SATURDAY 09 DECEMBER 2023

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m001t36z)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 00:30 The Years by Annie Ernaux (m001t2yd)
Episode 5

Considered by many to be the iconic French memoirist’s defining work, The Years is a narrative of the period 1941 to 2006 told through the lens of memory, impressions past and present, cultural habits, language, photos, books, songs, radio, television, advertising and news headlines.

Annie Ernaux invents a form that is subjective and impersonal, private and collective, and a new genre – the collective autobiography – in order to capture the passing of time.

At the confluence of autofiction and sociology, The Years is ‘a Remembrance of Things Past for our age of media domination and consumerism’ (New York Times), a monumental account of twentieth-century French history as refracted through the life of one woman.

‘One of the best books you’ll ever read.’
— Deborah Levy, author of Hot Milk

‘The author of one of the most important oeuvres in French literature, Annie Ernaux’s work is as powerful as it is devastating, as subtle as it is seething.’
— Edouard Louis, author of The End of Eddy

‘Ravishing and almost oracular with insight, Ernaux’s prose performs an extraordinary dance between collective and intimate, “big” history and private experience. The Years is a philosophical meditation paced as a rollercoaster ride through the decades. How we spend ourselves too quickly, how we reach for meaning but evade it, how to live, how to remember – these are Ernaux’s themes. I am desperate for more.’
— Kapka Kassabova, author of Border

Born in 1940, Annie Ernaux grew up in Normandy, studied at Rouen University, and later taught at secondary school. From 1977 to 2000, she was a professor at the Centre National d’Enseignement par Correspondance. In 2017, she was awarded the Marguerite Yourcenar Prize for her life’s work. In 2022, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Alison L. Strayer is a Canadian writer and translator. Her translation of The Years was awarded the 2018 French-American Translation Prize in the non-fiction category. She lives in Paris.

Written by Annie Ernaux
Translated by Alison L Strayer
Read by Sian Thomas
Abridged by Jill Waters with Mark Kilfoyle
Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001t379)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001t37k)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001t37t)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m001t380)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001t386)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Craig Gardiner, a tutor at Cardiff Baptist College.

Good morning. The other day my family were waiting in a long queue of Christmas traffic edging towards the ever-changing greens and reds and ambers of the lights.

My passengers were already on their smart phones so I asked them when traffic lights were invented. It was actually today, back in 1868, in Westminster. Those lights were really a modified system of railway signals during the day, with red and green gas illuminations shining through the night, instructing the traffic to stop and wait.

The traffic on our journey didn’t like delays, but few of us do like waiting, especially in this internet age when we are used to downloading, messaging and getting all sorts of things to happen now…like discovering when traffic lights were invented. Indeed, even as my traffic lights turned green, I was urging those in front of me to ‘get a move on, quick.’ Waiting seems to be such a waste of time. But it need not be so.

These weeks before Christmas, known in the church as Advent, are when Christians prepare for the birth of Jesus, knowing it is imminent, but that it hasn’t happened yet, and so we are told to wait. But this waiting has a purpose. If Christmas promises ‘joy to the world’, then these days of anticipation offer us an opportunity to pause amidst life’s busy traffic. This is our chance to stop long enough to think about what would truly bring us joy.

Each of us might answer that question rather differently, but stopping and waiting for the answer, might at least remind us, that happiness is not always found in moving quickly up the queue or rushing through our lives.

God of all waiting,
Who welcomes our pause,
help us to discover joy in the delays,
and wonder in the waiting we encounter today,
as we stop,
even for a minute,
that we might be filled with your presence
Amen


SAT 05:45 New Storytellers (m001p7lk)
Out at Sea, Out of Mind

Take a deep dive into the sonic realms of the sea. With natural soundscapes recorded beneath the surface, this is a journey of discovery into how important sound is for all sea creatures - from whales, dolphins, and porpoises, to the smallest invertebrates, sound is an essential part of their being.

Since the discovery that whale song can be heard across entire oceans, many researchers have been exploring how human-produced sounds and frequencies may affect communication among the mammals. But as we on the surface can’t hear the sounds beneath the sea, we can be oblivious to the devastating effects some of these noises can have on underwater life. As humans we bring to the vast arena of the oceans much louder sounds than would occur naturally on the evolutionary scale - shipping, sonar used for underwater navigation, and the loud seismic gun testing blasts produced when surveying the ocean bed for oil and gas.

Do we need to start listening to our oceans?

With contributions from: Professor Volker Deecke, marine pollution consultant Tim Deere-Jones, researchers Sarah Dickson, Jordan Burgess, Jo Garrett, and writer Jay Richardson.

This series of New Storytellers features the winners of this year’s Charles Parker Prize 2023 for the Best Student Radio Feature. Out at Sea, Out of Mind was produced by recent University of Sunderland MA Radio, Audio and Podcasting student Lottie Steele and the feature is, in the words of the judges, “skilfully creative” and “expertly montaged so that there is a great sense of flow”. And they admired the “beautiful use of sound and music. A shocking and important programme.”

Producer: Lottie Steele
A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m001t966)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m001t32t)
Unearthing the past at Vindolanda

At the major Roman site of Vindolanda, just south of Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, excavations have unearthed artefacts from nearly two thousand years ago. In this programme, archaeologist Rose Ferraby visits the site and asks what we can learn about the people who lived here and the kind of lives they led. She hears about the five thousand pairs of shoes which were left behind by the departing Romans, from marching boots to baby's bootees, with another 30-40,000 more pairs believed to still lie buried on the site - along with several tonnes of pottery, ceramics and animal bones.

At Vindolanda's sister site, Magna, archaeological work is being directly affected by climate change. The peat bog on which it sits is drying out, exposing ancient structures to the air. It’s a race against home to find out as much as possible and to preserve the past in the face of the changing climate.

Produced by Ruth Sanderson


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m001t96b)
09/12/23 Farming Today This Week: COP28 food and agriculture; Food as a public good; Snow

Food security is a public good and the Government should use England's post Brexit environmental payment system to incentivise it; so say MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee in a report out this week.

This year food and farming has been on the official COP agenda for the first time. It's taken 28 years but tomorrow will see a full day of the COP dedicated to food and farming, a 'game changer' according to the hosts in Dubai.

It's been a difficult week for many farmers, with torrential rain and heavy snowfalls, especially in Cumbria. Andrea Meanwell farms in the Howgills and has a herd of Belted Galloway cattle. She went out to find them when the snow came down, and had to go on foot when the diesel in her all terrain vehicle froze.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


SAT 06:57 Weather (m001t96h)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m001t96m)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m001t96r)
David Gandy, Sam Heughan, Catrin Finch, Lucy Worsley

From an animal loving Billericay boy to international supermodel turned designer - David Gandy has been the face of some of the worlds biggest brands.

The Scottish actor Sam Heughan is internationally famous for playing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in Outlander but is also an award-winning businessman and bestselling author.

And the Queen of Harps, Catrin Finch, not only a classical harp virtuoso, she’s also a collaborator who exemplifies musical freedom and knows a thing or two about music’s healing powers.

Plus the Inheritance Tracks of historian and broadcaster Lucy Worsley.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Huw Stevens
Producer: Ben Mitchell


SAT 10:00 Your Place or Mine with Shaun Keaveny (m001t96w)
Rob Auton: Reykjavík, Iceland

Iceland offers Shaun the opportunity to enjoy a cold drink in a thermal spa, while gawping at the Northern Lights and listening to Sigur Rós. Comedian and writer Rob Auton paints a beautiful picture of the world’s most northerly capital, but is it all too much for Shaun? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence is on hand to advise, crampons at the ready.

Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn’t going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it’s worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.

Producers: Sarah Goodman and Beth O’Dea.

Your Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001t970)
Series 42

Wigan

Jay Rayner and his panel of culinary experts answer questions from Wigan.

Joining Jay are food writers Nisha Katona, Sophie Wright, food historian Dr Annie Gray, and chef Rob Owen Brown.

The panel discusses a variety of culinary dilemmas, from when to use white or black pepper to what to do with creamed artichokes. The panellists also discuss their favourite food misnomers, and the all important question - what makes a pie a pie?

Jay chats to Bakery Manager Eric Scrivens of Galloways Bakers about why Wigan residents are self proclaimed “Pie Eaters”. He also invites the managing director of Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls, John Winnard MBE, to discuss the popularity of mint sweets around the world.

Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Executive Producer: Hannah Newton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m001t975)
Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m001t979)
Hope and disillusion in South Africa

Kate Adie introduces dispatches from South Africa, Syria, the Netherlands and Germany.

Fergal Keane reported from South Africa during the country's difficult transition to democracy after the end of apartheid. He revisits some familiar neighbourhoods and reflects on what happened to the hope and ambition that gripped the country at the time.

Four years after Islamic State was defeated in Syria, thousands of children whose parents supported the group, are living in camps and detention centres with their mothers. Poonam Taneja met some of the children with uncertain futures, still hoping for a return to a normal life.

The Dutch far-right populist leader Geert Wilders swept to a surprise victory in parliamentary elections last month, but there is still no guarantee he will become prime minister. Housing, immigration and the cost of living dominated the election campaign. Anna Holligan spoke to voters in the seaside suburbs of The Hague.

Germany's plans for its much-vaunted ‘green energy transition’ are in deep water after a ruling by the country’s constitutional court blew a 60 billion euro hole in the project’s finances. Meanwhile German voters are questioning the cost of going green. Bob Howard was in Bremen.

Series producer: Serena Tarling
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m001tbfg)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m001t97g)
Teenage Scam Ads and Mortgage Overpayments

Teenagers are being bombarded on social media with promotions for financial products they might not understand and that are usually too risky or dangerous for them to invest in. The MP Robin Walker, who chairs the Commons Education Select Committee, wants to see financial education for 16-18 year olds strengthened. The Department for Education told us "Financial literacy within citizenship is compulsory for 11-16-year-olds in the national curriculum, so young people are taught about the importance of personal budgeting, savings, money management and calculating interest.”

Figures indicate an increasing number of homeowners are making overpayments on their mortgages, to take the sting out of new interest rates. More than £21.3 billion was overpaid in the first ten months of this year - up more than 14% from the same period last year. But how much do you need to overpay, to make a difference?

The new project where people can get loans at zero interest to help with the cost of electricity, gas, and heating oil. We visit Ballyhackamore Credit Union in East Belfast to see how it works.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth, Sandra Hardial and Eimear Devlin
Researcher: Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm, Saturday 9th Dec 2023)


SAT 12:30 The Now Show (m001t336)
Series 63

Episode 6

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present the week via topical stand-up and sketches. Featuring Geoff Norcott looking at the proposal of a Minister for Men, Harriet Kemsley on Kim Jong Un's pleas to North Korea, and an original song from Peter Rugman.

The show was written by the cast with additional material from Adrian Gray, Miranda Holms, Rajiv Karia, Cameron Loxdale and Laura Major.

Voice Actors: Daniel Barker and Chiara Goldsmith.

Producer: Rajiv Karia
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4


SAT 12:57 Weather (m001t97j)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m001t97l)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m001t349)
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Esther McVey MP, Lisa Nandy MP, Richard Tice

Alex Forsyth presents political discussion from St Matthew's Church in Burnley with the journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Minister for the Cabinet Office Esther McVey MP, Shadow Minister for International Development Lisa Nandy MP and the leader of Reform UK Richard Tice.
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Lead broadcast engineer: Liam Juniper


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m001t97n)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week


SAT 14:45 The Planet Earth Podcast (m001t97q)
7. Planet Earth Pioneers

As the natural world faces unprecedented pressures, who are the conservation heroes working on the front line to protect our most precious species? Mike Gunton hears from BBC Factual Commissioner Jack Bootle on why human stories are so important to the Planet Earth brand, while conservationist Carla Daniel shares how she makes sure sea turtles remain safe on the busy streets of Barbados. Chimp expert Matt McLennan describes how his conservation work helped to bring a Planet Earth III sequence to our screens, and Sir David Attenborough offers his own thoughts on conservation heroes.


