Comedian and podcaster Adam Buxton explores the final days of his father’s life with tenderness, insight and wit.
Spiritual reflection to start the day with Fr John McLuckie of Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
Stephen Bourne thinks we are short changing young people by failing to teach them about the history of black Britons, especially their contribution in the armed forces and on the home front when Britain was at war. Their stories, he believes, deserve wider recognition.
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
Dom Joly, famous for Trigger Happy TV, takes Clare on a walk near to his home in Gloucestershire. Leaving the village of Winchcombe, they walk up Spoonley Hill to see the remains of a Roman Villa. As they walk, Dom talks about his love of walking, discovered later in life after he became a travel writer. Recently he walked the entire length of Lebanon where he was born. His book The Hezbollah Hiking Club is an account of the 27 day walk. And he has been an avid walker since moving to Gloucestershire.
Farming Today This Week: 12/09/20 Badger cull extension, Brexit negotiations, turkey farmers worry about Christmas
This week the issues which have dominated have been ones which generate dispute, from the government’s decision to extend the badger cull, to fishing negotiations and the impact of a possible no-deal Brexit on UK farmers. And we hear from the turkey farmers voting against Christmas too.
Richard Coles and Shaun Keaveny are joined by Charles Spencer. Charles has a few hats – as Earl Spencer he is the custodian of Althorp house in Northamptonshire; he is the brother of Diana, Princess of Wales; he is the Queen’s godson; but also he is a respected author of history books – his latest tells the events of almost 900 years ago involving a dramatic shipwreck which changed the course of history – the story is, as he describes it, a mash up of Titanic and Game of Thrones with a bit of Sliding Doors thrown in.
We also have Sophie Carrigill who is co-captain of Britain’s women’s wheelchair basketball team. A decade ago at the age of 16, Sophie Carrigill was caught in a life-threatening car accident which paralysed her from the waist down, now she has just re-started group training for the 2021 Paralympics.
Louis Bird’s dad was record breaking pacific rower Peter Bird, who was attempting another crossing when he disappeared in the middle of the pacific ocean when Louis was 4 years old. Now 28, Louis has looked into his Dad's story, completed a mammoth row himself and made a documentary about coming to terms with his father's death.
As a Museum curator Rachel Morris advised museums on how to design exhibitions and make the most of their artefacts. But it was only when she decided to look at the hoard of family letters and random possessions that had been stashed under her own bed that she put together a museum of her own family life story and confronted some painful memories.
We have your thank you, and the inheritance tracks of soul superstar Ruby Turner who chooses chooses Aretha Franklin, Don't play that song for me and Gladys Knight, A licence to kill.
Greg Jenner is joined by chocolate historian Alex Hutchinson and British TV legend Richard Osman to explore the culinary and cultural history of chocolate - Britain's favourite confectionery.
Just what did the Maya use to flavour their cacao? How did cacao become chocolate and find its way into our shops and hearts? And why did a family feud change the entire branding of a much loved chocolate bar?
George Parker of the Financial Times presents Radio 4's review of the political week. This weekend, we discuss the Internal Market Bill with Lord Barwell, Conservative, WA with Andrea Leadsom MP, Conservative and Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Foreign Affairs and International Development, issue of state aid with Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court, Local government reorganisation with Lord Heseltine, former deputy prime minister and coronavirus with Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Kings College London.
India now has the second highest number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the world, having overtaken Brazil. This is placing huge demands on hospitals and ambulances. The medical services, particularly in smaller cities and rural areas, can find it hard to cope, sometimes leading to what relatives think were preventable deaths, as Yogita Limaye reports.
Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, is retiring. His politically conservative party will elect his successor on Monday. Mr Abe has taken his observers by surprise more than once. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo looks at the effect of those surprises, and at his legacy.
In Poland, some politicians’ hostility to gay rights has become a flash-point in a culture war pitting the religious right against the more liberal-minded. Last month the EU denied funding to six Polish towns which had declared themselves “LGBT ideology-free zones”. Lucy Ash has been to one of them, Tuchow.
Wildfires have raged through central and northern Argentina for most of the year. Apart from forests and grasslands, about half a million acres of wetlands next to the mighty Parana river have been lost in the worst fires in over a decade. This has endangered livelihoods and sparked concern among environmentalists, as Natalio Cosoy reports.
Cap d'Agde on the French Mediterranean coast is home to the biggest nudist resort in Europe. But with France’s recent surge in coronavirus cases, how have the naturists and also the considerable number of swingers there fared with the restrictions? Chris Bockman went to find out.
A satirical review of the week's news with Andy Zaltzman and guests Hugo Rifkind, Angela Barnes, Athena Kugblenu and Alun Cochrane.
Andy and teams remotely gather in a group of fewer than 6 people to tackle the big stories of the week all absolutely, unequivocally 100% in accordance with international law.
Written by Andy Zaltzman with additional material from Jeffrey Aidoo, Catherine Brinkworth, Charlie Dinkin, Alice Fraser and Runi Talwar.
Chris Mason presents political debate from London Broadcasting House with Mims Davies MP, Louise Haigh MP, Christine Jardine MP and Christopher Snowdon.
Having celebrated her 81st birthday this year and her 70th with a high speed boat ride down the River Thames, Diana Davies has no intention of leaving her own bungalow and moving in to a retirement home. Age, she argues, is a number not a condition. But how do you keep control of your life if very well meaning family and friends try to persuade you to be less independent as you get older? In this, the last of three conversations about taking control of your life, paralympic athlete and adventurer Karen Darke talks to Diana about her life choices, maintaining her independence and her hopes and fears for the future. Producer Sarah Blunt
Photo of Diana Davies. Copyright Holly Hall.
New drama by Tamsin Oglesby. Farooq is a recent immigrant to the UK and an adept student of English. He becomes close friends with his teacher, Johnny, but a sharing of language is not the same as mutual cultural understanding. Danny Sapani, Ben Turner and Kate O'Flynn star.
Laura Bates on extreme misogyny online, Stephanie Yeboah on body positivity, the end of the office romance, women and debt.
Laura Bates is founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. In her latest book, she traces the roots of extreme misogyny across a complex network of online groups from Pick Up Artists to Incels. Laura explains what attracts men and boys these movements.
Blogger Stephanie Yeboah has been a part of the fat acceptance and body positive movement for years. Her first book – ‘Fattily Ever After’ – is a self-help guide and love letter to black, plus size women everywhere.
In the latest of our How To series, Jenni discusses how to be on time with Grace Pacie, author of LATE! A Time-bender’s guide to why we are late and how we can change, and therapist and writer Philippa Perry.
Buy Now and Pay Later is increasingly being offered by many online retailers. How much are young women being led to spend more than they can afford? Jenni speaks to financial campaigner Alice Tapper, Sue Anderson from debt charity Step Change and Anna, who has managed to clear considerable debt.
Now that non-invasive cosmetic procedures are able to resume operating after lockdown, are treatments such as Botox being normalised? We take a look at the trends over time with journalists Alice Hart-Davis and Melanie Abbott.
As we increasingly work from home, is this the end of the office romance on screen and in real life? And why do we love the idea of one so much in the first place? We speak to the film critic Anna Smith and the Metro lifestyle editor Ellen Scott.
Nick Robinson talks politics and personality with the Shadow Chancellor, Anneliese Dodds.
Celia Imrie, Vinnie Jones, Christopher Hampton, Nick Hayes, Angelique Kidjo, Park Jiha, Sindhu Vee, Clive Anderson
Clive Anderson and Sindhu Vee are joined by Celia Imrie, Christopher Hampton, Vinnie Jones and Nick Hayes for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Angelique Kidjo and Park Jiha.
Why is the former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott such a controversial choice for trade adviser? Appointed by the Government to help negotiate post-Brexit deals for the UK, his supporters say he's a persuasive political operator and already has three free trade agreements under his belt. But others have been staggered by his appointment, saying he has a track record of sexism and homophobia, and will prove an "embarrassment" to the UK.
Mark Coles speaks to colleagues, critics and even Abbott's sister to find out what drives the so-called "Mad Monk", and whether he'll make a success of the job.
New York is Sir Simon Schama's home town. So it's approriate that his final Gallery Tour should be based in the Whitney Museum of American Art which he first experienced as a young man in the 1960s.
Since then, the museum his moved to an exciting glassy new building at the foot of the High Line in the former meatpacking district of the city. It's a welcoming place with wonderful terraces layering the building which afford splendid views over the city and the water.
Here Simon chooses American artists from the 20th century. They tell a New York story. The Mark Rothko colour panel called Four Darks in Red was one of a set intended for the restaurant of the flashy Four Seasons Hotel in the Seagram Building, but were withdrawn by Rothko who hated the conspicuous consumption of the place. Edward Hopper's New York Movie takes us inside a cinema where an usherette is lost in her own thoughts as the film plays. Simon also chooses work by Jacob Lawrence, the Harlem painter who catalogued the experience of African Americans in the Second World War, and photographer and chameleon Cindy Sherman whose Untitled 2008 offers us a grand dame - herself in yet another guise - moneyed and aloof, but staving off the ravages of time.
It's a wonderful introduction to the museum which will not re-open until August 2020 at the earliest.
You can find the names of the paitings discussed and a link to the museum on the Great Gallery Tours programme page.
Stanley Tucci tells the story of Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Oscar in 1940.
McDaniel won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Mammy in Gone With The Wind. But the hotel where the awards were being held almost barred her from attending the ceremony.
Her victory wasn't universally celebrated by African Americans either. She was heavily criticised by civil rights groups for playing a role that perpetuated stereotypes and romanticised slavery.
Jay-Ann Lopez is a serious gamer - first-person-shooters a speciality. But across the gaming landscape, she sees a dominant culture which is not geared towards her: male, white and macho, with games, characters and narratives to match.
Despite some games being targeted at women since the 1980s and independent gaming companies challenging the status quo for decades, this culture has remained mainstream.
She ask why that particular gaming culture has remained so resilient, and what shaped it. And what part it plays in the misogyny and racism facing many gamers today.
Using the treasures of the BBC archive, she transports us back to defining moments in our relationship with video games. She watches Pong, Manic Miner, Lara Croft and Fortnite working their magic and climbing inside our minds. And watches the industry grow: today gaming is bigger than music and movies combined. Jay-Ann debates the tensions and opportunities in this vast landscape with sociologists, psychologists and gaming industry insiders.
Part 5 of the conspiracy thriller. Written by Matthew Broughton, starring Hattie Morahan and Jonathan Forbes.
As Helen discovers the true identity of the man she saw survive the fall of the Slate building, a dangerous relationship develops.
A gripping thriller, chart topping podcast and winner of Best Sound (BBC Audio Drama Awards) and Best Fiction (British Podcast Awards), now Tracks is back with another 9 part headphone filling thrill-ride.
Helen…. Hattie Morahan
Freddy….. Jonathan Forbes
Frank.... Morgan Watkins
Rebecca…. Carys Eleri
Canewick.... Matthew Gravelle
Security Guard….. Richard Nichols
Three newly commissioned stories offering different angles on the Polish experience in London.
Estimates vary but there are now approximately 750,000 Poles living in the UK. And Polish is now the second most spoken language in England. Much of this is the result of immigration since Poland joined the EU in 2004 - but there is also an older community that developed in the years after the Polish Resettlement Act of 1947.
Episode 2: Woman of Your Dreams by A.M. Bakalar
In Dorota’s hairdressing salon-cum-living room in Hounslow, Angelika begins to wonder about her self-image.
10. Chris O'Dowd
In Grounded with Louis Theroux, Louis’s using the lockdown to track down some high-profile people he’s been longing to talk to – a fascinating mix of the celebrated, the controversial and the mysterious.
In this episode, Louis speaks to actor, comedian and good friend, Chris O’Dowd, who is locked down in LA. Chris talks about singing Imagine in a viral video, getting into fights and pretending to be bitten by a dog.
The latest of the postponed heats in the 2020 general knowledge tournament takes to the air, from the Radio Theatre in London, with the contestants competing behind closed doors. Russell Davies asks the questions.
There's also a chance for a Brain of Britain listener to win a prize by beating the Brains with questions of his or her own devising.
Writer and performance poet Emma Purshouse explores The Black Country and its poetry in an attempt to discover why the contemporary writers of the region are still using dialect in their work.
In a programme made during lockdown, Emma considers the impact of industry, heritage, landscape, and the changing nature of close-knit communities upon dialect writers, as she catches up with some of the key players of the current Black Country Poetry scene via Zoom meetings, telephone calls and socially distanced meetings in bell pits, parks, market places and gardens.
Armed only with a mask, a digital recorder, and a bottle of hand gel, Emma talks to, among others, the Keeper of the Geology for Dudley Borough, dialect expert Esther Asprey, and poets Brendan Hawthorne, Roy McFarlane, RM Francis and Liz Berry.
SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2020
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m000mhxm)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:15 A British History in Weather (b079ndwy)
The Weather Indoors
Alexandra Harris tells the story of how the weather has written and painted itself into the cultural life of Britain in a history of a country and its culture told by its weather from the earliest days to the present, come rain come shine. In another chance to hear this series, we begin indoors looking outside. But the weather finds us everywhere. Inside, we are out of the weather. That's the point. But when we shut the front door with relief we do not entirely shut the weather out.
In ten programmes, "During Wind and Rain" will bear witness to Britain's cultural climates across the centuries. Before the Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxons living in a wintry world wrote about the coldness of exile or the shelters they had to defend against enemies outside. The Middle Ages brought the warmth of spring; the new lyrics were sung in praise of blossoms and cuckoos. Descriptions of a rainy night are rare before 1700, but by the end of the eighteenth century the Romantics had adopted the squall as a fit subject for their most probing thoughts.
The weather is vast and yet we experience it intimately, and Alexandra Harris builds her story from small details. There is the drawing of a 12th-century man in February, warming bare toes by the fire. There is the tiny glass left behind from the Frost Fair of 1684, and the Sunspan house in Angmering that embodies the bright ambitions of the 1930s. There are distinct voices of compelling individuals. "Bloody cold," says Jonathan Swift in the "slobbery" January of 1713. Percy Shelley wants to become a cloud and John Ruskin wants to bottle one. "A British History in Weather" is a celebration of British air and a life story of those who have lived in it.
With music by Jon Nicholls.
A BBC Audio production, made in Bristol
SUN 00:30 Short Works (m000mcpt)
Where There's Muck There's Brass
From Fact To Fiction: Where There's Much There's Brass.. An original new story for radio reflecting topical events, written by Colin Hough.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000mhxq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000mhxs)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000mhxv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m000mhxx)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m000mhxz)
The Parish Church of St Thomas, Norbury in Hazel Grove, Stockport
Bells on Sunday comes from the Parish Church of St Thomas, Norbury in Hazel Grove, Stockport. Originally cast as a peal of six bells in the late seventeenth century, they were augmented to eight with the addition of two new trebles in 1925. We hear them ringing Cambridge Surprise Major.
