A decade after Big Brother hit UK screens a new type of reality programme launched that subtly changed our ideas about truth.
Big Brother has started to get dull. Contestants have learned how to perform for the cameras. To keep the show interesting, the producers have to keep making the show weirder and more unnatural, always upping the ante.
One of the original Big Brother producers was looking for new ideas.
What if Big Brother went into the real world, where the cast would be free to take advantage of their fame? The programme could follow the social lives and loves of ordinary people – just touching it up here and there to make it more entertaining.
The show became The Only Way Is Essex, or TOWIE for short, and was at the vanguard of a new genre of reality tv known as ‘hyper’ reality.
The cast were normal people, but looked like extras from a soap. The scenes were constructed, but the emotion was real.
Times are changing for Henry Dundas, the tallest and arguably most important statue in Edinburgh.
Currently there is no ringing taking place across UK towers, a situation not encountered since the Second World War. The recording comes from the church of Saints Peter and Paul, Kingsbury in Warwickshire. The first bells were installed in 1610, but the current ring of eight bells were renewed by Taylors of Loughborough in 1969. We hear them ringing Scientific Triples.
Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce is intrigued by the way the human voice can spark so many memories and feelings. Something we take for granted so often becomes the focus of his search for the oral fingerprint. To help him in his quest, he invites his friend Steve Coogan to demonstrate some of his impersonations, revealing that the tone of voice can carry more meaning than the words we say.
Frank also trawls the audio archive and finds rare recordings of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, and the inspirational deaf and blind writer Helen Keller. The voices of Oliver Postgate and the artificially intelligent Alexa join the mix.
Ultimately, Frank is seeking to hear the voice of God but doesn't find it where you might expect. He concludes, "You won't find the voice of the Lord calling to you in an historical document, we hear it in the voices of the people we love. It whispers to us in our childhood sleep, yells at us on the playing field, pleads with us in arguments and says hello when we answer the phone."
Brett Westwood steps into the world of a creature charged with the lore of night, whose dance with a flame has captivated us and whose cocoons have clothed us. Walk with him as he takes a journey into the domain of the moth.
Original Producer: Tom Bonnett.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
- 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 ‘Hospice Care Kenya’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Hospice Care Kenya’.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
"There is a piece of advice that my white British friends seem never to receive but which I have had the good fortune to be given on many occasions - 'If you don't like it here, you can always leave'".
Actor Samuel West describes gathering with his family at dusk to listen for Nightingales. Its song may be a cultural touchstone but it is far less harmonious a sound than poets may lead us to believe.
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell
Kirsty attempts to make the best of a bad situation and it’s a big day for Tracy
Ben Archer ..... Ben Norris
Josh Archer ..... Angus Imrie
Helen Archer ..... Louiza Patikas
Susan Carter ..... Charlotte Martin
Tracy Horrobin ..... Susie Riddell
Kirsty Miller ..... Annabelle Dowler
In this extended version of Tweet of the Day we feature the two species of swifts you may see in the United Kingdom. Firstly we'll hear actor and keen birdwatcher Samuel West on that summer visitor the common swift screaming over our towns and cities, followed by Sir David Attenborough. Our immersion into the swift ends with comedian and birdwatcher Bill Oddie on the alpine swift, an occasional spring visitor to our airwaves.
Helen McCrory shares the eight tracks, book and luxury she would want to take with her if cast away to a desert island.
Helen McCrory OBE is one of the most versatile and critically acclaimed actresses working in Britain today. Her theatre roles range from Yelena in Uncle Vanya to Euripides' Medea. On screen she has played Anna Karenina, Cherie Blair, Harry Potter's Narcissa Malfoy and the Peaky Blinders matriarch Aunt Polly.
A diplomat's daughter, she spent her early childhood in Africa before continuing her education in the UK. After a bruising and unsuccessful audition at the Drama Centre in North London - she was instructed to find out more about life before studying to act - she travelled to Italy where she discovered art and love and came back to try again. This time she passed the audition.
In 1993 she made her mark in Richard Eyre's production of Trelawny of the Wells at the National Theatre and went on to perform leading roles on some of London's most prestigious stages, winning two Olivier Award nominations. She was awarded an OBE for services to drama in 2017.
She met her husband, fellow actor Damian Lewis, when they both starred in a play called Five Gold Rings. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic Helen and Damian, together with the comedian Matt Lucas, co-founded the Feed NHS campaign which raises money to provide hot meals to frontline NHS workers.
Janet Ellis explores the etymology of the word 'dot'. it's all to do with pus and phlegm. A 40,000 year old dot that may help change our understanding of the behaviour of Neanderthal man and, move over colouring books, dot to dot is the new craze.
The simple dot is one of the first marks ever made. Later, the dot helped make sense of the written word and, in the digital domain, its use helps everything work. Somehow, from being a word probably uttered infrequently, it is now absolutely part and parcel of our vocabulary.
From the morse code that could have saved the Titanic, to Harold Pinter's love of those three dots... the first Braille newspaper, royal polka-dot socks, to the conceptual art of a young Aboriginal artist - just some of the dots you'll encounter when you join the dots.
A former Blue Peter presenter, Janet Ellis has presented several features for BBC Radio 4, appears regularly on Broadcasting House reviewing the papers, and on Channel 5's The Write Stuff. Her first novel, The Butcher's Hook, was published in 2016 and longlisted for the prestigious Desmond Elliott Prize. Her second, How it Was was published in 2019. She has been a judge for the Costa New Novel Prize and was awarded an MBE for services to charity and theatre in 2016.
Contributors to this first programme include Dr Tania Styles of the Oxford English Dictionary, and Professor Paul Pettitt from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Durham.
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.
Lucy Porter, Zoe Lyons, Sean Lock and Jack Dee are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as Country and Western music, sharks, jobs, and the 1970s.
As part of the BBC's Rethink series Dan Saladino and Sheila Dillon ask how we can create a better food future for all in a post-Covid world. Among a cast of experts and activists offering their visions of the future are Jamie Oliver who explains the thinking behind his new campaign to support British farming, Microbiome expert and geneticist Professor Tim Spector focuses on diet, nutrition and the lessons learnt during the pandemic. Community cook Dee Woods addresses concerns over poverty and how disadvantaged communities can get better access to food.
Capturing the nation in conversation to build a unique picture of our lives today and preserve it for future generations.
Kathy Clugston hosts the horticultural panel show. Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and Pippa Greenwood answer the questions sent in by listeners via email and social media.
This week the team discusses whether to water plants from the top or bottom, suggests how to turn a porch into an indoor jungle, and shares gardening mysteries.
Matt Biggs talks about the role of light in our garden and Advolly Richmond has the interesting history behind the Reseda Odorata ‘Mignonette’
In the fourth episode of Watching Us Jamie traces the line between reality TV and social media.
Just as fame was seeming more achievable and the stars more normal, social media and smart phones finally took off. Suddenly we had a camera and a TV channel of our own - complete with ratings and an audience.
Like Jade, and Kim, of course. Be emotional. Create drama. Turn every mundane act into a form of self-expression to be shared with the world. Flatter and edit ourselves constantly. Perform a version of ourselves even if it’s not quite real.
A number of reality TV stars killing themselves in recent years has shown just how much pressure and stress comes with performing and being judged all the time – whether it’s reality TV or on social media.
Now we’re all reality TV stars, we compare ourselves daily to other people’s carefully edited reality, and they compare theirs to ours. And we all worry: Are we keeping up?
Akbar Kurtha and Henry Goodman star as the younger and older Primo Levi in a major dramatisation of Levi's short stories about our human relationship with the chemical elements. Introduced by Janet Suzman and dramatised by Graham White from the translation by Raymond Rosenthal.
Iron: The story of Primo Levi's early life as a chemist in Mussolini's Italy, from his student days, his early crushes and his first experiences as a professional chemist, at a time when it was increasingly hard for Jewish Italians to find work.
Younger Primo ..... Akbar Kurtha
Older Primo ..... Henry Goodman
Enrico/ Marchetti ..... Caolan McCarthy
Rina ..... Debra Baker
Lazzari ..... Sam Dale
Luca ..... Leo Wan
Giulia ..... Rebecca Hamilton
Caselli ..... Stephen Critchlow
Bettega ..... George Watkins
Rita ..... Katie Redford
Sandro ..... Andrew Rothney
Dallaporta ..... Richard Pepple
Antaeus ..... David Hounslow
Alida ..... Amelia Lowdell
Programme looking at new fiction and non-fiction books, talking to authors and publishers and unearthing lost classics
Kathleen Jamie makes her choice of listeners' poem requests sent in during the early days of lockdown. What poems have people been reading throughout the difficult Spring of 2020?
Last year, a 16-year-old boy from Durham became the youngest person ever convicted of planning a terrorist attack in the UK, spurring reporter Daniel De Simone to delve deeper into this shadowy world.
Police say right-wing extremism is the fastest growing terrorist threat - and that the coronavirus pandemic may be leaving teens vulnerable to radicalisation.
As he investigates the movement, Daniel reveals the inner-workings of these militant extreme right-wing groups who seek to spark a race war and destroy society. Working with investigative journalists in the US and Russia, he tracks down some of the movement’s most extreme and influential men.
With two years of his salary strapped to his belt, Thomas boards a train back to Mumbai, only to be woken up in the middle of the night by bandits. The experience helps him answer a vital question.
Thomas ...... Anand Tiwari
Prem Kumar ...... Sohrab Ardeshir
Meenakshi ...... Ratnabali Bhattacharjee
Akshay ...... Trikash Karkera
Dacoit ...... Rajit Kapur
Other parts played by Jayant Kripalani, Devika Shahani-Punjabi and Pushan Kripalani.
The world has been turned upside down in 2020, but could the dearth of sport offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for cricket's anti-hero Dave Podmore to make big bucks?
Pod is in negotiations with the Tokyo Olympics and, after all the efforts to take drugs out of sport, finally there's a chance to take the sport out of drugs. At the same time, can he save the precious jobs of the acting community or, now that we live in the 'new normal', are their valuable jobs as giant sporting mascots gone forever?
Starring Christopher Douglas, Andrew Nickolds, Nicola Sanderson and Lewis Macleod
A series of five specially-commissioned tales revolving around the possibilities of the word spice.
1/5. The Seductive Properties of Chiffon Cake
Originally from Malaysia, Elaine Chiew is a twice winner of the Bridport Short Story Competition. Her collection, The Heartsick Diaspora and other stories, was published in 2020.