SAT 15:00 Sweeney Todd and the String of Pearls (m000t4kg)
Episode 1

Rosalind Ayres directs a stellar cast in this masterly, rediscovered, horror-thriller. Joanne Whalley stars as Mrs Lovett and Martin Jarvis as barber Sweeney Todd with Rufus Sewell, Jonathan Cake, Julian Sands, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Darren Richardson and Ian Ogilvy. Based on the novel by Thomas Prest.

It's 1785 in Fleet Street, during the reign of George III, with so many secrets and lies. What is the peculiar arrangement between Sweeney Todd and pie-shop owner, Mrs Lovett? What happened to the pearls? They were meant for lovely young Joanna. Is her sweetheart Mark lost at sea? What became of the messenger after entering Todd’s shop? Who is the new cook in Mrs Lovett’s bakehouse?

Can loyal Lieutenant Jeffrey (Rufus Sewell) and investigator Sir Richard Blunt (Jonathan Cake) unravel the dark mystery? A grim humour here - if there are killings, where are the bodies?

Cast:
Mrs Lovett…Joanne Whalley
Sweeney Todd…Martin Jarvis
Colonel Jeffrey…Rufus Sewell
Sir Richard Blunt…Jonathan Cake
Mark…Jack Cutmore-Scott
Tobias…Darren Richardson
Joanna…Moira Quirk
Arabella…Elizabeth Knowelden
Mr Oakley…Julian Sands
Major Bounce…Ian Ogilvy
Mr Grant…Alan Shearman
Morgan/Captain…Neil Dickson
Thornhill/Mundel/Crotchet…Matthew Wolf

Original music: A-Mnemonic

Dramatised by Archie Scottney, based on the novel by Thomas Prest

Director: Rosalind Ayres
A Jarvis and Ayres production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m001t97s)
Ruth Perry's sister, City Girl in Nature, Caring for a spouse, The politics of Christmas presents

An Ofsted inspection "contributed" to the death of head teacher Ruth Perry. That’s the conclusion of senior coroner Heidi Connor. This is the first time Ofsted has been listed as a contributing factor in the death of a head teacher. Ruth Perry had been head of Caversham Primary School in Berkshire for 13 years when she took her own life in January, ahead of an inspection report being made public which had downgraded the school from Outstanding to Inadequate, based on safeguarding concerns. Her death ignited a national debate about the mental health of school leaders and the pressure they are under in terms of inspections. Anita Rani speaks to Ruth Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters.
 
Born and raised in Deptford, south east London, Kwesia didn’t grow up with a lot of nature around her. That’s until she went on a life-changing trip to the Amazon. She’s since created her YouTube channel, City Girl in Nature, to guide other city dwellers into the great outdoors. She speaks to Krupa Padhy about her platform, nature activism work, and winning Best New Voice at the Audio Production Awards for her podcast Get Birding.
 
Lina Mookerjee had been married to her husband Richard for more than 15 years when he lost both his sight and hearing. Lina is now as much a carer to Richard as she is a wife. Lina and Richard share their story and discuss what they describe as the ‘invisible’ work of carers.
 
Research suggests that the average Briton spends £300 on Christmas gifts. One woman who is bucking this trend is the writer and journalist Nell Frizzell, who says that her family Christmases have improved since they stopped buying one another gifts. Krupa hears from Nell and Ellie Gibson, comedian and one half of the Scummy Mummies, who is a big fan of gifting every festive season.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Dianne McGregor


SAT 17:00 PM (m001t97v)
Full coverage of the day's news


SAT 17:30 Sliced Bread (m001t31c)
Sliced Bread - Bedding

Can changing your sheets be good for you - and the environment?
We've had loads of requests to look at the best way to make your bed - specifically, how all the different options for sheets and pillowcases compare. Cotton seems to be king when it comes to popularity, but is it justified? Listener Rosemary is a linen fan, but wants to know whether eucalyptus bedding lives up to the hype. How do its eco credentials stack up - and what does it feel like? Speaking of feel - silk pillow cases have a reputation for luxury, but listener Cathy wants to know whether sleeping on one will - as the marketing promises - also help your skin and your hair. Could it really help with acne? We'll hear from a dermatologist and a fabrics expert - and there are some surprising answers to this one!

If you've seen a claim you'd like investigating, you can email the team on sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp voice note on 07543 306807.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001t97x)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m001t97z)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001t981)
Israeli forces have continued to bombard targets throughout Gaza where a senior UN official has warned that half the population is now starving.


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m001t983)
Elvis Costello and Conor McPherson, Suranne Jones, Martin Kemp, Michelle McManus, Roachford, Ify Iwobi, Emma Freud

Clive Anderson and Emma Freud are joined by Elvis Costello and Conor McPherson, Suranne Jones, Martin Kemp and Michelle McManus for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Roachford and Ify Iwobi.


SAT 19:00 Profile (m001t985)
Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman, Oscar winning actress. Stephen Smith charts her career from an appearance at the age of 4 in a school nativity play, through to her current project as Mrs. Scrubbit in the new 'Wonka' film.

Olivia Colman first came to public attention as a comedy actress in 'That Mitchell and Webb Look' and then 'Peep Show' but she always felt she could do more. It was being cast in the British film 'Tyrannosaur' that brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Now she's on her way to National Treasure status with the likes of Dame Judi Dench and Dame Helen Mirren.

CONTRIBUTORS

Paterson Joseph, Actor, Producer, Writer. Screen Credits, Boat Story, Vigil.
Paul Hands, Former Director of Drama, Gresham's School.
Anna Smith, Film Critic, Broadcaster and host of 'Girls on Film' podcast.
Catherine Shoard, Film Critic, The Guardian.

CREDITS

Peep Show, Channel 4
Wonka, Warner Bros. Pictures
L'Orchestre Cinematique, Pure Imagination (Newley/Bricusse)
Oscars Award Ceremony 2019 - Best Actress Award
The Crown, Netflix , Writer: Peter Morgan
Life in Stages, Episode 1 Olivia Colman, National Theatre

PRODUCTION TEAM
Producer: Diane Richardson, Julie Ball
Editor: Bridget Harney
Sound: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Sabine Schereck


SAT 19:15 The Infinite Monkey Cage (p0gr7n3y)
Series 28

Hollywood in Space

Brian Cox and Robin Ince put Hollywood under the microscope to unpick the science fact v science fiction of some of the biggest movies set in space. They are joined by a truly out of this world panel of space experts including astronauts Tim Peake, Nicole Stott and Susan Kilrain alongside Oscar-winning Special FX director Paul Franklin, whose movies include Interstellar and First Man. Tim, Nicole and Susan fact check how space travel and astronauts are portrayed in movies such as Gravity and The Martian, whilst Brian and Robin argue about Robin's lack of enthusiasm for Star Wars. They look back at some of the greatest space movies including Alien and 2001 A Space Odyssey, and ask whether some fictional aspects of these blockbusters may not be so far from our future reality.

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem.


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m001t988)
The Art of Silence

A radio programme about mime seems like a contradiction in terms... but Marcel Marceau had so much to say.

When the entire population of Strasbourg was evacuated in September 1939, the Mangel family was sent to the south of France. Marcel attended art school in Limoges and, alongside his older brother Alain and several of his cousins, joined multiple resistance networks.

He changed his surname to Marceau and began a life in the underground. Still a teenager, he risked his own life many times to help save Jewish refugee children, predominantly through a relief charity called the OSE - Oeuvre de secours aux enfants. Marcel's own father Charles Mangel, a kosher butcher originally from Poland, was arrested in early 1944 and murdered in Auschwitz.

His cousin Georges Loinger arranged for Marcel to hide from the Gestapo at a radical orphanage outside Paris where he worked as a drama teacher while also beginning classes at the Charles Dullin theatre school in occupied Paris. This is where he made the crucial decision to focus on mime - an art form he'd loved since discovering the films of Charlie Chaplin as a child.

After Paris was liberated, he joined the French army and his first big performance as a mime artist was to American GIs. Over the next 60 years, Marceau would become world famous as the 20th century's best known and most celebrated proponent of mime.

Marcel rarely spoke about his wartime experiences but he did write a manuscript titled "Histoire de ma vie. De 1923 jusqu’en 1952" which he entrusted to his two daughters Aurélia - an actor -and Camille - an artist - before his death in 2007. To mark the centenary of his birth this year, it was published in France by Actes Sud.

In this programme, Aurélia and Camille reveal some of the remarkable stories from the manuscript in addition to linking these experiences with his artistic development and his decision to choose an art form performed in silence, only aided occasionally by music and sound effects.

Contributors;
Nola Rae, mime artist and former student of Marceau.
Tamar Nezer-Loinger whose mother Fanny was Marcel's cousin and was a resistance fighter who saved 500 Jewish children.
Carol Mann, a sociologist whose mother Rose was also Marcel's cousin. She is the author of "Le mime Marceau, sa cousine Rose, le Yiddish, et moi".
French Film director Michel Leclerc whose mother was saved by Marcel Marceau.
Dr Betty Felenbok, a retired biologist who was hidden aged 5 at La Maison d'enfants de Sèvres orphanage outside Paris where Marceau also hid as a drama teacher.
Dr Hillel Kieval, Goldstein Professor Emeritus of Jewish History and Thought at Washington University in St. Louis.
Jeanine Thompson, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts at Ohio State University.

With thanks to Robert Leopold, archivist for La Maison d'enfants de Sèvres; the Wallenberg Legacy for allowing the use of Marcel Marceau's 2001 Wallenberg Medal acceptance speech at the University of Michigan; the Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute at Ohio State University who digitised the video of "Bip Remembers" especially for this programme.

Producer: Victoria Ferran
Executive Producer: Susan Marling
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 Drama on 4 (m001gwz6)
Border Call

We are on the cusp of major changes in the three-way relationship between Britain, Ireland and Northern Ireland. In this taut political drama, Hugh Costello looks into his crystal ball and imagines a future scenario.

The year is 2027. Helen Graham is the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the UK government. Recent elections to the Stormont Assembly have confirmed Sinn Fein as the largest party. Now they and their counterparts in the Republic, senior partners in a ruling coalition since the general election of 2025, have renewed their calls for a referendum, or Border Poll, on unification, to be held on both sides of the border.

Under the Good Friday Agreement, the power to call such a poll in NI lies with the Secretary of State, if she judges that “it appears likely that a majority of the people would vote in favour of a united Ireland.”

Helen was raised in Manchester by an English father and Irish mother. This is her first Cabinet position, and it’s giving her sleepless nights. Not least because the Prime Minister is demanding a debrief. At the suggestion of her resourceful PPS, Belfast native Emily Cooke, she embarks on a fact-finding mission and charm offensive. But while appearing as a guest on a radio phone-in show in Dublin, a caller raises a traumatic event in Helen's family's past that changes the future for both her and the island of Ireland....

Cast:
Helen Graham Jane Slavin
Emily Cooke Bronagh Waugh
Andrew Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong
Jennifer/Maureen Frances Tomelty
Moriarty/Finnerty Stephen Hogan

Written by Hugh Costello
Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan

A Big Fish Radio production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:45 Short Works (m001nw4c)
Love Is Mortifying by Gina Donnelly

An original short story commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from author Gina Donnelly. Read by Catherine Rees

Gina Donnelly is a multi-award winning writer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Along with her writing partner Seón Simpson, she has gained recognition for their play ‘Two Fingers Up’ after winning the Abbey Theatre Dublin Fringe Creative Thinking Award in 2019 and the Summerhall Lustrum Award in 2022 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Her other writing credits include ‘Maybe If We'd Stayed Angry’ for Origins First Irish Festival New York, 'Tea' as part of Now for the North and 'Don't Tell Me to Smile' for Fortnight Magazine's 50th Anniversary special. As writing partners, Gina and Seón were both part of the 2022 BBC Writersroom Belfast Voices.