SUN 05:45 Profile (m000mhxf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News (m000ml98)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (b03j8ksm)
Mapping the Territory
A lifelong fascination with maps leads Tom Robinson on an unexpected journey into the space between the map and the territory.
With readings from Simon Garfield, Dylan Thomas and Jorge Luis Borges and music by, among others, The Divine Comedy, Sally Beamish and Radiohead performed by Christopher O'Riley.
Readers: Adjoa Andoh and Jonathan Keeble
Produced by Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m000ml9b)
Salt Path Farm
Verity Sharp visits farmer and author of 'The Salt Path' Raynor Winn in Cornwall. Since writing her book about walking the South West coast path, Raynor and her husband Moth have taken on a neglected cider farm near Fowey, and are bringing it back to its former glory. They tell Verity how working with the land and nature continues to help with Moth's health, as he struggles with a rare brain disease, and Raynor talks about her new book, 'The Wild Silence'.
Produced by Beatrice Fenton.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m000ml9d)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m000ml9g)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m000ml9j)
Edward Stourton a look at the ethical and religious issues of the week.
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m000mk31)
MPS Society
Kelly Mills, whose daughter has MPS lll, makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the MPS Society.
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 ‘MPS Society’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘MPS Society’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 1143472 & SCO41012
SUN 07:57 Weather (m000ml9l)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m000ml9n)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m000ml9q)
400th Anniversary of the Mayflower
Four hundred years ago this week, a small ship set sail from Plymouth to the New World. Its passengers were in search of a better life. Some were seeking religious freedom, others a fresh start in a different land. The Right Reverend Nick McKinnel, Bishop of Plymouth, reflects on the story of the Mayflower and the significance of this voyage for today's world.
Producer: Dan Tierney.
Readings:
Exodus 14: 21-22; 26-30
Hebrews 11: 13-16 and 12:1-2
Introit:
They that in Ships unto the Sea down go (Psalm 107), from “They that in Ships unto the Sea down go: Music For the Mayflower” (Resonus), performed by Passamezzo
Hymns:
Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer (Cwm Rhondda)
Eternal Father, Strong to Save (Melita)
Who Would True Valour See (Monk’s Gate)
(sung by St Martin's Voices, directed by Andrew Earis)
Anthems:
Never Weather Beaten Sail (Thomas Campion) from “They that in Ships unto the Sea down go: Music For the Mayflower” (Resonus), performed by Passamezzo
O Sing unto the Lord a New Song (Thomas Tomkins), performed by The Tallis Scholars
Drop, Drop Slow Tears (Orlando Gibbons), performed by Voces8
Instrumental music:
The Inconstancy of the World (Anonymous)
Love's Constancy - Corydon's Resolution (Thomas Ford)
The Bird’s Dance (Anonymous)
(from “They that in Ships unto the Sea down go: Music For the Mayflower” (Resonus), performed by Passamezzo)
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m000mcq8)
Having the 'Wrong' Politics
"As the culture war has heated up," writes Zoe Strimpel, "every word and tweet is vested with the insignia of identity, and neutrality is no longer an acceptable carpet under which to hide."
Zoe discusses how subjects which were, until fairly recently, little more than sources of minor disagreements now form "the basis of warring social groups."
Producer: Adele Armstrong
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b02twpwl)
Kingfisher
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. Steve Backshall presents the kingfisher.
The Ancient Greeks knew the kingfisher as Halcyon and believed that the female built her nest on the waves, calming the seas while she brooded her eggs: hence the expression Halcyon days, which we use now for periods of tranquillity.
Kingfishers can bring in over 100 fish a day to their large broods and the resulting collection of bones and offal produces a stench that doesn't match the bird's attractive appearance.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m000ml9s)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell.
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m000ml9v)
Writers, Naylah Ahmed & Caroline Harrington
Director, Julie Beckett
Editor, Jeremy Howe
Jolene Archer ….. Buffy Davis
Kenton Archer ….. Richard Attlee
Lilian Bellamy ….. Sunny Ormonde
Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin
Emma Grundy ….. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Tracy Horrobin ….. Susie Riddell
Lynda Snell ….. Carole Boyd
Robert Snell ….. Graham Blockey
SUN 10:55 Tweet of the Day (m000ml9x)
Tweet Take 5: Raven
The largest of Britain's corvids, the raven has for centuries inspired folklaw, superstition and admiration. Even the scientific name Corvus corax brings authority to this member of the crow family with an advanced intellect. Possessing an extraordinary vocabulary ravens were once widespread scavengers across Britain but centuries of persecution drove them to near extinction in the wild-lands to the far west of the British Isles. Today their presence is spreading back into their home range bringing their sonorous calls to the cities once again. In this extended version of Tweet of the Day we head from Sir David Attenborough, from nature writer Paul Evans and Chris Jones on his rescued raven, Ringo.
Produced by Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio in Bristol
SUN 11:00 The Reunion (m000ml9z)
Virago Press
Kirsty Wark reunites those involved in the founding and early years of the feminist publishing company Virago.
In 1973, a group of women got together to form Virago Press. They wanted a publisher that would publish books for “52 per cent of the population”.
The company’s first book was an oral history of an isolated rural East Anglian village. Mary Chamberlain’s Fenwomen was denounced by the News of the World for its alleged portrayal of the sex and sleaze of village life.
Virago went on to publish many influential authors including Maya Angelou, Angela Carter, Sheila Rowbotham, Margaret Atwood and Sarah Waters.
It also became known for republishing lost works from women authors of the past under the banner of Virago Modern Classics.
Taking part are Ursula Owen, one of the original founders; Alexandra Pringle, who became Virago's Editorial Director; Lennie Goodings, former publicist, now current chair of Virago; Mary Chamberlain who was the company's first published author with the oral history Fenwomen; and the biographer and critic Hermione Lee who contributed to numerous Virago editions over the years.
Producer: Howard Shannon
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 11:45 The Rise and Fall of the Antique (b0bdvhxt)
New for Olde
Travis Elborough charts the rise and fall of the antique, examining how, ultimately, the present always dictates which bits of yesteryear we deem worthy of collecting.
In the second episode, he continues his survey of the history of the antiques business, charting the brisk trade in artefacts between Britain and America in the 1920s and 1930s. He singles out the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst as an extreme example of an avid collector of all things antique, including whole buildings.
Interviewees include antiques expert John Bly, historian Dr Eleanor Quince, of the University of Southampton, and Victoria Kastner, author of Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country House and State Historian for the San Luis Obispo Coast District, California State Parks.
Producer: Sheila Cook
SUN 12:00 News Summary (m000mlb2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:04 The Museum of Curiosity (m000mblv)
Series 15
Episode 1
Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and the Museum’s brand new curator Alice Levine are joined by writer and presenter Danny Wallace, broadcaster and tech expert Georgia Lewis Anderson and Agatha Christie’s great-grandson and CEO of Agatha Christie Ltd James Prichard.
This week, the Museum’s Guest Committee donate a giant balloon, a mobile phone inside a crystal ball and Agatha Christie’s favourite mug.
In this series of The Museum of Curiosity, John and Alice are recording from various locations around their fictional Museum. This week they’re out on the front lawn but over the series they will also visit the canteen, the lost property office and the top of the Museum’s roof. This series was recorded remotely in June/July 2020.
The Museum’s exhibits were catalogued by Mike Shephard, Mike Turner and Emily Jupitus and Lydia Mizon of QI.
The Producers were Anne Miller and Victoria Lloyd.
Edited by Andrew Smilie.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m000mj2x)
The Ice Cream Van: A Celebration.
Dan Saladino and his dad Bobo (a former ice-cream man) talk Mr Whippy, 99s and Screwballs. Together Dan and Bobo (who also used to work in restaurants) have explored the wonders of pizza, and looked at the rise of 'Spag Bol,' Now they turn their attention to the history, science and magic of ice-cream on wheels.
Featuring John Dickie (author of Delizia and The Craft) and Polly Russell (British Library) on the history of ice cream.
Graphic novelist Matthew Dooley (who drew the image for this edition) talks about his book Flake, a drama set in the world of ice-cream vans.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.
SUN 12:57 Weather (m000mlb5)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m000mlb7)
Global news and analysis, presented by Mark Mardell.
SUN 13:30 The Listening Project (m000mlb9)
Capturing the nation in conversation to build a unique picture of our lives today and preserve it for future generations.
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m000mcpr)
GQT at Home: Episode Twenty-Four
Kathy Clugston hosts the horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts. Christine Walkden, Bob Flowerdew and Matthew Wilson answer the questions.
In a GQT first, the panel are joined by a virtual audience tuning in from home, to discuss the best hops to grow, whether the challenge of growing 164 plants in a garden is possible, and their favourite dance to do when a plant finally flowers.
Away from the questions, Chris Thorogood has ventured off in the cover of darkness to find one of the few cacti pollinated by bats, and Humaira Ikram is curing her wanderlust by designing a space with inspiration from Japan.
Producer - Hannah Newton
Assistant Producer - Rosie Merotra
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 Living National Treasures (m000g3jc)
Episode 2
We have become divorced from physicality. Technology detaches us from touch and provenance. This, in part, has contributed to the boom in artisanal crafts. It's a call back to more tactile experiences. We're learning to craft, to forage, to paint, to build; gravitating towards skills which can replace some of the sensory connections from which we've disengaged. We want to literally get our hands dirty!
Living National Treasures seeks to represent this societal shift. This series is about celebrating existing ability and drawing attention to our own Living National Treasures.
Victoria Hall lives in Norfolk. Victoria is a paper marbler and has been doing it all her working life. She works out of a workshop near Fakenham in Norfolk where she replicates historic marbled papers to help restore antique books. The marbled papers are made by floating watercolours on a slightly viscous liquid prepared from seaweed called carrageen moss and then laying the paper on it to transfer the design. There are only a handful of people working professionally in this field.
While the Living National Treasure tradition began in Japan - where they also commend buildings and monuments as 'National Treasures' - the celebratory trend has now been adopted by France, Thailand, South Korea and Romania. Living National Treasures are defined as people who possess a high degree of knowledge and skill in a culturally significant craft.
Living National Treasures is a combination of slow radio, artisanal craft and poignant personal stories. We get under the skin of practitioners, learning why they've chosen rare and unusual crafts.
Produced by Kate Bissell
SUN 15:00 Drama (m000mlbc)
Half of a Yellow Sun
Episode 2
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's remarkable novel set during the Nigeria-Biafra War of the late 1960s, dramatised by Janice Okoh.
With the continued bombing of Biafra and the danger coming ever closer, Olanna, Odenigbo, Ugwu, and Baby are forced to flee again. They move forward with courage even when living conditions get progressively worse and food and money run out. An unexpected visit from Kainene brings some hope for their future.
A powerful, compassionate depiction of the human tragedy of those caught up in Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic and the chilling violence and trauma that followed.
NARRATOR..... Ben Onwukwe
OLANNA..... Susan Wokoma
ODENIGBO..... Adetomiwa Edun
MRS MUOKELU/ EBERECHI..... Adeyinka Akinrinade
UGWU.....Valentine Olukoga
RICHARD.....Blake Ritson
KAINENE.....Nikki Amuka-Bird
MADU.....Okezie Morro
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes
SUN 16:00 Open Book (m000mkjj)
Donal Ryan, Libraries in Fiction, Campus Novels
Sathnam Sanghera talks to the Irish writer Donal Ryan about Strange Flowers. Set in 1973, it tells the story of twenty-year-old Moll Gladney who takes a morning bus from her rural home and disappears. After five long years she returns home with an estranged husband and son from a very different life. A portrait of familial love, Donal Ryan talks about his own loss and how it shaped the heart of the novel.
As September always means a new term, Sathnam reflects on the state of the campus novel with author of The Truants, Kate Weinberg, and Brandon Taylor, long listed for this year's Booker Prize for his campus novel Real Life.
And as libraries are often the place where many of us first fall in love with books, it's of no surprise that they feature heavily in the books we love. Author of The Midnight Library, Matt Haig, shares with us his favourite libraries in fiction.
SUN 16:30 A Manual For Dreaming Womxn (m000mlbf)
What’s the most compelling dream you’ve ever had? Poet Rachel Long would like to hear about it. In this workshop-for-radio, she leads the listener in a dreamy guide – how to turn our night-time sequences into a poetic form.
With the help of poet and psychoanalyst Nuar Alsadir, poet and playwright Caroline Bird and literary editor Kishani Widyaratna, Rachel explores the links between dreams and poetry, including her own. How might we transform our sleep-time wanderings into something more than just a funny story for the morning?
Dreams can be many things - they are narratives constructed and experienced in image; a portal into our unconscious and, more simply, a way to keep our mind occupied while sleeping. But Rachel argues, we can also harness their metaphoric capabilities to deepen our understanding of poetry, and the process of writing poems. Not only that, but poets really can use their unconscious as a guide for their writing.
Rachel Long is a poet and founder of Octavia Poetry Collective for Women of Colour, which is housed at Southbank Centre, in London. Her debut collection, My Darling from the Lions, was published by Picador this year, and has been nominated for the Forward Prize for best first collection.
Presented by Rachel Long
Produced by Eliza Lomas
Mixed by Olga M Reed
A Boom Shakalaka production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 17:00 File on 4 (m000mczc)
Covid 19: The Long Road to Recovery
After Coronavirus, the survivors left with life-changing and long term conditions. The physical and psychological aftermath of Covid 19 and the pressure on rehabilitation services. Nearly 3 million people in the UK have had symptomatic coronavirus. More than one hundred thousand so severely, they needed hospital treatment.
This is a new disease, so doctors are guessing when it comes to the symptoms people will have long term.
But it’s clear this virus has a sting in its tail. The sickest patients have damage to their lungs and kidney which could be permanent. Some research shows the risk of heart attack or stroke is high. File on 4 talks to people living with the after effects of Covid 19 who say surviving was just the beginning. There are a multiotide of physical after effects - and many more have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. People describe flashbacks to the ITU, seeing people die, overhearing their last goodbyes with loved ones on phone or the internet.
Patients who were hospitalised get follow-ups, and referrals for rehabilitation and possibly, counselling.
But what of the hundreds of thousands of other people who fell ill and who, if it weren’t a pandemic, might have gone to hospital, but were told to stay at home?
Researchers say there are at least 300,000 people who have had symptoms of Coronavirus for more than a month – so called Long Haul Covid.
Many are young and previously fit. They say they had a mild case of the virus. But they have been floored by the symptoms that followed – breathlessness, racing heart, weakness. And they're struggling to get care and support.
Reporter: Jane Deith
Producer: Helen Clifton
Editor: Carl Johnston
SUN 17:40 Profile (m000mhxf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m000mlbh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
SUN 17:57 Weather (m000mlbk)
The latest weather forecast.