Does the BBC need to rethink its business coverage in light of the coronavirus epidemic? The BBC’s Business Editor Simon Jack gives his view and answers listeners' questions.
Journalist Nick Wallis explains why he spent ten years on an investigation into the treatment of sub-postmasters by the Post Office, which has now been turned into a ten-part series on Radio 4.
And two listeners living abroad explain why they listen to the BBC’s domestic radio output, and turn amateur reviewers of a Radio 4 programme.
The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have made lots of us rethink our lives. Many say they want to make changes to the way they work, whilst others see this as a pivotal moment to radically rethink society. But how do you actually implement change? What really drives it? How are obstacles to change overcome? Will perceived economic imperatives mean change is relegated to wishful thinking? BBC Media Editor Amol Rajan and guests discuss.
Chris Mason takes your calls on how the world can change for the better after Covid-19.
Call: 08085 909693 (calls are free from mobiles and landlines).
Text: 85058 (charged at your standard message rate).
MONDAY 29 JUNE 2020
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m000kfy7)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m000k911)
Blood
Blood - Laurie Taylor explores the metaphorical, as well as material, reality of blood. He's joined by Gil Anidjar, Professor of Religion and Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African studies at Columbia University, and author of a study which explores the relationship between the history of Christianity and blood. What are the social and political implications of the way in which Christian blood come to be associated with purity and kinship?
Also, Janet Carsten - Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, considers the extraordinary symbolic power of blood. She traces the multiple meanings of blood as it moves from donors to labs, hospitals, and patients in Penang, Malaysia, telling the stories of blood donors, lab staff and hospital workers. In the process, she shows that blood is a lens for understanding the entanglements of modern life.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m000kfvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000kfy9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000kfyc)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:33 Shipping Forecast (m000kfyf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000kfyh)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m000kfyk)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
MON 05:56 Weather (m000kfym)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (m0002ybf)
Geoff Samples Dupont's Lark
For wildlife sound recordist Geoff Sample the strange sound of Dupont's lark is something of an enigma, as despite recording half a dozen birds he has never actually seen one.
You can hear more from Geoff in his Tweet of the Week omnibus, available as a download from the website, or on BBC Sounds
Producer : Andrew Dawes
MON 06:00 Today (m000kgnm)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m000kgnp)
Brit Bennett on race, identity and protest
Tom Sutcliffe discusses racism, the traps of history and the Black Lives Matter movement with the American author Brit Bennet and the British academic Gary Younge.
Racial identity, bigotry and shape-shifting are at the centre of Brit Bennett’s new book, The Vanishing Half. The novel focuses on twin sisters who flee the confines of their southern small town, and the attempts by one of the sisters to escape her background completely by passing as white. The social unrest in the US in the 20th century pervades her latest work, but Bennett is hopeful that today’s protests mark the beginning of real change.
Gary Younge lived in the US for 12 years working as a journalist, before he returned home and became Professor of Sociology at Manchester University. He discounts the attempts by some in Britain to claim moral superiority over America in terms of racism. He argues that Britain’s colonial past meant the most egregious racist acts often took place abroad, and so rarely became an integral part of the country’s story.
Producer: Katy Hickman
Photograph by Emma Trim
MON 09:30 Homeschool History (m000kgnr)
Cleopatra
Something for the whole family: a fun 15 minute history lesson with Greg Jenner.
MON 09:45 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kgq7)
Episode 1
A powerful tale of a family in crisis and a moving love letter to the NHS.
Herat, Afghanistan, 2000. A mother speaks out against the fundamentalist leaders of her country. Meanwhile, her family’s watchful eyes never leave their beloved son and brother, whose rare heart condition means that he will never lead a normal life.
When the Taliban gave an order for the execution of Hamed Amiri’s mother, the family knew they had to escape, starting what would be a long and dangerous journey, across Russia and through Europe, with the UK as their ultimate destination.
Travelling as refugees for a year and a half, they suffered attacks from mafia and police; terrifying journeys in strangers’ cars; treks across demanding terrain; days spent hidden in lorries without food or drink; and being robbed at gunpoint of every penny they owned.
The family’s need to reach the UK was intensified by their eldest son’s deteriorating condition, and the prospect of life-saving treatment it offered.
The Boy with Two Hearts is not only a tale of a family in crisis, but a love letter to the NHS, which provided hope and reassurance as they sought asylum in the UK and fought to save their loved ones.
Read by Sanjeev Bhaskar
Abridged by Florence Bedell-Brill
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000kgnw)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
MON 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pk6x2)
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
Episode 1
Dramatisation by Ayeesha Menon of the novel by Vikas Swarup, author of Q and A, which was filmed as Slumdog Millinaire. Vicky Rai, notorious son of a prominent Indian politician, shoots dead a waitress at a trendy Delhi restaurant. At a lavish society party to celebrate his acquittal, he is himself murdered. Who did it?
Suspect number one: the mobile phone thief with big dreams.
Arun Advani, an investigative journalist ...... Rajit Kapur
Vicky Rai, a rich Delhi playboy ...... Zafar Karachiwala
Mamta Rai, a politician and Vicky's mother ...... Radhika Mital
Munna Mobile, a mobile phone thief ...... Anand Tiwari
Shabnam Saxena, a Bollywood actress ...... Shernaz Patel
Larry Page, an American tourist ...... Gary Richardson
Eketi, a tribesman ...... Rohit Malkani
Ashok Rajput, a welfare officer ...... Kenny Desai
Champi/Drunk girl in car ...... Radhika Apte
Reshma/Barkha Das ...... Anahita Uberoi
Ritu ...... Ira Dubey
Bilal/Inspector Brar ...... Ankur Vikal
Saira/Ruby Gill ...... Megha Burman
Pappu Pager ...... Jaimini Pathak
Chief Minister Pandey/Chief Melambe/Abu Khaled ...... Jayant Kripalani
Detective Gupta, private detective ...... Kenny Desai
Abu Technical/Tribesman ...... Pushan Kripalani
Abu Omar/Biddy/Driver ...... Nadir Khan
Jay Chaterjee/Judge Mishra ...... Sohrab Ardeshir
Gulabo/Mrs Gill/Reporter ...... Ayeesha Menon
Raman Johar/Bill Bakshi ...... Ashwin Mushran
Elizabeth Brookner ...... Karla Singh
Inspector Yardav ...... Ravi Khote
Sohrab ...... Caran Arora
Production team:
Line producer in India: Nadir Khan
Assistant director: Toral Shah
Photography: Ameet Mallapur
Script editor: Mike Walker
Sound: Ayush Ahuja
Additional editing: Steve Bond
Music: Sacha Putnam
Sound design: Nick Russell-Pavier
Produced and directed by John Dryden
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 11:00 Your Call Is Important to Us (m000kgny)
Nearly two million people are now known to have applied for Universal Credit since the start of the Coronavirus lockdown. For many of them it’s their first time, and is in sharp contrast to how they expected their lives to be.
To make a claim, many start off by calling the Universal Credit Hotline, a process that can take hours. Once they start their claim it's likely they'll need to wait five weeks for their first payment.
As they wait, in isolation in their homes, we discover more about their lives and follow them on their benefits journey. What led them to this point, how are their personal lives affected and how do they feel? We'll be with them for the ups and the downs.
We'll meet Caroline, who works in HR and is battling illness while making a claim, Dan who plays the saxophone and has moved back home to his mum's house because he couldn't afford to live in London and Matt the warehouse worker whose health means he is shielding on his own in a flat with just the birds for company.
Plus, we'll have a statement from the Department for Work and Pensions on how they've responded to this extraordinary moment in welfare.
Produced and presented by Jess Quayle.
Technical Production by Mike Smith.
MON 11:30 Loose Ends (m000kfv8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
MON 12:00 News Summary (m000kgp1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:03 Shipping Forecast (m000kgp3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 12:06 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kgp5)
Episode 1
Gripping contemporary novel by Lottie Moggach.
A prisoner nearing the end of a seven year stretch inside winds up in an open prison in Brixton. Each morning, he exits the prison gates and begins the short walk to a local charity shop, where he spends the day in the backroom sorting through other people's discarded belongings. All he needs to do is keep himself out of trouble and, in a few months' time, he'll be out for good.
Among the bustle of commuters on Brixton Hill one morning, he sees a well-dressed woman fall over. He helps her up and they exchange a few words before parting, but she makes a lasting impression on him.
Written by Lottie Moggach
Abridged by Siân Preece
Reader Will Howard
Producer Gaynor Macfarlane
MON 12:20 You and Yours (m000kgp7)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
MON 12:57 Weather (m000kgp9)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m000kgpc)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qg5my)
The Beginning of Science and Literature (1500 - 700 BC)
Flood tablet
A small tablet was found in modern Iraq and brought back to the British Museum. When it was translated, back in 1872, it turned out to be an account of a great flood that significantly pre-dated the famous Biblical tale of Noah. This discovery caused a storm around the world and led to a passionate debate about the truth of the Bible - about story telling and the universality of legend. In a week that looks at the emergence new ways of expression like literature and mathematics, Neil MacGregor introduces us first to the British Museum's provocative "Flood Tablet".
MON 14:00 Tumanbay (m000kgpg)
Series 4
Secret Garden
Anton Lesser, Aiysha Hart, Rufus Wright, Rob Jarvis and Kirsty Bushell lead an impressive ensemble cast in this engrossing, historical fantasy from creators John Scott Dryden and Mike Walker.
Convinced she has secured the Balarac’s withdrawal from the city, the murderous Fatima turns her attentions to the throne and how to get it. Meanwhile, Gregor (Rufus Wright) with the help of the Skyrats and his new side-kick, the assassin Aquila (Rob Jarvis), searches for a secret garden in the city where he believes the Hafiz may be hiding.
Cast:
Gregor................ Rufus Wright
Grand Master................ Anton Lesser
Aquila................ Rob Jarvis
Fatima................ Kirsty Bushell
Manel................ Aiysha Hart
Cadali................ Matthew Marsh
Sarp................Joplin Sibtain
Angel................Steffan Donnelly
Piero................Pano Masti
Frog................Misha Butler
Dumpy............... Ali Khan
Physician................Vivek Madan
Hafiz.............. Antony Bunsee
Butcher Hassan................ Gerard McDermott
Original Music by Sacha Puttnam
Sound Design by Eloise Whitmore
Sound Recording by Laurence Farr
Produced by Emma Hearn, Nadir Khan and John Scott Dryden
Written by Mac Rogers
Directed by John Scott Dryden
A Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:45 Museum of Lost Objects (b071skph)
Winged Bull of Nineveh
The Museum of Lost Objects traces the histories of 10 antiquities or cultural sites that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.