Writer: Gina Donnelly
Reader: Catherine Rees
Producer: Geraldine Smyth
Editor: Andy Martin

A BBC Northern Ireland production.


SAT 22:00 News (m001t98b)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 Add to Playlist (m001t33x)
Neil Brand and Anna Phoebe round off the latest series

Composer, silent film music specialist and musician, Neil Brand, and violinist and composer Anna Phoebe, join Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye for the final episode of the current series.

From Ma Rainey's loud and proud blues to a singalong classic from 1981, via an 8'25" digitally-manipulated track that could split the room, the current musical journey is making its last stop.

Add to Playlist returns on 9th Feb 2024

Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented, with music direction, by Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye

The five tracks in this week's playlist:

Prove It On Me Blues by Ma Rainey
O Superman by Laurie Anderson
Yo Soy Cubano by The Chakachas
Finale from The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky
Lay All Your Love On Me by ABBA

Other music in this episode:

Peter Gunn Theme from The Blues Brothers, written by Henry Mancini
Believe by Cher
Backseat Freestyle by Kendrick Lamar
Crazy Frog by Axel F
Magic Carpet Ride '07 by Mighty Dub Katz
Theme from Stingray by Barry Gray


SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (m001t314)
The Final, 2023

(17/17)
After four months of heats and semi-finals, the cream of this year's quizzers join Russell Davies at the Radio Theatre in London for the 2023 Final. One of them will take away the silver trophy as the 70th official BBC Brain of Britain.

The Finalists are
Dan Adler from Surrey
Eleanor Ayres from Cambridge
Colin Kidd from Hertfordshire
George Scratcherd from Essex.

They have all proved impressive and consistent on their climb to the final rung and a tight contest is guaranteed. Might it even come down to a tiebreak, as two of this year's semi-finals did?

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner

Producer: Paul Bajoria


SAT 23:30 Limelight (m0015vlr)
Dead Hand

Episode 1: Number Stations

A contemporary thriller set in Northern Ireland written by Stuart Drennan.

Greg is the host of a true crime podcast dedicated to uncovering the identity of a serial killer, last active over twenty years ago, known only as Dead Hand. A killer named after a mysterious radio transmission which has been broadcasting an indecipherable code in the years since Dead Hand vanished. A code told in the voices of Dead Hand’s victims; including Greg’s missing father. However, when a new voice is added to the code, Greg realises that Dead Hand is active again. With time already running out, can he finally crack the code and catch the killer?

Cast:
Greg ... Paul Mallon
DS Murray … Michelle Fairley
Kate … Roísín Gallagher
Lucy … Hannah Eggleton
Stacey … Eimear Fearon
Daniel … Desmond Eastwood
Assistant Jo … Nicky Harley
Operator … Louise Parker
All other roles played by members of the cast.

Writer … Stuart Drennan
Script Editor … Philip Palmer
Producer … Michael Shannon
Executive Editor … Andy Martin

A BBC Northern Ireland production for Radio 4.

SUNDAY 10 DECEMBER 2023

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m001t98d)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 Poetry Please (m001t3b4)
Jackie Kay

Roger McGough is joined in the studio by Jackie Kay, who rifles through listener requests to pick out some of her favourite poems.

They include well-loved classics, such as The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W. B. Yeats, alongside oft-requested poems by Roger Robinson and Norman MacCaig and poets new to Roger, such as Ntozake Shange.

Jackie Kay is the former Scottish Makar, and as well as being a poet is also a novelist, playwright and librettist. Her collections include Bantam, Adoption Papers, Trumpet, Other Lovers and her recent memoir, Red Dust Road.

Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001t98h)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001t98l)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001t98n)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m001t98q)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m001t98s)
The Parish Church of Holy Trinity, St Austell in Cornwall

Bells on Sunday comes from the Parish Church of Holy Trinity, St Austell in Cornwall. The present church is largely 15th century with a fine ornamental tower, carved from Pentewan Stone. In the tower there is a peal of eight bells cast and hung by the Loughborough Foundry in 1902. The Tenor weighs eighteen and a half hundredweight is tuned to E. We hear them ringing Bristol Surprise Major.


SUN 05:45 Profile (m001t985)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m001tb67)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Something Understood (m001tb69)
Turmoil and Tranquility

Mark Tully considers the most fertile conditions for creativity - in the arts, in nature and in the spiritual life. He talks to Karen Armstrong about why creativity cannot be hurried, but why it can sometimes require a backdrop of chaos and turmoil, and sometimes silence and solitude.

First Broadcast in 2005.


SUN 06:35 Natural Histories (b0bk14l0)
Penguin

Its arguable that a certain dinner-suited bird has captured our hearts and minds more than any other creature over the centuries. As Brett Westwood discovers, Penguins remind us of ourselves - Like us they stand upright, they travel in groups, they communicate all the time and they walk (or waddle) on land. They have both entertained us and taught us life lessons. Our earliest encounters with Penguins very often resulted in the slaughter of these flightless birds for food and oil and they may well have gone the same way as the Great Auk had public campaigns to put an end to their slaughter not been successful. Since then, they have been adopted as a brand name for books and biscuits inspired music, animations, films, TV shows, children’s stories and there is even a Penguin Post Office, surrounded by Penguins, on a tiny island in Antarctica where you can post a card with a Penguin stamp.

First broadcast in a longer form : 18th September 2018
Original Producer (2018) : Sarah Bunt
Archive Producer (2023) : Andrew Dawes


SUN 06:57 Weather (m001tb6d)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m001tb6g)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m001tb6j)
Gaza Christians; American Sikh; Ethics of War

Eight hundred Christians have been sheltering in two churches in Gaza City since the beginning of the war, with warnings that supplies are running low. Nader Abu Amshah from the Middle East Council of Churches has been in regular contact with them.

‘American Sikh’ is a short animated film about an ordinary New Yorker who is viewed with suspicion after 9/11 because of his beard and turban. One day as part of his search for acceptance in American society, he decides to wear a Captain America costume, fully turbaned and bearded. It completely transforms the way people interact with him on the streets of New York. After being screened at film festivals ‘American Sikh’ is eligible to be shortlisted for an Oscar, we speak to the film’s main character and director, Vishavjit Singh.

The Israel-Gaza conflict involves two of the world's great religious traditions - Judaism and Islam - and each has their own principles for determining when and how war should be fought. To find out what they are, Edward talks to Daniel Greenberg, a lawyer who writes about Jewish ethics, and Audu Bulama Bukarti, an expert on the Islamic rules of war.


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m001tbqv)
Ripple Effect

Gardeners' World presenter Toby Buckland makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Ripple Effect.

To Give:
- UK Freephone 0800 404 8144
-You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
- 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 ‘Ripple Effect’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Ripple Effect'.
Please note that Freephone and online donations for this charity close at 23.59 on the Saturday after the Appeal is first broadcast. However the Freepost option can be used at any time.

Registered charity number: 299717


SUN 07:57 Weather (m001tb6l)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m001tb6n)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m001tb6q)
God's Justice: Deliver Us from Evil

The historic church of St Cadoc’s in the village of Llancarfan, South Wales, is adorned with recently-discovered Mediaeval wall paintings. The ancient illustrations depict George and the Dragon, the Seven Virtues and the Seven Deadly Sins. It is with this backdrop that Canon Edwin Counsell, leader of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Ministry Area for the Church in Wales, reflects on today’s advent theme of ‘Deliver Us From Evil’. Edwin is joined by ecclesiastical historian, Dr Madeleine Grey, who helps tease out the significance of these ancient depictions of the battle between good and evil, in this time of advent reflection.


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m001t34q)
The Usefulness of Pessimism

John Gray argues that the power of the imagination fuels the worst kind of politics.

'Nobody', he argues, 'is in overall charge of events. There are patterns in history, but particular human events are mostly random. We prefer an illusion of order to the brute fact of chaos.'

But, he says, pessimism may be the key to changing our fate.

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


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b038qk6p)
Great Shearwater

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.

Brett Westwood presents the Great Shearwater; a wanderer of the open ocean. They breed on remote islands in the South Atlantic and then disperse widely and many follow fish and squid shoals northwards, appearing around UK coasts in late summer and early autumn. The south-west of Britain and Ireland is the best area to look for them.


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m001tb6s)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell


SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m001tb6v)
WRITER: Keri Davies
DIRECTOR: Pip Swallow

Brian Aldridge…. Charles Collingwood
Natasha Archer …. Mali Harries
Tom Archer …. William Troughton
Tony Archer ….. David Troughton
Lilian Bellamy …. Sunny Ormonde
Justin Elliott …. Simon Williams
Clarrie Grundy …. Heather Bell
Eddie Grundy …. Trevor Harrison
Emma Grundy …. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Will Grundy …. Philip Molloy
Jakob Hakansson…. Paul Venables
Kate Madikane …. Perdita Avery
Oliver Sterling …. Michael Cochrane
Graham …. Malcolm McKee


SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (m001t9j1)
Shirley Ballas, dance judge

Shirley Ballas is the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC’s Saturday night entertainment show, which regularly attracts an audience of many millions. Known as the Queen of Latin dancing, she joined the show in 2017 after a long career as a competitive dancer and teacher.

Shirley was born in Wallasey in 1960. She discovered dance as a seven-year-old when she started taking classes in her local church hall. With a combination of natural flair and hard graft she began winning competitions with her partners. In 1980, while she was still an amateur, she met Sammy Stopford who was ranked seventh in the world as a professional Latin dancer. Together they shot up the rankings and became known as the ‘non-stop Stopfords’.

In 1984 she divorced Sammy and the following year she married Corky Ballas, an amateur dancer from Houston. Shirley set about training Corky to become a professional and in 1995 they won the British Open to the World Championships – a feat they repeated the following year.

In 1996 Shirley retired from competitive dancing to concentrate on coaching dancers and judging competitions. In 2017 she joined Strictly Come Dancing, replacing her friend and former teacher Len Goodman as head judge.

Shirley lives in south London with her mother Audrey and her boyfriend, the actor Danny Taylor.

DISC ONE: Get Lucky - Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers
DISC TWO: Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
DISC THREE: Moon River - Frank Sinatra
DISC FOUR: Sherry - The Four Seasons
DISC FIVE: Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
DISC SIX: You To Me Are Everything - The Real Thing
DISC SEVEN: Highs and Lows - Alexander Jean
DISC EIGHT: We’ve Only Just Begun - The Carpenters

BOOK CHOICE: Unleash the Power Within by Tony Robbins
LUXURY ITEM: Cotton knickers
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Highs and Lows - Alexander Jean

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley


SUN 12:00 News Summary (m001tb6x)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 12:04 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m001t32d)
Series 80

Episode 4

The antidote to panel games pays a return visit to the De Montfort Hall in Leicester. Tony Hawks and Pippa Evans take on Andy Hamilton and the Reverend Richard Coles with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell attempts piano accompaniment.

Producer - Jon Naismith.

It is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.


SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m001tb6z)
Recipes for Long Life

Dan Buettner believes that "when a ritual lasts for hundreds or thousands of years, like prayer before a meal, it serves some purpose". Dan is the best-selling author of and founder of The Blue Zones; five parts of the world where people tend to live much longer and healthier lives, many into their hundreds. In this programme, Leyla Kazim finds out more about the culinary aspects of his research, discovering what is eaten in the Blue Zones, what isn't being eaten, and some of the practices that exist around meal times.

