A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Right Reverend John Arnold, Bishop of Salford
I wonder how these months of pandemic may have affected you and your family? We have never experienced anything like this in our generation. It was quite a shock to suddenly be faced with a lockdown last March, effective within a few days - which restricted travel, limited our choices, separated us from family and friends. All that was a sudden inconvenience for everyone but then the on-going effect was felt by people in different ways. There was the introduction of furloughing which ushered in the prospect of redundancy for many people, or at least uncertainty about future employment. Small businesses closing, the hospitality industry in crisis. Churches, shops and public spaces closed. There were all the adjustments for so many people who had to learn how to work from home, of the problems of families stranded in small flats and apartments, with young children to be home-schooled, with or without proper access to online learning. There was also the growing shadows of mental stress and the effect on the elderly in care homes or the housebound who were distanced from family members.
All these difficulties in our crisis pose a question to us. Are we courageous enough to learn and to change, to seek new priorities for building a better society where our priority is genuinely our care for those around us, everyone in our wider family?
Lord, guide us in changing direction. Help us, through dialogue, encounter and compassion to build global understanding, with care for all our brothers and sisters in our global family so that no-one is left behind and no-one is beyond reach.
Despite having a call like an asthmatic dog, for birdwatcher and naturalist Mark Cocker, the flight of a wintering short-eared owl is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see.
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England, argues that the roots of the climate change threat lie in a deeper crisis of values. He suggests that we can create an ecosystem in which society’s values broaden the market’s conceptions of value. In this way, individual creativity and market dynamism can be channelled to achieve broader social goals including, inclusive growth and environmental sustainability.
Former President Barack Obama continues reading from the first volume of his presidential memoirs A Promised Land, offering a unique and deeply personal account of his first term at the White House.
In today’s episode, Obama confronts one of the key issues of any current world leader - what to do about climate change. Prompted by his own experiences of a Hawaiian childhood and driven by the need to create a safer environmental future for his daughters Malia and Sasha, he refuses to be blown off course. With the Kyoto Protocol set to expire in 2012 Obama is determined to negotiate a major international climate agreement. He travels to a summit in Copenhagen but is confronted by stalemate as world leaders refuse to compromise or, in some cases, to even engage with the issue. He decides the only way forward is to engage in a spot of gate crashing with Hillary Clinton.
Elected in 2008, Obama became the 44th president of the United States and the first African American to sit in the Oval Office. With extraordinary frankness he explores the opportunities and limitations that high office present, and offers intriguing glimpses of family life with Michelle, Malia and Sasha at one of the world’s most famous addresses.
Abridged by Katrin Williams.
Mr Grewgious visits his ward, Rosa, to discuss the terms of her forthcoming marriage to Edwin, while stone mason Durdles takes John Jasper on a tour of the Cathedral crypt and tower.
Danny Robins’ romantic Swedish comedy, partly recorded on location with a mainly Swedish cast, continues.
The little town of Yxsjö begins to come to terms with ‘the Covid’ and turns its attention to the local economy. British comedian Geoff is now a Swedish citizen and fully (as he thinks) accepted into the bosom of his growing Swedish family.
But a fly lands firmly in the ointment, when an email arrives from a rich American Andersson (Nic Sampson) who’s been tracing his genealogy and turns out to be a long lost cousin. The family Andersson fall in love with the go-getting cousin Wilb, especially when he offers to help out financially - but, of course, Geoff thinks he smells a rat.
Perennially dry turkeys, Christmas pudding fires, wonky Christmas trees and unreliable Santas - An Almost Perfect Christmas is a set of hilarious (and highly relatable) short stories and personal reflections on the joys and insanity of Christmas from the author of Love, Nina.
Nina Stibbe was born in Leicester. She is the author of two works of non-fiction - Love, Nina and An Almost Perfect Christmas - and three novels: Man at the Helm, Paradise Lodge, and Reasons to be Cheerful, which won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2019.
Phill Jupitus searches for the answers to questions posed by songs. A song made a hit by Elvis in 1960 provokes a discussion on the connection between loneliness and night time with Samaritan volunteer Sue Peart and Louise Arseneault, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Kings College, London.
As David embarks on a new life in Chicago, Suzie plans to surprise him at the airport. The final instalment of the romantic comedy about a couple who met on a train.
Suzie has taken the plunge and planned a surprise romantic reunion at Heathrow airport with David, as he leaves the country to start a new life in the USA. But Suzie discovers that surprises don't always go to plan.
A couple of years ago, Suzie and David sat next to each other on a train journey from London to Penzance. Both married, they shared an intense and unforgettable five-and-a-half hours. Since then they’ve enjoyed escaping their middle-aged lives together. But in reality, is there any future for them?
A romantic comedy from writer Katherine Jakeways. The Radio Times described Katherine as the 'new Victoria Wood' saying "her character comedy is so acutely observed and so sharp that it's in danger of causing permanent injury." Starring Rosie Cavaliero (Prey) and Justin Edwards (The Thick of It).
Suzie .…. Rosie Cavaliero
David .…. Justin Edwards
Julia .…. Pippa Haywood
Check-in Person/Security Officer/Passenger .…. Sargon Yelda
Ticket Person/Make-up Woman/Air Steward .…. Katherine Jakeways
It’s been a tough year for charities since the global pandemic struck but many of you have come up with innovative ways to raise money for the causes you love. The closure of charity shops and the cancellation of events has greatly reduced income and many charities are also experiencing rising demands, so finding new ways to generate income has been vital.
On Wednesday’s Money Box Live Louise Cooper and guests will look at charity finances and fundraising in 2020. Joining Louise are:
We’d love to hear your ideas and experiences so e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now to join in with the conversation.
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
‘Hygge’ (pronounced hoo-ga) along with ‘tak’ (the word for ‘thank you’ that we learnt from watching Borgen and other Scandi dramas) is one of the few Danish words to have become known to us in the UK.
It’s a word that means comfort, contentment and cherishing the simple pleasures in life. In lifestyle magazines it’s faux fur throws, cups of hot cocoa and scented candles; but to the Danish it has simpler and less commercial roots. As these cold Winter nights draw in after a difficult year of scant comfort, it feels like we all need some hygge and legendary Dane, Sandi Toksvig, will do her best to bring it to you.
Broadcasting from her wooden cabin near a lake deep in the Danish countryside Sandi will explore the concept of "hygge" with Professor Brian Cox who finds comfort in physics, piano playing and mulled wine and comedian Zoe Lyons who would like nothing more than to clear out ditches all day.
Guests for the series are Grayson Perry, Alan Davies, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Bridget Christie, Clive Myrie, Professor Brian Cox, Sindhu Vee, Zoe Lyons and presenters and podcasters Rose and Rosie . We look forward to you joining Sandi in her cabin (there will be mulled wine).
Material for Sandi's opening script... Charlie Dinkin and Simon Alcock
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
13. Rylan Clark-Neal
Covid-19 hasn’t gone away and, due to travel restrictions, neither has Louis Theroux. In the second outing of his podcast series, he tracks down more high-profile guests he’s been longing to talk to - a fascinating mix of the celebrated, the controversial and the mysterious.