With hundreds of thousands of lives lost, millions of people displaced and some of the world’s most significant heritage sites destroyed, the wars in Iraq and Syria have had an enormous cost. While the historical artefacts that have been bombed, defaced and plundered can never be restored, they are very well remembered. Through local histories, legends and personal stories, the Museum of Lost Objects recreates these lost treasures and explores their significance across generations and cultures, from creation to destruction.
The winged bull was a huge 2,700-year-old sculpture that stood guard at the gates of one of the most fabled cities in antiquity – Nineveh, modern-day Mosul, northern Iraq. Militants from the Islamic State group defaced the winged bull in February 2015, almost a year after seizing control of the city. We tell the story of the bull and the role of Nineveh in the origins of Iraqi archaeology.
This episode was first broadcast on 29 February, 2016
Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor
Producer: Maryam Maruf
Picture: Winged Bull of Nineveh, drawn by Eugène Flandin
Credit: The New York Public Library
Contributors: Mazin Safar, son of Iraqi archaeologist Fuad Safar; Mark Altaweel, Institute of Archaeology, UCL; and Iraqi archaeologist Lamia al-Gailani, SOAS
With thanks to Nigel Tallis and Sarah Collins of the British Museum, and Augusta McMahon of the University of Cambridge.
MON 15:00 The 3rd Degree (m000kgpj)
Series 10
Bournemouth University
Steve Punt hosts the funny, lively and dynamic quiz from Bournemouth University.
This week's specialist subjects are psychology, nursing and economics and the questions range from sarcophagi to super overs, with a bit of triangular arbitrage thrown in.
The show is recorded on location at a different University each week, and it pits three undergraduates against three of their professors in a genuinely original and fresh take on an academic quiz
The rounds vary between specialist subjects and general knowledge, quickfire bell-and-buzzer rounds and the Highbrow and Lowbrow round, cunningly devised to test not only the students’ knowledge of current affairs, history, languages and science, but also their professors’ awareness of television, sport, and quite possibly Ed Sheeran. In addition, there are the head-to-head rounds, in which students take on their professors in their own subjects - with plenty of scope for mild embarrassment on both sides.
In this series, the universities are Bournemouth, Imperial College, Reading, Durham, Ulster University and Mansfield College Oxford.
The host, Steve Punt, although best known as a satirist on The Now Show, is also someone who delights in all facets of knowledge, - not just in the humanities (his educational background) but in the sciences as well. As well as The Now Show, he has made a number of documentaries for Radio 4 on subjects as varied as The Poet Unwound - The History Of The Spleen and Getting The Gongs - an investigation into awards ceremonies.
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m000kfx7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 Tales from the Stave (b0540trm)
Smetana - Ma Vlast
When the Czech composer Bedrich Smetana set about his famous symphonic cycle Ma Vlast - My Country or My Land, in the early 1870s, he was tapping into a national tradition surviving under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His evocations of historic landmarks like the rocky fortress of Vysehrad which overlooks another subject, the Vltava (Moldau) river have become familiar far beyond his Bohemian homeland.
Frances Fyfield is joined by the leading young Czech conductor Jakub Hrusa and the Czech Philharmonic orchestra violinist Magdalena Maslanova to unpick the handwritten manuscripts of his tone poems. They tell a story of a brilliant orchestral imagination which was still making alterations in this final version of one of his most celebrated works. But the autographs, with their agonisingly personal marginal notes also tell of a man who was losing his hearing.
To what extent this new isolation unleashed a passionate and vivid musical imagination is open to debate. Be that as it may the scores are treated with reverence by all Czech musicians for whom Smetana was an immense figure. The music sweeps all nationalities along in its familiar currents.
Producer: Tom Alban.
MON 16:30 The Digital Human (m000kgpn)
Series 20
Normal
Aleks Krotoski asks if moving our lives online has given us a false sense of normality during these extraordinary times.
MON 17:00 PM (m000kgpq)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000kgps)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m000kntz)
Series 24
Episode 3
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, Sindhu Vee and Neil Delamere are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as furniture, birthdays, phobias and rocks.
Produced by Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m000kgpv)
Elizabeth considers her options and Freddie is up to his neck in it.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m000kgpx)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pk6x2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
MON 20:00 Meanwhile... (m000kfq7)
Meanwhile in Space
While the world's focus has been on the Covid-19 pandemic, other stories have been developing.
In May, SpaceX became the first commercial company to fly humans to the International Space Station. The launch was the first from American soil since 2011. The BBC's Global Science Correspondent, Rebecca Morelle, asks whether this launch marks the beginning of a golden era of human spaceflight and examines how new relationships between space agencies and commercial companies will change the field of space exploration.
Will this development capture humanity's imagination and give the field a renewed focus, or will it make space feel further away from the private citizen? Will space agencies and private companies collaborate or compete? Will it increase international cooperation or allow nations to advance by themselves?
Rebecca explores the motivations of the individuals who are propelling advances beyond the Earth's atmosphere and examines what the risks might be, in the absence of a new international space treaty.
Presenter: Rebecca Morelle
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
MON 20:30 Analysis (m000kgpz)
The Post-Pandemic State
Government intervention on an unprecedented scale has propped up the British economy - and society at large - during the pandemic. But what should be the state's role from now on? Can Conservatives successfully embrace an enduring central role for government in the economy given their small-state, Thatcherite heritage championing the role of the individual, lower spending and lower taxes? And can Labour, instinctively keener on a more active state, discipline its impulses towards more generous government so that they don't end up thwarting its ambitions for greater equality and fairness?
Four eminent political thinkers join Edward Stourton to debate the lessons of political pivot points in Britain's postwar history and how these should guide us in deciding what the borders of the state should be in the post-pandemic world - and who's going to pay.
Those taking part: Andrew Harrop of the Fabian Society, who draws inspiration from Labour's 1945 landslide victory to advocate a highly active and determined state to promote opportunity, fairness and equality; former Conservative minister David Willetts of the Resolution Foundation, who sees the lessons of the Conservative revolution in 1979 as relevant as ever about the limits of the state but also argues core Conservative beliefs are consistent with bigger government; former Blairite thinker, Geoff Mulgan, who, drawing on the lessons of 1997, resists notions of a catch-all politics in the face of the multi-faceted demands on today's state; and Dean Godson of Policy Exchange, influential with the Conservative modernisers of the Cameron era, who insists a Thatcherite view of the state shouldn't rigidly define how the centre-right responds to our new circumstances.
Producer Simon Coates
Editor Jasper Corbett
MON 21:00 Science Stories (b05zl1bj)
Series 1
DNA's Third Man
What does it take to be remembered well? The discovery of the structure of DNA is often attributed to James Watson and Francis Crick. But a third man shared the stage with them for the 1962 Nobel Prize for Medicine - Maurice Wilkins. He was a brilliant physicist who after work on the Manhattan Project was determined to move from "the science of death to the science of life". He made his mark in the fast progressing world of x-ray crystallography and in the late 1940's was the first to propose that biological material that passed on genetic information from one generation to the next might have an order and structure that scientists could elucidate and control. He was to play an integral role in one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century. But why did he fail to capture the public imagination?
Kevin Fong examines Maurice Wilkins achievements and brings a new slant on the familiar story of the race to unravel DNA
Producer: Adrian Washbourne
MON 21:30 Start the Week (m000kgnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m000kgq1)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
MON 22:45 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kgp5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
MON 23:00 Forest 404 (p074m0q3)
Ep9: Enigmata
Daria escorts Pan to The Convocation. An era has ended. Can, or should, a new one begin?
An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie & Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley.
Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. And you can take part in our interactive experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature at: bbc.co.uk/forest
#Forest404
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000kgq3)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
TUESDAY 30 JUNE 2020
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m000kgq5)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 00:30 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kgq7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000kgq9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000kgqc)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:33 Shipping Forecast (m000kgqf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000kgqh)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m000kgqk)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (m0001sx5)
Becky Unthank's Wren
For Becky Unthank her interest in birds goes beyond just watching them while out in the countryside, as she has recently named her son wren to reflect her love of the natural world.
Along with her sister Rachel who will present her own Tweet of the Day next week, The Unthanks is a family affair from the North East of England. As one of the leading exponents of traditional music they have been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and represent the only British folk group in the The Guardian's and Uncut's best albums of last decade. Categorizing their music is difficult, but The Unthanks see their work and songs as less a style of music and more delivering an oral history for the modern audience. Which is perfect for Tweet of the Day, as Becky Unthank recalls how her son was named wren and also how she has been inspired by the story of the King of the Birds.
You can hear more from Becky in her Tweet of the Week podcast, downloadable from BBC Sounds
Producer Andrew Dawes
TUE 06:00 Today (m000kgs8)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 Positive Thinking (m000kgsb)
Curing Our Productivity Problem
Sangita Myska takes a deep dive into some of the biggest problems facing Britain today - and meets the people whose big ideas might solve them.
This week, Positive Thinking tackles Britain's problem with productivity with help from Professor Nick Bloom who says he has a solution for office based workers AND the evidence to prove it.
Contributors include:
Eddie Obeng, Director of the virtual business school Pentacle
Christy Johnson, Founder and CEO of Artemis Connection
Lynda Gratton, Professor at London Business School
Producer: Sarah Shebbeare
TUE 09:30 One to One (m000kgsd)
Karen Darke talks to Diana Davies
Having celebrated her 81st birthday this year and her 70th with a high speed boat ride down the River Thames, Diana Davies has no intention of leaving her own bungalow and moving in to a retirement home. Age she argues is a number not a condition. But how do you keep control of your life if very well meaning family and friends try to persuade you to be less independent as you get older? In this, the last of three conversations about taking control of your life, paralympic athlete and adventurer Karen Darke talks to Diana about her life choices, maintaining her independence and her hopes and fears for the future. Producer Sarah Blunt
Photo of Diana Davies. Copyright Holly Hall.