She also meets two academics whose work focusses on how to help people living in the UK live longer and healthier. Liz Williams from the Healthy LifeSpan Institute at the University of Sheffield explains that although the current life expectancy for people in the UK is just over 81 years - our average 'healthy life' expectancy is much lower, at around 63. Dr Oliver Shannon from The University of Newcastle explains how some of the Blue Zones observational findings are consistent with research they have been doing into the impact of the Mediterranean diet on brain health.

The promise of a long healthy life is all well and good - but as we know the reality of diets is that they are impossibly hard to keep to. So could choosing to make a 'lifestyle' change be any easier to stick with? Leyla hears from Jean Newton who in her 70s has done just that.

Presented by Leyla Kazim
Produced by Natalie Donovan for BBC Audio in Bristol.


SUN 12:57 Weather (m001tb71)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m001tb73)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world


SUN 13:30 Behind the Crime (m001tb75)
Gary

This is the story of Gary, who served a prison sentence for his role in the supply for £4.2million of heroin.
But this eye-catching conviction is only a fraction of Gary’s story.
Gary grew up in Dagenham, in Essex. Very early on in his life he developed strategies to help him fit in with other children in school – strategies that sparked a remarkable chain of events which have led him to imprisonment … and then into the world of conceptual art.
By casting our eye back to Gary’s childhood and early adulthood, it’s possible to see characteristics that would influence the pathway his life would take.
Is it possible to prevent crime by understanding the root causes of offending behaviour?

Sally Tilt and Dr Kerensa Hocken are forensic psychologists who work in prisons.

They help people in prison to look at the harm they’ve caused to other people, understand why it happened and work out how to make changes to prevent further harm after they’ve been released.

In Behind the Crime, they take the time to understand the life of someone whose crimes have led to harm and, in some cases, imprisonment.

The job of the forensic psychologists is to dig deep into Gary’s story, to understand the sequence of events that got Gary to the point where he committed a crime.
For details of organisations that can provide help and support, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline

Producer: Andrew Wilkie
Editor: Clare Fordham
Behind the Crime is a co-production between BBC Long Form Audio and the Prison Radio Association.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001t31w)
Bearwood

What’s the best way to stop woodlice from hiding under my pots? How can I encourage my hibiscus plant to flower abundantly? What can I do to get my gardening mojo back?

Joining Kathy Clugston to answer these questions and more in front of a live audience in Bearwood are Head of Oxford Botanical Gardens Dr Chris Thorogood, houseplant expert Anne Swithinbank, and landscape designer Matthew Wilson.

Also on the programme, Matthew Biggs meets up with author of the first ever Bats in the Garden book, Shirley Thompson MBE, to debunk common misconceptions about bats and shares how they can benefit our gardens.

Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Executive Producer: Hannah Newton

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m001tb77)
Kiss of the Spider Woman

John Yorke shines a light on the dark, claustrophobic pages of Manuel Puig’s classic 1976 novel Kiss of the Spiderwoman, that went on to become a play, a musical and an Oscar-winning film.

Puig wrote the novel, which focuses on the relationship between a gay window dresser and a revolutionary political prisoner, having fled the ruling military dictatorship in Argentina. John shows how the book celebrates the power not only of human connection but also the imagination, as the two central characters - stripped of so much by way of physical comfort - escape the gloom of their cell through lengthy retellings of classic Hollywood films.

The novel itself couldn’t escape censure, and was banned in Argentina until 1983.

John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatized in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. From EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless, he has been obsessed with telling big popular stories. He has spent years analysing not just how stories work but why they resonate with audiences around the globe and has brought together his experience in his bestselling book Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely viewed and critically acclaimed TV drama. As founder of the hugely successful BBC Writers Academy John has trained a generation of screenwriters - his students have had 17 green-lights in the last two years alone.

Contributors:
Laurie Sansom – Theatre director
Suzanne Jay Levine - Puig’s biographer and translator

Credits:
Kiss of the Spiderwoman Pub 1976 (Spanish edition)
Vintage 1991 translated by Thomas Colchie (English Edition)

Reader: Luciano Dodero
Researcher: Nina Semple
Production Manager: Sarah Wright
Producer: Geoff Bird
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Sound by Sean Kerwin

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Love Stories (m001tb79)
Kiss of the Spider Woman

Valentin and Molina seemingly share little other than a prison cell. Through the glamorous fantasy of the movies, a deep bond is formed that offers both men the hope of survival.

Valentin is a revolutionary Marxist imprisoned for his political actions, Molina a gay window dresser imprisoned for his sexuality. Sometimes they talk all night long. In the still darkness of their Buenos Aires cell, Molina re-weaves the glittering stories of the film he loves, and Valentin listens. A tender relationship grows between them and they form a bond so intimate - and a relationship so profoundly affecting - that only the other can understand.

But Molina holds a secret - the promise of an early release if he can get his cellmate to talk. Will Molina turn informer or is he actually playing his own game at the expense of the authorities?

Set in Villa Devoto prison in Buenos Aires in 1975 during Argentina's Dirty War.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is written by Manuel Puig and translated by Allan Baker

Molina.....Kadiff Kirwan
Valentin.....Alfred Enoch
Warden.....John Lightbody

The bolero song 'Mi Carta' by Mario Clavell was re-arranged by Jules Maxwell

Sound design by Sharon Hughes

Produced and directed by Nadia Molinari

BBC Audio Drama North


SUN 16:30 Poetry Please (m001tb7c)
Jason Allen-Paisant

Jason Allen-Paisant joins Roger McGough, sharing a selection of listener requested poems.

They’ll discuss classics by Ted Hughes and William Wordsworth, alongside new classics by Caleb Femi and Kei Miller. Jason also shares a poem from his award-winning second collection.

Jason Allen-Paisant is a Jamaican poet and scholar. His collection ‘Self-Portrait as Othello’ won the 2023 Forward Prize for Best Collection and is currently shortlisted for the 2023 T. S. Eliot Prize.

Produced by Alice McKee for BBC Audio


SUN 17:00 File on 4 (m001t3gz)
Whistling in the Wind: The NHS doctors sacked after raising concerns

Lucy Letby was allowed to continue working with new-born babies despite her colleagues raising concerns about her for months. Her conviction highlighted how NHS executives put the reputation of the Countess of Chester NHS Trust ahead of patient safety. But what happened in Cheshire was far from a one-off. File on 4 hears from doctors with unblemished medical careers who were sacked after raising patient safety concerns. The programme follows one medic through an Employment Tribunal as he attempts to save his career, and hears the emotional, brutal toll the process takes on him. For the first time, a top doctor who won record damages talks about the extraordinary steps her managers took to undermine her. Their tactics included relocating her to an empty office with a broken chair and telling colleagues that she agreed with their assessment she was incompetent. And a former NHS executive tells the programme that trusts are more interested in “flying LGBT flags” than tackling concerns about patient safety. With widespread calls for NHS managers to be regulated, File on 4 asks who should take on the role, given the willingness of the NHS to redeploy managers found to have ignored patient safety concerns, or even punished those who dared to raise them.

Reporter: Michael Buchanan
Producer: Katie Langton
Editor: Carl Johnston


SUN 17:40 Profile (m001t985)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001tb7f)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m001tb7h)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001tb7k)
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick criticises the government's Rwanda asylum plan


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m001tb7m)
Julie Hesmondhalgh

Julie Hesmondhalgh chooses audio highlights from the past week.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m001tb7p)
Brian and Justin are playing golf before lunch. Brian tells Justin how he is no good at weekends and how Jennifer would have been busy preparing for Christmas by now. Brian talks about missing Jenifer and how horrified she'd be knowing he hadn't put the decorations up yet. Later Justin tells Brian how he's come to the realisation that Lilian is the most important person in his life, and he might've lost her over his inability to apologise.

Alice and Pip are talking while making Christmas wreaths. Alice asks Pip about Stella, and Pip tells her it’s going well and might even be getting serious. Alice then tells her about Harry and that nobody knows yet, but she is worried because if it gets serious she will have to tell Chris. Pip tells her to do it soon, as she made a mess of it with Toby. Alice receives a message from Harry asking if he should book tickets for the Country Park Illuminations. Pip encourages her to say yes, telling her that they took Rosie last week and it was brilliant.

Lynda and Lilian have a heart to heart and Lilian tells her she always goes for the wrong man; she should've gone for someone like Robert; Lynda tells her she would find a man like that boring. She goes on to say that she likes her romance with a side order of stability and comfort, whereas Lilian prefers hers with surprises and thrills. Lilian gets upset and tells Lynda that she doesn’t know how they’ll come back from this.


SUN 19:15 Scott Bennett: Stuff (m001t93g)
Before becoming an award-winning comedian Scott Bennett was an award-winning product designer, a career he gave up to avoid workplace pressure and constant scrutiny. In his time, Scott has designed everything from water cans and hydraulic lifting systems to storage boxes and, in one instance, a flat-pack bondage cage.

As a former product designer, Scott now feels guilty about the part he’s played in how consumerism impacts the world we live in. He asks whether it’s possible to live a simple life when our lives are filled with so much, and probably too much, stuff.

In this bespoke show recorded at The Stand in Newcastle, Scott takes aim at the mindfulness industry, smart technology, aspirational lifestyles, product packaging and, his new bugbear, paper straws.

Written and performed by Scott Bennett

On-location recording by Mark Burrows

Sound editing by Kevin Bailey

Photograph supplied by Double Image Photography

Produced by Kurt Brookes

A Made In Manchester production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Love on the Main Line (m001tb7r)
Episode 2 - East Croydon

Jess Searle's life is mapped out like a timetable. A successful data analyst, she’s created her own dating app to find your perfect match. It worked for her! She found devilishly handsome Jean-Baptise and they will be married at the start of the new year. Everything is running to schedule. Until she meets cynic and sceptic Kev Warmley - a stand up comedian who believes love cannot be determined by an algorithm but by the rhythm of your heart. And the odd fart joke. Is Jess’s life about to be completely derailed? Or will she find Love On The Main Line...?

Written by Colin Bytheway

Read by Rasmus Hardiker and Tigger Blaize

Directed by Celia de Wolff
Studio Manager - Matt Bainbridge
Sound Design by Lucinda Mason Brown
Production Manager - Sarah Wright

A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:00 Feedback (m001t328)
Great thinkers, Gangsters, and Love and Money

Great thinkers, Gangsters, and Love and Money - it’s all on this week’s Feedback.

Andrea Catherwood talks themes and locations of The Reith Lecturers 2023 with this year's Lecturer Professor Ben Ansell and BBC Radio 4 Commissioning editor Hugh Levinson.

We delve into the murky depths of love and inheritance with the presenter of the podcast series Intrigue: Million Dollar Lover.

And listener Jay Smith from Birmingham is in the Vox Box to unpick a Radio 5 Live series exploring gangland violence in the city - Gangster: Burger Bar Boys.

And this is your last chance to nominate your Feedback Interview of the Year - your choice for the stand out interview from 2023 from anywhere on BBC Radio or Sounds.

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m001t322)
Shane MacGowan, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Lord Darling, Joan Jara

Matthew Bannister on

Shane MacGowan the lead singer of The Pogues who was famous for his song writing but also his abuse of drugs and alcohol. His sister joins us to discuss the roots of his talent and his excesses.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court.

Lord Darling, the Labour politician who was Chancellor during the financial crash of 2008.

Joan Jara, whose husband, the singer Victor Jara was killed by the Pinochet regime in Chile. She campaigned for justice on behalf of thousands whose relatives died or disappeared.