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000mlbm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m000mlbp)
Caz Graham
The best of BBC Radio this week.
SUN 19:00 The Whisperer In Darkness (m000mlbr)
Episode 7
An unexpected phone call turns Matthew Heawood’s attention to a mystery in the gloom of Rendlesham Forest. Folklore, paranormal, otherworldly? Up for debate, but fertile ground for a new investigative podcast, that’s for sure. One question still lingers, will our host be re-joined by his roaming researcher, Kennedy Fisher?
The duo’s last venture patched together frantic updates from Baghdad, as they pursued suspected occultists in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Very little hope lingered of solving the mystery, and maybe even less that Kennedy would return home safe. But for now, a new investigation calls.
Following the success of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, (Silver, British Podcast Awards) Radio 4 commissions a return to this HP Lovecraft-inspired universe. Once again, the podcast embraces Lovecraft’s crypt of horror, braving the Sci-Fi stylings of The Whisperer in Darkness.
Episode Seven
Heawood sets up a new investigation after receiving disturbing information from an army contact.
Cast:
Kennedy Fisher.................JANA CARPENTER
Matthew Heawood...........BARNABY KAY
Army friend………………..….STEPHEN MACKINTOSH
Walter Brown………………….KARL JOHNSON
Producer: Karen Rose
Director/Writer: Julian Simpson
Sound Recordist and Designer: David Thomas
Production Coordinators: Sarah Tombling and Holly Slater
Music by Tim Elsenburg
Executive Producer: Caroline Raphael
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
SUN 19:15 Dot (b08pdxl5)
Series 2
Teeth
by Ed Harris
Comic adventures with Dot and the gals from personnel. The fellas are going squiffy over Myrtle's new gnashers, and as Hollywood beckons, how will Dot take the news she is no longer the star of her own show? Ed Harris' rollicking war time comedy set in the personnel department of the Cabinet Rooms. Stars Fenella Woolgar.
SUN 19:45 The New Adventures of Baron Munchausen (m000mlbt)
Episode 5
Putting his Presidential round of golf behind him, the Baron takes off on the final stage of his journey.
This specially commissioned series from James Robertson celebrating travel, adventure and the importance of storytelling is read by William Gaminara.
Our hero is a descendant of the original 18th century Baron Munchausen, whose tall tales inspired a book that would forever link the family name with fibs and exaggeration. Eager to redress the balance, the current Baron dedicates himself to setting down the unvarnished truth about his own exploits.
James writes, “The present-day Baron’s adventures are no less incredible, but in his case every detail has a rational explanation and not one word is an exaggeration or a lie. He flies with swans, sails, sledges and balloons his way round the world, is swallowed by a whale, encounters wolves and alligators, fights bush fires in Australia, orbits the moon and plays golf with the President of the USA. He does the kind of things, in other words, that have been denied to the rest of us for the last five months. Realism, escapism or a mixture of the two? Judge for yourselves.”
James Robertson is an award-winning poet, novelist and short story writer whose books include ‘Joseph Knight’, ‘And The Land Lay Still’ and ‘To Be Continued...’.
Produced by Eilidh McCreadie
SUN 20:00 More or Less (m000mb06)
Covid cases rising, a guide to life’s risks, and racing jelly-fish
A jump in the number of UK Covid-19 cases reported by the government has led to fears coronavirus is now spreading quickly again. What do the numbers tell us about how worried we should be? Plus a guide to balancing life’s risks in the time of coronavirus, the government’s targets on test and trace, and a suspicious statistic about the speed of jelly-fish.
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m000mcpw)
Stuart King, Comrade Duch, Deirdre Le Faye, David Bryant CBE
Pictured: Stuart King
Julian Worricker on:
Stuart King, who co-founded a humanitarian charity which involved perilous flights to southern Africa in light aircraft straight after the war....
The Khmer Rouge executioner, known as Comrade Duch, found guilty of some of the worst atrocities carried out by that regime in Cambodia....
Deirdre Le Faye, a scholar and professor, whose knowledge of the life and works of Jane Austen has been described as 'unparalleled'.....
And the man with the pipe whose success on the bowling greens raised the profile of his sport, David Bryant.
Interviewed guest: Max Grove
Interviewed guest: Jonathan Head
Interviewed guest: Nic Dunlop
Interviewed guest: Dr Gillian Dow
Interviewed guest: David Rhys Jones
Producer: Neil George
Archive clips from: 70 Years of MAF, MAF 2020; Remembering D-Day, MAF 2020; Today, Radio 4 30/03/2009; Comrade Duch Dies, Bloomberg Quick Take News 02/09/2020; Duch Statements Apology, Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia 15/08/2012; Jane Austen’s iPod, Radio 4 06/06/2010; 11th Commonwealth Games 1978, BBC Sound Archive, 10/08/1978; David Bryant Interviewed by Brian Roberts, Today, Radio 4 01/11/1966; Bowling Tips From David Bryant, Bowls UK 18/09/2016.
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m000mhwq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m000mk31)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 In Business (m000mchz)
Wine, Widgets and Brexit
As Brexit trade talks between the European Union and the UK got under way earlier this year, before everyone was using the word “pandemic”, Caroline Bayley began following two companies which both export to Britain– one in France, one in Germany – to see how they were planning for trade with the UK outside of the EU. One is a vineyard and wine business in Bordeaux and the other makes components for kitchen furniture and cabinets in Germany. Both were knocked sideways by the coronavirus but have still had to prepare for future business with the UK with or without a trade deal.
Presenter and producer Caroline Bayley
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m000mlbw)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.
SUN 23:00 The Film Programme (m000mchg)
Sally Potter
With Antonia Quirke.
Writer/director Sally Potter discusses her new feature film The Roads Not Taken and why she dedicated it to her late brother Nic. She describes her experience of the coronavirus and why it became both a sad and productive time for her.
Antonia visits the community cinema The Phoenix in Oban, as they prepare to open their doors for the first time in 5 months. Everything is ready for the big day, except for one thing: the films themselves. They are being sent by courier to the west coast of Scotland and with 24 hours to go, they still haven't arrived.
SUN 23:30 Something Understood (b03j8ksm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:05 today]
MONDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2020
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m000mlby)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m0001jpz)
Au pairing and domestic labour
With her 1974 study The Sociology of Housework, Ann Oakley offered a comprehensive sociological study of women’s work in the home. Analysing interviews with urban housewives, she found that most women, regardless of class, were dissatisfied with housework. It was a finding that contrasted with prevailing perspectives, and a study that challenged the scholarly neglect of housework. Now that this landmark text has been reissued, Ann talks to Laurie Taylor about its significance and reflects on what has changed in the decades since it was published.
Also, Rosie Cox discusses her co-authored study of au pairing in the twenty first century, As an Equal? Drawing on detailed research, the book examines the lives of au pairs and the families who host them in contemporary Britain, arguing that au pairing has become increasingly indistinguishable from other forms of domestic labour. Revised repeat.
Producer: Alice Bloch
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m000mhxz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000mlc0)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000mlc2)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000mlc5)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m000mlc9)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000mlcf)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with Fr John McLuckie of Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m000mlcj)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
MON 05:56 Weather (m000mlcl)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b02tvys6)
Osprey
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Steve Backshall presents the osprey. Ospreys are fish-eaters and the sight of one of these majestic birds plunging feet first to catch its prey is a sight to cherish. The return of the ospreys is one of the great UK conservation stories. After extinction through egg-collecting and shooting in the 19th and early 20th centuries, birds returned in the 1950s and have responded well to protection.
MON 06:00 Today (m000mkgy)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m000mkh0)
The Radical Agenda
Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour movement promised radical change but ended disastrously with the 2019 general election. Labour insider and activist Owen Jones looks back over the last decade and tells Andrew Marr why the election went so badly wrong. In his new book, This Land: The Story of a Movement, he also reflects on the future of the Left in an age of upheaval.
Sylvia Pankhurst was born into one of Britain’s most famous activist families. Her biographer Rachel Holmes argues that, although less well-known than her mother and sister, Sylvia was the most revolutionary of them all. In Natural Born Rebel, Holmes celebrates the radical life of a true internationalist.
But politics can often appear to be a game between the radical fringes and the centre ground. The Times columnist and former Conservative Party adviser Danny Finkelstein has long applauded moderation. In a collection of his newspaper writings, Everything in Moderation, he argues that the political centre is less about ideology and more about temperament.
Producer: Katy Hickman
MON 09:45 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mkjq)
Episode 1
Acclaimed journalist Barbara Demick's new book tells the story of modern Tibet's troubled history through the eyes of the people of one town. The reader is Laurel Lefkow.
In 1950, China claimed sovereignty over Tibet, leading to decades of unrest and resistance. In her new book, Barbara Demick tells the story of Tibet's struggles through the stories of the townspeople of Ngaba. A defiant town on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau, Ngaba made international headlines in 2009 when the first of dozens of Tibetans shocked the world by self-immolating.
Barbara Demick tells Tibet's modern history through the lives of Ngaba's inhabitants, from the last princess of the region, to ordinary townspeople and its monks, creating an illuminating portrait of what life is like for today's Tibetans who struggle to maintain their identity in the face of one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Barbara Demick won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nothing to Envy (Granta, 2010), her seminal book on North Korea. She is also the author of Besieged (Granta, 2012), her account of the war in Sarajevo, which won the George Polk Award, the Robert F Kennedy Award and was shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize. She lives in New York.
Abridged by Penny Leicester.
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000mkh4)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
MON 10:45 Life Lines (m000mkh6)
Series 4
Episode 1
Al Smith's drama series set in an ambulance control room where Carrie the call handler must deal with heart-stopping situations. Today a baby is found in a bin.
Carrie ..... Sarah Ridgeway
Will ..... Rick Warden
Ian ..... Mike Jibson
Naomi….. Clare Corbett
Robin ….. Samuel James
Ange ….. Jane Whittenshaw
Iris ….. Cecilia Appiah
Directed by Sally Avens
Al Smith's award-winning drama series set in an ambulance control room where Carrie the call handler must deal with heart-stopping situations. Today a baby is abandoned in a bin and Carrie thinks she knows who the mother is.
Life Lines has twice won best series in the Audio Drama Awards in 2017 and 2019. Al Smith, the writer, is a graduate of the BBC Writers Academy and has been a broadcast Hot Shot. In 2012 Al won the BFI Wellcome Trust Screenwriting Prize. Storytelling at the ARIAS, the Radio Academy Awards and he was nominated for the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright at the 2017 Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
Sarah Ridgeway worked with Al on his play ‘Harrogate’. Sarah won best actress in the OFFIES for Fury at the Soho theatre.
MON 11:00 Vaccines, Money and Politics (m000mkh8)
How to make a vaccine
What will it really take to vaccinate the world against Covid 19? Nearly every person on the planet is vulnerable to the new coronavirus, SarsCoV2. That’s why there are more than 100 projects around the world racing towards the goal of creating a safe and effective vaccine for the disease it causes, Covid19, in the next 12 to 18 months. But this is just the first part of a long and complex process, working at a pace and scale never attempted before. Sandra Kanthal looks at the vast ecosystem needed to deliver a vaccination programme to the world in record time. This will require billions of pounds, and probably more than one successful candidate to meet the global demand. The world will need to secure supply chains in order to avoid shortages of vital supplies like medical glass. Companies will have to manufacture the most promising candidates even before they know if the vaccines will work, otherwise the process will be further delayed. What plans are in place to make this all happen - and will they work?
Produced and Presented by Sandra Kanthal
MON 11:30 Loose Ends (m000mhxc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
MON 12:00 News Summary (m000mkmy)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mkhg)
Episode 1
No Longer at Ease is the classic 1960s novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.
It's the story of an Igbo man, Obi Okonkwo, who leaves his village for an education in Britain and then a job in the Nigerian colonial civil service, but is conflicted between his African culture and Western lifestyle and ends up taking a bribe. The novel is the second work in what is sometimes referred to as the "African trilogy", following Things Fall Apart and preceding Arrow of God.
No Longer at Ease continues many of the themes from Achebe's first novel. Here, the clash between European and traditional cultures has become entrenched during the long period of colonial rule. Obi struggles to balance the demands of his family and village for monetary support while simultaneously keeping up with the materialism of Western society.
Written by Chinua Achebe
Abridged by Jane Rogers
Read by Paterson Joseph
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
MON 12:18 You and Yours (m000mkhj)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.
MON 12:57 Weather (m000mkhl)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (m000mkhn)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
MON 13:45 Blood Lands (m0006zx5)
Blood on the Wall
Blood Lands is a true story told in five parts which takes us to the heart of modern South Africa.
At dusk on a warm evening in 2016, two men arrive, unexpectedly, at a remote South African farmhouse. The frenzy that follows will come to haunt a community, destroying families, turning neighbours into traitors, prompting street protests and threats of violence, and dividing the small farming and tourist town of Parys along racial lines. Blood Lands is a murder investigation, a political drama, a courtroom thriller, and a profound exploration of the enduring tensions threatening the “rainbow nation". Over the course of three years, correspondent Andrew Harding has followed every twist of the police’s hunt for the killers, the betrayals that opened the door to an explosive trial, and the fortunes of all those involved – from the dead men’s families to the handful of men controversially selected for prosecution.
Presenter, Andrew Harding
Producer, Becky Lipscombe
Editor, Bridget Harney
MON 14:00 Drama (m000mkhq)
Oil on Water
From the novel by Helon Habila. Dramatised by Rex Obano.
A contemporary thriller about neocolonial corruption, ecological devastation and journalistic ethics in the badlands of the oil rich Niger Delta. Two reporters risk everything in search of the perfect story after the British wife of an oil company executive is kidnapped.
Port Harcourt, Nigeria - Rufus is yet to make his mark as a journalist. When he accepts an assignment to interview the hostage held by militants, he finds himself shoulder to shoulder with Zaq, a one-time legendary reporter now in painful alcoholic decline. Together, they form an unlikely bond as they set out up river in search of the kidnapped women. But they have forgotten that there’s no such thing as the perfect story in a region where exposing the truth can get you killed.
Set in a filmic world of mangrove swamps, floating villages, and jungle shrines, this taut and suspenseful thriller has echoes of Graham Greene or Joseph Conrad.
Cast:
Rufus ….. Idris Debrand
Zaq ….. Cyril Nri
Gloria ….. Tamara Lawrance
The Major & The Professor ….. Danny Sapani
Naman & Ibiram ….. Peter Bankole
Tamuno & other voices …. Seun Shote
Joseph, & other voices ….. Uché Gabriel Akujobi
Michael ….. Jordan Nash
James Floode ….. Matthew Gravelle
Isabel Floode ….. Claire Price
Other characters are voiced by the cast
Sound Design ….. Adam Woodhams
Mixing ….. Steve Bond
Executive Producer ….. Sara Davies
Produced and Directed by Nicolas Jackson
An Afonica production for BBC Radio 4
MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (m000mkhs)
Heat 12, 2020
(12/17)
In the last of the heats in the 2020 series, Russell Davies puts another four contenders through their paces. The winner will take the last of the automatic places in the semi-finals, and the scores today will also determine which four of the runners-up go through with the highest points totals. The contest was recorded under special safe conditions with no audience present.