TUE 09:45 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kgsg)
Episode 2
A powerful tale of a family in crisis and a moving love letter to the NHS
Herat, Afghanistan, 2000. A mother speaks out against the fundamentalist leaders of her country. Meanwhile, her family’s watchful eyes never leave their beloved son and brother, whose rare heart condition means that he will never lead a normal life.
When the Taliban gave an order for the execution of Hamed Amiri’s mother, the family knew they had to escape, starting what would be a long and dangerous journey, across Russia and through Europe, with the UK as their ultimate destination.
Travelling as refugees for a year and a half, they suffered attacks from mafia and police; terrifying journeys in strangers’ cars; treks across demanding terrain; days spent hidden in lorries without food or drink; and being robbed at gunpoint of every penny they owned.
The family’s need to reach the UK was intensified by their eldest son’s deteriorating condition, and the prospect of life-saving treatment it offered.
The Boy with Two Hearts is not only a tale of a family in crisis, but a love letter to the NHS, which provided hope and reassurance as they sought asylum in the UK and fought to save their loved ones.
Read by Sanjeev Bhaskar
Abridged by Florence Bedell-Brill
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000kgsj)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
TUE 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngd)
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
Episode 2
Dramatisation by Ayeesha Menon of the novel by Vikas Swarup, author of Q and A, which was filmed as Slumdog Millinaire. Vicky Rai, notorious son of a prominent Indian politician, shoots dead a waitress at a trendy Delhi restaurant. At a lavish society party to celebrate his acquittal, he is himself murdered. Who did it?
Suspect number two: the Bollywood actress with the guilty secret.
Arun Advani, an investigative journalist ...... Rajit Kapur
Vicky Rai, a rich Delhi playboy ...... Zafar Karachiwala
Mamta Rai, a politician and Vicky's mother ...... Radhika Mital
Munna Mobile, a mobile phone thief ...... Anand Tiwari
Shabnam Saxena, a Bollywood actress ...... Shernaz Patel
Larry Page, an American tourist ...... Gary Richardson
Eketi, a tribesman ...... Rohit Malkani
Ashok Rajput, a welfare officer ...... Kenny Desai
Champi/Drunk girl in car ...... Radhika Apte
Reshma/Barkha Das ...... Anahita Uberoi
Ritu ...... Ira Dubey
Bilal/Inspector Brar ...... Ankur Vikal
Saira/Ruby Gill ...... Megha Burman
Pappu Pager ...... Jaimini Pathak
Chief Minister Pandey/Chief Melambe/Abu Khaled ...... Jayant Kripalani
Detective Gupta, private detective ...... Kenny Desai
Abu Technical/Tribesman ...... Pushan Kripalani
Abu Omar/Biddy/Driver ...... Nadir Khan
Jay Chaterjee/Judge Mishra ...... Sohrab Ardeshir
Gulabo/Mrs Gill/Reporter ...... Ayeesha Menon
Raman Johar/Bill Bakshi ...... Ashwin Mushran
Elizabeth Brookner ...... Karla Singh
Inspector Yardav ...... Ravi Khote
Sohrab ...... Caran Arora
Production team:
Line producer in India: Nadir Khan
Assistant director: Toral Shah
Photography: Ameet Mallapur
Script editor: Mike Walker
Sound: Ayush Ahuja
Additional editing: Steve Bond
Music: Sacha Putnam
Sound design: Nick Russell-Pavier
Produced and directed by John Dryden
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 11:00 Home Birds (m000kgsl)
Naturalist Brett Westwood has been thinking more and more about migration to the UK. He’s spent a lifetime studying migrating birds, but he’s become increasingly alert to the people making a similar journey.
He’s particularly interested in cuckoos. We might think of cuckoos as quintessentially British, but they only spend about 10 to 12 weeks of their year here in the UK. They are native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Brett considers the journeys of both cuckoos and people from the DRC to the UK. He explores the reasons they come, the routes they take, the perils they face along the way and the lives they live when they get here.
He talks with Mike Toms and Chris Hewson from the British Trust for Ornithology about the work they do in tracking cuckoo migration; to Natasha Walter,
Director of the organisation: Women for Refugee Women; and to two asylum-seeking women who have made the perilous journey from the DRC to the UK to make a new life here.
Producer: Rosie Boulton
A Must Try Softer production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 11:30 The Last Songs of Gaia (m000kgsn)
2: Waterlife
In the last year, the scale of the climate and wildlife crises has been laid bare by scientists around the globe. A frightening number of species are falling silent as a result. How are the world’s musicians, sound artists and poets responding?
In the second episode, Verity Sharp journeys underwater into a soundworld that even the most dedicated experts know relatively little about. 90% of the oceans’ species are still unclassified, let alone recorded.
If we were more familiar with the sounds of waterlife, might we care for it more? Verity listens to shrimp crackling and fish grunting. On Easter Island, where the Pacific stretches for thousands of miles in every direction, the ocean means everything to the local community, including its musicians. And Verity goes for a walk in rural Hampshire to commune with an unassuming waterway that has had far-reaching implications for the British way of life, but where key species are facing ever-greater threats.
With contributions from Jana Winderen, Yoyo Tuki, Sam Lee and Philip Gross.
Produced by Chris Elcombe
A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4.
Additional material:
Musicians of Torba Province, Vanuatu - ‘Dolap Warer music’ (Wantok Musik)
Photo: © José Alejandro Álvarez / IG: josealejandroalvarez_photos
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m000kgsq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:03 Shipping Forecast (m000kgss)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 12:06 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kgsv)
Episode 2
Gripping contemporary novel by Lottie Moggach
A chance encounter with a woman has made a lasting impression on a prisoner on day release. Read by Maggie Service and Will Howard.
Written by Lottie Moggach
Abridged by Siân Preece
Readers Maggie Service and Will Howard
Producer Gaynor Macfarlane
TUE 12:20 You and Yours (m000kgsx)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
TUE 12:57 Weather (m000kgsz)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m000kgt1)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qg5mc)
The Beginning of Science and Literature (1500 - 700 BC)
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus
In a week that explores man's early experiments with numbers, Neil MacGregor describes the British Museum's most famous mathematical papyrus. This shows how and why the ancient Egyptians were dealing with numbers around 1550 BC. This papyrus contains 84 different calculations to help with various aspects of Egyptian life, from pyramid building to working out how much grain it takes to fatten a goose. Neil MacGregor describes it as "a crammer for a dazzling career in an ancient civil service".
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m000kgpv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (m000kgt4)
Suffer Little Children
Set in rural Austria. On her 80th birthday, an old woman recounts a life of sacrifice, and weighs up its value. The Austrian production of this dark and disturbing play won Best single drama in last year's Prix Europa.
Woman ..... Maggie Steed
Written by Gabriele Kogl
Literal translation by Michael Hastik
Adapted and directed by Jessica Dromgoole
Sound by Anne Bunting
TUE 15:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m000kft8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
TUE 15:30 The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry (m000kgt6)
Series 16
The End of Everything
Everyone knows about the Big Bang being the beginning of the universe and time - but when and how is it going to end? ask brothers Raffie and Xe from Rome. For this series, with lockdown learning in mind, Drs Rutherford and Fry are investigating scientific mysteries for students of all ages. The doctors sift science from philosophy to find out.
Cosmologist Jo Dunkley studies the origins and evolution of the universe. She explains how astrophysical ideas and techniques have evolved to tell us what we now know about our galaxy and far beyond, from the elegant parallax technique to standard candles. This particular distance measure, which uses stars of a known brightness to work out how far away other objects in the universe are, was discovered by American astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt in 1912, who worked at the Harvard University as one of several “computers” – women who processed and calculated data and made significant contributions to astronomy.
Curious Cases’ universal guru Andrew Pontzen puts this into context. Because the universe is so enormous, it turns out that these measurements are just the first steps on the cosmic distance ladder – a suite of tools that astrophysicists use to determine distances to celestial objects. Scientists know that objects are moving away from us because the wavelengths of light from them get stretched and appear redder in our telescopes – the so-called red shift effect. But having a handle on the distances to and between those objects allows cosmologists to monitor what’s happening to them over time. And it turns out that not only are they getting further apart, indicating that the universe is expanding, but that this process is accelerating.
So what might happen in the end? Expansion and then collapse – a big crunch? Expansion into the void – a big freeze, or a big rip? Or what if there is more than one universe – might a new one bubble up with totally different laws of physics that would cause our own to cease existing? It turns out that when dealing with predictions for something involving infinite space and time, the possibilities are largely limited by human imagination alone. Ideas are where science starts, but experiments are required to build evidence confirming or rejecting them as fact. The doctors discuss how gravitational wave detectors and quantum computers might one day provide this.
Presenters: Hannah Fry & Adam Rutherford
Producer: Jen Whyntie
TUE 16:00 Mapping the Future (m000kgt8)
Author Jerry Brotton navigates the transformation from paper to digital mapping, from print to pixels, asks what is being gained and lost and in whose interests the evolution serves.
The world is changing faster than ever before and, to understand it, we are using maps more than at any time in our history. As the paper map gradually disappears, its replacement - online geospatial mapping applications - are at the forefront of our everyday lives and they're doing far more than just getting us from A to B.
Maps no longer represent reality, virtual mapping techniques are now making reality. Space and geography, rather than time and history, have become the dominant model of interpreting our interconnected global world. From tracking pandemics and visualising capital flows to how we manage Big Data or our online searches to find the nearest takeaway, maps are now key to how we process and organise modern life.
Jerry Brotton explores the quiet digital revolution that has happened over the last 25 years and which changed maps forever. He meets a new breed of mapmaker, no longer cartographers but ‘geospatial technicians’ who work for multinational corporations like Google and Apple. Nearly half of all online searches contain a geographical element, leading companies like Google to build mapping applications that now reach over a billion users. Today, we use maps based on our online searches without thinking. And yet online maps are not peer-reviewed. Traditional cartographers argue they are an extension of the global organisations whose commercial interests they serve. Are we in danger of surrendering our cartographic reality to multinational corporations? And are we being mapped in turn by the new technology?
Jerry discovers the world of ‘counter-mapping’ - mapping activists using open access data and guerrilla cartography, pushing back and offering different ways of applying maps to address some of our more pressing political and environmental problems.
Contributors include Google spatial technologist Ed Parsons, author Shoshana Zuboff, AI and map specialist Simon Greenman, former head of maps at the British Library Peter Barber, Bloomberg MapLab editor Laura Bliss, Ordnance Survey's Chief Geospatial Officer David Henderson, co-founder of the Counter Cartographies Collective Craig Dalton and map-making artist Stephen Walter.