Interviewee: Siobhan MacGowan
Interviewee: James Fearnley
Interviewee: Justice Ruth McGregor
Interviewee: Alan Day
Interviewee: Catherine MacLeod
Interviewee: Almudena Bernabeu

Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies

Archive used:
Shane MacGowan interview, BBC Two, Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, BBC iPlayer, First broadcast 16/03/2021; Sandra Day O’Connor , 60 Minutes, YouTube uploaded, 01/12/2023; Sandra Day O'Connor nomination to the Supreme Court by President Reagan, CBS, 19/08/1981; Sandra Day O’Connor interview, PBS Newshour, 04/04/2013. Supreme Court Ruling Bush v Gore, BBC Newsnight, 08/12/2000; Alistair Darling interview ,10 Years After the Financial Crash with Alistair Darling, RBS Events, YouTube uploaded, 25/09/2017; Chile News report. The World at One, BBC Radio 4, 19/09/1973; Joan Jara interview, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 04/09/1988; Joan Jara interview, Weekend Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 20/09/2003; Sandra Day O'Connor Retires, BBC News, BBC Radio 4, 01/07/2005;


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m001t97g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m001tbqv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 Loose Ends (m001t983)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m001tb7v)
Iain Watson discusses Rishi Sunak's attempts to salvage his Rwanda plan, with Conservative MP Tim Loughton; Shadow Cabinet minister Thangam Debbonaire; and former Home Office special adviser, Mo Hussein. They also look ahead to the Prime Minister's appearance at the Covid Inquiry, and a big speech from Sir Keir Starmer. The programme includes an interview with Sophie Worringer from the Centre for Social Justice think tank, about the long-term impacts of the pandemic lockdowns. Rosa Prince - editor of Politico's London Playbook - brings expert insight and analysis.


SUN 23:00 The Reith Lectures (m001t3cf)
Ben Ansell: Our Democratic Future

2. The Future of Security

This year's BBC Reith Lecturer is Ben Ansell, Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions at Nuffield College, Oxford University. He will deliver four lectures called “Our Democratic Future.”

In his series Professor Ansell asks how we can build a politics that works for all of us with systems which are robust to the challenges of the twenty first century, from climate change to artificial intelligence. The lectures build on his recent book Why Politics Fails, which identifies a series of traps that prevent us from attaining our collective goals and presents solutions to help us overcome those traps.

In this second lecture called 'The Future of Security', recorded in Berlin in front of an audience, he asks whether citizens of wealthy countries have been lulled into a false sense of security about threats from abroad and at home. It examines how we can control the security technologies of tomorrow, from facial recognition to autonomous weapons. And Ansell suggests how we can develop technologies powerful enough to protect us without exploiting us.

The Reith Lectures are chaired by Anita Anand and produced by Jim Frank.
The Editor is China Collins, and the coordinator is Brenda Brown.
The series is mixed by Rod Farquhar and Neil Churchill.

MONDAY 11 DECEMBER 2023

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m001tb7x)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 Sideways (m001t3fs)
56. A Cinderella Story

On a summer's day in 1974, Norwegian actor Knut Risan steps up to the mic for a voiceover job. It's for a Cinderella movie that's just been acquired by the Norwegian broadcaster NRK, from the country known at the time as Czechoslovakia.

NRK want him to dub the film into Norwegian. Knut's just having fun. He's doing all the voices, even the young Cinderella. But he's about to become Norway's "Voice of Christmas" when NRK decides to put the film out as part of its festive line up.

Tři oříšky pro Popelku or, as it's often translated, Three (Hazel)nuts for Cinderella, remains an essential part of many Europeans' seasonal viewing to this day. Not least in Norway, where it is shown at 11am on Christmas Eve every year.

Knut's son, Olav, used to feel a little embarrassed around this time of year - everyone knew he was the son of the most famous voice on TV. He'd get strange looks in supermarkets. But today, and in this episode of Sideways, he reflects on the special place his father's voice occupies in Norway's Christmas and in his own family.

Through the story of a film that straddles the line between fairy tale fun and the realities of the Iron Curtain, Matthew Syed explores the origins, meaning and persistence of this cross-cultural tradition and celebrates the role of Christmas films in many families' celebrations, including his own.

Featuring musician Olav Risan and author Kathrin Miebach of the Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel website. With fairy tale expert Professor Claudia Schwabe of Utah State University and Michal Bregant, Director of Národního Filmového Archivu.

Including clips from Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Czech language version) and Tre nøtter til Askepott (Norwegian language version, featuring the voice of Knut Risan).
Tři oříšky pro Popelku directed by Václav Vorlícek and starring Libuse Safránková and Pavel Trávnícek. Written by Božena Němcová (story) and František Pavlíček (screenplay), produced by Jiří Krejčík and with a score by Karel Svoboda. Distributed by Ústřední půjčovna filmů.

Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Amalie Sortland
Series editor: Katherine Godfrey
Sound design and mix: Naomi Clarke
Theme tune by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m001t98s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001tb7z)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001tb81)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001tb83)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m001tb85)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001tb87)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Craig Gardiner, a tutor at Cardiff Baptist College.

Good morning. We finally put up our Christmas tree this weekend. There’s a gold star balancing on top, there’s softly glowing lights, and baubles collected over many festive years hang from all the branches.

Of course, not everyone will want or be able to celebrate with a tree, real or artificial, but for those who do, the perennial controversy is when to put it up and decorate it. Some trees around us, went up in mid-November, straight after Hallowe’en. Other folk may be waiting until every distant family member has home on Christmas Eve.

Some people will be adamant: we always do this on the first Saturday in December. Others do it when it just feels right. I have some sympathy for the date-stamped certainty of knowing when something must be done, doing it in what the ancient world called ‘Chronos’ time. But the Bible also speaks ‘Kairos’ time, moments, when, regardless of the day or the hour, we do something because it is the appropriate occasion to act. There is a time for everything, the Bible says: ‘a time to be born, a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh, to be silent and to speak’. Chronos is about the quantity of hours we have, but Kairos measures the deeper quality of our time. Sadly, we sometimes miss the Kairos quality under the tyranny of Chronos schedules. We were ‘on time’ but we missed ‘the moment’. So, every now and then, it’s good to lay aside the dates and the deadlines, and trust our intuition, and feel our way towards an opportune moment that is pregnant with welcome or beauty, kindness or justice, or maybe even God.

God of eternity,
Attentive to all of our moments,
Beckon us towards the right time to act,
to speak or to pause and pray,
That we may celebrate the quality of our days
Forever in praise of your presence
Amen


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m001tb89)
11/12/23 Sugar row; Minecraft and conservation; Rare breeds.

British Sugar says it may put negotiations over the price it'll pay farmers next year into arbitration. The NFU says the costs of that would outstrip the cost of the issues they can't agree on. There has been a long running row over prices for sugar beet next year. Talks broke down in the autumn and then British Sugar wrote directly to growers with an offer that hadn't been agreed by the NFU. The main issue causing the problem at the moment, is the futures price - while most sugar beet is sold on fixed price annual contracts, a small amount is sold on a futures contract and the two side can't agree on the details

How do you get youngsters interested in conservation?  The property owner the Crown Estate, thinks one way is video games.  It has teamed up with Microsoft to make a version of Minecraft - a game of virtual worlds - based on Windsor Great Park. 

All week we're looking at rare breeds. It's 50 years since the Rare Breeds Survival Trust was set up, when traditional breeds of farm animal were being ousted by European or new commercial breeds. Things are looking much brighter for native varieties, but while their popularity has grown, there are concerns about the availability of local abattoirs and hopes that native breeds will attract payments in England's Environmental Land Management Schemes, and their counterparts being developed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


MON 05:56 Weather (m001tb8c)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.


MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b02twnw4)
Herring Gull

Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. Steve Backshall presents the herring gull.

Herring gulls now regularly breed inland and that's because of the way we deal with our refuse. Since the Clean Air Acts of 1956 banned the burning of refuse at rubbish tips, the birds have been able to cash in on the food that we reject: And our throwaway society has provided them a varied menu. We've also built reservoirs around our towns on which they roost, and we've provided them with flat roofs which make perfect nest sites.


MON 06:00 Today (m001tb8f)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m001tb8k)
Small states: global impact and survival

With the fall of the Soviet Union, the theoretical physicist Armen Sarkissian returned home and became first the Prime Minister and then the President of the newly reformed state of Armenia. In his book, The Small States Club: How Small Smart States Can Save the World, he argues that successful smaller nations have had to learn to be more agile, adaptive and cooperative, compared to the world’s ‘greater’ powers.

The world map has changed considerably, especially in the 19th and 20th century, as empires fell apart and smaller nations fought for independence. The Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan looks back at this time, and considers how small states survive during times of conflict. In 2018 she presented the BBC’s Reith Lectures, The Mark of Cain, on the tangled history of war and society.

The BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet is no stranger to conflict in the world, as she has covered all the major stories across the Middle East and North Africa for the past two decades. But she is also interested in the way small states have been instrumental in mediating world conflicts, and punching above their weight on international issues like the climate crisis.

Producer: Katy Hickman


MON 09:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001tbcs)
Cold Therapy - with Michael Mosley

Cold Therapy - Ep 1: Colder Room

There’s a chill in the air as the winter months come around again. But the cold isn’t always something to fight or guard against. With a little bit of care, you can invite the cold into your life - with real benefits for health and mood. In each episode of this new podcast series, Dr Michael Mosley uncovers the science behind a different way you can harness the power of the cold, alongside the very latest research and atmospheric sound design.

In this first episode, how turning your thermostat down by just a few degrees can improve your fat and blood sugar metabolism, boost your mood, and might even protect against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Guest: Hannah Pallubinsky, Assistant Professor at Maastricht University.

Series Producer, Sound Designer and Mix Engineer: Richard Ward
Researcher: William Hornbrook
Science Producer: Samantha Lewis
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoe Heron
Specially composed music by Richard Atkinson (Mcasso)
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001tb8t)
Cancer during pregnancy, Israel-Gaza, Wedding dresses

Israel has accused the United Nations of moving too slowly to respond to accounts that Hamas carried out widespread sexual violence against women in the October 7th brutal attack on Israel. Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Times, has brought the details of this part of the attacks to light joins Emma Barnett.

Mandy Abramson runs a bridal shop in Skipton in North Yorkshire. For two years now she’s run a special week in December where she invites women from all walks of life to try on a wedding dress even if they have no plans to marry. She joins Emma to explain why she wants to give everyone a chance to try on their dream dress.

When Louise Beevers found a lump in her breast during pregnancy, she was told by her GP that it was hormone related. Four months later she was diagnosed with Grade 3 breast cancer, and despite undergoing treatment the cancer is now incurable. Louise joins Emma alongside the Chief Medical Officer from Macmillan Cancer Support Professor Richard Simcock to discuss why greater awareness about cancer in pregnancy is needed.

Bestselling author of Apple Tree Yard, Louise Doughty, on a new ITVX drama based on her novel: Platform 7. She tells Emma Barnett how she has turned male-heavy police procedurals and spy thrillers on their head – and why she thinks all middle-aged women long to go on the run.

Emma talks to two women about their hope for peace in Israel. Amira Mohammed is a Palestinian woman who works with young leaders across the Middle East and North Africa; and Danielle Cumpton is a 32-year-old from Israel who works for an organisation that promotes political partnership between Jews and Arabs within Israel

Presenter: Emma Barnett
Producer: Emma Pearce


MON 11:00 Fed with Chris van Tulleken (m001tb8y)
Series 1: Planet Chicken

7. Big Chicken

We're a planet addicted to chicken - and our appetites fuel a massive global industry... but is it one we should support?

As Chris wrestles with how he personally feels about this weird and wonderful bird, he decides to take a look at the business as a whole: a global industry that's cited by some as a shining example of a super-efficient food production system, one that could help drive food security around the world.

But others say it’s a cruel, destructive and outdated structure that makes a few people richer while exploiting others – along with animals and the environment.

In Brazil, one of the world’s biggest chicken and soya producers, our reporter Leonardo Milano hears accusations of threats and pollution relating to the feed sector; while in Africa, Chris learns about poultry-farming initiatives helping to make struggling nations more food-secure.

And then there are the other challenges that the industry is wrestling with: from antimicrobial resistance to the threat of another major global pandemic, potentially stemming from chicken farms…

So is there a ‘big business bad guy’ to blame – or does responsibility lie closer to home, with unquestioning consumers like Chris?

Produced by Lucy Taylor and Emily Knight.
Additional reporting, editing and translation by Fernando Otto, BBC News Brasil.


MON 11:30 Artificial Implosion (m001tkbr)
Until 17 November, Sam Altman was riding high. The CEO of OpenAI was bringing artificial intelligence to the world. Then he wasn’t.

Deposed in a board coup, Altman’s firing kickstarted 106 hours of chaos at the company spearheading the AI revolution.

Journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker explores the possible reasons why Altman was fired, how the incident reflects a broader deep-seated unease at AI’s transformative effects on society, and what it means now Altman has returned more powerful than ever before.

Presented by Chris Stokel-Walker
Produced by James Tindale

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


MON 12:00 News Summary (m001tbfj)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m001tb96)
Baby Banks; Gazundering; Used Cars

Baby Bank charity Little Village says it's supporting over 20% more families than this time last year. Winifred Robinson speaks to one mum about how rising costs and inflation led to her seeking the help of the people she refers to as "angels", plus Sophie Livingstone, CEO of Little Village tells us they cannot keep up with demand.

It doesn't feel very long ago that we were reporting on the soaring cost of second hand cars but that's not the case today. Used car prices are coming down. We find out what's driving it and how it might play out in the months to come.

And you've heard of "gazumping" but what about "gazundering"? Rather than sellers upping the price its the buyers dropping their offer that's on the up right now. Is it a natural outcome of the housing market slowing down, should you try it if you're looking to buy and how do you protect yourself if you're selling your home? Nathan Emerson from PropertyMark joins us to explain.

PRESENTER - WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER - CATHERINE EARLAM


MON 12:57 Weather (m001tb9d)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m001tb9l)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.


MON 13:45 Empire of Tea (m001tb9s)
Tough, Tiring, Difficult

The introduction of industrial tea production in India in the 19th Century created huge demand for tea pickers. Many were employed under a system of indenture. These contracts often meant five years of work in return for bed and board. Jo Sharma of the University of Toronto tells Sathnam Sanghera about the harrowing conditions people found themselves working in. He also considers claims that some of the modern problems in the industry, like low wages and poor health and safety conditions, are a legacy of that imperial system.

Produced by Paul Martin for BBC Audio Wales


MON 14:00 The Archers (m001tb7p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001tb9z)
The Human Way

Future set drama about two young people enlisted on a programme designed to break the hold technology has on communication and relationships written by Thomas Pickles.

Over-exposure to pornography, the glamorisation of true crime, and the overdose of social media has dismantled human connection. A desensitised society consists of predominantly hermit-like living. People prefer to isolate themselves into small dwellings, working remotely, carrying out the vast majority of daily life online. And sex has become about pixels not people. The Human Way promises to wean people off Semi Artificial Virtual Reality and rehabilitate them back into real human life by guiding them through reconstructions of life before the internet.

Jacob and Izzy are making progress on The Human Way until they meet Tas and discover a darker more disturbing side of the programme.

JACOB.…Tachia Newall
IZZY..... Sade Malone
TAS …..Ntombizodwa Ndlovu
RUTH…Susan Twist
THE HUMAN WAY OPERATOR…..Graeme Hawley

Written by Thomas Pickles
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Sound Design by Sharon Hughes

A BBC Audio Drama North Production


MON 15:00 Counterpoint (m001tbb5)
Series 37

Heat 1, 2023-4

(1/13)
The new season of the general knowledge music quiz kicks off at the Radio Theatre in London with Paul Gambaccini in the chair. Competitors from around the UK face questions on all varieties of music, with extracts to identify and special topics to test their knowledge in depth.

Appearing in the first heat are:
Ralph Barnes from Cheltenham
Katherine Madge from Stafford
Anju Sharda from Hertfordshire

The winner will go forward to the semi-finals in the new year.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria


MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m001tb6z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:32 on Sunday]


MON 16:00 The Infinite Monkey Cage (p0gr7n3y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:15 on Saturday]


MON 16:30 Born in Bradford (m001sdsq)
Around 30,000 Bradford school pupils aged between 11 and 15 are completing detailed questionnaires on every aspect of their lives; from how they spend their free time, to questions about their mental health, their use of social media, their family finances and even details of any risk taking behaviour. These insights will lead to a raft of new approaches aimed at improving their lives.

Winifred Robinson has been alongside Born in Bradford since the start, when more than 11,000 pregnant mothers in the city agreed to be followed through their pregnancies. Now those children are teenagers and the study has been widened to include all pupils across the city. Findings to date have helped inform government policy and have shaped responses to health problems.

Almost half of the mothers in the original cohort were of Pakistani origin and in 2013 Born in Bradford published one of the world’s most detailed studies about cousin marriage. Around sixty four per cent of the Pakistani mothers had married a cousin and researchers found that consanguinity more than doubled the risk of having a child with a genetic disorder: from 2.8 percent in the general population to just over 6 percent.

The researchers have been able to use data from a second cohort of mothers recruited to the study from 2016 onwards and have found that there has been a fall in cousin marriage amongst the city’s Pakistani community; over the last decade it’s gone from being a majority practise to being a minority one.

Professor John Wright, who heads Born in Bradford, said that the rate of cousin marriage had fallen to 46 per cent, with the fall being steepest among younger mothers of Pakistani origin who were born in the UK. There are more of those mothers now. The researchers believe there are a lot of factors at play here – among them tougher immigration laws.

“So we've seen this quite steep reduction in rates of consanguinity and cousin marriage; it may be that the conversations that we've been having to raise awareness about genetic literacy have made an impact. It may be that this is part of acculturation of these young people as they grow up in the UK, with more individualization and more choice. In addition the 2012 Immigration Act made it harder to bring partners in for marriage and this has undoubtedly had an impact.

“When we first published the 2013 paper, there were calls from some of the more right wing media that cousin marriage should be banned. It's a sensitive topic: a billion people across the world practice consanguinity, so the idea that we're going to ban it was just nonsense. We wanted to show the health risk from it and to raise awareness. And we're seeing that effect now, in Bradford with the data that we've got”

Khadija is 32 and works in a nursery in the city. She told the programme that although her parents were first cousins, she had chosen a love match: “ I think a lot more women in the community work and that means you've got more opportunity to meet somebody, and especially with all the social media out there. There are all sorts of options today that weren't available before, when it was a lot harder for you to meet somebody new.

“We're coming to an age now where a lot of young people are not really connected to their Pakistani roots as much as our parents and our grandparents were. We’re moving away from the culture and embracing the British culture a lot more, there's a lot more acceptance. That works in marriage, so there’s more acceptance when it comes to us finding our spouse and getting an education, a degree.”

Seventeen year old Amari agrees, and says that although a lot of people in her family have cousin marriages, she would not chose it for herself: "I would want my babies to be healthy, but I wouldn't go up to my grandparents and say what you're doing is wrong. Or if my cousin got married to my other cousin, I wouldn't go and say what you're doing is wrong. I just wouldn't do it myself because of reasons like that, but also it would be weird to think of marrying one of my cousins and that’s a big thing for me.”


MON 17:00 PM (m001tbbq)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001tbbz)
He was challenged about whether his policies as Chancellor led to more deaths


MON 18:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (m001tbc3)
Series 80

Episode 5

The godfather of all panel shows pays a visit to the Dorking Halls. On the panel are Fred Macaulay, Milton Jones, Lucy Porter and Omid Djalili with Jack Dee in the umpire’s chair. Colin Sell accompanies on the piano.

Producer - Jon Naismith.

It is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (m001tbc5)
Alice and Ian are talking about the joys of having children, and how Xander has landed himself the part of a disorganised Angel in the Christmas show. Ian hopes the teachers don’t think it’s based on him and Adam. Ian tells Alice that he’s decided to stay on at Grey Gables until they find a replacement for him. He then asks Alice about Harry, and she tells him it’s going well but to keep it to himself as Chris doesn’t know yet.

Later Ian and Adam are talking about Xander, and how Adam wishes Jennifer could be there to see him. Adam tells Ian at bedtime that Xander mentioned all the Mummies and Daddies were coming but he didn’t have a Mummy, only two Daddies. Ian worries about being the only same-sex couple at school and always having to come out. Adam tries to reassure him and tells him that they don’t have to always come out. Xander just needs to know that his Dads love him and each other.

Tony and Lilian chat about Justin and Tony reveals he thought Justin was smarmy rather than charming; Justin’s only well behaved when he wants something. Tony never understood what Lilian saw in him.

Alice and Lilian are catching up in The Bull when conversation turns to Harry. Alice says that she wanted to tell Chris, but when it came down to it she just couldn’t. She realises she should tell Harry about her alcoholism, as she’d prefer to know if it will scare him off sooner rather than later.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m001tbc8)
Andy Serkis and Louisa Harland on Ulster American, Panto and Gender Roles, Graphic Novels with Rachel Cooke and Ian Dunt

Tom Sutcliffe talks to Andy Serkis and Louisa Harland about Ulster American, a new play in which they star at Riverside Studios with Woody Harrelson.

It's panto season (oh no it isn't), a form that has always played with ideas of gender. Megan Lawton explores how this year's crop continue that tradition.

Plus Rachel Cooke and Ian Dunt choose their graphic novels of 2023, and we announce the winner of this year's First Graphic Novel Award.

Rachel's picks of the year:
Monica by Daniel Clowes
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
Juliette by Camille Jourdy
Social Fiction by Chantal Montellier, translated by Geoffrey Brock

Ian's picks of the year:
The Lion and the Eagle by Garth Ennis and PJ Holden
Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha and Nicola Scott
Eight Billion Genies by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne

Producer: Eliane Glaser


MON 20:00 South Africa: The Children of Paradise (m001t9fk)
A deadly mixture

Three decades after the momentous transition from Apartheid to a democratic South Africa, Fergal Keane returns to see what happened to the hopes and promises of a better nation.
In a famous speech thirty years ago, as he collected the Nobel Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela spoke of a “common humanity” in which all South Africans would live “like the children of paradise.”
In this second episode, in which Fergal Keane and Milton Nkosi re-visit some of the places and people they encountered 30 years ago, they return to KwaZulu-Natal. In the early 1990s, leading up to the country's first democratic elections, the area was a hotbed of political violence. What about today?

Presenter: Fergal Keane
Producer: John Murphy


MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (m001t30d)
Cyprus: The battle over songbird slaughter

Cyprus is one of the main resting stops for songbirds as they migrate between Europe, Africa and the Middle East. For centuries, Cypriots trapped and ate a small number of migrating songbirds, as part of a subsistence diet. But over recent decades, the consumption of songbirds became a lucrative commercial business and the level of slaughter reached industrial levels . Millions of birds were killed each year as trappers employed new technologies to attract and capture birds. The methods used by the trappers are illegal under both Cypriot and EU law. In the last few years, both the Cypriot authorities and environmental groups have been fighting back, dramatically reducing the number of birds being trapped. But it remains a multi-million dollar illegal business which has increasingly drawn in organised criminal gangs. For Crossing Continents, Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent sees the trappers in action, and meets those determined to stop the mass killing of birds.

Presenter: Antonia Bolingbroke Kent
Producer: Alex Last
Sound mix: Rod Farquhar
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 21:00 Seven Deadly Psychologies (m001t3dt)
Lust

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins, in the order established by Pope Gregory the Great: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What’s going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?

Lust is today's hot topic. It's crucial to the continuation of our species, but it's also a form of neurochemical madness that can lead us astray. We all have wildly different brains, bodies, and cultural references, so everyone’s relationship to lust is highly personal. Is it true that men want it more than women? When was the "lustiest" time in history? And, back in today's world, how can we navigate our drives alongside cultural expectations and the issue of consent? And how can we feel desire without shame?

To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, sexologist with a specialty in men’s health and sexual function, Dr Anand Patel, and sex historian Dr Kate Lister, lecturer at Leeds Trinity University and author of 'A Curious History of Sex'.

Producer: Becky Ripley


MON 21:30 Start the Week (m001tb8k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m001tbcg)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


MON 22:45 The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan (m001tbcj)
Episode 1

A sparky comedic exploration of modern love and millennial malaise from the Irish author Naoise Dolan. As read by Seána Kerslake (‘Bad Sisters’).

Celine (a pianist) and her boyfriend Luke (a serial cheater) are to be married. However, on the night of their engagement party, Luke disappears with Celine’s ex-girlfriend…

Phoebe (the bridesmaid and Celine’s sister) just wants to get to the bottom of Luke’s frequent unexplained disappearances.

Archie (the best man) should be moving on from his love for Luke and up the corporate ladder, but he finds himself utterly stuck.

And Vivian (a wedding guest) is the only one with enough emotional distance to offer something resembling good advice.

As the wedding approaches and these five lives intersect, past lovers, old friends and new enemies will search for their happily ever after — but does it lie at the end of an aisle?

The Author
Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Her debut novel ‘Exciting Times’ was a Sunday Times bestseller. She has been short-listed and long-listed for several prizes, including the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award.

Reader: Seána Kerslake
Author: Naoise Dolan
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
Executive Editor: Andy Martin

A BBC Northern Ireland production.


MON 23:00 Don't Log Off (m001tbcl)
Series 15

Between Two Worlds

Alan Dein searches the internet to connect with strangers who have found themselves caught between two worlds – in religion, vocation, or who are quite literally all at sea.

In South Africa, Kepa is devoted to Kwantu, the community choir he conducts. But his journey to music wasn't straightforward. Alan connects with Ayu in Indonesia, who tells him about her passion for self-transformation and growing up between two faiths. And Alan hears from Cezar, a Romanian chief mechanic on board an enormous oil tanker, about photography and life at sea as he docks in Bangladesh.

Producer: Martha Owen


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001tbcn)
Sean Curran reports as a Foreign Minister tells MPs a ceasefire in Gaza is 'implausible'. And there are tetchy exchanges about the cost of the government's Rwanda scheme.

TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER 2023

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m001tbcq)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 00:30 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001tbcs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001tbcv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001tbcx)
World Service

BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001tbcz)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m001tbd1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001tbd3)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Craig Gardiner, a tutor at Cardiff Baptist College.

Good morning. On this day in 884, the man purportedly known as Charles the Fat inherited the ancient Empire of the Carolingians. Technically he is known as Charles the Third, the great grandson of the mighty Charlamagne. But history has perhaps unkindly remembered him by focusing upon his expansive girth. Of course, back then, it might’ve have been a compliment, and today we wouldn’t fat-shame anyone. Even so, I bet he wishes the chroniclers named him for his character rather than appearance: Charles the Good, the Brave, the Wise, anything but ‘Fat.’

Names do matter. Descriptors have power people attach to them. If we call a child ‘silly’ or ‘clumsy’ for long enough, they’ll start behaving like it’s true. We often inhabit the names we are given.

And when Mary and Joseph are told to name their boy Jesus, it’s not by chance that it means ‘the one who rescues his people.’ But that’s a huge responsibility to lay upon a baby, especially one who Isaiah the prophet has named: ‘wonderful counsellor, mighty God, Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace.’

Christians down the centuries have testified that Jesus lived up to all these names and more, that he can indeed save us from the worst of ourselves, offer us counsel and bring us peace. Indeed, the church would claim this is not just his legacy, but a present opportunity for us to share in his names as well, to be people of wise counsel, makers of peace and in some way, help rescue one another from the difficulties we face.

I’m not sure by what name we might eventually be remembered, but these ones seem a good place to begin.

God of all wisdom and peace,
Author of every salvation,
Help us be known as people of your name,
And to play our part in delivering this world
from all that ever would harm us.
Amen


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m001tbd5)
12/12/23 Bluetongue; Treetop nematodes; Rare breed sheep

Next year could see drones being used for the first time to drop microscopic worms on trees, to protect them from harmful insects. The worms, or nematodes, are natural predators of damaging insects and the forest industry is developing ways of controlling pests as pesticides it currently relies on are phased out.

Another outbreak of Bluetongue has been recorded in Norfolk making a total of 11 cases in England. Stock on six different premises, in Kent and Norfolk have been affected. There are restrictions on moving animals in the protection zones and farmers say its difficult to find abattoirs to process their animals within those zones. We speak to a beef farmer who remembers a big outbreak which affected farms across Europe in 2007.

All week we're looking at rare breeds. The North Ronaldsay are one of the UK’s oldest and rarest breeds of sheep. They're shaggy and small and can often be found grazing on seaweed along the coast of the northernmost of the Orkney Islands, which they’re named after. But more recently farmers on the UK mainland have taken to keeping the breed which is listed as a priority by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer =Rebecca Rooney


TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (m0001sx5)
Becky Unthank's Wren

For Becky Unthank her interest in birds goes beyond just watching them while out in the countryside, as she has recently named her son wren to reflect her love of the natural world.

The Unthanks is a family affair from the North East of England and one of the leading exponents of traditional music.. Categorizing their music is difficult, but The Unthanks see their work and songs as less a style of music and more delivering an oral history for the modern audience. Which is perfect for Tweet of the Day, as Becky Unthank recalls how her son was named wren and also how she has been inspired by the story of the King of the Birds.

Producer Andrew Dawes


TUE 06:00 Today (m001tbg1)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m001tbg5)
Mercedes Maroto-Valer on making carbon dioxide useful

How do you solve a problem like CO2?
As the curtain closes on the world’s most important climate summit, we talk to a scientist who was at COP 28 and is working to solve our carbon dioxide problem.
Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer thinks saving the planet is still Mission Possible - but key to success is turning the climate-busting gas, CO2, into something useful. And as Director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions at Heriot-Watt University and the UK’s Decarbonisation Champion, she has lots of innovative ideas on how to do this.
She also has a great climate-themed suggestion for what you should say when someone asks your age…
Produced by Gerry Holt


TUE 09:30 One to One (m001tbg7)
Parenting advice in the age of social media: Samira Shackle and Lucy Jones

Since becoming a parent to a now-toddler, Samira Shackle has been bombarded with advice on social media - sometimes useful, sometimes not-so. She meets Lucy Jones, mother-of-three, to discuss navigating this online world and the affect it has on mothers, in particular.

Samira Shackle is a journalist and the author of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City; Lucy Jones is the author of Matrescence: On The Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood.

Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.


TUE 09:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001tbgm)
Cold Therapy - with Michael Mosley

Cold Therapy - Ep 2: Cold Recovery

There’s a chill in the air as the winter months come around again. But the cold isn’t always something to fight or guard against. With a little bit of care, you can invite the cold into your life - with real benefits for health and mood. In each episode of this new podcast series, Dr Michael Mosley uncovers the science behind a different way you can harness the power of the cold, alongside the very latest research and atmospheric sound design.

In this episode, how and when to ice an injury, and why taking contrast showers (alternating between hot and cold) can aid your recovery, reduce pain, improve energy levels and even help you take less sick days.

Guest: Dr Amir Pakravan, consultant in sport, exercise and musculoskeletal medicine.

Series Producer, Sound Designer and Mix Engineer: Richard Ward
Researcher: William Hornbrook
Science Producer: Samantha Lewis
Production Manager: Maria Simons
Editor: Zoe Heron
Specially composed music by Richard Atkinson (Mcasso)
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001tbgc)
The future of embryo research, Ofsted inspections, British Gymnastics' complaints procedure

Leading scientists are calling for a change in the law to help IVF patients donate unused embryos to biomedical research after a collapse in donations over the past 15 years. Emma Barnett talks to Professor of Reproductive Physiology at Cambridge University Kathy Niakan and Clare Ettinghausen from the UK's fertility regulator, the HFEA.

The new play Glacier is a dark and poignant festive comedy. It follows three women who meet while wild swimming in their local lake one Christmas. They form an unofficial tradition, meeting each year to go for a swim and escape. Escape their responsibilities, life’s stresses, and maybe most of all – their families. We hear from playwright, comedian and podcaster Alison Spittle, and actor Sophie Steer, who stars in the show.

We take another look at the world of gymnastics following on from last year's damning Whyte review with labelled the British Gymanstics as "inept and dysfunctional". Since that time, not one complaint of abuse has been upheld by British Gymnastics’ Independent Complaints Process – with every single case over the past three years collapsing. We talk to Claire Heafford from Gymnasts 4 Change about their campaign for a new procedures.
As two teaching unions call for a pause in Ofsted inspections following the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, we talk to Paul Whiteman, the General Secretary of the teaching union the National Association of Head Teachers.

Presenter: Emma Barnett
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Studio Manager: Tim Heffer


TUE 11:00 Seven Deadly Psychologies (m001tbgf)
Envy

Becky Ripley and Sophie Ward take a cold hard look at the psychology behind each of the seven deadly sins, in the order established by Pope Gregory the Great: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and lazy old sloth. Why have we evolved these ugly emotions? What’s going on in the brain and the body when we feel them? And how best can we live alongside them - in ourselves and with others?

Envy is in the spotlight today. On one hand, it indicates what it is you want, and it motivates you to go out there and get it. On the other hand, it can be a corrosive feeling of yearning that eats you up from the inside. And at its ugliest, it can drive you to seek the destruction of others...

How can we listen to our feelings of envy, without being riddled with resentment? And how can we make peace with that restless, nagging feeling that the grass is always greener?

To guide us through this mess is evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, psychotherapist and author of 'Coping with Envy', Professor Windy Dryden, from the Department of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths University, author and scholar Professor Ilan Kapoor, from the Department of Critical Development Studies at York University in Toronto, and clinical psychologist, poet, writer and educator, Dr Sanah Ahsan.


TUE 11:30 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics (m001tbgh)
Series 9

Athene

Athene is charismatic and bloodthirsty, goddess of wisdom, war and...handicrafts.

Owl-eyed Athene is not interested in love, although she is very fond of the hero Odysseus and gives him a leg-up whenever she can. War is Athene's thing, the bloodier the better. She's perfectly happy to humiliate and degrade her enemies, including the feisty and talented weaver Arachne, who challenges Athene to a weaving competition. Athene loves a scrap so it's game on: looms at dawn. She weaves a depiction of her own glorious success over Poseidon in the battle for Attica. Arachne creates a tapestry which shows scenes of gods tricking, seducing, assaulting and kidnapping mortal women. Her message is that the 'protection' of the gods is not worth the cost. Athene is speechless and it's clear who has won the challenge. But Arachne has to pay a price for victory.

Rock star mythologist and reformed stand-up Natalie Haynes is obsessed with the ancient world. Here she explores key stories from ancient Rome and Greece that still have resonance today. They might be biographical, topographical, mythological or epic, but they are always hilarious, magical and tragic, mystifying and revelatory. And they tell us more about ourselves now than seems possible of stories from a couple of thousand years ago.

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m001tbgr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m001tbgq)
Call You and Yours: It's an Online World

We're asking "How are you coping in an online world?"

Is life more convenient and cheaper, or do you struggle with apps for banking, health, travel and everything else.

