SATURDAY 04 JANUARY 2025

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002696h)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Bunk Bed (m000sh9m)
Series 7

8. Patrick Marber and Peter Curran grapple in the dark with the woes and wonders of life

The mechanics of déjà vu, and school friends who drank ink and licked sauce bottles for the benefit of others.

Produced by Peter Curran

A Foghorn production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002696k)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002696m)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m002696p)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m002696r)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002696t)
We can love our neighbour, and the stranger, as ourselves

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Rabbi Warren Elf

Good morning, happy New Year and Shabbat shalom.

This new year has started with a great deal of turmoil, unrest and war in our world at present, with the overthrow of Assad and new leadership in Syria, war continuing in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and many other conflicts around the world.

These conflicts spill over into our communities here in Britain and I continue to be amazed, and saddened, by the rhetoric and vitriol that can be generated through misinformation and misunderstanding that harms our relationships and community cohesion here.

The anger and fear felt by our fellow citizens in peace loving communities and the racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and other prejudices that are so prevalent, have really affected community relations in the UK.

Thankfully there are lots of people working to improve things in our communities and society. We may be unable to affect what is going on elsewhere in the world but we can be decent and respectful to each other. We can listen to each other and try to understand what each other’s fears, angers and concerns are about – and explain what ours are to others!

I really hope that 2025 will be a more peaceful and positive year. I pray for peace here and around the world. I pray that the injustices we see can be recognised and each one addressed, although repair may take a long time. I pray that we see the Divine and the humanity in each other and can establish better connections. I pray that we can join together to repair our world and work together, even when we have differences. I pray that, as it says in the book of Leviticus, we can love our neighbour, and the stranger, as ourselves.

Amen.


SAT 05:45 Something to Declare (m002695g)
How to Tune into Your Surroundings

Jack Boswell explores the Parisian tradition of flânerie, the art of strolling aimlessly through city streets, discovering beauty in the everyday.

Joining him is Dr Aimée Boutin, a French literature professor and flânerie expert, who explains its origins in 19th-century Paris and how urban renewal gave rise to this mindful, poetic practice. Aimée shares how the flâneur engages all the senses to experience the city, describing it as a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and stories waiting to be uncovered.

Jack also takes to the streets of north London with Adélie, a Parisian friend, to explore how this timeless concept resonates today. Together, they wander through bustling crowds, soak in festive lights, and reflect on the joys of slowing down. A chance encounter with strangers highlights the connections that can emerge when we embrace the unexpected and open ourselves to the world around us.

This episode invites you to rediscover the simple, transformative act of walking - not to reach a destination, but to engage with your surroundings in a way that is both mindful and poetic.

Host: Jack Boswell
Producer: Emma Crampton
Senior Producer: Harry Stott
Executive Producer: Sandra Ferrari
Production Coordinator: James Cox
Audio Supervisor: Tom Biddle
Sound Editor: Alan Leer and Lizzy Andrews

A Message Heard production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m0026mvs)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 This Natural Life (m0026939)
Professor Kathy Willis

Martha Kearney meets Kathy Willis, Professor of Biodiversity at Oxford University, at Kathy's local stamping ground of Port Meadow, the protected common land in the heart of Oxford, to hear about how her love of the natural world has shaped her life.

Growing up in London, Kathy has always been someone who spends a lot of time outdoors - whether in city parks, rural campsites or cycle trips abroad. Her mother instilled in her a deep respect for nature, teaching her the local names of plants from a young age. Kathy shares how she carried on this passion into her degree, and later PhD in palaeobotany at Cambridge. She's since researched how ecosystems help protect us from climate change and floods, and more recently has been exploring the relationship between nature and health in her book, Good Nature.

Kathy chats with Martha about the scientific evidence about why interacting with nature really does make you feel better, from sight, smell, sound and the hidden sense - your microbiome. They wander around this special, wintery meadow close to where Kathy lives, with its glorious open views stretching into the distance, and reflect on the myriad of benefits it brings to both humans and wildlife.

Producer: Eliza Lomas


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m0026mvv)
20 ancient barns in the Lake District are being restored thanks to a fund of just over 3 million pounds. Caz Graham joins an architect and a farmer to find out how the work is being done. Solomon is a Shorthorn bull, and he’s a bull with a job title. He’s the Department Bull. Owned by the Scottish Government, Solomon is one of a number of bulls available to small-scale crofters in the Highlands and Islands who want to choose a mate for their beef herds. We visit the Isle of Lewis to find out more. And the Derby Tup is a traditional Derbyshire folk play, performed in the winter months. We hear from a family keeping the tradition alive.

Presented by Helen Mark and produced by Chris Ledgard at BBC Audio Bristol


SAT 06:57 Weather (m0026mvx)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m0026mvz)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m0026mw1)
Sarah Beeny, Jarlath Regan, Marina Gibson, Russell Howard

Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m0026mw3)
Aristotle: Ancient Greece’s greatest philosopher?

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Greece by Professor Edith Hall and comedian Dan Schreiber to learn all about famous philosopher Aristotle and his world changing ideas. Born a doctor’s son in the coastal settlement of Stagira, Aristotle would go on to revolutionise intellectual life in the west, writing on everything from theatre and the arts to politics, moral philosophy and zoology. After studying under Plato at his academy, Aristotle became a teacher himself, tutoring none other than a young Alexander the Great in Macedon before returning to Athens to found his own school, the Lyceum. And yet this extraordinary life came to an end in exile, after he was banished from his beloved Athens. This episode charts Aristotle’s incredible rise and fall, exploring his intellectual career and philosophical ideas alongside his friendships and romances, and asking whether despite his views on women and slavery he deserves the title of the greatest Greek philosopher.

If you’re a fan of ancient academic rivalries, bloodthirsty kings, and incredible scientific discoveries, you’ll love our episode on Aristotle.

If you want more Greek philosophers with Professor Edith, check out our episode on Pythagoras. And for more from Dan Schreiber, listen to our episode on Young Napoleon.

You’re Dead to Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Madeleine Bracey
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook


SAT 10:30 Rewinder (m0026mw5)
This Feels Like a Punishment

Izzy wizzy Greg gets busy as this week's he's joined by a certain magician bear while searching through the BBC Archives. He digs out an argument between Sooty creator Harry Corbett and the BBC about whether Sooty should have a girlfriend. Did the little bear get his way?

As a new film version of Nosferatu hits cinemas, Greg goes vampire hunting. He tracks down some blood-sucking bats in the archive, and the various BBC presenters who've been bitten - or wanted to be bitten - by them.

One of Greg's highlights of 2024 was climbing the O2 venue in London with singing superstar Billie Eilish. This inspires him to look for other BBC presenters who've climbed tall buildings. Chief among them was John Noakes, Blue Peter's resident daredevil who, over the course of 12 years, climbed tens of thousands of feet, from Big Ben to Mount Etna, sometimes without a safety harness. Greg looks at some of Noakes's breathless climbing highlights.

And 60 years ago, Petula Clark's hit single Downtown went to number one in the States. She now has the longest career of any British entertainer ever, beginning when she was just nine years old during an air raid in London. Greg finds out more about Petula's extraordinary career, from that beginning to a seminal TV broadcast with Harry Belafonte, and the fact that she recorded Downtown in several different languages.

Producer: Tim Bano

An EcoAudio certified production.


SAT 11:00 The Future Seekers (m002695q)
As humans, we’re drawn to the big questions: How does the universe work? What secrets does our planet hold? Even - why are we here? But these mysteries span billions of years - vast stretches of time that dwarf our short human lives.

So how can we understand timeless ideas with such limited time ourselves? And why ask a question when you know you’re not going to live to see the answer?

Caroline Steel meets a group of people who spend their lives in two time zones. One, the normal heartbeat of humanity. The other, closer to eternity.

We meet Charles Cockell, an astrobiologist who spends a lot of time thinking about life on other planets. But his most exciting experiment lives in a wooden box under his desk. It’s an experiment that will be bequeathed to future scientists, with a finish date in 2514. It’ll help those scientists make observations that would not be possible in a single lifetime, but even that’s not long enough for Charles. He has plans for an experiment that will continue for a billion years.

In Michigan, USA we meet Grace Fleming and a group of plant biologists tramping through snow under the cover of darkness, following a treasure map that was left for them 140 years ago. They’re looking for a bottle of seeds that was buried by a 19th century scientist who knew he’d never get to see the results, which continue to be surprising and exciting today.

And in Queensland, Australia we meet Andrew White, a quantum physicist who found himself in charge of a century old experiment that tells us something visceral and fundamental about the nature of deep time.

These are the future seekers - humans of the past and present attempting to transcend the limitations of their own lifetimes.

Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Ben Motley


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0026mw7)
Mexico prepares for Trump 2.0

Kate Adie introduces stories from Mexico, Lebanon, Liberia and Tanzania.

Mexico's first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is preparing for a potentially bumpy year, as Donald Trump returns to the White House with threats of tariffs and mass deportations. Will Grant looks at the challenges ahead in 2025.

On Saturday 4th January 1975, Jim Muir pulled up in Beirut, marking the beginning of a decades-long career reporting for the BBC from the Middle East. He recalls what the 'Switzerland of the Middle East' was like in the months before civil war gripped the country, and how it has changed over the years.

The Liberian warlord-turned-politician, Prince Yormie Johnson, recently died at the age of seventy-two. The BBC's former Africa Correspondent, Hilary Andersson, recalls meeting him when she was first starting out as a journalist.

Last year, Reha Kansara and her friends challenged themselves to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. While they made it to the foothills to fulfil their promise, they also discovered a few truths about the adage that it’s the journey, not that destination that really matters.

Series producer: Serena Tarling
Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m0026mw9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m0026mwc)
Energy Costs and Private Schools VAT

Temperatures have fallen below zero in much of the UK this week, just as gas and electricity prices rose. From New Year's Day the price cap set by the regulator Ofgem on every unit of power we use will mean the price for heating, washing and cooking for a typical household will rise by just over one per cent. A typical bill will go up £21 a year to £1,738. But, that is in fact 10% or £190 lower than the price cap set a year ago. How are people coping with costs this winter?

From New Year's Day the fees private schools charge parents will be subject to VAT at 20%. Previously private school fees were exempt. The Independent Schools’ Bursars Association has told Money Box that schools are raising fees from this term by between 13% and 18%, though some are absorbing the whole cost while others pass on the full amount raising fees by 20%. What impact will that have on schools and parents? The Treasury says pupils numbers at independent schools have remained steady since 2000, despite fees increasing by around 75% in real terms since then. We'll speak to Rudolf Eliott Lockhart - CEO of the Independent Schools Association.

From 1st January catching the bus could cost you 50% more. Single fares in England which had been capped at £2 have risen by a pound to a maximum of £3. What impact will that have on passengers?

And 'tis the season to be - taking things back. What are your refund rights?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Emma Smith, Catherine Lund and Eimear Devlin.
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12noon Saturday 4th January 2025)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002695x)
Best of The News Quiz 2024

A satirical smorgasbord of The News Quiz's best bits of the year. Covering international tensions, a UK general election, and of course the question on everyone’s lips, what exactly was a ‘Brat Summer’?

With Andy Zaltzman in the chair, full of whimsical animal metaphors and cricket stats, we’ll hear highlights from the crème de la crème of British and international comedy and journalism to dissect the news. It's a chance to return to, and revel in, some of 2024's funniest moments, starring Ian Smith, Lucy Porter, Geoff Norcott, Alasdair Beckett-King, Mark Steel, Ria Lina, Simon Evans and Zoe Lyons, amongst others.

Come digest a dramatic year of news, along with the leftover turkey, as we say goodbye to 2024, goodbye to 14 years of Conservative rule, goodbye to short-lived presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, and goodbye to Earth’s temporary second moon.

Written and presented by Andy Zaltzman

Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4
An Eco-Audio certified Production


SAT 12:57 Weather (m0026mwf)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m0026mwh)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Correspondents' Look Ahead (m0026963)
Looking Ahead to 2025

Jonny Dymond asks some of the BBC's best correspondents and editors to gaze into their crystal balls and predict what 2025 might have in store.

If 2024 was the year of elections, then 2025 will be the year the election winners try and deliver on their promises. Among them, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer - what will Labour's priorities be this year? Also, how will Kemi Badenoch galvanise Conservatives in the face of Reform's growing momentum?

In the US, how will incoming president Donald Trump's second term differ to his first? Will he really follow through on threats to impose trade tariffs?

The panel also give their people and places to watch out for in the next 12 months.

Contributors:

Alex Forsyth, BBC Political Correspondent and presenter of BBC Radio 4's Any Questions.
Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent
Simon Jack, BBC Business Editor
Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

Producer: Ben Carter
Sound engineer: James Beard
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SAT 14:00 Air Ambulance (m0026900)
Welcome aboard Helimed 21, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service, run by Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex.

Summer is the busiest time of year for KSS, and today is no exception.

Join Dr Kevin Fong with his fellow medics and pilots as they race to serious incidents across their nearly 3000 square mile patch. With unique access and using a suite of carefully tailored microphones, hear first-hand how medics and pilots at the cutting edge of their professions deal with the worst days of their patients' lives. Real events, real decisions, in real time.

After being trapped in his car for over an hour following a collision, patient Will is in a bad way. A South East Coast Ambulance paramedic who used to work for HEMS is first on scene. As Will’s condition deteriorates despite her expert efforts, she calls her for the help of KSS. They rush to the scene and she passes the baton in the chain of survival. But Will is still going downhill - it’s clear he’s been critically injured. Even flying the emergency room service to him, as KSS does thousands of times each year, may not be enough to save his life.

When a case is this serious, every decision is a balance of benefits and risks, all with high stakes. From careful diagnosis of multiple serious injuries to delivering a blood transfusion, we hear how the KSS medical team weigh up the available choices in their attempt to save Will.

If you’ve ever seen an air ambulance whirring overhead and wondered where they’re going - this is a story for you.

With thanks to Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex, South East Coast Ambulance and Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Presenter: Dr Kevin Fong
Producer: Jen Whyntie
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002695z)
Hannah catches up with Chris at the playground with Martha. Chris realises they never went for that drink they agreed to. They arrange to meet up this evening for cocktails. Over drinks, they talk about parenting and their own childhoods. Chris apologies for talking so much about Martha. But Hannah’s fine. When Chris leans in for a kiss, surprised Hannah backs away. She’s not feeling it and suspects that what Chris really wants is a family – is he really over Alice? Chris guesses given their history there will always be some feelings there. Hannah encourages Chris to work out what he really wants.

Rex finds Kirsty on the phone to Neo, a contact who’s set to help them with the potential beaver ‘wild release’. They’ll meet later. It feels very covert to nervous Rex, who knows as well as Kirsty that the release would be illegal. At the meeting point they spot Khalil, who’s there to check the dormice Henry told him about yesterday. He’s overheard their plans and finds out more. Kirsty’s impressed at Khalil’s knowledge about climate change, and while she’d like to get rid of him, realises they’ll need to let him stay when Neo arrives, as long as he doesn’t say anything.

They meet and the upshot is that they can ‘press go’ any time. Super-excited Khalil wants to know when they’ll get hold of the beavers to release. Cautious Kirsty tells him not breathe a word about any of this to anyone.


SAT 15:00 Normal Rules Don't Apply (m0026mwk)
Kate Atkinson is one of the UK's leading contemporary authors and this very special event is the latest in our occasional series, bringing together her remarkable writing and performance with classical music from the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

We worked with Kate to chose extracts from her extensive prose canon and matched those with suitable pieces of music to make an unforgettable evening at The Barbican in London, recorded for both BBC Radios 3 and 4.

This presentation for BBC Radio 4 is an edited version of the full concert, which will be broadcast on Radio 3 at a later date. Each extract is introduced and read by Kate Atkinson.

The chosen readings came from the following publications, written by Kate Atkinson:
Behind The Scenes at the Museum
A God In Ruins
The Void (taken from Normal Rules Don't Apply)
Transcription
Started Early Took My Dog

Music:
ERMANNO WOLF-FERRARI Overture from "Il Segreto di Susanna"
GEORGE GERSHWIN (arr Simon Nathan) Someone To Watch Over Me from Oh, Kay! (sung by: Jamie Parker)
ANNA CLYNE Fractured Time
CHARLES WILLIAMS Devil's Gallop
GEORGE GERSHWIN: Waking the Dog (Promenade) from Shall We Dance

Conductor: Adam Hickox
Vocalist: Jamie Parker
Reader: Kate Atkinson MBE
Producer for BBC Symphony Orchestra: Ben Warren
Producers for Giddy Goat Productions: Steve Doherty and Paul Hughes


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m0026mwm)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: National Care Service, Miranda Hart on walking, Parenting adult children, Beth Moran on fostering

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, has proposed "a new National Care Service", as part of the government's plan to shake-up adult social care with increased funding and an independent commission headed by crossbench peer Baroness Louise Casey. As adult social care is a predominantly female work force - and women make up the majority of people carrying out unpaid caring responsibilities - what impact could these changes have? Kylie Pentelow was joined by Melanie Williams, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK.

On New Year’s Day, Nuala McGovern explored all things women and walking in this special programme. She was joined by the comedian and author Miranda Hart to discuss how her battle with chronic illness gave her a new appreciation for getting outdoors and walking, following 10 years out of the spotlight with chronic fatigue.

Many people will have visited or been visited by their adult children over the holidays. Being a parent to adult children, as well as being the adult child, can be complicated. What are the pitfalls? How can we ensure that relationship stays strong? Clare McDonnell was joined by psychotherapist Dr Julia Samuel and actor Helen Lederer to discuss.

Four women from Pembrokeshire in Wales are about to set off on an Atlantic rowing challenge that’s been three years in the planning. They’re set to break two world records along the way. 32-year-old Sophie Pierce will be the first person with cystic fibrosis to row any ocean and 70-year-old Janine Williams will be the oldest woman to complete this challenge. She’s due to set a Guinness World Record. Along with Miyah and Polly, the women will spend 60 days together in a 10-metre-long ocean rowing boat to cross 3,200 miles unaided from Lanzarote to Antigua. Sophie and Janine spoke to Kylie on the day before they left for Lanzarote.

What’s it like fostering in your forties? Author Beth Moran had three children in her twenties but decided to take up fostering once they flew the nest. Her new novel It Had To Be You is inspired by her experiences of fostering 13 children in five years and she joined Clare to discuss the challenges her family faced.

A new Dolly Parton musical Here You Come Again is packed with the biggest and most rhinestoned hits from the country legend, and is currently playing at the Riverside Studios in London before it heads on tour across the UK next month. Actress Tricia Paoluccio joined Clare to discuss what it’s like becoming Dolly in the show – and gave a live performance in the studio.

Presenter: Kylie Pentelow
Producer: Annette Wells
Editor: Louise Corley


SAT 17:00 PM (m0026mwp)
Full coverage of the day's news.


SAT 17:30 Sliced Bread (m001wqdw)
Fitness trackers

Millions of us use fitness tracker watches to count how many steps we take each day - they also claim to tell us how we're sleeping and how stressed we are, as well as a host of other metrics. But how accurate are they - and are they the best thing since Sliced Bread? We've had loads of requests from you to look into fitness trackers. So with multiple watches on each arm, Greg's being put through his paces at Loughborough University under the watchful eye of Dr James Sanders, senior research associate in digital health for lifestyle.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0026mwr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m0026mwt)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0026mww)
The British victim of an attack in New Orleans was Prince William's nanny's stepson.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0026mwy)
Blossoms, Rowetta, Graham Fellows and Miranda Sawyer

Loose Ends is kicking off the year with a special recording at the Salford Lad's Club. If your New Year's resolution is to listen to music we've got you covered as Stuart Maconie will be joined by Stockport's finest, Blossoms, performing songs from their fourth UK number one album 'Gary'. We also have the powerhouse vocals of Rowetta, who will also talk about her time with the Happy Mondays and we have Graham Fellows, who celebrates 40 years as John Shuttleworth. Journalist Miranda Sawyer is the author of 'Uncommon People: Britpop and Beyond in Twenty songs'. She tells us about her 90's, and perhaps finally get to the the bottom of who came up with the term 'britpop'.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Jessica Treen


SAT 19:00 Profile (m0026mx0)
Thomas Tuchel

He’s been described by his new bosses at the Football Association as, "one of the best coaches in the world".

Thomas Tuchel has also earned a reputation as a “control freak”, with “charming” yet “divisive” attributes.

Born in Krumbach, Bavaria in 1973 his football journey began as a youngster when his father coached him at his local club. After growing into a promising defender, a knee injury brought his playing career to an end at the age of 25, but he’d already turned his eye to coaching.

Spells at Augsburg, Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich followed. As did the honours, including a Champions League title.

But, as he now embarks on the international stage, Mark Coles has been talking with Thomas Tuchel’s friends and colleagues to find out more about the man leading the Three Lions.

Production Team

Producers: Bob Howard and Drew Hyndman
Editor: Ben Mundy
Sound: John Scott
Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m0026926)
Isabel Allende

Chilean author Isabel Allende became an international literary star after the publication of her 1982 debut novel The House Of the Spirits, an epic family saga set amidst violent political upheavals. Since then she has written 21 novels and five works of non-fiction, and has sold over 80 million copies worldwide.

Isabel Allende tells John Wilson about her upbringing in Santiago and how, after her parents split, her grandfather became a hugely influential figure in her life, encouraging her love of storytelling. She recalls reading the classic Middle Eastern folktales the Thousand and One Nights aged 14 and explains how the themes of love, magic and fantasy, inspired her own fiction later in life.

Isabel also discusses her relationship with Salvador Allende, her father’s cousin, who served as President of Chile for three years until he died during the coup of 1973. Having worked as a journalist and broadcaster, she felt increasingly unsafe under the rule of the military junta led by General Pinochet and fought refuge with her family in Venezuela. It was during a 13 year exile from her homeland that she began writing The House Of The Spirits, initially as a series of letters to her elderly grandfather in Chile.

In 1992 Isabel Allende’s daughter Paula tragically died aged 29 having fallen ill and been in a coma for a year. Isabel recalls how she channel her grief, and celebrated her daughter’s life, in the bestselling memoir Paula.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m0026mx2)
Upon the Education of the People

Sathnam Sanghera explores the social and emotional after-effects of the 1944 Education Act.

One of the most important and influential pieces of domestic legislation in modern British history, the 1944 Education Act was overseen by RA Butler, the Conservative Education Secretary within the coalition government. Against the backdrop of war and a growing call for social reform the Butler Act, as it was sometimes called, revolutionised secondary education by splitting schools into Technical, Secondary Modern and Grammar.

Sounds dry and discrete; technocratic. But education is heavily freighted: it's emotional and deeply personal – and speaks volumes about who we are.

"Upon the education of the people of this country," Benjamin Disraeli said, "the fate of this country depends." And the 1944 Education Act proves his words. It aimed to effect social mobility and change society. The roll call of its beneficiaries reads like the index of a cultural history of Britain after the war.

The Act aimed to better reflect the nature of individual children, their true potential – in that, it was Manichean, a thing of winners and losers. As such there is another side to its coin. For every one 'winner' there were approximately four 'losers': in the 1960s 80% of children did not pass the 11+. And with that, critics might argue, they were consigned and compartmentalised.

Sathnam Sanghera hears from those who experienced both sides of the 1944 Act, for whom education is also implicitly about social mobility and friendship, class and ambition, belonging and fairness – and the character of our country.

With Joan Bakewell, Geoff Dyer, Gary McCulloch, Diane Reay and Michael Rosen.


SAT 21:00 But First, This... (m001trdd)
Continuity announcers' voices are at the heart of Radio 4 - they introduce the programmes and bring us the news. But who are they? What does it take to do their job - from introducing The Archers to reading the Shipping Forecast? And what happens on those, hopefully rare, occasions when things don't go according to plan?

Jane Steel, Viji Alles, Amanda Litherland and Alan Smith take a special look behind the scenes at BBC Radio 4, with contributions from more announcers than ever previously spotted in one place. Tim Harford from More or Less crunches the 'numbers of continuity'; and there's a special musical performance.

Featuring the voices of Neil Nunes, Charles Carroll, Caroline Nicholls, Chris Aldridge, Tom Sandars, Arlene Fleming, John Hammond, Neil Nunes, Lisa Costello, Mark Forrest, Andrew Peach, Tina Ritchie, Jim Lee, Andrew Crawford, Danielle Jalowiecka, Ron Brown and Al Ryan.

Producer and sound designer - Jack Soper
Executive producer - Katy Hubbard
Song - composed by Jake Yapp, pianist - Harry The Piano


SAT 22:00 News (m0026mx4)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002694z)
Food Bank Nation

In the year 2000 there were barely any food banks in the UK but today there are nearly three thousand. So what's behind the sharp rise and how did it get to a point where the government says we have "a mass dependence" on food banks?

In this episode Jaega Wise tells the story of the food bank. She hears from those using the Bristol North West food bank. They talk openly about how the food bank helped turn their lives around. She also visits a "social supermarket" in south London where people on benefits are able to shop from donated stock cheaply.

Dr Andy Williams from Cardiff University discusses how the food bank model was imported from the United States where it had its roots in the Great Depression and Emma Revie of the Trussell Trust gives her view on why there has been such a surge in food bank usage.

Jaega also visits Middlesbrough where the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is opening a "Multibank" - these are warehouses full of donated stock that includes food and other household goods. Gordon Brown talks about his ambition to open Multibanks all over the country to tackle the growing problem of food insecurity.

Presented by Jaega Wise
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell


SAT 23:00 What? Seriously?? (m0026mrk)
1. Suits, Shells, and Survival

In this episode, Dara and Isy are joined by the astronaut Helen Sharman to learn about how humans learned to survive in space - with some diverting conversations about glitter, cat statues, hibernation, and shell suits.

What? Seriously?? is a new podcast which combines comedy with quirky history, hosted by Dara Ó Briain and Isy Suttie, who will unravel an extraordinary real-life tale each week with the help of a celebrity guest

Dara and Isy unearth stories that are definitely true, but also kind of unbelievable at the same time - the sort of stories that make you go ‘What? Seriously??’ when you hear them, but you resolve to tell them in the pub the first chance you get. The twist is that Dara and Isy have absolutely no idea how these strange-but-true tales will unfold and we’ll all be trying to figure it out together – or Dara and Isy will just go off on funny flights of fancy that are tangentially related to the story. They will be drip-fed the nuggets of narrative by a special guest expert who might just know something about the subject.

Across the series they will be joined by I’m A Celeb winner Georgia Toffolo, the Aussie comedian Rhys Nicholson, the broadcaster Stuart Maconie, Master Chef star Louisa Ellis, Miles from The Traitors, the comedian Richard Herring, the astronaut Helen Sharman, and Slow Horses star Chris Chung.

‘What? Seriously??’ with Dara Ó Briain and Isy Suttie and special guest Helen Sharman.
Format co-developed by Dan Page. Story compiled by Gareth Edwards and Dan Page.
Producer: Laura Grimshaw
Executive Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m002697z)
Series 38

Heat 1, 2025

(1/13)
The quest for Britain's musical mastermind of 2025 gets under way, with the first of this year's contests coming from London's Radio Theatre. Paul Gambaccini puts questions to three music lovers hoping to be in with a chance of becoming the 38th Counterpoint champion. The questions cover everything from Bach to Bob Marley, Puccini to Pet Shop Boys, classical ballet to Spandau Ballet. The competitors also have to select a topic on which to answer specialist questions, without having had any warning of the categories on offer.

Appearing in Heat One are
Antony Cruddas from Gosport in Hampshire
Charlotte Martyn from Bath
Rebecca Pasha from Buckinghamshire.

Counterpoint is a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria

SUNDAY 05 JANUARY 2025

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m0026mx6)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 Take Four Books (m002697x)
Rachelle Atalla

Presenter James Crawford speaks to the writer Rachelle Atalla about her new novel, The Salt Flats, and explores its connections to three other literary works. The books that Rachelle chose were: Women With Men by Richard Ford (1997); Wake In Fright by Kenneth Cook (1961); and Oryx And Crake by Margaret Atwood (2003).

Producer: Dom Howell
Editor: Annie Maguire
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0026mx8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0026mxb)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0026mxd)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0026mxg)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0026mxj)
The Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Wells, in Somerset.

Bells on Sunday comes from The Cathedral Church of St Andrew, Wells, in Somerset. The South West tower contains a peal of ten bells from three different founders, Mears & Stainbank, Abel Rudhall and John Taylor. They are the heaviest ringing peal of ten in the world. The tenor bell weighs just over fifty six and a quarter hundredweight and is tuned to the note of C. It is the fifth heaviest ringing bell in the world. We hear them ringing Stedman Caters.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m0026902)
Living Through War: A Year On

Last year, we heard from two blind women about their experiences of living through the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas. In Touch has invited them back, just over a year on, to hear how their lives have been impacted since the war began. Dalal Al-Taji is from Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip and Heather Stone lives in the northern area of Tel Aviv in Israel. They speak frankly about how their lives have changed dramatically over the past year and how they are dealing with the uncertainties of being blind amongst war.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: David Baguley

Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m0026n30)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Beyond Belief (m00268zd)
The Religion of Detection

Giles Fraser and guests hear from authors of detective fiction, Kate Charles and Martin Edwards, on the subtle ways they weave faith into the crime puzzles in their novels.

Why is religious detective fiction so popular in our increasingly secular society? Did the detective replace the priest as the one who looked into the mysteries of life and battled with good and evil? Why do religion and detective fiction share so many noble pursuits in common? And, what is it about the detective genre that lends itself to such deep ethical and spiritual questions?

To explore Giles is joined by:

James Runcie, author of numerous books, including The Grantchester Mysteries, a series of six detective novels featuring the clerical detective Sidney Chambers. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and a member of both the Crime Writer’s Association and The Detection Club.

Ausma Khan, author of the Blackwater Falls crime series and the founder of the Muslim Writers Index.

Dror Mishani the author of the Avraham Avraham detective series that has been turned into a TV series by David E. Kelley. He is a literary scholar, specialising in the history of crime fiction, and the head of the creative writing program at Tel Aviv University.

Producer: Alexa Good
Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Editor: Tim Pemberton


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m0026n32)
Learning About Pigs

Do pigs have social competence? How do you reduce fighting in piglets? Can you predict tail biting using remote cameras?

These are some of the questions being answered by scientists at the pig research unit run by Scotland's Rural College, just outside Edinburgh. Experts in animal behaviour and welfare are conducting experiments at the unit aimed at finding practical solutions to some of the biggest challenges faced by the pig industry: how to improve welfare for farrowing sows, how to reduce antimicrobial use, and how to prevent tail biting breaking out.

Presented by Caz Graham
Produced by Heather Simons


SUN 06:57 Weather (m0026n34)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m0026n36)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m0026n38)
Jimmy Carter's faith; The Bible in Doric & 2025 for the C of E

The six days of public ceremony to mark the passing of former President Jimmy Carter are underway in the US. Emily Buchanan hears from David Coffey, former General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain about the importance of Mr Carter's faith to his Presidency and life out of office.

Among those honoured by the King at New Year is Gordon Hay from Aberdeenshire. He tells Sunday about why he chose to translate the whole Bible into the Scots dialect of Doric.

Justin Welby's tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury officially ends this week. With his replacement possibly not in place until Autumn, Emily chairs a discussion on the year ahead for the Church of England and what it needs from a new leader.


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m0026n3b)
Good Vibrations

Bill Bailey makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Good Vibrations. The charity holds music therapy sessions in prisons across the UK, which it says can often provide a catalyst for positive change, potentially reducing the risk of reoffending.

To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘Good Vibrations’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Good Vibrations’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4

Registered Charity Number: 1126493 (in Scotland SC048860). If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.good-vibrations.org.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites


SUN 07:57 Weather (m0026n3d)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m0026n3g)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m0026n3j)
Lord for the Years: A tribute to Timothy Dudley-Smith

In August 2024 one of the 20th Century's most prolific hymnwriters died. Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith spent his life composing hundreds of hymns and poems, many of which have become firm favourites. In this celebration of his life and work, led by Pam Rhodes, we hear from his family, friends and collaborators.

The tribute features new recordings from The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars, directed by Andrew Earis and accompanied by Elin Rees, as well as recordings from All Souls Choir and Orchestra directed by Noël Tredinnick.

Producer: Katharine Longworth
Assistant Producer: Ciara Bryan
A BBC Audio North Production

MUSIC:

LORD FOR THE YEARS
The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars

I LIFT MY EYES TO THE QUIET HILLS
The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars

TELL OUT MY SOUL
Tune: GO FORTH
The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars

LORD FOR THE YEARS
The Orchestra, Choir and Congregation of All Souls Church

SAFE IN THE SHADOW OF THE LORD
The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars

GOD WHO FORMED THE MIGHTY OCEAN
Tune: CALON LAN
The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars

WHEN THE LORD IN GLORY COMES
The Orchestra, Choir and Congregation of All Souls Church

WE SING THE SONG OF CHRISTMAS
Composer: Lloyd Larson
The Diocese of Manchester Choral Scholars

HOLY CHILD, HOW STILL YOU LIE
The Orchestra, Choir and Congregation of All Souls Church

AS WATER TO THE THIRSTY
All Souls Orchestra, Helen-Jane Howells

TELL OUT MY SOUL
Tune: WOODLANDS
St Michael's Singers


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m0026965)
The Best I Can Do

Sara Wheeler explains why every week for several decades - despite knowing nothing about art - she has called in to London’s National Gallery to look at the same two paintings.

'This habit of mine,' writes Sara, 'started by accident when I moved to London forty years ago' when she first set eyes on Botticelli's 'Portrait of a Young Man' and van Eyck's 'Portrait of a Man.'

'I have come to realise,' says Sara, the extraordinary power of 'familiarity, close contact and regular attention'.

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m0026n3n)
Dominic Couzens on the Crossbill

A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories from some fresh voices who have been inspired by birds, their calls and encounters.

Crossbills are not born with crossed bills, not only that but as they develop their crossing bills, after their 27th day from hatching, their bills can cross either to the left, or cross to the right. It is a 50:50 split. A superb evolutionary adaption but as ornithologist Dominic Couzens explains, it means their diet is limited to conifer seeds or nothing.. In Britain we have the common crossbill and the Scottish crossbill. Whether these are separate species or the same species, the argument continues.

Producer : Andrew Dawes, BBC Audio, Bristol
Studio Engineer : Ilse Lademann


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m0026n3s)
Freezing rain and snow hit the UK

A wintry BH amid warnings for snow, ice and freezing rain. BH listeners tell us how they’re looking out for their neighbours. Authors Lee Child and Mick Herron discuss how to adapt novels to the big screen. Maggie Philbin of Tomorrow’s World fame explains the difficulty of predicting the future, and on the papers – Brompton Bike’s Will Butler Adams, the Sun on Sunday’s Kate Ferguson and Gawain Towler, Reform’s former press man.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m0026n3x)
Mark-Anthony Turnage, composer

Mark-Anthony Turnage is a composer of contemporary classical music. Once called “Britain’s hippest composer”, he has been in a rock band, got drunk with Francis Bacon, and tackled anything from drug abuse to football in his works.
Mark was born in June 1960 in the Thames estuary town of Corringham in Essex. His musical talent was nurtured by his parents and he studied composition at the junior department at the Royal College of Music from aged fourteen. There he met the composer Oliver Knussen who became his tutor, mentor, and life-long friend.
His first performed work, Night Dances, written while still at the Royal College, won a prize and heralded Mark’s evolution into what one critic calls “one of the best known British composers of his generation, widely admired for his highly personal mixture of energy and elegy, tough and tender”.
Greek, his debut opera, a reimagining of the Oedipus myth whose protagonist is a racist, violent and foul-mouthed football hooligan, shocked the establishment, which flinched, but accepted “Turnage, the trouble-maker” as a forceful voice.
Over the past four decades he has sustained a distinguished and productive career that has seen him working closely with conductors of the stature of Bernard Haitink, Esa-Pekka Salonen and, particularly, Simon Rattle. He has been attached to prestigious institutions, such as English National Opera and both the BBC and Chicago symphony orchestras, and has written a vast range of music for many different instruments and ensembles.
His influences include soul, gospel, all sorts of jazz and the great symphonic works of the repertoire. He has written operas, ballets, concertos, chamber pieces and choral works together with orchestrating a football match.
His key works include Three Screaming Popes and Blood on the Floor (both inspired by Francis Bacon paintings, and the latter containing an elegy for his younger brother, Andrew, who died of a drug overdose in 1995), as well as more operas including one about the former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith.
Mark lives in North London with his partner, the opera director, Rachael Hewer.

DISC ONE: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 II. Molto vivace - Presto - Molto vivace – Presto. Composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven and performed by The Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle
DISC TWO: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Pt. 1 No. 1, Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by Bach Collegium Japan, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki
DISC THREE: Two Organa, Op. 27 – 1 “Notre Dame des Jouets”. Composed and conducted by Oliver Knussen and performed by The London Sinfonietta
DISC FOUR: Blue in Green - Miles Davis
DISC FIVE: Living for the City - Stevie Wonder
DISC SIX: Puccini: Madama Butterfly, Act II: Un bel dì vedremo. Composed by Giacomo Puccini and performed by Mirella Freni (Soprano) and Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by Herbert von Karajan
DISC SEVEN: Symphony of Psalms (1948 Version): III. Alleluja. Laudate Dominum - Psalmus 150 (Vulgata) Composed by Igor Stravinsky and performed by English Bach Festival Choir and The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein
DISC EIGHT: Let’s Say We Did. Composed by John Scofield and Mark-Anthony Turnage and performed by John Scofield, John Patitucci, Peter Erskine, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, hr-Bigband and Hugh Wolf

BOOK CHOICE: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
LUXURY ITEM: A grand piano and tuning kit
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Pt. 1 No. 1, Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen. Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by Bach Collegium Japan, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki

Presenter: Lauren Laverne
Producer: Sarah Taylor


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m0026n41)
WRITER: Sarah McDonald Hughes
DIRECTOR: Kim Greengrass
EDITOR: Jeremy Howe

Helen Archer…. Louiza Patikas
Henry Archer…. Blayke Darby
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Lee Bryce…. Ryan Early
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Rex Fairbrother…. Nick Barber
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Khalil Malik…. Krish Bassi
Kirsty Miller…. Annabelle Dowler
Hannah Riley…. Helen Longworth
Lynda Snell… Carole Boyd


SUN 12:15 Profile (m0026mx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m00269cl)
Series 82

Episode 4

The antidote to panel games pays a return visit to the Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke. Marcus Brigstocke and Henning Wehn take on Miles Jupp and Rachel Parris with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell attempts piano accompaniment.

Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 12:57 Weather (m0026n43)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m0026n45)
What is Musk's political strategy?

After Elon Musk targets Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on X, what is the world's richest man's global political strategy? Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso discusses how politicians should respond. Plus ahead of the Golden Globes, should cinemas re-introduce the intermission?


SUN 13:30 The Strange Death of Cultural Originality? (m002697q)
These days, when you turn on the TV or visit the cinema do you ever think, hang on, I'm sure I've seen this before? Maybe you've bought the latest crime thriller after seeing it in the bestseller lists and, 50 pages in, you're overcome with a weird feeling of deja vu? And when you put the radio on in the car, does all the music sound, well, the same? 

If so, don't worry. It's not just you. Something strange seems to be happening.

Statistics show that the number of top 20 highest grossing Hollywood films each year which are either sequels or spin-offs has risen from 25% to 50% in the past two decades.

In the 1960s, most TV shows were original formats. Today, a third are spinoffs or multiple broadcasts.

In music, the number of artists on the Billboard Hot 100 has been falling for some time, meaning the big established acts are getting more and more exposure while new acts struggle to break through.

Existing best-selling authors are becoming increasingly dominant in publishing sales.

So is it fair to say that cultural originality is in rather poor health?

Might it even be dead?

Ben Chu spends spends a lot of time thinking about economics, numbers and why the world works in the way it does. In this programme he's going to ask - if cultural originality is dead, who or what killed it?

A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002695j)
Bristol: Stubborn plants, Wellbeing and Acers

What’s the secret to growing Snowdrops? Which single plant or gardening activity instils a feeling of wellbeing in people? What are the do's and don’ts of planting Acers?

Kathy Clugston and a team of experts are in Bristol to answer gardening questions from a green fingered audience. Joining Kathy are garden designers Chris Beardshaw and Matthew Wilson, and house plants expert Anne Swithinbank.

Later in the programme, if you're unsure of what do with your garden during the winter months, Matthew Pottage has an extensive list of jobs and tasks to help you get ahead in the new year.

Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m0026n47)
Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Episode 1

John Yorke examines Kate Atkinson’s 1995 Whitbread award-winning debut Behind the Scenes at the Museum. An epic tragi-comedy, the novel tells the story of protagonist Ruby Lennox, who is born above a family pet shop in York in the early 1950s and grows up in post-war Britain. Through Ruby, the reader is transported back and forth through the centuries as she recounts the stories of four generations of her family from the 1800s to the mid-1990s.

In this episode, John looks at how a debut novel from a then-unknown author triumphed over literary giants like Salman Rushdie for the Whitbread accolade. Thirty years on, it remains a contemporary classic. So why, and how, does it work?

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production, he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy, he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative - including many podcasts for R4.

Contributors:
Alex Clark, Literary Journalist and Broadcaster
Armelle Parey, Professor of Contemporary British Fiction at the University of Caen-Normandie
Lee Randall, Writer, editor and book festival programmer

Credits:
Audio archive clips from Book Club (BBC Sounds), A Good Read (BBC Sounds)

Producer: Lucy Hough
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Readings: Clare Corbett
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Behind the Scenes at the Museum (m0026n49)
Episode 1

Ruby Lennox’s family is ostensibly ordinary. But behind the scenes, secrets, lies and inexplicable coincidences are waiting to be found.

In Kate Atkinson’s beguiling Behind The Scenes At The Museum, the effervescent Ruby pulls at threads at to unravel a tragi-comic story of family love, loss and heartbreak that spans a century. Starring Rosie Cavaliero, Kate O'Flynn and Samuel James.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum won the Whitbread Best Book of the Year in 1995, and is now dramatised by one of our very best audio writers, Katie Hims, for BBC Radio 4. This is part one of three episodes.

In 1951 Ruby Lennox is grudgingly conceived to the chimes of midnight; chimes from the clock on the mantlepiece which once belonged to her great grandmother, Alice. The Lennox live above the shop in York, a city so steeped in history that real-life ghosts linger amongst the boxes of Trill and cat litter. We are flung back to 1919, and meet Ruby’s grandmother Nell, a young woman, falling in love at the brink of war.

CAST
Ruby ..... Rosie Cavaliero
Bunty ..... Kate O’Flynn
George ..... Samuel James
Nell ..... Jessica Turner
Jack ..... Nuhazet Diaz Cano
Frank .....Paul Adeyefa
Albert ..... Ian Dunnett Jnr
Young Nell ..... Shreya Lallu
Young Lilian .... Andi Bickers
Alice/Babs ..... Ruth Everett
Jean-Paul ..... Charlie Anson
Young Patricia ..... Paige Brearley
Young Gillian ..... Olive Connolly

Dramatist ..... Katie Hims
Director ..... Anne Isger
Production Co-ordinators ..... Jenny Mendez and Maggie Olgiati
Sound ..... Keith Graham, Ali Craig, Andy Garratt

A BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4

KATIE HIMS

Katie has written extensively in audio drama including multiple leading adaptations for BBC Radio 4: Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'ubervilles, George Eliot's Middlemarch, Edna O'Brien's The Country Girls and The Martin Beck Killings by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo.

Katie was also lead writer on BBC's Home Front and other radio work includes Black Eyed Girls (winner of the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Original Drama), Lost Property (winner of the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Original Drama), The Gunshot Wedding (winner of The Writer’s Guild Best Original Radio Drama) and The Earthquake Girl (winner of the Richard Imison Award).

In TV Katie is developing an original grounded sci-fi drama with Hooley Productions, and has episodic experience on BBC's long running series Casualty. In theatre, Katie is currently on attachment at the National Theatre. Her recent stage work includes a contemporary retelling of Kafka's The Trial which ran at The Unicorn Theatre in 2023 and received 4 and 5 star reviews.


SUN 16:00 Bookclub (m0026n4d)
Richard Osman

Presented by James Naughtie, BBC Bookclub speaks to the writer Richard Osman about his crime-fiction novel The Thursday Murder Club, which sold millions of copies, and has been made into a film.


SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m0026n4g)
Series 38

Heat 2, 2025

(2/13)
Three more contenders line up to display their knowledge of music in all its varieties, with Paul Gambaccini asking the questions. They'll be expected to know about Pavarotti, Handel and Mussorgsky as well as Pink Floyd, the Supremes and Shania Twain. In the second round Paul will be giving them a choice of special musical topics on which they'll have to answer individual questions, without any advance notice of what the categories are going to be.

Taking part are:
Gareth Aubrey from Beddau in south Wales
Nicholas Brann from Wimbledon
Sue Bates from Leicestershire.

Counterpoint is a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5yq0)
The end of the Irish marriage bar

Until 1973, married women in Ireland were banned from working in state jobs.

It was one of the longest lasting marriage bars in the world.

Rachel Naylor speaks to Bernie Flynn, who postponed her wedding and became one of the first married women in the public service.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Bernie and Jimmy Flynn on their wedding day in 1973. Credit: Bernie Flynn)


SUN 17:10 On the Run (m0023pcs)
Running the Show

Writer, poet and runner Helen Mort continues on the trail of the history of running, asking why we run and what it has meant to humanity through the ages.

In this final episode she rounds the the corner into the 20th Century, and finishes by examining the role running plays in our life today.Helen explores how distance running became the sport we know today. She heads back to the races of one hundred years ago and finds out who took part, and who wasn't allowed to.

She heads into the heart of the 'running boom' of the 1970s, which saw the emergence of 'jogging' as a phenomenon and the mass participation of running we see today, including big city marathons. One major factor was the creation of the cushioned running shoe by Nike, and Helen talks to the company's first employee, who thought up the name of the iconic sports brand.

Helen charts the emergence of running in mass media, from adverts to cinema, and considers how narrative of running have changed. As she reaches the 21st century, Helen heads inside the mind of the modern runner and finds out about the psychology of running, its benefits and also its downsides. Thousands of people line to run a Parkrun each weekend, what does that tell us?

'Mass participation' still only reaches some however, and Helen also finds out about the movements to make running more inclusive which are gaining pace throughout the world.

Contributors:
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, Author of Black Sheep: A Story of Rural Racism, Identity and Hope
Dr Sam Edwards, Loughborough University
Katie Holmes, Historian
Vybarr Cregan Reid, Author of Footnotes: Why Running Makes Us Human
Pro Steve Haake, Sheffield Hallam University
Jeff Johnson, early employee of Nike
Dr Peter Olusaga, Sheffield Hallam University

With thanks to Thor Gotaas, author of 'A Global History of Running', Dr Nathalie Hager, Matt Rimmer and the MyRaceKit North team.

Producer: Sam Peach
Readings by Nuhazet Diaz Cano


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0026n4l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m0026n4n)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0026n4q)
Elon Musk has said Reform UK should replace Nigel Farage as party leader, claiming that he “doesn't have what it takes”.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m0026n4s)
John Gallagher

As we arrive into 2025, John invites you to start "sailing by" the best radio and podcasts to start off your year. As the Shipping Forecast hits 100 years on the airwaves, we avoid the squally showers and listen to celebrations of the institution that has accompanied ruthless seafarers and restless sleepers alike. If it's history you're looking for, we touch upon shores of Aristotelian humour (or the lack thereof), the reimagining of the life of female pirate Anne Bonny, and the Neolithic standing stones on the Isle of Lewis and their importance for modern-day crofters. And between paper and comb contests, an ode to the organ and Irish sean-nós singing, we can guarantee that your navigation of BBC Sounds will involve some smooth sailing.

Presenter: Dr John Gallagher
Producer: Anthony McKee
Production Co-ordinator: Jack Ferrie

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m0026n4v)
Tracy’s overheard some praise about Wayne’s food at the Bull and suggests a few promotions. But they discover Wayne’s leaving for a six-week cruise on Thursday. It’s a band gig. Disappointed Tracy offers to cover in the kitchen, and Kenton keen to solve the problem agrees. Tracy heads off before Jolene has had time to think it through. She then realises they should have asked Fallon first. When Fallon offers to step in Jolene admits her mistake. Fallon insists it’s fine.

As Jill prepares to leave for Sunderland to visit Shula, Leonard feels it’s time he went home. Later concerned Ruth and David discuss it and agree they’d like Leonard to stay with them permanently, for Jill’s sake. When Ruth mentions it to Jill later, she’s shocked to discover that Jill isn’t keen on Leonard moving in. She thinks Jill’s scared, and that she and Leonard are both hiding their feelings.

Khalil needs to research an essay he’s writing about farms from a predator’s point of view. When he goes to Brookfield to research the Asian hornets, David invites Khalil to tag along to the winter housing with him. They get chatting about beavers and David’s really scathing about them. Khalil mentions Neo, who he Kirsty and Rex met last week, then clams up. David knows Khalil’s hiding something and persuades him to divulge the information. David returns home in a rage. But Leonard has some news – an old friend’s died and the funeral’s on Wednesday. He’s cut up and David and Ruth sympathise, before David declares he’s ready to read Justin Elliott the riot act.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m0026n4x)
One Hundred Ways of Listening

Distracted, privatised, enchanted - do you ever think about how you listen? For the last 20 years, sound anthropologist Dr Tom Rice has been collecting different ways of listening from the world’s leading sound experts. He’s gathered more than 100 – some of these may be quite familiar, others will definitely surprise you.

We are at a critical moment when it comes to listening. The world is increasingly busy with sound, and it’s placing more and more demands on our ears. There’s an awareness that our culture and economic circumstances influence our perception, concern about growing pressures on our attention, and anxiety about our relationship to the environment. With the pace at which technology is developing, can we even be sure of what it is we’re listening to?

We need to be skilful and agile listeners. By recognising the vast scope and extraordinary complexity of listening, we can develop our awareness and sharpen our perception, helping us to survive and even thrive in the complex sound world of the 21st century.

Contributors: Bernd Brabec, University of Innsbruck; Ruth Herbert, University of Kent and City University; Dylan Robinson, University of British Columbia.

Special thanks to: Michel Chion – semantic listening; Martin Daughtry – palimpsestic listening; Michael Gallagher, Jonathan Prior, Martin Needham and Rachel Holmes – embodied listening, expanded listening; Stefan Helmreich – soundstate; David Huron – ecstatic listening; James M. Kopf – anal listening; Pierre Schaeffer – acousmatic listening; Murray Schafer, David Toop – clairaudience; Kai Tuuri – critical listening.

Written by Tom Rice and Ben Lewis
Produced by Eve Streeter and Tom Rice
Sound design by David Thomas
Music by Max Walter
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001s5c6)
Have a Laugh

Laughter really is good medicine. From releasing pain-killing endorphins to improving your memory, laughter can have many benefits on your body and brain - it’s even been shown to boost “gamma” brainwaves, which are associated with higher level brain processes, like learning and memory. In this episode, Michael shares a chuckle with cardiologist Professor Michael Miller from the University of Pennsylvania in the US to discuss how laughter can help your heart health, keep your blood vessels young, and be the antidote to stress. Meanwhile, our volunteer Manpreet enjoys the benefits of a glorious cackle.

New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3zqa6BB

Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Catherine Wyler
Assistant Producer: Gulnar Mimaroglu
Trainee Assistant Producer: Toni Arenyeka
Executive Producer: Zoe Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002693k)
Feedback Forum

Andrea Catherwood presents the programme that hears your views on BBC audio.

This week, the first ever Feedback Forum brings together groups of keen listeners who enjoy all kinds of speech content. Radio 4 loyalists, together with younger listeners who don't own radios, and who get all their content "on-demand", share what they like and dislike from BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

There's a lot of enthusiasm for some of the network's long running favourites. In Our Time has been devoured by young and old listeners, who admire the 85 year old presenter, Melvyn Bragg, for his "sassiness" and authority.

The Archers, with it's new timeslots, and podcast, generates strong emotions, with the sentencing of George Grundy gripping the group.

The arrival of Emma Barnett on the Today programme brings praise for a more informal and youthful approach, but also some irritation with what one person says is too much ongoing enthusiasm for her new job.

Marianna Spring's library of content on conspiracies leads some in the group to consider their own listening, and there is a lively debate about whether a diet of pure "on-demand" content means algorithms pulling listeners into echo chambers.

2024 was a year of high audiences across all radio with Radio 4 attracting approaching 10 million listeners a week. But persuading the next generation to tune in is crucial to its long term future, so the production team ask some of the keen podcasters to try out some radio content. Find out if minds are changed in this special edition of Feedback.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Marie Helly
Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie
Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002695n)
Jimmy Carter, Caroline Miller, Manmohan Singh, Jean Adamson

Kirsty Lang on

Former US President Jimmy Carter whose time in office between 1976 and 1980 was beset by economic and diplomatic crises.

Caroline Miller OBE, the former Chief Executive of Birmingham Royal Ballet who commissioned bold and experimental productions to great acclaim.

Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – considered to be the architect of the country’s economic liberalisation.

Children’s author and illustrator Jean Adamson, whose Topsy and Tim books sold over 25 million copies around the world.

Producer: Catherine Powell

Archive:
Outlook, BBC World Service, 1976; Jimmy Carter, BBC One, 1976; Jimmy Carter, Today, BBC Radio 4, 1976; Jimmy Carter sworn in as US President, BBC Radio Archive, 1977; Keeping Faith, BBC Radio 4, 1982; Chantry Dance Interviews Caroline Miller OBE, Chantry Dance, Uploaded to YouTube 12.06.2020; Analysis, BBC World Service, 2004; Walk The Talk with Dr Manmohan Singh, NDTV, Aired February 2004, Uploaded to YouTube 26.12.2024; BBC News, 1984; BBC News at Ten, 2008; BBC News at Six, 2008; PM Dr. Manmohan Singh's press conference, Sansad TV, Uploaded to YouTube 03.01.2014; Topsy and Tim's Christmas Eve, CBeebies, 2014


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m0026mwc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m0026n3b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0026mw7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m0026n4z)
Ben Wright and guests discuss the political year ahead

Ben Wright is joined by the Leader of the Commons, Lucy Powell; Shadow Scotland Secretary, Andrew Bowie; and the new Liberal Democrat MP, Josh Babarinde. They discuss the government's plans to cut NHS waiting lists and further delays to social care reform, and the influence of Elon Musk on British politics. Lara Spirit - political editor of The Times Red Box - brings additional insight and analysis. And on the cusp of Donald Trump's inauguration, Ben speaks to the former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, about how Keir Starmer and other leaders should approach relations with the President Elect during his second term in office.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002691y)
Slime Moulds

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss slime mould, a basic organism that grows on logs, cowpats and compost heaps. Scientists have found difficult to categorise slime mould: in 1868, the biologist Thomas Huxley asked: ‘Is this a plant, or is it an animal? Is it both or is it neither?’ and there is a great deal scientists still don’t know about it.

But despite not having a brain, slime mould can solve complex problems: it can find the most efficient way round a maze and has been used to map Tokyo’s rail network. Researchers are using it to help find treatments for cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and computer scientists have designed an algorithm based on slime mould behaviour to learn about dark matter. It’s even been sent to the international space station to help study the effects of weightlessness.

With

Jonathan Chubb
Professor of Quantitative Cell Biology at University College, London

Elinor Thompson
Reader in microbiology and plant science at the University of Greenwich

And

Merlin Sheldrake
Biologist and writer

Producer: Eliane Glaser

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002695l)
The Other Daughter by Fiona Williams

"I found you on a rock under a waterfall when I was out walking."

An original short story of Somerset, sea and mystery written by Fiona Williams and read by Clare-Hope Ashitey.

It’s a retelling of the North Somerset folk tale The Sea Morgan’s Baby, exploring ideas of difference and belonging.

Fiona Williams is the author of The House of Broken Bricks. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences from the University of Westminster and an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. She is the winner of the 2021 Bridport Prize, Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award. Originally from South-East London, she now lives with her family on the Somerset Levels.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea.

MONDAY 06 JANUARY 2025

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m0026n51)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m0026904)
The human cost of developing Cambodia's Angkor wonder

Tourists are flooding to Cambodia's "8th wonder of the world", the ancient temple complex at Angkor. But the rapid expansion of the site comes at a terrible cost, as tens of thousands of people are ousted. The authorities call some "illegal squatters" and claim others volunteered to leave. But human rights groups say the evictions are forced, illegal and target families who've worked the land for generations. Many say they're now debt-ridden and struggling to survive. Jill McGivering travelled to Angkor to meet those at the heart of the crisis.

Produced by Caroline Finnigan
Mixed by David Smith
Production Coordinator Gemma Ashman
Editor Penny Murphy


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0026mxj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0026n53)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0026n55)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0026n57)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m0026n59)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0026n5c)
Trust and Hope

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Rabbi Warren Elf

Good morning.

Today is the Epiphany, which falls on the 12th day after Christmas. Epiphany means 'revelation' and is the day when the Magi – the wise men who visited the child Jesus, bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And today also celebrates the Birth of Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the 10 human Gurus of the Sikh faith. Born in 1666 he is known for creating the Khalsa, a community of committed Sikhs who wore visible symbols of their faith and trained as warriors. Today the Khalsa refers to the community of baptised Sikhs who have undergone the Amrit initiation ceremony.

In Judaism, we have a similar immersion ceremony to the one Jesus went through when he was baptised and the one that members of the Khalsa undergo. Tevilah, immersion in a ritual bath, called a Mikveh, or a natural confluence of water is something that people undergo when they convert to Judaism or before special occasions, such as the Sabbath or getting married, or after periods of ritual impurity – which can be for a variety of reasons.

Interestingly the word Mikveh is also from the same root as the Hebrew word for hope or trust. This suggests that to be baptised or to undergo Tevilah is about putting our trust in something that we believe to be a source of hope for us, at that time and throughout our lives.

So my prayer today is that I can trust enough and have hope that faith, belief and the way we live our lives can give us the confidence to find rituals and actions to enable us to work for a better future, this year and always.

Amen.


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m0026n5f)
06/01/25 Bird numbers down around Lough Neagh, Scottish whisky adapting to climate change, Robot dog

Bird counts reveal a drop in numbers around Lough Neagh - could the algal blooms be to blame?

Whisky distilleries and producers are becoming more alive to the fact that every stage of the whisky-making process is being affected by the climate Scotland is experiencing.

Robot dogs sound like they are the stuff of science fiction, but they are starting to be used in the countryside right now.

Presented by Helen Mark and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


MON 05:57 Weather (m0026n5h)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m0026nj7)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Sideways (m0026nj9)
25 Years of the 21st Century

25 Years of the 21st Century: 1. The Age of Digital Warfare

In this series, we’re remembering some of the major events of this century and asking how they’re shaping us. This programme is all about war and conflict: from the events of September 11th 2001, to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. We're also looking at artificial intelligence on the battlefield. Where might that take us?

Matthew is joined by historian and writer Margaret MacMillan, former Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Nick Carter and author, Professor Anthony King.

Production team
Editor: Sara Wadeson
Producers: Marianna Brain, Emma Close, Michaela Graichen, Arlene Gregorius
Sound: Tom Brignell
Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison

Archive
Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007


MON 09:30 Art That Conquered the World: The Hay Wain (m0021b8j)
We have been making art for tens of thousands of years. But very few of these many millions of images have become truly famous.

Only a handful of artworks have entered popular culture, as fridge magnets, greetings cards and biscuit tins – becoming instantly recognisable all over the world.

Art historian Dr James Fox tells the story of one such painting, John Constable's The Hay Wain.

For more than a century, The Hay Wain has been all around us. It's been reproduced in magazines and on merchandise, in cartoons and advertisements and featured on propaganda posters and at protests. But why did it hit the big time?

Christine Riding of The National Gallery and the photomontage artist and activist Peter Kennard contribute as James traces The Hay Wain's progress through the artistic stratosphere to global celebrity.

Producer: Julia Johnson
A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0026njc)
Women in the Church of England, Mel Giedroyc, Granny Advice

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, completes his final official duties today before stepping down. So what’s next for the Church of England? And how are women playing a part in the reform of safeguarding? Nuala McGovern is joined by the BBC’s Religion Editor, Aleem Maqbool. Also joining the conversation is Rowena Pailing, who used to be Vice Dean of Blackburn Cathedral but who resigned over what she calls safeguarding concerns, and Reverend Jenny Penn, who was an important part of the investigation into former priest David Tudor.

Pencils at the ready – because comedian and presenter Mel Giedroyc is back with a new ITV gameshow, taking Pictionary from our living rooms to the TV screen. Mel tells Nuala about getting competitive during family games nights, how she’s enjoyed getting older, and why blind optimism is both her best and worst trait.

Women in Syria are calling for recognition from the new regime, and asking to be involved in the running of the country. The caretaker government has made several appointments of former al-Qaeda hardliners that have caused concern about what the new leadership intends for women in the country. BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet joins Nuala to tell us more.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever had? Or even the best you’ve given? Nuala is joined by grandmother-granddaughter pair Christine and Christina, whose video on TikTok of Christine giving Christina advice has been seen by millions of people. They’ll speak about going viral, their special relationship and how they hope their videos help other people.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Lottie Garton


MON 11:00 Footprints (m00261g4)
In August 2007, on an island off the west coast of Canada, the remains of a human foot were found washed up on a beach.

Six days later, on another beach fifty miles away, a second foot was found but, strangely, it doesn't match the first - they're from different people.

The BBC’s Celia Hatton travels to Vancouver to hear how more than twenty further feet have been found in the area since then, and to speak to the investigators and scientists who’ve worked to uncover the mystery of why they started appearing.


MON 11:30 The Bottom Line (m0026nhj)
Decisions That Made Me: Dana Denis-Smith (Obelisk Support, CEO)

Career clarity can be hard to find in the middle of a demanding 9 to 5, but sometimes getting away from it all for a while can make you realise what you really want from work. For Dana Denis-Smith, the world's highest mountain range did the trick. She tells Evan Davis how it inspired her to turn her back on an unfulfilling legal career, and later to start up her own company, Obelisk Support, which champions the talents of mothers who don't want to - or can't - return to work full time.

Production team:
Producers: Simon Tulett and Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison


MON 11:45 How to Read the News (m001v3f3)
Have you read paragraph 8?

When journalists tell stories, they rarely start at the beginning but instead with the latest development. Context comes towards the end. It’s called the ‘inverted pyramid’.

When scandal at the Confederation of British Industry hit the newspapers and boss Tony Danker was dismissed, he complained that articles didn’t state right at the start that he was not accused of the worst misconduct. If you didn’t make it much past the headlines, you might not realise that.

We discover why journalists write stories ‘the wrong way up’, how that affects how we understand them, and how that might change with new technology.

‘How to Read the News’ - this series is all about giving you the tools to decode the news.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Charlotte McDonald
Researchers: Beth Ashmead Latham, Kirsteen Knight
Editors: China Collins, Emma Rippon


MON 12:00 News Summary (m0026njf)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m0026njh)
ADHD Care, Future Homes, Private Air Terminals

Most GPs won't prescribe medicine for ADHD sufferers according to research by a charity. They are rejecting so-called shared care protocols, which are voluntary, as part of a dispute with the government over workload and pay. It has left tens of thousands of people with the condition with no medication, say ADHD UK.

Strict new green regulations for new homes come into effect later this year. It'll mean lower bills and greenhouse gases in the long run but more expensive homes in the short term. Will the public buy into them?

How do you get satisfaction if a delivery driver runs into your vehicle ? With difficulty, according to a You & Yours listener whose car was damaged by a delivery van before Christmas.

It is the peak period for booking summer holidays, so where will be the hot spots for holiday-makers this year?

There's been an expansion in airport lounges. They are the spaces you pay to escape from crowded departure concourses. Airlines - and credit card companies - are spending millions of pounds building them to meet demand- but are they worth the money?

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: KEV MOUSLEY


MON 12:57 Weather (m0026njk)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m0026njm)
The Prime Minister hits back at Elon Musk

Sir Keir Starmer addresses the claims made by the Tesla boss about grooming gangs in the UK. Plus the latest on the bad weather hitting the UK.


MON 13:45 Human Intelligence (m0026njp)
Disruptors: Socrates

The ancient Athenian Socrates encourages us to think about what are the most important things in life and to bring real clarity to the ideas, concepts and beliefs that we use every day. He was persistent, brilliant, possessed of an intellectual curiosity and rigour that few have matched. Naomi Alderman explores the mind of this mercurial and fleeting figure – he has left us with no written work and our only sense of him is through the experiences and writings of others.

Special thanks to Dr Frisbee Sheffield, Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge.

Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.


MON 14:00 The Archers (m0026n4v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Hennikay (m0026njs)
Series 2

4. Crudelitas in Omnibus

Bill Bailey stars as Guy Starling, a middle aged man who, after 45 years, and for reasons quite unknown to him, is suddenly revisited by his imaginary childhood friend, Hennikay.

Against all his better judgement and at Hennikay’s insistence, Guy has gone back to his old school for their Old Boys Reunion dinner. He was sent away there when he was 11 years old and hated every minute of. With its arcane rules, bizarre traditions and ingrained sense of petty snobbery, he has spent his entire adult life trying to outgrow the place. But now he is back, because Hennikay, his oldest friend, who he left behind went he went there, now wants to see what it was like.

When Guy went, Hennikay didn’t go with him because he believed that imaginary friends weren’t allowed at school. And he had to endure it alone. But as the evening progresses and he meets fellow old boys - Bennington, Parker and feared school bully, Duckworth - Guy realises that this wasn’t the case and he wasn’t as alone as he’s always assumed he’d been.

In fact, as Hennikay discovers, the old school halls are ringing with the ghosts of the best friends that the Old Boys thought they’d left behind.

Bill Bailey returns for the second series of this warm, funny look at childhood, adulthood and some of the follies of modern life - where a man with a confused child in his head might just be the sanest person in the room.

Written by David Spicer

Guy: Bill Bailey
Hennikay: Max Lester
Duckwitt: Alistair McGowan
Parker: Paul Panting
Bennington: Julien Ball
Bingo: Edward Frowde
Lucy: Elizabeth Frowde

Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:45 Marple: Three New Stories (m001g9n0)
Miss Marple's Christmas by Ruth Ware

Miss Marple's Christmas (Part 2)

Agatha Christie’s iconic detective is reimagined for a new generation with a murder, a theft and a mystery where nothing is quite what it seems.

Miss Marple's Christmas by Ruth Ware
St Mary Mead's most insightful resident is visiting her friend Dolly Bantry for a traditional Christmas celebration, with nephew Raymond and his wife in tow. As the motley collection of guests get to know each other, the festive peace at Gossington Hall is about to be shattered.

Read by Georgie Glen
Abridged and produced by Eilidh McCreadie

Almost 50 years since the publication of Agatha Christie's last Miss Marple novel, 'Marple: Twelve New Stories' is a collection of ingenious stories by acclaimed authors who also happen to be Christie devotees.


MON 15:00 Great Lives (m0026njv)
Reginald D Hunter selects Eugene V Debs

Eugene Victor Debs, born 1855 in Indiana USA, was a railway worker, a trade unionist and a five time candidate for the presidency. He was imprisoned during the First World War for sedition. He'd urged resistance to the draft; President Woodrow Wilson called him a traitor to the nation, but Debs still ran for the presidency in 1920. His sentence was commuted the following year.

Reginald D Hunter is an American stand up based in the UK. His many credits include Have I Got News For You and Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South. Last year at Edinburgh his show Fluffy Fluffy Beavers briefly became headline news. In studio with Reginald and presenter Matthew Parris is Professor Clive Webb, author of Vietdamned.

The producer for BBC Studios in Bristol is Miles Warde


MON 15:30 History's Heroes (m0026njx)
History's Youngest Heroes

History's Youngest Heroes: 5. St Francis of Assisi: Teen Rebel

A charismatic young man attracts a band of followers after denouncing his family fortune and devoting his life to the poor.

Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history. Join her for 12 stories of rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Series Producer: Suniti Somaiya
Producer: Lorna Reader
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts


MON 16:00 The Strange Death of Cultural Originality? (m002697q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Rewinder (m0026mw5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m0026njz)
Justin Trudeau resigns as Canadian prime minister

We look back at Justin Trudeau's time in office following his resignation as Canada's Prime Minister. The former cabinet minister Sir David Lidington gives us his thoughts on how politicians should respond to Elon Musk. And we hear from the author of a new book about silence.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0026nk1)
Sir Keir Starmer has attacked politicians and activists for "spreading lies and misinformation" over the way he - and members of his party - have tackled grooming gangs.


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m0026nk3)
Series 82

Episode 5

The godfather of all panel shows pays a visit to the City Hall in Sheffield. On the panel are Milton Jones, Lucy Porter, Miles Jupp and Tony Hawks, with Jack Dee in the umpire’s chair. Colin Sell accompanies on the piano.

Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random production for BBC Radio 4


MON 19:00 The Archers (m0026ncp)
Justin has no idea about Kirsty’s recent meeting to discuss a wild – and illegal - release of beavers, until enraged David explains what he wheedled out of Khalil. Kirsty explains diplomatically that there was a meeting to discuss every option. Justin soothes and thanks David, before berating Kirsty. He’ll have to rethink the whole idea regarding the beaver scheme.

Later a calmer David helps Jolene with a plan to put off Tracy and install Fallon in the Bull kitchen instead. Tracy works out what’s going on and tells relieved Jolene she completely understands – Tracy did just barge in and put Jolene and Kenton on the spot. Of course, it should be Fallon.

Tracy expected Brad to be around to taste-test her chips, but he’s gone to the library – and Tracy’s full of praise as ever. At the library Lily gets him to join her for a coffee and catch up. She hasn’t seen Brad at Grey Gables recently. Lily’s concerned as Brad admits that helping George means he’s not taking on work shifts and has missed some lectures. His course is so hard, and Tracy keeps saying how brilliant he is, when he feels he’s not. When Brad says he wants to drop out of University, Lily suggests giving it another term before deciding and reminds him that there are people at University he can speak to. There’s also his mum and Jazzer. Brad asserts that he needs to get through this on his own. He tells Lily he’ll give it until week five; he’ll be fine.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m0026nk6)
Nicole Kidman on Babygirl, Brian Eno on art and Herod

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson talk about their award-winning new film Babygirl, where she plays a married mum and high powered tech CEO who begins an affair with a young intern at her company after he realises she has sexual desires that she's not been able to embrace before.

Novelist Tayari Jones and literary scholar Dr Deborah G. Plant discuss The Life of Herod the Great by Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston. Published for the first time, the manuscript was saved from being burnt after Hurston’s death and challenges the idea of Herod as a murderous tryant.

Brian Eno, musician, song writer, record producer and visual artist has two new projects – he's written a book about what art does, and endorsed and taken part in a film about his life and work. He joins Samira.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Corinna Jones


MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m002693m)
Is the push for the electric cars in trouble?

Encouraging everyone to make the change to electric vehicles has been a major part of government green and industrial policy for some time now. The government has announced a consultation on how to speed up the transition to electric cars and fade out the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The last Government had extended plans to ban of the sale of new petrol cars to 2035. There are targets, there are mandates and there is scepticism about how quickly the transition is really happening.

So, as we enter 2025, what is the state of the country’s move from petrol to electric? How do we compare with other countries and what does it say about the British car industry?

Guests:
Ginny Buckley, Editor-in-Chief and founder of electrifying.com
Ian Henry, Owner and Managing Director of Auto Analysis and visiting Professor in Automotive Business Strategy at Royal Holloway, University of London
David Bailey, Professor of Business Economics at the Birmingham Business School.

Presenter: David Aaronovitch
Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham
Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002693p)
The Science of Laughter

Why do we laugh more when we’re with others? Are humans the only animals that laugh? Does ‘laughter yoga’ actually do anything? We're delving into the neurobiology, evolutionary history, and health effects of a good old chuckle.

Live from the Hay Festival Winter Weekend, Marnie Chesterton is joined by laughter expert and neuroscientist, Professor Sophie Scott, and an expert in making people laugh, comedian Miles Jupp, in this side-splitting panel show.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Ella Hubber
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth 

To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.


MON 21:00 The History Podcast (m0026nkb)
The Lucan Obsession - Omnibus 1

One winter's night, 50 years ago, a crime took place that obsessed the nation.

Lord Lucan is said to have killed the family nanny, attacked his wife and vanished.

Newspapers ran wild with lurid detail and it became a story hardwired into British culture.

Why did this case capture the British imagination, and spark one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th Century?

Historian Alex von Tunzelmann unpacks the story of our obsession, taking us into a dizzying world of high stakes gambling and exclusive London clubs, powerboat racing and pet tigers. It’s also a dark realm of bankruptcy, gaslighting and stalking, and at its heart, a story with a violent and very tragic death.

Across the series she investigates the two mysteries at the centre of this story: was Lord Lucan the murder, and where on earth did he go?

Told and retold, the facts of the Lucan story have got lost. Alex finds herself in a hall of mirrors where truth and lies distort themselves into new myths and new mysteries. Was the truth obscured by booze and backhanders, class deference and journalist spin?

As she tries to get to the bottom of this case, she meets eyewitnesses from the '70s, people caught up in the crime, and those who just can’t let it go. She unearths long forgotten tapes and letters, piecing together fragments of a legend to discover why the Lucan myth still holds such power.

Series contributors:
Algy Cluff, Pierrette Goletto and Mandy Parks
Journalists: Bob Strange and James Fox
Author: Laura Thompson
Crime writer: Claire McGowan
Police: Geoff Lewry, Richard Swarbrick and Jackie Malton
UK Missing Persons Unit: Louise Newell

Presenter: Alex von Tunzelmann
Series Producer: Sarah Bowen
Content Producer: Becca Bryers


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m0026nkg)
Home Secretary says government will act on grooming gangs

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the government would implement key recommendations made in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, including criminal sanctions for professionals who fail to report claims. We hear reaction from former Greater Manchester Police whistleblower Maggie Oliver and Rotherham MP Sarah Champion.

Also on the programme: former French President Nicolas Sarkozy appears in court charged with taking millions of euros from Libyan dictator Muammar Gadaffi; and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau steps down after more than nine years in office.


MON 22:45 Seaborne by Nuala O'Connor (m0026nkl)
Episode Six

Bestselling and award-winning Irish author Nuala O’Connor returns with the intimate and thrilling portrayal of the life of 18th-century pirate, Anne Bonny. Shortlisted for Novel of the Year at The An Post Irish Book Awards 2024.

1703, Kinsale, County Cork. Anne Coleman is the illegitimate child of a local lawyer and his maid; disguised as ‘Anthony’ to protect reputations, the mask suits Anne just fine. But, fixated on boats and the sea, she struggles to fit in, and her devoted mother fears for her fiercely independent and impulsive daughter.

When their secrets are exposed, the family emigrates to the new colony of Carolina, but this fresh start will bring devastating loss and stifling responsibilities. Lonely and transgressive, Anne finds comfort only with Bedelia, servant and intimate friend. However her craving for the sea-wandering life and a misjudged marriage to young Gabriel Bonny will compel Anne to take to the sea again, this time around the islands of the Caribbean, famous for plunder and piracy.

The Author
Nuala O’Connor is a novelist, short story writer and poet, and lives in County Galway with her family. She is the author of four previous novels and six short story collections. She has won many prizes for her short fiction including the Francis MacManus Award, the James Joyce Quarterly Fiction Contest and the UK’s Short Fiction Journal Prize. Nuala’s work has also been nominated for numerous prizes including the Edge Hill Short Story Prize, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award and the International Dublin Literary Award.

Reader: Ayoola Smart
Author: Nuala O’Connor
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:00 Limelight (m001bcnt)
Exemplar - Series 1

Exemplar - Episode 2

A modern day thriller set in the North East of England. Starring Gina McKee as Jess, a lone wolf scientist with a troubled past whose passion for sound makes her the UK’s leading audio forensic examiner. A mysterious voice note takes Jess on a hunt to find an old friend.

Exemplar: an audio recording made by a forensic analyst to recreate the precise audio conditions of a piece of evidence in a criminal or civil case.

Exemplar is based on an idea by leading sound designers Ben and Max Ringham, and written by Ben Ringham, Max Ringham and Dan Rebellato.

Jess ..... Gina McKee
Maya ..... Shvorne Marks
Aoife ..... Fenella Woolgar
Judith ..... Barbara Marten
Neil ..... Don Gilet
Ellie ..... Charlie Hardwick

Writers: Dan Rebellato with Ben and Max Ringham
Showrunner: Dan Rebellato
Audio forensic consultant: James Zjalić
Sound recordist: Alisdair McGregor
Studio assistant: Oyin Fowowe
Production coordinator: Darren Spruce
Sound design: Lucinda Mason Brown and David Chilton
Original music/Sound consultants: Ben and Max Ringham
Directors: Polly Thomas and Jade Lewis
Executive producer: Joby Waldman

A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m00201yq)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament

TUESDAY 07 JANUARY 2025

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m0026nkq)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 How to Read the News (m001v3f3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0026nkv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0026nkz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0026nl2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m0026nl4)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0026nl6)
The Harlem Globetrotters

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Rabbi Warren Elf

Good morning and merry Christmas, to most of our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters, who follow the Julian calendar.

Today is also Harlem Globetrotter’s Day, celebrated every January 7th, marking a special moment for basketball fans and the wider community.

This day honours the Harlem Globetrotters, a team renowned for their incredible skills, showmanship, and positive impact across the globe. The date commemorates the team’s first game in 1927, symbolizing their legacy in the world of basketball and beyond.

I remember well the hours I spent as a young boy trying to spin a basketball on my finger to imitate just one of the tricks they regularly displayed. I used to love watching them on TV, admiring their skill and talent, laughing at the pranks they played on court and the fun they created.

They gained fame for their unique blend of basketball talent and entertainment. Their performances were not just about winning games but also about breaking racial barriers and bringing joy through their comedic and athletic displays.

From their very beginning right through to their global tours and advocacy for social justice, the Harlem Globetrotters have left an indelible mark on sports and culture.

They have not only entertained millions but have also used their platform to promote equality and bring people together, making Harlem Globetrotter’s Day a celebration of their lasting legacy.

I have never been tall enough or athletic enough to emulate them on the basketball court but today I pray that I can continue to use the skills I have, my care and love and my sense of humour to bring joy to others, to campaign for equality and social justice and to make a positive difference and contribution to those around me and our world.

Amen.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m0026nl8)
07/01/25 - Wet weather, HS2 limbo and innovative food and farming ideas

It's been a frozen and wet start to 2025 with widespread snow and flooding. For many farmers it's all a bit too much like last winter - the wettest on record - which saw crops drowned and delayed much planting simply because the land was too wet to get onto it.

We hear from farmers along the cancelled northern leg of HS2, who say they still face uncertainty. The high speed railway line from Birmingham to Manchester was cancelled in October 2023 - but land remains set aside for major infrastructure.

And we hear from two innovative companies about what they think the future holds for food and farming.

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Heather Simons


TUE 06:00 Today (m0026nbs)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 Sideways (m0026nbw)
25 Years of the 21st Century

25 Years of the 21st Century: 2. The Age of Mistrust

Have we lost faith in institutions, politicians - and even money?

Some people say there is an onslaught of misinformation and a battle for truth. So who do we trust now?

In this series, we’re remembering some of the big events of this century and asking how they’re shaping us.

Matthew is joined by Margaret MacMillan a historian and author, Rachel Botsman the author of three books on trust and Helen Margetts, a Professor of Society and the Internet at the University of Oxford.

Production team
Editor: Sara Wadeson
Producers: Marianna Brain, Emma Close, Michaela Graichen
Sound: Tom Brignell
Production Co-ordinators: Janet Staples and Katie Morrison

Archive
Steve Jobs launches the Apple iPhone, 2007


TUE 09:30 Living Without My Smartphone (m00209dl)
A group of teenagers agree to give up their smartphones for 5 school days. The phones are locked in a box, and our subjects pick up their old style “brick” phone instead. What’s the best and worst of their smartphone free days? Can they cope, and what, if anything, do they, their parents and teachers notice?
Rachel Burden has teenagers, and knows all about smartphone parenting. She joins our intrepid students throughout their week, and reflects upon the positives and negatives of a world where everyone can choose to be constantly connected.

Produced by Victoria Farncombe and Tim O'Callaghan
Mixed by Nicky Edwards
Edited by Clare Fordham


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0026nc1)
Child sexual exploitation, Endometriosis reporting tool, Lucy Lawless on Margaret Moth

The debate around widescale child sexual abuse and exploitation continues following calls from the Conservatives and Reform UK for a new national inquiry into the issue. Professor Alexis Jay chaired the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. It took seven years and was published in 2022. It warned of "endemic" abuse across society in England and Wales for girls and boys. Professor Jay has called again for implementation of her 20 recommendations. One recommendation was that those who cover up or fail to report child sexual abuse could face professional or criminal sanctions. The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last night announced that has said that will be implemented as a new offence this year. Nuala McGovern speaks to Maggie Oliver, Founder and Chair of the Maggie Oliver Foundation, who was a former detective who resigned from Greater Manchester Police in late 2012 in order to expose the Rochdale Grooming Scandal, and Ken MacDonald, Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008.

It's hoped a tool which allows women in Wales to log and report symptoms of endometriosis will empower patients to get help from their GPs and potentially lead to quicker diagnosis. It's estimated one in 10 women suffer from the condition, which can cause debilitating period pain and is linked to fertility issues. Nuala speaks to Dr Robyn Jackowich, one of the academics whose worked on the reporting tool, and Karen Hiu Ching Lo, who suffers with endometriosis.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been urged to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan by a group of more than 160 politicians. The England men’s ODI side are due to face Afghanistan in Lahore on 26 February but there are calls for the ECB to refuse the fixture, taking a stand against the Taliban regime’s ongoing assault on women’s rights. Nuala discusses the issues with Felix Jakens, Head of Campaigns for Amnesty International.

Lucy Lawless, best known for playing Xena: Warrior Princess, joins Nuala to discuss another fearless woman. In her directorial debut, Never Look Away, she explores Margaret Moth, a warzone camerawoman for CNN who covered conflicts from the liberation of Kuwait in the early 90s to the Lebanon War in the mid-2000s armed only with a camera and an attitude.

BBC Eye have released an animation narrated by Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe for BBC 100 Women 2024. It tells the stories of three women imprisoned in the notorious Evin prison in Iran. Nuala is joined by former Evin prisoner, Mahdieh Golroo and BBC Persian reporter, Baran Abbasi to discuss the prison’s reputation.

Presented by Nuala McGovern
Producer: Louise Corley


TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m0026961)
Georgie Ward and Abel Selaocoe round off the series

Georgie Ward, composer and keyboard player to the stars, and cellist and composer Abel Selaocoe, head to the Add to Playlist studio to add the final five tracks of the series. Together with Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe, this episode takes us from a reinterpretation of a Bob Marley classic to a Sinatra father-and-daughter 'novelty' song via a ground-breaking aunt-and-niece double-act from Tanzania.

Add to Playlist returns for a new series on 27 Feb 2025

Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe

The five tracks in this week's playlist:

Redemption Song by the Kanneh-Masons
Cold Light by Ishmael Ensemble
The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel
Mapendo by The Zawose Queens
Somethin’ Stupid by Frank and Nancy Sinatra

Other music in this episode:

Be the One by Dua Lipa, Live from the Royal Albert Hall
Emmanuele by Abel Selaocoe
No Volvere by The Gypsy Kings
Redemption Song by Bob Marley
Bloom by Holysseus Fly
Somethin' Stupid by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman


TUE 11:45 How to Read the News (m001v3hm)
Whose agenda is it anyway?

In August 2023 the release of radioactive waste-water from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant was reported around the world. Yet Britain’s Sellafield plant releases far more contaminated water every year without making the news. So why was the Fukushima story in the headlines?

We hear how Chinese state media seeded anti-Japan stories, and how their messages made their way into our mainstream media. What appeared as a public health story may really have been a geo-political spat.


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m0026nc6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m0026nc9)
Call You and You - NHS

In this week's Call You and Yours we're asking how good a service are you getting from the NHS right now?

NHS England has announced plans to tackle NHS waiting lists and improve patient care. The Government says waiting list are coming down. But experts say the NHS is faces big challenges on many fronts, including waiting lists, GP services, A&E wait times and standard of care.

So are things improving or on the brink of crisis? What's your experience of the NHS like right now and how good a service do you feel you are you getting?

Email us - youandyours@bbc.co.uk and from 11am on Tuesday call us on 03700 100 444

PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON


TUE 12:57 Weather (m0026ncf)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m0026nck)
Grooming gangs: Tories claim 50 towns could be affected

We examine the Conservatives' claim that child abuse grooming gangs are more widespread than previously thought, and that British-Pakistani men are "over-represented" in the gangs. Also, we look back at the life of the French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, who's died at 96.


TUE 13:45 Human Intelligence (m0026pnp)
Disruptors: George Washington

Washington may be better known as a man of action rather than ideas. However, he gave the world one idea of huge power, an idea that was also about power. As a military General, Washington won the American War of Independence. Then, as the first ever US president, he helped establish a nation and guide it through its early life. And then he did something extraordinary – he voluntarily gave up his power and returned to his farm. The idea of the peaceful transfer of power has been at the heart of the American system ever since.

Special thanks to Dr Tom F Wright, Associate Professor in Rhetoric at the University of Sussex.

Produced by BBC Studios Audio in partnership with The Open University.


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0026ncp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0026ncv)
The Concierge (Part 1)

Joe (Sean Delaney) is the perfect right hand man, working hard to create a positive image of his rich Russian employer (Juris Zagars) and help him to avoid UK sanctions. But now Demidov's Ukrainian daughter-in-law is asking for Joe's help. Thriller by Simon Scardifield and Andrew Day.

JOE.....Sean Delaney
ALEX.....Steffan Cennydd
OKSANA Anastasiya Ador
PIOTR.....Juris Zagars
KIM.....Suzanne Packer
STEF.....Rhys Parry Jones
PHIL.....Sion Pritchard

Production co-ordinators.....Eleri Sydney McAuliffe and Lindsay Rees
Sound designers....Jonathan Thomas, Nigel Lewis and Catherine Robinson
Assistant Producer.....Fay Lomas
Director.....Emma Harding

A BBC Audio Wales production


TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (m0026ncz)
Midnight

Josie Long presents short documentaries and audio adventures as the clock slips closer to midnight.

In the last Short Cuts on BBC Radio 4, 13 years after the broadcast of our first ever episode 'Misadventures', we listen to radio waves after dark with the Shortwave Collective, tumble into a radio poem alongside a sleeping child, tune into a late night pirate radio station from the early 1960s, and raise a parting glass.

At Least
Featuring Xelis de Toro
Produced by Phil Smith

Voice of Nuclear Disarmament
With thanks to the British Library Sound Archive, and the family of John Hasted
Produced by Jonny Matfin

Perhaps at Midnight, When All Boundaries Are Lost
Produced by the Shortwave Collective

Good Company
Featuring Jesse Lawson, Izzy Yon and Femi Oriogun-Williams
Produced by Jesse Lawson

Curated by Axel Kacoutié, Eleanor McDowall and Andrea Rangecroft
Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall
Mix by Mike Woolley
Executive Producer: Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:30 Beyond Belief (m0026nd2)
Divine Comedy

Faith based comedy is growing in popularity. Why is religion such a good source for jokes? Is God funny? And, is there anywhere with religion that you just don’t go?

Dillon Mapletoft, the writer and creator of hit comedy Everyone Else Burns, explains his fundamentalist Christian upbringing and the influence it had on him writing the coming-of-age sitcom about a Manchester family who are part of a puritanical Christian sect and doomsday cult.

To explore Giles Fraser is joined by Shazia Mirza, comedian and part of a female only Halal comedy tour, Shanny Luft, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Winconsin, and Ashley Blaker, a Jewish comedian and writer once described as "the UK's only Orthodox comedian".

Producer: Alexa Good
Assistant Producer: Linda Walker
Editor: Tim Pemberton


TUE 16:00 Beyond Burns (m0026nd6)
Alistair Heather takes listeners on a tour of Scotland's modern poetry of place, revealing the Scots language is alive and thriving all the way from Dundee to the Orkney islands.

As a lover and champion of the Scots language, Alistair has explored the length and breadth of Scotland - all from his sofa - by immersing himself in the poetry that comes from there. George Mackay Brown wrote of Orkney, 'for the islands I sing'. That tradition of celebrating your place applies across the country, from post-industrial Dundee through the work of Taylor Dyson, up the east coast to Aberdeen with Shane Strachan and all the way back to the Orkney islands in the mesmerising work of sci-fi poet Josie Giles.

Alistair's tour concludes by taking a national perspective, speaking to Scotland's outgoing national poet or 'Makar', Kathleen Jamie.

Written and presented by Alistair Heather
Produced by Peter McManus
A BBC Audio Scotland production for Radio 4


TUE 16:30 Illuminated (m00261v9)
Stockport: Britain's Karaoke Town

The best stories have a certain WTF factor.. a weird little fact that draws you in…something you can’t ignore because it’s so contrary to what you previously thought.

So it was for Geoff Lloyd when he heard that the story that Karaoke was invented in Stockport, by a charismatic shopkeeper called Roy Brooke who claimed the Japanese adopted his discovery and marketed it around the world.

Geoff’s a massive Karaoke fan and remembers his halcyon days in the 90s, judging karaoke competitions in the town with his friend Caroline Aherne, so he sets off on a quest to get to the bottom of this tale; a quest that sees him chat to Stockport hitmakers Blossoms, comedy writing legend Craig Cash and a Japanese academic said to have backed up Roy's crazy claim.

On the way he discovers a town so in love with Karaoke that it's home to the country's only dedicated league, a secretive world jampacked with big voices and human drama. 12 pub teams meet every Monday for chance to be champions of the New Stockport Fun Karaoke League. But have some of the teams starting taking it too seriously and forgotten about the fun?

Will Geoff track down Roy Brooke and hear his side of the story and find out why Karaoke has taken root so strongly in Stockport?

Presenter: Geoff Lloyd
Producer: Catherine Murray
Additional recording by George Herd
Production Co-ordination: Mica Nepomuceno
Studio mix: Nat Stokes
Executive Producer: Richard McIlroy

Featuring Blossoms, Craig Cash, Professor Hiroshi Ogawa, and Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japanese Culture Conquered the World.

Special thanks to the Blossoms Bees and The Barnhouse teams and all the members of the New Stockport Karaoke Fun League


TUE 17:00 PM (m0026ndc)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0026ndh)
Disagreements have continued about whether a new UK-wide investigation is needed into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs.


TUE 18:30 Janey Godley: The C Bomb (m001wxtm)
Series 2

1. Not Dead Yet

Despite her diagnosis of terminal cancer in 2021, Janey’s defiantly not dead yet, and as hilarious as ever, even in the face of online haters who seem to think she’s not dying quickly enough.

In this mix of stand-up and chat, Janey and her daughter and fellow comedian Ashley talk about why having cancer is like having an extramarital affair and what it’s like to be told you’re dying, and she takes to the stage to tell tales of loudmouths in hospital wards and the unlikely benefits of chemotherapy!

Janey shared her extraordinary life story in the first series - exposing all the abuse, poverty, and trauma she’d experienced in her trademark darkly comic style.

Now, with death chasing her down like a runaway bus, she’s still compelled to get up onstage and fearlessly poke fun at every escapade, encounter and event she’s experienced on her own journey with cancer, and make sure she goes out in the same way she’s lived - with nothing left unsaid.

Recorded live in front of an audience in her hometown, Glasgow.

Produced by Julia Sutherland

A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m0026ncg)
Fallon thanks Tracy as she sets to work in The Bull kitchen. Tracy chats with Lily about Brad and realises that all’s not well. Later at home, Brad admits he’s struggling and he's finding Tracy’s constant praise a pressure. Tracy promises to calm down, but Brad says he wants to quit University. Tracy comes up with all sorts of ideas, like a private tutor – they can raise the money. But he says no. She asks Brad to wait until he’s absolutely certain before quitting. Lily calls Brad, who realises she has spoken to Tracy. Lily has some useful details to help Brad, and he relents. He doesn’t want to quit. He’ll just have to make it work.

Harrison and his boss Inspector Norris attend a domestic disturbance. Norris asks Harrison to speak to the young girl who’s alone outside the house, while she talks to the man and woman inside. The girl, Scarlett, is quiet and reticent, but opens up a little as they discuss her outfit and the Christmas gifts she received. Norris returns to tell Scarlett she can go back to her Mum now. Frustrated Harrison shares his feelings at how they have to let Scarlett return to a dangerous home environment. Norris points out that professionally they have done what they can, outlining standard next steps. Emotional Harrison walks away as Norris calls after him.

Later Fallon’s buzzing about her new opportunity at The Bull, but Harrison seems quiet. When Fallon wonders what’s wrong and asks how his day's been, Harrison replies it was fine and nothing out of the ordinary.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m0026nds)
Jesse Eisenberg & Kieran Culkin on their film A Real Pain, improving visual literacy in school, how Jerry Springer changed TV

Tom Sutcliffe talks to Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin about their new film A Real Pain - in which they play mis-matched cousins touring Poland to honour their grandmother.

Can you teach someone to look at art intelligently? Oxford University is about to start a 3 year study on visual literacy – assessing how much looking at art can impact young people’s social and academic outcomes. Art historian Alison Cole, specialist primary school art teacher Mandy Barret and Professor Robert Klassen who’ll be working on the study discuss how strong the case is to include it on the school curriculum.

Jerry Springer brought shock and sleaze into our living rooms between 1991 and 2018. As a new documentary, ‘Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action’ airs, we talk to its director Luke Sewell about what kind of impact the show had on our culture.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Paula McGrath


TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m0026nbv)
Bad Medicine: Inside the hospital trust at centre of a police investigation

Michael Buchanan examines why the University Hospitals Sussex NHS trust, once considered one of England’s best, has now got the largest number of patients waiting over 18 months for treatment. On top of this there is a growing police investigation into allegations of poor care.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m0026ndz)
Macular Society's New CEO, Ed Holloway; New OCT Scanner Technology

The Macular Society has a new CEO, Ed Holloway. With Macular disease being the most common form of sight loss in the UK, its important that the charity continue their work in supporting people with the condition, but also push towards more research and the discovery of new treatments. Ed Holloway describes what his plans are in these areas and other ambitions he has for the future of the charity.

Siloton are a medical equipment manufacturing company that also have big ambitions within this space. Ben Hunt is one of their co-founders and he describes to In Touch about a new form of OCT scanner they are developing, with the aim of empowering patients to conduct their own scans within the home and also to reduce NHS waiting lists.

Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: David Baguley
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio’ in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.


TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m0026nf3)
South Korea: The Feminist Hunters

Why feminism has become a dirty word in South Korea. Being a feminist is now something that can only be admitted in private, thanks to a fierce backlash against feminism. Anti-feminists accuse South Korean women who advocate for equality as being man-haters, worthy of punishment. Online witch-hunts - spearheaded by young male gamers - target women suspected of harbouring feminist views, bombarding them with abuse and demanding they be fired from their jobs. Jean Mackenzie investigates how these witch-hunts have silenced women, and asks what this means for the future of women's rights in a country where gender discrimination is still deeply entrenched.

Presenter: Jean Mackenzie
Producers: John Murphy, Jake Kwon, Hosu Lee and Leehyun Choi
Mixed by: Neil Churchill
Production co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Penny Murphy


TUE 21:30 Illuminated (m0024cvm)
Reclusion

Are we ever really alone nowadays, what with the extraordinary velocity of contemporary social circulation, whether this be the madness of the crowds, or the relentless churn of social media? Does anyone really experience reclusion? A conscious choice to withdraw from the social realm. What would it be like?

For decades, Will Self lived his life as a very public figure. An acerbic satirist and giant man of letters he was constantly on the move, driven by his insatiable curiosity about the world. “I once flew to Scotland, climbed Ben Lomond, and flew back to London the same day”.

In a series of powerful soliloquies, Self reveals how he’s gradually withdrawn from the social realm. He began by abandoning acquaintances and remoter colleagues, then started cutting off friends, close colleagues, and eventually family.

“It’s been over a year since I’ve read a newspaper report, looked at a news website, or heard more than a three-minute news bulletin. Most days I see only my wife and youngest child who I live with.”

In this powerful piece of radio, Will Self reaches down to the very bottom of how the self is socially constructed – and then dismantles that scaffolding from around it, to see what’s still standing.

A half-hour that will leave the listener feeling as if they’ve been staring at their reflection for so long in a mirror, that this image appears totally uncanny to them.

Presenter: Will Self
Producer: Emily Williams

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0026nf6)
Trump threatens to seize control of Greenland and the Panama Canal

US President- elect Donald Trump has refused to rule out using military force to seize control of Greenland and the Panama Canal. He also said he would consider ‘economic force’ to annex Canada. We get reaction from a Greenlandic politician from the governing coalition.

Also on the programme: Mark Zuckerberg announces he’s scrapping Meta’s independent fact checkers, citing their political bias; and we speak to a climber who experienced an earthquake on Mount Everest.


TUE 22:45 Seaborne by Nuala O'Connor (m0026nfc)
Episode Seven

Bestselling and award-winning Irish author Nuala O’Connor returns with the intimate and thrilling portrayal of the life of 18th-century pirate, Anne Bonny. Shortlisted for Novel of the Year at The An Post Irish Book Awards 2024.

1703, Kinsale, County Cork. Anne Coleman is the illegitimate child of a local lawyer and his maid; disguised as ‘Anthony’ to protect reputations, the mask suits Anne just fine. But, fixated on boats and the sea, she struggles to fit in, and her devoted mother fears for her fiercely independent and impulsive daughter.

When their secrets are exposed, the family emigrates to the new colony of Carolina, but this fresh start will bring devastating loss and stifling responsibilities. Lonely and transgressive, Anne finds comfort only with Bedelia, servant and intimate friend. However her craving for the sea-wandering life and a misjudged marriage to young Gabriel Bonny will compel Anne to take to the sea again, this time around the islands of the Caribbean, famous for plunder and piracy.

The Author
Nuala O’Connor is a novelist, short story writer and poet, and lives in County Galway with her family. She is the author of four previous novels and six short story collections. She has won many prizes for her short fiction including the Francis MacManus Award, the James Joyce Quarterly Fiction Contest and the UK’s Short Fiction Journal Prize. Nuala’s work has also been nominated for numerous prizes including the Edge Hill Short Story Prize, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award and the International Dublin Literary Award.

Reader: Ayoola Smart
Author: Nuala O’Connor
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 23:00 Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn (m0026nfh)
The Steamy Reading Question

Is your wife's bedtime reading a little on the raunchy side? Should you worry, if it is? Do you have a friend who never helps to organise your get-togethers? And ... what is love, anyway? Another superb slice of life served up by Radio 4's in-house agony aunts, Tara Flynn and Marian Keyes.

Each week Marian and Tara do their best to shed their particular brand of warmth, wit and wisdom onto listeners' questions with topics big and small.

Earlier series of Now You're Asking were welcomed by listeners and critics:
"Both are warm and kind enough to not only be funny but also offer genuinely thoughtful, if left-field, advice." (Miranda Sawyer, The Observer)
"Keyes and Flynn are my new favourite double-act." (Jane Anderson - Radio Times)
"I found their compassion endlessly soothing." (Rachel Cunliffe - The New Statesman)

Marian Keyes is a multi award-winning writer, with a total of over 30 million of her books sold to date in 33 languages. Her close friend Tara Flynn is an actress, comedian and writer. Together, these two friends have been through a lot, and now want to use their considerable life experience to help solve the biggest - and smallest - of the things that keep us awake at night.

We continue to be inundated with emails but everything gets read and we're always on the lookout for new questions, queries and conundrums to include on the show.

Got a problem you want Marian and Tara to solve? Email: marianandtara@bbc.co.uk.

Producer: Steve Doherty.
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002021r)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs question deputy prime minister and housing secretary Angela Rayner