Presenter: Jerry Brotton
Producer: Simon Hollis
A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (m000kgtb)
Laurie Anderson & Stuart Maconie
American avant-garde artist Laurie Anderson and radio DJ and writer Stuart Maconie talk about favourite books with Harriett Gilbert. Laurie chooses Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, to give her a laugh. Stuart picks Sleep No More: Railway, Canal and Other Stories of the Supernatural by L.T.C. Rolt, one of the men who saved Britain's inland waterways, and Harriett introduces them to Me Cheeta: The Autobiography by James Lever: the first book on A Good Read to have been "written" by a chimpanzee.
Producer Beth O'Dea
comment on instagram at @agoodreadbbc
TUE 17:00 PM (m000kgtd)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000kgtg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 It's a Fair Cop (b08tcnmr)
Series 3
Cedric the Gnome
Policeman and comedian Alfie Moore returns in this his third series for Radio 4, in which he takes his studio audience through a real-life case that he's investigated and asks them to make the policing decisions he had to make. With tales of life behind the scenes in Britain's police force he offers a rare insight into what it's really like to serve as one of Britain's finest. Winkling out secrets from his audience and recounting very funny anecdotes about law-breakers he has known, Alfie is a delightful and entertaining host.
This, the third in this four-part series, concerns a missing gnome.
Written and presented by Alfie Moore
Script Editor ..... Will Ing
Producer ..... Alison Vernon-Smith.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m000kfqt)
Ed has his arm twisted and Emma takes on a challenge.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m000kgtj)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m000kgtl)
Racism in the Police
With the words ‘I can’t breathe’ reverberating around the world, the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK has put the issue of racial justice at the top of the political agenda. Twenty-one years after the Macpherson inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence labelled the Metropolitan Police ‘institutionally racist’, File on 4 explores concerns black, Asian and ethnic minority officers still face discrimination in the service. In March this year, one of Britain’s most senior black female police officers, Superintendent Robyn Williams, was sacked after being convicted of possessing a video clip of child sexual abuse on her phone. The case divides opinion: some say the Met was left with no option but to pursue a prosecution and dismiss Williams, while her supporters claim it would not have happened to a white officer and is evidence of continued racism within the force.
File on 4 has seen data, collected by the National Black Police Association, that ethnic minority officers are twice as likely to be served with misconduct papers and three times more likely to be required to attend a disciplinary hearing. The programme hears from ex police inspector Mark Dias who was put under surveillance illegally by Cleveland police and found to be the victim of racial discrimination.
Police forces in England and Wales are in the middle of an unprecedented recruitment drive, to add 20,000 new officers by March 2023, providing an opportunity to improve diversity. File on 4 asks whether the way black and Asian officers are currently treated is likely to be a barrier to attracting suitable candidates and if the changes will affect representation at senior ranks, where there are very few ethnic minority officers.
Reporter: Danny Shaw
Producer: Oliver Newlan
Editor: Carl Johnston
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m000kgtn)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted
TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (m000kfqy)
Programme exploring the limits and potential of the human mind
TUE 21:30 Positive Thinking (m000kgsb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m000kgtq)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
TUE 22:45 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kgsv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
TUE 23:00 You'll Do (p08cv582)
Love in the Public Eye with Vicky Pattison and Ercan Ramadan
TV personalities Vicky Pattison and Ercan Ramadan join Catherine Bohart and Sarah Keyworth to talk about getting together, public perceptions and private nerves.
In the podcast that celebrates the mundane in relationships, Vicky and Ercan talk about following each other online, mutual break-ups and a desire to relax in airports.
And why there's always a dishwasher to empty.
Producer: Kate Holland
Executive Producer: Lyndsay Fenner
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000kgts)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
WEDNESDAY 01 JULY 2020
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m000kgtv)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
WED 00:30 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kgsg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000kgtx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000kgtz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:33 Shipping Forecast (m000kgv1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000kgv3)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m000kgv5)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b09hw8jh)
Fyfe Dangerfield on the Pied Butcherbird
Having recorded a number of bird calls in Australia, back home musician Fyfe Dangerfield manipulates their speed and pitch to experiment in music and melody composition.
Producer : Mark Ward.
WED 06:00 Today (m000kfpw)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m000kfpy)
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.
WED 09:30 Four Thought (m000kfq0)
Good and Clever
Sammy Wright asks why we put such weight on exam results.
Sammy is a deputy headteacher of a large secondary school. He spends his days teaching students knowledge which will uplift and enrich them; he demands rigour and high standards; and he wants to help his students succeed in their exams. But why, he asks in this talk, do we elide success in exams with some moral quality? And why do we put such weight on the exam results? In this powerful talk, Sammy suggests that much of it has to do with a certain set of expectations from those in charge.
Presenter: Olly Mann.
Producer: Giles Edwards.
WED 09:45 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kfq2)
Episode 3
A powerful tale of a family in crisis and a moving love letter to the NHS
Herat, Afghanistan, 2000. A mother speaks out against the fundamentalist leaders of her country. Meanwhile, her family’s watchful eyes never leave their beloved son and brother, whose rare heart condition means that he will never lead a normal life.
When the Taliban gave an order for the execution of Hamed Amiri’s mother, the family knew they had to escape, starting what would be a long and dangerous journey, across Russia and through Europe, with the UK as their ultimate destination.
Travelling as refugees for a year and a half, they suffered attacks from mafia and police; terrifying journeys in strangers’ cars; treks across demanding terrain; days spent hidden in lorries without food or drink; and being robbed at gunpoint of every penny they owned.
The family’s need to reach the UK was intensified by their eldest son’s deteriorating condition, and the prospect of life-saving treatment it offered.
The Boy with Two Hearts is not only a tale of a family in crisis, but a love letter to the NHS, which provided hope and reassurance as they sought asylum in the UK and fought to save their loved ones.
Read by Sanjeev Bhaskar
Abridged by Florence Bedell-Brill
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000kfq5)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
WED 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngg)
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
Episode 3
Dramatisation by Ayeesha Menon of the novel by Vikas Swarup, author of Q and A, which was filmed as Slumdog Millinaire. Vicky Rai, notorious son of a prominent Indian politician, shoots dead a waitress at a trendy Delhi restaurant. At a lavish society party to celebrate his acquittal, he is himself murdered. Who did it?
Suspect number three: an American who has come to India to marry his mail-order bride.
Arun Advani, an investigative journalist ...... Rajit Kapur
Vicky Rai, a rich Delhi playboy ...... Zafar Karachiwala
Mamta Rai, a politician and Vicky's mother ...... Radhika Mital
Munna Mobile, a mobile phone thief ...... Anand Tiwari
Shabnam Saxena, a Bollywood actress ...... Shernaz Patel
Larry Page, an American tourist ...... Gary Richardson
Eketi, a tribesman ...... Rohit Malkani
Ashok Rajput, a welfare officer ...... Kenny Desai
Champi/Drunk girl in car ...... Radhika Apte
Reshma/Barkha Das ...... Anahita Uberoi
Ritu ...... Ira Dubey
Bilal/Inspector Brar ...... Ankur Vikal
Saira/Ruby Gill ...... Megha Burman
Pappu Pager ...... Jaimini Pathak
Chief Minister Pandey/Chief Melambe/Abu Khaled ...... Jayant Kripalani
Detective Gupta, private detective ...... Kenny Desai
Abu Technical/Tribesman ...... Pushan Kripalani
Abu Omar/Biddy/Driver ...... Nadir Khan
Jay Chaterjee/Judge Mishra ...... Sohrab Ardeshir
Gulabo/Mrs Gill/Reporter ...... Ayeesha Menon
Raman Johar/Bill Bakshi ...... Ashwin Mushran
Elizabeth Brookner ...... Karla Singh
Inspector Yardav ...... Ravi Khote
Sohrab ...... Caran Arora
Production team:
Line producer in India: Nadir Khan
Assistant director: Toral Shah
Photography: Ameet Mallapur
Script editor: Mike Walker
Sound: Ayush Ahuja
Additional editing: Steve Bond
Music: Sacha Putnam
Sound design: Nick Russell-Pavier
Produced and directed by John Dryden
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 11:00 Meanwhile... (m000kfq7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
WED 11:30 The Break (m000kfq9)
Series 3
Episode 4: The Agreement
Andy (James Northcote) and Jeff (Philip Jackson) find they have a big problem to solve - each other.
Fish Shop Frank (Mark Benton) suggests Couples Therapy as it worked so well for his ex-wife (and for him too, if he’d turned up). After a session with unorthodox therapist Dr Coulson (Alison Steadman), the treatment is such a success that Andy decides to move out.
Jeff, though wounded, puts a brave face on it and gets on with his life as best he can. Meanwhile, Andy, by contrast, is living the high life. He’s run into an old friend from London, Sean (Rasmus Hardiker), and they’re visiting nightclubs and restaurants and comedy gigs together.
Will Andy learn to appreciate true friendship? Will Jeff stop complaining about Andy cluttering up the hall with his shoes? When will Andy start to miss the plain but honest things that Jeff has to offer - like a really fierce and satisfying game of Scrabble?
Starring:
Philip Jackson
Alison Steadman
Mark Benton
Shobna Gulati
Rasmus Hardiker
James Northcote
Created and Written by Ian Brown and James Hendrie
Studio Engineered and Edited by Leon Chambers
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling
Produced and Directed by Gordon Kennedy
Recorded at The Soundhouse Studios, London
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:00 News Summary (m000kfqc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:03 Shipping Forecast (m000kfqf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 12:06 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kfqh)
Episode 3
Gripping contemporary novel by Lottie Moggach.
Nearing the end of his sentence, an inmate from Brixton prison keeps meeting the same woman on his way to his day release job. Is it by chance?
Written by Lottie Moggach
Abridged by Siân Preece
Reader Will Howard and Maggie Service
Producer Gaynor Macfarlane
WED 12:20 You and Yours (m000kfql)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
WED 12:57 Weather (m000kfqn)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m000kfqq)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qg5mf)
The Beginning of Science and Literature (1500 - 700 BC)
Minoan Bull Leaper
Neil MacGregor's retelling of the history of humanity, using objects from the British Museum's own collection, arrives in Crete around 1700BC. The programme tells the story of man's fascination with bulls and the emergence of one of most cosmopolitan and prosperous civilisations in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean - the Minoans. The Minoans of Crete were more powerful than the mainland and enjoyed a complex and still largely unknown culture. They enjoyed a ritual connection with bulls as well as with a rich bronze making tradition. To consider the Minoans and the role of the bull in myth and legend, Neil MacGregor introduces us to a small bronze sculpture of a man leaping over a bull, one of the highlights of the British Museum's Minoan collection. He explores the vast network of trade routes in the Mediterranean of the time, encounters an ancient shipwreck and tracks down a modern day bull leaper to try and figure out the attraction!