Maybe you can't afford to be connected or you live somewhere with poor signal.

Let us know what it's like dealing with organisations that would prefer you to be online.

So that's how are you coping in an online world. Email us now: YouandYours@bbc.co.uk and leave a number

And from 11am on Tuesday - you can call us on 03700 100 444

Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Kevin Mousley


TUE 12:57 Weather (m001tbgv)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m001tbgx)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.


TUE 13:45 Empire of Tea (m001tbgz)
Punjabi Cha and Masala Chai

Like Britain (and several other countries), India sees tea as its definitive national drink. But as Sathnam Sanghera discovers, mass market Indian tea culture was seeded, in large part, by its coloniser. With a trip to a chai stall in London and a chat with the historian Romita Ray, Sathnam charts the development of tea in India from both indigenous and imperial origins. Amid its regional diversity, how did it become India’s national drink?

Produced by Paul Martin for BBC Audio Wales


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m001tbc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001tbh1)
The Last Chihoro

By Tonderai Munyevu

A touching story based on true events. Tonde returns to his place of birth in Zimbabwe to bury his mother as she wished. But traditional funeral rites mean this is far more difficult than he ever imagined.

This unique drama, with original music is a powerful meditation on grief, tradition, and love.

Cast:

Tonde ..... Tonderai Munyevu
Aunty/Mo ..... Pamela Nomvete
Sekuru ..... Femi Elufowoju Jr.
Dee ..... Chipo Kureya
Medium/Cousin ..... Estella Daniels
Partner ..... John Lightbody

Original music by Tendai Humphrey Sitima

Singing by the cast and Tendai Humphrey Sitima

Produced and directed by Jessica Mitic
Sound by Alison Craig, Andy Garratt and Sue Stonestreet
Production co-ordination by Pippa Day

A BBC Audio Drama North production

An EcoAudio certified production


TUE 15:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m001t970)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


TUE 15:30 Doctor, Doctor (m001tbqr)
End of life specialist Dr Rachel Clarke

Doctor Doctor reveals the stress, excitement and challenges facing a 21st century medic. These are life-affirming stories of highs and lows, of commitment, bravery, skill, heartache and love.

Dr Phil Hammond dissects the medical lives of professionals at all levels of the health service: surgeons, intensive care nurses, NHS executives, junior doctors, psychiatrists - fascinating jobs, the titles of which we know very well, but our understanding of which may be lacking.

Dr Phil’s guests range from the recently qualified to the recently retired, from well-known medical grandees to unknown regional heroes, covering all specialties in hospital and community.

Producer: David Morley

Original Music by Chris O'Shaughnessy

A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 16:00 The Deadly Ring (m001tbh3)
Thousands of people have taken part in ‘white collar’ boxing bouts since it was introduced in the UK in the early 2000s. The premise is simple - a non-boxer spends six to ten weeks training for a fight which usually takes place in front of friends and family. But critics of white collar boxing have called it another form of unregulated boxing, which falls outside the jurisdiction of governing sports bodies.

Two young men have died in the last two years after taking part in white collar boxing bouts, leading to renewed calls for these types of matches to be banned. While the exact cause of their deaths has yet to be determined through an inquest, the dad of one of these young men is now fighting for white collar boxing to end.

Presenter Richard Butchins goes on the trail of this type of boxing, asking whether participants are being put at unnecessary risk. He wants to know what kind of damage white collar boxing is doing to the reputation of the sport in the UK, and if it has a future.

Presenter: Richard Butchins
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 16:30 Great Lives (m001t9lj)
Iszi Lawrence on Diana Barnato Walker

Broadcaster and author Iszi Lawrence chooses the aviator Diana Barnato Walker. Coming from a privileged background, Diana used her pocket money to take flying lessons, flew bombers during World War II, and - aged 45 - became the first British woman to break the sound barrier. Iszi is joined by Giles Whittell, author of Spitfire Women of World War II, and Diana’s son Barney Walker.

Presented by Matthew Parris
Produced in Bristol by Beth Sagar-Fenton


TUE 17:00 PM (m001tbh5)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001tbh9)
Rival Conservative factions have clashed in the Commons over the legislation


TUE 18:30 Best Medicine (m001tbhc)
Series 1

10. Epidurals, Embroidery, Play, Death

Joining Kiri this week are historian Dr Paul Craddock who unravels how vascular surgery owes a debt to 19th century Parisian embroiderer Marie-Anne Leroudier, historian Subhadra Das unearthing stories of death prevention, comedian Ria Lina pushing epidurals as the best medicine, and paediatrician Dr Guddi Singh who shows off with play.

Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by funny and fascinating comedians, doctors, scientists and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future.

Each week, Kiri challenges her guests to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each of them champions anything from world-changing science to an obscure invention, an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure.

Whether it’s micro-robotic surgery, virtual reality syringes, Victorian clockwork surgical saws, more than a few ingenious cures for cancer, world-first lifesaving heart operations, epidurals, therapy, dancing, faith or laughter - it’s always something worth celebrating.

Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Featuring: Dr Paul Craddock, Subhadra Das, Ria Lina, Dr Guddi Singh

Written by Laura Claxton, Edward Easton, Charlie George, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse

Producer: Ben Worsfield

Assistant Producer: Tashi Radha

Executive Producer: Simon Nicholls

Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones

A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m001t9h1)
Paul’s surprise of a visit to a Rage Room for Lily’s birthday doesn’t quite hit the mark but she gets into it once Paul tells her they’re going for cocktails later. Whilst having cocktails the subject of Freddie and the discrepancy in what they’ll both inherit comes up, and Paul asks Lily if she’s angry.
Lily explains to Paul that she could go around being angry all the time, but it wouldn’t get her anywhere. Paul’s understanding, but thinks Lily has every right to be mad. Later, whilst at the bar, Paul apologises for bringing up the subject of her inheritance, but Lily tells him its fine. In fact, it’s the best birthday she’s had. They both acknowledge that celebrations can be intense when families are involved. They go on to discuss Christmas and how nice it would be to have a low-key Christmas with just friends. Neither of them is sure if their families would agree but think it might be okay if they saw them on Boxing Day.

Pip is interrupted when asking Stella a question by Ben, who is in a panic about taking Bess to the Vets as he’s been called to a meeting with his tutor. Stella offers to take Bess. Later on Ben thanks Stella and they talk about how lovely it is having a dog. Once Stella and Pip are alone, Stella reminds Pip that she had a question for her earlier. After some panicked babbling Pip finally asks Stella to have Christmas dinner with the family. Stella tells her that she would like that very much.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m001tbhf)
Margaret Cavendish, Margareth Olin, Christmas TV

Margaret Cavendish was born exactly 400 years ago, and her many achievements include writing The Blazing World, arguably the first ever sci-fi novel. Novelist Siri Hustvedt and biographer Francesca Peacock discuss the enduring legacy of this pioneering woman, with extracts read by Rhiannon Neads

Margreth Olin tells Samira about her film Songs of Earth, for which she returned to the valley in Western Norway where she grew up, and the year she spent learning from her elderly parents and from nature.

Graham Kibble-White, Deputy Editor of Total TV guide magazine and TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan share their top festive viewing tips – from ghosts stories to soaps, documentaries to children’s viewing.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Julian Wilkinson


TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m001tbhh)
Shoplifting and organised crime

File on 4 reveals how hundreds of vulnerable women and children are being trafficked to the UK by organised crime gangs to work as shoplifters. The victims are forced to live in squalor in overcrowded houses in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Investigators have discovered there are 154 known members of one gang which is making millions for the gangmasters from Eastern Europe. High street stores have reported a 25 per cent increase in the number of shoplifting incidents over the last year.

Reporter: Datshiane Navanayagam
Producers: Holly Clemens and Kate West
Editor: Carl Johnston


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m001tbhk)
The Eyes Have It

Ophthalmology is the busiest outpatient speciality in the NHS, with 8 million attendances in England in the last two years. However, there is a crisis of capacity and many patients are not receiving the specialist treatment that they need to retain their vision. The Eyes Have It is a partnership are trying to change that. It is comprised of the Macular Society, Fight for Sight / Vision Foundation, RNIB, Association of Optometrists, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists and Roche. The partnership's primary aim is to advocate for a national approach to improvements across the eye care sector in England. In Touch attended their parliamentary event in the Houses of Commons, and spoke to various professionals within the sector about the issues and the specifics of what they are calling for.

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


TUE 21:00 All in the Mind (m001t9hy)
The impact of bad news, compassion fatigue, and the psychology of whistleblowing

Increasing numbers of people are avoiding the news, and a recent update to Ipsos’s Global Trends 2023 report has found that the current state of the world is causing people to focus on their own lives, rather than broader, global problems. Mike Clemence, associate director of trends & futures at Ipsos, talks Claudia Hammond through the findings and the "polycrisis" we find ourselves in. Coverage of these crises can have a psychological impact, Roxane Cohen Silver, distinguished professor of psychological science, medicine, and public health at the University of California Irvine, tells Claudia how media exposure to traumatic events can cause acute symptoms of stress, and what we can do to protect ourselves.

Whistleblowers do the important job of calling out wrongdoing in an organisation. So why are so many treated badly, even though they’ve done the right thing? And how can people be encouraged to raise concerns at work? Claudia speaks to Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership and management at the Harvard Business School, about "psychological safety" – the belief that you won’t be punished for speaking up.

And Claudia is joined in the studio by Daryl O’Connor, professor of psychology at the University of Leeds, to take us through some of the latest findings in neuroscience and psychology. We discuss whether compassion is a limited resource and if the emotional words we use can affect our heart health.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Sophie Ormiston
Studio Manager: Tim Heffer
Production Coordinator: Siobhan Maguire
Editor: Holly Squire


TUE 21:30 The Life Scientific (m001tbg5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m001tbhm)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


TUE 22:45 The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan (m001tbhq)
Episode 2

A sparky comedic exploration of modern love and millennial malaise from the Irish author Naoise Dolan. As read by Seána Kerslake (‘Bad Sisters’).

Celine (a pianist) and her boyfriend Luke (a serial cheater) are to be married. However, on the night of their engagement party, Luke disappears with Celine’s ex-girlfriend…

Phoebe (the bridesmaid and Celine’s sister) just wants to get to the bottom of Luke’s frequent unexplained disappearances.

Archie (the best man) should be moving on from his love for Luke and up the corporate ladder, but he finds himself utterly stuck.

And Vivian (a wedding guest) is the only one with enough emotional distance to offer something resembling good advice.

As the wedding approaches and these five lives intersect, past lovers, old friends and new enemies will search for their happily ever after — but does it lie at the end of an aisle?

The Author
Naoise Dolan is an Irish writer born in Dublin. Her debut novel ‘Exciting Times’ was a Sunday Times bestseller. She has been short-listed and long-listed for several prizes, including the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award.

Reader: Seána Kerslake
Author: Naoise Dolan
Abridger: Rowan Routh
Producer: Michael Shannon
Executive Editor: Andy Martin

A BBC Northern Ireland production.


TUE 23:00 Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn (m001tbhs)
The Comb Over Problem

Your close friend is doing a bad job at disguising his baldness – people are noticing and making cruel comments… what should you do? You know your relationship is over but, if you leave, your partner’s life might fall apart… what should you do? You’ve been asked to a party and the hosts are now asking you to help pay for it… what should you do? Modern dilemmas tackled with wisdom, grace and trademark good humour by Marian and Tara. All this and... is Marian declaring herself to be running for political office?

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

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

Recorded in Dublin with emails received from listeners around the world, the hosts invite you to pull up a chair at their virtual kitchen table as they read and digest their inbox.

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

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


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m001tbhv)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs back Rishi Sunak's Rwanda policy despite some Tory unhappiness on a day of intrigue at Westminster.