SATURDAY 07 OCTOBER 2023
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m001r20c)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 00:30 How to Be a Renaissance Woman by Jill Burke (m001r1t4)
Episode 5
In the Renaissance, women cared what they looked like - they had to, in a world dominated by men. It was hard work, but they were helped by books containing beauty tips and recipes.
Boys were educated, but girls were expected either to marry or enter a convent. To catch your man, it was important to look your best. As the Renaissance visual world became populated by paintings of luscious female nudes by painters such as Titian, a vibrant literary output of beauty tips emerged. Mainly written by men like Giovanni Marinello, they were early versions of the self help books of the 20th century.
Full of advice about cosmetics, with 'solutions' to everything from podgy upper arms and smelly armpits, to droopy breasts, stretch marks, bad breath and drooling while sleeping, with particular emphasis on facial beauty, they were usually sold in the marketplace to aristocrats and peasant women alike.
Sales were in the thousands. Women, by necessity, had a wide knowledge of botanical and chemical remedies needed to help in childbirth and illness, but still had an appetite for self improvement. Some medical remedies recommended were used for other purposes – arsenic was common in beauty products, but was also useful for getting rid of a controlling husband or brother.
Through the stories of female courtesans, business women, artists, artisans, actors, and the first female writers to be published who start to rebel against the male dominance of their time, we find women beginning to discover their own voice. In a world where books are becoming more widely available, and burgeoning colonialism means that travel between nations is on the rise, the beauty of black women begins to be appreciated too as immigrants arrive in Italian cities.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Read by Fenella Woolgar
Produced by Celia de Wolff
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001r20n)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001r20x)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001r215)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m001r21f)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001r21p)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rev Cheryl Meban.
SAT 05:45 Close Encounters (m001mlqy)
Dame Katherine Grainger and Mercedes Gleitze
The fourth of Martha Kearney's new series celebrating portraits and portraiture through the eyes of ten Great Britons.
Her guest is multi-medal-winning Olympic Rower and Chair of UK Sport Dame Katherine Grainger. Her choice is the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze, the first British woman to swim the channel as well as breaking many swimming endurance records in the 1920s and 30s. Although uncelebrated today, she was the first person on record to swim the straights of Gibraltar.
After three years of closure for major refurbishment and expansion the National Portrait Gallery, just off London's Trafalgar Square is set for re-opening. To mark the occasion the gallery, along with BBC Radio 4 have launched a celebration of great Briton's, with Martha Kearney hosting a Close Encounter between the likes of Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Edward Enninful and Arlo Parks and a portrait they choose to champion. For Sir TIm Berners-Lee it's the Suffragette campaigner Christabel Pankhurst.
In each episode we find out about the subject of the portrait, the moment at which their image was captured for posterity and the importance of image and identity for those who find themselves in the eye of the nation's attention today.
Producers: Tom Alban and Mohini Patel
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m001r7cg)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
SAT 06:07 Ramblings (m001r1y9)
Out of Portpatrick on the Rhins of Galloway
On a beautiful late summer's day Clare and guests explore a coastal walk on a remote peninsula in southern Scotland - the Rhins of Galloway.
Walking with her are Peter Ross, who runs a walking for health group, and Margaret Hughes who is one of the members. They start their hike in Portpatrick and head along the coast for a few miles before dropping down into Sandeel Bay and returning to Portpatrick on an inland path through woodland.
Margaret is registered blind due to an acquired brain injury, and has had a tough time recovering. Walking is a huge part of her life, and Peter’s group plays a significant part in this especially as Margaret needs a sighted guide to help her along the way.
This is the second of two walks on the Rhins of Galloway: last week's episode was with two friends who are taking what could be the longest, slowest route between Land's End and John O'Groats.
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m001r7cl)
07/10/23 Farming Today This Week: HS2 and farms affected, hormone-treated beef row, root veg
At the Conservative Party Conference this week the death knell was sounded for the northern route of HS2, and the transport minister Mark Harper made it clear that people whose land and businesses have been affected by the line, and now its cancellation, will not be getting any compensation for the disruption. So what happens next? We hear from farmers along what was to be the HS2 line.
Former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he wans to see Australian hormone-treated beef being allowed into the UK and accused the National Farmers Union of being 'protectionist'. NFU president, Minette Batters, tells us she's livid.
The nights are drawing in and there's a nip of autumn in the air so what better time to talk about root veg; the carrots, parsnips, swedes and onions that warming stews are made of. But with many UK veg growers warning that the cost of growing is increasing way faster than the prices they're paid, we ask what's the future for these staple crops.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
SAT 06:57 Weather (m001r7cq)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m001r7cv)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m001r7d6)
Kate Humble, Adam Rutherford, Peeps Nicol, Tom Kerridge
Dr Adam Rutherford is a geneticist, a broadcaster and science populariser and his latest book, aimed at young people, examines evolution, what race really is, and what makes us human.
Broadcaster and author Kate Humble will be sharing the inspiration behind her new book which sees her on a quest to define what makes a house a home.
And Peeps Nicol - who after being diagnosed with MS and then being widowed - wanted to find a new hobby. Peeps recently became a powerlifter and now at 71 years of age she’s deadlifting heavy weights. We’ll be hearing her story.
All that plus the Inheritance Tracks of chef and author Tom Kerridge.
Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Olly Mann
Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies
SAT 10:00 Your Place or Mine with Shaun Keaveny (m001r7dl)
Nadiya Hussain: Sylhet, Bangladesh
Bake Off superstar Nadiya Hussain tells Shaun why Bangladesh is the perfect watery destination for a canal-loving man from Lancashire. Shaun fancies wearing a lungi in the shade of a banana tree, but will he be able to cope with water snakes, leeches and 100% humidity? Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence really wants to find out.
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 My Dream Dinner Party (m001r7dw)
Minnie Driver's Dream Dinner Party
Actor Minnie Driver hosts a dinner party with a twist - all her guests are from beyond the grave, long-time heroes brought back to life by the wonders of the radio archive.