WED 14:00 The Archers (m000kfqt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b0b94zv7)
My Mother's Daughter
My Mother's Daughter
by Becky Prestwich
An adult daughter and mother try to build bridges in their relationship. A moving, nuanced drama exploring the gulf between our idealised images of motherhood and the stark reality.
HELEN - Christine Bottomley
SANDRA - Sue Johnston
SIMON - .Graeme Hawley
RORY - Michael Peavoy
POPPY - Freya Pollard
Producer/Director - Pauline Harris.
WED 15:00 Money Box (m000kfqw)
Paul Lewis and a panel of guests answer calls on personal finance.
WED 15:30 All in the Mind (m000kfqy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m000kfr0)
Laurie Taylor explores the latest research into how society works.
WED 16:30 The Media Show (m000kfr2)
Topical programme about the fast-changing media world
WED 17:00 PM (m000kfr4)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000kfr6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Women Talking About Cars (b083pchj)
Series 1
Dawn French
Victoria Coren Mitchell interviews Dawn French in the first of a new series in which famous women look at their lives from the perspective of the cars they have known, the journeys they've been on and the things they keep in their boot for emergencies.
Hear what Dawn wrote on the back of her first car; find out which comedian totalled her beloved Cortina; and discover the advantages of the refrigerated glove compartment.
Car descriptions read by Josette Simon.
A BBC Studios production.
WED 19:00 The Archers (m000kfr8)
Elizabeth takes the first step and Ed finds himself caught in the middle.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m000kfrb)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m000kfrd)
Combative, provocative and engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze
WED 20:45 Four Thought (m000kfq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 today]
WED 21:00 More or Less (m000kfpy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:30 The Media Show (m000kfr2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m000kfrg)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
WED 22:45 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kfqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
WED 23:00 Little Lifetimes by Jenny Eclair (m000kfrj)
Series 6
The Girls
Sarah Parish plays the neighbour from hell. When two girls move into the upstairs flat, she soon knows everything about them and their sex lives. And then, one weekend, she decides things have gone too far.
Sarah Parish is best known for her work in W1A, Trollied, Mistresses and Cutting It.
Written by Jenny Eclair
Read by Sarah Parish
Producer, Sally Avens
WED 23:15 The Damien Slash Mixtape (b08wphwm)
Series 1
05/07/2017
Multi-character YouTube star Damien Slash makes the move from online to Radio 4, in this new fast-paced, one-man sketch comedy show. From the surreal to the satirical, from the zeitgeist to the absurd, Damien serves up a range of high octane characters, all from his own voice. Adverts, actors, hipsters, trolls - no aspect of modern life is left un-skewered.
Written by and starring Damien Slash (aka Daniel Barker).
Additional material by Robin Morgan.
Produced by Sam Bryant.
A BBC Studios production.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000kfrl)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
THURSDAY 02 JULY 2020
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m000kfrn)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
THU 00:30 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kfq2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000kfrq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000kfrs)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:33 Shipping Forecast (m000kfrv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000kfrx)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m000kfrz)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (m0000xmx)
James Henry on the Little Owl
Author of the prequel detective Jack Frost thrillers James Henry picks the diminutive, non native little owl beloved by Florence Nightingale for his Tweet of the Day.
The diminutive little owl takes it genus name, Athene from Athena, the Olympian goddess for war and wisdom, and protector of Athens. It is from this ancient connection that Western culture derives an association of wisdom and knowledge with owls. And maybe why Florence Nightingale on a tour of Greece rescued a Little Owl chick she found at the acropolis. The owl, she named Athena was her companion for 5 years.
In addition, all this week James will be choosing five of his favourite episodes from the Tweet of the Day back catalogue, which you can also hear in the Tweet of the Week Omnibus.
Producer Andrew Dawes
THU 06:00 Today (m000kg33)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b088fs7z)
Mary, Queen of Scots
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of Mary, Queen of Scots, who had potential to be one of the most powerful rulers in Europe, yet she was also one of the most vulnerable. In France, when she was the teenage bride to their future king, she was seen as rightful heir to the thrones of England and Ireland, as well as Queen of Scotland and one day of France, which would have been an extraordinary union. She was widowed too young, though and, a Catholic returning to Protestant Scotland, she struggled to overcome rivalries in her own country. She fled to Protestant England, where she was implicated in plots to overthrow Elizabeth, and it was Elizabeth herself who signed Mary's death warrant.
With
David Forsyth
Principal Curator, Scottish Medieval-Early Modern Collections at National Museums Scotland
Anna Groundwater
Teaching Fellow in Historical Skills and Methods at the University of Edinburgh
And
John Guy
Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge
Producer: Simon Tillotson.
THU 09:45 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kg35)
Episode 4
A powerful tale of a family in crisis and a moving love letter to the NHS
Herat, Afghanistan, 2000. A mother speaks out against the fundamentalist leaders of her country. Meanwhile, her family’s watchful eyes never leave their beloved son and brother, whose rare heart condition means that he will never lead a normal life.
When the Taliban gave an order for the execution of Hamed Amiri’s mother, the family knew they had to escape, starting what would be a long and dangerous journey, across Russia and through Europe, with the UK as their ultimate destination.
Travelling as refugees for a year and a half, they suffered attacks from mafia and police; terrifying journeys in strangers’ cars; treks across demanding terrain; days spent hidden in lorries without food or drink; and being robbed at gunpoint of every penny they owned.
The family’s need to reach the UK was intensified by their eldest son’s deteriorating condition, and the prospect of life-saving treatment it offered.
The Boy with Two Hearts is not only a tale of a family in crisis, but a love letter to the NHS, which provided hope and reassurance as they sought asylum in the UK and fought to save their loved ones.
Read by Sanjeev Bhaskar
Abridged by Florence Bedell-Brill
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000kg37)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
THU 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngk)
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
Episode 4
Dramatisation by Ayeesha Menon of the novel by Vikas Swarup, author of Q and A, which was filmed as Slumdog Millionaire. Vicky Rai, notorious son of a prominent Indian politician, shoots dead a waitress at a trendy Delhi restaurant. At a lavish society party to celebrate his acquittal, he is himself murdered. Who did it?
Suspect number four: Vicky Rai's mother, an ambitious and corrupt politician increasingly embarrassed by her son's activities.
Arun Advani, an investigative journalist ...... Rajit Kapur
Vicky Rai, a rich Delhi playboy ...... Zafar Karachiwala
Mamta Rai, a politician and Vicky's mother ...... Radhika Mital
Munna Mobile, a mobile phone thief ...... Anand Tiwari
Shabnam Saxena, a Bollywood actress ...... Shernaz Patel
Larry Page, an American tourist ...... Gary Richardson
Eketi, a tribesman ...... Rohit Malkani
Ashok Rajput, a welfare officer ...... Kenny Desai
Champi/Drunk girl in car ...... Radhika Apte
Reshma/Barkha Das ...... Anahita Uberoi
Ritu ...... Ira Dubey
Bilal/Inspector Brar ...... Ankur Vikal
Saira/Ruby Gill ...... Megha Burman
Pappu Pager ...... Jaimini Pathak
Chief Minister Pandey/Chief Melambe/Abu Khaled ...... Jayant Kripalani
Detective Gupta, private detective ...... Kenny Desai
Abu Technical/Tribesman ...... Pushan Kripalani
Abu Omar/Biddy/Driver ...... Nadir Khan
Jay Chaterjee/Judge Mishra ...... Sohrab Ardeshir
Gulabo/Mrs Gill/Reporter ...... Ayeesha Menon
Raman Johar/Bill Bakshi ...... Ashwin Mushran
Elizabeth Brookner ...... Karla Singh
Inspector Yardav ...... Ravi Khote
Sohrab ...... Caran Arora
Production team:
Line producer in India: Nadir Khan
Assistant director: Toral Shah
Photography: Ameet Mallapur
Script editor: Mike Walker
Sound: Ayush Ahuja
Additional editing: Steve Bond
Music: Sacha Putnam
Sound design: Nick Russell-Pavier
Produced and directed by John Dryden
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
Show less
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (m000kg39)
Insight, and analysis from BBC correspondents around the world
THU 11:30 Art of Now (m0002rkb)
Recombinant Rhymes and DNA Art
The successful sequencing of the human genome has not only had huge implications for medicine, bio-technology and the life sciences - but it has also provoked a great and growing reaction among artists and writers.
Anna McNamee meets poets, visual artists and scientists collaborating creatively on the frontiers of DNA science in a genre that Pulitzer Prize nominated author of AI Renaissance Arthur Miller calls Art Sci.
In Melbourne, the bio-animator Drew Berry tells how his dramatic but scientifically exact visualizations of cellular and molecular processes have earned him fans around the world – including the musician Bjork.
The poet Sue Dymoke and the structural biologist Pietro Roversi reveal how their creative partnership has resulted in a three-dimensional, topsy turvy poem called DNA Time that mimics DNA’s unique and complex structure.
In his lab, the Canadian experimental poet Christian Bök has successfully encoded his work into the DNA of a bacterium creating what is essentially a living poem.
While at the European Bioinformatics Institute near Cambridge, the artist and filmmaker Charlotte Jarvis and the scientist Dr Nick Goldman have stored music in DNA which they then suspended in a soap solution and used to blow bubbles, quite literally, bathing their audiences in music.
Producer and Presenter: Anna McNamee
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
Image: Bjork DNA Replisome, by Drew Berry.
THU 12:00 News Summary (m000kg3c)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:03 Shipping Forecast (m000kg3f)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 12:06 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kg3h)
Episode 4
Gripping contemporary novel by Lottie Moggach.
Rob, an inmate of Brixton Prison, has discovered that Steph, the woman he's been meeting by chance on the street, has known from the beginning that he is a prisoner.