In this episode, television and radio presenter Rylan Clark-Neal settles down in his personal Big Brother diary room to talk to Louis about modelling his own home on the Big Brother house, crying onstage in front of millions and how one of Louis’s documentaries ignited his teenage sexuality.
La Ronde, written by dramatist Arthur Schnitzler is a play about sexual morality between social groups, explored through a prism of infidelity, lust and desire. Considered a very controversial work it was censored and banned as soon as it was printed in 1900. Although provocative the dramatic structure of the play is simple. It’s a succession of 10 sexual encounters exclusively focused on the before and the after; the act itself is never described. Each successive scene takes one character from the previous one and introduces another.
In the style of the play La Ronde, Julien Manuguerra, who produces a podcast about breakups and more largely, our common and very humane vulnerability in the face of love, explores how intimacy and morality are evolving today. The series draws a picture of what modern love is – or rather, what modern love can be. The original La Ronde was considered a social commentary master piece on how sexual contact transgresses boundaries of class, our radio version of the play will explore how sex can transgress any boundaries. But it's not a play, there won’t be any actors or actresses. Our characters are real, and they’re all linked to one another; always by sex, sometimes by love, sometimes by something in between. They’ll tell us about their inner emotional experiences of desire and connection and hopefully, this time too, our Round of Dance will go Full circle.
A search for identity is at the core of this third episode and how identity plays an important role within relationships.
From a whisper to the roar of thunder, every sound creates vibrations in our ears which the brain decodes, to tell us what we’re hearing. But, as neurologist, Dr Guy Leschziner explains, when disruptions occur along the way, extraordinary things can happen, changing the way we perceive the world.
We meet Mark, whose hearing problems start in his forties. He can’t hear his friends in a noisy pub, but more disturbingly, the sound of every bodily function is amplified in his head. He even hears the squelch of his eyeballs moving. After years of misery, he’s diagnosed with superior canal dehiscence syndrome, caused by a tiny hole in his inner ear. Illustrating how even the smallest defect can cause big problems.
Kelly is in her twenties when she gets spinning attacks that send her falling to the floor. The sensation, like being on a child’s roundabout, lasts for hours. With every attack, she loses hearing. She’s told it’s Meniere’s disease, an inner ear disorder that affects balance - demonstrating its intimate link with our sense of hearing.
Keen bird-watcher Bill recognises his hearing loss when he can no longer pick out the call of the smallest birds. But Bill has another problem: he can hear elaborate musical tunes, when there’s nothing playing. These musical hallucinations are created by his brain, to compensate for what his ears can’t hear any more.
We rely on our brains and nervous systems to tell us the truth about the world around us – but they can deceive us. These astonishing cases show how tiny changes in our bodies can turn our understanding of the world upside down, leading us to question our own version of reality.
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
The series in which stand up Felicity Ward uses phone apps to help her cope with modern life. Keen to be more productive, Felicity heads to the App Store and buys “If You Don’t Task, You Don’t Get” (voiced by Sindhu Vee). Will Felicity conquer her procrastination or will the app conquer her?
Written and performed by Felicity Ward.
Stand-up series exploring British Chinese culture from BBC New Comedy Award finalist Ken Cheng.
Dave's Joke of the Fringe Winner, Cambridge mathematics dropout and professional poker player Ken Cheng returns with a brand new series in which he’ll explore free speech, social status, racism and money…
THURSDAY 24 DECEMBER 2020
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m000qkp4)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
THU 00:30 A Promised Land by Barack Obama (m000qkp6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000qkp8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000qkpb)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000qkpd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m000qkpg)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000qkpj)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Right Reverend John Arnold, Bishop of Salford
Good morning.
The way we would normally celebrate at Christmas stands in stark contrast to the events of that first Christmas. Even in these times of Covid restrictions, we are probably hoping to meet at least some family and friends, exchange presents, feast and enjoy some luxuries. How different for Mary and Joseph. It was in these days that they have travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem – a journey required because of the need to register in a census imposed by the occupying Roman authorities. Mary is in the final stages of her pregnancy and travelling all those miles on a donkey could not have been comfortable – indeed it was dangerous. They are far from home and far from their wider family.
There was no pre-booking of a place to stay and, when they arrived in Bethlehem, the only shelter offered was a stable. But at least the innkeeper was kind enough to offer that space to them. In human terms there was so little to celebrate. Yes, the baby is born safely but there is no-one there to celebrate or to reassure. No way of telling grandparents that the baby was safe and well. Mary trusts in God’s promise – as she has trusted since the angel spoke to her of that promise all those months ago. She lives with a convinced hope that all will be well.
Faced with so many troubles in our world: the Covid pandemic, Climate Change, the plight of refugees and the victims of conflict, we renew that trust that says that, with Your help, Lord, we can create a better world for all our brothers and sisters. We celebrate your coming among us, to help and guide us.
Amen.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m000qkpl)
24/12/20 - The Community Farm at Christmas
It's been a busy few months for The Community Farm in Somerset's Chew Valley.
The social enterprise has a small team of staff supplemented by volunteers, who grow, harvest, pack and sell organic veg via a box scheme: a business that's grown massively since the pandemic hit.
But the farm also offers a range of educational and well-being workshops for children, adults and vulnerable people, which have this year been limited by coronavirus restrictions.
Now, thanks to a grant, the team is building a new outdoor shelter and fire-pit that will help them continue and expand their community workshops in safe, socially distanced fashion in the New Year - saying that now more than ever, people are recognising the mental health benefits of connecting with nature.
Lucy Taylor visits the farm as they finish up their festive orders; chatting to managing director Kim Brooks about the business and their veg box contribution to local charity schemes, and hearing from Antonia Cross from the homeless support organisation Caring in Bristol.
Lucy also meets some of the regular volunteers, led by Giles Atkinson - and talks to engagement manager Hatty Richards about their plans to get more people out on the farm in 2021.
Presented and produced in Bristol by Lucy Taylor.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04mj32d)
Toco Tucan
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Chris Packham presents the South American toco tucan. Few of us are lucky enough to have seen or heard a Toco Toucan at home in its South American strongholds but its image will be familiar to drinkers of a certain age. Its pied plumage and sky-blue eye-rings are striking enough but it is the toco toucan's huge black-tipped orange bill that makes the bird instantly recognisable. Despite appearances this cumbersome-looking banana-shaped bill is really quite light. Under the colourful plates which cover the bill a matrix of horny fibres and air-pockets combines strength with lightness a formula which has caught the attention of light aircraft manufacturers . The bird's massive bills were prominent in advertisements for a well-known brand of Irish stout beer in the 1930s and 40s. In various poses, often with a pint pot perched precariously on its bill, toucan's, extolled the virtues of beer-drinking.
THU 06:00 Today (m000qjlz)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 The Reunion (m000qjg4)
Strictly Come Dancing
An all-star cast reunites to relive the early days of one of Saturday night TV's greatest success stories.
Many of those who took part in the very first series of Strictly in May 2004 had reservations about the idea of bringing ballroom dancing back to our TV screens. Dance consultant John Byrnes had to convince the other professional dancers that the programme would be a winner, even though he was not sure himself. Natasha Kaplinsky, who was at the top of her news presenting career, feared she would lose all credibility by agreeing to become one of the celebrity dancers. She finds out from judge Craig Revel Horwood that he thought her first routine was "dull, dull, dull". But Natasha went on to be the first winner and still has her prize glitter ball.
Celebrity dancer and star soprano Lesley Garrett loved taking part so much that she considered switching careers. although her training was so gruelling that she lost two stone. Her partner. Anton Du Beke, reveals how grateful he was to be paired with Lesley and says he may never have continued if the first series had not been such fun.
Executive producer Karen Smith knew the show would be a winner with Bruce Forsyth at the helm but reveals why a rhinestone-studded glove was needed to help with his cues.
It took a few weeks for the show to find its feet with the audience but, before long, viewers were spellbound by the transformations in the celebrities and the sheer fun on the dance floor. The withering remarks of the judging panel made it appointment viewing in millions of living rooms and a long awaited success story in the fight for Saturday night ratings.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Karen Pirie
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
THU 09:45 A Promised Land by Barack Obama (m000qjm2)
Ep 9 - In the Barrel
Barack Obama continues reading from the first volume of his presidential memoirs A Promised Land, which offers a unique and deeply personal account of his first term at the White House.
In today’s episode, Obama is approaching the mid-term elections and must confront the fact that his popularity is draining away and the limitations of his presidential power are becoming all too apparent. The polls show that he has not transformed peoples’ lives in the way voters had hoped and now he must pay the price. He’s back on the campaign trail until Colonel Gaddafi orders his security forces to fire into a crowd of civilians. As the situation escalates Obama must make a very difficult decision, but a visit to see the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro with Michelle and the girls reassures him that all is not lost.
Elected in 2008, Obama became the 44th president of the United States and the first African American to sit in the Oval Office. This book documents the unrelenting demands of high office, and reveals intriguing glimpses of family life at one of the world's most famous addresses.
Abridged by Katrin Williams.
Produced by Julian Wilkinson; the editor is Di Speirs.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000qjm4)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world
THU 10:45 The Mystery of Edwin Drood (m000qjm6)
Part 4
By Charles Dickens
Edwin and Rosa come to a decision which will change their lives, while Neville Landless confides in his sister that he has fallen in love. And Edwin meets a mysterious stranger who appears to be on the trail of John Jasper.
Kate Dickens… Pippa Nixon
John Jasper… Joel McCormack
Edwin Drood … Iwan Davies
Rosa Bud … Isabella Inchbald
Reverend Crisparkle … Damian Lynch
Neville Landless … Maanuv Thiara
Helena Landless … Halema Hussain
Princess Puffer… Rachel Atkins
Adapted by Mike Walker
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer
A BBC Cymru Wales Production
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (m000qjm8)
The Mapuche - Fighting for their right to heal
The Mapuche are Chile’s largest indigenous group – a population of more than 2 million people. And, they are fighting for their right to heal. They want Chileans to value their unique approach to healthcare and give them control of land and their own destiny. But, it’s a tough sell when there’s so much distrust and violence between the two communities. Jane Chambers travels to their homeland in the Araucania region in the south of Chile, where she’s given rare access to traditional healers and political leaders.
Presenter / producer: Jane Chambers
Producer in London: Linda Pressly
Editor: Bridget Harney
(Image: Machi Juana at her home by her sacred altar. Credit: Jane Chambers/BBC)
THU 11:30 My Favourite Things (m000qjmb)
Andrew McGibbon explores how the song My Favourite Things from Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music gained greater popularity through the intervention of jazz artist and pioneer John Coltrane.
Coltrane's version elevated the song to a stand alone masterpiece, contributing to the evolution of the jazz genre and bringing a new audience to the saxophonist's unique, progressive and electrifying sound.
Together with Chick Corea's bass player, John Patitucci, BBC Jazz Musician of the year, Xhosa Cole, Music Academic Lewis Porter, British jazz saxophonist Iain Ballamy and fellow musicians, Andrew examines how My Favourite Things was made into a hit by John Coltrane. The song was known to Broadway audiences from the late '50s but Coltrane’s 1961 recording sold millions and introduced both the song and his soaring and ineffable interpretation of it to wider audiences, long before the musical had become a household name.
The song represents a significant milestone in the evolution of John Coltrane’s musical legacy. from where he would continue to be inspired to greater heights of improvisation in his restless search for the presence of love found through the pursuit of musical perfection. Later in the '60s, fans would find it hard to keep up with his astonishing experimentation during live performances of My Favourite Things as he pushed the boundaries of the saxophone with his relentless curiosity.
Written and Presented by Andrew McGibbon
Produced by Nick Romero
A Curtains For Radio production for BBC Radio 4
THU 12:00 News Summary (m000qjmd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe (m000qjmj)
Episode Four: Swim to Santa
Perennially dry turkeys, Christmas pudding fires, wonky Christmas trees and unreliable Santas - An Almost Perfect Christmas is a set of hilarious (and highly relatable) short stories and personal reflections on the joys and insanity of Christmas from the author of Love, Nina.
"The true heir to Sue Townsend" - Caitlin Moran
"Nina Stibbe is a national treasure" - Jon Ronson
Nina Stibbe was born in Leicester. She is the author of two works of non-fiction - Love, Nina and An Almost Perfect Christmas - and three novels: Man at the Helm, Paradise Lodge, and Reasons to be Cheerful, which won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2019.
Abridged by Sara Davies
Read by Sally Phillips
Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio in Bristol
THU 12:18 You and Yours (m000qjmn)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
THU 12:57 Weather (m000qjms)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m000qjmx)
Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague.
THU 13:45 Why Why Why? (m000qjn1)
Why worry?
Comedian Phill Jupitus searches for the answers to questions posed by songs. A song from the 1985 multi-million selling CD Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits provokes a discussion about the pros and cons of worrying and what to do when worry gets out of control.
Phill talks with Dr Olivia Remes, a mental health researcher at Cambridge University, and Professor John Crichton, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland.
Producer: Rosie Boulton
A Must Try Softer production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m000qjn5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (m0001p6w)
The Moon That Night
On Christmas Eve, delayed by the seasonal diaspora traffic out of London, a family of four arrives just in time for the Christingle service at the 14th century Anglican church beside their country cottage - a second home, where they plan to spend Christmas.
It's a cold night, but luckily the villager who is the key-holder, keeping an eye on the cottage on the 300 plus days they don't use it, will have turned up the Aga and lit the wood-burning stove.
Reaching the church as the service begins, they sing carols, including the one about King Wenceslas who, when “brightly shone the moon that night”, gave hospitality to a poor man he saw in the snow. The Vicar takes that hymn as the gift for her homily, stressing the importance in these bleak and austere times of helping the poor.
After congratulating the vicar on her sermon and exchanging seasonal greetings, the family get to the cottage, surprised that the lights have been left on. The door is also, oddly, unlocked and, inside, they find that the key-holder, a single mother, and her child have moved in after being unable to pay the rent on their flat.
“You have two houses. We don’t have one now. So…”
The family faces a clash between their Christmas plans and their liberal / Christian principles, with generational tension between the parents and children over the obligations of charity and equity. Are they prepared to share their home and hospitality?
Cast
ANTHONY – Tim McInnerny
EMILY - Juliet Aubrey
RUBY - Macy Nyman
RUFUS* - Tom Glenister
REV JULIE - Amaka Okafor
TESS - Jeany Spark
Written by Mark Lawson
Directed by Eoin O’Callaghan
A Big Fish Radio production for BBC Radio 4
THU 15:00 A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (m000qjn9)
Christmas 2020
A live broadcast from the Chapel of King's College, Cambridge.
Once in royal David’s city (Henry John Gauntlett, Sir David Willcocks, Arthur Henry Mann, Sir Stephen Cleobury)
Bidding Prayer read by the Dean
Adam lay ybounden (Boris Ord)
First lesson: Genesis 3: vv 8-15, 17-19 read by a Chorister
The Truth from Above (Ralph Vaughan Williams/ arr. Christopher Robinson)
Second lesson: Genesis 22: vv 15-19 read by a Choral Scholar
How shall I fitly meet thee? (J.S. Bach)
A tender shoot (Otto Goldschmidt)
Third lesson: Isaiah 9: vv 2, 6-7 read by the Chaplain
In the bleak midwinter (Harold Darke)
Of the Father’s heart begotten (arr. Sir David Willcocks)
Fourth lesson: Isaiah 11: 1-4a, 6-9 read by a Fellow
The holly and the ivy (arr. Witold Lutoslawski)
A maiden most gentle (Andrew Carter)
Fifth lesson: Luke 1: vv 26-35, 38 read by a member of College staff
In dulci jubilo (Robert L. de Pearsall, arr. Daniel Hyde)
The angel Gabriel (Philip Moore)
Sixth lesson: Luke 2: vv 1-7 read by a representative of the City of Cambridge
Sussex Carol (arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams)
Away in a manger (arr. David Hill)
Seventh lesson: Luke 2: vv 8-17 read by the Director of Music
While shepherds watched (arr. Nicholas Marston)
The shepherds’ cradle song (Charles Macpherson)
Eighth lesson: Matthew 2: vv 1-12 read by the Vice-Provost
As I sat on a sunny bank (Elizabeth Poston)
Ninth lesson: John 1: vv 1-14 read by the Provost
O come all ye faithful (arr. Daniel Hyde, Christopher Robinson, David Hill)
Blessing
Still, still, still (arr. Bob Chilcott)
Hark! The herald angels sing (arr. Sir Philip Ledger)
In dulci jubilo BWV 729 (J.S Bach)
Daniel Hyde, Director of Music
Matthew Martin, Organist
Revd. Dr. Stephen Cherry, Dean
For millions listening on radio and online around the world, A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, live from the candlelit Chapel of King's College, Cambridge, marks the beginning of Christmas. It is based around nine Bible readings which tell the story of the loving purposes of God. They are interspersed with carols old and new, sung by the world-famous chapel choir. In a normal year the choir would also lead the congregation in traditional Christmas hymns, but this Christmas Eve there will be no congregation present. With Covid restrictions and the need for social distancing within the choir, a number of new arrangements have been made which capitalise on the rare opportunity to hear these ever popular hymns in versions for choir only.
As is so often the case, this year's service marks the musical contribution (through their arrangements and descants) of several former Directors of Music, including Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger and Sir Stephen Cleobury, as well as the current Director, Daniel Hyde.
Significant twentieth century composer Elizabeth Poston features in the service, as well as arrangements by Witold Lutoslawski and former chorister Bob Chilcott.
Producer: Philip Billson
THU 16:35 BBC Inside Science (m000qjnc)
Dr Adam Rutherford and guests illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the science that's changing our world
THU 17:00 PM (m000qjnf)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000qjnh)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:15 Excuse Me, Are You John Shuttleworth? (m000qjnk)
Episode 1
Radio 4 fans need no introduction to singer/organist John Shuttleworth, who has been a firm favourite on the station for some years now. But say the name Graham Fellows and many listeners won’t know who you’re talking about – including John Shuttleworth himself!
Graham Fellows is an actor, musician and character comedian who has been in showbusiness for 40 years and, after hiding behind the masks of made-up people, it’s time he revealed himself.
This two-part series is an honest account of Graham’s life to date - sometimes hilarious, sometimes moving and often disarmingly honest - which will give a real sense of the man behind the mask. Each show will be punctuated with witty and moving songs performed on pedal harmonium and Graham will share which songs he kept for himself and which he gave to his characters, and why.
There will, on occasion, be interjections from some of Graham’s characters, particularly John Shuttleworth, as these lives are so intertwined. In fact, John is such a well-developed character that he can interject when Graham least expects it!
Part One finds Graham greeting John on Christmas Eve before he begins to share his story, although John doesn’t know who he is or why he’s there and assumes he’s a carol singer. But Graham wants to take us back to 1977 when he first started Drama school and came up with a riff that led him to his first character – Jilted John.
From here we follow Graham’s life as a jobbing actor in Coronation street, a theatrical landlord to Hollywood star Mark Rylance, and a role in the film Morons from Outer Space.
Then Graham lands a song publishing deal for his first solo album, Love at the Hacienda, and to celebrate the deal and amuse the record company he recorded a comedy demo tape, in which he pretended to be a naff singer/songwriter looking himself for a song publishing deal. His publisher loved it and the solo career was put on hold.
The show ends with the song that explains Graham’s love for audio recording and, in particular, reel to reel tape recorders which is how he came to start talking to himself and eventually created the world of John Shuttleworth, his family and friends.
A Chic Ken production for BBC Radio 4
THU 18:30 The Missing Hancocks (m0001ksd)
Department Store Santa
The Missing Hancocks recreates those episodes of the classic Hancock's Half Hour that have been wiped or lost from the archive.
The first modern sitcom, Hancock's Half Hour made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Ray Galton and Alan Simpson as one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history. But 20 episodes of the show were missing from the BBC archives. Now, after three highly successful series, another batch of those episodes have been lovingly re-recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre.
Tonight's episode: Hancock and Kerr are forced to stop claiming unemployment benefits by the Ministry Of Labour, so the Lad Himself takes on a job as Santa in Sid's department store.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and with the classic score re-recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the show stars Kevin McNally, Kevin Eldon, Simon Greenall, Robin Sebastian and Margaret Cabourn-Smith. The Department Store Santa was first broadcast on the 14th December, 1954.
Produced by Neil Pearson & Paul Sheehan.
Written by Ray Galton & Alan Simpson
Music recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Levon Parikian.
A BBC Studios Production.
THU 19:00 The Archers (m000qjds)
Writers, Naylah Ahmed & Tim Stimpson
Director, Marina Caldarone
Editor, Jeremy Howe
David Archer ….. Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ….. Felicity Finch
Clarrie Grundy ….. Heather Bell
Eddie Grundy ….. Trevor Harrison
Tracy Horrobin ….. Susie Riddell
Jazzer McCreary ….. Ryan Kelly
Kirsty Miller ….. Annabelle Dowler
Philip Moss ….. Andy Hockley
Gavin Moss ….. Gareth Pierce
Freddie Pargetter ….. Toby Laurence
Lily Pargetter ….. Katie Redford
Oliver Sterling ….. Michael Cochrane
Roy Tucker ….. Ian Pepperell
Vince Casey ….. Tony Turner
Tanners ..... Jane Slavin
THU 19:15 Front Row (m000qjnm)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
THU 19:45 The Mystery of Edwin Drood (m000qjm6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Film Programme (m000qjnp)
Christopher Nolan & Tom Shone
With Antonia Quirke
Director Christopher Nolan and author Tom Shone discuss Tom's book The Nolan Variations, and the influence of artists Escher and Francis Bacon on movies like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises. And Nolan reveals why he has a favourite glacier.
Photograph: Oliver Nolan
THU 20:30 Iceland's Dark Lullabies (b09jcnpr)
Dreaming of a Dark Christmas, in Iceland
At the darkest time of the year in Iceland scary creatures come out to play. Storyteller Andri Snær Magnason used to be terrified by his grandmother's Christmas tales of Gryla the 900 year old child eating hag and her thirteen troll sons - the Yule Lads - who would come down from the mountains looking for naughty children in the warmth of their homes. These dark lullabies partly hark back to a pre-Christian Christmas when people worshipped the Norse gods.
As Iceland opens up to global influences after centuries of isolation Andri travels from farmstead to lava field and reflects on these traditions: whether the elves still crash your house to throw a Christmas party or the cows still talk on New Year's Eve; and what happens when you have to spend Christmas alone, locked inside Ikea?
Featuring the Graduale Nobile Choir conducted by Árni Heiðar Karlsson
Partially recorded in Binaural Stereo. Listen on headphones for the best effect.
Additional sound design by Phil Channell
Producer Neil McCarthy
THU 21:00 Something Understood (m000qjcq)
Hope in an Age of Adversity
A special Christmas edition of Something Understood.
Towards the close of a difficult year, in which comfort has been in short supply for many, hope is a precious commodity. Unable to get into BBC studios in India because of Covid restrictions, Mark Tully returns to present this hour-long programme from his home in Delhi.
In this unique blend of music, interview and readings, he examines what strength can be taken from adversity, what comfort - both spiritual and psychological - can be used to soothe it, and how poets, philosophers, artists and thinkers have found the strength to create joy and light in times of darkness, both now and in the past.
Expect to hear the work of Wendy Cope, Denise Levertov and Albert Camus with music from Sam Cooke, Michael Praetorius and Aretha Franklin, and conversation with Ameeta Mehra, race horse breeder and co-founder of the Gnostic Centre, just outside Delhi.
The readers are Polly Frame and Matt Addis.
Presenter: Mark Tully
Producer: Frank Stirling
A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m000qjnr)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
THU 22:45 An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe (m000qjmj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
THU 23:00 Once in Royal David's City (m0001r53)
Every Christmas Eve at two minutes past three, a choirboy steps up to a microphone and sings the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City. For many people this iconic moment signals the start of their Christmas, as they wrap their final presents or rustle up some mince pies whilst listening to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College Cambridge. The tradition of opening the service with a lone treble voice is well known. What is not so well known is the fact that the Musical Director chooses this soloist just before the transmission begins giving a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy just minutes to compose himself before singing the solo live to an audience of millions across the globe.
This programme takes a look at the singing of this iconic solo as a number of former soloists talk about their experience. They include; Rupert Peacock (who is studying for his A levels), Rodney Williams (who sang the solo in 1954 and went on to sing in the Westminster Abbey choir for the funerals of Mountbatten and Princess Diana), Jon Wimpeney (now studying Computer Science) and composer Bob Chilcott (who sang the solo three times in the mid-1960s). In addition, we hear from 100-year-old David Briggs, who sang in the first broadcast Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 1928 and later became headmaster of the choir school.
Other contributors: the three Johnston brothers (only one of whom actually sang the Once in Royal David's City solo), Jill Etheridge (House Master for the choristers at King’s College School and the mother of a former soloist) and retiring Musical Director Stephen Cleobury.
Producer: Helen Lee
THU 23:30 Midnight Mass (m000qjnt)
The Mass of the Nativity of the Lord, live from Manchester Cathedral. Carols and anthems include the seasonal favourite by Harold Darke - 'In the Bleak Midwinter' and the mass is sung to Mozart's elegant Missa Brevis in F K192. Celebrant - Rogers Govender, Dean; Preacher - Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester; Organist & Master of the Choristers - Christopher Stokes; Sub-Organist - Geoffrey Woollatt; Producer - Ruth Thomson.
FRIDAY 25 DECEMBER 2020
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000qjnw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000qjny)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000qjp0)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m000qjp2)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000qjp4)
A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with The Right Reverend John Arnold, Bishop of Salford
Good morning.
It's Christmas Day. We tend to have a rather frantic build up to Christmas, don’t we? There are usually the office parties, the carol concerts, and the school Nativity plays. All that shopping and decorating. They all happen in the days approaching the Feast, although it is very unlikely that we have experienced any of those sorts of gatherings in these days. Then we actually get to the day, today, with all the presents and Christmas meal with all the trimmings and then, suddenly, Christmas seems over and finished. But we need to remind ourselves of the enduring meaning of Christmas. For Christians we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, the beginning of His life among us. He is born into our world to bring us hope and to guide us by his mission and teaching. He said to us “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. He remains present with us to show us the way.
At Christmas we are renewing that sense of the presence of Christ among us and our hope in the future. Nothing is finishing today – it is just getting started. I am speaking to you early on Christmas morning and I hope that the day ahead promises some celebrations for you – even if it has to be without all the family gatherings and usual freedom to celebrate but we can pray that this year our Christmas is a time of renewed hope.
Lord Jesus, we celebrate your coming among us. In these coming days, when decorations are packed away and we look to a new calendar year, may we remind ourselves that you are walking with us – every step of the way.
Amen.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m000qjp6)
25/12/20 Swapping an urban life for a future in rural farming
We meet the city dwellers who have gone back to the land and bought a small holding or farm. What was the driving factor that made them want to move into agriculture? What were their expectations, how has reality worked out and what have been the toughest lessons learned? And how do they react to accusations of merely being “hobby farmers”?
We hear the story of two very different families.
Former teachers Jon and Rosie are a couple with a very young family who had little hard cash and had to borrow from family and friends. They managed to secure 20 acres in Hertfordshire.
Meanwhile, Tim and Juliet sold their house in Fulham and were able to buy outright 200 acres in Oxfordshire.
Produced and presented by Howard Shannon.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04t0ly5)
Christmas Shearwater
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
On Christmas Day, Sir David Attenborough presents the Christmas shearwater. 2000km south of Hawaii the highly marine Christmas shearwater is at home over the Central Pacific seas, tirelessly riding the air-currents, skimming wave-crests and hugging the contours of the sea looking for food. They rarely come to land as adults, but when they do, it is to return to their place of birth on remote oceanic islands to breed. Here they form loose colonies, laying a single white egg which is incubated for around 50 days. Inhabiting these far flung inaccessible islands means little is known about their biology, but that remoteness gives them protection from land based predators.
FRI 06:00 Something Understood (m000qjcq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Thursday]
FRI 07:00 With Great Pleasure (m000qjcs)
With Great Pleasure at Christmas
Expect snow on the hills of Borsetshire and a hot toddy in the Bull in this festive celebration marking seventy years of The Archers. Just as Ambridge hosts its own Christmas show, 'With Great Pleasure' brings you readings, music and anecdotes from the cast, one for each decade of existence of Radio 4's most popular drama.
Charles Collingwood (Brian Aldridge) kicks off with a comic poem on the hazards of being an actor on a long-running show. Specially written for Charles and his wife Judy (Shula) by their old friend Sir Richard Stilgoe, it asks: will this be the episode in which my character meets a surprising end in order to bump up the ratings?
The nations' beloved Gran and ace lemon-drizzle baker Jill Archer, or Patricia Greene in real life, reads from Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm. She is followed by Ben Norris, who plays grandson Ben. He reveals that Paddy is much more mischievous than Jill and says he has found particular joy in spending time with his on-air Gran after the loss of his own.
Katie Redford (Lily Pargetter) remembers inviting all the neighbours round to see her Spice Girls 'show' as a child, without warning her mum, who was surprised when they all turned up. Trevor Harrison (Eddie Grundy) remembers his much-loved radio dad, Joe, played by Edward Kelsey, and admits there's solidarity among the 'Grundy' actors and a tiny bit of rivalry with those who play Archers or Aldridges.
Ryan Kelly (Jazzer) sings an acapella version of Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns that'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and Susie Riddell (Tracy Horrobin) admits she wishes she was as fearless as the character she plays.
Festive delight; hilarious, revealing and moving stories from behind the scenes in Ambridge.
FRI 08:00 Desert Island Discs (m000qhg8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 on Sunday]
FRI 08:45 Short Works (m000qjcv)
Home
An original short work for BBC Radio 4 by the Irish author Christine Dwyer Hickey. Read by Michelle Fairley.
Christine Dwyer Hickey is an award winning novelist and short story writer. Twice winner of the Listowel Writers’ Week short story competition and a winner of the Observer/Penguin short story award, her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies world-wide. Her most recent novel The Narrow Land was awarded the prestigious 2020 Walter Scott Prize as well as Novel of the Year at the Dalkey Literary Awards. Her novel Tatty was also selected as 2020 Dublin One City One Book Choice.
Reader ..... Michelle Fairley
Writer ..... Christine Dwyer Hickey
Producer ..... Michael Shannon
A BBC Northern Ireland production.
FRI 09:00 Christmas Service: A Draught in the Stable (m000qjcx)
The Revd Richard Carter and the Revd Catherine Duce lead a socially distanced retelling of the Christmas story starting with a donkey in Hackney City Farm’s most draughty stable. As mandated, angels appear at the Annunciation, shepherds “in-the-fields” and Joseph does finally agree to let everybody in, all in agreement with latest Church of England guidance! With St Martin’s Voices directed by Gabriella Noble and St Martin’s Brass. With organist Ben Giddens. Sermon: The Vicar, the Revd Dr Sam Wells.
Recorded in St Martin-in-the-Fields, Hackney City Farm and on location around Trafalgar Square.
Producer: Andrew Earis.
FRI 09:45 A Promised Land by Barack Obama (m000qjcz)
Ep 10 - The Raid
Barack Obama reads the final episode from his new presidential memoir offering a unique and very personal account of the highs and lows of life in high office and the landmarks of his first term.
In today’s episode, Obama meets Donald Trump for the first time, and is compelled to deal with birthirism - the movement brought about by Trump's questioning of his American citizenship. An early foreshadowing of a 'dark and alternative vision' he thinks, but there's no time to dwell, as his CIA advisors have a lead on Osama bin Laden’s hideout. So begins the defining military action of his presidency, with Obama giving a blow by blow account of Operation Neptune's Spear as Navy SEALS raid the terrorist’s compound in Pakistan and carry out their orders.
Elected in 2008, Obama became the 44th president of the United States and the first African American to sit in the Oval Office. A Promised Land documents the unrelenting demands on the President of the USA and presents intriguing glimpses of family life with Michelle, Malia and Sasha at one of the world’s most famous addresses.
Abridged by Katrin Williams.
Produced by Julian Wilkinson; the editor is Di Speirs.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000qjd1)
Christmas Day on Joy
Christmas Day programme about Joy. Jane Garvey is joined by the Rev Kate Bottley, who brings the Christian perspective of joy at Christmas and talks about her personal passion for ice water swimming. Natalie Maddix is the founder and creative director of the House Gospel Choir. She describes the joy of communal singing and shares some of the choir's uplifting music. Breast surgeon and breast cancer survivor Liz O'Riordan tells us the story behind her 'Jar of Joy'. Crime writer Sophie Hannah explains her theory of finding joy - even in the most adverse of circumstances. Tonia Buxton is a chef and consultant at the Real Greek Restaurants. She gives details of her family's ‘dirty’ Christmas sandwiches and her family recipes for Greek Liver stuffing. Woman's Hour listener Joy Barnard tells her story of being adopted at Christmas in 1961, and Lynette and Daisy reveal what brings them personal joy.
Presented by Jane Garvey
Producer: Louise Corley
FRI 10:45 The Mystery of Edwin Drood (m000qjd3)
Part 5
By Charles Dickens
It is Christmas Eve in Cloisterham, and Edwin and Neville appear to have resolved their differences with John Jasper. But on Christmas morning the whole town learns that Edwin has disappeared. If a violent crime has been committed they think they know who is to blame.
Kate Dickens… Pippa Nixon
John Jasper… Joel McCormack
Edwin Drood … Iwan Davies
Reverend Crisparkle … Damian Lynch
Neville Landless … Maanuv Thiara
Geoff/ JP… Ian Conningham
Joe… Wilf Scolding
Adapted by Mike Walker
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer
A BBC Cymru Wales Production
FRI 11:00 You're Dead To Me (p07xl3bm)
The Victorian Christmas
Why do we celebrate Christmas with cards, crackers and a tree? Join us as we travel back and explore the weird and wonderful history of the Victorian Christmas.
Just who the Dickens had the idea to bring trees indoors? Can a soft-drinks firm really take credit for Father Christmas’s red suit? And why did the Victorians send each other such bizarre Christmas cards?
Greg Jenner is joined in the studio by historian Dr Fern Riddell and comedian Russell Kane.
Produced by Cornelius Mendez
Scripted and researched by Greg Jenner
A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 11:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (m000qjd6)
Poundsqueezers
In the words of Count Arthur, 'Christmas isn't just about charity, it is about baby Judas riding a donkey'. To celebrate in style, Arthur heads to the pound shop for his Christmas gifts.
Count Arthur and his erstwhile protégé Malcolm (Terry Kilkelly) are surrounded by a host of regular characters created by his Radio Repertory Company - Mel Giedroyc, Alastair Kerr and Dave Mounfield. Dave, who played among others the much-loved characters Jerry and Geoffrey, sadly died in March 2020. His final Count Arthur recordings were two Christmas specials recorded in Autumn 2019, the first of which aired on Christmas Day 2019 - the second airs this festive season. This 2020 hybrid return of the ever-popular family friendly sitcom is dedicated to Dave's memory.
The long running series first aired on BBC Radio 4 in 2005 and ran for seven series until the former variety star transferred to BBC TV in his eponymous sitcom in 2013. A TV series that started out on BBC2 and transferred to BBC1, running for three series until 2017. The 52 episodes of Count Arthur Strong’s Radio Show! comprise seven series and ten specials since the programme first aired fifteen years ago.
Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! recently rated in the Radio Times as one of the top twenty radio shows of all time. Other highlights include winning the Sony Radio Award for Best Comedy in 2009 and being voted as the Best Radio Sitcom by the British Comedy Guide in 2016, 2018 and 2019. The TV series also enjoyed wide critical acclaim and was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Sitcom and Best Comedy Writing, as well as getting the nod for three British Comedy Awards. In August 2019, Count Arthur Strong's TV sitcom featured in the top three of the Radio Times Most Missed TV Shows of the 21st Century. Since 2014, Count Arthur has returned to BBC Radio 4 annually with his celebrated Christmas specials.
A 7Digital Komedia production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m000qjd8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe (m000qjdb)
Episode Five: Turkey and Me
Perennially dry turkeys, Christmas pudding fires, wonky Christmas trees and unreliable Santas - An Almost Perfect Christmas is a set of hilarious (and highly relatable) short stories and personal reflections on the joys and insanity of Christmas from the author of Love, Nina.
"The true heir to Sue Townsend" - Caitlin Moran
"Nina Stibbe is a national treasure" - Jon Ronson
Nina Stibbe was born in Leicester. She is the author of two works of non-fiction - Love, Nina and An Almost Perfect Christmas - and three novels: Man at the Helm, Paradise Lodge, and Reasons to be Cheerful, which won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 2019.
Abridged by Sara Davies
Read by Sally Phillips
Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio in Bristol
FRI 12:18 Pick of the Year (m000qjdf)
Pick of the Year 2020
2020! We’ll certainly remember it, won’t we? But what? Which bits of the year stand out for you? All through 2020, radio has been tuning into how people have coped, how we’ve struggled and how we’ve connected: we’ve put together a powerful and moving programme that captures this. We hear from footballer Ian Wright, we hear about the death of George Floyd, there’s a kind of tribute act to Dolly Parton, and Joanna Lumley reads us a story. Join Michael Rosen in conversation with his son Joe as they discuss the radio highlights of an unprecedented year.
Presenters: Michael Rosen & Joe Rosen
Producer: Elizabeth Foster
Production support: Ellen Orchard
Studio Manager: Owain Williams
Photo: Elsie Rosen
FRI 12:57 Weather (m000qjdh)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 News Summary (m000qn97)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 13:15 A History of the World in 100 Objects (m000qpnl)
A History of the World: Object 101
Ten years on from the ground-breaking Radio 4 series, "A History of The World in 100 Objects", former director of the British Museum Neil MacGregor looks back at the impact of the series, on how storytelling in museums has changed over a turbulent decade and asks which object from 2020 would best encapsulate our modern age.
Producer: Paul Kobrak
FRI 13:45 Why Why Why? (m000qjdm)
What's going on?
Comedian Phill Jupitus searches for the answers to questions posed by songs. A 1971 hit for Marvin Gaye provokes a discussion with historian and author Rutger Bregman about what's happening at the moment in our lives and in our world.
Producer: Rosie Boulton
A Must Try Softer production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m000qjds)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (m000qjdx)
Christmas by the Lake
Walter is 68 and Mary is 64. He is full of madcap ideas, she resists change. The only thing they have in common is they both hate Christmas.
A story with a twist on the Christmas theme and it's classic Rachel Joyce territory – relationships, loss and ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Mary ….. Niamh Cusack
Walter ….. Robert Lindsay
Helen ….. Cecilia Appiah
Directed by Tracey Neale
It is in the park that Mary first spots Walter. He's drowning in the Lake and she calls for help. When she returns a few days later, Walter is there and berates her for interfering - all he was trying to do was learn to swim. It's a bad beginning but then their conversation begins ...
Mary is played by Niamh Cusack. Her television work includes Heartbeat, Father Brown and The Virtues. Her film credits include In Love with Alma Cogan. Niamh played Lady Macbeth for the RSC and most recently Lenu in the National Theatre's production of My Brilliant Friend.
Walter is played by award winning actor, Robert Lindsay. His theatre work covers many roles for the RSC and musical theatre too. This includes Me and My Girl in which he played the lead role on both the West End and Broadway stage. His television work includes My Family, Citizen Smith and G.B.H. His most recent film role was playing King John in Maleficent 2.
The award winning novelist Rachel Joyce had her sixth novel published earlier this year - Miss Benson's Beetle. Her first novel - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - began its life as a radio drama and was called To Be A Pilgrim. It won the Peter Tinniswood Award for Best Radio Drama. Her other novels include Perfect and The Music Shop. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Music Shop are now in development with Netflix.
FRI 15:00 HM The Queen (m000qjf1)
The Queen's Christmas message to the Commonwealth and the nation, followed by the national anthem.
FRI 15:05 News Summary (m000qn99)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:15 Gardeners' Question Time (m000qjf5)
GQT at Home: Merry Christmas
Kathy Clugston and her team of gardening experts answer your questions. Christine Walkden, James Wong and Bob Flowerdew tackle questions sent in by listeners and the virtual audience.
The panellists suggest vegetables to grow for next year's Christmas dinner, advise on caring for a Peace lily and put a confusing conifer under the microscope. They also answer questions from some famous fans of the programme.
Away from the questions, Dr Chris Thorogood is talking all things mistletoe, and Advolly Richmond shares the history of the Clematis cirrhosa.
Producer - Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer - Jemima Rathbone
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 16:00 Drama (m000qjf9)
Star Child
A brand new nativity story. Award-winning dramatist Patrick Barlow’s comedy drama tells the time-honoured nativity story in a fresh, compelling and unique way.
A magic star appears in the sky, a lonely village seamstress meets an anxious angel and a kindly donkey, two shepherds go on a dangerous mission, three bickering wise women bring news to a paranoid, psychotic king and a bolshie girl gives birth to a baby.
All feature as Patrick Barlow retells the Christmas story as we’ve never heard it told before.
Starring Jim Broadbent, Maggie Steed, Sophie Thompson, John Ramm and newcomers Robert Lennon and Nell Barlow.
All the joy and comfort of the Christmas story, with Patrick Barlow’s own special twist - funny, original, touching. This is something special for all the family in these uncertain times. Star Child offers love, hope and light in a world of darkness.
Based on an original play by Patrick Barlow, adapted by Patrick Barlow with Clemmie Reynolds.
Cast:
God & Herod – Jim Broadbent
Gabriel, Innkeeper & Shem – John Ramm
Sara, Lilith & Angel – Maggie Steed
Mary & Shabnan – Nell Barlow
Joseph, Steward & Ham – Rob Lennon
Parsley, Sushila & Babbling Brook – Sophie Thompson
Children – Louie, Bonnie, Sonny, Noah & Beatrix Barlow
Director: Patrick Barlow
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 17:00 Nature Table (m000qjff)
The Nature Table Christmas Special
In keeping with the show's 'show and tell' format, Sue will be joined by celebrity guests from the worlds of comedy and natural history. Expert guests for the festive special include: naturalist, presenter and writer Chris Packham, botanist, presenter and writer James Wong, wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan. And helping Sue to make sense of the amazing funny facts that the experts present is Tony-nominated comedy actor Stephen Mangan (Billy Elliot, I'm Alan Partridge, Green Wing, Have I Got News For You).
For the Christmas special, our experts will be presenting flora and fauna that all have a festive connection. These include: reindeers, robins, fly agaric mushrooms (that hold the key to why reindeers can fly and Father Christmas wears red and white), turtle doves, Christmas spiders (and their link to the history of Christmas tinsel), holly and partridges.
Nature Table positively celebrates our planet's wild flora and fauna, by making a show that's both informative and funny. The Christmas special will be a cheery sparkly humorous addition to Radio 4's Christmas schedule.
Written by: Catherine Brinkworth, Kat Sadler & Jon Hunter
Produced by: Simon Nicholls
Music by Ben Mirin. Additional sounds were provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000qjfk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:15 Excuse Me, Are You John Shuttleworth? (m000qjfp)
Episode 2
Radio 4 fans need no introduction to singer/organist John Shuttleworth, who has been a firm favourite on the station for some years now. But say the name Graham Fellows and many listeners won’t know who you’re talking about – including John Shuttleworth himself!
Graham Fellows is an actor, musician and character comedian who has been in showbusiness for 40 years and, after hiding behind the masks of made-up people, it’s time he revealed himself.
This two-part series is an honest account of Graham’s life to date - sometimes hilarious, sometimes moving and often disarmingly honest - which will give a real sense of the man behind the mask. Each show will be punctuated with witty and moving songs performed on pedal harmonium and Graham will share which songs he kept for himself and which he gave to his characters, and why.
There will, on occasion, be interjections from some of Graham’s characters, particularly John Shuttleworth, as these lives are so intertwined. In fact, John is such a well-developed character that he can interject when Graham least expects it!
Part Two finds Graham a bit depressed and ready to quit showbusiness. After some counselling, he decides that what he really wants to do with his life is become a milkman! But after three months with not a single glimpse of a housewife in a nightie, he’s offered an acting job in the Theatre. This renews his love of performing and he returns to John Shuttleworth, honing the character so that he’s shortlisted for the Perrier awards and has his first series on Radio 4.
Graham soon feels ready to create a new character, and rock musicologist Brian Appleton is born: “I've been dumped upon from a massive height by so many rock stars, even Morrissey ripped me off. I wrote a song called My Turn to be Poorly.”
John is ever present, and Graham reveals that such were the demands of Shuttleworth and the sheer quantity of songs the character needed for new tours and radio shows that he had to pass many of his own songs straight over to John, including She Lives in Hope and The Man who Lives on the M62. At which point, Ken Worthington appears and insists that John wrote all his own songs, unaided.
Graham reveals who voices the other characters in the Shuttleworth world before ending the show with a song that captures the truth of a simple event in HIS life – I Had an Egg with my Son.
A Chic Ken production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 18:30 Dead Ringers (m000qj6x)
Christmas Specials 2020
Episode 3
Normally a show of parody and spoof news programmes, this special episode goes behind the scenes to reveal how Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and Kier Starmer are spending Christmas.
Topical satire from Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis McLeod, Debra Stephenson and Duncan Wisbey.
The writing squad for the series: Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Sarah Campbell, Ed Amsden and Tom Coles, James Bugg, Jeffrey Aidoo, Alex Hardy and others.
Producer: Bill Dare. A BBC Studios Production
FRI 19:00 Front Row (m000qjfw)
Australian composer, musician and actor, Tim Minchin
Tim Minchin, the Australian stage performer with unkempt long hair and black mascara eyes, looks back over his career since his early days trying to scrape a living in Perth and Melbourne.
As he releases his first ever solo album Apart Together at the age of 45, he reflects on his early struggle to make a living through music, the success of his stage performances with a full orchestra, the RSC's Matilda the Musical for which he composed the score and wrote the lyrics, getting burned in Hollywood, writing, directing and starring in his TV drama series Upright, and his unsettling return to his homeland after four years in Los Angeles.
Presenter Tom Sutcliffe
Producer Jerome Weatherald
FRI 19:45 The Mystery of Edwin Drood (m000qjd3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Fortunately... with Fi and Jane (p090x3r3)
Cyprian Santas and Silhouettes, with Dawn French
In this festive edition of Fortunately, Fi Glover and Jane Garvey are joined by special guest Dawn French. The actor, comedian and writer discusses her new book Because of You and her return as The Vicar of Dibley. Dawn also tells Fi and Jane about a very memorable corporate dinner, how a meeting in a sunlit room changed her life and the time she spotted Santa Claus. Before their guest's arrival, Garvey and Glover reflect on the year gone by and go through a 'corking' bunch of listener emails.
Get in touch: fortunately.podcast@bbc.co.uk
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m000qjg0)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.
FRI 21:00 The Reunion (m000qjg4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 22:00 Loose Ends (m000qjg8)
Music from Sting & Melody Gardot, Celeste, Jamie Cullum and more
Clive Anderson with a choice of some of the best music performances on Loose Ends this year, including Sting & Melody Gardot, Celeste and Jamie Cullum.
FRI 22:45 An Almost Perfect Christmas by Nina Stibbe (m000qjdb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (m000qjgd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Wireless Nights (m0001qwj)
Series 6
Destiny's Child
Jarvis Cocker hosts a special festive edition, telling stories of a shepherdess and a miracle birth, whilst a wise man looks out for bright lights in the Christmas skies.
On a cold and frosty Christmas night, a baby is set to enter the world in the most inauspicious circumstances, a pair of shepherds keep watch over their flocks and a star gazer scans the heavens for unusual signs.
Producer: Laurence Grissell