Appearing today are
Ricki Kendall, a personal tutor from Spalding in Lincolnshire
Stephen Longridge, a retired bank employee from London
Manuel Lovell, an insurance recruiter from London
Mat Williams, a market researcher from Tonbridge in Kent.
A listener also gets the chance to Beat the Brains, by stumping them with questions he or she has suggested.
Producer: Paul Bajoria
MON 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m000mkhv)
BBC National Short Story Award 2020
National Short Story Awards – Story 1
The first story in contention for the prestigious BBC National Short Story Award 2020.
From the short and pithy to the layered and literary, via robust poetics, family hierarchies and maligned youth, this year’s shortlist is the perfect reflection of all this ever-flexible fictional form can do. As a star-studded cast celebrate the fifteenth year of the BBC National Short Story award with Cambridge University, the short story, be it humorous, witty or poignant, retains its ability to surprise, delight and move us in equal measure.
Now in its fifteenth year, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious for a single short story. Following the announcement of the shortlist on Radio 4's Front Row, on Friday, 11th September, the five stories in contention for the 2020 award will be broadcast each weekday afternoon on Radio 4 at half past three from Monday, 14th September. Each of the shortlisted writers will be interviewed the evening preceding the broadcast of their story on Front Row, and the winner will be announced live on the programme Tuesday 6th October. All the stories will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast, and there will be a special edition of the Short Story podcast for each to download.
For links and the most up to date information go to bbc.co.uk/nssa.
Read by Ben Bailey Smith
Produced by Ciaran Bermingham
MON 16:00 My Dream Dinner Party (m000mkhx)
Simon Schama's Dream Dinner Party
Historian, writer and broadcaster Sir Simon Schama hosts a dinner party with a twist - all his guests are from beyond the grave, long-time heroes brought back to life by the wonders of the radio archive.
In his house in upstate New York, Simon is joined by acclaimed singer songwriter Nina Simone, When Harry Met Sally writer/director Nora Ephron, Broadway performer Elaine Stritch, writer and essayist Gore Vidal and master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.
In honour of Alfred's film The Birds, Simon prepares roast quail, while the guests discuss the secret of happiness, music and film as political tools, the origins of fear, love, lust - and having an orgasm in public.
There's gourmet food, performance, a bust up – and the occasional howl from the woods.
Written and presented by Simon Schama
Produced by Sarah Peters and Peregrine Andrews
Researcher: Edgar Maddicott
BBC Archivist: Tariq Hussein
Executive Producer: Iain Chambers
A Tuning Fork and Open Audio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 16:30 Beyond Belief (m000mkhz)
Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world.
MON 17:00 PM (m000mkj1)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000mkj5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 18:30 The Museum of Curiosity (m000mkj7)
Series 15
Episode 2
Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and the Museum’s latest curator Alice Levine are joined by comedian and podcaster Suzi Ruffell, chef and presenter Ainsley Harriott and writer and creator of Bridget Jones, Helen Fielding.
This week, the Museum’s Guest Committee donate a Dutch upright bicycle, the welwitschia mirabilis plant and the Victoria Falls.
In this series of The Museum of Curiosity, John and Alice are recording from various locations around their fictional Museum. This week they’ve climbed up to the top of the Museum’s roof. Over the series they will also visit the canteen, the lost property office and get stuck in the Museum lift. This series was recorded remotely in June/July 2020.
The Museum’s exhibits were catalogued by Mike Shephard, Mike Turner and Emily Jupitus and Lydia Mizon of QI.
The Producers were Anne Miller and Victoria Lloyd.
The Production Coordinator was Mabel Wright.
Edited by David Thomas.
MON 19:00 The Archers (m000mj21)
Susan makes a discovery and Emma’s on the warpath.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m000mkj9)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
MON 19:45 Life Lines (m000mkh6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
MON 20:00 A Short History of Solitude (m000mkjc)
Episode Three: Locked Down
In this final episode, the historian Thomas Dixon explores solitary confinement, loneliness, and what happens when naturally sociable humans are forced into isolation.
Sarah Shourd was held in solitary confinement in Iran and now campaigns against it. In the US, around 80,000 people are held in solitary confinement on any one day. Some of them have been there for decades. It's a startling figure for a shocking practice that many, including Charles Dickens who encountered it on a visit to the United States in 1842, have described as torture.
The keeping of prisoners in extreme isolation began in the late 18th Century as a way to encourage repentance, hence the word "penitentiary". It was devised by reforming Quakers, who believed that all humans were capable of redemption, whatever their crimes, and were keen to see the end of cruel punishments like flogging. It was used in English prisons too including at Reading Gaol where Oscar Wilde was held in isolation for more than a year.
We are often told that we are in the middle of an epidemic or even pandemic of loneliness, but what does that mean? With the help of the historians Fay Bound Alberti and David Vincent, and the epidemiologist Daisy Fancourt, we excavate the idea and history of loneliness. Daisy has been conducting a large scale research project during the Covid-19 lockdown and explains how different groups have reacted to social distancing and self-isolation.
Other contributors include the philosopher Lisa Guenther and anthropologist Leo Coleman.
With music composed and performed by Beth Porter.
Barbara Taylor runs the research project Pathologies of Solitude and is academic adviser to the series.
Produced by Natalie Steed
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (m000mcgw)
The Trouble with Dutch Cows
The Netherlands - small and overcrowded - is facing fundamental questions about how to use its land, following a historic court judgment forcing the state to take more urgent action to limit nitrogen emissions. Dutch nitrogen emissions - damaging the climate and biodiversity - are the highest in Europe per capita. And though traffic and building are also partly to blame, farmers say the government is principally looking to agriculture to make the necessary reductions. They've staged a series of protests - what they call a farmers' uprising - in response to a suggestion from a leading politician that the number of farm animals in the country should be cut by half. This is meant to bring down levels of ammonia, a nitrogen compound produced by dung and urine. The proposal comes even though their cows, pigs and chickens have helped make the tiny Netherlands into the world's second biggest exporter of food. Farmers think they're being sacrificed so that the construction industry, also responsible for some nitrogen pollution, can have free rein to keep building, as the country's population, boosted by immigration, grows relentlessly. What do the Dutch want most - cows or houses? Will there be any room in the future for the ever-shrinking patches of nature? And in a hungry world, shouldn't the country concentrate on one of the things it's best at - feeding people? Tim Whewell travels through a country that must make big choices, quickly.
MON 21:00 Broad Spectrum (m000mcyj)
Autism is a lifelong condition, often seen as particularly ‘male’. Yet a growing number of women, and those assigned female at birth, are being diagnosed as autistic in their 30s, 40s, 50s - and beyond. Writer and performer Helen Keen is one of them, and she’s found this diagnosis has helped her make sense of many aspects of her life, from growing up with selective mutism, to struggling to fit in as a young adult. In this programme Helen asks why she, like a growing number of others, had to wait till she was well into adulthood before finding her place on the autistic spectrum. She discovers that for many years psychologists believed that autism was rarely seen in women and non-binary people. Now it is accepted that people often display autistic traits in different ways, for example, they may learn to ‘camouflage’ and behave in a neurotypical way - but at what cost? Helen talks to others like her who have had late diagnoses and finds out if knowing they are on the autistic spectrum has given them insight into how they can navigate the pressures on them from contemporary society. She also explores how we can value and celebrate neurodiversity.
Helen also talks to psychologists Professor Francesca Happé , of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience in London, and Dr Steven Stagg of Anglia Ruskin University about their research into autism.
MON 21:30 Start the Week (m000mkh0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m000mkjg)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
MON 22:45 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mkhg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
MON 23:00 Open Book (m000mkjj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000mkjl)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament.
TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2020
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m000mkjn)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 00:30 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mkjq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000mkjs)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000mkjv)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000mkjx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m000mkjz)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000mkk1)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with Fr John McLuckie of Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m000mkk3)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b02tym17)
Red-backed Shrike
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. Steve Backshall presents the red-backed shrike.
Red-backed shrikes were once regular summer visitors to scrubby hillsides and heathery commons and are handsome birds; males have a grey head, reddish-brown back, black and white tail and a black bandit-mask. They were known as butcher birds from their habit of storing prey by impaling it on a thorn or a barbed-wire fence. Now they're one of our rarest breeding birds.
TUE 06:00 Today (m000mj14)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m000mj18)
Sarah Gilbert on developing a vaccine for Covid-19
Sarah Gilbert started working on a vaccine for Covid-19 just as soon as the virus genome was sequenced. Within weeks, she had a proof of principle. By early April, her team at the Jenner Institute in Oxford had manufactured hundreds of doses ready for use in clinical trials. In phase one of these trials, completed in July, this vaccine was shown to be safe for use in a thousand healthy volunteers, aged between 18 and 55. It also provoked exactly the kind of immune response to Covid-19 that Sarah was hoping to achieve. Larger scale clinical trials are currently underway in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. If everything goes according to plan and the vaccine meets all the necessary regulatory standards, it will be manufactured in multiple locations including the Serum Institute in India and made available for use in low to middle income countries. AstraZeneca has already committed to making two billion doses, each costing about $4. The UK has an order in for 100 million. Sarah talks to Jim Al-Khalili about her life and work. As a young woman, she nearly gave up on a career in science. Now she’s in charge of one the most successful vaccine projects in the world. How did Sarah and her Oxford team get so far, so fast in developing a vaccine against Covid-19?
Producer: Anna Buckley
TUE 09:30 One to One (m000mj1b)
Body shape: Helen Mort & Anyika Onuora
Poet and runner Helen Mort talks to retired Olympic track and field athlete Anyika Onuora about body image in sport. In the last of three programmes about body modification and the relationship between how we present ourselves physically to the world and how we feel, Helen swaps experiences with Anyika about striving for ’the perfect image‘ and the effects training and competitive sport have on the body’s shape. Anyika reveals her lack of confidence about her body and how she managed this whilst living her life in the public eye in front of vast crowds and TV cameras. Producer Sarah Blunt
TUE 09:45 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mj35)
Episode 2
The award winning journalist Barbara Demick's new and illuminating book tells the story of modern Tibet. Today, the region's last princess is exiled to a remote part of China during the Cultural Revolution. The reader is Laurel Lefkow.
Eat the Buddha tells modern Tibet's troubled history through the eyes the people of one town, starting in the 1950s when China claimed sovereignty over Tibet, leading to decades of unrest and resistance, and bringing us up to the present day. Barbara Demick's account is an evocative portrait of what life is like for today's Tibetans who struggle to maintain their identity in the face of one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Barbara Demick won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nothing to Envy (Granta, 2010), her seminal book on North Korea. She is also the author of Besieged (Granta, 2012), her account of the war in Sarajevo, which won the George Polk Award, the Robert F Kennedy Award and was shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize. She lives in New York.
Abridged by Penny Leicester.
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000mj1g)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
TUE 10:45 Life Lines (m000mj1j)
Series 4
Episode 2
Al Smith's drama series set in an ambulance control room where Carrie the call handler must deal with heart-stopping situations. George needs help but can't recall where he lives.
Carrie ..... Sarah Ridgeway
Will ..... Rick Warden
Ian ..... Mike Jibson
George ….. Michael Bertenshaw
Hugh ….. Carl Prekopp
Directed by Sally Avens
Al Smith's award-winning drama series set in an ambulance control room where Carrie the call handler must deal with heart-stopping situations. Today a patient with dementia needs help but he can’t remember where he is and is terrified he will be put into care.
TUE 11:00 Science Stories (b07dm8tb)
Maxwell's Demon
Philip Ball explains the thought experiment, motivated by religion, that niggled physicists for a hundred years. To rescue free will from the clutches of deterministic science, James Clark Maxwell picked a hole in the second law of thermodynamics, aided by a demon. Maxwell's Demon would give us a whole new insight into the very nature of information, and what we do with it, and maybe even what the universe is made of.
Matthew Stanley, author of Huxley's Church and Maxwell's Demon, describes how Maxwell's deeply religious personality flavoured much of his thinking.
In the present day, Vlatko Vedral of Oxford University explains how the experiment Maxwell never thought physically possible is now being done in labs, and shows us how to turn information into energy.
TUE 11:30 The Green Lady in the Toilets (m000mj1m)
Singer-Songwriter Emmy the Great is looking for stories to help her write a new song. Who better to inspire her than the best bards around, school children? Taking an audio tour of playgrounds around the country, Emma encounters very strange tales of the ghostly individuals who frequent the UK's primary schools.
Characters like the Green Lady and Bloody Mary haunt the quiet, abandoned spaces of schools from Sheffield to London, spooking generations of pupils. Some appear in bathroom mirrors, others are never seen, only heard - their eerie footsteps reverberating through empty corridors.
Real or not, it’s beside the point. They play a very real role in the imaginations and friendships of the playground.
Emma asks why these stories emerge from the shady corners and abandoned spaces of schools. What can they tell us about the shady corners of the mind? She reflects on the role of these stories in helping young people make sense of the more difficult aspects of life, and learns more about the importance of ritual in the playground, with help from researchers and experts Kate Cowan, Julia Bishop and John Potter.
Emma taps into a rich vein of stories and feelings that inform her song-writing process. She experiments with acoustics and creative processes to write a song that brings some of that identity-bending, thrill-seeking, friend-forming magic of playground lore into her creative practice.
Presented by Emma Lee Moss
Produced by Claire Crofton
A Boom Shakalaka production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m000mjh3)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mj1r)
Episode 2
No Longer at Ease is the classic 1960s novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.
It's the story of an Igbo man, Obi Okonkwo, who leaves his village for an education in Britain and then a job in the Nigerian colonial civil service, but is conflicted between his African culture and Western lifestyle and ends up taking a bribe. The novel is the second work in what is sometimes referred to as the "African trilogy", following Things Fall Apart and preceding Arrow of God.
No Longer at Ease continues many of the themes from Achebe's first novel. Here, the clash between European and traditional cultures has become entrenched during the long period of colonial rule. Obi struggles to balance the demands of his family and village for monetary support while simultaneously keeping up with the materialism of Western society.
Written by Chinua Achebe
Abridged by Jane Rogers
Read by Paterson Joseph
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 12:18 You and Yours (m000mj1v)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.
TUE 12:57 Weather (m000mj1x)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (m000mj1z)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
TUE 13:45 Blood Lands (m0006zty)
Say Nothing
Blood Lands is a true story told in five parts which takes us to the heart of modern South Africa.