Written by Lottie Moggach
Abridged by Siân Preece
Reader Maggie Service and Will Howard
Producer Gaynor Macfarlane
THU 12:20 You and Yours (m000kg3k)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
THU 12:57 Weather (m000kg3m)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m000kg3p)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qg5mh)
The Beginning of Science and Literature (1500 - 700 BC)
Mold Gold Cape
Director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor retells the history of human development from the first stone axe to the credit card, using 100 selected objects from the Museum.
Neil MacGregor continues to explore the world of around 3,600 years ago through some of the most powerful objects that remain - discovered in modern day Iraq, Crete, Egypt and now Wales.
In 1833 a group of workmen were looking for stones in a field near the village of Mold in North Wales when they unearthed a burial site with a skeleton covered by a crushed sheet of pure gold. Neil tells the story of what has become known at the British Museum as the Mold Gold Cape and tries to envisage the society that made it. Nothing like the contemporary courts of the pharaohs of Egypt and the palaces of the Minoans in Crete seem to have existed in Britain at that time, but he imagines a people with surprisingly sophisticated skills and social structures.
THU 14:00 The Archers (m000kfr8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b061tqv5)
Rumpole
Rumpole and the Age of Miracles
Hilda’s distant relation, the Reverend Timothy Donkin, looks set to be defrocked as Canon of Lawnchester Cathedral unless Rumpole can convince an Ecclesiastical Court that adultery did not take place in the nearby Saint Edithna Hotel.
Timothy Donkin tells Rumpole that he is married with two sons and, to escape their noise, he writes his sermons in a room at the hotel. Six accusers complained to the Bishop about Timothy Donkin after a hotel maid saw him open his room-door to a woman. He is charged with conduct unbecoming a clerk in Holy Orders.
Rumpole uses his powers of cross-examination - and the portrayal of Hilda as a spooky apparition - to defend the Canon, who irritatingly initially refuses to discuss if, in fact, he did meet anyone in the hotel.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Rumpole in a story written by John Mortimer and adapted by Richard Stoneman.
Cast:
Horace Rumpole ….. Benedict Cumberbatch
Hilda Rumpole ….. Jasmine Hyde
Claude Esrkine-Brown ….. Nigel Anthony
Sam Ballard ….. Michael Cochrane
Rev Tim Donkin ..... Roger May
Directed by Marilyn Imrie
Produced by Catherine Bailey
A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4
THU 15:00 Open Country (m000kg3s)
Julie Walters on Warley Woods
Dame Julie Walters shares memories of her favourite childhood park, Warley Woods in Smethwick. It's an urban green treasure with one hundred acres of woods and parkland. But while most parks are looked after by local authorities, Warley Woods is entirely managed by a Community Trust. One third of its income is dependent on the generosity of local people who donate money, another third comes from the golf course and onsite shop, while the remaining third is funded by the Council. So, when Lockdown forced the closure of both the shop and golf course and threatened people's ability to donate, the fear was that the pioneering Community Trust would fail putting the future of this historic site in jeopardy.
Producer: Karen Gregor
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m000kfwn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (m000kfxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (m000kg3v)
Film programme looking at the latest cinema releases, DVDs and films on TV
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m000kg3x)
Dr Adam Rutherford and guests illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the science that's changing our world
THU 17:00 PM (m000kg3z)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000kg41)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 Ankle Tag (m000kg43)
Series 3
Gruff's Mum
Gruff's mum visits - but how will she respond to the news that her ex-husband Bob is out of prison?
Bob – Steve Speirs
Alice – Katy Wix
Gruff – Elis James
Barbara - Ruth Madoc
Derek - Joseph Marcell
Written by Benjamin Partridge & Gareth Gwynn
Producer: Adnan Ahmed
Sound Designer: David Thomas
Production Co-Ordinator: Gwyn Davies
THU 19:00 The Archers (m000kg45)
Freddie realises what’s important and Susan is haunted by events from the previous night.
Contemporary drama in a rural setting
Writers, Katie Hims and Nick Warburton
Director, Kim Greengrass
Editor, Jeremy Howe
Susan Carter ..... Charlotte Martin
Ed Grundy ..... Barry Farrimond
Emma Grundy ..... Emerald O'Hanrahan
Elizabeth Pargetter ..... Alison Dowling
Freddie Pargetter ..... Toby Laurence
Tracy Horrobin ..... Susie Riddell
THU 19:15 Front Row (m000kg47)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m000kg49)
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts examine big issues in the news.
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (m000kg4c)
Can science save the economy?
Evan Davis and guests ask if now is the time to exploit research more effectively to help business recover from the coronavirus crash. The UK has traditionally been better at basic science than commercial exploitation - with examples ranging from computing to the discovery of graphene. The Bottom Line examines the government’s idea of creating an agency, similar to the legendary US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), to invest in, and commercialise UK science and technology? Or are there more effective ways to stimulate market mechanisms?
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m000kg3x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b088fs7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m000kg4f)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
THU 22:45 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000kg3h)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
THU 23:00 Drama (m0001xpl)
For the Love of Leo
Part Two: The Countess of Mars
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
Rose Fabiani ... Sandra Voe
Sadie ... Tracy Wiles
Clementine ... Jemma Redgrave
Angus/ Sgt. Gemmell ... David Robb
Directed by Marilyn Imrie
A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000kg4h)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
FRIDAY 03 JULY 2020
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m000kg4k)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 00:30 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000kg35)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000kg4m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000kg4p)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:33 Shipping Forecast (m000kg4r)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000kg4t)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m000kg4w)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (m0001x78)
Rachel Unthank's Magpie
For Rachel Unthank a lifetime interest in the magpie provides inspiration for this Tweet of the Day.
Along with her sister Becky, Rachel is part of the family affair The Unthanks from the North East of England. As one of the leading exponents of traditional music The Unthanks are equally at home playing to Tyneside folk club one night, 2000 Londoners the next before inspiring the next generation of songwriters at a primary school. They see their work as delivering an oral history for the modern audience. Which is perfect for Tweet of the Day, as Rachel recalls how her son drew her a special button to represent a magpie, and why offering an old lady a lift may inspire some deep held beliefs on the role of magpies in bringing bad luck as they cross your path..
You can hear more from Rachel in her Tweet of the Week podcast, downloadable from BBC Sounds
Producer Andrew Dawes
FRI 06:00 Today (m000khkg)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m000kfx3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 The Boy With Two Hearts by Hamed Amiri (m000khkj)
Episode 5
A powerful tale of a family in crisis and a moving love letter to the NHS
Herat, Afghanistan, 2000. A mother speaks out against the fundamentalist leaders of her country. Meanwhile, her family’s watchful eyes never leave their beloved son and brother, whose rare heart condition means that he will never lead a normal life.
When the Taliban gave an order for the execution of Hamed Amiri’s mother, the family knew they had to escape, starting what would be a long and dangerous journey, across Russia and through Europe, with the UK as their ultimate destination.
Travelling as refugees for a year and a half, they suffered attacks from mafia and police; terrifying journeys in strangers’ cars; treks across demanding terrain; days spent hidden in lorries without food or drink; and being robbed at gunpoint of every penny they owned.
The family’s need to reach the UK was intensified by their eldest son’s deteriorating condition, and the prospect of life-saving treatment it offered.
The Boy with Two Hearts is not only a tale of a family in crisis, but a love letter to the NHS, which provided hope and reassurance as they sought asylum in the UK and fought to save their loved ones.
Read by Sanjeev Bhaskar
Abridged by Florence Bedell-Brill
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000khkl)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
FRI 10:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngm)
Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
Episode 5
Dramatisation by Ayeesha Menon of the novel by Vikas Swarup, author of Q and A, which was filmed as Slumdog Millionaire. Vicky Rai, notorious son of a prominent Indian politician, shoots dead a waitress at a trendy Delhi restaurant. At a lavish society party to celebrate his acquittal, he is himself murdered. Who did it?
Suspect number five: a tribesman, Eketi. Brought to Delhi by his one-legged welfare officer, Eketi is unwittingly used to help carry out a long-overdue act of vengeance.
Arun Advani, an investigative journalist ...... Rajit Kapur
Vicky Rai, a rich Delhi playboy ...... Zafar Karachiwala
Mamta Rai, a politician and Vicky's mother ...... Radhika Mital
Munna Mobile, a mobile phone thief ...... Anand Tiwari
Shabnam Saxena, a Bollywood actress ...... Shernaz Patel
Larry Page, an American tourist ...... Gary Richardson
Eketi, a tribesman ...... Rohit Malkani
Ashok Rajput, a welfare officer ...... Kenny Desai
Champi/Drunk girl in car ...... Radhika Apte
Reshma/Barkha Das ...... Anahita Uberoi
Ritu ...... Ira Dubey
Bilal/Inspector Brar ...... Ankur Vikal
Saira/Ruby Gill ...... Megha Burman
Pappu Pager ...... Jaimini Pathak
Chief Minister Pandey/Chief Melambe/Abu Khaled ...... Jayant Kripalani
Detective Gupta, private detective ...... Kenny Desai
Abu Technical/Tribesman ...... Pushan Kripalani
Abu Omar/Biddy/Driver ...... Nadir Khan
Jay Chaterjee/Judge Mishra ...... Sohrab Ardeshir
Gulabo/Mrs Gill/Reporter ...... Ayeesha Menon
Raman Johar/Bill Bakshi ...... Ashwin Mushran
Elizabeth Brookner ...... Karla Singh
Inspector Yardav ...... Ravi Khote
Sohrab ...... Caran Arora
Production team:
Line producer in India: Nadir Khan
Assistant director: Toral Shah
Photography: Ameet Mallapur
Script editor: Mike Walker
Sound: Ayush Ahuja
Additional editing: Steve Bond
Music: Sacha Putnam
Sound design: Nick Russell-Pavier
Produced and directed by John Dryden
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 11:00 Guilty Men (m000khkn)
In 1940, with Britain fearing invasion, an anonymous book appeared. Its attack on the government's 'guilty men' caused uproar. Eight years on, Phil Tinline explores the benefits and pitfalls of naming and blaming, then and now.
In late May 1940, as reporters got back to Fleet Street with the first interviews with survivors of the Dunkirk evacuation, three journalists - one of them the young Michael Foot - met on the roof of the Express building in Fleet Street. They decided they had to find a way to attack the ministers who had sent "heroes" into battle without "a fair chance".
They planned to hammer out a book, and publish it anonymously. Guilty Men was written in four days, and rushed it into print in less than a month.
