SATURDAY 18 APRIL 2009
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (b00jnw4g)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
SAT 00:30 Book of the Week (b00jlzzd)
William Fiennes - The Music Room
Episode 1
Dan Stevens reads William Fiennes' memoir of his magical childhood in a moated castle in which he grew up with his severely epileptic older brother.
The five-year-old William is preoccupied with fishing for pike in the castle's moat. Richard's seizures become increasingly worse, and a severe form of epilepsy is diagnosed.
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00jnw8m)
The latest shipping forecast.
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00jnw8p)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. BBC Radio 4 resumes at
5.20am.
SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00jnw8r)
The latest shipping forecast.
SAT 05:30 News Briefing (b00jnw8t)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00jnw8w)
Daily prayer and reflection, with Bishop George Stack.
SAT 05:45 The Estuary (b008khxv)
Episode 2
Peter France narrates an extraordinary story of life on the Wash as the tides and the seasons change, set against a backdrop of sounds recorded on location by Chris Watson.
As the tide turns and starts to advance across the mud flats, the dunlin, knot, curlew and other feeding birds are forced to move nearer and nearer the shore.
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (b00jnw8y)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SAT 06:04 Weather (b00jpyvz)
The latest weather forecast.
SAT 06:07 Open Country (b00jpyw1)
Border Mires of Keilder
Matt Baker investigates the work of the Border Mires Project, which has spent one million pounds and uses 21st-century machinery to undertake the difficult work of restoring the fragile ecosystem of the 10,000-year-old Border Mires of the Keilder Forest in Northumberland.
Home to rare dragon flies, damselflies and plantlife, the Border Mires may also store carbon more efficiently than the many trees of the forest that surround them.
With so much attention now focused on the benefits of trees in storing carbon it seems a harsh decision to cut them down but for the ecologists and forestry professionals of Keilder the rare habitat that can be recovered makes harvesting trees worthwhile.
In fact as Matt discovers the forest has only been here a shortwhile. Planted after the first and second world wars to provide timber this is a landscape shaped by conflict. Hadrian's Wall runs between the recovered Mires and at RAF Spadeadam the need to prepare for battle continues. Spadeadam is the only facility in Europe where aircrews can practise manoeuvres and tactics against a variety of threats and targets that they face in contemporary warfare and it is also home to some of the best preserved bog habitat in the country.
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (b00jpyw3)
Farming Today This Week
Charlotte Smith investigates if the black and white Holstein breed is producing more milk than its body is able to cope with. Are concerns about lameness and short life spans justified?
SAT 06:57 Weather (b00jpyw5)
The latest weather forecast.
SAT 07:00 Today (b00jpyw7)
Presented by Edward Stourton and John Humphrys.
Political scientist Dr Adam Habib discusses the future of South Africa.
Tim Iredale reports on the contest in the Erith and Thamesmead constituency in South East London.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage explains what the party represents and discusses the forthcoming elections.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu explains why he is not looking forward to having ANC leader Jacob Zuma as president of South Africa.
Writer AL Kennedy considers why Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle has caught the public's imagination.
Local resident Beth Racine discusses the return of Captain Richard Phillips, the American sea captain held by Somali pirates, to his home of Underhill, Vermont.
Thought for the day with the Reverend Bob Marshall, an Anglican priest.
Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone discusses the difficulties of policing a protest.
Former president of South Africa FW de Klerk discusses if the country should be worried about the leadership of Jacob Zuma.
Journalists Alice Thompson and Zoe Williams discuss what attributes make for a good consort and how - if at all - the role is affected by gender.
Brendan Pakenham, a volunteer special police constable during the Hillsborough disaster, explains his memories of the tragedy.
John Humphrys reports on the refugees who have made their way from Zimbabwe to South Africa.
Jonathan Parris, of Kings College, London, and Michael Mansfield QC discuss what methods are acceptable during interrogation.
Science correspondent Tom Feilden visits Leeds Carnegie rugby team to discover how science is used in sport.
Journalist Mark Gevisser and political commentator Rhoda Kadalie discuss the South African election.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (b00jq0kp)
Real life stories in which listeners talk about the issues that matter to them. Fi Glover is joined by Sir Robert Worcester, founder of MORI London research and polling company and Chancellor of the University of Kent. Plus poetry from Luke Wright.
SAT 10:00 Excess Baggage (b00jq0kr)
Sandi Toksvig explores the adventures, frustrations and joys of travel.
Kazakhstan is the world's ninth biggest country and in 2008 Alex Meredith cycled 4,000 kilometres across it from west to east. On the way he saw some of the oldest nomadic peoples and the most modern archtiecture, met Kazakh Hell's Angels, spent the night on a former Soviet missile base and discovered why his journey was worth an orange but not a water melon. He also the discovered the real meaning of the word 'bonking'.
Trevor Watson is Director General of the Caravan Club, which has been looking out for caravanners' interests since 1907. With site bookings 40 per cent up on last year, Trevor explains why caravans are proving popular both in a recession and in better times and 20-year-old Jonathan Gray reveals the attraction of caravanning for the younger genration.
SAT 10:30 Reasons to be Cheerful (b00jq0kt)
Series 1
Episode 1
Series which seeks to challenge the prevailing atmosphere of doom and gloom and dares to be optimistic.
Disability affairs correspondent Peter White, who is blind, shares some of his reasons to be cheerful - technology which has set him free to scan and read whatever books he wants, the disappearance of the British Sunday which was the bane of his 1950s childhood, and the train announcements which annoy so many people, but are a boon to him.
Peter talks to grumpy comedian Arthur Smith and challenges him with his optimism.
A Loftus Audio production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 11:00 Beyond Westminster (b00jq7nl)
Iain Martin looks at how politicians, with a general election to fight, are facing up to the prospect of deep cuts in spending to cut spiralling government debt. Will that add a vicious political kick to the downturn?
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (b00jq0pk)
BBC foreign correspondents with the stories behind the world's headlines. Introduced by Kate Adie.
SAT 12:00 Money Box (b00jq0rh)
The latest news from the world of personal finance with Paul Lewis.
Have green shoots of recovery finally appeared in the property sector after months of doom and gloom? Did Barclays bank mis-sell risky investments to people approaching pension age? And a look at the state-owned banks sending out credit card cheques after the government pledges to ban them.
SAT 12:30 The Now Show (b00jnr5r)
Series 27
Episode 7
Comedy sketches and satirical comments from Steve Punt, Hugh Dennis and the team including Mitch Benn, Laura Shavin, Jon Holmes and Marcus Brigstocke.
SAT 12:57 Weather (b00jq0rk)
The latest weather forecast.
SAT 13:00 News (b00jq0rm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (b00jnr5y)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs this week's panel - Conservative party chairman Eric Pickles, Europe Minister Caroline Flint, Times' columnist Giles Coren and Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Helen Mary Jones.
With questions from the audience in Ludlow, Shropshire.
SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (b00jq0rp)
Jonathan Dimbleby takes listeners' calls and emails in response to this week's edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:30 Saturday Drama (b00jq17x)
Road to Durham
Douglas Livingstone's play about Bevin Boys, the young men who were sent down the mines instead of joining the armed forces in the Second World War. Two 80-year-old former Bevin Boys, who have not seen each other for 63 years, decide to go to the Durham Miners' Gala together and confront their memories of the past.
Christopher ...... Timothy West
Benny ...... Douglas Livingstone
Young Christopher ...... Fergus Rees
Young Benny ...... Sam Fletcher
Sally ...... Faye Castelow
Jim ...... Christoher Connel
Michael ...... David Whitaker
Older Sally ...... Jane Whittenshaw
Headmaster ...... Brian Lonsdale
With recordings made at the Durham Miners' Gala and at West Pelton Primary School.
Directed by Jane Morgan
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 15:30 The Music Group (b00jmqqb)
Series 3
Episode 1
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.
His guests include musician and composer Nitin Sawhney; actress, comedienne and Radio 2 DJ Liza Tarbuck; and children's author Terry Deary, creator of the the Horrible Histories series of books.
A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (b00jqh87)
Weekend Woman's Hour
Weekend Woman's Hour with Jane Little.
We hear from social workers about their day-to-day jobs and how they feel about the pressures they are under in the wake of the Baby P case.
As India goes to the polls, Urvashi Butalia, founder of the first women's press in India, and journalist Sonia Faleiro join Jane to discuss the important issues for women voters and the part gender plays in the country's voting habits.
Alex Bilmes, features director for GQ, and columnist Jan Moir discuss the notion that women can't be nice to each other any more. In an article in Vogue magazine, Alex claims in the last ten years he has seen a marked increase in women griping about their female friends.
Following a special edition of the programme on raising teenagers, we hear from two teens who have not only managed to traverse the potential teenage pitfalls relatively unscathed, but who also want to help others by changing things for the better. With contributions from listeners who contributed to a Woman's Hour phone-in on the subject.
And we remember the life and music of Dusty Springfield.
SAT 17:00 PM (b00jqh89)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Carolyn Quinn, plus the sports headlines.
SAT 17:30 iPM (b00jqh8c)
The weekly interactive current affairs magazine featuring online conversation and debate.
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b00jqh8f)
The latest shipping forecast.
SAT 17:57 Weather (b00jqh8h)
The latest weather forecast.
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00jqh8k)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (b00jqh8m)
Clive Anderson and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.
Multi-award winning actor and performer Jason Donovan talks about dressing up glamorously for his latest musical role in Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical, at the Palace Theatre, London.
Stand-up comedian and activist Mark Thomas adds political weight as he compiles a people's manifesto during the UK tour of his show, It's the Stupid Economy.
The grand man of Channel 4's Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud, arrives carrying his latest book, Kevin McCloud's Colour Now, which is published by Quadrille.
Natalie Haynes talks to music producer and composer extraordinaire William Orbit. He has collaborated with Madonna, Blur and Britney Spears, and created electronic reworkings of classical compositions. He talks about his new solo album, My Oracle Lives Uptown
With comedy from Ava Vidal, whose comic talents have landed her appearances across the UK and on radio and television, including a forthcoming series on BBC One, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow.
Mercury Prize-winning five-piece Gomez make a welcome return to Loose Ends to play Airstream Driver, a track from their latest album, A New Tide.
Galway girl Sharon Shannon is in the studio with a small version of her Big Band, featuring Camille O'Sullivan on vocals, performing the first UK outing for her new single, Mama Lou.
SAT 19:00 Profile (b00jqh8p)
Jacob Zuma
Chris Bowlby profiles Jacob Zuma, the ANC leader who is on course to become the next South African president. Zuma is a controversial character. He was a leading figure in the South African Communist Party and the ANC's internal security force and has been accused of corruption and acquitted of rape charges. Yet despite the scandals, Zuma is immensely popular and seen as a man of the people.
SAT 19:15 Saturday Review (b00jqh8r)
In The Loop, The West Wing, American Adulterer by Jed Mercurio, and Reggie Perrin
Tom Sutcliffe is joined by novelists Linda Grant and Sebastian Faulks and broadcaster Matthew D'Ancona to discuss the cultural highlights of the week. Featuring a serial adulterer, scathing political satire and the reworking of an enduring love story.
Linda Grant puts the political television series The West Wing in the dock, to make her case that this much-revered drama is wildly overrated. Sebastian Faulks and Matthew D'Ancona beg to differ.
The novel American Adulterer by Jed Mercurio explores the life of an habitual womaniser, yet this particular philanderer is in no position to live with bohemian abandon. He must go to extraordinary lengths to conceal his affairs from his wife and his political rivals - and with good reason, since he is the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
After Dido, Katie Mitchell's version of Purcell's opera has the performers manipulating cameras so that the action unfolds on screen as well as on stage. Three modern stories are told simultaneously, the conceit being that each of the characters is listening to a radio broadcast of Dido and Aeneas, in different locations and in real time. Each of the female characters reflects an aspect of Dido: there is a suicidal depressive, a woman breaking up with her partner and a bereaved wife receiving comfort and catharsis from the music she hears.
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b00g3yqn)
For One Night Illegally - The History of the Bootleg
Writer and broadcaster David Hepworth charts the story of secret recordings, artist out-takes and demo tapes that make up the world of bootleg recordings, from Bob Dylan's Great White Wonder in 1969 to the file sharing internet sites of the 21st century, via the Beatles, the Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Sex Pistols and Led Zeppelin.
David also talks to contemporary artists including Ryan Adams who have come to embrace the bootleggers, and hears from bootleggers of the 1960s and 70s who pitted their wits against security guards, the Feds and the record companies to get their unofficial releases out to the public.
A Bite Yer Legs production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 21:00 Classic Serial (b00jlxr0)
Therese Raquin
Episode 1
First of a two-part dramatisation by Diana Griffiths of the novel by Emile Zola, set in mid-19th century Paris.
Therese is forced by her aunt to marry her sickly son, Camille. However, upon moving to Paris, she and her lover Laurent conspire to murder Camille so that they may love freely.
Therese ...... Charlotte Riley
Laurent ...... Andrew Buchan
Camille ...... Toby Hadoke
Mme Raquin ...... Pauline Jefferson
Michaud ...... Rob Pickavance
Suzanne ...... Deborah McAndrew
Manager/Assistant ...... Carl Cieka
Directed by Pauline Harris.
SAT 22:00 Weather (b00jqmc2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by weather.
SAT 22:15 Bringing Up Britain (b00jn4fn)
Series 2
Episode 2
Mariella Frostrup hosts a debate about parenting with families, experts and policy-makers.
Mariella and her guests ask what parents can do to help children with mental health problems and what constitutes a 'normal' level of unhappiness in childhood and adolescence. She hears from a mother who fears her unhappy 11-year-old-son will go off the rails in adolescence and a mother and daughter on the drawbacks and benefits of having a mental health diagnosis.
With guests the family therapist Jan Parker, Richard Reeves of the thinktank Demos and Roger Catchpole of YoungMinds.
SAT 23:00 Counterpoint (b00jm2np)
Series 23
2009 Heat 6
From London, chairman Paul Gambaccini hosts the wide-ranging music quiz spanning every era.
With Brian Haynes from London, Alistair Smith from Lymington and Nicholas Tucker from Lewes.
Producer Paul Bajoria.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.
SAT 23:30 Lost Voices (b00jlyyq)
Series 1
WH Davies
Poet Brian Patten explores the life and work of lesser-known or forgotten poets.
WH Davies travelled the world from his native Wales, sleeping rough and jumping trains. His work has a simplicity which is still revered in the form of his well-known lines: 'What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?'
But few people know that it was Davies who wrote them. Brian remembers a poet whose work helped set him on his own way as a writer.
SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2009
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (b00jqn0z)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
SUN 00:30 Afternoon Reading (b0084s1k)
The Big Chill
Blood in Stone
Specially commissioned stories exploring the darker side of life.
John Smith sets off through the woods at night in search of the haunted house he grew up in, equipped with matches and cans of petrol.
By Frances Fyfield, read by Nicholas Gleaves.
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00jqn11)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00jqn13)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00jqn15)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (b00jqn17)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (b00jqn19)
The sound of bells from Worcester Cathedral.
SUN 05:45 Profile (b00jqh8p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News Headlines (b00jqn1c)
The latest national and international news.
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b00jqn1f)
Yearning to be Heroes
Mark Tully asks if we all have it within us to be heroes, and how the heroic can be awakened within us. Is it possible to train ourselves to act heroically in a once-in-a-lifetime moment of crisis and how are we shaped by the heroic archetypes of myth and legend?
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (b00jqn1h)
Heavy Horses
Elinor Goodman meets a Devon farmer who has swapped tractors and combine harvesters for heavy horses. But it's not all plain sailing, as Elinor sees when one heavy horse with a mighty powerful kick refuses to be broken.
One hundred years ago, heavy horses were used on farms throughout England to work the land. But as mechanisation has taken over, these Shires, Clydesdales and Suffolk Punches have little use on most 21st century fields and the skills used to break them in and handle them are gradually being lost.
SUN 06:57 Weather (b00jqxjp)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (b00jqxjr)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (b00jqxjt)
Roger Bolton discusses the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories, both familiar and unfamiliar.
SUN 07:55 Radio 4 Appeal (b00jqxjw)
Cerebra
Jules Hudson appeals on behalf of Cerebra. Donations to this appeal should be sent to Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal, please mark the back of your envelope Cerebra. Credit cards: Freephone 0800 404 8144. Or you can give via the website.
Cerebra supports children with a wide range of neurological conditions. Their grant scheme funds expensive equipment that parents often cannot afford.
If you are a UK tax payer, please provide Cerebra with your full name and address so that they can claim the Gift Aid on your donation worth another 25 per cent. The online and phone donation facilities are not currently available to listeners without a UK postcode.
Registered Charity No: 1089812.
SUN 07:58 Weather (b00jqxjy)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (b00jqxk0)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (b00jqxk2)
The service comes from the Upper Basilica of St Francis in Assisi celebrating 800 years of the Franciscan friars. Led by Mgr Tony Rogers. Preacher: Fr Thomas Riest.
SUN 08:50 A Point of View (b00jnr60)
Reputational Damage
Clive James reflects on what it takes to make – and break – a good reputation in public life. He concludes that the government’s latest euphemism ‘reputational damage’ to describe the fallout concerning Gordon Brown’s special adviser Damian McBride, after he plotted to smear an opposition politician, is fooling no-one.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (b00jqxk4)
Following the death of Sir Clement Freud, Professor Lisa Jardine and Baroness Susan Greenfield discuss the future of the renaissance man. A family of Scottish expats travel home to see whether a Scottish government campaign could tempt them back and DJ and film maker Don Letts laments that technology is undermining the way we appreciate bass.
Dr David Starkey, Tim Bentinck and Armando Iannucci review the papers.
The answer to the BH Spoon Competition question is Bo, (the new First Puppy at the White House), who is of course a Portuguese water dog. The winner is Vincent Burns.
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (b00jqxl3)
The week's events in Ambridge.
SUN 11:15 The Reunion (b00jqxl5)
Brit Art
Sue MacGregor brings together some of the young artists who emerged in the 1990s to create the Brit Art movement - Tracey Emin, Gavin Turk, Abigail Lane, Mat Collishaw and Gregor Muir.
Looking back to their formative years, the artists share their memoires of how their work was initially greeted with contempt, but ultimately changed people's perceptions of modern art.
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b00jm32n)
Series 3
Episode 4
David Mitchell hosts the game show in which panellists are encouraged to tell lies and compete to see how many items of truth they are able to smuggle past their opponents.
With Jeremy Hardy, Fred MacAulay, Jack Dee and Will Self.
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (b00jqxp2)
Essex Co-op
From farm gate to the school plate and to the high-end restaurant menu, Sheila Dillon looks at the farmers' co-operative that is supplying quality organic produce from Essex.
SUN 12:57 Weather (b00jqxp4)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (b00jqxp6)
A look at events around the world with Shaun Ley.
SUN 13:30 A Fine Defence of Enid Blyton (b00fm031)
Recently Anne Fine decided to re-read some of Enid Blyton's work, to try and discover just what it was about her that she had loved as a child. For years she had ignored Blyton's work, in part because of the constant drip, drip, drip of disapproval that has accompanied her books for many decades. But, on going back to her battered old Blytons, she realised exactly why she had found her books so captivating - they are remarkably good reads - real page turners.
Anne Fine does not deny that Blyton is the creator of creaking plots and cardboard characters ........ the author of jolly and exciting adventures, in which the most enormous amounts of food are consumed by children who are far from obese ..... and a writer dogged by accusations of racism and sexism. And yet her books have outsold all other children's authors. In August this year, she was voted the UK's best-loved writer. Her work has been translated into 40 different languages and she's sold over 500 million books worldwide.
A Fine Defence of Enid Blyton includes extracts from a rare interview with her only surviving daughter, Imogen Smallwood, and contributions her official biographer, Barbara Stoney, as well as the UK's leading Blyton scholar, Dr David Rudd [Professor of Children's literature at Bolton University]. There are also archive recordings of Enid herself, her elder daughter [Gillian Baverstock] and her brother Hanley. The reader is Miriam Margolyes.
Anne Fine has written over 40 books for children and adults. She has been Children's Laureate and has won many prizes for her writing [including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Smarties Prize and the Carnegie Medal].
Producer: Helen Lee
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00jnlxd)
Eric Robson chairs the popular horticultural forum.
John Cushnie, Chris Beardshaw and Bunny Guinness answer questions posed by gardeners in the Peak District.
The forensic unit at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, has been key in solving a large number of crimes, including murder. Anne Swithinbank and Matthew Biggs visit and discover the secrets of the Jodrell Laboratory.
Including the Gardeners' Question Time gardening weather forecast.
A Taylor Made production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 14:45 Street Circus (b00jypr3)
Midge Ure travels to Cape Town in South Africa to visit Zip Zap School of Circus Arts for Social Change. Midge is expecting the big top, bright lights and clowns in comedy big shoes and red noses, but this is something entirely different.
Founded in 1992 by Laurence and Brent van Rensburg, the vision for the Zip Zap circus school was to teach circus skills to South African children from all walks of life - from Cape Town's wealthy middle class elite to children born in the townships. Boys, girls, wealthy, homeless, extroverted, introverted, aged eight to 18, all have their places and responsibilities at Zip Zap, which attempts to embody Mandela's vision of the Rainbow Nation.
Midge meets Zip Zap's founders in Cape Town, and joins Shannon and Neville, two trainers from Zip Zap who travel to Khayelitsha township once a week to run the circus outreach programme there for kids born with HIV.
Shannon and Neville seem to embody what Zip Zap is all about. The former is a white American from Minneapolis who went over to train with Zip Zap and the latter is a black South African from Khayelitsha township - they got together at Zip Zap.
At the Khayelitsha outreach programme, there is no big top or paying audiences, just 25 children aged between eight and 13 who were all born with HIV. They practise circus skills in the street, including juggling, unicycle and throwing hoops. Midge is initially a little sceptical about how teaching circus skills to kids born with HIV can improve their lives. He hears how they have been ostracised by their own communities and how the circus workshops attempt to enable these children to develop their physical strength and abilities, while gaining self-confidence.
Midge says, 'I get it now. It's not about building up wonderful performers, it's about integration, it's about self-esteem. The circus works - it gives all these kids a focus, it gives them something to do, something to learn. But most importantly it gives them a little bit of hope.'.
SUN 15:00 Classic Serial (b00jqz5x)
Therese Raquin
Episode 2
Dramatisation by Diana Griffiths of the novel by Emile Zola, set in mid-19th century Paris.
Therese and Laurent have murdered Camille and are free to marry. Their wedding night is not joyous - it is a night of terror, and each night is the same as they feel the ghost of Camille infiltrate their every thought and action.
Therese ...... Charlotte Riley
Laurent ...... Andrew Buchan
Camille ...... Toby Hadoke
Mme Raquin ...... Pauline Jefferson
Michaud ...... Rob Pickavance
Suzanne ...... Deborah McAndrew
Pierre/Beggar ...... Drew Carter Cain
Music consultancy: Philip Tagney
Directed by Pauline Harris.
SUN 16:00 Open Book (b00jqz5z)
Elmore Leonard, Jane Austen's continuing cultural significance, and The Heart of a Dog.
Mariella Frostrup talks to American crime novelist Elmore Leonard, whose work has found heavyweight fans such as Saul Bellow and Martin Amis as well as enjoying success in film adaptations such as Get Shorty. He talks about his new book, Comfort To The Enemy, and explains why he thinks he has made the most of his limitations.
With a book called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies becoming an unexpected bestseller, Mariella and her guests discuss Jane Austen's continuing cultural significance. Claire Harman, the author of Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World, and Deborah Moggach, who adapted Pride and Prejudice for the 2005 film starring Kiera Knightley, look at Austen's rediscovery in the 19th century and reinvention in the 20th.
Plus the novelist Andrey Kurkov, author of the cult classic Death and the Penguin, celebrates another satirical masterpiece, Mikhail Bulgakov's 1925 novel The Heart of a Dog.
SUN 16:30 Blood, Sweat, Tears and Poetry (b00dsk23)
Patience Agbabi and some of her fellow poets explore the relationship between poetry and the workplace. 2008's National Poetry Day theme was 'Work', and Patience talks to poets and the people who welcomed them into the workplace to find out what the experience meant to both parties.
SUN 17:00 Blair's Faith Foundation (b00jmv21)
Christopher Landau, who has followed the setting up of Tony Blair's Faith Foundation to promote religious dialogue and understanding, asks whether it can succeed in promoting religion as a force for progress.
SUN 17:40 Profile (b00jqh8p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (b00jqz61)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 17:57 Weather (b00jqz63)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00jqz65)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (b00jqz67)
Miriam O'Reilly with her selection of highlights from the past week on BBC radio.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (b00jqz69)
Tony's delighted at Tom's plans to bring his pigs back from Home Farm. However Pat's distracted - she can't get hold of Helen. Since she asked Annette about her plans on Thursday, Helen won't talk to her.
Lynda can't believe her B&B guests have eaten all the bread. She talks to Robert about the Antony Gormley plinth. Inspiration hasn't struck her yet, and everyone else's ideas aren't satisfactory. Robert says a new loaf will be ready soon, which sparks a thought in Lynda's mind. Why not ask Jill to make bread on the plinth? Robert, meanwhile, is retrieving an answerphone message, and isn't listening to Lynda. Coriander's called - Robert's going to be a grandfather!
Helen ignores another phone call. She asks what plans Annette has for next week. She should start looking for a job. Annette offers to help in Ambridge Organics. Helen's reluctant, but says she can until she finds something else. Tom pops round. Helen's convinced their parents have sent him, but he says he just didn't fancy going home. They all decide to go bowling and for some lunch together. As they rush out, the phone rings. It's Tony, who leaves a message. They just want to check Helen's ok.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
SUN 19:15 Go4it (b00jqz6c)
Children's magazine with Kirsten O'Brien, who meets some of the lucky 50 children from 600 who auditioned to join the London Children's Ballet production of Snow White. And Go4it meets a group of Brownies in Keighley who learnt the fine art of laying bricks as part of the Children's University.
SUN 19:45 Afternoon Reading (b008nwjy)
Portraits of East Anglia
The Red Digger
Specially commissioned stories by local authors, inspired by paintings of the East Anglian landscape. Recorded in front of an audience in Halesworth, Suffolk, the readings are introduced by Neil Innes.
Jules and Dino have arranged to meet their Dad on the beach after his fishing trip to walk the dog. But when the dog appears and Dad doesn't, the teenagers fear the worst.
By Raffaella Barker, read by Alex Tregear.
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 20:00 More or Less (b00jnlmn)
Tim Harford presents the magazine which looks at numbers everywhere, in the news, in politics and in life.
Tim investigates the numbers behind the drug legalisation debate, tests a former home secretary's maths and finds out why drowning cats can help explain the credit crunch.
SUN 20:30 Last Word (b00jnlxg)
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.
SUN 21:00 Money Box (b00jq0rh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:00 on Saturday]
SUN 21:26 Radio 4 Appeal (b00jqxjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 today]
SUN 21:30 In Business (b00jnj2z)
Power Drive
As the world's biggest car companies appeal for government bailouts, fearless newcomers are seeking to revolutionise the global automobile industry with electric cars. Peter Day takes a test drive in a plug-in Chinese newcomer and hears from an Israel start-up company that wants to charge by the mile.
SUN 21:58 Weather (b00jqz7x)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (b00jqz7z)
Reports from behind the scenes at Westminster with Carolyn Quinn. Including The Prime Ministers.
SUN 23:02 The Film Programme (b00jnm3f)
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the French New Wave, Francine Stock talks to Stephen Frears, director of Dangerous Liaisons and My Beautiful Laundrette, and Get Carter creator Mike Hodges about their first time with the films of Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut.
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b00jqn1f)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 20 APRIL 2009
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b00jr2q4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b00jn4f8)
Biometric Security - Ethnographer's Dilemma
Laurie Taylor explores the latest research into how society works.
There is a revolution happening in security and the human body is at the centre of new ways of monitoring and controlling the way we live. From fingerprinting to retinal scans. Laurie Taylor explores the way that the history of biometrics has changed the relationship between the citizen and the state. What are the new measures that are due to be introduced? How are new technological developments likely to change the way we live? Laurie talks to anthropologist Mark Maguire about changes which mean that the body becomes our passport and asks whether the so-called 'securitization of identity' will change the way we think of ourselves.
Plus, is it possible for a social scientist to always remain uninvolved in the world he is studying? When does it become impossible to keep your mouth shut? Laurie talks to two medical sociologists, Charles Bosk and Clare Williams, about the ethical questions they have had to face.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b00jqn19)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00jr2qb)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00jr2qg)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00jr2ql)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b00jr2qn)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00jr2qs)
Daily prayer and reflection, with Bishop George Stack.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b00jr2qx)
Charlotte Smith hears how daffodils grown for a dementia drug could be the salvation of Welsh hill farmers. The flowers are the first commercial crop for a Welsh company which will extract a natural compound from them to make a drug which relieves some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. As Charlotte Smith discovers, it doesn't work with any old daff, nor on any old hillside. You need the magic of the Black Mountains.
MON 05:57 Weather (b00jr2r7)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 06:00 Today (b00jr4qm)
Presented by James Naughtie and Edward Stourton.
Cult author JG Ballard has died aged 78. The writer Iain Sinclair, a friend and admirer, looks back at Ballard's career.
ACPO president Sir Ken Jones discusses calls for a review of public order policing.
World Affairs Editor John Simpson goes on the trail of Zimbabwe's illegal diamonds.
MP Barry Sheerman and social worker Joanna Nicolas discuss warnings that the state fails to protect children in care.
Political Editor Nick Robinson looks back on an eventful fortnight for the government.
Thought for the day with John Bell, of the Iona community.
Business Editor Robert Peston and the Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke discuss the former governor of the Bank of England Lord Eddie George's legacy.
MP David Davis and Chief Superintendent Derek Barnett discuss the calls for a review into policing.
Six members of the Great Britain handball team have found fame with the German team of Essen. Stephen Chittenden went to watch one of their games.
A group of MPs has called for a radical overhaul of the care system in England, in the aftermath of the Baby P case. Education Minister Lady Morgan discusses the suggestions.
Transport Minister Lord Adonis discusses improvements for Britain's railways with Liberal Democrats transport spokesman Norman Baker.
Intensive fostering might be a better alternative to locking up young offenders. Winifred Robinson visits Staffordshire to see one of the projects in action.
Security Correspondent Gordon Correra discusses new details that have been emerging about the use of waterboarding by CIA interrogators.
The unveiling of a statue of comic duo Laurel and Hardy in Laurel's hometown of Ulverston has caused great excitement. But should statues be reserved for soldiers or great political figures? Graham Vincent, from South Lakeland District Council, and military historian Peter Caddick discuss who deserves a statue.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (b00jr4qt)
Andrew Marr sets the cultural agenda for the week.
Software entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani believes that India is at a critical point in its history. The country needs to harness the power of its wealth of young people and build up the infrastructure of its cities and welfare state, but this is all dependent on the outcome of the general election. Imagining India: Ideas for the New Century is published by Allen Lane.
Andrew Feinstein was elected as an ANC Member of Parliament in South Africa's first democratic elections, but later resigned in protest. He discusses how the post-apartheid democratic dream came under pressure and considers the prospects for the country as it goes to the polls to elect a new government. After the Party: Corruption, the ANC and South Africa's Uncertain Future is published by Verso.
Writer Petina Gappah is optimistic about Zimbabwe's future. In a collection of short stories she highlights the many sides of Zimbabwe which are not depicted in the news headlines, and shows their humour and resilience. An Elegy for Easterly is published by Faber and Faber.
Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day in 1809. Author Adam Gopnik believes that this is more than an 'intriguing coincidence' and that the similarities between the two men tell us much about the mid-19th century. Angels and Ages: A Short Book about Darwin, Lincoln and Modern Life is published by Quercus.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b00jr4tp)
RA Scotti - The Lost Mona Lisa
Episode 1
4 Extra Debut. The extraordinary day in August 1911 when the Mona Lisa went missing, stolen from the Louvre in Paris. Read by Nickolas Grace.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jr551)
Public speaking; Foetal alcohol syndrome; Girls' schools
The art of public speaking discussed. Plus, the issues surrounding foetal alcohol spectrum disorder; and Jill Berry on why she thinks girls thrive in a single-sex environment.
MON 11:00 It's My Story (b00j3vd0)
Switzerland for a Franc
Miles Warde follows what happened when British businessman Bruno Prior responded to an advert in The Times advertising a ski resort for sale for one Swiss franc.
The main lift breaks in Bruno's first season in charge at the resort, the falling pound hampers his ability to invest and two villagers refuse to sell land where he hopes to build a new hotel.
MON 11:30 Hazelbeach (b008crhw)
Series 1
Party
Ronnie organises a disastrous birthday party and Nick finally finds his father's will.
Caroline and David Stafford's comedy stars Jamie Forman as Ronnie Hazelbeach.
Ronnie ...... Jamie Foreman
Nick ...... Paul Bazely
Mrs Barlow ...... Tracy Wiles
James ...... John Dougall
Andrea ...... Liza Sadovy
Producer: Marc Beeby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2007.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b00jrnw0)
Consumer news and issues with Julian Worricker.
MON 12:57 Weather (b00jrnw2)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b00jrnw4)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
How many young people will be unable to find jobs because of the recession? The government has hinted that there will be measures to help the under-25s in the Budget but will new money really be available given the state of the public finances? Higher education minister John Denham responds.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, has outlined a new plan to scrap tax for people earning less than ten thousand pounds. He said that the proposal was a tax switch and not a net tax cut, which would be funded by closing tax loopholes, but is it affordable?
More than 2,000 protestors gather outside the Houses of Parliament to demand a ceasefire between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil Tiger separatists. The government has an ultimatum to the Tamil Tigers to surrender within 24 hours or else face military action. An aid worker in Sri Lanka comments on the situation.
As the IPCC continues their investigation into policing of the G20 protests, a former head of the Territorial Support Group and Scotland Yard Commander talks about calls for a fundamental review of policing.
MON 13:30 Counterpoint (b00jrnw6)
Series 23
2009 Heat 7
Paul Gambaccini chairs the general knowledge music quiz.
The questions cover every aspect of music - from the classical repertoire to world music, show tunes, film scores, jazz, rock and pop.
Three contestants battle it out:
David Dean from London
Gillian Hensley-Gray from Croydon
Peter Whitehead from Bromley, Kent
Producer: Paul Bajoria
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.
MON 14:00 The Archers (b00jqz69)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b007x07b)
Waiting for Di
By Colin Bytheway. On the eve of Princess Diana's funeral, two unlikely strangers find themselves thrown together as they mourn the loss of someone they never knew.
MON 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00g3yqn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Saturday]
MON 15:45 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Men of Fashion (b00jrnw8)
Cary Grant - The Influence of Hollywood
The interior designer examines the impact of the silver screen on men's fashion, celebrating the stars that have redefined it.
MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b00jqxp2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 Traveller's Tree (b00jrpgs)
Series 5
Wilderness
Katie Derham presents the programme which examines our holiday and travel trends.
Places that were once considered dangerous and frighteningly isolated have become increasingly desirable holiday destinations. Katie examines this trend and hears what is on offer for the wilderness traveller. Her guests include author Robert Macfarlane.
A Just Radio/Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 17:00 PM (b00jrppy)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Including Weather.
The UK Ambassador to the UN in Geneva comments on Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadnejad's comments to the UN conference on racism.
Featuring an interview with the Sri Lankan high commissioner to London on the Tamil protests in London and on the situation in Sri Lanka.
Plus The Grocer Magazine and Green and Black's chocolate manufacturers on the hundreds of thousands unsold Easter eggs.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00jrpq0)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b00jrpq2)
Series 3
Episode 5
David Mitchell hosts the game show in which panellists are encouraged to tell lies and compete to see how many items of truth they are able to smuggle past their opponents.
With Sean Lock, Arthur Smith, Sue Perkins and Miranda Hart.
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 19:00 The Archers (b00jrpq4)
Outside Keeper's Cottage Eddie agrees with Alan he'll start work on his patio next week. Will calls round.
Inside, Joe and Ed look through Ed's business plan. Joe says Ed having a herd of his own is worth every penny. Eddie and Will come in for coffee. Will offers grudging congratulations about the tenancy as Ed goes off to milk. Will tells Joe and Eddie that Adam's finally put in the game crops. And Jake's now at Loxley Barratt school. Joe says everything's looking up for the Grundys. Then the phone rings. It's Mildred's son.
At Grange Farm Oliver tells Ed he's happy with the business plan. He'll ask his solicitor to draw up an agreement. They should celebrate.
Joe's telling Eddie that Mildred's died when Ed and Oliver arrive with champagne. Oliver makes a speech about how proud he is of Ed. Joe quietly goes outside. Ed follows him, and realises what's happened. Joe tells him to carry on. Hes off for a walk. Ed goes back inside, and they drink to seizing the day.
Alan meets Joe in the churchyard. Joe tells Alan about a picnic he had there with Mildred. Alan says Joe must miss her, as she's so far away. Joe says he treasures his memories.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b00jrpq6)
Max Hastings, ex-editor of The Daily Telegraph, reviews the new thriller State of Play, based on the BBC TV series about journalists uncovering a deadly conspiracy.
As a festival about Afghanistan opens at the Tricycle Theatre in London, playwrights Abi Morgan, Amit Gupta and Stephen Jeffreys discuss the plays they have written for the season.
Stephen Armstrong reviews SunTalk, the Sun newspaper's new online radio station hosted by Jon Gaunt.
After his death at the age of 78 was announced, we remember author JG Ballard with his last recorded interview for Front Row.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jr553)
ME Braddon - Lady Audley's Secret
Episode 1
Dramatisation of the classic Victorian thriller by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
Lucy Graham gains all the wealth she desires when she marries rich older widower Sir Michael Audley, and her maid, Phoebe, watches with envy as Lucy delights in the luxury of her new life.
Mary Braddon ...... Hattie Morahan
Lucy, Lady Audley ...... Charlotte Emmerson
Sir Michael Audley ...... Sam Dale
Phoebe Marks ...... Lizzy Watts
Luke Marks ...... Benjamin Askew
Directed by Julie Beckett and Fiona Kelcher.
MON 20:00 Inside The Child Prisons (b00jrpvq)
Episode 2
Winifred Robinson follows the fortunes of some of the 300-plus violent and damaged youngsters in Britain who are detained in secure children's homes to prevent them harming themselves or others.
The number of secure units is falling, down from 28 earlier this decade to just 19 and with a further four scheduled to close in 2009. The government is keen to examine alternatives to custody, including intensive fostering. But how do outcomes compare over the long term and what proves to be effective in addressing offending behaviour?
Work that goes on in places like the Vinney Green secure unit in Bristol includes a great emphasis on vocational skills to equip teenagers who may have been excluded from mainstream schools. Winifred examines these intensive efforts and talks to some of the youngsters and their families about what the future holds.
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b00jn8h1)
Croatia
Matt Prodger examines the effects of organised crime and corruption in Croatia, as the country stands on the brink of EU membership. The execution-style assassination of a young woman, a car bomb explosion killing the country's most famous newspaper editor and journalists and businessmen being beaten in the streets are just some of the events that have rocked Croatia in recent months.
MON 21:00 Costing the Earth (b00jwy3l)
Virtual Warming
Every twitter, Facebook posting and You Tube video viewed has a carbon cost that is becoming increasingly dear, as our use of computers grows exponentionally.
The expanding digital cloud contributes 2 per cent of global emissions of carbon dioxide, about the same as aviation, and it's rising. The high energy demands of the massive data centres needed to store all our information are of growing concern to both the government and industry. But how can they be made greener and more efficient? Costing the Earth investigates.
MON 21:30 Start the Week (b00jr4qt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b00jrpvv)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b00jrpvx)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah.
Including reports on Iran's President Ahmedinajad's use of a UN conference to denounce Israel as racist, whether government unemployment figures are hiding a much bigger problem, whether the Tamil Tiger rebels are facing the endgame in Sri Lanka, CIA memos which reveal that waterboarding was used hundreds of times and allegations of police brutality in Moldova.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00jrpvz)
Anybody Can Do Anything
Episode 6
Debora Weston reads Betty MacDonald's comic novel about life as a single mother in America during the Great Depression.
During the worst of the Great Depression, Betty and her sisters have to find cheap ways to have fun.
MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (b00jmv1l)
Michael Rosen takes another journey into the world of words, language and the way we speak.
Everyone accepts that it is important for parents to read to their children, but, thanks partly to school literacy targets, many children actually spend more time reading to their parents. Furthermore, some parents suffer from 'performance anxiety' over their inability to 'do the voices' in stories, so, in these cases, what can be done to help keep storytelling alive?
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00jrpw1)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Sean Curran.
TUESDAY 21 APRIL 2009
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b00jrt6x)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b00jr4tp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvdl)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00jrvjx)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvjl)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b00jrz9g)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00jrz9j)
Daily prayer and reflection, with Bishop George Stack.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b00js1jl)
News and issues in rural Britain with Anna Hill. An investigation into whether ten million pounds to be spent on researching insect pollinators - including bees - will do any good.
TUE 06:00 Today (b00js1mk)
Presented by James Naughtie and Evan Davis.
Pharmacist David Pruce discusses Orlistat - brand name Alli - the dieting pill aimed at adults with a Body Mass Index of 28 or more.
North America editor Justin Webb explains why former US Vice-President Dick Cheney has called for the release of further documents detailing interrogation techniques used by the CIA.
Steve Garrod, chief examiner for the Driving Instructors Association, discusses the proposed changes to driving tests.
Bob Walker reports on one solider serving in Afghanistan who is blogging to keep people back home up to date.
Britain's bees are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Sarah Mukherjee talks to Tim Lovett of the British Beekeepers Association and Environment Secretary Hilary Benn discusses why the government announced that two million pounds would be spent on looking at the problem.
The Sun is the dimmest it has been for nearly a century. Professor Mike Lockwood explains why there are no sunspots and very few solar flares.
Thought for the day with Dr Indarjit Singh, director of the network of Sikh organisations.
Reporter Zubeida Malik talks to a British family with roots in the Swat Valley region in Pakistan about a ruling allowing Islamic Law in the region.
Professors Dr Donald Hensrud, Gareth Williams and Nick Bostrom discuss the benefits and drawbacks of anti-obesity pills becoming more readily available.
Former England footballer and presenter of Match of the Day Gary Lineker and Olympic gold medallist Lord Coe discuss how and why veteran sports stars keep on competing.
Correspondent Kevin Connolly examines how police investigate sexual assaults in the US. Expert Richard Garside explains why - according to government estimates - as many as 95per cent of rapes in England and Wales are never reported at all.
Labour MEP Robert Evans discusses the situation in Sri Lanka.
Former football star Lucas Radebe discusses South Africa's preparations to become the first African nation to host the World Cup finals.
Diplomats have walked out of a UN anti-racism conference during a speech by the Iranian president in which he described Israel as "totally racist". Retired diplomat Lord Hannay and Anthony Lerman, of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, discuss.
TUE 09:00 On the Ropes (b00js7tj)
Gillian Gibbons
John Humphrys talks to successful people who have weathered storms in their careers.
Teacher Gillian Gibbons talks about her arrest in Sudan in 2007 for calling a teddy bear Mohammed.
Recently divorced and with her children having left home, Gillian took the opportunity to travel and teach at the same time. She got a job at a primary school in Khartoum and settled into her new life.
Everything was going smoothly until, as part of a class project, her pupils decided to name a teddy bear Mohammed. Gillian was arrested and held for two weeks - there were riots in the streets and the world's media reported that she had become a hate figure for Muslims.
TUE 09:30 Head to Head (b00js7tl)
Series 1
Episode 1
Edward Stourton presents a series celebrating great debates, combining archive of rare discussions between key figures with analysis by a panel of experts.
The panel discusses the heated 1969 debate between left-wing philosopher Noam Chomsky and conservative commentator William F Buckley about United States foreign policy and how it justifies its objective of spreading 'freedom' around the world.
A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b00k2lzk)
RA Scotti - The Lost Mona Lisa
Episode 2
The theft of the painting goes undetected for more than 24 hours, but once it is, uproar ensues. Read by Nickolas Grace.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jw92g)
Lydia Cacho; Having children when single
Mexican journalist Lydia Cacho on her crusade against paedophiles. Plus, what options are open to you when you are forty, single and want to have a child?
TUE 11:00 Nature (b00js8cz)
Series 2
The Vogelkop Bowerbird
Wildlife film director Stephen Lyle is joined by cameraman Barrie Britton to recall their close encounter with two birds that revealed the sculpting of ornate structures and singing of songs beyond the vocal range of human beings in the courtship performance of the male vogelkop bowerbird. Making sense of the biology is Dr Joah Madden of Exeter University, who has spent the last ten years studying this sexual display.
TUE 11:30 Pieces of a Man (b00js8d1)
Poet Lemn Sissay explores the life of the influential activist, musician, writer and 'godfather of rap' Gil Scott-Heron, who died in May 2011.
Following in the footsteps of Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, The Black Arts movement and jazz and blues musicians such as John Coltrane and Billie Holiday, Gil Scott-Heron helped pioneer the fight for racial equality and developed a new way of fusing music with hard-hitting political poetry. His story reflects the modern African-American struggle, from segregation in the South to triumph in the White House.
Lemn will speak to Gil about his childhood, spent with his feisty grandmother in Tennessee, and his teenage years in New York at the height of the Civil Rights movement, punctuated by the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and when black artists, musicians and writers were beginning to find a voice in modern American society.
Gil spent four decades in the music business during which time he joined forces with Stevie Wonder to campaign for a Martin Luther King national holiday, paved the way for the birth of hip hop, influenced some of the biggest names in popular culture and wrestled with a long term addiction to drugs.
Featuring interviews with Chuck D, Greg Tate and Benjamin Zephaniah.
Producer: Elizabeth Alker
An All Out production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2009.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b00js1t8)
Consumer news and issues with Julian Worricker.
The Chancellor will unveil plans for £10 billion of new efficiency savings in this week's budget, on top of £5 billion announced in the pre budget report.
How would you distribute government money if you were in charge?
TUE 12:57 Weather (b00js1vk)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b00js1x3)
Along with the Budget, unemployment figures were revealed. The programme's own analysis finds out which town has been worst hit, and result is surprising.
Inflation figures showed that the RPI index turned negative for the first time since March 1960. How worried should we be about deflation? And once the recession is over, is inflation the real danger?
Gordon Brown announced a vote on changing the system for MPs' expenses. Why now - given that the PM has already asked the Committee on standards in public life to come up with its own reforms? World at One probes the politics of all this.
Should policing of protests change after the G20 demonstrations? The Chief Inspector of Constabulary joins the debate.
Plus, with ten million pounds being given away for bee research, what can save our hives?
TUE 13:30 The Music Group (b00js8d3)
Series 3
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.
His guests include actor Don Warrington, music writer Laura Barton and Professor Martyn Poliakoff, a pioneer in the field of green chemistry, who reveals a liking for Tom Lehrer.
A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b00jrpq4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b00js8m5)
Available Means
Available Means is the story of David an academic who flies into an Eastern European city to give a lecture on poetry. The city is remote and strange - full of puzzles and possibilities - and David is not a seasoned traveller. He strikes up relationships with both Oksana, a hotel cleaner and Adam, the city's police chief who takes it upon himself to be David's guide and mentor. The man is good company, amusing and, most importantly, he has integrity. He also has a mission: to clear up the corruption that is ruining his city. He's a "good" man.
But David's perspective changes when he realises that the police chief is using torture to achieve what he wants. Not only that, but the cleaner's brother is in his cells at the moment. Oksana is very distressed to think what might be happening to him. But then David learns something about the girl's brother that, perhaps, she doesn't know herself.
So it's not just the city that confuses David, it's the moral world he finds there. What seems right at one moment can suddenly change and seem wrong. The play ends with David facing a dilemma of his own. By the time he has experienced for himself the dark underside of this apparently respectable city, he has been forced to re-set his whole moral compass.
Original music by David Chilton
Written by Nick Warburton
Producer: Gordon House
A Goldhawk Essential Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:00 Making History (b00js9fx)
Vanessa Collingridge presents the series exploring ordinary people's links with the past.
Military historian Professor Richard Holmes explains how the militia worked in the 18th century, Andy Cassell reports from Scotland on Britain's only private army, Dr Samantha Letters explains how prisoners in Oflag 7B would have received musical instruments and Dr Martin Johnes corrects an historical stereotype about pigeon racing.
TUE 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00js222)
Penelope's People
Divorcing Grandpa
In Penelope's People, a new series of specially commissioned monologues, Penelope Keith presents three very different women, coming to terms with their changing circumstances - and demonstrates her skills as a versatile character actor.
In Divorcing Grandpa by Roy Apps, Penelope Keith plays Eleanor - an upper-middle class woman whose professional husband has been sent to prison for an unspecified white-collar crime. In order to continue living in the style to which she has become accustomed (and to continue to be able to afford her darling grand-daughter's school fees) she realises that she too must break the law - and quickly discovers that she is rather good at it.
Reader: Penelope Keith
Producer: David Blount
A Pier Production for Radio 4.
TUE 15:45 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Men of Fashion (b00jrnxc)
Teddy Boys - Fashion for the Youthquake
The interior designer rock 'n' rolls back to the 1950s, when Teddy Boys aped and subverted the styles of their social superiors.
TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (b00js9fz)
Michael Rosen explores the teenage use and abuse of the word 'like', finds out why latin lessons are making a comeback and listens in as a school teaches literacy by giving pupils the chance to run their own radio station.
TUE 16:30 Great Lives (b00js9g1)
Series 18
Sir Thomas Beecham
Matthew Parris presents the biographical series in which his guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Politician and broadcaster David Mellor promotes the life of Sir Thomas Beecham, conductor and founder of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He was known for his wit and energy, which spawned a huge number of anecdotes, but which of them are true?
TUE 17:00 PM (b00js5xf)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00js5yj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
TUE 18:30 Down the Line (b00js9g3)
Credit Crunch Special
A one-off special edition of the spoof phone-in show on the subject of the credit crunch, starring Rhys Thomas as Gary Bellamy.
With Amelia Bullmore, Simon Day, Felix Dexter, Charlie Higson, Lucy Montgomery and Paul Whitehouse. Plus special guests Mark Gatiss and Robert Popper.
A Down The Line production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b00js1xk)
Lilian's visiting Jennifer at Home Farm. Jennifer's been shopping for Phil's birthday present. She says Lilian should have gone with her; she mustn't be a prisoner in her own home. Lilian goes to look for her handbag. Brian appears in the kitchen and starts talking about Matt. He can't continue as Borchester Land chair. Brian's surprised when Lilian appears!
Usha returns from a run. She was taking it easy but Annabelle sped past her. Later, Usha can't sleep. She can't stop thinking about the marathon, or comparing herself to Annabelle. Alan has every faith in her. She'd better get some sleep.
Jennifer finds Brian working late. He's worried about the board meeting. They've been scheming behind Matt's back and he isn't going to like it. And if he ends up replacing Matt as chair, things will be awkward.
Matt's trying to read in bed but can't concentrate. Lilian tries to cheer him up with village news, but their alarm goes off. Matt goes downstairs and Lilian tries to stop him - someone might be down there. Matt searches through bushes outside but there's no-one there. Lilian begs him to call the police; she won't be able to sleep now. But Matt says there's nothing else they can do.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b00js5zr)
Historian Tristram Hunt joins John Wilson to review a new four-part BBC 2 series which takes a fly-on-the-wall look at how English Heritage works.
The band Manic Street Preachers talk for the first time since their guitarist Richey Edwards was declared presumed dead last year after going missing in 1995. Edwards left a collection of lyrics which the band had always said could not be released in musical form. But now, almost a year after Edwards was declared presumed dead, the band have used the lyrics for their new album Journal for Plague Lovers.
Photographer Nadav Kander discusses his latest project, Obama's People, a series of 52 portraits of the leading men and women in Barack Obama's administration which he shot on the eve of the presidential inauguration.
Antony Gormley's project to get 2,400 people to stand on the fourth plinth of London's Trafalgar Square this summer opened for applications from the public today. But Westminster City Council's head of planning services John Walker explains that planning permission for the living monument has yet to be given.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jwy2f)
ME Braddon - Lady Audley's Secret
Episode 2
Dramatisation of the classic Victorian thriller by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
Young lawyer Robert Audley bumps into his old school friend George Talboys, who has made his fortune in Australia. George is returning home to the wife he left behind, but there is an unexpected letter waiting for him in London.
Mary Braddon ...... Hattie Morahan
Lucy, Lady Audley ...... Charlotte Emmerson
Robert Audley ...... Alex Wyndham
George Talboys ...... Joseph Kloska
Sir Michael Audley ...... Sam Dale
Alicia Audley ...... Perdita Weeks
Directed by Julie Beckett and Fiona Kelcher.
TUE 20:00 Twin Sisters, Two Faiths (b00jsw51)
Identical twins, Elizabeth and Caroline, talk to Anna Scott-Brown about their choices to follow two very different faiths - Islam and Christianity. They discuss their strongly-held but separate beliefs, and how this affects their relationship within the family. As their own lives unfold, they also have to confront their mother's terminal illness and come to terms with what her death will mean to them.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b00js9jk)
Peter White with news and information for the blind and partially sighted.
More money for research into stem cell therapy for age related macular degeneration. Who will it really help? Plus Lord's' new service for visually-impaired cricket fans.
TUE 21:00 Case Notes (b00jsxh4)
Strokes
Dr Mark Porter explores health issues of the day. He visits Glasgow where doctors have pioneered a new treatment for strokes, which is common in older people. They are calling the clot-busting therapy the Lazarus effect because it has such a dramatic result.
TUE 21:30 On the Ropes (b00js7tj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b00js617)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b00js61k)
National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig. The Tamil Tigers say they will never surrender, what to look out for in the Budget, hopes of South African youth on the eve of the general election and are demands for self-rule a recipe for conflict?
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00js6r7)
Anybody Can Do Anything
Episode 7
Debora Weston reads Betty MacDonald's comic novel about life as a single mother in America during the Great Depression.
Betty discovers that the Friendly Loan Company is not all that friendly when she cannot keep up her payments.
TUE 23:00 The Secret World (b011dkny)
Series 1
Episode 2
From Lord Alan Sugar to Bruce Forsyth - Jon Culshaw explores the bizarre private lives of famous folk.
The comedy impressions series examining the bizarre and private lives of public people.
Starring:
Jon Culshaw
Margaret Cabourn Smith
Julian Dutton
Jess Robinson
Lewis Macleod
Duncan Wisbey
Written by Bill Dare, Julian Dutton, Tom Jameson & Nev Fountain, Rufus Jones and Dan Skinner.
Producer: Bill Dare
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00jrpx6)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Susan Hulme.
WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL 2009
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b00jrt6l)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b00k2lzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvc1)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00jrvjn)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvdn)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b00jrz89)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00jrz9l)
Daily prayer and reflection, with Bishop George Stack.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b00js0ch)
Anna Hill learns how damage to crops and trees caused by deer has become a serious problem, and finds out how one estate is managing deer numbers. Plus why lambs in Cumbria are sporting plastic macs in the interests of advertising.
WED 06:00 Today (b00js1m8)
Presented by John Humphrys and James Naughtie.
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable says the budget cannot stand any overall tax cuts.
Correspondent Sanjoy Majumdar gives details about the hijacking of a train in eastern India.
Peter Biles reports on why a high turnout is expected in the South African elections.
Mark Simpson visits Cupar Street in west Belfast to discuss the redecoration of so-called peace walls.
Business editor Robert Peston says the IMF believes the bank bail-out will cost the taxpayer 130 billion pounds.
Nine men questioned in connection with a suspected bomb plot have been handed over to the UK Border Agency. Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, discusses how this decision may be seen by the Islamic community.
Jack Jones, the former general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, has died aged 96. Politician Tony Benn remembers "one of the finest men [he] ever met".
Thought for the day with the Right Reverend James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool.
Charu Lata Hogg, of foreign affairs think tank Chatham House, and Lal Wickrematunge, managing editor of Colombo newspaper the Sunday Leader, discuss the chance for a lasting peace in Sri Lanka.
Economist John Wraith and BBC editors Nick Robinson and Stephanie Flanders discuss what will be in the budget.
What happens in the daily life of a hospital chaplain? Reporter Angus Stickler visits Homerton Hospital in east London to find out.
Conservative education spokesman Michael Gove discusses allegations that last year's Sats fiasco was misrepresented by ministers.
Elliot Abrams, of the think-tank the Council on Foreign Relations, says a two-state solution in Palestine is possible.
Cook Tamasin Day-Lewis and Matthew O'Callaghan, of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, discuss Britain's long love affair with the pie.
A senior official in the White House under George Bush's presidency has made a damaging claim about a memo he wrote warning against torture. North America editor Justin Webb explains the allegations.
Author and astronomer Dr David Whitehouse and Professor Sir David King, of Oxford University, discuss the benefits of space travel.
Rodney Bickerstaffe, former president of the UK National Pensioners' Convention, remembers former union leader Jack Jones, who has died at the age of 96.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b00jsxp0)
BARRY FANTONI
Barry Fantoni is the cartoonist, painter, playwright, jazz musician and poet. He is probably best known as Private Eye’s foremost cartoonist over the past forty years - the pen behind “EJ Thribb’s” rhyming obituaries, “Neasden FC” with its glum manager Ron Knee, and the new cartoon series “Scenes you Seldom See”. An exhibition of his paintings, Public Eye, Private Eye is at the Thomas Williams Gallery from 22nd April until 22nd May.
ERNEST BORGNINE
Ernest Borgnine is the veteran Hollywood actor, now aged 93. Born the son of Italian immigrants, he has had a long and fascinating career in film and television. He’s played many character roles in films like From Here to Eternity, Dirty Dozen and The Wild Bunch and more sensitive ones, like the eponymous lead in the 1955 film Marty, for which he won an Oscar. He has now endeared himself to a new generation of fans in the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants playing Mermaid Man. His autobiography, Ernest Borgnine: My Autobiography is published by JR Books.
ZOYA PHAN
Zoya Phan was born to the Karen tribe of Burma but was forced to flee her country as a teenager after her village was attacked by the Burmese army. She eventually escaped to the UK to claim asylum and now lives in London, working for the human rights organisation Burma Campaign UK. Her memoir Little Daughter is published by Simon and Schuster.
MATTHEW DUNSTER
Matthew Dunster is an actor, playwright and director. He is currently an Associate Director of the Young Vic Theatre. His play You Can See the Hills, which is an autobiographical portrait of growing up in Oldham in the 1980s, is currently on at the Young Vic. He is also working on several other projects including a ballet with the Pet Shop Boys, which they are composing for Sadler's Wells for 2011. You Can See the Hills is at the Young Vic from 23rd April until 9th May.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b00k2lzc)
RA Scotti - The Lost Mona Lisa
Episode 3
Why has Leonardo da Vinci's painting beguiled people through the ages? A dramatic potted history, read by Nickolas Grace.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jw928)
Sinead O'Connor; Writer Azar Nafisi; Death of a pet
Singer Sinead O'Connor on her career and living with a bipolar disorder. Plus, Azar Nafisi on her stormy relationship with her family and Iran; and the grief of pet bereavement.
WED 11:00 Life's Soundtrack (b00cqhd2)
Trevor Cox explores how our voice and our hearing develop and change through our lives, from the vague rumblings that first greet us in the womb to our last gasping breath.
WED 11:30 Safety Catch (b0184tdb)
Series 2
There Will Be Paint
Simon decides it's about time he and his colleagues prove they understand the true horrors of war by getting out there and actually fighting.
So it is that team Heathcote Sanders go paintballing. Okay, so it's not quite the same as fighting in an actual war, but you can't expect Simon to take part in one of those - I mean, people actually die in those things. So join Simon for one last time as he searches for the hero inside himself.
Laurence Howarth's black comedy of modern morality set in the world of arms dealing.
Simon McGrath.............................Darren Boyd
Anna Grieg..................................Joanna Page
Boris Kemal...............................Lewis Macleod
Judith McGrath..............................Sarah Smart
Angela McGrath............................Brigit Forsyth
Madeleine Turnbull........................Rachel Atkins
Roger/Dave......................................Philip Fox
Guide.............................................Gus Brown
Producer: Dawn Ellis.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.
WED 12:04 Budget Special (b00jsxqm)
Live from Westminster, Alistair Darling presents his Budget to the House of Commons.
WED 13:57 Weather (b00js1tb)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b00js1xk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b00jsxxk)
The Gallery
A second chance to hear Alan Plater's final play for radio. The opening night of a new Tyneside art gallery is thrown into jeopardy by the well-meaning but ill-trained staff. Dodgy wiring, an over-zealous cleaner and a retired greyhound add to the comic mix.
Trevor ... Joe Caffrey
Liz ... Janice Acquah
Michael ... Deka Walmsley
Heather ... Caroline Guthrie
Julie ... Phillippa Wilson
Neville ... Chris Connel
Chris ... Benjamin Askew
Norma ... Tracey Wilkinson
Susie ... Lizzy Watts
Sammy ... Lisa McGrillis
Tomlin ... Malcolm Tierney
Director ... Alison Hindell
Alan Plater is the much-loved author of hundreds of stage, radio and television dramas including The Beiderbecke Affair, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Close the Coalhouse Door, The Pallisers, Z Cars and Lewis. His work for radio includes an adaptation of his own autobiography, Stories For Another Day, and the original drama series The Devil's Music. The Gallery was his final play for radio before his death in June 2010.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b00jsxxm)
Paul Lewis and a panel of guests answer calls on mortgages, plus Vincent Duggleby on the Budget.
WED 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00js5t6)
Penelope's People
Making Ends Meet
Series of monologues performed by Penelope Keith, presenting resourceful characters responding very differently to big changes in their lives.
By Cathy Feeny. Lonely widow Cora has been made redundant. Cash is tight, but she still cannot resist the tempting knick-knacks from the mail order catalogues. A chance meeting offers her a way to beat the credit crunch and get out of mounting debt.
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 15:45 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Men of Fashion (b00jrnxt)
The King's Road - Granny Takes a Trip Into Punk
Malcolm McLaren joins Lawrence to assess the insoluble partnership between pop music and fashion through the decades.
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b00jsxxp)
History of Murder - Scottish Conservatives
Laurie Taylor explores the latest research into how society works.
Laurie discusses the history of murder, from duelling to drive-by killings, with Pieter Spierenburg, author of A History of Murder: Personal Violence in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Present and Joanna Bourke, author of An Intimate History of Killing. Why was the murder rate higher in the Middle Ages than it is now? What factors have pushed the practice of killing men down the social order and should we worry about the first increase in the murder rate for over 200 years?
Laurie also hears of the surprise of Antje Bednarek, a German sociologist pursuing an ethnography of Young Scottish Conservatives. She had not realised that tracking them down would be such a tricky business.
WED 16:30 Case Notes (b00jsxh4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 17:00 PM (b00js5w4)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00js5xh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
WED 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b00jsykr)
Series 1
Portland
In the last show of this repeated series Comedian Mark Steel gets to grips with the bird observatory, stone quarries and customs of the Isle of Portland in order to find out what makes it so distinctive. Find out why the locals are obsessed with obelisks and why you must never say the 'r' word.
Producer - Julia McKenzie.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b00js1x5)
Helen persuades Tom to do the delivery to Ambridge Organics, to avoid seeing Pat or Tony. As Helen and Annette leave for the shop, Helen sees Brenda approaching, so hurries Annette into the car, leaving Tom alone with Benda. Their conversation's awkward but Brenda finds herself telling Tom she might move away to find work once she's finished her finals. Not knowing what else to say, Tom finds himself wishing her luck.
Mike's still buzzing from last night's dancing. A new lady, Vicky, seems to have stood out. But, after bumping into Tom, Brenda's in no mood to appreciate Mike's enthusiasm.
Annette quizzes Helen about Brenda. Helen tries to get her to concentrate on work but when Kirsty arrives Annette wants her opinion too. Helen explains that Kirsty used to go out with Tom, so asks her to be careful, but Annette still questions Kirsty at the first opportunity.
When Helen asks Tom how he got on with Brenda, it's clear that he's feeling equally deflated. Brenda's obviously planning her future, so what can he say. Helen invites him round for dinner again. That's great news to Annette, especially when he offers to help her write her CV.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b00js5yl)
Comedian Natalie Haynes reviews a revival of the TV comedy classic Reggie Perrin about a suburban middle-manager and his repetitive routine, with Martin Clunes taking on the role made famous by Leonard Rossiter in the '70s.
The writer James Patterson was the biggest-selling hardback fiction author last year, and is the most borrowed author from UK libraries. James Patterson discusses his new literacy initiative and the nine hardbacks he's publishing this year.
In his last audio diary as judge of the Art Fund prize for the best museum or gallery in the UK, Grayson Perry reports from the Ruthin Craft Centre in Denbighshire, Orleans House in Richmond and the Sackler Centre for Education at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
The novelist Elizabeth Taylor has long been over shadowed by her more celebrated Hollywood namesake, but many believe her to be one of Britain's great unsung literary talents. Her biographer Nicola Beauman and writer Phillip Hensher talk to Mark about why Taylor has suffered relative neglect as a writer, and the problems faced by literary biographers.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jwy27)
ME Braddon - Lady Audley's Secret
Episode 3
Dramatisation of the classic Victorian thriller by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
Curious to meet his uncle's beautiful young wife, Robert Audley travels to Essex. He invites his widowed friend George Talboys to distract him from his grief. But Lady Audley is most reluctant to receive them.
Mary Braddon ...... Hattie Morahan
Robert Audley ...... Alex Wyndham
George Talboys ...... Joseph Kloska
Sir Michael Audley ...... Sam Dale
Alicia Audley ...... Perdita Weeks
Phoebe Marks ...... Lizzy Watts
Directed by Julie Beckett and Fiona Kelcher.
WED 20:00 Bringing Up Britain (b00jsxxr)
Series 2
Episode 3
Mariella Frostrup hosts a debate about parenting with families, experts and policy-makers.
Exploring step-parenting and 'blended families' from the point of view of parents, children and society.
By the age of 16, one in eight children has been through parental separation and is living with a 'new' parent. For some children such changes can be problematic, while others thrive in stepfamilies. How can parents help their children to adapt and what do we know about the impact of blended families on children?
Featuring the story of Darren, who has two teenage children, as does his partner. However, the children do not get on and Darren is worried that the situation is putting strain on all involved.
With guests Christine Tufnell of Care for the Family, Penny Mansfield from the relationship charity One Plus One, Nick Woodall from the Centre for Separated Families, and Elly Farmer, a clinical psychologist who also speaks for the Centre for Social Justice on family issues.
WED 20:45 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 21:00 Nature (b00js8cz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 Midweek (b00jsxp0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b00js5zt)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b00js619)
National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig. Alistair Darling targets the rich in a 'keep spending' Budget, what can 2,000 pound scrappage grants do for the car industry and did the police jump too soon on the Pakistan 'terror plotters'?
WED 22:40 Budget Statement (b00jtcwy)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, explains his Budget.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00js6r9)
Anybody Can Do Anything
Episode 8
Debora Weston reads Betty MacDonald's comic novel about life as a single mother in America during the Great Depression.
Mary gets Mother an unlikely job as a radio dramatist and Betty has to work with the sinister Dorita.
WED 23:00 My Teenage Diary (b00jtpwm)
Series 1
Steve Hall
Host Rufus Hound is joined by Steve Hall, member of the comedy sketch group We Are Klang. Steve reveals what it was like to grow up as a proper mummy's boy, and the nightmare situations he encountered because of it.
Part of a comedy series in which comedians read out selected passages from their teenage diaries.
Producer: Victoria Payne
A talkbackTHAMES production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:15 Bespoken Word (b00cxr1z)
Mister Gee presents the performance poetry series, recorded at London's Troubadour Coffee House. Featured performers include Murray Lachlan Young.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00jrpxg)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with David Wilby.
THURSDAY 23 APRIL 2009
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b00jrt6n)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b00k2lzc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvc3)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00jrvjq)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvdq)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b00jrz8c)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00jrz9n)
Daily prayer and reflection, with Bishop George Stack.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b00js0ck)
News and issues in rural Britain with Charlotte Smith.
Charlotte reports on Europe's admission that the Common Fisheries Policy is not working and is in need of fundamental reform. A new approach should be in place by 2013. She also hears what fishermen and conservationists want from the changes.
THU 06:00 Today (b00js1mb)
Presented by Sarah Montague and Evan Davis.
Sir Christopher Kelly says he is not surprised that political leaders did not reach an agreement about expenses.
Director of the IFS Robert Chote explains what he made of the Budget figures.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair says extremism will continue to grow in countries like Afghanistan.
Professor Stanley Wells and art historian Sir Roy Strong discuss if a portrait of William Shakespeare is genuine.
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne gives his reaction to the budget.
British furniture designer Tom Dixon discusses what makes a good chair and to what extent a classic design can be reinvented.
Thought for the day with the Reverend Angela Tilby, vicar of St Bene't's Church in Cambridge.
Former director of public prosecutions Sir Ken McDonald says intercept evidence should be allowed in court.
Chancellor Alistair Darling said the UK economy would return to growth by the end of 2009 and expand by 3.5 per cent in 2011 in his Budget speech. He discusses his forecasts and the 'tough' future for public sector spending.
A clip from the BBC's broadcast of the Spithead Royal Naval review from 1937.
British surgeon Paul McMaster, who is working with Medecins Sans Frontieres, describes the scene in a Sri Lankan hospital.
Indians are going to the polls in the second round of its month-long general election. South Asia correspondent Chris Morris reports from one of the states voting - Bihar.
Winners of the Orwell Prize for political writing, journalism and blogging have been unveiled. Prize director Jean Seaton gives the details.
Correspondent Matthew Price reports from Barack Obama's home city of Chicago, where there is a growing sense that the areas he worked in as a community leader are 'slipping back' as the recession bites.
Historian Michael Wood and Professors Mark Ormrod and Pat Thane discuss great turning points in British history.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b00jts6k)
The Building of St Petersburg
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the building of St Petersburg, Peter the Great's showcase city for a modern, European Russia. It is a city of ideas. of progress and the Baroque, of Russian identity and Tsarist power. The building of St Petersburg is a testament to Tsarist power but it is also a city of ideas; of progress, of the Baroque and Russian identity. Beset by fire and flood, the city was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 to symbolise a new Russia, one that faced away from the Slavic East and towards the European West. To this end Peter and his heirs imported European architects, craftsmen and merchants to fashion his new capital.The result is a grandiose European city set amidst the freezing swamps of the Baltic coast; a Venice or Rome of the North. Indeed, the Venetian art connoisseur, Francesco Algarotti called St Petersburg ‘a window through which Russia looks on Europe’. It is a city of beauty built upon the cruelty of a tyrant and to this day encapsulates many of the contradictions of Russia.With Simon Dixon, Sir Bernard Pares Professor of Russian History at University College London; Janet Hartley, Professor of International History at the London School of Economics; Anthony Cross, Emeritus Professor of Slavonic Studies at the University of Cambridge
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b00k2lzf)
RA Scotti - The Lost Mona Lisa
Episode 4
Vincenzo Peruggia is reckoned to be the painting's thief. But what are his motives and is he believable? Read by Nickolas Grace.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jw92b)
Sandra and Michael Howard; Violinist Sarah Chang
Sandra and Michael Howard on the shifting balances in their relationship. Plus, violinist Sarah Chang on leaving behind the child prodigy label; and the increase in women truckers.
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b00jz7c9)
Thailand
Violent clashes in Bangkok have revealed a deep political divide in Thailand. As the Red Shirts prepared to descend on the capital, Lucy Ash joined them in their heartland in the north east of the country.
She watched the build up to the massive protest in Bangkok and discovered who the Red Shirts are, how they organise themselves and why poor villagers and rice farmers are now demanding to be heard.
THU 11:30 The Hull Truck Story (b00jts6p)
Charting the build-up to the move of the Hull Truck Theatre company from its intimate home in a former chapel to a new and larger, purpose-built venue in the centre of Hull.
The programme also tells the story of how the company and its creative director, playwright John Godber, have come to occupy a special place in the hearts of many theatregoers.
THU 12:00 Budget Call (b00k2s4w)
Vincent Duggleby and the Money Box team answer listeners' calls on how the Budget will affect them.
THU 12:57 Weather (b00js1td)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b00js1vp)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
The chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Smith, discusses the government's plans for a new generation of coal-fired power plants. The carbon dioxide created by the power stations would be
stored underground in an effort to combat climate change.
Plus a closer look at the details of the Budget, in particular the prospects for public spending in health and education, and the latest news from the South African general election.
THU 13:30 Costing the Earth (b00jwy3l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Monday]
THU 14:00 The Archers (b00js1x5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b00jtsl7)
The Iceman Goeth
Drama documentary by Steve Jacobi about actor Ian Holm.
Featuring a candid interview with Holm, who talks about his childhood, his acting and the death of his brother. It is intercut with a drama set in the summer of 1976, in the build-up to Howard Davies' production of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, which Holm had to leave after suffering a sudden attack of stage fright.
Ian Holm ...... Ian Glen
Bee Gilbert ...... Charlotte Emmerson
Howard Davies ...... Malcolm Raeburn
Norman Rodway/Doctor ...... David Fleeshman
Patti Love ...... Kathryn Hunt
Joel Grey ...... Stephen Hogan.
THU 15:02 Open Country (b00jpyw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:07 on Saturday]
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b00jqxjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Afternoon Reading (b00js5t8)
Penelope's People
Pills
In Pills by Eric Pringle, we meet Alice Black, a dancer whose career came to an abrupt end when she was still a young woman. Now, trapped in a loveless marriage, she occasionally feels bitter and resentful that her life has not fulfilled its early promise.
But the determination that first drove her to pursue a career on the stage gives her strength as she faces a very uncertain future.
Reader: Penelope Keith
Producer: David Blount
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 15:45 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Men of Fashion (b00jrny6)
The New Man? - Fashion in the '80s
Big hair, big shoulders, big salaries and big hangovers. Laurence wonders whether fashion reflected 1980s greedy consumerism.
THU 16:00 Open Book (b00jqz5z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:30 Material World (b00jtsl9)
Quentin Cooper and guests discuss how machines are learning to recognise and express emotions. He meets Professor Roddy Cowie and Professor Rosalind Picard, two researchers hoping to develop robots that can read our moods.
In Nebraska, space lawyers gather to thrash out how the world might deal with the threat of Near Earth Objects: asteroids that might one day crash to earth with devastating consequencies. Even if we have the technology to do something about it, how would the nations of the world best agree to get on with it? Ben Baseley-Walker of the Secure World Foundation, co-sponsor of the conference, hopes that talking about the legal niceties now rather than later could save valuable time should the warning ever come.
Plus, after chancellor Alistair Darling announced a 750 million pound fund to help innovation and emerging technologies, Hagan Bayley, Professor of Chemical Biology at Oxford University, visits the studio on his way to pick up an enterprise award for a cheap DNA sequencing device.
THU 17:00 PM (b00js5w6)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00js5xk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
THU 18:30 4 Stands Up (b00jv9mw)
Series 3
Episode 4
Chris Addison introduces another triumvirate of comedy stars - Gareth Richards, Dan Antopolski and Zoe Lyons. From April 2009.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b00js1x7)
Phil's old NFU friends are at Brookfield for his birthday. David's organised a tour of the farm and Bert's in fine form, delighted that he also remembers some of the faces. Phil's loving it - and seems to think he's back in charge.
Kenton's new waitress, Naomi, is good but nowhere near as flexible as Emma. Kenton insists he'll work his charm on her but he fails, and so is unable to leave her to lock and cash up while he goes round to see Phil.
Eventually, Kathy arrives at the café with a present for Phil but it's too late for her to go with Kenton - she's got to get to a parents' evening. She's also bought Meriel's birthday present. Kenton can't believe he's not seen her for four years and thinks they should take Jamie over for a visit. Kathy agrees to think about it - but some other time. Kenton needs to get to Brookfield quickly, so Kathy offers to stay and cash up.
Phil's birthday's a great success all round. Kenton arrives just in time, and Phil's delighted with his present. He appreciates the trouble everyone's been to. The family are just pleased Phil had such a happy birthday.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b00js5yn)
A new BBC TV drama Best - 'His Mother's Son', which focuses on George Best's relationship with his alcoholic mother, is reviewed by football writer Alyson Rudd.
As a new upmarket hotel for touring musicians opens, Francis Rossi of Status Quo, Tom Robinson, Guy Garvey of Elbow, and Toyah Wilcox remember the slightly less salubrious digs from their touring days.
Colin Paterson reviews new British film Shifty, the story of 24 hours in the life of a young drug dealer which was filmed on a micro-budget of 100,000 pounds in only 18 days.
And Barbara Broccoli, daughter of the famous producer Cubby, discusses her father's approach to transferring Fleming's James Bond from the book to the big screen.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jwy29)
ME Braddon - Lady Audley's Secret
Episode 4
Dramatisation of the classic Victorian thriller by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
Robert Audley continues his search for his lost friend George. He follows the trail to Southampton, but believes the answer to all his questions actually lies at Audley Court.
Mary Braddon ...... Hattie Morahan
Lucy, Lady Audley ...... Charlotte Emmerson
Robert Audley ...... Alex Wyndham
Alicia Audley ...... Perdita Weeks
Sir Michael Audley ...... Sam Dale
Lieutenant Maldon ...... Jonathan Tafler
Directed by Julie Beckett and Fiona Kelcher.
THU 20:00 The Report (b00jv9my)
The BNP in Europe
Mukul Devichand assesses the British National Party's prospects for the forthcoming European Elections. The programme meets the party's chairman, Nick Griffin, and investigates the BNP's efforts in the north west of England to have him elected as their first MEP.
THU 20:30 In Business (b00jv9n0)
Grand Design
Designers are getting tired of being pigeon-holed into the role of making products look better and work better. Peter Day argues that it is high time that designers are given a far larger role in all sorts of organisations. He hears from some influential people who are convinced that something called Design Thinking can help companies cope with a wide variety of great big business uncertainties, not just the shape of the box they come in.
THU 21:00 Who's My Half-Brother? Where's My Half-Sister? (b00jv9n2)
Kati Whitaker talks to people in the UK and the USA about the ways in which children conceived through a sperm donor can make contact, and forge a familial bond, with their potential half-brothers and sisters.
She hears about the difficult choices that both parents and children have to make, and how for some there is the reward of discovery of a half-sibling, but for others the search proves to be a journey into the unknown.
A Ladbroke Radio production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b00jts6k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b00js5zw)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b00js61c)
National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig. Jacob Zuma is poised for a large victory in South Africa, Taliban militants advance in Pakistan and how to make Whitehall more efficient.
THU 22:40 Budget Response by the Shadow Chancellor (b00jvb1d)
The Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne, responds to the Budget.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00js6rc)
Anybody Can Do Anything
Episode 9
Debora Weston reads Betty MacDonald's comic novel about life as a single mother in America during the Great Depression.
Betty resolves never to go to another office party.
THU 23:00 The Personality Test (b007vt9q)
Series 3
Eve Pollard
All about Eve – writer and ex-newspaper editor Eve Pollard is in the hot seat posing questions all about her.
Tackling the ultra-personal quiz are Sue Perkins, Caroline Quinlan, Robin Ince and Will Smith.
Comedy quiz presented by a new guest host every show. All the questions are about them. .
Script by Simon Littlefield and Kieron Quirke.
Devised and produced by Aled Evans.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2007.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00jrpxs)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Robert Orchard.
FRIDAY 24 APRIL 2009
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b00jrt6q)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b00k2lzf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvc5)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00jrvjs)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00jrvds)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b00jrz8f)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00jrz9q)
Daily prayer and reflection, with Bishop George Stack.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b00js0cm)
Charlotte Smith hears how the cow's genome has finally been mapped and what it means for farmers and consumers. The start of a revolution in the way we breed and understand cattle could be marked when the complete cow genome is published in the journal Science, revealing the genetic make up of the animal. It has taken six years and 300 scientists from 25 countries to get to this point.
FRI 06:00 Today (b00js1md)
Presented by Sarah Montague and Edward Stourton.
Lord Taverne and Miles Templeton discuss a new bill aimed at embarrassing senior executives.
Brain expert Baroness Susan Greenfield discusses why are there so few women in the field of science and technology.
Correspondent Jon Kay visits an orchard in the West Country to discover if there is a 'real danger of losing these unique habitats'.
Miriam Rosen, director of education at Ofsted, discusses why 60 per cent of the pupils taking art GCSE are girls.
UN spokesman Gordon Weiss discusses how the UN can help refugees caught up in the fighting between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan government forces.
British businessman Michael Young tells the remarkable story of the secret negotiations between South African figures during apartheid.
Thought for the day with the writer Rhidian Brook.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is investing heavily in stem cell research. Reporter Angus Stickler speaks to Ruth McKernan, of Pfizer, and Professor Pete Coffey discusses what this says about the future of stem cell research.
Conservative leader David Cameron explains what a Tory government would do to fix the nation's finances. Former Tory MP Michael Portillo explains how the political game has changed in recent times.
Journalist Harry Eyres and writer Toby Young discuss if life is better in the slow lane.
Yuri Fedotov, Russia's ambassador in London, discusses if he is confident that a arms deal can be reached between the US and Russia.
Rory Cellan-Jones reports on the work done by The Internet Watch Foundation - an organisation dedicated to blocking abusive images of children on the internet.
Journalist Alec Russell and Peter Hain MP discuss the outcome of the South African elections.
Essex County Council is setting up its own bank to help small businesses. Stephen Castle, a Tory member of the council, discusses why he believes normal banks are not offering firms the correct level of financial support.
Psychologist Joseph Nicolosi and the Reverend Sharon Ferguson, of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, discuss what it means to be gay.
FRI 09:00 The Reunion (b00jqxl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b00k2lzh)
RA Scotti - The Lost Mona Lisa
Episode 5
Vincenzo Peruggia is arrested and the painting is returned to France. End of story? Not exactly. Concluded by Nickolas Grace.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jw92d)
Lindsay Wagner; Preventing teenage pregnancy
Former Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner on her self-help therapy. Plus, is it fair to expect girls to take the lead on contraception? And the weekly marathon runner Gina Little.
FRI 11:00 Anthropology at War (b00jvdh8)
Mark Whitaker reports from Washington DC on the recent policy of the United States army to embed anthropologists and other social scientists with combat brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The hope is that they will teach the military to behave in more 'culturally appropriate' ways and reduce the need for lethal force. However, three young academics have died during the 18 months that the policy has been operation, and the American Anthropological Association has condemned the initiative as unethical.
A Square Dog production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 11:30 Chain Reaction (b00m508g)
Series 3
Marcus Brigstocke and Clive Anderson
Comedian Marcus Brigstocke and presenter Clive Anderson get chatting in the tag-team talk show where this week's guest is next week's interviewer. From January 2007.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b00js1rx)
Consumer news and issues with Peter White.
Money Box and You and Yours programme teams join together to answer your questions about what the Budget will mean for your finances. Join presenters Vincent Duggleby, Paul Lewis and Shari Vahl and their panel of experts: Mike Warburton, senior tax partner at Grant Thornton, Eddy Graham, Child Poverty Action Group and Mark Dampier, Hargreaves Lansdown. Shari will be at Chorley Market in Lancashire with a pensioner, a small business owner and an unemployed man to hear their reaction.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b00js1tg)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b00js1vr)
New figures show that the British economy has experienced its sharpest fall since 1979 and biggest fall in manufacturing output since records began. Concern continues to surround the car industry, with separate figures showing a fall in over 50 per cent in the production of new cars compared to the January to March period of 2008. The chief executive of the West Midlands Chamber of Commerce gives his thoughts.
Campaigners have condemned as scandalous new rules giving more Gurkhas the right to live in Britain. The actress Joanna Lumley, who has backed the Gurkhas' campaign, tells us that the new criteria are unattainable. Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, responds.
And as India sends a delegation to Sri Lanka to urge a truce in fighting between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan government troops, a Labour MP tells us that Sri Lanka should be expelled from the Commonwealth if they fail to heed UN advice. The UN humanitarian affairs chief, Sir John Holmes, joins us.
FRI 13:30 More or Less (b00jvdhb)
Tim Harford examines how the arithmetic behind sustainable energy adds up, asks whether putting in 100 per cent effort is enough and declares a dictatorship in an attempt to explain the national debt.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b00js1x7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b00jvdhd)
3000
By Anna Symon. Fact-based dramatisation of the experiences of one of the 3,000 unaccompanied displaced children who arrive in the UK every year: that of Mehrab, an Afghan boy who arrives in London in the back of a truck aged 15.
Mehrab Dasani ...... Donald Slack
Jahandar Dasani ...... Qaseem Ansari
Uncle Farrid ...... Tahmoures Tehrani
Mr Fielding ...... Jot Davies
Immigration Officer ...... Sudha Bhuchar
Tam ...... Romesh Navaratnasingham
Young Mehrab ...... Parsa Tehrani
With original music by David Chilton
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00jvdhg)
Peter Gibbs chairs the popular horticultural forum.
Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew and Matthew Biggs answer questions sent in by post and email.
Including the Gardeners' Question Time gardening weather forecast.
A Taylor Made production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:45 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Men of Fashion (b00jrnzd)
The Clothes We're In - The State of Men's Fashion Now
With women's hemlines acting as a social and economic barometer, Laurence asks what men's fashion says about the state we are in.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b00jvfg2)
Matthew Bannister talks to Bea Ballard, David Cronenberg and Brian Aldiss about the life of writer JG Ballard
Mick and Jack Jones, Lord Morris and Rodney Bickerstaffe on the trade union leader Jack Jones
Actor Leslie Phillips on Carry On film producer Peter Rogers.
The Right Hon Ken Clarke and Howard Davies on the former governor of the Bank of England, Lord George
Plus the music of trumpet player Zeke Zarchey.
FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b00jvfg4)
Francine Stock presents a special edition about the recent renaissance in British cinema. After Slumdog Millionaire swept the Oscars, the green shoots of recovery are evident in low-budget, critically-acclaimed films like Hunger, Shifty, Helen, Unrelated and The Escapist. Francine asks why the industry is doing so well and wonders if it can last.
FRI 17:00 PM (b00js5w8)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Eddie Mair. Plus Weather.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00js5xm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b00jvfg6)
Series 27
Episode 8
Comedy sketches and satirical comments from Steve Punt, Hugh Dennis and the team including Mitch Benn, Laura Shavin, Jon Holmes and Lloyd Langford.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b00js1x9)
Usha's just finished a short run, in final preparation for Sunday's marathon.
Pat's desperate to make amends and begs Helen to try to understand her mother's worry. Hearing her apologise, Helen has a change of heart and they kiss and make up. Pat insists they only want what's best for her, and Helen tells her they'll just have to trust her then.
Adam checks out the cellar for Lilian, and finds a broken window. He struggles to find an explanation but Lilian insists recent events have all been down to Chalkman. Adam agrees she should call the police.
Matt turns up while the police are investigating the scene. He can't believe Lilian's phoned them and gives her a hard time. Lilian can't go on like this any longer and sticks up for herself. She wishes she'd told the police about Chalkman - after all, Matt can't get into any deeper trouble - but Matt insists they're not bringing the police into this.
Lilian tells Adam the situation's making her ill and she just wishes Matt would realise they're both going through this. Adam tells her she's welcome at Honeysuckle Cottage whenever she likes. All that matters is that she's got somewhere she feels safe.
Episode written by Tim Stimpson.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b00js5yq)
Endgame is a new political TV thriller starring William Hurt which focuses on a series of secret meetings held in the UK to bring about the end of apartheid in South Africa. Gillian Slovo, whose mother - the activist Ruth First - was murdered by the apartheid security police, reviews.
In a new work being prepared for the Luminous cultural festival in Sydney, Brian Eno offers an interpretation of Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, a book by scientist and writer David Eagleman. Eno and Eagleman talk to Kirsty Lang about their visions of life after death.
South African director Gavin Hood discusses the surprising links between his Oscar-winning 2005 film Tsotsi, which was set in the Soweto slums, and his latest project Wolverine, which is part of the hugely successful superhero franchise X Men.
Earlier this year Dame Liz Forgan became the new Chair of Arts Council England. In her first broadcast interview in her new role, she tells John Wilson how she has found an extra 44.5 million pounds for the arts, and how artists and organisations can survive the recession.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jwy2c)
ME Braddon - Lady Audley's Secret
Episode 5
Dramatisation of the classic Victorian thriller by Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
Robert leaves the splendour of Audley Court to continue his search for his missing friend at a draughty hilltop inn. When he interviews Lady Audley's former maid, he provokes a surprising result.
Mary Braddon ...... Hattie Morahan
Lucy, Lady Audley ...... Charlotte Emmerson
Robert Audley ...... Alex Wyndham
Phoebe Marks ...... Lizzy Watts
Luke Marks ...... Benjamin Askew
Directed by Julie Beckett and Fiona Kelcher.
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b00jvfjk)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the topical debate from Cookham, Berkshire. Panellists are the Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, cabinet office minister Liam Byrne, Conservative shadow minister Justine Greening and Liberal Democrat spokesman David Laws.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b00jvfjm)
Britain has Talent
Clive James wonders what the reaction to Susan Boyle’s performance on a television talent show has to tell us about the progress of feminism, and how far appearance still matters – even in the world of serious singing.
FRI 21:00 Friday Drama (b0076yw7)
Consideration
By Robert Messik. Eleanor did not hesitate to donate a kidney to her husband when he needed it. But two years later Peter left her and their children for another woman. Now she is suing him for the return of her kidney.
Eleanor ...... Tracy-Ann Oberman
Peter ...... Paul Bown
Eleanor's barrister/Simon ...... Richard Derrington
Peter's barrister/Mary ...... Tracy Wiles
Alexia/Miss Tonnel ...... Alison Pettitt
Tony/Judge ...... Andrew Sachs
Dr Rosen/Ben Grant ...... David Bannerman
Directed by David Ian Neville.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b00js5zy)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b00js61f)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah. Including reports on international pressure to allow 50,000 civilians trapped by fighting in Sri Lanka to flee, increased domestic violence in Gaza and a new use for empty high street shops.
FRI 22:40 Budget Response (b00jvb2w)
The Liberal Democrats' Treasury Spokesman, Vincent Cable, responds to the Budget.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00js6rf)
Anybody Can Do Anything
Episode 10
Debora Weston reads Betty MacDonald's comic novel about life as a single mother in America during the Great Depression.
Mary tells a publisher about Betty's wonderful new book, which is news to Betty, too.
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (b00js9g1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00jrpxx)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Mark D'Arcy.