In her mobile home overlooking Malibu beach, Minnie is joined by singer-songwriter George Michael, actor and raconteur Sir Peter Ustinov, actor Alan Rickman, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, and actor and politician Glenda Jackson.
As the sunlight fades, the conversation becomes more candid - from filming sex scenes to the anger at being exposed in the press; from a failed attempt at being a spy to the joy of being in love. There are confessions, laughter, and a midnight swim.
Written and presented by Minnie Driver
Produced by Sarah Peters and Peregrine Andrews
Co-producer Tim Bano
Additional Editing: Jerome Watson
BBC Archivists: Roni Abera and Michael Pridham
Executive Producer: Iain Chambers
A Tuning Fork and Open Audio production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 11:00 Reflections (m001pmk7)
George Robertson
Lord George Robertson talks to James Naughtie about his journey from battling with the Scottish National Party as a Labour MP, to sitting across the table from Vladimir Putin as Secretary General of NATO
Producer: Daniel Kraemer
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m001r7f6)
A Tumultuous Week in US Politics
Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Slovakia, Turkey, Greece and Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a break with history, a right-wing faction of the US Republican party moved to oust the speaker of the lower chamber of Congress, Kevin McCarthy. The party must now begin the task of uniting behind another candidate. And as Donald Trump appeared at his civil fraud trial in New York, Gary O'Donoghue reflects on an extraordinary week in Washington.
We visit the Slovakian capital, Bratislava where coalition talks are underway in earnest after Robert Fico, the pro-Russian leftist, won the biggest share of the vote in elections last weekend. Fico's former deputy, Peter Pelligrini of the social democratic party is now the kingmaker to form a government which could have major ramifications for the country, and Europe, says Rob Cameron.
Turkey's long war on Kurdish armed rebel groups seemed to have faded into the background after the huge earthquake there this year, along with President Erdogan's victory in the general election. But the conflict still goes on and an attack in Ankara on the day of Turkey's opening of parliament has raised tensions once more. Emily Wither reports on the impact.
Thessaly in Greece was one of the regions that was hit hardest by Storm Daniel last month, with much farmland still submerged under water. The region provides much of Greece's agricultural produce and livestock. Maria Margaronis spoke to farmers whose lives were upended.
And in Democratic Republic of Congo, Hugh Kinsella-Cunningham camps with heavily armed rangers as they await the arrival on a jungle airstrip of two white rhinoceros as part of conservation efforts in the region.
Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: China Collins
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m001r7gn)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m001r7fr)
Funeral Plans and Energy Credit
A funeral plan company with more than 13,000 customers has gone bust leaving thousands of people without the plan they paid for. One Life Funeral Planning Limited was just 1 of around 40 firms which were not approved by the Financial Conduct Authority in July 2022 when it took over regulation of funeral planners. Attempts to find a regulated firm to take over its customers failed and last November its directors put it into administration. What can its customers do?
Christine Farnish, a former non-executive director at the energy regulator Ofgem, has told Money Box the amount of credit held by energy companies is a "real problem" that needs looking at. It comes after we revealed last week that suppliers held more than £8bn of customers' money in the form of credit on their accounts in the first three months of this year. Ofgem said protecting customers is its top priority and that it encourages suppliers to help customers spread the cost of winter over a full year to help them manage their bills. Previously Energy UK have told us told us at the time this £8.1bn was being held as credit prices were extremely volatile and the level of government help was unknown.
Nearly half a million new 18 year olds have not claimed hundreds even thousands of pounds waiting for them in child trust funds the govt and parents set aside for them. Check here: findctf.sharefound.org
And is there a way to tell if you really are investing ethically? A new database may be a step towards that.
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Sandra Hardial and Jo Krasner
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast,
12pm Saturday 7th October, 2023)
SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m001r1wr)
Series 112
Episode 5
Andy Zaltzman quizzes the week's news. With him to find the answers to all our problems Daliso Chaponda, Susie McCabe, Bethany Black, and Hugo Rifkind
This week, Andy and the panel discuss the cancelation of the world's most delayed train, a very awkward work event, and the most patient guide dog (such a good boy).
Written by Andy Zaltzman
With additional material by
Alice Fraser
Cody Dahler
and Caroline Mabey
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Dan Marchini
Sound Editor: Giles Aspen
A BBC Studios Production
SAT 12:57 Weather (m001r7g6)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m001r7gs)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m001r1xz)
Gerry Hassan, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Salma Shah and Emily Thornberry MP
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from the University of Surrey in Guildford with a panel including Gerry Hassan, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Salma Shah and Emily Thornberry MP.
Producer: Robin Markwell
Lead broadcast engineer: Kevan Long
SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m001r7h8)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week
SAT 14:45 For Human Consumption (m001n8vj)
Chef
The first of three stories about people connected to The Fork, a pay-what-you-feel cafe making delicious meals from food thrown out by supermarkets and restaurants - produce that would have ended up as landfill.
Georgia's fine-dining restaurant, The Knife, launched just before the pandemic. Now, with the cost of ingredients rising through the roof, her 12-course Tasting Menu is looking unsustainable. Georgia has always strived for culinary perfection but now finds herself hankering after her mum's steak and kidney pie, the kind of tasty, satisfying dish that they make at The Fork.
Written by Bethan Roberts and read by Cerris Morgan-Moyer.
Photo: Bethan Roberts
Produced and directed by Kate McAll
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m001b3v6)
Brick Lane
Part Two of a new adaptation of Monica Ali’s bestselling novel, dramatised by Tanika Gupta.
It’s 2001 and Nazneen has been living in London for nearly 20 years. Her daughters Shahana and Bibi are growing up, and life hasn’t turned out as expected for Chanu.
As tensions rise on the estate, Nazneen meets Karim. Their connection deepens, but Chanu is laying plans for the family to return to Bangladesh. Can Nazneen finally decide to take charge of her destiny?
Winner of Best Adaptation at the 2023 Audio Drama Awards.