It caused outrage for its denunciation of the ministers charged with failing to prepare sufficiently for war, and was promptly banned by the main bookshops. This was great free publicity. By the end of the year, it had sold 200,000 copies.
The book was so successful it kicked off a series of attacks on the old guard which ran through the war. It did not succeed in driving the Guilty Men from office. But it was crucial to establishing the idea that the 1930s was a time of government failure and timidity, driven by budgetary austerity, which brought the country to the brink of disaster - with ordinary people on the front lines paying the price.
Yet there is a twist – the book was far too lenient on the journalists' boss, Lord Beaverbrook, and on left-wing anti-war sentiment in the 1930s, in which Foot himself played a part. And for decades, it has been attacked by historians as unfair and simplistic.
So, Phil asks, should Guilty Men just remind us that polemics are a vital way to call out those who have done great harm, and to get rid of old thinking? Or should it also warn us that they can land too much blame on some, let others off the hook - and don’t necessarily help us avoid repeating our mistakes?
Phil explores how this played out in the Brexit debate - and how it might now play out as we process the impact of Covid-19.
Contributors include: Ruth Dudley Edwards, Peter Oborne, Anthony Seldon, Dominic Frisby, Steve Fielding
Presenter/ Producer: Phil Tinline
FRI 11:30 Fags, Mags and Bags (m000khkq)
Series 9
Episode 3
More shop based shenanigans and over the counter philosophy, courtesy of Ramesh Mahju and his trusty sidekick Dave.
Set in a Scots-Asian corner and written by and starring Donald Mcleary and Sanjeev Kohli, the award winning Fags, Mags & Bags returns for a 9th series with all the regular characters and some guest appearances along the way.
In this episode, Dave introduces his new girlfriend, Margot. Love is in the air, but not everyone is convinced by her motives after it’s revealed they met on a Moving Alan fan website.
Join the staff of Fags, Mags and Bags in their tireless quest to bring nice-price custard creams and cans of coke with Arabic writing on them to an ungrateful nation. Ramesh Mahju has built it up over the course of over 30 years and is a firmly entrenched, friendly presence in the local area. He is joined by his shop sidekick Dave.
Then of course there are Ramesh’s sons Sanjay and Alok, both surly and not particularly keen on the old school approach to shopkeeping, but natural successors to the business. Ramesh is keen to pass all his worldly wisdom onto them - whether they like it or not!
Cast:
Ramesh: Sanjeev Kohli
Dave: Donald Mcleary
Sanjay: Omar Raza
Alok: Susheel Kumar
Bishop Briggs: Michael Redmond
Hilly: Kate Brailsford
Mrs Armstrong: Maureen Carr
Margot: Gabriel Quigley
Producer: Gus Beattie for Gusman Productions
A Comedy Unit production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m000khks)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:03 Shipping Forecast (m000khkv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 12:06 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000khkx)
Episode 5
Gripping contemporary novel by Lottie Moggach.
Enraged by the fact that Steph has known all along that he is a prisoner, Rob has run off. However, he has her number scrawled on a jigsaw box and a stashed one pound coin.
Written by Lottie Moggach
Abridged by Siân Preece
Readers Maggie Service and Will Howard
Producer Gaynor Macfarlane
FRI 12:20 You and Yours (m000khkz)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
FRI 12:57 Weather (m000khl1)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m000khl3)
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 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00qg5mk)
The Beginning of Science and Literature (1500 - 700 BC)
Statue of Ramesses
A History of the World in 100 Objects has arrived in Egypt around 1250BC. At the heart of this programme is the British Museum's giant statue of the king Ramesses II, an inspiration to Shelly and a remarkable ruler who build monuments all over Egypt. He inspired a line of future pharaohs and was worshipped as a god a thousand years later. He lived to be over 90 and fathered some 100 children! Neil MacGregor considers the achievements of Ramesses II in fixing the image of imperial Egypt for the rest of the world. And the sculptor Antony Gormley, the man responsible for a contemporary giant statue, The Angel of the North, considers the towering figure of Ramesses as an enduring work of art.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m000kg45)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b0b9wbf4)
#blessed
A woman waits in a hospital bed while her husband tears across London with a priceless suitcase that may or may not contain one egg - their only chance of having a baby.
Written and performed by Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz, #blessed is inspired by true events of IVF treatment within the NHS. It's funny, a little-bit heart-breaking and, in the end, life-affirming. It's a love story.
Pippa goes under the anaesthetic for extraction from her one viable follicle. Husband Steven is ready and waiting to take the fluid across London in a heavy metal-plated suitcase as quickly as he can. As she waits in recovery, Pippa longs to hear from him, longs to hear good news. Steven faces train cancellations, passengers suspicious of his strange case, and the anxiety of his own performance when he finally reaches his destination. Will there be an egg? Can he fertilise it? The story unfolds through their own anxious internal thoughts, and by text and phone calls. This is their last chance to become a family.
Director Susannah Tresilian is a theatre director as well as a radio and podcast producer.
Writer and actor Olivia Poulet is best known for her performances in The Thick of It and In the Loop.
Laurence Dobiesz is currently writing the second series of his sitcom podcast, Wastes of Space.
Writers: Olivia Poulet and Laurence Dobiesz
Sound Designer: James Morgan
Director: Susannah Tresilian
Producer: Melanie Harris
Executive Producer: Polly Thomas
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m000khl6)
GQT At Home: Episode Fourteen
Kathy Clugston and the panel - Anne Swithinbank, Matthew Pottage and Christine Walkden - answer gardening questions sent in by listeners.
Producer - Darby Dorras
Assistant Producer - Rosie Merotra
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m000khl8)
Social Virtues by Susannah Dickey
An original short story by the Northern Irish writer Susannah Dickey commissioned by BBC Radio 4. Read by Clare Dunne.
Susannah Dickey is the author of her forthcoming debut novel 'Tennis Lessons' and two poetry pamphlets 'I had some very slight concerns' (The Lifeboat, 2017) and 'genuine human values' (The Lifeboat, 2018). Her poetry has been published in Ambit, The White Review, Poetry Ireland Review, Magma, The Scores, Hotel, and The Tangerine. In 2018 she was shortlisted for The White Review short story prize, and in 2017 she was the winner of the inaugural Verve Poetry Festival competition.
Reader, Clare Dunne
Writer, Susannah Dickey
Produced by Celia de Wolff for BBC Northern Ireland
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m000khlb)
Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died, from the rich and famous to unsung but significant.
FRI 16:30 Feedback (m000khld)
The programme that holds the BBC to account on behalf of the radio audience
FRI 17:00 PM (m000khlg)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000khlj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m000khll)
Series 20
Episode 4
The team find the funny side of how world leaders and media deal with the pandemic.
Starring: Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod, Duncan Wisbey and Debra Stephenson.
Written by Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain, Ed Amsden and Tom Coles, Sarah Campbell, James Bugg, Simon Alcock and others.
Producer Bill Dare
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 19:00 Front Row (m000khln)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00pnngm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m000khlq)
Chris Mason presents political debate and discussion from venues around the UK.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m000khls)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.
FRI 21:00 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00rfl65)
The Beginnings of Science and Literature
Another chance to hear the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retell the history of human development using 100 selected objects from the Museum. He begins with a small tablet found in modern Iraq and brought back to the British Museum. When it was translated, back in 1872, it turned out to be an account of a great flood that significantly pre-dated the famous Biblical tale of Noah. This discovery caused a storm around the world and led to a passionate debate about the truth of the Bible - about story telling and the universality of legend.
Neil then moves on to describe the British Museum's most famous mathematical papyrus. This shows how and why the ancient Egyptians were dealing with numbers around 1550 BC. This papyrus contains 84 different calculations to help with various aspects of Egyptian life, from pyramid building to working out how much grain it takes to fatten a goose. He describes it as "a crammer for a dazzling career in an ancient civil service".
The omnibus porgramme then arrives in Crete around 1700BC and tells the story both of man's fascination with bulls and the emergence of one of most cosmopolitan and prosperous civilisations in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean - the Minoans. The Minoans of Crete were more powerful than the mainland and enjoyed a complex and still largely unknown culture. They enjoyed a ritual connection with bulls as well as with a rich bronze making tradition. To consider the Minoans and the role of the bull in myth and legend, Neil introduces us to a small bronze sculpture of a man leaping over a bull, one of the highlights of the British Museum's Minoan collection. He explores the vast network of trade routes in the Mediterranean of the time, encounters an ancient shipwreck and tracks down a modern day bull leaper to try and figure out the attraction!
In 1833 a group of workmen were looking for stones in a field near the village of Mold in North Wales when they unearthed a burial site with a skeleton covered by a crushed sheet of pure gold. For his fourth item in this programme, Neil tells the story of what has become known at the British Museum as the Mold Gold Cape and tries to envisage the society that made it. He has already described the contemporary courts of the pharaohs of Egypt and the palaces of the Minoans in Crete. Nothing like that seems to have existed in Britain of that time but he imagines a people with surprisingly sophisticated skills and social structures.
Finally, Neil stands under the British Museum's giant statue of the King Ramesses II, an inspiration to Shelly and a remarkable ruler who build monuments all over Egypt. He inspired a line of future pharaohs and was worshipped as a god a thousand years later. He lived to be over 90 and fathered some 100 children! Neil considers the achievements of Ramesses II in fixing the image of imperial Egypt for the rest of the world. And the sculptor Antony Gormley, the man responsible for a contemporary giant statue, The Angel of the North, assesses the towering figure of Ramesses as an enduring work of art
Producers: Rebecca Stratford, Anthony Denselow and Paul Kobrak
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m000khlv)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
FRI 22:45 Brixton Hill by Lottie Moggach (m000khkx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:06 today]
FRI 23:00 A Good Read (m000kgtb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Things That Made the Modern Economy (m0005kc5)
Series 2
Pencil
“I, Pencil, simple though I appear to be, merit your wonder and awe, a claim I shall attempt to prove.”
So declares the slim, graphite-spined narrator of one of the most famous essays in economic history, “I, Pencil”. The pencil claims to be a miracle product of the free market – but is that true? Why, asks Tim Harford, do engineers, as well as economists like himself, think the pencil is so underrated? And how on earth do pencil-makers get the lead inside the wood?
Producer: Ben Crighton
Editor: Richard Vadon
FRI 23:45 Today in Parliament (m000khlx)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament