus: A Life with Birds
Episode 1
Maureen Beattie reads from Esther Woolfson's story of her life with birds.
Esther was an unlikely candidate to become a bird lover until her husband's grandmother asked her to look after some doves. They became the first of a long line of birds to become an integral part of her household.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00d028q)
Beth Chatto
A special programme on Beth Chatto, one of the most influential living gardeners in Britain, from her gardens in Elmstead Market, Essex.
MON 11:00 City Messengers (b00d028s)
Documentary following the lives of two of London's 400 cycle couriers, whose working day is spent delivering packages across the city. The job is badly paid and the risk of serious injury is relatively high, yet there is a thriving sub-culture of people who have chosen the freedom of the road above the security of the office.
MON 11:30 Baggage (b008mb7w)
Series 3
Keep Right on to the End of the Road
Comedy series by Hilary Lyon, set in Edinburgh.
Caroline, Fiona and Ruth climb their biggest mountain yet, terrified that they may all fall over the edge.
Caroline ...... Hilary Lyon
Fiona ...... Phyllis Logan
Ruth ...... Adie Allen
Alistair ...... Stuart McQuarrie
Roddy ...... Robin Cameron
Gladys ...... June Watson
Directed by Marilyn Imrie.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b00d05kg)
Presented by Liz Barclay and Peter White.
Including:
House-builders Persimmon refuse to build a home for a couple in Berkshire until more properties on the same site have been sold. With Charcol mortgage broker Ray Boulger and Bill Montague, partner with the law firm Dexter Montague.
Minister for Disabled People Anne McGuire answers listeners' questions about proposed welfare reforms.
Is the in-flight magazine on its final descent?
Fuel and electricity price rises are affecting Britain's trains.
Does Britain have a skills gap? Are we equipped for industry and society's future needs? With Skills Minister David Lammy.
MON 12:57 Weather (b00d05kj)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b00d05kl)
National and international news with Shaun Ley.
MON 13:30 Round Britain Quiz (b00d05kn)
2008
Episode 9
Tom Sutcliffe chairs the latest heat of the cryptic general knowledge quiz. Scotland take on Northern Ireland.
Question 1
Scotland
Why would a certain dog, a cad, and a cardie all tell a moving tale?
Question 2
Northern Ireland
Start with something dead easy. When you find it's right up your street, you’ll realise you’ve got a reward beyond expectation. Which meal are we having?
Question 3
Scotland
What game are we playing?
Question 4
Northern Ireland
Why are these two contradictory? And which environmentalist stands between them?
Question 5 – listener question from James Brown in Dereham
Scotland
A wailing musician, an Englishman who thrilled Wimbledon, and a secretly murdered student, are sure to pay a visit next year – but you’re probably not sure precisely when. Why not?
Question 6 – listener question from Anne Parker in London
Northern Ireland
What links Elia’s author, Scarlett’s servant, and Paul’s birthplace?
Question 7
Scotland
Proceed in equal steps from John Berger to Hunter S. Thompson, via 180ml, a possible cause of the end of the world, and the Isle of Calypso.
Question 8
Northern Ireland
Where, together, might you find the auditory organs of a small rodent, a bedraggled garden bird, a baby’s toy in a primary colour, a mist across four Ridings, and some very sharp kitchen implements?
MON 14:00 The Archers (b00czry5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b0077516)
The Girl Who Touched the Stars
By Mahesh Dattani. Bhavna's childhood dream of becoming an astronaut has come true. But her childhood is about to come back and haunt her in the most unexpected way.
MON 15:00 Alvin Hall's World of Money (b00czkpv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:00 on Saturday]
MON 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00d06ty)
Sunshine and Showers
Rainy Season
Stories exploring the nature of our relationship with the British weather.
In DJ Taylor's tale, a producer on a daytime TV show wants to jazz up the meteorological coverage. The new weather girl's delivery style is unique but not quite what anyone was expecting.
Read by Benedict Cumberbatch.
MON 15:45 Team Spirit (b0092bys)
Episode 1
Claudia Hammond looks at the psychology of team dynamics.
By talking to academics and visiting teams across the UK she finds out what makes them tick.
She begins with members of the London Air Ambulance Service, who daily deal with life and death.
Producer: Michelle Martin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008.
MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b00czqsr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (b00d06wh)
Ernie Rea explores the place of faith in today's world, teasing out the hidden and often contradictory truths behind the experiences, values and traditions of our lives.
MON 16:56 1968 Day by Day (b00d0b6y)
18th August 1968
John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 40 years ago. Opposition to the Pope's ruling against artificial birth control mounts.
MON 17:00 PM (b00d0b70)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news, presented by Eddie Mair.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00d0b72)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (b00d0cgc)
Series 53
Episode 4
Nicholas Parsons chairs the devious word game from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Panellists include Clement Freud and Paul Merton.
MON 19:00 The Archers (b00d0cr8)
Jack's having a good day. Peggy reminds Helen gently not to discuss the passing of Mrs Antrobus - although Jack's been told, he may have forgotten, and it might upset him. They talk about his many business successes over the years, and Jack remembers fondly the flower that was named after him.
When Tom tells Pat and Tony he intends to run two pig businesses in parallel, Tony's furious; Tom can't give his full commitment to Bridge Farm with a foot in both camps. Tempers flare, and Tony ends up telling Tom the deal's off. When Tom talks to Helen it turns out she had her doubts about Tom's suggestion too. If Tom doesn't change his mind it's her future at stake; she can't run the farm on her own. Tom doesn't know what to do; he's spent years building up his non-organic brand.
Tom confides to Peggy that he's facing a challenge, and he admires Jack's past business acumen. Peggy asserts that Jack concentrated all his energies into the things he really cared about, and never looked back. Tom goes home and announces he'll give up Home Farm. Everyone's delighted, and Helen tells him he won't regret it.
Episode written by Joanna Toye.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b00d0f3k)
Presented by Mark Lawson.
Including:
Mark and Sarah Crompton visit the new Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum in London. Exhibits include an albino alligator, a copy of The Last Supper painted on a grain of rice, shrunken heads, a mummified man and a genuine moon rock.
Edinburgh University Press has brought out a combined edition of two lost Walter Scott novels. Bizarro and The Siege of Malta were completed at the end of Scott's life after the author had suffered three strokes. With editor Ian Alexander.
Actor Steve Carell, who stars in the spy action comedy Get Smart, reflects on playing the serious-faced funny man and what it was like finding himself striking comedy gold in his 40s.
Boyd Hilton gives Mark his verdict on two new BBC series. Mutual Friends, starring Keeley Hawes and Marc Warren, follows the tangled lives of a group of old friends following the suicide of one of their number. The Cup, meanwhile, focuses on competitive dad Terry, whose footballing son is the obsession of his life.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00d0crb)
Writing the Century 1939-1944: Hostages to Fortune
Episode 1
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people, dramatised by Mick Martin.
Marianne Josephy arrives in London on a Kindertransport, a humanitarian scheme offering refuge in Britain for unaccompanied Jewish children. The Hoppers from Hull are a churchgoing working-class family who have a son serving in the forces.
Marianne ...... Vanessa Ackerman
Mrs Carter ...... Sue Ryding
Edith/Alice ...... Olwen May
Will/Franz ...... David Fleeshman
Grace ...... Sue Kelly
Bessie ...... Lisa Moore
Officer ...... Hamilton Berstock
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen.
Directed by Gary Brown.
MON 20:00 Gangs, Guns and Knives: The Search For Solutions (b00d0f3m)
Winifred Robinson looks at attempts to combat gun and knife crime. With the issue now high on the political agenda, many different approaches are being tried. Merseyside Police are operating regular sweeps in certain areas, with youngsters on the fringes of gang activity taken to a place of safety where work begins with them and their families. In Birmingham and London, mediators intervene in disputes between those involved in illegal activity to try to stop the violence escalating.
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b00cyl87)
India - The Real Slumdog Story
Mukul Devichand reports from Mumbai on a controversial scheme that may be able to provide the answer to the developing world's slum problem.
Asia's largest slum, Dharavi, has gained greater exposure thanks to the film Slumdog Millionaire. The scheme to raze it to the ground is said by its backers to be the template for slum re-development across the developing world. Private companies are being asked to re-house the poor in tower blocks in return for prime real estate.
But is this audacious scheme an innovative solution or simply masking a land-grab from the poor?
MON 21:00 Placebo (b00d0f3p)
Episode 1
Ben Goldacre investigates the latest research on the placebo effect.
Our beliefs and expectations about medical treatments can have a dramatic impact on our health, and studies suggest that this so-called placebo effect can have a significant impact on the course of a wide range of illnesses, from depression and nausea to irritable bowel and angina.
MON 21:30 Our Food, our Future (b00czyjv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b00d1fxc)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b00d1fxf)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00d2zdt)
Addition
Episode 1
Toni Jordan's touching story about a woman learning to cope with obsessive compulsive disorder and whose world is ruled by numbers.
Grace Vandenburg has a chance encounter with a man after she steals a banana from his supermarket trolley in a concerted effort to make sure her purchase comes to ten.
Read by Federay Holmes.
MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b00cyd3v)
Peggy Reynolds takes another journey into the world of words, language and the way we speak.
She investigates vocal pitch. Is it true that to get on the radio a woman has to sound like a man? Why is it that, according to scientists, attractive women have attractive voices? And why is there such a difference in intonation between women of different nationalities?
MON 23:30 Tomorrow, Today! (b012h800)
Series 1
Androids in Love
Comedy series by Christopher William Hill, set in 1961. A BBC producer struggles to make a radio soap set in the unimaginably futuristic world of 2006.
A top Shakespearean actor guests on the show as an android.
With Peter Bowles, Cheryl Campbell, John Fortune and Leslie Phillips.
TUESDAY 19 AUGUST 2008
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b00cztlz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b00czyv2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00cztm1)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00cztm3)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00cztm5)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b00cztm7)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00cztm9)
Daily prayer and reflection with Graham Daniels.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b00cztmc)
News and issues in rural Britain, with Anna Hill.
TUE 06:00 Today (b00cztmf)
Presented by James Naughtie and Edward Stourton.
Including:
Tube Lines chief executive Terry Morgan and RMT General Secretary Bob Crow discuss the current dispute.
Dr Zoe Hilton, who advises the NSPCC, explains her concerns over the release of Gary Glitter from prison.
Andrew Wilson, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, explains how the crisis in Georgia has affected the Ukraine.
Jemima Harrison and Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club, discuss endangered breeds of dogs.
Journalist David McKitterick and Paul Leighton, Deputy Chief Constable of Northern Ireland Police, discuss the use of Semtex in Northern Ireland.
Thought for the day with Vishvapani, a member of the Western Buddhist Order.
Nato foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels for an emergency summit to discuss how the alliance should respond to Russia's military action in Georgia. Jessica Barry, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, explains the situation.
John Major discusses whether lottery funding, which he began in 1994, is behind recent Olympic successes.
Nick Jones and Michael Dobbs explain how a leader's final speech creates a lasting impression.
Author Ron Susskind and former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove discuss the intelligence gathered before the Iraq war.
Vic Hopkin of the Board of British Cycling discusses the planning and development of the Redbridge Cycling Centre.
How should Russia's actions in Georgia be interpreted by the international community? General Sir Michael Jackson, former head of the army, and historian Anthony Beevor discuss the resurgent Russian bear.
TUE 09:00 1968 - The Year of Revolutions (b00d0hvx)
Episode 3
John Tusa and guests discuss the impact of the tumultuous world events of 1968. In Prague, John is joined by those who witnessed the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b00d18hg)
Corvus: A Life with Birds
Episode 2
Maureen Beattie reads from Esther Woolfson's story of her life with birds.
The Woolfson family grows as Esther's daughter asks for a bird for her birthday. She selects a cockatiel named Bardie.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00czyv4)
Hannah Frank; Rokia Traore
Sculptor Hannah Frank on her diaries and life in Glasgow between the wars. Plus new treatment for leukaemia, and Malian musician Rokia Traore performs live.
TUE 11:00 The Computer with a Poker Face (b008kj9m)
Simon Singh explores the significance of a new milestone when he witnesses the first man versus machine poker championship in Vancouver. The world's best poker-playing robot Polaris takes on human poker champions Ali Eslami and Phil Laak.
TUE 11:30 From the Ban to the Booker (b00d0hvz)
Episode 2
Best-selling author Val McDermid examines the development of the lesbian novel and its transition from the margins to the mainstream.
In 1950, a novel called Women's Barracks was published. It sold in the millions and sparked an entire new genre: lesbian pulp fiction. Val McDermid samples Tender Torment, Warped Women and Satan Was a Lesbian. These books weren't entirely positive in their portrayal of lesbian life; Patricia Highsmith's Carol was a rare, classic exception. Maureen Duffy recalls the publication of her critically acclaimed Microcosm in 1966 and Val examines the influence of feminist publishing houses on the growth of novels with a lesbian theme. Jeanette Winterson talks about why she hates the label 'lesbian novel' and Sarah Waters describes the importance of television drama in bringing lesbian fiction into the living rooms of the nation.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b00d05dy)
Call You and Yours
Presented by Winifred Robinson and Peter White.
Skills Shortage.
Will we be able to do more than just pour concrete? This question has been asked by the CBI this week, warning the UK will lack the skills to implement grand projects such as Crossrail and the next generation of nuclear power stations.
Are we equipped for industry and society's future needs or does Britain have a skills gap?
With guests:
Hugh Pym, BBC Economics Editor
Andy Powell, Chief Executive of Edge
Rachael Hoyle, Advanced Apprentice of the Year
John McGurk, Skills Advisor, CIPD
Prof Malcolm McIntosh.
TUE 12:57 Weather (b00d05f0)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b00d05f2)
National and international news with Shaun Ley.
TUE 13:30 Why Do We Sing? (b00c5j0l)
Gareth Malone explores how man developed the vocal capability to sing. He investigates how singing as we know it today began hundreds of millions of years ago and how prehistoric man used a type of vocal communication which could be called the precursor of singing. He finds out how this changed and developed as man evolved and explores what this tells us about human communication and how our relationship with song has grown out of moments in early history.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b00d0cr8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b00d0hw2)
Ian Kershaw - Alan and Jean's Incredible Journey
Alan and Jean Warburton decide to spend their holiday in their bedroom. Poignant comedy drama starring Julie Hesmondhalgh.
TUE 15:00 Home Planet (b00d0hw5)
Richard Daniel and the team discuss listeners' questions about the environment and the natural world.
TUE 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00d06v0)
Sunshine and Showers
Goodnight Mrs Tanner
Stories exploring the nature of our relationship with the British weather.
In Rosie Thomas's tale, a coastguard tries to persuade an old lady that her house on the clifftops is at risk from the approaching storm.
Read by Susan Brown.
TUE 15:45 Team Spirit (b009jf96)
Episode 2
The Jockey Morris Men deploy team dynamics to dance around Birmingham's city centre. Presented by Claudia Hammond. From March 2008.
TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b00d0hw7)
Peggy Reynolds investigates the world of language guardians and explores the battles raging on the internet blogs that have superseded the letters once written to newspapers. And while we might ask for a hotel room with an 'en suite', the French would never use the phrase in that context. So which other French words and phases are we misusing?
TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b00d0hw9)
Series 16
Robert Hooke
Series of biographical discussions with Matthew Parris.
David Attenborough nominates the largely forgotten 17th century-inventor and illustrator. His beautiful drawings of microscopic animals first attracted Attenborough to Hooke, who also helped to design the dome of St Paul's and claimed to have arrived at some of Isaac Newton's groundbreaking laws before Newton himself. Biographer Lisa Jardine joins in the debate.
TUE 16:56 1968 Day by Day (b00d09sq)
19th August 1968
John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 40 years ago. Two planes collide over the Norfolk town of Holt.
TUE 17:00 PM (b00d09ss)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00d09sx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
TUE 18:30 4 At the Fringe (b00d0hwc)
Episode 1
Four At The Fringe is the first of two half hour comedy shows for Radio 4 which features some of the best acts who appeard at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008, recorded at The Pleasance Beyond.
The series is hosted by comedian Michael McIntyre with his own unique style - he'll be introducing the eight acts over the two shows.
This first show features Ed Byrne; cheeky comedienne Kerry Godliman, Liverpudlian comic John Bishop and Rich Hall as his musical alter-ego Otis Lee Crenshaw who offers his unique perspective on life from an American perspective
Four At The Fringe brings the best of the acts appearing at The Fringe in Edinburgh in one bite sized audio chunk!
The producer is Paul Russell, and the programme is an Open Mike production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b00d0crd)
Neil's helping Susan with the stock take, and Hayley chats to him about Alan's stag night. Later he worries that Susan's wearing herself thin fretting about the shop's low takings; it's not her fault. But Susan feels bad giving Peggy the decreasing figures every month. She feels they need to do something. Neil has a brainwave. What about reinstating the upstairs of the shop as a flat, as it used to be? He could do the work, with some help from Christopher. If it secures Susan's job, wouldn't it be worth it?
Roy wonders whether the timing's wrong to ask Will to be Abbie's godfather, but he decides to go for it anyway. At Casa Nueva he finds a tense Will trying to cope with how upset George was when Will told him he was going away. Will says it's all such a mess. Roy assures him that kids are resilient. Will's incredulous when Roy asks him to be a godfather; he's hardly a worthy candidate, he nearly killed his own brother. Roy says he can't think of anyone he'd rather have. Will eventually says he'll think about it. As Will leaves for Gloucester, Roy comforts a tearful Clarrie.
Episode written by Joanna Toye.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b00d0crg)
Presented by Kirsty Lang.
Including:
US actor John C Reilly's latest film Stepbrothers sees him reunited with Will Ferrell as a pair of forty-year-old men trapped in adolescence. John reflects on the enduring appeal of immature men and why comedies rarely win Oscars.
Gaylene Gould reviews Somers Town, the latest film from Shane Meadows.
Author Aleksandar Hemon talks to Kirsty about how reality and fiction overlap in his writing, the effect of leaving one's country, fractured narrative and his beautiful and distinctive use of English, which he learned only 15 years ago.
When a hip-hop dance company was selected to represent Britain during the closing ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, there were many who questioned whether what they saw as an American import should represent the UK on an international stage. However, 2008 has been an important year for British hip-hop dance for many reasons.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00d0crj)
Writing the Century 1939-1944: Hostages to Fortune
Episode 2
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people, dramatised by Mick Martin.
Marianne is angry at the restrictions she has to endure as an Enemy Alien. Grace's marriage is under strain.
Marianne ...... Vanessa Ackerman
Mrs Carter ...... Sue Ryding
Edith/Alice ...... Olwen May
Will/Franz ...... David Fleeshman
Grace ...... Sue Kelly
Bessie ...... Lisa Moore
Cliff ...... Terence Mann
Miss Courtauld ...... Maggie Fox
Geoff ...... Martin Michael
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen.
Directed by Gary Brown.
TUE 20:00 The Hidden Crime of Hate (b00cxqqg)
Geoff Adams-Spink looks at hate crimes against the disabled. In spite of some disturbing high-profile cases, the criminal justice system is failing to address the problem and apply the law. Recent legislation gave courts the power to increase sentences in cases when a crime can be demonstrated to have been motivated by hostility towards someone's disability. In reality, this sentencing provision has hardly ever been used.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b00d0hwf)
Peter White with news and information for the blind and partially sighted.
TUE 21:00 Case Notes (b00d0hwh)
Aneurysms
Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day.
He investigates aneurysms, swellings in blood vessels anywhere in the body. The government has announced a national screening programme for aneurysms in the abdomen, whick kill more than 2,500 people in the UK every year. More than half of them could be saved with an operation.
TUE 21:30 1968 - The Year of Revolutions (b00d0hvx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b00d0f8s)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b00d0f8v)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah.
Including reports on the start of the Russian withdrawal from Georgia, what the future holds for Pakistan after Pervez Musharraf's resignation, and the survey which confirmed Enid Blyton as the nation's favourite author.
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00d2zsd)
Addition
Episode 2
Toni Jordan's touching story about a woman learning to cope with obsessive compulsive disorder and whose world is ruled by numbers.
Seamus asks Grace out to dinner, but she seems destined to be thwarted by the number of bristles on a toothbrush.
Read by Federay Holmes.
TUE 23:00 Quote... Unquote (b00d0hwk)
Nigel Rees chairs the popular quiz involving the exchange of quotations and anecdotes.
TUE 23:30 The Spiritual Centre (b007mhxh)
Series 1
The Seer and The Child
Sitcom by Suk Pannu.
Bharat, self-styled Guru of Westgate and wise man of the western suburbs, presides over the spiritual centre.
Guru Bharat has to convince the Asian community that he is not a baby hater, which is difficult since it is totally untrue. Henry discovers he has the gift of second sight, but only whilst vacuuming.
Bharat ...... Vincent Ebrahim
Henry ...... Tim Key
Mrs Sidhu ...... Shelley King
Ravi ...... Nitin Ganatra
Priya ...... Archie Panjabi
Mr Varma ...... Dharma Patel
Mrs Varma ...... Ayesha Dharker.
WEDNESDAY 20 AUGUST 2008
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b00cztmh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b00d18hg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00cztmk)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00cztmm)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00cztmp)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b00cztmr)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00cztmt)
Daily prayer and reflection with Graham Daniels.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b00cztmw)
News and issues in rural Britain, with Anna Hill.
WED 06:00 Today (b00cztmy)
Presented by James Naughtie and Sarah Montague.
Including:
Christopher Clarke explains why the Competition Commission has recommended that BAA should sell three of its UK airports. Peter Morris and Jonathan Bailey discuss whether competition between airports is healthy.
Lord O'Neill discusses the problem of industrial and commercial waste.
Russia has rejected a draft UN Security Council resolution on Georgia. Richard Galpin reports from Tskhinvali in South Ossetia.
Dr Richard Harrington explains the discovery of a new species of insect, purchased from eBay.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith discusses the new measures for foreign travel orders for sex offenders.
Two British men are trying to break the land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle in Australia. Pilots Richard Jenkins and Dale Vince discuss their vehicle, which was only built last week.
Thought for the Day with Reverend Dr Giles Fraser, Vicar of Putney.
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne discusses his claim that the Tories are the true party of fairness.
BAA Chief Executive Colin Matthews and BMI Deputy Chief Executive Tim Bye discuss the possible break-up of BAA.
Ian Redmond from UN's Great Ape Survival Project and BIAZA director Miranda Stevenson discuss gorilla Gana, who appeared to mourn the sudden death of her three-month-old baby.
Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association's environment board, claims that industry does not have the support required to cut the waste it produces.
Sir Michael Bond and Dr Andrew Suleh discuss the importance of pain relief in the developing world.
Author John Berger describes his new book about letters between lovers.
WED 09:00 The House I Grew Up In (b00d0sj4)
Series 2
David Blunkett
The politician takes Wendy Robbins to the boarding schools for the blind that he attended as a child. From August 2008.
WED 09:30 A Wonderful Way to Make a Living (b00d0sj6)
Series 2
Episode 3
US satirist Joe Queenan presents a series on people with highly unusual occupations.
He meets penetration testers of first base technologies. Their job is to test the security systems of banks or mortgage companies by attempting to steal information. This is not only done by electronic means - they attempt to gain access to sites by disguising themselves as plumbers or pizza delivery boys.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b00d18hj)
Corvus: A Life with Birds
Episode 3
Maureen Beattie reads from Esther Woolfson's story of her life with birds.
Esther's daughter arrives back from guide camp with a fledgling rook that has fallen from its nest high in the trees. Chicken takes her place in the household.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00czyv6)
Singing; Muslim women athletes
Why is singing said to be so beneficial? Plus, a report on the experience of Muslim women athletes, women's rights in Iraq, and last letters to loved ones.
WED 11:00 Forbidden Families (b00d0sj8)
Episode 3
Bettany Hughes tells the stories of remarkable women denied their families by the march of history.
Brilliana Harley was an aristocrat whose husband's Parliamentarian sympathies led to her being besieged in her own castle home on the Shropshire borders during the English Civil War. She died emaciated and ill, but wrote 375 letters, smuggled out in vegetable boxes, describing her hopes, her frustrations and her faith in her absent husband and son. Throughout her ordeal, her faith in the power of love and the delight of having a family never wavered.
WED 11:30 Kicking the Habit (b00d0sjb)
Series 2
A Woman's Place
Comedy drama by Christopher Lee, set in a Carmelite monastery where the brown habit is no protection against the problems and temptations of the modern world.
The Father Prior can scarcely bring himself to admit to what is troubling him. Meanwhile, Mave would prefer to uncover the mystery of the Second Rule of Paperwork.
Father Bertie ...... Alfred Molina
Brother Martin ...... Roy Dotrice
Father Michael ...... Martin Jarvis
Brother Luke ...... Darren Richardson
Mave ...... Rosalind Ayres
Friars and pilgrims played by Kenneth Danziger, Moira Quirk, Matthew Wolf and Alan Shearman.
Directed by Pete Atkin.
WED 12:00 You and Yours (b00d05f4)
Presented by Winifred Robinson and Stuart Flinders.
Including:
A growing number of children are experiencing serious dental problems since the new NHS dental contract came into force two years ago. Are they suffering because of the new contract, or are there other reasons why more and more of our kids have rotten teeth?
Supermarket giant Tesco is to move into banking. What will be the effect on existing high street banks?
From October, landlords will have to provide an energy performance certificate or EPC.
We are buying more bread as the economic downturn takes hold. It seems that we are taking note of comparative costs and opting for cheaper loaves.
Fuel prices have rising so sharply that the limitations of the cooker that is permanently left on are beginning to emerge. Caz Graham looks at the cost of running an Aga.
WED 12:57 Weather (b00d05f6)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b00d05f8)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
WED 13:30 Tracing Your Roots (b00d0sjd)
Series 3
Episode 1
Sally Magnusson presents a series exploring the practice of researching family history, one of the UK's most rapidly growing pastimes. With genealogist Nick Barratt, she explores how to find out what our ancestors did for a living and how to use this information to discover more about what their lives were like and perhaps even what sort of people they were.
They tackle the subject of illegitimacy, which has been common in every century and in every social class.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b00d0crd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b00d0wnv)
Gold's Fool
Paul B Davies's play is based on the story of how Elizabeth I mounted a reckless foreign adventure, convinced that in the Arctic there was enough gold to make the nation as wealthy as Spain. The finest alchemical technology was used to prove that the black rocks of Baffin Island were rich in precious ore. In a series of voyages, former pirate Martin Frobisher was sent to the frozen wastes to bring back as much of the rock as he could. Unfortunately, the alchemists were mistaken.
Frobisher ...... Roger Lloyd Pack
Michael Lok ...... John McAndrew
Elizabeth I ...... Phyllida Nash
Sir Francis Walsingham ...... Christian Rodska
Williams ...... Peter Ellis
Schutz ...... Kenneth Collard
Hall ...... Chris Donelly
Sarah ...... Susie Riddell
Directed by Sara Davies.
WED 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00czqsy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:00 on Sunday]
WED 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00d06v2)
Sunshine and Showers
The Comedian
Stories exploring the nature of our relationship with the British weather.
In Toby Litt's tale, an old man takes advantage of the hot weather to try to get passers-by in a busy South London street to stop and talk to him. The methods he uses, however, are extreme.
Read by Jamie Foreman.
WED 15:45 Team Spirit (b009mr7v)
Episode 3
A research group in the Antarctic implement initiation rites to help with bonding. Presented by Claudia Hammond. From April 2008.
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b00d0sjj)
Imagination and the Suburbs
IMAGINATION AND THE SUBURB
Why is the dream of suburbia so often portrayed as a nightmare? In part two of a series exploring how imagination and reality combine to create the environments in which we live, Laurie Taylor discusses facts and fantasies of suburban life with writer Iain Sinclair and sociologists Paul Barker and Dr Nick Hubble.
WED 16:30 Case Notes (b00d0hwh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:56 1968 Day by Day (b00d09sz)
20th August 1968
John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 40 years ago. Soviet troops begin their invasion of Czechoslovakia.
WED 17:00 PM (b00d09t1)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00d09t3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
WED 18:30 Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better (b00d0sjl)
Series 2
Patience
The comedian examines the virtue of holding your horses. With poetry and songs by Tim Key and Tom Basden. From August 2008.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b00d0crl)
Neil asks Tony if he'll approach Peggy with his idea for the flat above the shop. Tom arrives and Tony says he's put the wheels in motion with Graham Ryder about Bridge Farm. Tom's a little unsettled - what if he tells Brian he wants out and then Borchester Land turn Tony down? Tony says Tom has to stick to his side of the bargain.
Emma thinks Ed's idea for selling veg on the milk round is great. They're frustrated that they can't find anywhere nice to live, but they're happy just to be together. Emma feels guilty about Will having to start somewhere new, but Ed says it's the only way they can all get on.
Neil and Eddie have clashed with arrangements for George, and find that they're both expecting to look after him. Eddie suggests they all go to the park. Competition between them for George's approval is fierce. They squabble over a game of funfair darts before stuffing George full of ice cream and candy floss. By the time they arrive at Jaxx, George is thoroughly hot and bothered. Appalled Emma says Neil and Eddie should be ashamed of themselves, and the two granddads are suitably sheepish.
Episode written by Joanna Toye.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b00d0crn)
Presented by Mark Lawson.
Including:
Mark talks to David Soul, the former Starsky and Hutch star whose singing career includes hits such as Don't Give Up On Us. He has now learned to conduct for the BBC's Maestro programme.
Julie Myerson reviews two BBC adaptations of stage plays. In David Hare's My Zinc Bed, Jonathan Pryce, Uma Thurman and Paddy Considine play a threesome dealing with various addictions. Caryl Churchill's A Number is a drama about cloning, starring Tom Wilkinson as the father and Rhys Ifans as his cloned son.
Stephen Armstrong discusses the Edinburgh Fringe Intelligent Finance Comedy Awards. Shortlisted comedians are David O'Doherty, Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler, Rhod Gilbert and Russell Kane. The winner will be announced on Saturday.
Former KLF frontman Bill Drummond is marking the opening of Derby's new arts centre Quad with a performance of 17, in which 100 groups of 17 people from different parts of the community have been recorded singing a particular note. The resulting piece of music will be heard in Derby's Market Place on Friday.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00d0crq)
Writing the Century 1939-1944: Hostages to Fortune
Episode 3
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people, dramatised by Mick Martin.
Marianne finds her ambitions thwarted and Grace makes a decision about her marriage.
Marianne ...... Vanessa Ackerman
Mrs Carter ...... Sue Ryding
Edith/Alice ...... Olwen May
Will/Franz ...... David Fleeshman
Grace ...... Sue Kelly
Bessie ...... Lisa Moore
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen.
Directed by Gary Brown.
WED 20:00 Inside the Ethics Committee (b00d0sjn)
Series 4
Episode 3
Series in which Vivienne Parry is joined by a panel of experts to tackle the ethics involved in a real hospital case.
An 18-month-old baby is up for adoption. The local authority want him tested for a genetic condition which he could develop, but the test would not normally be done until the child is five years old. Should the examination be allowed?
WED 20:45 Westminster Follies (b00d0sjq)
Michael White tells the story of a forgotten architectural disaster - the original construction of the Palace of Westminster. The project was many times over budget, took decades longer than it should have done, was hated by the architectural cognoscenti and was racked by strikes and furious rows.
WED 21:00 The Jawbone (b00899ms)
Dr Tom Higham from Oxford Radiocarbon Unit and Dr Roger Jacobi from the British Museum analyse a small jawbone found in Kent's Cavern in Torquay over 80 years ago. Is the bone part of the remains of one of the oldest examples of a modern human to be found in Europe or is it a Neanderthal?
WED 21:30 The House I Grew Up In (b00d0sj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b00d0f8z)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b00d0f91)
National and international news and analysis.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00d2zs0)
Addition
Episode 3
Toni Jordan's touching story about a woman learning to cope with obsessive compulsive disorder and whose world is ruled by numbers.
As Grace's feelings for Seamus grow, she agrees to see a therapist in the hope that her addiction to numbers can be cured.
Read by Federay Holmes.
WED 23:00 Bespoken Word (b00d0sjs)
Mister Gee presents the performance poetry series, recorded at London's Troubadour Coffee House. Featured performers include John Agard, Poeticat and shortMAN.
WED 23:15 Fabulous (b007qh8j)
Sitcom by Lucy Clarke about a woman who wants to be Fabulous but can't cope.
With Daisy Haggard, Adam Buxton, Joanna Scanlan, Joanna Neary, Matthew Holness, Eve Dallas, Katy Brand, Olivia Colman.
Music by Osymyso.
WED 23:30 The Music Group (b009twt5)
Series 2
Episode 2
Comedian, broadcaster and GP Dr Phil Hammond asks each of three guests to play the track of their choice for the delight or disdain of the others.
With producer Trevor Horn, magazine editor Emma Soames and journalist Jonathan Freedland.
THURSDAY 21 AUGUST 2008
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b00cztn0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b00d18hj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00cztn2)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00cztn4)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00cztn6)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b00cztn8)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00cztnb)
Daily prayer and reflection with Graham Daniels.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b00cztnd)
News and issues in rural Britain, with Anna Hill.
THU 06:00 Today (b00cztng)
Presented by John Humphrys and Sarah Montague.
Including:
Henrietta Ellekrog and Kieron Daly discuss possible causes of the Madrid plane crash.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg explains his vision for energy usage by 2050.
Anastasia de Waal of Civitas discusses the results of a report criticising vocational courses.
Mark Almond, Lecturer in Modern History at Oriel College, discusses Russia's plan to freeze military ties with Nato.
Bob Walker reports on the national census, which is coming under criticism from a think tank.
Richard Black reports on the stowaway snails at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire.
Thought for the Day with Elaine Storkey, president of Christian relief and development agency Tearfund.
John Zogby, president of Zogby International, discusses the importance of Barack Obama's decision on his running mate.
Schools minister Lord Adonis and head teacher Joan McVittie discuss targets on failing schools.
Prof Robert Winston and Prof Noel Sharkey discuss the prospect of robots in hospital wards.
Hamish Pringle, Director General of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, discusses sponsorship for athletes competing in the Olympics.
Kevin Connolly reports from a steak house in Amarillo, Texas, where customers are given a 72oz steak for free if they can eat it in less than an hour.
Peter Jones and Doctor Nic Cheeseman discuss the fate of former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf.
Prof Alan Smithers and Andrew Cave of the Federation of Small Businesses discuss whether vocational skills and qualifications are working.
THU 09:00 Between Ourselves (b00d0wnn)
Series 2
Episode 6
Olivia O'Leary presents the series which brings together two people who have had profound and similar experiences, to hear their individual stories and compare the long-term effects on each of their lives.
THU 09:30 Backstreet Business (b008pvmv)
Episode 1
Nicola Heywood Thomas visits small businesses.
Situated on an estate in Cardiff, Deryck Howell's company produces survival equipment, tested in the world's toughest conditions.
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b00d18hl)
Corvus: A Life with Birds
Episode 4
Maureen Beattie reads from Esther Woolfson's story of her life with birds.
As Esther gets used to living with Chicken the rook, she discovers that corvine behaviour is far more sophisticated and fascinating than she had ever imagined.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00czyv8)
Billy Bragg; Child witnesses; Women in the 60s
Musician Billy Bragg on getting a proper job. Plus child witnesses in Scotland, and do we need to stop viewing the 1960s through rose-tinted glasses?
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b00d0wnq)
Guatemala and Canada Gold Rush
Bill Law reports on a controversial mining project by Vancouver-based Goldcorp in Guatemala. Local Mayan Indians claim that the open pit mine is damaging their health and community cohesion. Goldcorp denies this, insisting it brings benefits to local communities and that it takes its social responsibilities seriously.
THU 11:30 With Great Pleasure (b00d0wns)
Jude Kelly
Jude Kelly selects works by Shakespeare, Wole Soyinka, David Nobbs and Edward Said, as well as speeches by John F Kennedy and Leonard Bernstein.
Readers: Diana Quick and John Shrapnel
From London's Southbank Centre, when Jude Kelly was Artistic Director
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2008
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b00d05fb)
Presented by Liz Barclay and Winifred Robinson.
With house repossession rates rising, can you pick up a bargain by bidding for property at an auction? Clare Barratt visits the busiest residential auction house in the UK in London to find out.
Many of the food intolerance tests widely advertised in magazines, shops and on the internet are not reliable according to the consumer organisation Which? We speak to Shefalee Loth, senior researcher, and Mike Walker, MD, of Cambridge Nutritional Sciences.
Could surveyors and damp proofing companies be telling homeowners that their properties are damp when they're not?
Wholesale gas prices have gone up on world markets by fifteen percent in the past 24 hours because a gas pipeline between Norway and Britain was shut down after a leak was found. Will the increase be passed on to domestic customers?
Virgin Trains is dramatically cutting the number of services stopping at Nuneaton, and using the protection given to it by government regulations to stop any other company filling the gaps left in the timetable.
THU 12:57 Weather (b00d05fd)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b00d05fg)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
THU 13:30 Open Country (b00czbw6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:07 on Saturday]
THU 14:00 The Archers (b00d0crl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b00d0sjg)
Sex for Volunteers
Romantic comedy by Laura Marney and David Ramos Fernandes.
When Suzy's husband takes a job abroad, her sister encourages her to join a team of first-aiders. However, her plans for Suzy go well beyond the kiss of life.
Suzy ...... Molly Innes
Douglas ...... Robin Laing
Pauline ...... Louise Ludgate
Joe ...... Steven McNicoll
Peter ...... Stewart Porter
Minnie ...... Sally Reid
Directed by Kirsty Williams.
THU 15:00 Lives in a Landscape (b007yyq7)
The Lines Are Open
Documentary series telling original stories about real lives in Britain today.
Every weekday the Mike Parr Show on BBC Radio Newcastle attracts callers from all over Northumberland. What is it that brings these listeners together?
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b00czqs9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00d06v4)
Sunshine and Showers
Green and Pleasant Land
Stories exploring the nature of our relationship with the British weather.
In Alison MacLeod's tale, an encounter with an aspiring poet and the view of a misty moor give a young woman hope that her move from Nova Scotia to England has not been a terrible mistake.
Read by Rayisa Kondraki.
THU 15:45 Team Spirit (b009q4wr)
Episode 4
A girls' football squad in Bishop's Lydeard has learnt how to work as a unit. Presented by Claudia Hammond. From April 2008.
THU 16:00 Open Book (b00czqt2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:30 Material World (b00d0wnx)
Foam Water Cube - Gravity Satellite: GOCE
Foam Water Cube
What’s the most efficient way of packing bubbles into a foam? It’s a question formulated over a century ago and has kept physicists busy staring into beer glasses ever since.
Now, the solution proposed by an Irish physicist has become a landmark – the Aquatics Centre for the Beijing Olympics, known as the Water Cube and designed from a foam of 4500 giant bubbles.
Physicist Professor Denis Weaire of Trinity College Dublin meets Quentin in the studio and structural engineer Tristram Carfrae, who designed the Aquatics Centre, joins them from Sydney.
Gravity Satellite: GOCE
It is over 300 years since Sir Issac Newton discovered the laws of gravity but scientists are still trying to find out precisely how it acts upon all areas of the Earth. A revolutionary new European Space Agency satellite called GOCE – Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer, is set to find out this September.
Dubbed the 'racing car' of spacecrafts, the arrow-like GOCE is designed to cut through what remains of the Earth's atmosphere and orbit at just 250km about the surface of the planet – and produce a map of the geoid – the gravity field of the Earth.
Quentin is joined by Professor Alan O’Neil, Director of National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Reading and Professor Philip Moore, School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, University of Newcastle, to find out how GOCE will help us find out more about the Earth’s oceans, rocks and climate.
THU 16:56 1968 Day by Day (b00d09t5)
21st August 1968
John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 40 years ago. Czechoslovakia wakes to the news that Soviet troops are occupying its major cities.
THU 17:00 PM (b00d09t9)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news, presented by Eddie Mair.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00d09tc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
THU 18:30 Bleak Expectations (b00d0yhx)
Series 2
A Recovery All Made Miserable
The thrilling Victorian comic epic sees young Pip nursed to health by the Reverend Fecund and his daughter Ripely, but why must her face remain hidden? Witness the horrors the rural poor in the stricken parish of Poverty Saint Mary.
But will Pip choose to fight against the injustice of it all in Parliament, where the walls are soaked in brandy, and so are the MPs, or will he follow his heart, just as soon as he can work out what it is saying to him. Meanwhile Harry has developed the steam powered Pippa detector. But will it work?
Mark Evans's epic comedy in the style of Charles Dickens.
Volume Two, Chapter the Third: A Recovery All Made Miserable
Sir Philip...........................Richard Johnson
Mr Benevolent/Sourquil............Anthony Head
Young Pip..................................Tom Allen
Reverend Godly Fecund..........David Mitchell
Sternbeater...................Geoffrey Whitehead
Harry Biscuit......................James Bachman
Ripely Fecund......................Sarah Hadland
Pippa........................................Susy Kane
Sundry MPs..............................Mark Evans
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2008.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b00d0crs)
Alice is looking after Abbie while Hayley goes to Marjorie's funeral. The service is lovely, and there's a huge turnout.
Hayley's meeting Brenda later, at an old school friend's hen party, and Brenda invites Alice to join them. As they get ready for the party, Alice tells them about her experience with Chris, and how amazing he's been.
Usha's heard from Amy that Mabel might be relenting a bit. She might even come to the wedding. But for now Usha hopes David and Neil aren't plotting awful things for Alan's stag do tonight. David assures her that with Neil as organiser it'll be a sober affair.
Brenda's friend's hen party just happens to bump into Alan's stag party. The ladies are all dressed as angels and Neil's got all the men to dress up as vicars - including Alan! What a sight! The hen party ends up in a club but it gets a bit boring so Brenda comes up with a plan. They track down the stag party and join them at their karaoke in a Chinese restaurant. Everyone's having great fun and they all get together on stage to sing especially for Alan: 'Don't Stop Me Now...'
Episode written by Joanna Toye.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b00d0crv)
Presented by Mark Lawson.
Mark talks to Academy Award-winning American songwriter Randy Newman about his new album, Harps and Angels, his approach to the songs he writes for himself, and to those he contributes to major Hollywood films.
Mark finds out how writers decide on the right name to grace the covers of their novels, with Jonathan Freedland, Sam Bourne, Nicholas Cornwell, Nick Harkaway, Ruth Rendell, Barbara Vine, Thomas H. Cook, Iain Banks, and Iain M. Banks.
A retrospective at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park of the collaboration between sculptor Isami Noguchi, choreographer Martha Graham and furniture and interior designers Charles Eames and Paul Laslo. Noguchi's chosen material for most of his sculptures was stone, and the retrospective - the largest to be staged in Europe - includes architectural designs, ceramics, furniture, zen gardens, drawings and stone carvings.
British sculptor Sarah Staton discusses both the Noguchi exhibition and her own work, currently on show at the Bothy Gallery, with Mark and the curator Clare Lilley. Staton's exhibition includes pieces inspired by cocktails and by topiary in Venezuela.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00d0crx)
Writing the Century 1939-1944: Hostages to Fortune
Episode 4
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people, dramatised by Mick Martin.
Bessie fights ill health and Marianne trains to be a nurse.
Marianne ...... Vanessa Ackerman
Mrs Carter ...... Sue Ryding
Edith/Alice ...... Olwen May
Will/Franz ...... David Fleeshman
Grace ...... Sue Kelly
Bessie ...... Lisa Moore
Sister Stuart ...... Maggie Fox
Rachel ...... Tahira Dar
Doctor ...... Hamilton Berstock
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen.
Directed by Gary Brown.
THU 20:00 Investigation (b00d0yhz)
Series 5
Episode 2
Simon Cox investigates the truth behind obesity pills. He asks how effective they are in combating the problem of Britain's expanding waistlines and looks at the strategies employed to get them prescribed.
THU 20:30 Analysis (b00d0yj1)
Trust Me, I'm a Patient
Consumer-driven health care is a hot political issue. But as patients, we demand treatments of unproven worth, regardless of cost, in an apparent frenzy of health anxiety. Michael Blastland asks if patients are fit to take charge in what is being described as a historic shift in power.
THU 21:00 Costing the Earth (b00d0yj3)
Summer of Mud
Renewable energy powered stages, biodegradeable tent pegs and car-share schemes all sound great when trying to reduce the environmental impact of summer festivals, but do they really make any difference? How much do festival-goers and performers really care about the environment?
THU 21:30 Between Ourselves (b00d0wnn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b00d0f93)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b00d0f95)
National and international news and analysis with Shaun Ley. Including a report on human rights in China and a profile of Hamid Karzai - an unreliable ally?
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00d2zs2)
Addition
Episode 4
Toni Jordan's touching story about a woman learning to cope with obsessive compulsive disorder and whose world is ruled by numbers.
Grace is experimenting with a new drug suggested by her therapist, but it makes her feel as if she has two brains.
Read by Federay Holmes.
THU 23:00 Terry Saunders on Four (b00d4dj2)
Specially commissioned story from Festival Fringe favourite Terry Saunders. Reg is an old man who would like to find his long-lost son. The only problem is that he doesn't have one.
THU 23:30 Fordham and Lipson (b008cngp)
Episode 3
Comedy sketches from Philippa Fordham and Simon Lipson. With Alex Lowe and Laura Shavin.
FRIDAY 22 AUGUST 2008
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b00cztnj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b00d18hl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00cztnl)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00cztnn)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00cztnq)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b00cztns)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00cztnv)
Daily prayer and reflection with Graham Daniels.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b00cztnx)
News and issues in rural Britain, with Mark Holdstock.
FRI 06:00 Today (b00cztnz)
Presented by John Humphrys and Sarah Montague.
Keith Vaz, Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee discusses the latest government data blunder.
Gary Glitter is on a flight from Bangkok to London despite his attempts to avoid returning to the UK. Nick Ravenscroft reports from Heathrow.
Sports editor Mihir Bose reports on the government's promise to raise £100m from the private sector.
Karen Allen reports from Johannesburg on Zimbabwe's political crisis.
Lenny Harper and Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming discuss the Jersey child abuse inquiry.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili defends the decisions that led to the four day war with Russia.
Australia's acting High Commissioner Frances Adamson and British sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe debate the Olympic bet between both countries.
David Davis MP, from the home affairs select committee, and Executive Editor of Computer Weekly Tony Collins discuss the latest data blunder.
Chairman of the Pakistan Movement for Justice Party, Imran Khan, discusses whether Pakistan's leaders will be able to contain threats to the country's security.
Sports Editor Mihir Bose discusses the cost of the London games with IOC President Jacques Rogge.
Peter Hyman, a teacher and former aide to Tony Blair, and Anthony Seldon, headmaster and Blair's biographer, discuss what progress has been made by Labour in the field of education over the past decade.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b00czqsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b00d18hn)
Corvus: A Life with Birds
Episode 5
Maureen Beattie reads from Esther Woolfson's story of her life with birds.
Spike the magpie joins the Woolfson household. Much to her amazement, Esther hears herself mimicked with disturbing accuracy.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00czyvb)
Eating disorders during pregnancy; Conditional cautioning
Do images of skinny post-pregnant celebrities send the wrong message? Plus the continuing popularity of Enid Blyton, and a pilot scheme for female offenders.
FRI 11:00 Romany Roads (b007wdsq)
Series 1
Episode 2
Series on the history of Gypsies and their culture.
In this concluding programme Gypsies themselves recount their history in Britain since the Second World War: the profound change as lorries and trailers replaced horses and caravans; the changes in agriculture, land use and legislation which made nomadic life difficult, then criminal. Simon Evans explores the problems Gypsies face today even on land they own, and the remarkable resilience of this people and their culture.
FRI 11:30 Deep Trouble (b00sg1sj)
Series 1
Episode 1
Britain 2012. Nuclear submarine HMS Goliath is on patrol, minus a high-tech crew. Stars Jim Field Smith. From October 2005.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b00d05fj)
Consumer news and issues with Liz Barclay and John Waite.
Including:
Visit Britain has criticised the government for not providing enough funding to promote the London Olympic games abroad. With Culture Minister Margaret Hodge, Kurt Jenson, Policy Director of the Tourism Alliance, and Roy Graff, Director of China Contacts.
How much cash do the Beatles continue to bring into their home city of Liverpool? And is the city making the best use of their legacy? Stephanie Power investigates.
Maureen and Kenneth Wicks had their fingerprints taken by American immigration staff and ended up in detention.
Face the Facts: John Waite investigates the links between a college in the UK and a global clothes recycling business. Students claim that they are being used as cheap labour to hand out leaflets and collect clothes.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b00d05fl)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b00d05fn)
National and international news with Shaun Ley.
FRI 13:30 For One Night Only (b00d1025)
Series 3
At the Drop of a Hat
Series in which Paul Gambaccini recalls classic concerts.
Michael Flanders and Donald Swann's satirical revue filled London's Fortune Theatre for two years before closing on 2 May 1959. Happily, the final performance was recorded on an album.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b00d0crs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b00770q3)
Nick Warburton - Fridays When It Rains
A girl on a late night train journey meets a man with a strange tale to tell.
Nick Warburton's ghostly drama is set in the age of steam railways.
Starring Clive Swift as Dove and Lyndsey Marshal as Connie.
Director: Claire Grove
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008.
FRI 15:00 Costing the Earth (b00d0yj3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Thursday]
FRI 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00d06v6)
Sunshine and Showers
The Future of Snow
Stories exploring the nature of our relationship with the British weather.
In John Burnside's tale, two men, rather than confront hidden truths, talk about the weather and the very real prospect of a future without snow.
Read by Stuart McQuarrie.
FRI 15:45 Team Spirit (b009twr3)
Episode 5
It takes a 65-strong backstage team to put on the West End musical Dirty Dancing. Presented by Claudia Hammond. From April 2008.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b00d10lz)
Matthew Bannister presents the obituary series, analysing and celebrating the life stories of people who have recently died. The programme reflects on people of distinction and interest from many walks of life, some famous and some less well known.
FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b00d10m1)
Movie news and reviews. Matthew Sweet talks to Guillermo Del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone, about his new blockbuster Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.
FRI 16:56 1968 Day by Day (b00d09tf)
22nd August 1968
John Tusa looks back at the events making the news 40 years ago. Demonstrations take place in London as opposition to the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia mounts.
FRI 17:00 PM (b00d09th)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00d09tk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
FRI 18:30 Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive (b00d10m3)
Series 4
Episode 2
A master chef and his cooks whip up a frenzy of topical comedy. With Dave Gorman, Simon Evans and Will Smith. From August 2008.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b00d0crz)
Brian's back and has already had an ear-bashing from Matt for spiriting Will away.
Alice tells Brian and Jennifer about joining Alan's stag party last night. It's clear everyone had a great time.
Neil is taken aback by Ed's offer to help with the pigs, but his head is really bad so he doesn't need much persuasion to go back to bed. When Ed and Neil chat later in the day, the conversation is still somewhat stilted. But Neil's grateful for Ed's help, and breaks the ice by inviting him to come for tea. Ed's really chuffed.
Chris is checking Spearmint's shoes but Alice assures Jennifer there's nothing to worry about. Alice and Chris are both perfectly clear that they are only friends. When Chris invites Alice to go to his diploma ceremony next week, he makes it quite clear it's just as a mate. Alice agrees to go. It'll be something different. Alice casually tells Jennifer what she's doing.
Tom breaks the news to Brian that he wants to move his business back to Bridge Farm. Brian wastes no time in telling Tom how annoyed he feels. They're interrupted by a phone call but Brian insists the conversation isn't over.
Episode written by Joanna Toye.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b00d0cs1)
Presented by John Wilson.
Including:
The film career of Juliette Binoche is about to be celebrated in a season at the Southbank Centre in London, along with an exhibition of her paintings. Binoche has also taken up dance with choreographer Akram Khan for a project at the National Theatre. They join John to discuss this new collaboration.
Music critic John Aizlewood reviews The Verve's new album Forth, their first since breaking up and getting back together for the second time.
Nigerian writer and Jesuit priest Uwem Akpan discusses his first collection of short stories, one of which was shortlisted for the Caine Prize last year. Told through the eyes of children, Say You're One of Them reflects the harshness and moments of grace of life in contemporary Africa.
ITV1 chief Peter Fincham talks about his MacTaggart Lecture for this year's Edinburgh TV Festival.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00d0cs3)
Writing the Century 1939-1944: Hostages to Fortune
Episode 5
Series exploring the twentieth century through diaries and correspondence of real people, dramatised by Mick Martin.
Marianne's parents are desperately trying to get out of Germany. The Hoppers receive news of Ronald.
Marianne ...... Vanessa Ackerman
Edith/Alice ...... Olwen May
Will/Franz ...... David Fleeshman
Grace ...... Sue Kelly
Muller ...... Lisa Moore
Harry ...... Terence Mann
Sister Stuart ...... Maggie Fox
Lady Treloar ...... Sue Ryding
Rachel ...... Tahira Dar
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen.
Directed by Gary Brown.
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b00d10m5)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the topical debate from Billericay, Essex.
Panellists include writer and columnist James Delingpole, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow, sociologist Frank Furedi and writer and film maker Carol Gould.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b00d10m7)
A weekly reflection on a topical issue from Katharine Whitehorn.
FRI 21:00 Friday Drama (b00d10m9)
The Listener
Julian Simpson's fast-paced psychological thriller about a man trying to uncover his true identity, set against the backdrop of a war on terror.
Mark Willis ...... Mark Bazeley
Mia ...... Indira Varma
Doctor Gruber ...... Nicola Walker
Samson ...... Mark Lewis Jones
Charlie ...... Jimmy Akingbola
Lenny ...... Paul Panting
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b00d0f97)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b00d0f99)
National and international news and analysis.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00d2zs4)
Addition
Episode 5
Toni Jordan's touching story about a woman learning to cope with obsessive compulsive disorder and whose world is ruled by numbers.
Grace has split with Seamus as she fights the debilitating affect of her medication. But as the drugs wear off, her mind clears.
Read by Federay Holmes.
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b00d0hw9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Potting On (b00l1pkk)
Curse of the Pharaoh
Gordon gets so addicted to a computer game that Pam has to get a dog for company.
Sitcom about a couple at odds over running a garden centre and growing older...
Written by Chris Thompson and Peter Reynolds.
Starring Pam Ayres as Pam and Geoffrey Whitehead as Gordon.
With Trevor Bannister, Karl Theobald and Alex Tregear.
Sitcom by Chris Thompson and Peter Reynolds.
Producer Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2008.