A white farming family falls silent following the brutal deaths of two black workers. Were the dead men really thieves? Or has South Africa’s tortured past come back to haunt a racially divided community? Blood Lands is a murder investigation, a political drama, a courtroom thriller, and a profound exploration of the enduring tensions threatening the “rainbow nation". Over the course of three years, correspondent Andrew Harding has followed every twist of the police’s hunt for the killers, the betrayals that opened the door to an explosive trial, and the fortunes of all those involved – from the dead men’s families to the handful of men controversially selected for prosecution. When a whole community is on trial, who pays the price?
Presenter, Andrew Harding
Producer, Becky Lipscombe
Editor, Bridget Harney
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m000mj21)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b0bdbqwv)
Brother of Mine
by Nathaniel Price
Directed by Sally Avens
Walter has always looked up to his older brother and Nigel has always been there for him. But how well do you really know anyone?
When Nigel is accused of a serious crime their relationship will never be the same again.
Nathaniel Price has been selected as part of the 2017 BBC New Talent Hotlist.
This is his second play for radio.
Enyi Okoronkwo has worked for the National Theatre, Headlong and The Globe.
Jimmy Akingbola has numerous TV credits including Rev, Casualty and most recently the Idris Elba comedy In The Long Run.
Lara Rossi has been nominated twice for The Ian Charleson Award and has just completed the film, Iron Sky, The Coming Race.
TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (m000mj23)
Tomorrow
Josie Long with short documentaries and adventures in sound about our visions of the future. From gardening to a neural net doing stand up comedy.
Production Team: Eleanor McDowall and Alia Cassam
Produced by Andrea Rangecroft
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m000mj25)
BBC National Short Story Award 2020
National Short Story Awards – Story 2
The next shortlisted entry in contention for the 15th BBC National Short Story Award.
From the short and pithy to the layered and literary, via robust poetics, family hierarchies and maligned youth, this year’s shortlist is the perfect reflection of all this ever-flexible fictional form can do. As a star-studded cast celebrate the fifteenth year of the BBC National Short Story award with Cambridge University, the short story, be it humorous, witty or poignant, retains its ability to surprise, delight and move us in equal measure.
Now in its fifteenth year, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious for a single short story. Following the announcement of the shortlist on Radio 4's Front Row, on Friday, 11th September, the five stories in contention for the 2020 award will be broadcast each weekday afternoon on Radio 4 at half past three from Monday, 14th September. Each of the shortlisted writers will be interviewed the evening preceding the broadcast of their story on Front Row, and the winner will be announced live on the programme Tuesday 6th October. All the stories will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast, and there will be a special edition of the Short Story podcast for each to download.
For links and the most up to date information go to bbc.co.uk/nssa.
Read by Laura Donnelly
Abridged by Rowan Routh
Produced by Karen Holden
TUE 16:00 Costing the Earth (m000mj28)
Build, Build, Build
With an ever-greater demand for more housing, and Boris Johnson calling for the country to "build build build" post lockdown, Peter Gibbs looks at current trends in house-building. Are the government's plans for "garden communities" as environmentally-friendly as they sound? And how could developers be encouraged to build in a way which incorporates nature rather than squeezing it out?
Produced by Emma Campbell.
TUE 16:30 Great Lives (m000mj2b)
Sir David Adjaye on Okwui Enwezor
“I was astonished by the experience of standing there, where the two oceans met. I knew at that very moment this would be my concept: the meeting of worlds".
Okwui Enwezor.
For centuries, the art establishment had been defined and dictated by predominantly white, wealthy, western critics and curators. Then in the early 90’s a young man who was born in Nigeria and studied Political Science in New York came onto the scene and said, ‘no more’.
With an eye for aesthetic and a burning fire of political concern, curator and educator Okwui Enwezor transformed the art world. He placed non-western art histories on an equal footing with the long-established narrative of European and North American art. He was a man with a mission, utterly confident and determined.
Sir David Adjaye, the architect perhaps best known for his largest project to date – the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture - champions the ground-breaking life of Okwui Enwezor, who became both his friend and collaborator. He is joined by Chika Okeke-Agulu, one of the foremost scholars of African Art and Professor of African and African Diaspora Art at Princeton University.
Presented by Matthew Parris
Produced in Bristol by Nicola Humphries
TUE 17:00 PM (m000mj2d)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000mj2j)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 18:30 The Lenny Henry Show (m000mj2l)
Episode 4
Another helping of character-based sketch comedy for modern times from Lenny Henry.
There's more from Paul's Brixton Bibliotheque, Batman learns how to be woke, Deakus talks about his kids and how he met Claudette, and we go into space to meet new character Tyrone who's just trying not to be the black guy who gets killed first on every time.
Also, there's highlights from music podcast Vinyl's Great No Matter What My Ex-Wife Says, which features an interview with famous blues musician Charlie Johnson III, and the first instalment from outrageous Jamaican gameshow Box Mi Down, where contestants have to answer questions correctly or else get, well, boxed down.
Cast includes Lenny Henry, Vas Blackwood, George Fouracres and Cherrelle Skeete.
Written by Lenny Henry and Max Davis, with Athena Kugblenu and Kim Fuller.
Music by Lawrence Insula
Produced by Sam Michell
A Douglas Road and Tiger Aspect production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m000mj2n)
Gavin is forced to decide and Chris is in a panic.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m000mj2q)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
TUE 19:45 Life Lines (m000mj1j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m000mj2s)
Mental disorder and killings that could have been prevented
Last month Alex Sartain took a homemade gun and shot his neighbour James Nash dead in his front garden.
The 34 year old then fled on his motorbike before he lost control and fatally crashed on a winding tree-lined road. His family had made repeated requests to mental health services for help as they saw his condition deteriorate. But they say no help was forthcoming and days later he killed 42-year-old James, a popular artist and children’s author. Alex Sartain's family say the mechanic suffered paranoid schizophrenia and had become acutely unwell in the run-up to the killing.
File on 4 investigates whether mental health support is always available when people need it most. And reporter Paul Connolly hears concerns that mental health professionals are not always quick enough to act on evidence a person suffering severe mental illness may be intending to harm others - with tragic consequences.
Reporter Paul Connolly
Producer Ben Robinson
Editor Carl Johnston
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m000mj2v)
Fight For Sight Report; England's First Blind Musical Therapist
The government is being urged to double its spending on research into eye disease. Fight for Sight, the charity which campaigns for the ending of preventable sight loss, argues that visual impairment is costing the country billions of pounds and that more than half the two million cases of visual impairment in the UK today are preventable. The Chief Executive of Fight for Sight, Sherine Krause, joins us.
And we meet Carl Morgan who, it's believed, is the first blind musical therapist in England. We find out what his working life involves and what challenges he's faced.
PRESENTER: Peter White
PRODUCER: Mike Young
TUE 21:00 The Food Programme (m000mj2x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (m000mj18)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m000mj2z)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
TUE 22:45 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mj1r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
TUE 23:00 Fresh From the Fringe (b0bf7p6z)
Fresh from the Fringe 2018 - Part 2
Hosted by Darren Harriott, Fresh From the Fringe showcases the best comedy from the Edinburgh Festival including performances from Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Ashley Storrie, Rhys Nicholson, Jayde Adams and Richard Thomas.
Fresh From The Fringe was produced by Suzy Grant and is a BBC Studios production.
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000mj31)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament.
WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2020
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m000mj33)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
WED 00:30 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mj35)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000mj38)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000mj3b)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000mj3d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m000mj3g)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000mj3j)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with Fr John McLuckie of Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m000mj3l)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04dvrt1)
Bar-headed Goose
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Sir David Attenborough presents the Central Asian bar-headed goose. The bar-headed goose is a high-flier of the bird world. Bar-headed geese are migrants which undertake one of the most arduous journeys of any bird. They breed mainly in the remote lakes of the Tibetan Plateau, but overwinter on the plains of northern India. But to get there, they have to cross the World's highest mountain range, the Himalayas, a height of over 20,000 feet.
WED 06:00 Today (m000mkst)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m000mksw)
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.
WED 09:30 Four Thought (m000mksy)
Series of thought-provoking talks on topics that affect culture and society.
WED 09:45 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mkt0)
Episode 3
The acclaimed journalist Barbara Demick's new book is an evocative account of modern Tibet. Today, it's the year 2000 and, in the village of Meruma, a boy is drawn to life in nearby Kirti monastery. The reader is Laurel Lefkow.
Eat the Buddha tells Tibet's troubled history through the eyes the people of one town, starting in the 1950s when China claimed sovereignty over Tibet, leading to decades of unrest and resistance, and bringing us up to the present day. Barbara Demick's account is an evocative portrait of what life is like for today's Tibetans who struggle to maintain their identity in the face of one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Barbara Demick won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nothing to Envy (Granta, 2010), her seminal book on North Korea. She is also the author of Besieged (Granta, 2012), her account of the war in Sarajevo, which won the George Polk Award, the Robert F Kennedy Award and was shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize. She lives in New York.
Abridged by Penny Leicester.
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000mkt2)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
WED 10:45 Life Lines (m000mkt4)
Series 4
Episode 3
Al Smith's drama series set in an ambulance control room. Today a class is in the middle of a remote lesson when their teacher goes into anaphylactic shock.
Carrie ..... Sarah Ridgeway
Will ..... Rick Warden
Ian ..... Mike Jibson
Theo ….. Aaron Gelkoff
Martina ….. Clare Corfbett
Phoebe ….. Charlotte East
Karl ….. Luke Nunn
Directed by Sally Avens
Al Smith's award-winning drama series set in an ambulance control room where Carrie the call handler must deal with heart-stopping and starting situations. Today a young boy calls: his class is in the middle of a remote lesson when his teacher goes into anaphylactic shock. And a young woman suffering from MS has a cluster on the way to meet her Dad for the first time in years.
WED 11:00 A Short History of Solitude (m000mkjc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
WED 11:30 Jack & Millie (m000mkt6)
Series 2
Hot Yoga
Jack and Millie’s TV binge comes to an abrupt end when they have to face a mindfulness pillow, a Tudor sallet and some hot yoga...
So Millie’s son Melvin has given her a new tablet with a voice recorder?
So suddenly Jack and Millie have decided to record everything that happens to them? And for this, we should be grateful?
Well Yes! Because this is the new series of the comedy show written by Jeremy Front (writer of the Charles Paris mysteries for Radio 4) and starring Jeremy Front and Rebecca Front as Jack and Millie Lemman - an older couple who are fully engaged with contemporary life whilst being at war with the absurdities of the modern world...
Cast:
Jack............Jeremy Front
Millie..........Rebecca Front
Shirley........Tracy-Ann Oberman
Harry...........Nigel Lindsay
Melvin........Harry Peacock
Delphine....Jenny Bede
With special guests
Katy Wix as Vanda
Emma Sidi as The Wench
Written by Jeremy Front
Produced by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:00 News Summary (m000mkt8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mktb)
Episode 3
No Longer at Ease is the classic 1960s novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.
It's the story of an Igbo man, Obi Okonkwo, who leaves his village for an education in Britain and then a job in the Nigerian colonial civil service, but is conflicted between his African culture and Western lifestyle and ends up taking a bribe. The novel is the second work in what is sometimes referred to as the "African trilogy", following Things Fall Apart and preceding Arrow of God.
No Longer at Ease continues many of the themes from Achebe's first novel. Here, the clash between European and traditional cultures has become entrenched during the long period of colonial rule. Obi struggles to balance the demands of his family and village for monetary support while simultaneously keeping up with the materialism of Western society.
Written by Chinua Achebe
Abridged by Jane Rogers
Read by Paterson Joseph
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:18 You and Yours (m000mktd)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.
WED 12:57 Weather (m000mktg)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (m000mktj)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
WED 13:45 Blood Lands (m00070hc)
Shaking The Tree
Blood Lands is a true story told in five parts which takes us to the heart of modern South Africa.
Police investigating a suspected double murder in a small South African farming community uncover crucial new evidence. But will it be enough to break the farmers’ wall of silence and solve a case that has divided a town on racial lines? Blood Lands is a murder investigation, a political drama, a courtroom thriller, and a profound exploration of the enduring tensions threatening the "rainbow nation". Over the course of three years, correspondent Andrew Harding has followed every twist of the police’s hunt for the killers, the betrayals that opened the door to an explosive trial, and the fortunes of all those involved – from the dead men’s families to the handful of men controversially selected for prosecution.
Presenter, Andrew Harding
Producer, Becky Lipscombe
Editor, Bridget Harney
WED 14:00 The Archers (m000mj2n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (m000f07b)
Not for Turning
Wide-eyed young Hal from Bolton attends the Conservative Party conference, where he falls in with a young crowd and his awakening is more than just political.
Researcher Cruise tells him "everyone goes gay at Conference". As the young men spill out onto the street in the small hours, Cruise and Hal are photographed, kissing. The photo hits an internet news outlet and trends briefly on social media. The drama considers three possible outcomes for Hal.
Not For Turning offers an unusual insider’s perspective on one of the secret corners of political life. Fast, funny and fearless, this is heightened story-telling about some of the collateral damage that can be wreaked by a life in politics.
Author Tim Dawson is a television writer, journalist and an unsuccessful Conservative council candidate in Manchester - as well as a party conference attendee. He created sitcom Coming of Age for BBC 3 as a teenager and, with Susan Nickson, has written many episodes of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
Director Lawrence Till is a BAFTA and RTS nominated producer and director with a background in award winning theatre and television. Not for Turning is his directorial debut for BBC Radio 4.
Cast:
Cassie – Nicola Holt
Hal – Henry Devas
Cruise – Andrew Bentley
Nate – Ashley Gerlach
Garnier and Weasel – Toby Hadoke
Writer: Tim Dawson
Director: Lawrence Till
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore
A Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4
WED 15:00 Money Box (m000mktl)
Paul Lewis and a panel of guests answer calls on personal finance.
WED 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m000mktn)
BBC National Short Story Award 2020
National Short Story Awards – Story 3
The next shortlisted entry in contention for the 15th BBC National Short Story Award.
From the short and pithy to the layered and literary, via robust poetics, family hierarchies and maligned youth, this year’s shortlist is the perfect reflection of all this ever-flexible fictional form can do. As a star-studded cast celebrate the fifteenth year of the BBC National Short Story award with Cambridge University, the short story, be it humorous, witty or poignant, retains its ability to surprise, delight and move us in equal measure.
Now in its fifteenth year, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious for a single short story. Following the announcement of the shortlist on Radio 4's Front Row, on Friday, 11th September, the five stories in contention for the 2020 award will be broadcast each weekday afternoon on Radio 4 at half past three from Monday, 14th September. Each of the shortlisted writers will be interviewed the evening preceding the broadcast of their story on Front Row, and the winner will be announced live on the programme Tuesday 6th October. All the stories will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast, and there will be a special edition of the Short Story podcast for each to download.
For links and the most up to date information go to bbc.co.uk/nssa.
Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m0003z8y)
CEO Society - Time Management
CEO Society – Laurie Taylor talks to Peter Bloom, Head of the Department of People and Organisations at the Open University and author of a new book which asks why corporate leaders such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg have become cultural icons of the 21st century. Also, how did productivity emerge as a way of thinking about job performance? Melissa Gregg, Research Director at Intel, explains why she thinks that time management is actually counterproductive.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
WED 16:30 The Media Show (m000mktr)
Topical programme about the fast-changing media world.
WED 17:00 PM (m000mktt)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000mktw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 18:30 Phil Ellis Is Trying (m000mkty)
Series 3
Prison Break
Phil's never got on with his dad Goodison, who spent a lot of Phil's life pretending to be dead. Now in prison for theft of an embarrassingly small bingo prize, Goodison invites Phil to visit him as part of HMP Parbold's annual "Bring Your Family To Prison Day". Phil sees this as an opportunity to reconnect with his dad. After all, as Polly says, it's not like he can run away this time. But when it soon turns out there's more to Goodison's invitation than meets the eye, will Phil be quick enough to see through his clever ruse? Meanwhile, Polly visits Johnny who is serving a 3 to 5 stretch (hours) for selling a hooky hook from the film Hook, and is worried he might be becoming institutionalised.
Cast includes:
Phil Ellis as Phil
Johnny Vegas as Johnny
Amy Gledhill as Polly
Jason Barnett as Basher/Graham McCartney/DJ
Terry Mynott as Prison Warder McKay/Paul McCartney/Hannibal
And
Guest starring Alexei Sayle as Phil's dad Goodison
It was produced by Sam Michell and is a BBC Studios Production
WED 19:00 The Archers (m000mk2x)
Chris wants answers and Emma’s furious.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m000mkv0)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
WED 19:45 Life Lines (m000mkt4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
WED 20:00 The Spark (m000mkv4)
Paul Collier and John Kay v Destructive Individualism
A new series of the interview programme in which journalist Helen Lewis meets the writers and thinkers who are breaking new ground.
From politics to economics, from tech to the study of how we live, things are changing fast. Old certainties have not been under such challenge for decades.
Each week, we give the whole programme over to a single in-depth, close-up interview with someone whose big idea is bidding to change our world.
Helen’s challenge is to make sense of their new idea, to find out more about the person behind it – and to test what it has to offer us against the failures of the past.
In the first episode of this latest series, leading economists Sir Paul Collier and John Kay argue that the world is in thrall to destructive individualism, from the right’s obsession with shareholder value to the left’s extremes of identity politics.
They tell Helen why they argue in their new book, Greed is Dead, that we need to focus instead on mutual obligations and community. Helen asks them to lay out the practical proposals for trying to make this happen, from devolving power to promoting German-style 'associations'.
Producer: Phil Tinline
WED 20:45 Four Thought (m000mksy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 today]
WED 21:00 Costing the Earth (m000mj28)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 The Media Show (m000mktr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m000mkv8)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
WED 22:45 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mktb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
WED 23:00 The Damien Slash Mixtape (m000mkvd)
Series 3
Episode 1
Multi-character YouTube star Damien Slash is back for a third round of zeitgeisty sketches in this new fast-paced, one-man sketch comedy show. Surreal and satirical, this phonic smorgasbord takes us from a Lockdown Tate Modern to SAS Survival Training to a meditation tape from a very special POTUS...
Written by and starring Damien Slash (aka Daniel Barker).
Additional Material from Tom Savage
Guest starring Natasia Demetriou
Produced by Benjamin Sutton
A BBC Studios production.
WED 23:15 Bunk Bed (m0003r4y)
Series 6
03/04/2019
Everyone craves a place where their mind and body are not applied to a particular task. The nearest faraway place. Somewhere for drifting and lighting upon strange thoughts which don't have to be shooed into context, but which can be followed like balloons escaping onto the air.
Late at night, in the dark and in a bunk bed, your tired mind can wander.
This is the nearest faraway place for Patrick Marber and Peter Curran. Here they endeavour to get the heart of things in an entertainingly vague and indirect way. This is not the place for typical male banter.
From under the bed clothes, they wrestle life's challenges. This week, they discuss childhood sightings of wigs, the revival of the Sedan Chair to make Britain great again and archive of film legend Bette Davis destroying an interviewer.
Produced by Peter Curran
A Foghorn production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000mkvl)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament.
THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2020
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m000mkvq)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
THU 00:30 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mkt0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000mkvv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000mkvz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000mkw2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m000mkw4)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000mkw6)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with Fr John McLuckie of Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m000mkw8)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04dvsly)
Brown Noddy
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Sir David Attenborough presents a seabird with a worldwide distribution, the brown noddy. Expert fliers, the brown noddy is seldom seen near land and is highly pelagic, wandering extensively in warm tropical waters where it searches for small fish and squid which are captured by hover-dipping and contact-dipping. However in the Galapagos Islands, brown noddies have learnt to sit on the heads of brown pelicans hoping to steal fish from their open gular pouches; a behaviour known as kleptoparasitism (literally, parasitism by theft).
THU 06:00 Today (m000mk1y)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m000mk25)
Pericles
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Pericles (495-429BC), the statesman who dominated the politics of Athens for thirty years, the so-called Age of Pericles, when the city’s cultural life flowered, its democracy strengthened as its empire grew, and the Acropolis was adorned with the Parthenon. In 431 BC he gave a funeral oration for those Athenians who had already died in the new war with Sparta which has been celebrated as one of the greatest speeches of all time, yet within two years he was dead from a plague made worse by Athenians crowding into their city to avoid attacks. Thucydides, the historian, knew him and was in awe of him, yet few shared that view until the nineteenth century, when they found much in Pericles to praise, an example for the Victorian age.
With
Edith Hall
Professor of Classics at King's College London.
Paul Cartledge
AG Leventis Senior Research Fellow at Clare College, University of Cambridge
And
Peter Liddel
Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Manchester
Producer: Simon Tillotson
THU 09:45 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mk42)
Episode 4
The acclaimed journalist Barbara Demick's new book is an evocative account of modern Tibet. Today, the stories of Ngaba's women lead to heartbreak following protests and calls for Tibet's independence.
Eat the Buddha tells Tibet's troubled history through the eyes the people of one town, starting in the 1950s when China claimed sovereignty over Tibet, leading to decades of unrest and resistance, and bringing us up to the present day. Barbara Demick's account is an evocative portrait of what life is like for today's Tibetans who struggle to maintain their identity in the face of one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Barbara Demick won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nothing to Envy (Granta, 2010), her seminal book on North Korea. She is also the author of Besieged (Granta, 2012), her account of the war in Sarajevo, which won the George Polk Award, the Robert F Kennedy Award and was shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize. She lives in New York.
Abridged by Penny Leicester.
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000mk2b)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
THU 10:45 Life Lines (m000mk2d)
Series 4
Episode 4
Al Smith's drama series set in an ambulance control room. Today Carrie the call handler attempts to convince a young woman she's in an abusive relationship.
Carrie ..... Sarah Ridgeway
Polly ….. Scarlett Brookes
Directed by Sally Avens
Al Smith's award-winning drama series set in an ambulance control room where Carrie the call handler must deal with heart-stopping situations. Today a young woman calls with a cut hand, but behind the injury lies a story of a toxic relationship. Can Carrie get Polly to realise she is the victim of coercive control?
BBC Action Line: If you would like support with the issues in this programme, help is available here.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3FQFSnx6SZWsQn3TJYYlFNy/information-and-support-domestic-abuse
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (m000mk2g)
Series focusing on foreign affairs issues.
THU 11:30 Songs of the Humpback Whale (m000mk2j)
Songs of the Humpback Whale was released in 1970 and went multi-platinum, becoming the best selling environmental album of all time. But it also became emblematic of the West’s shifting attitudes towards environmentalism, inspiring a global movement to save the whales which continues to this day.
Marking the 50th anniversary of bioacoustician Roger Payne’s unlikely smash hit, this programme considers the legacy of sounds that caught the imagination of the world.
With contributions from the world of music, science and ecology, including the folk singer Judy Collins, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner Willie Mackenzie, Greenlandic musician Peter Tussi Motzfeldt, marine biologist and electronic musician Sara Niksic, music writer Simon Reynolds and Roger Payne himself.
Produced by Hannah Dean
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
THU 12:00 News Summary (m000mlj1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mk2n)
Episode 4
No Longer at Ease is the classic 1960s novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.
It's the story of an Igbo man, Obi Okonkwo, who leaves his village for an education in Britain and then a job in the Nigerian colonial civil service, but is conflicted between his African culture and Western lifestyle and ends up taking a bribe. The novel is the second work in what is sometimes referred to as the "African trilogy", following Things Fall Apart and preceding Arrow of God.
No Longer at Ease continues many of the themes from Achebe's first novel. Here, the clash between European and traditional cultures has become entrenched during the long period of colonial rule. Obi struggles to balance the demands of his family and village for monetary support while simultaneously keeping up with the materialism of Western society.
Written by Chinua Achebe
Abridged by Jane Rogers
Read by Paterson Joseph
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
THU 12:18 You and Yours (m000mk2q)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.
THU 12:57 Weather (m000mk2s)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (m000mk2v)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
THU 13:45 Blood Lands (m00070n8)
Betrayal
Blood Lands is a true story told in five parts which takes us to the heart of modern South Africa.
A family betrayal leads to a murder trial in a small farming town in South Africa. But who is telling the truth about a frenzied attack that left two black farm workers dead, and a community bitterly divided on racial lines? Blood Lands is murder investigation, a political drama, a courtroom thriller, and a profound exploration of the enduring tensions threatening the "rainbow nation". Over the course of three years, correspondent Andrew Harding has followed every twist of the police’s hunt for the killers, the betrayals that opened the door to an explosive trial, and the fortunes of all those involved – from the dead men’s families to the handful of men controversially selected for prosecution.
Presenter, Andrew Harding
Producer, Becky Lipscombe
Editor, Bridget Harney
THU 14:00 The Archers (m000mk2x)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (m00057sn)
Keeping the Wolf Out
Grandmother's Footsteps
Special Investigator Bertalan Lázár returns in Philip Palmer's crime drama set in communist Hungary in 1964.
Franciska played a dangerous game when she enlisted the help of corrupt cop Tibor Farkas to free herself from her KGB tormentor. Now the tables have turned and she and Bertalan are in the firing line.
Bertalan Lázár .... Leo Bill
Franciska Lázár .... Clare Corbett
Tibor Farkas .... Andy Linden
József Szabados .... Joseph Ayre
Dmitri Dragunov .... Simon Scardifield,
Márk Mészáros .... Michael Bertenshaw
András Vásáry .... David Hounslow
Police Officer .... Kenny Blyth
Receptionist .... Susan Jameson
Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko
THU 15:00 Ramblings (m000mk2z)
The Mendips with Professor Alice Roberts
On a hot day, Clare and Alice Roberts walk from the village of Draycott in Somerset up through the Draycott Sleights Nature Reserve with views opening out across the Bristol Channel to Wales and across the Somerset Levels to Glastonbury Tor.
Alice says she finds the ancient landscape fascinating and imagines the inhabitants of past centuries who would have lived on the small settlements on the Levels.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m000mk31)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m000mk33)
BBC National Short Story Award 2020
National Short Story Awards – Story 4
The fourth story up for the celebrated BBC National Short Story Award 2020. The reader is Anne-Marie Duff.
From the short and pithy to the layered and literary, via robust poetics, family hierarchies and maligned youth, this year’s shortlist is the perfect reflection of all this ever-flexible fictional form can do. As a star-studded cast celebrate the fifteenth year of the BBC National Short Story award with Cambridge University, the short story, be it humorous, witty or poignant, retains its ability to surprise, delight and move us in equal measure.
Now in its fifteenth year, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious for a single short story. Following the announcement of the shortlist on Radio 4's Front Row, on Friday, 11th September, the five stories in contention for the 2020 award will be broadcast each weekday afternoon on Radio 4 at half past three from Monday, 14th September. Each of the shortlisted writers will be interviewed the evening preceding the broadcast of their story on Front Row, and the winner will be announced live on the programme Tuesday 6th October. All the stories will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast, and there will be a special edition of the Short Story podcast for each to download.
For links and the most up to date information go to bbc.co.uk/nssa
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
THU 16:00 The Film Programme (m000mk35)
Film programme looking at the latest cinema releases, DVDs and films on TV.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m000mk37)
Dr Adam Rutherford and guests illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
THU 17:00 PM (m000mk39)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000mk3f)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 18:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b06tvm72)
Series 5
Episode 1
John Finnemore - writer and star of Cabin Pressure and John Finnemore's Double Acts, regular guest on The Now Show and The Unbelievable Truth - returns for a fifth series of his multi-award-winning sketch show, joined as ever by a cast of Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan.
This first episode sees an unlikely wager, a troubled bluesman, and, well - since you ask him for a rip-roaring adventure on the high seas...
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme won the BBC Audio Drama Award for 'Best Scripted Comedy with Live Audience' in 2015; and a Radio Academy Silver Award for Comedy in 2014.
"One of the most consistently funny sketch shows for quite some time" - The Guardian
"The best sketch show in years, on television or radio" - The Radio Times
"The inventive sketch show ... continues to deliver the goods" - The Daily Mail
"Superior comedy" - The Observer
Written by and starring ... John Finnemore
Ensemble ... Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Ensemble ... Simon Kane
Ensemble ... Lawry Lewin
Ensemble ... Carrie Quinlan
Original music composed by ... Susannah Pearse
Original music performed by ... Jason Hazeley
Producer: Ed Morrish
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme is a BBC Radio Comedy production.
THU 19:00 The Archers (m000mk3h)
Writers, Adrian Flynn & Tim Stimpson
Director, Kim Greengrass
Editor, Jeremy Howe
Susan Carter ….. Charlotte Martin
Alice Carter ….. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter ….. Wilf Scolding
Fallon Rogers..... Joanna Van Kampen
Emma Grundy ….. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Jazzer McCreary .... Ryan Kelly
Philip Moss ….. Andy Hockley
Gavin Moss ….. Gareth Pierce
THU 19:15 Front Row (m000mk3k)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
THU 19:45 Life Lines (m000mk2d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m000mk3m)
Combining original insights into major news stories with topical investigations
THU 20:30 In Business (m000mk3p)
Building Back Better
The pandemic and the resulting recession have led to widespread calls to recognise that we now have a once in a generation opportunity to re-think how we put the economy back together again. Research shows we can help our economy flourish again by prioritising spending on environmentally friendly initiatives. From electric bikes, to eco-friendly cement, to a new type of plastic that could heat our homes, fill our mattresses and cushion our running trainers, Adam Shaw meets the businesses that could benefit from this type of recovery plan and could help us build back better.
Producer: Phoebe Keane
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m000mk37)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (m000mk25)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m000mk3s)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
THU 22:45 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mk2n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
THU 23:00 The Skewer (m000mk3v)
Series 2
The Skewer Series 2
Jon Holmes returns with the 'dizzying, dazzling' satirical river of sound. Topical satire like you've never heard before. The Skewer dances with the newsscape to unsettle and intoxicate.
Series 1 won a Gold Award at the New York Festival, a British Podcast Award and a comedy award at the Audio Production Awards.
Creator Jon Holmes combines award winning audio production and sound design with brand new audio talent to produce something quite unlike anything else. The show has an open door policy - anyone can contribute.
The extraordinary Skewer is back to twist itself into these extraordinary times.
Reviews of The Skewer's first series:
'An immersive, otherworldly river of sound. A freeform assault on the senses constituting a ludic yet deeply haunting collection of juicy quotes and well-placed soundbites from recent global bulletins, juxtaposed to form an eerily beautiful, discombobulating mosaic of political spin.'
'Holmes takes the newsscape as his playground, juggling countless noises and titbits from topical Brexit coverage to create a jarring, unsettling work specifically designed to be experienced immersively via headphones. A mind-boggling collage of extracts, interviews, and fragments of speech, it satirically defamiliarised the (all too) familiar, critiquing the Machiavellian nature of yah-boo politics.'
‘Cleverest thing on radio by at least 8 distances’.
‘The boldest thing iI’ve heard on BBC Radio in years. A masterful piece of radio. Brilliant.’
‘An audio rollercoaster. Magnificent. Give this all of the awards.’
‘Mind-bogglingly brilliant and distressing. Intelligent, catchy and powerful.’
‘I’d be quite happy to stop listening to the news and just listen to The Skewer.’
‘Wonderful. It’s been a while since something was this engaging and listenable from start to finish.’
‘Simply brilliant. Please listen to it. It’s the most incredible satire of current affairs I’ve ever heard.’
‘Nightmarish. But – oh my God - in a good way.’
‘Audio news drugs to medicate the strange world we live in.’
‘There is just nothing like this out there. Brilliant songs, cutting edge satire. Compelling and you have to listen more than once. Evocative. Intoxicating. Incredibly original. Listen and listen again – you always hear something new.’
An Unusual production for BBC Radio 4
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m000mk3y)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament.
FRIDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2020
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m000mk40)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 00:30 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mk42)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m000mk44)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m000mk46)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m000mk48)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m000mk4b)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m000mk4d)
Spiritual reflection to start the day with Fr John McLuckie of Old St Paul's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m000mk4g)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b04dvsrk)
Red-winged Blackbird
Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.
Sir David Attenborough presents the North American red-winged blackbird. The arrival of spring in the USA is heralded by the unmistakable "conk-ra-lee" call of the red-winged blackbird. The male blackbirds, who are un-related to the European blackbird, flutter their red and yellow wing-patches like regimental badges to announce their territories. The numbers of Red-winged blackbirds has increased spectacularly in the mid 20th century as more land was converted to growing crops on which the birds feed. Today at a winter roost hundreds of thousands, even millions of birds darken the skies over the plantations or marshes in which they will spend the night - a loud and unforgettable spectacle.
FRI 06:00 Today (m000mlty)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m000ml9z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick (m000mlv2)
Episode 5
The acclaimed journalist Barbara Demick's new book is an illuminating account of modern Tibet. Today, we catch up with the townspeople of Ngaba, and their new lives in India where the Dalai Lama resides. Laurel Lefkow is the reader.
Eat the Buddha tells Tibet's troubled history through the eyes the people of one town, starting in the 1950s when China claimed sovereignty over Tibet, leading to decades of unrest and resistance, and bringing us up to the present day. Barbara Demick's account is an evocative portrait of what life is like for today's Tibetans who struggle to maintain their identity in the face of one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Barbara Demick won the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nothing to Envy (Granta, 2010), her seminal book on North Korea. She is also the author of Besieged (Granta, 2012), her account of the war in Sarajevo, which won the George Polk Award, the Robert F Kennedy Award and was shortlisted for a Pulitzer Prize. She lives in New York.
Abridged by Penny Leicester.
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m000mlv7)
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
FRI 10:45 Life Lines (m000mlvc)
Series 4
Episode 5
Al Smith's drama series set in an ambulance control room. Today an old friend of Carrie’s makes contact when he finds a man who's overdosed.
Carrie ..... Sarah Ridgeway
Ian ….. Michael Jibson
Connor ….. Lloyd Hutchinson
Will ….. Rick Warden
Fergus ….. Ian Dunnett Jr
Directed by Sally Avens
Al Smith's drama series set in an ambulance control room where Carrie the call handler must deal with heart-stopping situations. When an old friend calls in because he's come across a man who's overdosed it makes Carrie realise she must stop trying to control her home life because she can’t control the outcome of her work.
FRI 11:00 The Austerity Audit (m000mlvh)
Episode 2
As the UK heads into its deepest ever recession following Covid-19, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, asks whether lessons can learned from 10 years of austerity. In this second episode of the Austerity Audit he analyses two areas which were hit more severely than most - local government and it's provision of social care and the Ministry of Justice. He travels to Liverpool which was particularly badly hit after then chancellor George Osborne announced swingeing cuts following the banking crisis. And he hears from those affected by the cuts to prison budgets and the probation service.
FRI 11:30 Mr Muzak (m000mlvm)
Series 2
Leaving On A Jet Plane
Richie Webb stars as performance-shy cocktail pianist Nigel Penny.
Nigel Penny’s attempts to live his life like his music, in the background, are constantly thwarted by his entrepreneurial half-brother Pav (Paul G Raymond) who is desperate to find gigs for Nigel and his musical partner, wannabe singer Rachel (Jess Robinson).
As Nigel tries to pluck up what little courage he has to tell Rachel how he feels, events overtake him. Marco’s dodgy meat-dealing on the dark web has gone awry and Stan suspiciously steps in to help by suggesting an elaborate ruse. Plans for a hastily arranged funeral are put into action and Pav is only too happy to help, though he also seems to be hiding something. Nigel is carried along for the ride, buoyed only by his certainty of a happy ending for him and Rachel. He’s fifty percent right.
Cast:
Nigel Penny ..... Richie Webb
Pav Penny ..... Paul G Raymond
Rachel ..... Jess Robinson
Stanislav ..... Dave Lamb
Marco ..... Jim North
Directed by Nick Walker
Audio Production by Matt Katz
Written and produced by Richie Webb
A Top Dog production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m000mlvr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mlvt)
Episode 5
No Longer at Ease is the classic 1960s novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.
It's the story of an Igbo man, Obi Okonkwo, who leaves his village for an education in Britain and then a job in the Nigerian colonial civil service, but is conflicted between his African culture and Western lifestyle and ends up taking a bribe. The novel is the second work in what is sometimes referred to as the "African trilogy", following Things Fall Apart and preceding Arrow of God.
No Longer at Ease continues many of the themes from Achebe's first novel. Here, the clash between European and traditional cultures has become entrenched during the long period of colonial rule. Obi struggles to balance the demands of his family and village for monetary support while simultaneously keeping up with the materialism of Western society.
Written by Chinua Achebe
Abridged by Jane Rogers
Read by Paterson Joseph
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 12:18 You and Yours (m000mlvw)
News and discussion of consumer affairs.
FRI 12:57 Weather (m000mlvy)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (m000mlw0)
Mon-Thurs: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Sarah Montague. Fri: Analysis of news and current affairs, presented by Mark Mardell.
FRI 13:45 Blood Lands (m000712l)
Common Purpose
The final episode of Blood Lands - a true story told in five parts which takes us to the heart of modern South Africa.
A group of white men are on trial accused of murdering two black South Africans, but as a long and explosive trial comes to an end, could muddled medical evidence see them walk free? Blood Lands is a murder investigation, a political drama, a courtroom thriller, and a profound exploration of the enduring racial tensions threatening the "rainbow nation". Over the course of three years, correspondent Andrew Harding has followed every twist of the police’s hunt for the killers, the betrayals that opened the door to an dramatic trial, and the fortunes of all those involved – from the dead men’s families to the handful of men controversially selected for prosecution. When a whole community is on trial, who pays the price?
Presenter, Andrew Harding
Producer, Becky Lipscombe
Editor, Bridget Harney
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m000mk3h)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (m0003zz0)
Read the Room
After years of hard graft and almost success, Sally Hall, 38, has finally landed the role of a lifetime in a movie franchise. It’s a job which her boyfriend Jack agrees could set them up for life.
But there is one fly in the ointment. The Executive Producer, Richard Donovan, has asked to meet Sally alone in his hotel suite before he agrees to sign off on her.
Reluctantly, Sally allows herself to be persuaded by her agent that this is merely a formality - a grip and greet as they say in Hollywood. But things get awkward when Donovan emerges from the shower in his bathrobe and begins to subtly undermine Sally before becoming inappropriately intimate with her. She gets out of there but immediately begins to question whether Donovan’s advances and the implied threat to remove her from the picture were real or part of her imagination.
Her agent’s hardly disinterested advice is to get back in the room and do whatever it takes to secure the role and her commission, but her boyfriend rails at her naivety, and inability to read a room. It’s like he is somehow blaming her.
Sally has some hard choices to make and settles on an unusual course of action.
Writer Viv Groskop's first book - I Laughed, I Cried: How One Woman Took On Stand-Up and (Almost) Ruined Her Life - is a mid-life crisis memoir described as "Eat, Pray, Love set in a comedy club". Raised in Somerset and educated at Cambridge University, Viv worked as a journalist on the Daily Telegraph, Russian Vogue and The Guardian before taking up stand-up in her late thirties. Dubbed "the most prolific freelance in the UK", she is a twice-nominated PPA Columnist of the Year and has written for The Observer, The Times, Sunday Times, Independent, Mail on Sunday, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar.
Cast:
Sally……………………..……………………………………….Melody Grove
Richard…...………..……..…………………………………….Tim McInnerny
Kate...…..………………………………………………………...Dona Croll
Jack…………………...…………………………………………..Owen Findlay
Maddie / Chambermaid.…….…………………………Katy Ellis
Anna..……………………………………………………………Rebecca Saire
Written by Viv Groskop
Produced and directed by Eoin O'Callaghan
A Big Fish Radio production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m000mlw2)
GQT at Home: Episode Twenty-Five
Kathy Clugston hosts this week's gardening panel show. Matthew Biggs, Pippa Greenwood and Humaira Ikram answer questions sent in from listeners via email and social media.
Producer - Rosie Merotra
Assistant Producer - Jemima Rathbone
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 BBC National Short Story Award (m000mlw4)
BBC National Short Story Award 2020
National Short Story Awards - Story 5
The fifth and final story in contention for the BBC National Short Story Award 2020.
From the short and pithy to the layered and literary, via robust poetics, family hierarchies and maligned youth, this year’s shortlist is the perfect reflection of all this ever-flexible fictional form can do. As a star-studded cast celebrate the fifteenth year of the BBC National Short Story award with Cambridge University, the short story, be it humorous, witty or poignant, retains its ability to surprise, delight and move us in equal measure.
Now in its fifteenth year, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious for a single short story. Following the announcement of the shortlist on Radio 4's Front Row, on Friday, 11th September, the five stories in contention for the 2020 award will be broadcast each weekday afternoon on Radio 4 at half past three from Monday, 14th September. Each of the shortlisted writers will be interviewed the evening preceding the broadcast of their story on Front Row, and the winner will be announced live on the programme Tuesday 6th October. All the stories will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast, and there will be a special edition of the Short Story podcast for each to download.
For links and the most up to date information go to bbc.co.uk/nssa
(This episode also features a taster read by Clare Corbett of The Hotel, a series of ghost stories with a feminist slant which goes out on Radio 4 from 20th September)
Read by Charlotte Ritchie
Producer: Ciaran Bermingham
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m000mlw6)
Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died, from the rich and famous to unsung but significant.
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m000mksw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m000mlw8)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m000mlwb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m000mlwd)
Series 103
Episode 3
A satirical review of the week's news.
FRI 19:00 Front Row (m000mlwg)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
FRI 19:45 Life Lines (m000mlvc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:45 today]
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m000mlwj)
Chris Mason presents political debate and discussion from venues around the UK.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m000mlwl)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.
FRI 21:00 Archive on 4 (m00029k7)
American Civility: Year Zero
America today is an uncivil society with a President who calls for his opponent to be locked up, a legislature that seems to be interested only in partisan shouting, not governing, and with large chunks of the media egging on the bad behaviour.
This state of affairs didn’t happen overnight. Michael Goldfarb traces the current era of partisan gridlock to the midterm election of 1994, when the Republicans led by Newt Gingrich took over the House of Representatives. His view of politics, it's the war of all against all, as opposed to an arena for compromise and consent, has taken over.
Michael looks at Gingrich's rise to power and examines the ignoble history of rude, violent debate that has characterised American politics from the country’s founding. And he asks if there is any way out of America’s current predicament.
A Certain Height production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m000mlwn)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
FRI 22:45 No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (m000mlvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 today]
FRI 23:00 Great Lives (m000mj2b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Things That Made the Modern Economy (m000bld7)
Series 2
Canned Food
What does canned food have in common with Silicon Valley? More than you might think. Its story reveals how little some dilemmas around innovation have changed in two hundred years. Initially developed for military purposes, then commercialized in a place with plenty of venture capital and no stifling bureaucracy, the path of canned food is shared by many recent technological innovations. But, as Tim Harford explains, canned food may also hold lessons about the dangers of under-regulation.
Producer: Ben Crighton
Editor: Richard Vadon
FRI 23:45 Today in Parliament (m000mlwq)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament.
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
A British History in Weather
00:15 SUN (b079ndwy)
A Manual For Dreaming Womxn
16:30 SUN (m000mlbf)
A Point of View
08:48 SUN (m000mcq8)
A Point of View
20:50 FRI (m000mlwl)
A Short History of Solitude
20:00 MON (m000mkjc)
A Short History of Solitude
11:00 WED (m000mkjc)
Angielski
21:45 SAT (b06810q7)
Any Answers?
14:00 SAT (m000mhwx)
Any Questions?
13:10 SAT (m000mcq6)
Any Questions?
20:00 FRI (m000mlwj)
Archive on 4
20:00 SAT (m000mhxh)
Archive on 4
21:00 FRI (m00029k7)
BBC Inside Science
16:30 THU (m000mk37)
BBC Inside Science
21:00 THU (m000mk37)
BBC National Short Story Award
15:30 MON (m000mkhv)
BBC National Short Story Award
15:30 TUE (m000mj25)
BBC National Short Story Award
15:30 WED (m000mktn)
BBC National Short Story Award
15:30 THU (m000mk33)
BBC National Short Story Award
15:45 FRI (m000mlw4)
Bells on Sunday
05:43 SUN (m000mhxz)
Bells on Sunday
00:45 MON (m000mhxz)
Beyond Belief
16:30 MON (m000mkhz)
Blood Lands
13:45 MON (m0006zx5)
Blood Lands
13:45 TUE (m0006zty)
Blood Lands
13:45 WED (m00070hc)
Blood Lands
13:45 THU (m00070n8)
Blood Lands
13:45 FRI (m000712l)
Brain of Britain
23:00 SAT (m000mblg)
Brain of Britain
15:00 MON (m000mkhs)
Broad Spectrum
21:00 MON (m000mcyj)
Broadcasting House
09:00 SUN (m000ml9s)
Bunk Bed
23:15 WED (m0003r4y)
Costing the Earth
16:00 TUE (m000mj28)
Costing the Earth
21:00 WED (m000mj28)
Crossing Continents
20:30 MON (m000mcgw)
Crossing Continents
11:00 THU (m000mk2g)
Dot
19:15 SUN (b08pdxl5)
Drama
15:00 SAT (m000ldmy)
Drama
15:00 SUN (m000mlbc)
Drama
14:00 MON (m000mkhq)
Drama
14:15 TUE (b0bdbqwv)
Drama
14:15 WED (m000f07b)
Drama
14:15 THU (m00057sn)
Drama
14:15 FRI (m0003zz0)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
09:45 MON (m000mkjq)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
00:30 TUE (m000mkjq)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
09:45 TUE (m000mj35)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
00:30 WED (m000mj35)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
09:45 WED (m000mkt0)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
00:30 THU (m000mkt0)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
09:45 THU (m000mk42)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
00:30 FRI (m000mk42)
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick
09:45 FRI (m000mlv2)
Farming Today
06:30 SAT (m000mhw7)
Farming Today
05:45 MON (m000mlcj)
Farming Today
05:45 TUE (m000mkk3)
Farming Today
05:45 WED (m000mj3l)
Farming Today
05:45 THU (m000mkw8)
Farming Today
05:45 FRI (m000mk4g)
File on 4
17:00 SUN (m000mczc)
File on 4
20:00 TUE (m000mj2s)
Four Thought
05:45 SAT (m000mb0b)
Four Thought
09:30 WED (m000mksy)
Four Thought
20:45 WED (m000mksy)
Fresh From the Fringe
23:00 TUE (b0bf7p6z)
From Our Own Correspondent
11:30 SAT (m000mhwl)
Front Row
19:15 MON (m000mkj9)
Front Row
19:15 TUE (m000mj2q)
Front Row
19:15 WED (m000mkv0)
Front Row
19:15 THU (m000mk3k)
Front Row
19:00 FRI (m000mlwg)
Gardeners' Question Time
14:00 SUN (m000mcpr)
Gardeners' Question Time
15:00 FRI (m000mlw2)
Great Lives
16:30 TUE (m000mj2b)
Great Lives
23:00 FRI (m000mj2b)
Grounded with Louis Theroux
22:15 SAT (p08j2xn0)
In Business
21:30 SUN (m000mchz)
In Business
20:30 THU (m000mk3p)
In Our Time
09:00 THU (m000mk25)
In Our Time
21:30 THU (m000mk25)
In Touch
20:40 TUE (m000mj2v)
Jack & Millie
11:30 WED (m000mkt6)
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
18:30 THU (b06tvm72)
Last Word
20:30 SUN (m000mcpw)
Last Word
16:00 FRI (m000mlw6)
Life Lines
10:45 MON (m000mkh6)
Life Lines
19:45 MON (m000mkh6)
Life Lines
10:45 TUE (m000mj1j)
Life Lines
19:45 TUE (m000mj1j)
Life Lines
10:45 WED (m000mkt4)
Life Lines
19:45 WED (m000mkt4)
Life Lines
10:45 THU (m000mk2d)
Life Lines
19:45 THU (m000mk2d)
Life Lines
10:45 FRI (m000mlvc)
Life Lines
19:45 FRI (m000mlvc)
Living National Treasures
14:45 SUN (m000g3jc)
Loose Ends
18:15 SAT (m000mhxc)
Loose Ends
11:30 MON (m000mhxc)
Midnight News
00:00 SAT (m000mcql)
Midnight News
00:00 SUN (m000mhxm)
Midnight News
00:00 MON (m000mlby)
Midnight News
00:00 TUE (m000mkjn)
Midnight News
00:00 WED (m000mj33)
Midnight News
00:00 THU (m000mkvq)
Midnight News
00:00 FRI (m000mk40)
Money Box
12:04 SAT (m000mhwq)
Money Box
21:00 SUN (m000mhwq)
Money Box
15:00 WED (m000mktl)
More or Less
20:00 SUN (m000mb06)
More or Less
09:00 WED (m000mksw)
More or Less
16:30 FRI (m000mksw)
Mr Muzak
11:30 FRI (m000mlvm)
My Dream Dinner Party
16:00 MON (m000mkhx)
News Briefing
05:30 SAT (m000mcqv)
News Briefing
05:30 SUN (m000mhxx)
News Briefing
05:30 MON (m000mlc9)
News Briefing
05:30 TUE (m000mkjz)
News Briefing
05:30 WED (m000mj3g)
News Briefing
05:30 THU (m000mkw4)
News Briefing
05:30 FRI (m000mk4b)
News Summary
12:00 SAT (m000mj6f)
News Summary
12:00 SUN (m000mlb2)
News Summary
12:00 MON (m000mkmy)
News Summary
12:00 TUE (m000mjh3)
News Summary
12:00 WED (m000mkt8)
News Summary
12:00 THU (m000mlj1)
News Summary
12:00 FRI (m000mlvr)
News and Papers
06:00 SAT (m000mhw5)
News and Papers
07:00 SUN (m000ml9g)
News and Papers
08:00 SUN (m000ml9n)
News
13:00 SAT (m000mhwv)
News
22:00 SAT (m000mhxk)
News
06:00 SUN (m000ml98)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
12:04 MON (m000mkhg)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
22:45 MON (m000mkhg)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
12:04 TUE (m000mj1r)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
22:45 TUE (m000mj1r)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
12:04 WED (m000mktb)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
22:45 WED (m000mktb)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
12:04 THU (m000mk2n)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
22:45 THU (m000mk2n)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
12:04 FRI (m000mlvt)
No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
22:45 FRI (m000mlvt)
On Your Farm
06:35 SUN (m000ml9b)
One to One
14:45 SAT (m000kgsd)
One to One
09:30 TUE (m000mj1b)
Open Book
16:00 SUN (m000mkjj)
Open Book
23:00 MON (m000mkjj)
PM
17:00 SAT (m000mhx1)
PM
17:00 MON (m000mkj1)
PM
17:00 TUE (m000mj2d)
PM
17:00 WED (m000mktt)
PM
17:00 THU (m000mk39)
PM
17:00 FRI (m000mlw8)
Phil Ellis Is Trying
18:30 WED (m000mkty)
Pick of the Week
18:15 SUN (m000mlbp)
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
17:30 SAT (m000mhx3)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 SAT (m000mcqx)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 MON (m000mlcf)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 TUE (m000mkk1)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 WED (m000mj3j)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 THU (m000mkw6)
Prayer for the Day
05:43 FRI (m000mk4d)
Profile
19:00 SAT (m000mhxf)
Profile
05:45 SUN (m000mhxf)
Profile
17:40 SUN (m000mhxf)
Radio 4 Appeal
07:54 SUN (m000mk31)
Radio 4 Appeal
21:25 SUN (m000mk31)
Radio 4 Appeal
15:27 THU (m000mk31)
Ramble Book by Adam Buxton
00:30 SAT (m000mcny)
Ramblings
06:07 SAT (m000mchd)
Ramblings
15:00 THU (m000mk2z)
Saturday Live
09:00 SAT (m000mhwf)
Science Stories
11:00 TUE (b07dm8tb)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 SAT (m000mcqq)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 SUN (m000mhxs)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 MON (m000mlc2)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 TUE (m000mkjv)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 WED (m000mj3b)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 THU (m000mkvz)
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes
01:00 FRI (m000mk46)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 SAT (m000mcqn)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 SAT (m000mcqs)
Shipping Forecast
17:54 SAT (m000mhx5)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 SUN (m000mhxq)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 SUN (m000mhxv)
Shipping Forecast
17:54 SUN (m000mlbh)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 MON (m000mlc0)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 MON (m000mlc5)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 TUE (m000mkjs)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 TUE (m000mkjx)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 WED (m000mj38)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 WED (m000mj3d)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 THU (m000mkvv)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 THU (m000mkw2)
Shipping Forecast
00:48 FRI (m000mk44)
Shipping Forecast
05:20 FRI (m000mk48)
Short Cuts
15:00 TUE (m000mj23)
Short Works
00:30 SUN (m000mcpt)
Simon Schama: The Great Gallery Tours
19:15 SAT (m000ldf4)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 SAT (m000mhx9)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 SUN (m000mlbm)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 MON (m000mkj5)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 TUE (m000mj2j)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 WED (m000mktw)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 THU (m000mk3f)
Six O'Clock News
18:00 FRI (m000mlwb)
Something Understood
06:05 SUN (b03j8ksm)
Something Understood
23:30 SUN (b03j8ksm)
Songs of the Humpback Whale
11:30 THU (m000mk2j)
Start the Week
09:00 MON (m000mkh0)
Start the Week
21:30 MON (m000mkh0)
Sunday Worship
08:10 SUN (m000ml9q)
Sunday
07:10 SUN (m000ml9j)
The Archers Omnibus
10:00 SUN (m000ml9v)
The Archers
19:00 MON (m000mj21)
The Archers
14:00 TUE (m000mj21)
The Archers
19:00 TUE (m000mj2n)
The Archers
14:00 WED (m000mj2n)
The Archers
19:00 WED (m000mk2x)
The Archers
14:00 THU (m000mk2x)
The Archers
19:00 THU (m000mk3h)
The Archers
14:00 FRI (m000mk3h)
The Austerity Audit
11:00 FRI (m000mlvh)
The Briefing Room
20:00 THU (m000mk3m)
The Californian Century
19:45 SAT (m000fpbl)
The Damien Slash Mixtape
23:00 WED (m000mkvd)
The Film Programme
23:00 SUN (m000mchg)
The Film Programme
16:00 THU (m000mk35)
The Food Programme
12:32 SUN (m000mj2x)
The Food Programme
21:00 TUE (m000mj2x)
The Green Lady in the Toilets
11:30 TUE (m000mj1m)
The Lenny Henry Show
18:30 TUE (m000mj2l)
The Life Scientific
09:00 TUE (m000mj18)
The Life Scientific
21:30 TUE (m000mj18)
The Listening Project
13:30 SUN (m000mlb9)
The Media Show
16:30 WED (m000mktr)
The Media Show
21:30 WED (m000mktr)
The Museum of Curiosity
12:04 SUN (m000mblv)
The Museum of Curiosity
18:30 MON (m000mkj7)
The New Adventures of Baron Munchausen
19:45 SUN (m000mlbt)
The News Quiz
12:30 SAT (m000mcq2)
The News Quiz
18:30 FRI (m000mlwd)
The Reunion
11:00 SUN (m000ml9z)
The Reunion
09:00 FRI (m000ml9z)
The Rise and Fall of the Antique
11:45 SUN (b0bdvhxt)
The Skewer
23:00 THU (m000mk3v)
The Spark
20:00 WED (m000mkv4)
The Week in Westminster
11:00 SAT (m000mhwj)
The Whisperer In Darkness
19:00 SUN (m000mlbr)
The World This Weekend
13:00 SUN (m000mlb7)
The World Tonight
22:00 MON (m000mkjg)
The World Tonight
22:00 TUE (m000mj2z)
The World Tonight
22:00 WED (m000mkv8)
The World Tonight
22:00 THU (m000mk3s)
The World Tonight
22:00 FRI (m000mlwn)
Things That Made the Modern Economy
23:30 FRI (m000bld7)
Thinking Allowed
00:15 MON (m0001jpz)
Thinking Allowed
16:00 WED (m0003z8y)
Today in Parliament
23:30 MON (m000mkjl)
Today in Parliament
23:30 TUE (m000mj31)
Today in Parliament
23:30 WED (m000mkvl)
Today in Parliament
23:30 THU (m000mk3y)
Today in Parliament
23:45 FRI (m000mlwq)
Today
07:00 SAT (m000mhwc)
Today
06:00 MON (m000mkgy)
Today
06:00 TUE (m000mj14)
Today
06:00 WED (m000mkst)
Today
06:00 THU (m000mk1y)
Today
06:00 FRI (m000mlty)
Tongue and Talk: The Dialect Poets
23:30 SAT (m000mbq5)
Tracks
21:00 SAT (m0001bq6)
Tweet of the Day
08:58 SUN (b02twpwl)
Tweet of the Day
10:55 SUN (m000ml9x)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 MON (b02tvys6)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 TUE (b02tym17)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 WED (b04dvrt1)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 THU (b04dvsly)
Tweet of the Day
05:58 FRI (b04dvsrk)
Vaccines, Money and Politics
11:00 MON (m000mkh8)
Weather
06:57 SAT (m000mhw9)
Weather
12:57 SAT (m000mhws)
Weather
17:57 SAT (m000mhx7)
Weather
06:57 SUN (m000ml9d)
Weather
07:57 SUN (m000ml9l)
Weather
12:57 SUN (m000mlb5)
Weather
17:57 SUN (m000mlbk)
Weather
05:56 MON (m000mlcl)
Weather
12:57 MON (m000mkhl)
Weather
12:57 TUE (m000mj1x)
Weather
12:57 WED (m000mktg)
Weather
12:57 THU (m000mk2s)
Weather
12:57 FRI (m000mlvy)
Westminster Hour
22:00 SUN (m000mlbw)
Woman's Hour
16:00 SAT (m000mhwz)
Woman's Hour
10:00 MON (m000mkh4)
Woman's Hour
10:00 TUE (m000mj1g)
Woman's Hour
10:00 WED (m000mkt2)
Woman's Hour
10:00 THU (m000mk2b)
Woman's Hour
10:00 FRI (m000mlv7)
World at One
13:00 MON (m000mkhn)
World at One
13:00 TUE (m000mj1z)
World at One
13:00 WED (m000mktj)
World at One
13:00 THU (m000mk2v)
World at One
13:00 FRI (m000mlw0)
You and Yours
12:18 MON (m000mkhj)
You and Yours
12:18 TUE (m000mj1v)
You and Yours
12:18 WED (m000mktd)
You and Yours
12:18 THU (m000mk2q)
You and Yours
12:18 FRI (m000mlvw)
You're Dead To Me
10:30 SAT (p0874r22)