The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
Sally Bayley recalls how a strange home life made her bond with characters from books:
After a visit to the doctor and questions from Audrey, who means well, there is time to be spent at Colwood. Which requires all the consolatory powers that Jane Eyre can muster. But destiny does favour Sally..
Spiritual reflection to start the day with writer and broadcaster, Anna Magnusson.
iPM listener Robert describes the six months he's spent without his wife while they wait for her visa to settle in the UK, and find out if they'll be reunited soon.
We have news on the iPM Outside Broadcast "OB" not a competition chance to host a whole iPM programme.
And Sara Cox takes a break from her new Radio 2 Drivetime show to read our "Your News" bulletin.
iPM is the show that starts with your story. ipm@bbc.co.uk is how to get in touch.
Presented by Luke Jones. Produced by Cat Farnsworth
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
After the First World War the nation's timber stocks were at their lowest level with many trees being taken for the trenches and also used for coffins. 2019 marks the centenary of the Forestry Commission which helped create new woodlands to replenish stocks. Among them was Thetford Forest in Norfolk. Writer Ian Marchant explores how it was created and what it looks like now. Things don't stand still though and some of the original species are being replaced with others that can weather climate change. The people and animals aren't standing still either. Although they weren't originally encouraged to use the forest today visitors are crucial. Ian gets up early to join the cani-cross club - human runners who attach themselves to dogs to race as a team - and the alpaca walkers.
Jay Rayner hosts the culinary panel show from the Garden Museum in Lambeth. Rachel McCormack, Nisha Katona, Tim Hayward and Dr Annie Gray are this week's panel.
The panellists explore the museum's culinary connections through Captain Bligh and John Tradescant, answer questions on enhancing dishes with aniseed flavours and good fruits to eat with beef, and discuss how to stop halloumi from squeaking.
Jay and the panel also delve into Elephant and Castle's long-standing Colombian traditions.
Correspondents around the world tell their stories and examine news developments in their region
New rules are set to change access to pension credit. At the moment the benefit can be claimed to top up income when the older partner in a couple reaches the qualifying state pension age. From May 15th it will switch to when the younger person in the relationship qualifies. Pensioners with younger partners who are already on pension credit or pension-age Housing Benefit will not be affected by the change while their entitlement remains. The announcement was made via a written statement by pensions minister Guy Opperman which was published on Monday. Guest: Gareth Morgan CEO of Ferret Information Systems.
Money Box listeners who took out student loans in the 1990s have received letters offering to settle the debt if they agree to pay a percentage of their outstanding amount. Some of these former students are approaching the point where their loans will be written off anyway. Guest: Martin Lewis, Founder and Chair MoneySavingExpert.com
Sorting out a £51 tax refund ended up costing one man £137 after he searched online and dialled a number listed on an official looking website which he thought belonged to HMRC. It wasn’t and the line he called which connected him to HMRC was a premium rate one. Guest: David Hickson of the Fair Telecoms campaign.
The News Quiz team on progress with Brexit, how razor brand Gillette hurt a lot of men's feelings, and a mental image of Piers Morgan that even Marie Kondo can't tidy up.
Miles Jupp hosts, with guests Andy Hamilton, Katie Perrior, Danielle Ward and Phil Wang.
Miles' script is written by Madeleine Brettingham, Robin Morgan & Max Davies, with additional material by Catherine Brinkworth and Esyllt Sears.
Jonathan Dimbleby presents topical debate from the University of Huddersfield with a panel including the Chairman of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady, Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon, Education Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats Layla Moran and Senior Editor at the Economist Anne McElvoy.
Jonathan Holloway's reimagining of Dostoyevsky's nightmare vision of a lonely civil servant driven to madness when his life is stolen by a doppelganger.
Jonathan Holloway has taken Dostoyevksy's tale of the lonely civil servant on the verge of a nervous breakdown and relocated it to a steampunk version of 19th Century St Petersburg, substituting the labyrinthine Tsarist bureaucracy of the original with the advanced computer systems office of the Russian Federation's Intelligence Services.
To win his superiors' admiration the story's hero, Golyadkin, starts working on perfecting a new cyber-weapon only to find that a new arrival in the office who looks remarkably like him is taking all the credit for his work.
In this new adaptation the 21st century begins to intrude - samovars bubble, dances mix trance with live string quartets, electric taxis whine on the highways while horses clatter by and computers are gas-fuelled.
In Golyadkin's fractured mind he's lost all sense of where he exists in time and what we're experiencing is his dream of the future.
Dostoyevsky's themes of grinding bureaucracy, societal pressures inducing feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness are given a bleakly modern twist.
Alison Balsom's career would be astonishing even if she had simply been content to reign as one of the world's best classical trumpeters. But the so-called Diva of the Trumpet has ambitions which go beyond performance on the concert platform. She is a passionate ambassador for the trumpet and for broadening its repertoire. And now, as the newly appointed artistic director of the Cheltenham Music Festival, she relishes the opportunity to open up the best classical music to new audiences in creative ways.
The programme has access to Alison, providing a glimpse at her life, as she takes the reins of the music festival, conducts masterclasses, rehearses with Guy Barker for a new concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank, and works at home in her "room of inspiration".
Contributors include counter tenor Iestyn Davies, theatre director Dominic Dromgoole, and Huw Humphreys who is in charge of music at the Barbican.
Sheila Ravenscroft, Dave Gorman, Angela Barnes, Anna Jordan, Fatima, Lisa O' Neill, Emma Freud, Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson and Emma Freud are joined by Sheila Ravenscroft, Dave Gorman, Anna Jordan and Angela Barnes for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Fatima and Lisa O' Neill.
There’s only one story this week. People up and down the country are bitterly divided. Yes, it’s the vegan sausage roll. The latest PR-friendly innovation from bakery-turned-fast food chain Greggs. But the success of this faux meat pastry product is just the latest chapter in what is one of the retail turnaround stories of the past decade. Down in the doldrums five years ago these days Greggs is on a – ahem – roll. And it’s largely down to one man, apparently: Roger Whiteside, our subject this week.
Mary Queen of Scots, Approaching Empty, Leila Slimani, Fausto Melotti, Ride Upon The Storm
A new film telling the story of Mary Queen of Scots and her relationship with Elizabeth I, stars Saiorse Ronan and Margot Robbie as the 2 queens
Approaching Empty is a new play by Ishy Din just opened at The Kiln Theatre in London. Set in a run-down minicab office in the north of England, it deals with how far you can trust your oldest friends
Prix Goncourt-winning Leila Slimani's latest novel Adele is about a woman who - bored with her apparently idyllic married life - decides to plunge into a world of illegal drugs, anonymous rampant sex, excessive alcohol and she has to lie to her disabled husband.
Fausto Melotti was an Italian Futurist sculptor. Revered in Italy, he is less known beyond its borders but an exhibition at The Estorick Collection hopes to increase awareness of his harmonious and delicately-poised work
Ride Upon The Storm is part of Channel 4's Walter Presents strand of international dramas. A Danish series by BAFTA award winning writer Adam Price, who previously created Borgen. Starring Lars Mikkelsen, it's about a family of priests with an ungodly father and all-too-human sons
Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Luke Jennings, Deborah Bull and Patrice Lawrence. The producer is Oliver Jones
Remember when Russia landed the first man on the moon? How Tony Blair became European President, and Delia Smith became Pope? Or how the American Writers Guild Strike indirectly led to the election of President Donald J Trump?
Satirist Gareth Gwynn does. Blurring fact and fiction, using genuine archive from the last 50 years, he tells the story of world-changing events that could have happened.
It's 1959 and young Jim Maclaine seems to have it all. He's good looking and destined to go to a good university. But he's haunted by the father that abandoned him and his mother when he was small. Is he ready for the normal life mapped out for him? Or is he restless like his old man? Based on the seventies hit film.
The average cost of a funeral has doubled in the past twelve years. As people struggle to meet the soaring cost, Joan Bakewell explores how to achieve a decent send-off for a friend or relative, and even yourself, if you don’t have the money.
Low-cost funerals are now in demand and, as Joan discovers, there are many ways of keeping the cost down. She and her panel discuss the different elements of a funeral to reveal where the money goes, and how you can make savings. Many people today are choosing to do away with the ‘frills’, such as the hearse, limousines and pall bearers, and focussing on the essentials - the coffin, cremation or burial, and the service.
While some can afford a low-cost funeral, an increasing number cannot. The state-funded public health funerals, or ‘paupers funerals’ as they were once called, are on the rise. But securing one from your local authority isn’t always easy. Joan asks why these funerals can be so hard to access, when someone is in genuine need, and where to seek help.
The pairs from the South of England and the Midlands make their first appearance of the 2019 season in today's contest. Tom Sutcliffe is on hand to ensure fair play and to provide useful hints and steers where needed, although he will be docking points every time he has to supply a clue.
As usual the programme includes a selection of the best recent question ideas received from listeners. Tom will also reveal the solution to the teaser puzzle he left listeners with at the end of the previous edition.
Anna Scott-Brown hears more stories from the people who stop to sit beside her on benches around the country.
In this edition, Anna sits on a bench in Hamnovoe on the Island of Burra in Shetland. Throughout the programme, a specially commissioned work by the poet Jen Hadfield draws on the voices of those passing by – and sometimes pausing on – the bench opposite a small west-facing harbour.
The poem speaks in the voices of the landscape and the words of the contributors, reflecting on geology, time and the Island community.
The edges between the land and the sea and the sea and the sky becomes a theme, as does how living on an island changes your perspective on community, the sea and your place in the world.
We hear snatches of dialect and how it was once considered rude, and even unlucky, to speak dialect in a public space, as well as folklore and stories.
The rich variety of voices melds those born and living on Shetland with people who have arrived for many different reasons – including one Polish lady exiled in 1981 when martial rule was imposed in Poland. She finds a similarity between being cut off from her homeland and living on a small island in bad weather.
Hidden lives are revealed and common threads recur as Anna’s gentle but insistent questions elicit poignant and profound responses from those sitting on the bench.
SUNDAY 20 JANUARY 2019
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m000240s)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
SUN 00:30 Short Works (m000222v)
Green Paper
By AM Bakalar. It's Poland in 1980 and social unrest is deepening. Support for Solidarity and other political groups is growing. Sonia and Dariusz run an underground press. One night, Sonia - heavily pregnant - receives some unwelcome visitors.
A M Bakalar is the author of two novels, Madame Mephisto (2012) and Children of Our Age (2017). Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The International New York Times and LA Review of Books among others. Her story Woman Of Your Dreams was broadcast as part of Radio 4’s Angielski series in 2015. She was born and raised in Wroclaw, Poland and lives in London.
Writer: A M Bakalar
Reader: Anamaria Marinca
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000240v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000240x)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000240z)
The latest shipping forecast
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0002411)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0002413)
St Helen's, Sefton
Bells on Sunday comes from the ancient parish church of St. Helen’s, Sefton in Liverpool. There are eight bells, two each from 1588, 1601, 1815 and 1945. We hear them ringing ‘Grandsire Triples’.
SUN 05:45 Profile (m000240j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News Headlines (m00024qk)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (m00024qm)
Hunger
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores the experience of hunger and the satisfaction of feeling truly sated.
Shoshana explains that, in the Jewish tradition, a blessing is said before eating to thank God for the gift of nourishment. Another blessing is said after eating, expressing gratitude for the sensation of feeling satisfied. While the feeling of being full is a powerful source of motivation, many people of faith believe there is much to be learned from the sensation of hunger.
The notion of self-induced hunger might seem strange to a non-believer, but Shoshana explains that many religious traditions involve fasting with different reasons for fasting or depriving oneself of food. The Christian tradition of Lent seeks to re-enact Jesus’ sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days; the Islamic tradition of fasting during Ramadan is meant to increase self-control in all-areas; and the Jewish tradition of fasting on Yom Kippur helps to express repentance leading to forgiveness.
Shoshana draws upon the poetry of the 13th century Persian poet, Rumi, who describes a kind of "exquisite sweetness" that comes from depriving oneself of food. But being hungry doesn't always feel as ecstatic as Rumi makes it out to be. Shoshana reveals "the truth is that following an entire day and night of fasting, I don’t feel terribly angelic. Instead, I’m feeling all too human - my stomach growls, my head aches, and my mouth feels parched and in desperate need of some toothpaste and a swish of water."
Nonetheless, she argues, this process is a valuable reminder of just how much her physical hunger is part of her existence.
Producer: Max O'Brien
Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand
A TBI production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m00024qp)
Selling Shetland
With its own breeds of sheep, cattle and ponies Shetland agriculture has some great brands to market. Nancy Nicolson meets Ronnie Eunson, a farmer determined to make the most of the advantage.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m00024qr)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m00024qt)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m00024qw)
Sunday morning religious news and current affairs programme, presented by William Crawley
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m00024qy)
World Child Cancer
Sports presenter Gary Lineker makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of World Child Cancer.
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘World Child Cancer’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘World Child Cancer’.
Registered Charity Number: 1084729
SUN 07:57 Weather (m00024r0)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m00024r2)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m00024r4)
A Light Shines in the Darkness
At the beginning of a new year, people often look to the hopes they have for themselves, their homes and their communities. In this service of hope and renewal from Croydon Seventh Day Adventist Church, Amanda Mukwashi, Chief Executive of Christian Aid, explores the idea of God doing a "new thing", as described by the prophet Isaiah. Amanda reflects on what this means for people living in conflict and abject poverty around the world. What does dignity, equality and justice look like in situations of internal displacement, violence, economic injustice and humanitarian disasters? What does it mean for the light of Christ to shine in the darkness? The service is led by David Billet and music comes from the SDA Gospel Choir directed by Ken Burton.
Producer: Katharine Longworth
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m000223f)
Brexit and the English Revolution
Linda Colley reflects on an historic week in British politics.
She turns to Lawrence Stone's famous book, "The Causes of the English Revolution", to cast light on the present turmoil.
And she asks if the bitter fractures over Brexit could eventually turn out to be the modernizing force the UK needs.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m0002531)
Kirsty Oswald's Robin
For actress Kirsty Oswald, an appreciation of nature has always been a family affair. In this episode of Tweet, she explains how it was her Uncle who sparked her fascination with the natural world, and what the significance of the robin's place in Irish folklore means to her.
Producer Elliott Prince
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m00024r6)
News with Paddy O'Connell including what will happen in Parliament in the next few days about Brexit, how Bristol's Mayor and his Deputy are coping with death threats plus Melvyn Bragg takes a look at the legacy of the artist, critic and pundit John Ruskin. Reviewing the Sunday news coverage: columnist Sarah Vine, presenter James O'Brien and British Museum curator Irving Finkel.
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m00024r8)
Writer ….. Simon Frith
Director ….. Peter Leslie Wild
Editor ….. Jeremy Howe
David Archer ….. Timothy Bentinck
Pip Archer ….. Daisy Badger
Ben Archer ….. Ben Norris
Kenton Archer ….. Richard Attlee
Brian Aldridge ….. Charles Collingwood
Jennifer Aldridge ….. Angela Piper
Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin
Chris Carter ….. Wilf Scolding
Alice Carter ….. Hollie Chapman
Ian Craig ….. Stephen Kennedy
Rex Fairbrother ….. Nick Barber
Toby Fairbrother ….. Rhys Bevan
Emma Grundy ….. Emerald O'Hanrahan
Ed Grundy ….. Barry Farrimond
Shula Hebden Lloyd ….. Judy Bennett
Adam Macy ….. Andrew Wincott
Kirsty Miller ….. Annabelle Dowler
Elizabeth Pargetter ….. Alison Dowling
Roy Tucker ….. Ian Pepperell
Lexi Viktorova ….. Ania Sowinski
Philip Moss ….. Andy Hockley
SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (m00024rb)
James Rebanks, shepherd and writer
James Rebanks is a shepherd and the best-selling author of The Shepherd’s Life.
Born in Cumbria in 1974, he grew up venerating his grandfather, who taught him what he needed to know in order to take over the family farm from his father one day. He found school an irksome distraction, and left aged 15 with two GCSEs. It wasn’t until his early 20s, after he’d developed an interest in reading and had met his future wife Helen, that he decided to return to study at a local college in the evenings. Encouraged by a tutor, he applied for a place at Oxford University, and graduated with a double first in History. After university, he worked in a number of white-collar jobs, in order to boost his income while ensuring he could continue to work on the farm.
He breeds two different types of sheep: Herdwicks, which are a native breed to his part of the world, and Swaledales, which he kept out of respect to his father who died in 2015, just before the publication of James’s first book. He began chronicling his life as a shepherd on Twitter in 2012 but is currently taking a break from tweeting. He and Helen have four children.
Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Cathy Drysdale
SUN 12:00 News Summary (m00024rd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:04 The Unbelievable Truth (m00020kf)
Series 21
Episode 4
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents.
Henning Wehn, Lou Sanders, Zoe Lyons and Lloyd Langford are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as holidays, queens, teeth and ants.
Produced by Jon Naismith.
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m00024pf)
The one where we talk about deep fried Mars Bars
Deep frying our food is a fast efficient way of cooking and it's not new.The ancient Greeks staged comedies involving frying pans. The Romans fried fish in copious amounts of oil. But these days deep frying often gets a bad press. British chip shops compete to create ever more outrageous deep fried dishes. Deep fried chocolate orange anyone? American state fairs hold extreme deep frying competitions involving butter and cookies. And in the west of Scotland the 'munchie box' is a fearsome thing to behold. Rachel McCormack explores different cultures' approach to deep frying asking why in Britain it's often regarded as unhealthy and lower class, whilst in Italy and Spain fritto misto has its place in a balanced healthy diet.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
SUN 12:57 Weather (m00024rh)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m00024rk)
Global news and analysis; presented by Mark Mardell
SUN 13:30 From Our Home Correspondent (m00024rm)
In the latest programme of the monthly series, Mishal Husain introduces dispatches from journalists and writers around the United Kingdom that reflect the range of contemporary life in the country. James Naughtie considers the contemporary legacy of Scotland's national bard as preparations for Burns Suppers reach their climax. Sima Kotecha wears a saree for the first time and looks at the place of the garment in her family's life. Chris Haslam sets sail off the Norfolk coast with firkins of beer: could this be a sustainable - and viable - way of transporting cargoes in our emissions-conscious age? Carly Appleby reveals the highs and lows of the treatment she is receiving after her breast cancer diagnosis. And Tom Edwards in the English Lakeland discovers if the boom in cold water swimming can transform the fortunes of a derelict lido overlooking Morecambe Bay.
Producer Simon Coates
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m000222s)
Uppingham
Eric Robson and the panel are in Uppingham, Rutland. Matthew Wilson, Christine Walkden and James Wong answer the questions.
This week, the panellists discuss plants they don't like, dealing with a plot covered in bindweed, and preparing an allotment to attract bees.
They also diagnose an ailing Horse Chestnut tree, discuss the success of straightening an Acacia, and debate what they would do if they let a friend's plant die while looking after it for them!
Outside of the hall, Matthew Wilson visits Ric Ellis of Uppingham Grows to see how he is using gardening to encourage wellbeing and life progression.
Produced by Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rosie Merotra
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 The Listening Project (b09tcb4p)
Omnibus - Conversations with or about Mum
Fi Glover introduces conversations between a mother and son about his stammering, a daughter and mother about her MND, and a grandmother and grandson about the death of his mother in the Omnibus edition of the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
SUN 15:00 Drama (b08z8zvq)
Love Henry James - Roderick Hudson
Episode 1
Love Henry James: Roderick Hudson
adapted by Lavinia Murray
Rowland Mallet - a wealthy Bostonian bachelor becomes patron to a young sculptor, Roderick Hudson, and takes him from the US to Rome to study and develop his art. Their conflicting and complex relationship is heightened in the 'old world' as Rowland falls in love with Mary Garland, Roderick's fiance, and Roderick becomes involved in a destructive relationship with the beautiful Christina Light.
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
Written in 1875 this was one of Henry James's early novels, his second.
SUN 16:00 Open Book (m00024rp)
Caribbean Writing with Claire Adam, Jamaica Kincaid and Jacob Ross
Claire Adam discusses her debut novel Golden Child, which traces the agonising decision faced by an ordinary Trinidadian family when one of their twin sons disappears.
Writer, editor and playwright Jacob Ross reflects on the lineage of the short story in Caribbean literature, and explains how he selected the stories for a new anthology of contemporary Caribbean short stories he has co-edited for Peepal Tree Press.
Veteran Antiguan novelist, essayist and post-colonial thinker Jamaica Kincaid reflects on her life, career and whether she considers herself a Caribbean writer.
SUN 16:30 A Dream Vision for Our Times (m0002533)
Writer Henry Eliot explores Geoffrey Chaucer’s surreal Dream Vision poems and their contemporary relevance.
Chaucer, the father of English literature, is best known for his long narrative poem The Canterbury Tales, but his witty and imaginative dream visions are also wild, funny and surprisingly relevant today. Henry Eliot considers three of these medieval poems - The Parliament of Fowls, The Book of the Duchess and The House of Fame - and how they changed the course of English poetry.
They all begin with a narrator falling asleep, before quickly slipping into surreal and fantastical dream worlds, where talking birds debate the nature of true love, eagles fly into space and men grieve in forests. There are desert wildernesses, ice mountains, glass temples, wicker houses and emerald palaces.
Chaucer depicts the cacophonous worlds of rumour, debate, gossip and hearsay, invoking uncanny parallels with today’s world of social media frenzies, celebrity culture, post-truth and fake news. But he also explores the complex and messy nature of psychology, experience and what it means to be human.
Readings by Daniel Weyman
Producer: Jo Wheeler
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 17:00 File on 4 (m00020z7)
The Orphanage Business
Uganda is a country that has seen massive growth in the number of 'orphanages' providing homes to children, despite the numbers of orphans there decreasing. It's believed 80% of children now living in orphanages have at least one living parent.
The majority of the hundreds of orphanages operating in Uganda are illegal, unregistered and now are in a fight with a government trying to shut them down. Dozens on the government's list for closure are funded by charities and church groups based in the UK.
With widespread concerns about abuse, trafficking and exploitation of children growing up in orphanages are funders in the UK doing enough to make sure their donations aren't doing more harm than good?
Reporter: Anna Cavell
Producer: Kate West
Editor: Gail Champion
SUN 17:40 Profile (m000240j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m00024rr)
The latest shipping forecast.
SUN 17:57 Weather (m00024rt)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00024rw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m00024ry)
Gerry Northam
"Two's company" with Broadcaster Gerry Northam this week as he introduces two legendary journalists – Martha Gellhorn and Bernard Levin. Two brilliant musicians – Alison Balsom and Mark Elder. Two champion ranters – Mark Steel and David Mitchell. Two Welsh comedians – Elis James and Lloyd Langford. Plus a two-minute explanation of Waiting For Godot and the singular story behind one of Bob Dylan’s longest protest songs, Hurricane.
Producer: Cecile Wright
Production Support: Helen Surtees and Stephen Garner
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m00024p9)
Alistair takes centre stage and Jennifer offers some advice
SUN 19:15 The Rivals (b082x79t)
Series 4
The Mystery of the Scarlet Thread
By Jacques Futrelle.
Dramatised By Chris Harrald.
Inspector Lestrade was made to look a fool in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Now he gets his own back, with tales of Holmes' rivals. Lestrade enlists the help of 'the Thinking Machine' Professor SFX Van Dusen with what he suspects may be a series of attempted murders. City dealer Nicholas Henley, has nearly been gassed three times in apparent accidents in the luxury flats of Malplaquet House. All the residents have secrets, but which one of them is out to get Henley?
Lestrade ..... James Fleet
Van Dusen .... Tony Gardner
Nicolas Henley .... Nick Underwood
Charlotte Lipscombe .... Joannah Tincey
Reginald Cabell .... James Lailey
Miss Regnier .... Kirsty Oswald
Burlingame .... Brian Protheroe
Pemberley .... Sean Baker
Producer: Liz Webb.
SUN 19:45 Blackwater (m00024s0)
Episode 3
A multi-voiced dark story about secrets and lies in a small town.
Golden girl Zoe’s been dead for ten years, her body dragged from the river Black after a night out to celebrate the end of school. But now a woman who says she’s Zoe has turned up in her hometown of Blackwater, on the Irish border, with no memory of the last decade. She claims she woke up in a forest nearby, bruised and bleeding, and doesn’t know where she’s been all this time. What happened to her? Is she really Zoe? If so, who’s in her grave?
Paul, a local boy whose band were playing in the venue where Zoe was last seen, went to prison for her murder. Now he’s out, but he’s lost everything and is shunned in the town. The people of Blackwater were easily convinced that a black boy murdered Zoe, and the evidence did stack up – but if she’s not even dead, then how did he get convicted? Did someone deliberately frame him? He’s determined to find out the truth and clear his name. But does he really know nothing about what happened?
Could it be that everyone involved with the case is hiding something? There’s Zoe’s uncle Phil, a former detective superintendent with an explosive secret. There’s Steve, the police officer who found ‘Zoe’s’ body in the river Black, and sent Paul to prison for her murder. And there’s Zoe’s friend Danny, who wasn’t were she said she was on that night ten years ago. When Paul and Zoe collide, they realise they’re the only ones who can help each other. As they sift through their conflicting memories of that day ten years ago, they start to discover that not everyone is happy Zoe’s back from the dead.
Danny ..... Roisin Gallagher
Zoe ..... Clare Dunne
Writer, Claire McGowan
Producer, Celia De Wolff
SUN 20:00 More or Less (m000222z)
Intersex Numbers, Fact-Checking Facebook, Jack Bogle
The BBC reports that as many as 1.7% of the world have intersex traits. Tim Harford speaks to an expert in the field, endocrinologist Dr Bernard Khoo about why that number is too high.
Have scores of MPs really been accused or arrested for violent and financial crimes? We fact check the claim, which is circulating on social media, and find it wholly inaccurate. The question remains how disinformation like this can be successfully countered. The fact-checking charity Fullfact has announced a new partnership with Facebook, which aims to make it easier for social media users to distinguish fact from fiction. Tim Harford talks to Fullfact director Will Moy about the scale of the challenge before them.
Tim Harford considers the legacy of Jack Bogle, the founder of the first index mutual fund, who has died, aged 89.
How much does the average Brit really drink over the Christmas period? Some articles claim it’s as high as ‘67 units of alcohol a week’, almost 5 times our recommended weekly limit. Tim Harford and Bethan Head look at the true numbers behind our festive boozing habits.
Producer: Ruth Alexander
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m000222x)
Joe Casely-Hayford, Judge Nicholas Crichton, Professor Sophie Oluwole, Professor Paul O’Brien CBE, Carol Channing
Pictured: Joe Casely-Hayford
Matthew Bannister on
Joe Casely-Hayford, the fashion designer whose creations ranged from punk to Savile Row tailoring. His children, who followed him into fashion, pay tribute.
Nicholas Crichton, the judge who pioneered specialist family drug and alcohol courts in the UK.
Professor Sophie Oluwole, who was a powerful advocate for African philosophy.
Professor Paul O'Brien, the pioneer of nanotechnology who developed new ways of producing the quantum dots which lie behind our HDTVs and barcode scanners.
And Carol Channing, the colourful Broadway star of 'Hello Dolly' and 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'.
Interviewed guest: Charlie Casely-Hayford
Interviewed guest: Alice Casely-Hayford
Interviewed guest: Claire Wilcox
Interviewed guest: Sophie Miller
Interviewed guest: Professor Muyiwa Falaiye
Interviewed guest: Professor Richard Winpenny
Producer: Neil George
Archive clips from: Ebony People, BBC Two 09/06/1989; Inside the Family Court episode 1, Radio 4 08/06/2006; Importance of the Mother Tongue, Tunde Kelani TV 13/01/2016; Oro Isiti with Professor Sophie Oluwole, Tunde Kelani TV 17/02/2016; North West Tonight, BBC One 30/10/2008; What is Professor Paul O'Brien Researching?, School of Materials, University of Manchester 14/07/2015; Broadway Babes: Carol Channing, Radio 2 14/09/1984; Star Sound, Radio 2 24/09/1979.
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m00023zv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m00024qy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 In Business (m00021rn)
Beyond the Barbed Wire - Cyber Security in the UK
Since Bletchley Park and the enigma machine, Britain has been at the forefront of what would become cyber security. In GCHQ we have a world leader in threat detection and yet our industry lags far behind both the US and Israel.
Jonty Bloom looks at what we could do to make this Brexit proof industry bigger and finds out why Belfast is at the forefront of the UK’s research and development to keep us safe online.
He looks at Unit 8200 the Israeli Army’s elite cyber security unit which has spun off several successful start up companies because of the unique training system they employ.
Jonty gets to see inside the National Cyber Security Centre which is part of GCHQ’s new open policy as it invites investors to see the third round of it’s start up incubator.
The ‘Catalyst’ campus in Belfast’s newly redeveloped docks sits beside the shipyard that built the Titanic and is now securing silicon chips rather than building ships. It’s buzzing as foreign investment has flowed into to take advantage of its burgeoning cyber security talent pool. A bet placed on the industry a decade ago by Queen’s University has paid off with a pipeline of graduates with the specialist skills needed to protect us online.
Each and every heartbeat is unique to its owner and Jonty meets a company using this to secure our information as well as our cars. Getting the chance to test drive their heart beat steering wheel with some disastrous consequences.
No trip to Belfast would be complete without a trip to the pub and here we meet some of the young talent that’s drawing this attention. We hear how quickly the start-up culture has grown and how this tech cluster has reached a level that is reversing the once chronic brain drain from the region.
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m00024s3)
Preview of the week's politics with politicians, pundits and experts.
SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (m00021r2)
Mary Queen of Scots
With Antonia Quirke.
Director Josie Rourke discusses her film debut Mary, Queen Of Scots, and explains how one tweet about the film's historical accuracy became the thing that journalists wanted to talk to her about.
Composer Neil Brand starts a new series about famous scores that were last minute replacements. First up is 2001: A Space Odyssey in which Stanley Kubrick famously scrapped the original soundtrack in favour of some classical hits.
Writer, drag performer and film-maker Amrou Al-Khadi explains why they saw themselves reflected on screen in Bend It Like Beckham, and why it has nothing to do with football. Listener James Burgess reveals his screen epiphany.
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (m00024qm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 21 JANUARY 2019
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m00024s5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m000219d)
Surveillance
Surveillance: Laurie Taylor explores the way in which we have become the watchers, as well as the watched. From 9/11 to the Snowden leaks, stories about surveillance increasingly dominate the headlines. But surveillance is not only 'done to us' – it is something we do in everyday life. We submit to surveillance, believing we have nothing to hide. Or we try to protect our privacy. At the same time, we participate in surveillance in order to supervise children, monitor other road users, and safeguard our property. Social media allow us to keep tabs on others, as well as on ourselves. Laurie Taylor explores the contemporary culture of surveillance. He's joined by Kirstie Ball, Professor of Management at the University of St Andrews and David Lyon, Professor in the Department of Sociology at Queen's University, Canada.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0002413)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00024s7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00024s9)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00024sc)
The latest shipping forecast
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m00024sf)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00024sh)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with writer and broadcaster, Anna Magnusson.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m00024sk)
Meat-free report slammed, Romney sheep revival.
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
MON 05:56 Weather (m00024sm)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03dx91j)
Tree Sparrow
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Martin Hughes-Games presents the Tree Sparrow. With its russet cap, white cheeks and smarter appearance, the tree sparrow looks like a freshly-scrubbed house sparrow. Unlike house sparrows whose sexes look very different, the male and female tree sparrows are identical.
MON 06:00 Today (m00024nj)
News and current affairs programme, including Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m00024nl)
Art, truth and power
Andrew Marr on beauty and politics in art. Our idea of beauty was shaped by the great Victorian art critic John Ruskin. He thought all people deserved to see beauty every day, and compared, and founded a gallery in Sheffield for local industrial workers. To mark Ruskin's bicentenary, curator Louise Pullen has put together a new exhibition showing how his ideas about art, science, truth and beauty shaped the politics of the day.
"All art is propaganda and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists," declared WEB Du Bois. The civil rights campaigner, philosopher and social thinker argued that it was an artist's duty to shape a better world. Academic Liam Bright explains why Du Bois thought both artists and scientists had a duty to tell the truth.
In poet Fiona Benson's new volume Vertigo and Ghost, beauty, violence and power are never far apart. Benson's poems depict Zeus as a serial rapist, and capture the claustrophobia of modern domestic life.
And design guru Stephen Bayley considers what creativity is - and what it is for - in his new book How To Steal Fire. As a leading cultural critic, he asks what place beauty and imagination have in modern life.
Producer: Hannah Sander
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (m00024nn)
Maid
Episode 1
Lanna Joffrey reads Stephanie Land’s hard-hitting account of living on minimum wages in present-day America.
Struggling to support her young daughter as a single parent, Stephanie finds work as a cleaner in the US tourist resort of Port Townsend, Washington State. Her memoir tells the story of this new life, scrubbing bathrooms, scraping food off the ceiling of trailers, and becoming an invisible ghost in the houses she cleans.
“I became fascinated by the things hidden in the dark corners of the houses I cleaned. The snooping was like uncovering clues, finding evidence of the secret lives of people who seemed like they had it all. I began to pay attention to the items that cluttered their kitchen counters: the receipts for rugs that were as expensive as my car, the bill for the dry cleaner that could replace half my wardrobe. Most of my clients worked long hours, away from the homes they fought so hard to pay for. They worked to pay me just above the minimum wage, to keep it all spotless, in place, acceptable.”
Over five episodes, we hear about the relationships she forms with her clients, including the moving story of her friendship with Wendy, a woman who is dying of cancer and who hires Stephanie to help her parcel up her possessions and set her whole house in order. Even when Stephanie doesn’t meet her clients, she vividly imagines their lives.
She begins to give the different houses nick-names - “the Cigarette House”, “the Porn House”. Through it all, she is sustained by her love for her daughter Mia, and her determination to keep food on the table. And, in the end, her ambition to become a writer provides an escape.
Written by Stephanie Land
Read by Lanna Joffrey
Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00024nq)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (m000252y)
Irene Nemirovsky: The Misunderstanding
Episode 1
Yves is a disappointed young man, scarred by the First World War. He returns to the Spanish resort where he spent blissful childhood holidays, and becomes infatuated by the beautiful, bored Denise, whose rich husband is away on business and Denise falls passionately in love with him.
But their relationship is snagged by both personal and social thorns and back in Paris their love is challenged by a mutual misunderstanding. The story alternates from the perspective of the lovers.
Yves - Joseph Kloska
Denise - Sarah Smart
Francette - Charlotte Sienna Lee
Jessaint - Jake Ferretti
Waiter - Evan Jones
Translated by Sandra Smith
Dramatised by Lin Coghlan
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
Further info:
The Misunderstanding published in 1926 has been described as Nemirovsky's Madame Bovary. In this early novel she examines the effects of an extra-marital affair. The story alternates from the perspective of the lovers so from the man to the woman.
Nemirovsky displays a kind of hidden regret that human beings are so imperfect. Real excoriating passionate emotion, expressed with truthful intensity and cool wit leaps from every page/scene. Fire banked down with ice. It's a brilliant synthesis that illuminates the gaping fissures in the French class system wrought by the first world war and industrialisation.
MON 11:00 The Untold (m00024ns)
Should I study at Cambridge?
The recordings follow Anoushka as she tours the Cambridge colleges and debates what she should do. It's a difficult choice and one that is made all the harder by the University's poor record in relation to black students, who make up just 2.2 per cent of the under-graduate population.
In talking to her friends she discovers that some of the more able students are clearly put off from even applying to Oxbridge because of the compromises they would have to make. They talk to her about concerns over what they say is a lack of racial diversity and worries about so many students coming from fee paying schools.
Anoushka's parents, Anjula and Roy, are patient and supportive as she debates the merits of her top choices, including the London School of Economics, Queens’ College Cambridge and Kings College London. They feel that an Oxbridge degree would set her up for life and that she would also flourish within the small teaching groups offered in the history department. But this is her decision and it's one she's determined to get right.
Producer: Sue Mitchell
MON 11:30 Drama (m00024nv)
For the Love of Leo
Part Four: Princess of the Russias
By Michael Chaplin.
This wry, narrative comedy begins with the funeral of Tamsin, killed in a traffic accident, mother of Laura and beloved wife of Edinburgh artist Leo.
The funeral is barely over before Leo acquires a new status as an eligible bachelor. The women in his circle begin to seek his company and win his affection.; while his mother, his grown up arctic weather analyst daughter and newly acquired, sparky, opinionated cleaning lady offer unasked for advice. His life becomes ever more complicated and demanding.
Each episode traces his growing relationship with a different woman, as the ghost of Tamsin, who knew all of these women well, turns up at bedtime to venture an opinion too. Leo becomes increasingly haunted by the mystery surrounding Tamsin’s accident, which occurred many miles from her home. What was she doing there? Leo becomes convinced Tamsin was having an affair, but in the end the truth turns out to be very different. The series is wry, funny, sometimes sad - but always warm hearted and tender.
Cast:
Leo Fabiani ... Mark Bonnar
Tamsin Fabiani ... Beth Marshall
Sadie ... Tracy Wiles
Princess Natalia ... Vera Graziadei
Nicky McIntosh ... Hilary Maclean
Laura Fabiani ... Samara MacLaren
Guy ... Simon Donaldson
Directed by Marilyn Imrie
A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4
MON 12:00 News Summary (m00024nx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 Washington Black (m00024nz)
Episode Six
Set in the 1830’s, Washington Black is an epic, historical novel. It begins on a slave plantation in Barbados and, by the most unexpected and inventive means, transports its young protagonist, Wash, off the island and on a journey that takes him around the world - in pursuit of freedom and the man whose approval he so desperately seeks.
Esi Edugyan's novel explores the nature of evil, moral delusion, and the limits of responsibility. It's also a coming-of-age story where survival marks the transition from boy to man.
Underpinning the more sobering aspects of the novel is a glorious celebration of the creative spirit and the power of the imagination. Despite everything, Washington’s ability to connect with and inspire others, and to draw strength from his own inner life, is an inspiration and a joy that speaks to the contemporary world.
Episode Six:
Wash and Titch are now in America, staying with the English sexton Edgar Farrow. Titch must decide what to do next, having discovered that his father appears to be still alive and carrying out research in the Arctic.
The author Esi Edugyan has degrees from the University of Victoria and Johns Hopkins University. Her first novel, The Second Life of Samuel Tyne, was written when she was 25 and published in 2004. Her second, Half Blood Blues, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2011. Washington Black won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Esi lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Writer: Esi Edugyan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Reader: Alex Lanipekun
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
MON 12:18 You and Yours (m00024p1)
Ex Pat Pensions and Gym Fees
A new law banning cold calls about pensions is helping in the fight against pensions scams, whereby a saver is contacted and convinced to plough their savings into spurious unregulated schemes. Jamie Jenkins, Head of Global Savings Policy at Standard Life tells us why he thinks criminals are changing their tactics in response - even though they could still be prosecuted.
We hear the latest from a GMC hearing into allegations against Muhammad Al Qureshi, who, as Bobby Qureshi, was the face of innovative surgeries to combat age related macular degeneration at the London Eye Hospital. He rejects allegations that patients were not thoroughly informed or misled.
We hear about the organisations still charging a year after a ban on surcharges came into effect, and new research on the disabled children waiting longer to be adopted and fostered.
Presented by Winifred Robinson
Produced by Kev Core
MON 12:57 Weather (m00024p3)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (m00024p5)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
MON 13:45 James Burke's Web of Knowledge (m00024p7)
Episode 1
James Burke has spent his career as a broadcaster and writer in the field of science and technology 'joining up the dots'. Now he uses the information he has gleaned over many years to create a 'Knowledge Web', revealing how the most unexpected connections can be made across history. What he can show us is that change doesn't happen in predictable straight lines, and he has some surprises in store. For example - can you connect Mozart to the helicopter? In the first programme James Burke does just that.
Taking in Rachmaninoff and Edgar Allan Poe along the way, James Burke takes us on a journey though history like no other.
MON 14:00 The Archers (m00024p9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b09z4k4d)
19 Weeks
In 2016 writer Emily Steel had a termination after her baby was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. 19 Weeks tells her story with brutal honesty.
Emily used to think that people that had 'late' abortions weren't very smart or responsible. A late termination wasn't really ok. Yet here she is, being ushered through protesters, putting on a hospital gown, having an IV drip inserted. Emily is 19 weeks pregnant. The two-day abortion procedure is about to start, but the anaesthetic doesn't seem to be working .....
According to recent statistics 1 in 3 women in the UK have had an abortion and 95% of those say they don't regret it. Yet the subject remains taboo. 19 Weeks is a raw account of the emotional, physical and philosophical battles Emily encountered throughout her late pregnancy termination.
Eve Myles stars as Emily in this true and visceral story.
Directed by Helen Perry
A BBC Cymru/Wales Production.
MON 15:00 Round Britain Quiz (m00024pc)
Programme 4, 2019
(4/12)
If the components were the square root of minus 1, the works of Mozart, MDMA and retinol, why might you need instructions to help you assemble them?
The teams from Wales and Scotland talk their way through this and plenty of other convoluted puzzles as they both make their second appearance in the current series. Tom Sutcliffe is on hand to give guidance where required, although the more hints he has to drop the more points he'll be docking from their scores. Defending RBQ champions Myfanwy Alexander and David Edwards play for Wales, against Val McDermid and Alan McCredie of Scotland.
As always there'll be a healthy sample of questions drawn from the many hundreds sent in by listeners in recent months.
Producer: Paul Bajoria
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m00024pf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 The Sympathy of Things (m0000xqs)
Part 1
In this two-part series, Turner Prize-winning architectural collective Assemble explore the designed and manufactured world.
Together with an ensemble of guests, friends and accomplices, Amica Dall and Giles Smith argue that mass production has upended our relationship to the material world, and explain how the advent of digital technologies will do so again - but not in the way you think.
The series is an argument for observing our material world better and for understanding the way we make objects, and objects, in turn, make us.
Taking on the task as enthusiastic amateurs, Amica and Giles journey through factory floors, workshops and ivory towers, criss-crossing the country, learning to make radio as they unearth a rich, centuries-long history of thinking about making - from the Arts and Crafts movement and the design philosophy of machine age mass production to cutting edge digital pioneers.
You'll hear from the professor and best selling author Richard Sennett, Marcus Engman, head of Design at IKEA, and a host of other people actively engage in thinking about and actually making the stuff that we live with everyday.
Episode one starts with an exploration of the extraordinary, complex processes that go into the most mundane of things - from the humble toilet to your standard Argos toaster - thinking about the role that understanding how things are made plays in how we understand our place in the world, and our relationships to each other.
An SPG production for BBC Radio 4
MON 16:30 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m00024ph)
Series 19
The Origin of Numbers
The origin of numbers and can fish count?
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by mathematician Dr Hannah Fry, comedian Matt Parker and neuroscientist Prof Brian Butterworth to ask where numbers come from and can fish count? They'll be looking at the origin of numbers and whether counting is a uniquely human trait that actually started before the evolution of language.
MON 17:00 PM (m00024pk)
PM at
5pm: interviews, context and analysis.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00024pm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m00024pp)
Series 21
Episode 5
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents.
Richard Osman, Holly Walsh, Susan Calman and David O'Doherty are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as nuts, birds, urine and traditions.
Produced by Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m00024pr)
Helen is put on the spot and Ben has an idea
MON 19:15 Front Row (m00024pt)
Live daily magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (m000252y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
MON 20:00 Searching For Swimming Pools (m00024pw)
Writer Charles Sprawson reflects on his life as he copes with advancing dementia.
Charles Sprawson is the author of Haunts of the Black Masseur: The Swimmer As Hero - a romantic history of swimming and a memoir of his own adventures in water.
Now 77, Charles has vascular dementia and lives in a retirement home. But even as he grows increasingly frail, he can still be found wandering the corridors looking for swimming pools, opening doors in the hope of finding shimmering water to plunge into.
The programme is a portrait of lifelong obsession, the debilitating effects of dementia and the transformative power of swimming.
Archive recordings of Charles Sprawson courtesy of Edgeland Films.
Producer: Paul Smith
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (m00021qh)
Japan's Elderly Crime Wave
Elderly pensioners in Japan are committing petty crimes so that they can be sent to prison. One in five of all prisoners in Japan are now over 65. The number has quadrupled in the last two decades, a result it seems of rising elderly poverty and loneliness, as seniors become increasingly cut-off from their over-worked offspring. In jail old people at least get a bed, a routine and a hot meal, and for many, as Ed discovers, the outside world can seem like a threatening place. For the prison authorities it means an increasingly ageing population behind bars and the challenges of dealing with a range of geriatric health issues.
Produced and reported by Ed Butler.
MON 21:00 I Feel for You (m00020y4)
Narcs and narcissists
At a time when we're being told we need more empathy, some experts claim that narcissism - empathy's evil twin - is on the rise. Narcissism has vaulted off the psychotherapist’s couch, sprinted away from the psychiatric ward, and is now squatting in the mainstream of popular conversation.
Social media seems obsessed with "narcs", and with detecting narcissism personality disorder in people. It may or may not be a coincidence that we ended up with an apparent world-class narcissist in the White House at just the time when we seemed to be undergoing a public crisis about narcissism and narcissists. Blogs and books about narcissists are everywhere.
Jolyon Jenkins talks to people who make a living from advising the public about narcissists, and a self-confessed celebrity narcissist who offers consultations to people who think they may be living with one of "his kind". The evidence that there really is more narcissism around seems thin, but that doesn't mean to say that we shouldn't take it seriously when it flips into a personality disorder.
Producer/presenter: Jolyon Jenkins
MON 21:30 Start the Week (m00024nl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m00024pz)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
MON 22:45 Washington Black (m00024nz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
MON 23:00 Word of Mouth (m00020ys)
How to talk funny with Elis James
Michael Rosen talks to comedian Elis James about how to make language funny. In Elis' case, this is both the English language and the Welsh language, but which is funnier?
Produced by Sally Heaven
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m00024q1)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2019
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m00024q3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (m00024nn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00024q5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00024q7)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00024q9)
The latest shipping forecast
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m00024qc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00024qf)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with writer and broadcaster, Anna Magnusson.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m00024qh)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b020tp7c)
Barn Owl
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the Barn Owl. Barn owls are mainly nocturnal hunters. They are ghostly creatures, with rounded wings and a large head which acts as a reflector funnelling the slightest sound from their prey towards their large ear openings.
TUE 06:00 Today (m000255m)
Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme; including Thought for the Day
TUE 09:00 The Long View (m000255p)
In 1852 Charles Dickens commented on a new phenomenon, "Presto! Betting-shops spring up in every street!". Several hundred of these back-streets shops had suddenly appeared in London and hundreds more opened across the country as railways and the electric telegraph made off-course betting possible.
At Lingfield Park Racecourse, Jonathan Freedland and his guests take the long view of gambling and new technologies as they tell the story of the emergence of Victorian betting shops and ask how gambling is changing today, in the era of fixed-odds betting terminals, smartphones and in-play betting.
Joining Jonathan are historian Carl Chinn, the actor Matthew McNulty, Paul Leyland of Regulus Partners, Dr Heather Wardle of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Malcolm George, Chief Executive of the Association of British Bookmakers.
Producer: Julia Johnson
TUE 09:30 One to One (b03vdx7p)
City Women and Motherhood
Andrea Catherwood chose to give up her role as a foreign correspondent once she had children. She switched to the position of news anchor; trading Baghdad for the safety of the studio felt to her like a sensible move.
Last month Nigel Farage made some comments about women in the City being worth less once they'd had children – reigniting a debate about working mothers. But is the City particularly unforgiving?
For this series of 'One to One', we talk to senior women in the City about how they combine motherhood with their high flying careers. Brenda Trenowden is a managing director at ANZ bank in London's financial hub Canary Wharf. How does she manage a full time, high pressured job that takes up evenings as well?
Producer: Perminder Khatkar
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (m0002575)
Maid
Episode 2
Lanna Joffrey reads Stephanie Land’s hard-hitting account of living on minimum wages in present-day America.
Abandoned by her baby’s father, Stephanie takes the only job she can find, working as a cleaner in the North-Western United States. Spending hours in their houses, she begins to get to know the intimate lives of the people she works for. Her memoir tells the story of this new life, scrubbing bathrooms, scraping food off the ceiling of trailers, and becoming an invisible ghost in the houses she cleans
“I felt like I had the opportunity to get to know my clients better than any of their relatives did. I’d learn what they ate for breakfast, what shows they watched, if they’d been sick and for how long. I’d see them, even if they weren’t home, by the imprints left in their beds and tissues on the nightstand. I’d know them in a way few people did. I’d become a nameless ghost.”
Stephanie becomes a kind of detective, imagining her invisible clients and discovering the truth about their marriages. One house, for instance, she nick-names “The Porn House” - the husband and wife sleep apart, each fantasizing about a different partner, a different life.
Her hard-hitting memoir of what it’s like to work as a cleaner for a minimum wage shines a light on all service workers in the modern gig economy. “My job offered no sick pay, no vacation days, no foreseeable increase in wages. Yet through it all, still I begged to work more.”
Written by Stephanie Land
Read by Lanna Joffrey
Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000255t)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (m000255w)
Irene Nemirovsky: The Misunderstanding
Episode 2
From Denise's perspective. Denise, a married woman, on holiday in Hendaye falls passionately in love with Yves, a veteran of the Great War. When they return to Paris Yves is poor and must return to his mundane office job . Denise feels the tone of their relationship change without understanding why; she wants him more than ever.
Denise - Sarah Smart
Yves - Joseph Kloska
Francette - Charlotte Sienna Lee
Ja Ja- Rupert Hill
Madame Franchevielle - Emma Gregory
Translated by Sandra Smith
Dramatised by Lin Coghlan
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
TUE 11:00 The Romanian Wave (m000255y)
Romanians are the second largest foreign nationality in the UK. Nigel Farage once said he "would not like to live next door to Romanians." But now they work in the NHS, teach in our universities, pick fruit on our farms and wash our cars. Yet sensational headlines have described them as "criminal gangs" and "begging Roma."
Tessa Dunlop, a Romania-phile historian, uncovers a misunderstood, multi-layered immigrant community and asks why so many now call Britain home.
The UK has a surprising historic link with Romania. 100 years ago, the British-born monarch, Queen Marie of Romania emerged as a big winner from the post WWI settlement, with her country doubling in size. As Romania celebrates this centenary back home, 30% of its workforce now live overseas, with nearly half a million in the UK. Arguably, their arrival in the UK was an important factor in the Brexit result.
Tessa meets medical staff who treated her in hospital, fruit pickers, academics and those working below the minimum wage, to understand more about this community what keeps them here and what stops them from going home.
Presenter: Tessa Dunlop
Producer: Simona Rata
TUE 11:30 The Art of Now (b0bh431g)
Atmosfears
Three Japanese poets create new work in a landscape shaped by a dark past.
The world is shaped by the words we give to it. Locations across the globe are coloured by our own thoughts and feelings towards them. We worship and sanctify certain areas while dreading, demonising and recoiling away from others.
In certain places, the layers of words are so close to the surface that we cannot ignore them. They are palpable, alive and tangible.
This is the Atmosfear.
A group of poets have chosen to travel to one of these locations with a tragic history. Here, they try to overcome the negative vibrations that persist by reconnecting with the land underneath.
Poet and translator Jordan Smith travels with Yasuhiro Yotsumoto, Takako Arai and Sayaka Osaki to the Aokigahara forest in Japan.
The Japanese nickname given to it is Jukai - meaning Sea of Trees. It is a site where many people have taken their own lives. Initially, they converse about what this landscape says to each of them individually – but most importantly they discuss the new words, the new meaning and the new story they want to write onto it. They then write original works of poetry and come together to read them to one another.
As a group, they decide what Atmosfear they think should be left behind.
Produced by Anishka Sharma and Barney Savage
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m000257m)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 Washington Black (m0002562)
Episode Seven
Set in the 1830’s, Washington Black is an epic, historical novel. It begins on a slave plantation in Barbados and, by the most unexpected and inventive means, transports its young protagonist, Wash, off the island and on a journey that takes him around the world - in pursuit of freedom and the man whose approval he so desperately seeks.
Esi Edugyan's novel explores the nature of evil, moral delusion, and the limits of responsibility. It's also a coming-of-age story where survival marks the transition from boy to man.
Underpinning the more sobering aspects of the novel is a glorious celebration of the creative spirit and the power of the imagination. Despite everything, Washington’s ability to connect with and inspire others, and to draw strength from his own inner life, is an inspiration and a joy that speaks to the contemporary world.
Episode Seven:
Wash and Titch have found Titch’s father working in the Arctic. But the relationship between Titch and his father is both complicated and unsettling for Washington.
The author Esi Edugyan has degrees from the University of Victoria and Johns Hopkins University. Her first novel, The Second Life of Samuel Tyne, was written when she was 25 and published in 2004. Her second, Half Blood Blues, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2011. Washington Black won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Esi lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Writer: Esi Edugyan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Reader: Alex Lanipekun
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 12:18 You and Yours (m0002564)
Radio 4's consumer affairs programme.
TUE 12:57 Weather (m0002566)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (m0002568)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
TUE 13:45 James Burke's Web of Knowledge (m000256b)
Episode 2
James Burke has spent his career as a broadcaster and writer in the field of science and technology 'joining up the dots'. Now he uses the information he has gleaned over many years to create a 'Knowledge Web', revealing how the most unexpected connections can be made across history. What he can show us is that change doesn't happen in predictable straight lines, and he has some surprises in store.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m00024pr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b0b493vc)
County Lines
A young black woman sits opposite a middle-aged white woman on a train. Neither of them is quite what they seem. County Lines is a finalist in this year's Audio Drama Awards.
Joy ..... Brid Brennan
Umi ..... Tamara Lawrance
Steward ..... Sean Murray
Officer ..... Ryan Early
Lisa ..... Nahel Tzegai
Delivery Man/ Officer ..... Ryan Whittle
Carla ..... Lauren Cornelius
Director ..... Mary Peate
Writer ..... Amelia Bullmore.
TUE 15:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m00023zl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
TUE 15:30 Making History (m000256d)
Bloodlines
Tom Holland and Iszi Lawrence follow history’s lines and linkages to uncover connections and compelling stories. This week, with the imminent arrival of a new Royal baby, Tom and Iszi examine bloodlines - from some of the Queen’s own surprising ancestors, to the vagaries of dog breeding.
Adam Rutherford discusses how DNA testing has informed the study of history and the programme asks if race really is a question of genetics, or a cultural construct.
Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 16:00 Word of Mouth (m000256g)
Demystifying the language of the courtroom
Family law barrister and chair of The Transparency Project Lucy Reed talks to Michael Rosen and Dr Laura Wright about the language of the courtroom and how to make family justice clearer.
Producer Sally Heaven
TUE 16:30 Great Lives (m000256j)
Series 47
Matt Lucas on Freddie Mercury
Matt Lucas chooses Freddie Mercury of Queen. The author of Bohemian Rhapsody, Lesley-Ann Jones, joins him to dissect a legend.
To what extent can a troubled childhood contribute to an adult's need to perform? Farrokh Bulsara was born in Zanzibar, sent to school in India, and fled revolution in Zanzibar to Feltham, Middlesex, aged 18. His family were Parsees and Freddie, as he became better known, was brought up as a Zoroastrian. He also became one of the greatest singer songwriters in British rock history.
Matt Lucas - of Little Britain, Shooting Stars and Doctor Who - was entranced by Freddie from an early age. In this revealing, funny tribute, Matt explains how Freddie inspired him to perform, and unveils his Montserrat Caballe impression on the world. Lesley-Ann Jones knew the band as a 'young scumbag journalist' and provides an eyewitness account of watching Freddie from the wings.
The presenter is Matthew Parris, the producer in Bristol is Miles Warde.
TUE 17:00 PM (m000256l)
PM at
5pm: interviews, context and analysis.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000256n)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 Love in Recovery (m000256q)
Series 3
Ivy
Third series of the award-nominated comedy drama set in Alcoholics Anonymous. Written by Pete Jackson and inspired by his own road to recovery. Stars Rebecca Front, John Hannah, Sue Johnston, Paul Kaye and Johnny Vegas.
Love in Recovery follows the lives of five very different recovering alcoholics. Johnny Vegas is Andy, the sweet but simple self-appointed group leader. Sue Johnston plays straight talking Julie, who's been known to have the odd relapse here and there - and everywhere. Rebecca Front is the snobby and spiky Fiona, an ex-banker who had it all and then lost the lot. John Hannah is Simon, a snide journalist who’s not an alcoholic – he got caught drink driving, his boss made him attend the meeting, but he fell in love with Fiona and stayed. And, despite her best efforts, she fell in love with him too. Paul Kaye is Danno, a down and out two-bit chancer with a shady past but a lot of heart, who’s desperate to turn his life around.
As we follow their weekly meetings, we hear them moan, argue, laugh, fall apart, fall in love and, most importantly, tell their stories.
In episode four, Oscar has dropped in to the meeting on the way to see his son. Oscar’s recently lost his wife and wants to share her story. But Oscar’s tale is far from what any of the group expected.
Writer Pete Jackson is a recovering alcoholic and has spent time in Alcoholics Anonymous. It was there he found, as most people do, support from the unlikeliest group of disparate souls, all banded together due to one common bond. As well as offering the support he needed throughout a difficult time, AA also offered a weekly, sometimes daily, dose of hilarity, upset, heartbreak and friendship.
Love in Recovery doesn’t seek to represent an AA meeting exactly as it might happen in real life, but to capture the funny stories, the sad stories, the stories of small victories and of huge milestones, stories of loss, stories of hope, and most importantly, the many highs and lows in the journey of recovery.
Cast:
Fiona….. Rebecca Front
Simon….. John Hannah
Julie….. Sue Johnston
Danno….. Paul Kaye
Andy..... Johnny Vegas
Paul…. Charlie Condou
Oscar…. Jeffery Kissoon
Written and created by Pete Jackson
Producer/Director: Ben Worsfield
A King Bert production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m0002547)
Susan jumps to conclusions and Ed has money on his mind
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m000256s)
Live daily magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (m000255w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m000256v)
Finding Freedom - The Fight Against Modern Slavery
Modern slavery and human trafficking in the UK are more prevalent than ever before.
Police estimate tens of thousands of victims are hidden in towns and cities across the country; many kidnapped then subjected to forced labour or sexual exploitation, often under the threat of violence.
But what happens to victims after they escape or have been rescued?
File on 4 investigates the government system designed to identify and support victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Victims say they haven’t been properly looked after by the authorities, have been left in limbo - some waiting years for decisions on their status.
File on 4 investigates allegations that a failure to adequately protect victims means some face being drawn back into exploitation by the very gangs from whom they escaped in the first place.
With the Prime Minister describing modern slavery as "the great human-rights issue of our time" is enough being done to tackle the root causes and protect those unable to protect themselves?
Reporter: Paul Kenyon
Producer: Alys Harte
Editor: Gail Champion
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m000256x)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted.
TUE 21:00 Inside Health (m000254c)
Dr Mark Porter goes on a weekly quest to demystify the health issues that perplex us.
TUE 21:30 The Long View (m000255p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m000256z)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
TUE 22:45 Washington Black (m0002562)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
TUE 23:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (m00024ph)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Monday]
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0002571)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY 2019
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m0002573)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (m0002575)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0002577)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0002579)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000257c)
The latest shipping forecast
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m000257f)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000257h)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with writer and broadcaster, Anna Magnusson.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m000257k)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qhyz)
Robin
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Brett Westwood presents the robin. The autumn song of the Robin is the soundtrack to shortening days, gathering mists and ripening fruit. Robins sing in spring but their autumn song is different. It may sound melancholy to us but for the Robin it has clear purpose - to defend the winter territories that male and female robins establish separately after they've moulted.
WED 06:00 Today (m000253g)
Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme; including Thought for the Day
WED 09:00 Soul Music (m000253j)
Series 27
Let the River Run
The story of how a song from a classic 80’s movie became an inspirational anthem for a 21st Century generation.
Carly Simon’s ‘Let the River Run’ was originally conceived as the title track for the 1988 movie ‘Working Girl. It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It also went on to win the affection of people around the world.
Initially thought of as a ‘hymn for New York’, ‘Let the River Run’ encapsulates the spirit of striving for a better life. As Carly Simon puts it herself, “I wanted it to be large, I wanted it to be vast – it’s about bringing forth a common desire into the world”. In more recent years it has become an anthem for Woman's Rights Movements and global initiatives aimed at making a better life for all.
Featuring interviews with: Carly Simon, Ginny Suss (music producer and part of the team who organised the Women’s March on Washington), Ultra Marathon Runner Elisabet Barnes, Nina Ritzen and music from The Resistance Revival Chorus.
Produced by Nicola Humphries
WED 09:30 Hacking Happiness (b0b9z64f)
Existential Cool - Buddhism and the Art of Acceptance
Are we pursuing happiness, or is the happiness industry pursuing us? And if our model of hedonism isn't working, how do we hack our happiness back? Leo Johnson goes on a year-long journey to pick up life lessons of happiness from modern day practitioners of radically different philosophies.
It's a journey that takes us from Yorkshire's anti-fracking grannies to the slow footballing Vietnamese monks of Plum Village, from self-cutting poets to the Chief Happiness Officers Convention in Paris, from London's asexual community to multi-orgasmic Swedish academics, and from World Champion Muay Thai women kick-boxers to Elvis-loving dementia sufferers.
What emerges is a set of starkly competing visions of the good life - ancient philosophies still duking it out to get punched in as the destination in our psychic Sat Navs.
What we meet is a set of individuals who have questioned the default comforts of the IKEA catalogue, defined the shape of the self, and chosen lives that give us a glimpse of how each of us can reclaim peace, reclaim purpose, reclaim pain, and reclaim pleasure - the real pleasure that hedonism promised.
Episode 3: Existential Cool - Buddhism and the art of acceptance
Forget self-actualisation, does true happiness, Nirvana, come from dissolving the self?
This episode was recorded on location at Plum Village Buddhist Monastery near Bordeaux, France, set up by Thich Nhat Hahn, the monk who persuaded Martin Luther King to oppose the Vietnam War. We meet the Brothers and Sisters of Plum Village including Sister True Dedication, Brother Phap Ung and Sister Trenian and, at the Happy Farm, we meet Brother Simon.
A Reel Soul Movies production for BBC Radio 4
Photo: 16 Buddhas, Plum Village Buddhist Monastery. Copyright Plum Village CBZ.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (m000253l)
Maid
Episode 3
Lanna Joffrey reads Stephanie Land’s hard-hitting account of living on minimum wages in present-day America.
Abandoned by her baby’s father, Stephanie takes the only work she can find, and discovers there is no shortage of it.
“One of the great things about a willingness to get on your hands and knees to scrub a toilet is you’ll never have trouble finding work. My job was to wipe away dust and dirt and make lines in carpets, to remain invisible. But it was hard not to be struck by the role I’d taken in my clients’ lives. I was oddly invisible and anonymous. I became a witness.”
In this episode, Stephanie tells the story of the "Sad House", as she names it, where an old man lives alone with the ashes of his dead wife. And despite her willingness to scrub bathrooms and deal with all kinds of human dirt, she faces an assignment which almost breaks her. The job is a "move out" clean for an abandoned trailer, where the kitchen is so encrusted with food that spatters of chilli cover the ceiling. Forced to scrub the shower, she stands in rivers of black mould. And the toilet bowl almost breaks her.
“They don’t pay me enough for this - I yelled it into the trees. I felt disrespected by that toilet, by the man who’d left it in that condition, by the company that paid me minimum wage. But I had no choice. Every single parent teetering on poverty does this. We work, we love, we do. And the stress of it all, the exhaustion, leaves us hollowed. Scraped out. Ghosts of our former selves.”
Written by Stephanie Land
Read by Lanna Joffrey
Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000253n)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
WED 10:41 15 Minute Drama (m000253q)
Irene Nemirovsky: The Misunderstanding
Episode 3
Yves's finances are in dire straits but he gets an opportunity to start afresh with a friend in Finland. Denise is distraught at the lack of contact from him.
Denise - Sarah Smart
Yves - Joseph Kloska
Jean Lors - Jake Ferretti
Francette - Charlotte Sienna Lee
Adel - Emma Gregory
Translated by Sandra Smith
Dramatised by Lin Coghlan
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
WED 10:55 The Listening Project (b0b53dnf)
Callum and Rense - Being the New Guy
Relative newcomers to the RNLI station at Spurn, but not to lifeboats, share the difficulties faced in becoming part of a close-knit team. Fi Glover presents another conversation in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
Producer: Marya Burgess.
WED 11:00 Searching For Swimming Pools (m00024pw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
WED 11:30 Cracking Up (m000253s)
Series 2
Dylan Dares to Dream
Divorcee father Spencer Pandy has maintained his authority over his teenage son Dylan with a mixture of demanding respect and hoping for the best.
But after a series of elaborate dreams in which a small and rodent-like man called Master Gojo awakens Young Dylan to his impending confrontation with his father, The Dark Lord, a reckoning is fast approaching.
It takes place at the local shopping mall where Dylan and Spencer have become stuck in a coin-operated Noddy Car. 11-year-old Tilly has gone to school that day with a colander gaffa-taped to her face but Mrs Ademola has removed it (along with most of her hair) - and so Tilly has arrived at the shopping mall for the showdown, in the character of The Bald Ninja-baby.
Spencer has been warned of the confrontation by a mysterious client called Ken, who sounds suspiciously like Alec Guinness, and it’s only when Dylan finally commands his father to fight - in the bread and cakes aisle, armed with a buzzing baguette - that Spencer understands Ken’s directive that "the spirit must pass".
A Big Talk production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:00 News Summary (m000253v)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 Washington Black (m000253x)
Episode Eight
Set in the 1830’s, Washington Black is an epic, historical novel. It begins on a slave plantation in Barbados and, by the most unexpected and inventive means, transports its young protagonist, Wash, off the island and on a journey that takes him around the world - in pursuit of freedom and the man whose approval he so desperately seeks.
Esi Edugyan's novel explores the nature of evil, moral delusion, and the limits of responsibility. It's also a coming-of-age story where survival marks the transition from boy to man.
Underpinning the more sobering aspects of the novel is a glorious celebration of the creative spirit and the power of the imagination. Despite everything, Washington’s ability to connect with and inspire others, and to draw strength from his own inner life, is an inspiration and a joy that speaks to the contemporary world.
Episode Eight:
Having been abandoned by Titch in the Arctic, Washington is on his own and working in a small town in Canada. He wonders if he will ever see his new friend Tanna again.
The author Esi Edugyan has degrees from the University of Victoria and Johns Hopkins University. Her first novel, The Second Life of Samuel Tyne, was written when she was 25 and published in 2004. Her second, Half Blood Blues, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2011. Washington Black won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Esi lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Writer: Esi Edugyan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Reader: Alex Lanipekun
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:18 You and Yours (m000253z)
Radio 4's consumer affairs programme.
WED 12:57 Weather (m0002541)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (m0002543)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
WED 13:45 James Burke's Web of Knowledge (m0002545)
Episode 3
James Burke has spent his career as a broadcaster and writer in the field of science and technology 'joining up the dots'. Now he uses the information he has gleaned over many years to create a 'Knowledge Web', revealing how the most unexpected connections can be made across history. What he can show us is that change doesn't happen in predictable straight lines, and he has some surprises in store.
WED 14:00 The Archers (m0002547)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b09z4fys)
Spike and the Elfin Oak
David Threlfall stars in Ian Billings’ comic fantasy inspired by the true story of Spike Milligan's madcap ventures in the mid-1960s to preserve the Elfin Oak in Kensington Gardens whilst also performing in the West End run of his play, The Bedsitting Room. When theatre censors get in the way of Spike saving the elves, events threaten to spiral out of control.
Spike ….. David Threlfall
Young Spike ….. Charlie Brand
Norma Farnes ….. Kerry Gooderson
Laura ….. Rosie Boore
Síle ….. Charlotte Emmett
Mother Superior ….. Georgie Glen
Park Keeper ….. Luke Bailey
Mrs Grumples ….. Lauren Cornelius
Groodles ….. Ryan Early
Huckleberry ….. Clive Hayward
George ….. Neil McCaul
Council Boss ….. Philip Bretherton
Vandal 1 ….. Rupert Holliday Evans
Man with dog ….. Ghazanfar Hyder
The trumpet player was Peter Ringrose and music was arranged and performed by Neil Brand
Directed by Gemma Jenkins
WED 15:00 Money Box (m0002549)
Paul Lewis and a panel of guests answer calls on personal finance.
WED 15:30 Inside Health (m000254c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m000254f)
Laurie Taylor explores the latest research into how society works.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (m000254h)
A topical programme about the fast-changing media world.
WED 17:00 PM (m000254k)
PM at
5pm: interviews, context and analysis.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000254m)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Angela Barnes: You Can't Take It With You (m000254p)
Series 2
Morals
Award winning comedian and super-sharp everywoman Angela Barnes tackles life and love and, with the help of the audience, packs herself a fantasy coffin.
In part tribute to Angela's beloved late father - a larger than life gregarious character, he was a sex shop manager, naturist, and a big fan of caravans and pranks - Angela celebrates his carpe diem approach to life, and his motto "You Can't Take It With You".
When her father died very suddenly in 2008, Angela and her family proved him wrong and stuffed his coffin with sentimental keepsakes for his final journey. Angela now does the very same thing, nominating objects that she would choose to send on with her as mementoes of her life, and asking the audience to share items they would take with them, all acting as prompts for contemplative, heart-warming and captivating comedy.
Angela Barnes is a vivacious, critically acclaimed stand-up comic from Maidstone, Kent. After a career in health and social care, at the age of 33, she decided to pursue a long-held ambition and give comedy a go. Within a couple of years, Angela and her witty worldview had won the 2011 BBC New Comedy Award by a public vote, secured a weekly star slot in Channel 4's Stand Up For The Week and appeared on numerous radio and television shows including Loose Ends, The Now Show, The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), Russell Howard's Good News (BBC 3), and Mock The Week and Live at the Apollo (BBC 2). She has been the host of BBC Radio 4 Extra's Newsjack for the last two series.
An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4
WED 19:00 The Archers (m000254r)
Elizabeth makes a shocking confession and David fears for a relative
WED 19:15 Front Row (m000254t)
Live daily magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (m000253q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:41 today]
WED 20:00 We Need to Talk About Death (m000254w)
Series 3
Death Unexplained
Why is a sudden, but not unexpected, death of someone very old or very ill, referred to a coroner to investigate? What happens then? These investigations are rarely talked about but are surprisingly common.
Joan Bakewell explores the issues with her panel, including His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft QC, in his first broadcast as Chief Coroner of England and Wales.
He reveals what the coroner process involves, from the first investigations to when a post-mortem or an inquest become necessary.
Having heard from listeners who felt implicated after the sudden arrival of the police, and whose bereavement was affected by the process that followed, Joan asks how people can best navigate the system when the death of a relative is referred to a coroner.
Producer: Beth Eastwood
WED 20:45 The New Age of Capitalism (b0bjppgn)
Artificial Intelligence
David Grossman considers the impact that the revolution in artificial intelligence could have on our jobs, income and society. He is joined by Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy at Cambridge University and Andrew McAfee, Principal Research Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Producer: Diane Richardson
Editor: Hugh Levinson
WED 21:00 The Invention of Free Speech (b0901c5h)
Series 1
Sex
In the modern Western world, we take free speech for granted. We presume it is our age-old inheritance. But it's not. In this three-part series, historian Professor Fara Dabhoiwala explores how freedom of speech came into being, with extracts from key flashpoints in the past. This second programme focuses on sex.
After religion, sex has always been the greatest taboo. For most of our past, explicit writing about sex was extremely rare and almost none of it was in English, but in Latin, Greek, French, or Italian, which only the educated elite could read. And it was written out by hand, not printed or widely circulated.
But this began to change around 1700, when the first sexually explicit works in English began to be printed and sold in bookshops. Within a few decades, London was the centre of a clandestine but booming trade in what became known as pornography - a word that was only coined around 1800.
Fara Dabhoiwala explores the 18th-century explosion of free speech about sex, and its implications for our modern debates about pornography. The programme includes extracts from works we might still find shocking today - from the 17th century erotic text The School of Venus, to Fanny Hill -- and Ancient and Modern Pederasty, a work in favour of homosexual love that was so thoroughly suppressed that its contents can now only be reconstructed through court records.
Contributors include Professor Judith Hawley of Royal Holloway, University of London; Rae Langton, Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge; and Hal Gladfelder, Professor of Literature at Manchester University.
Fara Dabhoiwala is the author of The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution. He is a Senior Research Scholar at Princeton University and a life fellow of All Souls and Exeter College, Oxford. His current projects include a history of free speech and a history of global English.
Presented by Fara Dabhoiwala
Dramatic readings by Emily Bevan, Ewan Bailey, Jonathan Keeble and Oliver Soden
Academic Research by Sally Holloway
Produced by Elizabeth Burke
Executive Producer: Jo Coombs
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 21:30 Soul Music (m000253j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m000254z)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
WED 22:45 Washington Black (m000253x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
WED 23:00 Little Lifetimes by Jenny Eclair (m0002551)
Series 5
The Book Club
by Jenny Eclair
Read by Lucy Robinson
Produced by Sally Avens
Belle 's monthly book club is a time not only to discuss literature but to offload about life and Belle has plenty to let rip about since her son's girlfriend moved in.
WED 23:15 Mae Martin's Guide to 21st Century Sexuality (b07z4f1z)
What Should We Call Ourselves?
Canadian stand-up Mae Martin presents her debut series for BBC Radio 4. Combining wickedly astute social observations with personal references to her own unique upbringing, Mae's taking a funny, personal look at how millennials are transforming the way that society thinks about sexuality and gender.
In this episode; Mae is single and ready to mingle regardless of your gender, as she looks at how labels might help or hinder people when it comes to defining their sexual identity, or if that's something that we should be trying to define it at all.
Written and performed by Mae Martin.
Script editor: Sarah Campbell
Producer: Alexandra Smith
A BBC Studios Production
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0002553)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
THURSDAY 24 JANUARY 2019
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0002555)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (m000253l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0002557)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0002559)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000255c)
The latest shipping forecast
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m000255f)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000255h)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with writer and broadcaster, Anna Magnusson.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m000255k)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b09hrkw1)
Fyfe Dangerfield on the Grey Heron
Musician Fyfe Dangerfield loves being in places which feel removed from modern life where the prehistoric looking grey heron can be a great leveller.
Producer: Mark Ward
Photograph: Alan Matthew.
THU 06:00 Today (m00025bt)
Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme; including Thought for the Day
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m00025bw)
Emmy Noether
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and life of one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, Emmy Noether. Noether’s Theorem is regarded as one of the most important mathematical theorems, influencing the evolution of modern physics. Born in 1882 in Bavaria, Noether studied mathematics at a time when women were generally denied the chance to pursue academic careers and, to get round objections, she spent four years lecturing under a male colleague’s name. In the 1930s she faced further objections to her teaching, as she was Jewish, and she left for the USA when the Nazis came to power. Her innovative ideas were to become widely recognised and she is now considered to be one of the founders of modern algebra.
With
Colva Roney Dougal
Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of St Andrews
David Berman
Professor in Theoretical Physics at Queen Mary, University of London
Elizabeth Mansfield
Professor of Mathematics at the University of Kent
Producer: Simon Tillotson
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (m00025dh)
Maid
Episode 4
Lanna Joffrey reads Stephanie Land’s hard-hitting account of living on minimum wages in present-day America.
Struggling to support her daughter as a single parent, Stephanie takes the only job she can find, as a cleaner. In this moving memoir, she tells the story of the clients she works for - like Wendy, who is dying of cancer.
“Her house was so clean I was often confused why she paid to have me work there. She didn’t seem to get many visitors, and it made me wonder if she put on nice clothes and did her hair for me.”
Stephanie begins to spend more and more time at Wendy’s house, lunching with her on the best china. Finally, the real task is revealed - she’s to help Wendy parcel up all her belongings, ready for her relatives to distribute after her death. But the relationship with Wendy is strangely comforting, too:
“Memories of those afternoons with Wendy reminded me not only that my time was of value, but that even though I was there to clean a toilet or tidy her garden, I had value, too.”
Written by Stephanie Land
Read by Lanna Joffrey
Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00025c0)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (m00025c2)
Irene Nemirovsky: The Misunderstanding
Episode 4
Denise invites Yves to a restaurant with friends but it only serves to remind him of his lack of wealth. They're pushed further apart, and Denise is desperate to reconcile their relationship.
Denise - Sarah Smart
Yves - Joseph Kloska
Mr. Clarke/Jessaint - Jake Ferretti
Mrs. Clarke/Mme Franchevielle - Emma Gregory
Translated by Sandra Smith
Dramatised by Lin Coghlan
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (m00025c4)
Correspondents around the world tell their stories and examine news developments in their region.
THU 11:30 The Art of Now (b0bkqv3x)
The Joy of Text
Artist and broadcaster Bob and Roberta Smith, famed for his hand-painted slogans, goes on a personal journey to explore how text and language are used in art.
From monks in Cistercian Abbeys and medieval bureaucrats, to conceptual art subversives challenging who could be considered artists, Bob and Roberta Smith draws on a wide range of traditions. He also re-examines his own formative experiences with the interplay of words, colour and form to bring listeners into the present.
Over the course of the programme, we're led on an emotional trip through a world of cut up Victorian novellas - and we encounter pop-art printing making nuns working at the coal face of the civil rights.
Bob and Roberta Smith meets political cartoonists creating new languages, artists fusing text and images to give voices to the marginalised, and a group of women democratising art through text, images and a Risograph printing machine.
This programme reveals that - away from plays, novels or song lyrics - text and language have been adopted by artists in contrasting and ever-evolving ways, but these all reveal that text is an art form in itself.
Featuring Steve Bell, Janette Parris, Tom Phillips, Donna Steele and Sofia Niazi.
Presenter: Bob and Roberta Smith
Producer: David Waters
A TBI production for BBC Radio 4
THU 12:00 News Summary (m00025h7)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 Washington Black (m00025c8)
Episode Nine
Set in the 1830’s, Washington Black is an epic, historical novel. It begins on a slave plantation in Barbados and, by the most unexpected and inventive means, transports its young protagonist, Wash, off the island and on a journey that takes him around the world - in pursuit of freedom and the man whose approval he so desperately seeks.
Esi Edugyan's novel explores the nature of evil, moral delusion, and the limits of responsibility. It's also a coming-of-age story where survival marks the transition from boy to man.
Underpinning the more sobering aspects of the novel is a glorious celebration of the creative spirit and the power of the imagination. Despite everything, Washington’s ability to connect with and inspire others, and to draw strength from his own inner life, is an inspiration and a joy that speaks to the contemporary world.
Episode Nine:
Just when all seems to be going well for him, Washington has to fight for his life. But Tanna and her father will be the means for him to start a new chapter.
The author Esi Edugyan has degrees from the University of Victoria and Johns Hopkins University. Her first novel, The Second Life of Samuel Tyne, was written when she was 25 and published in 2004. Her second, Half Blood Blues, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2011. Washington Black won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Esi lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Writer: Esi Edugyan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Reader: Alex Lanipekun
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
THU 12:18 You and Yours (m00025cb)
Radio 4's consumer affairs programme.
THU 12:57 Weather (m00025cd)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (m00025cg)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
THU 13:45 James Burke's Web of Knowledge (m00025cj)
Episode 4
James Burke has spent his career as a broadcaster and writer in the field of science and technology 'joining up the dots'. Now he uses the information he has gleaned over many years to create a 'Knowledge Web', revealing how the most unexpected connections can be made across history. What he can show us is that change doesn't happen in predictable straight lines, and he has some surprises in store.
THU 14:00 The Archers (m000254r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b08cv1g3)
The Thickness
Writer and star of the BAFTA-nominated comedy series Timewasters, Breakthrough Brit winner Daniel Lawrence Taylor writes two original plays for Radio 4.
The Thickness is his razor-sharp satire about gender and power.
Marcus is a great Dad - intelligent, involved, cool, creative, spontaneous. So why is his 14 year-old daughter pregnant 'by boredom'? Why is his 17 year-old son trying to get off with Marcus' (latest) 21 year-old girlfriend? Why doesn't his ex-partner talk to him any more?
What's happened to his family - since he's been away?
Produced and directed by Jonquil Panting.
Daniel's second play Black Boy Fly will be broadcast on 9th February.
Marcus ..... Jason Barnett
Grace ..... Clare Perkins
Eli ..... McKell David
Nathan ..... Samson Kayo
Lyeasha ..... Keziah Joseph
Clifford ..... Alex Lanipekun
Andre ..... Percelle Ascot
Nadine ..... Yasmin Prince
Director ..... Jonquil Panting
Producer ..... Jonquil Panting
Writer ..... Daniel Lawrence Taylor
THU 15:00 Open Country (m00025cl)
Journey into Space, in Sutherland
Ian Marchant visits a remote boggy wilderness in Sutherland, on the north coast of Scotland, to see the spot where the UK's first spaceport is to be located.
The A'Mhoine Peninsula has been chosen as the potential site of the spaceport, which would launch small satellites into space at the rate of three a month. The UK Space Agency has given Highlands and Islands Enterprise £2.5m towards the development of the facility, which they are working on with a consortium including the US aerospace company Lockheed Martin. Their aim is to have the spaceport ready for launching in the early 2020s.
Many local people are enthusiastic about the plans, which could bring high quality jobs to an area which has been de-populating at an alarming rate. Others are angry about the plans to build on a wilderness which is unique in the world and has been virtually unchanged since the last Ice Age.
Ian meets people on both sides of the debate. What makes this landscape so special and why, given its unique status, is it the perfect location for a spaceport?
Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m00024qy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (m00024rp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (m00025cn)
Seamus McGarvey
With Antonia Quirke
Award-winning cinematographer Seamus McGarvey takes us behind the scenes of The Greatest Showman, Anna Karenina and 50 Shades Of Grey.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m00025cq)
Adam Rutherford investigates the news in science and science in the news.
THU 17:00 PM (m00025cs)
PM at
5pm: interviews, context and analysis.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00025cv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (m00025cx)
Series 9
King's Lynn
Mark Steel returns to Radio 4 with the ninth series of his award-winning show that travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents.
In this episode Mark visits King's Lynn.
King's Lynn has an apostrophe. And a river. And a traffic island full of rabbits. Mark has a delightful trip on a ferry.
And the Queen often visits the town on her way to Sandringham.
Written and performed by Mark Steel
Additional material by Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator, Hayley Sterling
Sound Manager, Jerry Peal
Producer, Carl Cooper
Picture Credit, Tom Stanier
THU 19:00 The Archers (m00025d0)
Kenton puts his foot in it and Tom makes his pitch
THU 19:15 Front Row (m00025d2)
Live daily magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (m00025c2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m00025d4)
Current affairs series combining original insights into major news stories with topical investigations.
THU 20:30 In Business (m00025d6)
Colombia's Coffee Revolutions
Can the fashion for high-end coffee save Colombia’s struggling farmers? It’s not been easy growing coffee in recent decades in Colombia, where rural life has been dominated by the conflict between guerrillas, paramilitaries and drug traffickers. Now, two years on from the historic peace deal here, how is business benefiting? And with global market prices not even covering growers’ costs, could the trend for coffee with a story come to growers’ rescue?
Presenter: Simon Maybin
Producer: Karenina Velandia
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m00025cq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (m00025bw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m00025d9)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
THU 22:45 Washington Black (m00025c8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
THU 23:00 Daphne Sounds Expensive (b07lhj87)
Series 1
D.A.P.H.N.E.
Jason has an out-of-this-world plan to increase the show's listenership.
Join critically-acclaimed sketch trio, Daphne, as they pull out all the stops in a dazzling array of peculiar characters, whacky scenarios, dodgy remarks, curious observations, minor altercations and major peacemaking - served on a bed of catchy little numbers with a live nine-piece band.
Written by and starring Jason Forbes, Phil Wang and George Fouracres
Featuring Sir Willard White, Emma Sidi and David Elms
Original music composed by Jeff Carpenter
Orchestrator: Simon Nathan
Musical Director: Freddie Tapner
Piano: Jeff Carpenter
Drums: Ben Hartley
Bass: Rob Grist
Percussion: Ben Burton
Trumpet: Michael Maddocks
Tenor Sax: Greg Sterland
Trombone: Elliot Pooley
Violin: Hannah Bell
Cello: Nick Squires
Production Coordinator, Hayley Sterling
Producer, Matt Stronge
A BBC Studios production
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m00025dc)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
FRIDAY 25 JANUARY 2019
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m00025df)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (m00025dh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m00025dk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m00025dm)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m00025dp)
The latest shipping forecast
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m00025dr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m00025dt)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with writer and broadcaster, Anna Magnusson.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m00025dw)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0pjx)
Snow Petrel
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Liz Bonnin presents an Antarctic specialist, the delicate looking snow petrel. On a wind blasted Antarctic iceberg, small white hummocks sprout beaks to bicker and flirt with each other. These are snow petrels, one of the hardiest bird species in the world. Few bird species breed in the Antarctic and fewer still are so intimately bound to the landscape of snow and ice. But the near pure white snow petrel makes its home in places where temperatures can plummet to -40 Celsius and below. Returning to their breeding areas from October, the nest is a skimpy affair nothing more than a pebble-lined scrape in a hollow or rocky crevice where the parents rear their single chick on a diet of waxy stomach oil and carrion. But for a bird of such purity the snow petrel has a ghoulish diet, foraging at whale and seal carcasses along the shore. Although it breeds on islands such as South Georgia which are north of the summer pack ice, the snow petrel's true home is among snow and ice of its Antarctic home.
FRI 06:00 Today (m00025dz)
Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme; including Thought for the Day
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m00024rb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (m00025f1)
Maid
Episode 5
Lanna Joffrey reads Stephanie Land’s hard-hitting account of living on minimum wages in present-day America.
Struggling to support her daughter as a single parent, Stephanie takes the only job she can find, as a cleaner. In this moving memoir, she tells the story of the clients she works for.
“I became fascinated by the things hidden in the dark corners of the houses I cleaned. The snooping was like uncovering clues, finding evidence of the secret lives of people who seemed like they had it all.”
In this final episode, the secret life of the “the Cigarette Lady” is revealed when Stephanie looks into her freezer. And in an attempt to capture the best moments of her life with her young daughter Mia, she begins to write a blog which awakens her ambition to become a writer. Finally, she finds a way to escape this relentless work on a minimum wage, winning a scholarship to the University of Montana.
Written by Stephanie Land
Read by Lanna Joffrey
Abridged and produced by Elizabeth Burke
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m00025f3)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (m00025f5)
Irene Nemirovsky: The Misunderstanding
Episode 5
The couple's relationship stands on precipice as a mutual misunderstanding challenges it's core.
Denise - Sarah Smart
Yves - Joseph Kloska
Ja Ja - Rupert Hill
Translated by Sandra Smith
Dramatised by Lin Coghlan
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
FRI 11:00 Millennials in the Workplace (m00025f7)
Beanbags!
Beanbags are what Millenials want from a job - along with free food and the lofty idea of ‘making an impact’. That’s what academic Simon Sinek's video about "Millennials in the Workplace", enjoyed by over 10 millions viewers, would have you believe. Everyone born between 1980 and 2000 are hobbled by a thin skinned sense of entitlement, weak education, coddling parents and an addiction to social media - and therefore, are terrible to deal with in the workplace.
But does that idea of the ‘snowflake’ generation really ring true? How can it be that the most educated, most tech savvy generation to ever exist are the most incompetent in modern history? Why has the Millennial generation become the most mocked and derided in the workplace?
By exploring the experiences of Millennials working in the real world, combined with expert inside on the political, economical and psychological anchor points that moulded the Millennial Generation India Rakusen explores the a fundamental clash of life experiences and values between the generations and uncovers the truth about Millennials in the working world.
FRI 11:30 Relativity (m00025f9)
Series 2
Episode 4
Drawing on his own family, the second series of Richard Herring’s comedy drama, Relativity, builds on the warm, lively characters and family dynamics of the first series. His affectionate observation of inter-generational misunderstanding, sibling sparring and the ties that bind will resonate with anyone who has ever argued with their dad about who the current Pope is.
Amid the comedy, Richard broaches some more serious highs and lows of family life.
Richard Herring is a comedian, writer, blogger and podcaster and the world's premier semi-professional self-playing snooker player.
Episode 4:
Ken turns to his grandchildren for help with his technological challenges, while Chloe goes into early labour as Ian frets about his bag for life going to waste.
Cast:
Margaret…………….Alison Steadman
Ken……………..Phil Davis
Jane…………….Fenella Woolgar
Ian……………….Richard Herring
Chloe…………..Emily Berrington
Pete………………..Gordon Kennedy
Holly………………...Tia Bannon
Mark………………Fred Haig
Nick………………..Harrison Knights
Billy………………..Danny Kirrane
Written by Richard Herring
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore
Produced by Polly Thomas
Executive Producers: Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner
An Avalon Television production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m00025fc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Washington Black (m00025ff)
Episode Ten
Set in the 1830’s, Washington Black is an epic, historical novel. It begins on a slave plantation in Barbados and, by the most unexpected and inventive means, transports its young protagonist, Wash, off the island and on a journey that takes him around the world - in pursuit of freedom and the man whose approval he so desperately seeks.
Esi Edugyan's novel explores the nature of evil, moral delusion, and the limits of responsibility. It's also a coming-of-age story where survival marks the transition from boy to man.
Underpinning the more sobering aspects of the novel is a glorious celebration of the creative spirit and the power of the imagination. Despite everything, Washington’s ability to connect with and inspire others, and to draw strength from his own inner life, is an inspiration and a joy that speaks to the contemporary world.
Episode Ten:
With Tanna by his side, Washington goes in search of Titch, who he now believes is alive and well. His travels will take him far and wide but he has no idea what the reception will be if he finds him.
The author Esi Edugyan has degrees from the University of Victoria and Johns Hopkins University. Her first novel, The Second Life of Samuel Tyne, was written when she was 25 and published in 2004. Her second, Half Blood Blues, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2011. Washington Black won the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Esi lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Writer: Esi Edugyan
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Reader: Alex Lanipekun
Producer: Rosalynd Ward
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:18 You and Yours (m00025fh)
Radio 4's consumer affairs programme.
FRI 12:57 Weather (m00025fk)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (m00025fm)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
FRI 13:45 James Burke's Web of Knowledge (m00025fp)
Episode 5
James Burke has spent his career as a broadcaster and writer in the field of science and technology 'joining up the dots'. Now he uses the information he has gleaned over many years to create a 'Knowledge Web', revealing how the most unexpected connections can be made across history. What he can show us is that change doesn't happen in predictable straight lines, and he has some surprises in store.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m00025d0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (m00025fr)
Hello Caller
In the last two years British Telecom has decommissioned and removed at least 20,000 phone boxes. But what if these boxes have always been able to remember all of the conversations that have been routed through them, what if the wires hold memories suspended in their copper strands? What if, faced with extinction, these voices breach, at least for a short time, the barrier between temporal reality and the pulses coursing through the cables?
Built from a series of intercut ‘trapped’ phone calls, this is a ramshackle, effervescent collection of tales. Via the receiver and from within the wires we hear secrets, confessions, fears and declarations of love from voices now lost. This is a ghost story that relies on physics.
Cast:
All roles played by Annette Badland, Luke MacGregor, Sean Murray, David Reakes and Alex Tregear
Writer………………Jonathan Holloway
Directed by Alison Crawford
'Hello Caller' was based on an idea by Tim Dee.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m00025ft)
Correspondence Edition: Barbican
Peter Gibbs hosts a correspondence edition of the show from The Barbican Centre, London. Answering the questions from the GQT inbox are Matthew Pottage, Anne Swithinbank and Pippa Greenwood.
Produced by Dan Cocker
Assistant producer: Hester Cant
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m00025fw)
Big House
After investigating an arson at a local manor house, an insurance company employee discovers a series of fires erupting much closer to home.
An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 by the Irish writer Louise Hegarty. Read by Cathy Belton (Red Rock, The Woman in White).
Winner of the Sunday Business Post Penguin Ireland Short Story Prize, Louise Hegarty’s work has been featured in the anthology ‘wordlegs presents: 30 Under 30’ and the Banshee literary journal. This is her first story for BBC Radio.
Writer, Louise Hegarty
Reader, Cathy Belton
Producer, Michael Shannon
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m00025fy)
Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died, from the rich and famous to unsung but significant.
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m00025g0)
Series devoted to the world of numbers.
FRI 16:55 The Listening Project (b0b52cmq)
Dave and Martyn - The Meaning of Spurn
Two senior coxswains at the RNLI station at Spurn Point ponder the fact that of one of them is about to leave. Fi Glover presents another conversation in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
Producer: Marya Burgess.
FRI 17:00 PM (m00025g2)
PM at
5pm: interviews, context and analysis.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m00025g4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m00025g6)
Series 98
Episode 5
Miles Jupp looks back at the news this week with guests Hugo Rifkind, Neil Delamere, Jen Brister and Nish Kumar.
Produced by Victoria Lloyd
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m00025g8)
Writer ….. Amanda Whittington
Director ….. Gwenda Hughes
Editor ….. Jeremy Howe
David Archer ….. Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer…. Felicity Finch
Ben Archer ….. Ben Norris
Kenton Archer ….. Richard Attlee
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Pat Archer…. Pat Gallimore
Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Tom Archer…. Will Troughton
Brian Aldridge ….. Charles Collingwood
Jennifer Aldridge ….. Angela Piper
Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin
Alice Carter ….. Hollie Chapman
Emma Grundy ….. Emerald O'Hanrahan
Ed Grundy ….. Barry Farrimond
Shula Hebden Lloyd ….. Judy Bennett
Alistair Lloyd…. Michael Lumsden
Adam Macy ….. Andrew Wincott
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Elizabeth Pargetter ….. Alison Dowling
Johnny Philips…. Tom Gibbons
Peggy Woolley…. June Spencer
Lee…. Ryan Early
Tim…. Carl Prekopp
FRI 19:15 Front Row (m00025gb)
Live daily magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (m00025f5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m00025gd)
Sir Rocco Forte, David Gauke MP
Jonathan Dimbleby presents topical debate from The Exchange community space in Twickenham, Middlesex, with a panel including Sir Rocco Forte and David Gauke MP.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m00025gg)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.
FRI 21:00 Drama (b09ty58h)
The Chosen One
A thriller set in India and inspired by real events. A young woman, Prithi, attempts to join a secretive religious commune and tries to win the trust of the group's leader - the charismatic motorbike-loving Ravi Baba.
But, as her freedoms are gradually stripped away, it becomes clear that she is not a genuine convert. Is she a police informer trying to gather evidence against the group, a journalist trying to get a scoop or does she have some other agenda?
The Chosen One is inspired by writer Avi Garvi's own experiences. When still a child, Avi's mother became a follower of a charismatic music producer, singer-songwriter, filmmaker and self-styled guru. She left the family home with her five children to become his disciple. Avi escaped from the sect as a teenager and moved to Mumbai where she now lives under an assumed identity.
Awarded Prix Europa Best European Radio Fiction of the Year 2018.
Original Music by Jon Ouin
Produced by Nadir Khan
Written and Directed by Avi Garvi
Executive Producer: John Dryden
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m00025gj)
In-depth reporting and analysis from a global perspective.
FRI 22:45 Washington Black (m00025ff)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (m000256j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m00025gl)
All the news from today's sitting at Westminster.
FRI 23:55 The Listening Project (b0b53dn0)
Jamie and Drew - Orange Boats Are in My Blood
Long-standing RNLI volunteers consider the teamwork essential for an effective lifeboat station at Spurn Point. Fi Glover presents another conversation in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
Producer: Marya Burgess.