CAST
Nazneen ..... Anneika Rose
Chanu ..... Zubin Varla
Razia ..... Chetna Pandya
Hasina ..... Hiftu Quasem
Karim ..... Nikesh Patel
Mrs Islam ..... Nina Wadia
Tariq ..... Ragevan Vasan
Shahana ..... Rameet Rauli
Bibi ..... Riti Suthar
Secretary ..... Gavi Singh Chera
Dramatized by Tanika Gupta
Directed by Anne Isger
Sound by Caleb Knightley, Ali Craig and Pete Ringrose
Production Co-ordination by Luke MacGregor
Production Assistance by Hannah O'Reilly
Tanika Gupta
Tanika Gupta MBE FRSL is a prolific radio, stage and film writer, having written over 25 stage plays that have been produced in major theatres across the UK, over 30 radio plays and numerous television dramas. In the past year, her stage play The Empress was added to the GCSE curriculum, alongside her adaptation of Ibsen's A Doll's House.
Brick Lane
Monica Ali's debut novel Brick Lane was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2003. In the same year Ali was named as one of Granta's 'Best of Young British Novelists'.
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m001r7hr)
Gunner Jaysley Beck’s mother, Organist Anna Lapwood, Menopause tribunal, Mary McAleese, Grace Dent
Female teenage soldier Jaysley Beck is believed to have taken her own life after a period of relentless sexual harassment from one of her bosses, an Army investigation has found. Gunner Beck was serving in the Royal Artillery and was found dead at Larkhill Camp in Wiltshire in December 2021. Her mother, Leighann McCready, speaks to Emma Barnett.
Nicknamed 'the Taylor Swift of classical music', Anna Lapwood is one of the world's most famous organists, and Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. To encourage more women to try the instrument, Anna initiated the social media hashtag #playlikeagirl. She joins Emma to talk about her music and her new album, Luna.
We hear from Karen Farquharson who has been awarded £37,000 at an employment tribunal after her boss told her she used the menopause as an “excuse for everything”. She tells Emma how the process has impacted her and why she wants to help other women.
This week marked the start of a Catholic synod that will take place throughout October in the Vatican to discuss the direction of the Catholic Church. Emma talks to former Irish president Mary McAleese about why she thinks women should play a bigger role.
And the food writer Grace Dent joins Anita Rani to talk about her new book, Comfort Eating, inspired by her podcast of the same name. She'll explain why she's so fascinated by the foods that make us feel better behind closed doors.
Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Lottie Garton
SAT 17:00 PM (m001r7j6)
Full coverage of the day's news
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m001r7jn)
The Roger Hallam One
The co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, now behind the scenes in Just Stop Oil, challenges Nick Robinson to emotionally engage with the reality of climate change and take a stand against global inaction
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001r7k2)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m001r7kk)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001r7l0)
Israel is carrying out strikes in Gaza in response to attacks from Hamas
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m001r7lh)
John Whaite, Henry Normal, Bronté Barbé, Cath Staincliffe, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Swing Out Sister, Badly Drawn Boy
Clive Anderson and Kiri Pritchard-McLean are joined by John Whaite, Henry Normal, Bronté Barbé and Cath Staincliffe for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Swing Out Sister and Badly Drawn Boy.
SAT 19:00 Profile (m001r7ly)
Sir Keir Starmer
The Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer is hoping to become the UK's next prime minister. He first won his seat in Parliament in 2015 after a successful career working as a human rights lawyer and then being appointed the UK's Director of Public Prosecutions. He was previously rumoured to be the inspiration for the handsome but stuffy character Mark Darcy, a lawyer and love interest in the novel Bridget Jones's Diary, written by Helen Fielding. The author has denied the link, however interest in Mr Starmer has started to grow as polls suggest he could get the keys to 10 Downing Street. Steve Smith travels through the 'Starmersphere' speaking to friends, colleagues and critics finding out who he is and what he stands for.
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m001r7lt)
Matthew Bourne
One of the world’s most successful living choreographers, Sir Matthew Bourne shook up classical ballet in the mid 1990s with his ground-breaking company Adventures In Motion Pictures, later renamed New Adventures. His breakthrough production, a radical new version The Nutcracker, was followed by a production of Swan Lake where he replaced the traditional female swans with a male ensemble. After initial controversy in the press, it became a massive critical and commercial hit. Since then he’s continued to popularise classical dance with a succession of innovative productions, often drawing inspiration from movies or literature. He’s had hits with the Red Shoes, Edward Scissorhands, Dorian Gray and Lord Of the Flies, and has won Olivier and Tony Awards. Matthew Bourne was knighted in 2016 for services to dance.
In This Cultural Life he talks about how his love of classic films musicals started with seeing The Sound of Music as a young boy, and falling in love with Julie Andrews. He recalls his teenage years as one of London’s top autograph hunters meeting the likes of Gene Kelly, Charlie Chaplin and his hero Fred Astaire. He also explains how he was a relative latecomer to ballet and only saw his first ballet - a Sadler's Wells production of Swan Lake - at the age of 18. Matthew Bourne also chooses Powell and Pressburger’s 1948 film The Red Shoes as one of his formative influences.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m001r7md)
The Cult of Lebowski
Twenty-five years ago, the Coen brothers' follow-up to the Oscar-winning Fargo had critics scratching their heads.
A comedy? And a weird one at that - encompassing a typically incomprehensible film noir plot, philosophy, the War in Iraq and... bowling?
Archive on 4 digs into the vaults and speaks to an array of critics to define the peculiar, quotable appeal of the film - and ask if finding its own fanbase and a critical reappraisal make it the perfect definition of a cult film.
Featuring James King, Angie Errigo, Katie Smith-Wong, Tim Robey, Sir Roger Deakins, Joel Morris, Matt Qvortrup and Hannah Strong.
Presented by Helen O'Hara
Produced by Kevin Core
SAT 21:00 Stone (m000rwwt)
Protection
Control
Detective series created by Danny Brocklehurst.
Series 9: Protection. Episode 5 'Control' written by Martin Jameson.
‘DCI Stone's new informant is taking matters into her own hands leading the case into dangerous new territory.
DCI JOHN STONE.....Hugo Speer
DS SUE KELLY .....Deborah McAndrew
DI MIKE TANNER.....Craig Cheetham
ALICE.....Sydney Wade
LAYLA.....Sade Malone
JAX BRAITHWAITE / DOCTOR BASSEY....Doña Croll
WC .....Hamish Rush
SOLICITOR.....Darren Kuppan
Directed and produced by Nadia Molinari
BBC Audio Drama North
SAT 21:45 Short Works (m001r1tx)
The Bubble Bursts
The Bubble Bursts by Alex Preston.
Set in the near-future, a man reflects on his life in an empty apartment block during a decade of pandemics.
Alex Preston is an author and journalist who lives in Kent. His personal anthology of nature writing, As Kingfishers Catch Fire, was published in 2017. His most recent novel, Winchelsea, was published in 2022.
Writer: Alex Preston
Reader: Colin Tierney
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:00 News (m001r7mx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 Screenshot (m001r1xn)
50 Years of Don't Look Now
Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode don their red raincoats to celebrate the 50th anniversary of haunting British thriller Don't Look Now.
Originally released in 1973, Don't Look Now is a spine-tingling psychodrama in which Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie play a married couple grieving the death of their young daughter in Venice. Adapted from a story by Daphne du Maurier and directed by Nicolas Roeg, the film manages to be an eerie occult chiller, a heart breaking meditation upon love and grief, and a shaggy dog story with a grisly sting in its tail.
Ellen speaks to Allan Scott, who co-wrote the screenplay for Don’t Look Now with his partner Chris Bryant, about his memories of the film, including its notorious sex scene, and about his long working relationship with Nicolas Roeg.
And Mark talks to two filmmakers for whom Don't Look Now has been a touchstone. Writer, actor and director Alice Lowe reveals how the film, and an encounter with Nicolas Roeg, influenced her black comedy thriller Prevenge.
And the director of Another Round, Thomas Vinterberg discusses the impact Don't Look Now has had on his work, and the new resonance he finds in the film following the tragic death of his own daughter.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 23:00 Brain of Britain (m001r1c4)
Heat 8, 2023
(8/17)
Russell Davies welcomes four keen quiz competitors from northern England and the Midlands to another heat of the 2023 tournament, from MediaCityUK in Salford. They may know plenty about sport and TV drama but how confident are they on chemistry, classical music or the Bible? Russell's questions come from every field of knowledge and are sure to test them.
Appearing today are:
Jim Cook from Stourport on Severn
Ian Fennell from Kidderminster
Ian Mostyn from Ramsbottom in Lancashire
Joanna Munro from Liverpool.
A Brain of Britain listener also stands to win a prize if the Brains can't successfully answer questions he or she has devised.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
SAT 23:30 Uncanny (m001r7nc)
Series 3
S3. Case 2: Uncle Jack
Tim moves from London to a 16th century coaching house in Cornwall, to find it already occupied by a long-dead previous owner - Uncle Jack.
Tim and his partner quickly adjust to the constant noise of Jack's spectral footsteps jumping from the upstairs window. But then one night, things change…
Written and presented by Danny Robins
Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King
Music: Evelyn Sykes
Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake
Script editor: Dale Shaw
Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard
A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
SUNDAY 08 OCTOBER 2023
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m001r7nt)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:15 The New Harvest (m001r17q)
Harvests have featured in poetry and songs for centuries, spanning both the beauty and difficulty of farming. Poet Sean Borodale discovers how to write a harvest poem now, as he visits farms and witnesses the rituals and celebrations of this time of year. He'll share poems inspired by harvest time and take a snapshot of our harvests, to hear what has changed and the new reality of farming.
Presented by Sean Borodale and produced by Caitlin Hobbs.
Photo taken by Sean Borodale
Music by Louis Borodale, Flora Mackintosh Allen and Sebastian James Laudicina
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001r7p9)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001r7pr)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001r7q6)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m001r7qp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m001r7r5)
The church of St Ethelbert in Tannington, Suffolk
Bells on Sunday, comes from the church of St Ethelbert in Tannington, Suffolk. This church is of medieval origin with a late 12th century nave as well as some 14th and 15th century windows. The tenor weighs ten hundredweight and is tuned to the note of G. We hear them ringing Saint Clements Court Bob Minor.
SUN 05:45 Profile (m001r7ly)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m001r7cx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Something Understood (m001r7d3)
What a Waste!
Mark Tully considers how hope and transformation can come from loss and grief; how some people find ways to turn seeming waste into something more positive and fruitful.
First Broadcast in 2006.
A Unique Broadcasting Company production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m001r7dg)
BBC Food & Farming Awards finalist: Regather
Regather is a food co-operative with a big mission. They want to "reshape the food landscape of Sheffield". What does that mean? It means building strong, local food supply chains that link the people of Sheffield with food that is produced sustainably and close by.
The group runs a fruit and veg box scheme which funds its other projects - including community gardening sessions and campaigning. They also have a 15 acre market garden just outside the city where they produce fruit, vegetables and cut flowers for their boxes.
Regather has been picked as a finalist in the "Farming for the Future" category of this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards. It's being judged by Farming Today presenter, Charlotte Smith, and actor, Lucy Speed - who plays Stella in The Archers. In this programme, they visit Regather, and try to grasp the size and scale of the mission.
Presenter by Charlotte Smith and Lucy Speed
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
SUN 06:57 Weather (m001r7dy)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m001r7f5)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m001r7fg)
Violence in the Middle East
We report the latest from Israel after a wave of surprise Palestinian attacks. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, will pay "an unprecedented price" for their offensive across the border. Thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza, with gunmen entering Israel across land and sea. Israeli fighter jets have been striking Gaza in retaliation.
It's a momentous week in Rome where the Catholic Synod is taking place for the first time with laymen and women. Seventy of them will have a vote as they consider topics including LGBTQ Catholics and the role of women in the church. It's inspiring hope in those who see an opportunity for change and anger in others. Could it lead to a schism in the church? We hear from two Catholic commentators, theologian Tina Beattie and journalist Edward Pentin.
France has banned its athletes from wearing the Muslim hijab headdress at next year's Olympic games in Paris. The Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera says the ban will ensure ‘absolute neutrality’ at the games, a stance rooted in a principle of French law known as laïcité, which legally prohibits state recognition of any religion. Some have protested that it's a restriction on freedom of expression. We hear the arguments on both sides.
A new report highlights a culture of elitism within the Church of England and how working class clergy are left feeling marginalised, ignored and misunderstood. Bishop of Barking, the Rev Lynne Cullens, who's from a working class background herself, tells us how the report could help the church to address its problem with class.
Presenter: William Crawley
Producers: Jonathan Hallewell and Louise Clarke
Editor: Tim Pemberton
Studio Managers: Colin Sutton and Phil Booth
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m001r7fq)
Ashden
Journalist Ade Adepitan makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Ashden .
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 ‘Ashden Climate Solutions’ .
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Ashden Climate Solutions ’.
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: 1104153
SUN 07:57 Weather (m001r7g5)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m001r7gq)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m001r7h6)
Your glory above the heavens
A service for World Space Week from the Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London.
The Old Royal Naval College sits just down the hill from the Royal Observatory, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, who had been a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford. It was built to help seafarers to navigate long voyages, and to explore in more detail the richness of God's whole creation. The preacher is the theologian and astrophysicist The Revd Professor David Wilkinson who explains how his own work on star formation and the evolution of galaxies flowed through into worship of the creator God.
The readings are Psalm 8, and John 15:5-8 which Buzz Aldrin read on the Apollo lander before he took communion on the lunar surface. The choir and congregation join together in hymns, including Eternal Ruler of the ceaseless round and O Lord of every shining constellation.
The service is led by The Revd Simon Winn and The Revd Dr Tati Gutteridge, the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir is conducted by Ralph Allwood, and the organist is Jonathan P Eyre.
Producer: Ben Collingwood.
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m001r1yc)
The Piano: A Lifetime of Wrong Notes
Sarah Dunant argues that the patriarchy of the classical music business is finally starting to change.
Reliving her early relationship with music - from excruciating piano lessons to rebellious dancing in the mosh pit - Sarah reflects on the remarkable changes in classical music.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: China Collins
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (b092m9bv)
Samuel West on the Grey Heron
Actor Samuel West recalls how his birdwatching companion unpicked a riddle-like line in Hamlet but told him just late enough that he'd finished playing the part.
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Picture: Richard Blackburn.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m001r7hp)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell
SUN 10:00 The Archers Omnibus (m001r7j3)
Writer ..... Tim Stimpson
Director ..... Peter Leslie Wild
Editor ..... Jeremy Howe
Alan Franks ….. John Telfer
Usha Franks ….. Souad Faress
Eddie Grundy ….. Trevor Harrison
Emma Grundy ….. Emerald O’Hanrahan
Brad Horrobin ….. Taylor Uttley
Tracy Horrobin ….. Susie Riddell
Azra Malik ….. Yasmin Wilde
Jazzer McCreary ….. Ryan Kelly
Lynda Snell ….. Carole Boyd
Oliver Sterling ….. Michael Cochrane
Adil Shah ….. Ronny Jhutti
Miles Titchener ….. Adam Astill
Rob Titchener ….. Timothy Watson
Student ….. Ntombizodwa Ndlovu
SUN 11:15 Desert Island Discs (m001r7jj)
Greg Jackson, entrepreneur
Greg Jackson is the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy. The company is the UK’s second largest domestic energy provider with over five million customers and is one of Europe’s leading investors in renewables.
Greg was born in Germany in 1971 where his father was a surveyor in the army. The family returned to the UK a few years later and, following his parents’ divorce, Greg and his two younger siblings were brought up by his mother in Halifax. He describes his mother’s fortitude in bringing up three children on a tight budget as inspirational.
Greg left school at 16 to write video games but returned to education a few years later to complete his A-Levels. He went on to study economics at Cambridge University and then joined Procter and Gamble’s graduate scheme where he worked in marketing.
He became managing director of a mirror business when he was still in his twenties and then began flexing his business acumen by investing in a series of tech start-up businesses. In 2015 he secured £10m in investment to start a new energy company.
Greg has two sons and lives in west London.
DISC ONE: The Only Way is Up - Yazz & The Plastic Population
DISC TWO: Run To The Hills - Iron Maiden
DISC THREE: Shipping Forecast (BBC Radio 4) Read by Eugene Fraser
DISC FOUR: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - U2
DISC FIVE: Dizzy - The Wonder Stuff and Vic Reeves
DISC SIX: The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
DISC SEVEN: One Day Like This - Elbow
DISC EIGHT: Rockaway Beach - Motörhead
BOOK CHOICE: The Apollo Guidance Computer: Architecture and Operation by Frank O'Brien
LUXURY ITEM: A pinball machine
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: One Day Like This - Elbow
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
SUN 12:00 News Summary (m001r7jz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:04 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m001r1f0)
Series 2
Episode 5 - Bridgwater
Which Somerset actor was nominated for an Emmy for each of Third Rock From The Sun, Cheers and Will & Grace? Why is Bridgwater spelled wrong? And which has sold more copies - The Bible, or Jeffrey Archer's Cain & Abel? This week, Paul Sinha is in Bridgwater to test his audience's knowledge on these questions, and more.
Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience
Original music: Tim Sutton
Sound engineer: David Thomas
Producer: Ed Morrish
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 12:32 The Food Programme (m001r7kg)
Kombucha: A Miracle Drink?
Kombucha has been around for a while but it has not had huge success in this country like it has in the US and Australia.
In this programme, Jaega Wise looks at why that may be as well as sampling some drinks from our BBC Food & Farming Awards finalists and investigating the health claims of kombucha.
This programme features Old Tree Brewery, William Kendall, Mark Ilan Abrahams, Paul Cotter, Lucy George from Peterson Tea and Kara Monssen.
Presented by Jaega Wise and produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Sam Grist
SUN 12:57 Weather (m001r7kw)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m001r7lc)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001r1tg)
Postbag: Trebah Garden
Will my cuttings expire at the same time as the parent plant? How do I attract more wildlife to my pond? If the panel had £100 to spend on their garden per year, what would they buy?
Kathy Clugston and her team of horticultural experts are in the subtropical terrain of Trebah Gardens, Cornwall for this week’s episode of Gardeners' Question Time. Joining her are self-proclaimed ‘botany geek’ James Wong, gardening writer Anne Swithinbank, and Trebah’s very own Head Gardener Darren Dickey.
Entwined between the postbag questions, Darren takes the panel around the unique areas of Trebah Gardens, including a ‘bamboozling’ insight into their bamboo crops, a dip into their Water Garden, and a trip through Trebah’s famous Gunnera Passage.
Producer: Bethany Hocken
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
Executive Producer: Hannah Newton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m001r7lv)
Lark Rise to Candleford - Episode 2
John Yorke continues his exploration of Lark Rise to Candleford, Flora Thompson’s much-loved account of rural life.
Lark Rise to Candleford is one of our best loved evocations of rural England, but it is also an evocation of rural poverty, and of the emerging opportunities for young women as a new century dawned.
It tells the story of a girl growing up in a poor rural hamlet in rural Oxfordshire in the 1880s. Eventually she moves to the village of Candleford Green to begin her adult life working in a post office, and her story frames the larger one of Britain at the end of the 19th century, facing seismic social change.
In this second episode, John explores how the journey made by the central character in the book, Laura Timmins, reflects Flora Thompson’s own journey from a country childhood to the world of work and wider society. He wants to know how Lark Rise to Candleford echoes the rapid social changes taking place at the end of the 19th century, specifically the growth of towns and the opportunities they offered for new forms of employment and leisure. Flora Thompson’s book is unusual because it gives a female perspective to life at the turn of the 20th century; John is keen to find out how poor women’s horizons broadened as they started to glimpse the possibility of lives beyond marriage, motherhood or a job in domestic service.
John Yorke has worked in television and radio for thirty 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 on BBC Radio 4. 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:
Emma Griffin, Professor of History at Queen Mary, University of London
Richard Mabey, nature writer
Reading by Emma Griffin
Credits: Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson, Oxford University Press, 1945
Produced by Jane Greenwood
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
Sound by Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Nina Semple
Production Manager Sarah Wright
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m001r7m8)
Lark Rise to Ambridge
Part Two: Candleford
The residents of Ambridge take us on a journey back in time, acting as our guides in this sparkling new adaptation of Flora Thompson’s classic tales of rural life in the late nineteenth century.
Young Laura’s horizons are widened significantly as she settles into her new life, working in the post office close to the bustling market town of Candleford, and unwittingly becoming the protegee of the formidable local postmistress, Dorcas Lane. Miss Lane presides over the Candleford Green post office as an 1890s Susan Carter, keeping an eye on all the goings-on on the village green and (unlike Susan in Ambridge) guarding her customers' intimate secrets.
As in Ambridge, (only some 30 miles away), the Candleford Green post office is the hub of the community, used by everyone from jovial local squire, Sir Timothy, to the Irish labourers who charm the post mistress into opening late on a Saturday so that they can send their wages back home on pay day. As Laura gradually learns the ropes in her new job, her eyes are opened to a wealth of new attitudes and experiences - and romance appears on the horizon.
Steeped in a world where small things matter, the cast of The Archers tells the story of Laura's journey from Lark Rise to Candleford, and beyond.
Written by Flora Thompson
Adapted by Katie Hims
Producer & Director: Kim Greengrass
Executive Editor: Jeremy Howe
Technical Producers: Andy Partington & Vanessa Nuttall
Musical Director: Rosemary Watts
Production Coordinators: Sally Lloyd & Julie Sadler
Ambridge narrators:
Jim Lloyd … John Rowe
Susan Carter … Charlotte Martin
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Jazzer McCreary … Ryan Kelly
Candleford residents:
Laura … Molly Pipe
Dorcas Lane … Louiza Patikas
Mrs Macey … Emerald O’Hanrahan
Tommy Macey … Blayke Darby
Godfrey … Taylor Uttley
Philip … Angus Stobie
Sir Timothy and Ben … Timothy Bentinck.
Other roles played by members of the company.
A BBC Audio Drama Birmingham production.
SUN 16:00 Open Book (m001r7mt)
Lydia Davis
Lydia Davis on the writing of Our Strangers - her first new collection of short stories in nearly a decade – and her love of close observation, careful refinement, and the very, very short story.
Plus the art of literary conclusions. As literary journal Freemans comes to an end after ten years, with a final conclusions themed edition, Editor John Freeman and Professor of English at UCL, John Mullan, discuss when and how to bring a literary work to a close.
Presenter: Chris Power
Producer: Emma Wallace
Book List - Sunday 8 October and Thursday 12 October
Endings:
Freeman’s: Conclusions by John Freeman
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Break it Down by Lydia Davis (short story)
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling
The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
Lydia Davis
Our Strangers by Lydia Davis
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis
SUN 16:30 Rethinking Music (m001jsk8)
The Next Generation
Where will the musicians of tomorrow come from? A generation ago, children had access to free instrumental tuition, but today it’s mostly faded out, and in the past decade music has been de-prioritised in most state-sector schools in England. With inequality baked into the system, whether a child can access music education depends on which nation they’re in, what kind of school they go to - and now more than ever, how affluent their parents are. The talent pipeline feeding conservatoires – though not the only route into a career – is under threat, with a dramatic decline in the number of pupils taking A level music: it could die out as a subject by 2033. Tracing that pipeline back to primary school, Soweto looks at what’s driving this situation, and asks how much it matters.
In a 3-part series, Soweto Kinch looks at music education across the UK and assesses how policy changes over the years are playing out. What impact is decades of underfunding going to have on our economy, culture, and children's development? How are new National Plans for Music announced last year going to address the situation across the UK? Reflecting on his own route to music, Soweto asks what music education could look like, and how much it matters if we don't get it right. Contributors include Nicola Benedetti, Anna Meredith, Nubya Garcia, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin and a range of music professionals and providers across the UK.
Produced by Megan Jones and Amelia Parker
Photo: The Benedetti Foundation (credit Sarah Pickering)
SUN 17:00 File on 4 (m001r1kc)
Security Threat: Sham training courses risk public safety
The Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017 left 22 people dead and more than a thousand injured. The subsequent inquiry found security arrangements were lacking with some security staff admitting they were untrained in vital procedures. File on 4 goes undercover to reveal how, despite assurances the industry has tightened up procedures, some training companies are offering 'fast-track' courses which don't comply with regulations. the programme also reveals how candidates are told to falsifty time sheets and are given the answers to a final examination to ensure they pass and can subsequently work in an industry which is supposed to keep the public safe.
Producer: Kate West
Reporter: Greg McKenzie
Assistant producer: Nick Holland
Editor: Carl Johnston
SUN 17:40 Profile (m001r7ly)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m001r7n7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m001r7nr)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001r7pb)
Israel says more than 600 of its people have been killed -- and a-hundred kidnapped -- since Palestinian militants launched their massive cross-border attack yesterday:
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m001r7pt)
Audrey Brown
Audrey has been reflecting on love this week, as people spoke about their love for trees, the exchange of love through language between a father and daughter - and the ultimate love song involving vampires smoking on a pavement. Bruce Lee and dragons enter into it. And there be mermaids - in a song by Beyonce. Taylor Swift is here too - but not for the love of her music. And a dame who came here as a child refugee wonders if her life was worth saving during World War II.
Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producer: Elizabeth Foster
Production Co-ordinator: Lydia Depledge-Miller
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m001r7lf)
Usha’s looking forward to when Alan hands over Rob to Reverend Berry. Then they’ll be shot of him, but Alan says it’s not that simple.
Pat, who’s brought Peggy to church, stays for the service. She’s interested in the refugee discussion group Alan is hosting. Pat invites Alan to join them for dinner with a refugee friend of hers on Wednesday, but Alan turns her down, saying he has a meeting that evening. Later, Pat mentions to Usha that Alan didn’t seem quite himself and she notices Usha gives a different reason for Alan being unavailable on Wednesday. Back at The Vicarage Alan can’t believe Usha’s put her foot in it. Usha blames all the stress on Rob. When Alan’s insistent he can’t turn his back on a dying man, Usha accuses him of playing out a saviour fantasy.
Lynda talks about the Grey Gables Black Tie Ball to anyone who will listen. She’s organising it. She encourages Emma to attend but the cost makes it out of the question. Later, Kenton riles at the two free tickets he and Jolene have been given for the Ball. The event will take away a lot of their custom by shifting the Bonfire Night bonfire away from The Green. He offers the tickets to Emma who excitedly accepts.
Kenton moans to Lynda about Grey Gables taking away one of their big earners. Lynda wonders if The Bull can be involved somehow. She’s sure if they present Adil with a strong proposal he will accept. After all, he wants to maintain good relations with local businesses.
SUN 19:15 Agendum (m0008p48)
Series 2
Stalemate
A current affairs parody and stupidly feasible visit to the 24-hour Hall Of Opinion Mirrors.
Hosted by hostioneer Alexandra Palisades.
Parody created and written by Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris. Because there are two stories to every story.
In this show, a new trend in children’s parties and an international humanitarian disaster come under the Agendascope™.
Plus - should Britain seek the expert advice of wheelwrights and hubmen?
Starring Carrie Quinlan as Alexandra Palisades
And, at the very least, the voices of:
Justin Edwards
Melanie Hudson
Kath Hughes
Simon Kane
Tayla Kovacevic-Ebong
David Reed
Jess Robinson
Luke Sumner
Tony Way
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2019.
SUN 19:45 Moving Mountains by Jan Carson (m001r7q9)
Episode 3 - Tomasz
In rural Northern Ireland, the locals are horrified to learn that Slemish mountain – traditionally believed to be where Saint Patrick was brought to tend sheep before finding God – has been sold to a Japanese theme park. However on the day Slemish is to be removed and shipped across the world the diggers are beset by protesters, politicians and the Ballymena townsfolk caught in between.
Author
Born in Ballymena, Jan Carson is a writer and community arts facilitator. Her novel ‘The Fire Starters’ was awarded the EU Prize for Literature 2019 and the author was acclaimed as “one of the most exciting and original Northern Irish writers of her generation” by the Sunday Times. Her most recent novel ‘The Raptures’ was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year and the Kerry Group Novel of the Year. She has also written ‘Wings’ for BBC Three, ‘UnRaveling’ for BBC Radio 3, ‘The Last Resort’ for BBC Radio 4 and was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award 2020. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2023. Her new short story collection ‘Quickly, While They Still Have Horses’ will be published in 2024.
Reader: Ignacy Rybarczyk.
Writer: Jan Carson
Producer: Michael Shannon
Editor: Andy Martin
A BBC Northern Ireland production.
SUN 20:00 More or Less (m001r1mq)
Vaccine claims, Alzheimer's treatment and Tim's Parkrun times
John Campbell, a YouTuber whose posts get millions of views, has made claims about excess deaths and the covid-19 vaccine. We show why he's incorrect. Also will a much vaunted new treatment for Alzheimer's really change lives - and how much longer can Tim expect his Parkrun times to improve? We look at the trends - and the rest of the team's times.
Presenter: Tim Harford
Series Producer: Jon Bithrey
Reporters: Nathan Gower, Daniel Gordon, Charlotte McDonald
Researcher: Marcus O'Brien
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m001r1vc)
Michael Gambon, Pat Arrowsmith, Treleven Haysom, Dianne Feinstein
Matthew Bannister on the acclaimed actor Sir Michael Gambon. His son Fergus reveals his love of cars, antique firearms – and lying to journalists.
The peace campaigner Pat Arrowsmith, who went to prison a number of times for direct action protests.
Treleven Haysom, the stone mason who devoted his life to working, quarrying and telling the history of Purbeck stone.
Dianne Feinstein, the US Senator who campaigned for women’s rights and gun control and revealed the CIA’s use of torture.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m001r7fr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m001r7fq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 Loose Ends (m001r7lh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m001r7r0)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.
SUN 23:00 Moral Maze (m001r1s6)
Is impartiality a myth?
The BBC has published new guidance on how its big name presenters can use social media. Those working in news and current affairs are still bound by strict rules on impartiality, which the BBC sees as being fundamental to its reputation, values and the trust of its audiences. But the presenters of other programmes are free to express their political views, as long as they don’t “endorse or attack a political party."
While impartiality means not favouring one side over another, news broadcasters are subject to a subtler version of it: “due impartiality”. That means different perspectives don’t necessarily have to be given equal weight. But which perspectives and how much weight? That’s a matter of judgment.
The changing media landscape has brought new challenges to the principle of impartiality. The media regulator Ofcom has recently investigated GB News. Among their alleged breaches of impartiality was an item in which the Conservative Chancellor was interviewed by two other Conservative MPs.
The spiritual heirs of Lord Reith believe that media impartiality is a moral good and a central pillar of democracy in an age of populism and polarisation. Sceptics suggest that the pursuit of impartiality can create problems of its own, putting ignorance and expertise on an equal footing.
Beyond broadcasting, how much should we as individuals strive for impartiality? Is it possible to look at historical events through an objective lens? While psychology tells us we all have cognitive biases, psychologists disagree about how much they can be corrected. Is it possible to be truly impartial about ourselves and others?
Producer: Dan Tierney
MONDAY 09 OCTOBER 2023
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m001r7rd)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (m001r1ps)
Sugar
SUGAR: Laurie Taylor explores the ways in which the sweet stuff has transformed our politics, health, history and even family relationships. He’s joined by Ulbe Bosma, Professor of International Comparative Social History at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, and author of a tour de force global history of sugar and its human costs, from its little-known origins as a luxury good in Asia to transatlantic slavery and the obesity pandemic.
Also, Imogen Bevan, Research Fellow in Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, considers the bittersweet nature of sugar consumption and kinship in Scotland. During extensive fieldwork in primary schools, homes and community groups, she traced the values and meanings attributed to sugar – its role in cementing social bonding, marking out special occasions and offering rewards to children, in particular. Far from being a simple and pleasurable choice, she found it often had a fraught, morally ambivalent presence in family life.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m001r7r5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001r7rr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001r7s9)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001r7sq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m001r7t1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001r7tc)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rev Cheryl Meban.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m001r7tp)
09/10/23 Wildfire recovery; Labour rural policies; Clyde Valley orchards.
The impact of a major wildfire in the Scottish Highlands is still being felt, months after the emergency response to tackle the flames. The large blaze near Cannich in May scorched a massive area of land, including half of the RSPB's Corrimony Nature Reserve, severely impacting wildlife.
The Labour party would ensure that the public sector bought more British food and would consult farmers on the right to roam should it win the next election. The new shadow environment secretary Steve Reed also says government should do more to protect the environment. During the party conference season we're speaking to all of the four main parties, this week it's Labour.
The Clyde Valley was once famous as the fruit bowl of Scotland, and many Scots will remember spending summers there picking fruit, but a combination of factors including rail closures and EU membership led to a steep decline. Now a team of volunteers and orchard owners is fighting to keep the area's fruit-growing tradition alive.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
MON 05:56 Weather (m001r7v0)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b09snn7p)
Helen Moncrieff on the Fulmar
Fulmars defend their nests by launching their stomach contents at an intruder. Now this may not seem like an appealing behaviour but as Helen Moncrieff, Shetland Manager with RSPB Scotland describes, it was a tactic she used to her advantage as a child and has felt protective of these cliff-nesting birds ever since.
Producer: Sarah Blunt
Photograph: Andrew Thompson.
MON 06:00 Today (m001r7fk)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m001r7ft)
Israel
This programme was set up before the violence broke out in Israel. Tom Sutcliffe will also be joined by the BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale.
The Israeli novelist and psychologist Ayelet Gundar-Goshen describes the shock felt by the attacks on her country. The Editor of the Jewish Chronicle Jake Wallis Simons discusses his book Israelophobia in which he argues that throughout history Jews have been hated for their religion and their race, and now anti-Semitism is focused on their nation-state. The journalist Nathan Thrall has been reporting in Israel and Palestine for many year. His book The Day in the Life of Abed Salama reveals the every day life of Palestinians in one of the most contested places on earth.
Producer: Katy Hickman
MON 09:45 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7g7)
Book of the Week: Episode 1 - Who is this guy?
Michael Lewis uncovers the story behind the meteoric rise and dramatic fall of the former crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried better known as SBF. Read by Jamie Parker.
It was late 2021 when Lewis first met the man who had recently been declared Forbes' richest man under 30 with a little over $22 billion to his name. A year later, Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire had collapsed. After their first meeting SBF (as he is known) granted Lewis the freedom to tell his story, so he was there as the crypto wunderkind continued to amass his billions. He was also there when it all came tumbling down, and he bore witness to the aftermath. At the same time Lewis explores the extraordinary boom in crypto currency, and the fast changing world of high stakes finance.
Michael Lewis's best known books expose the inner workings of high finance, baseball and the 2016 US presidential campaign, they include Flash Boys, The Big Short which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster, The Blind Side, Moneyball, Liars Poker. His latest book, Going Infinite is a twenty-first-century epic of high-frequency trading and even higher stakes, of crypto mania and vast amounts of money, of hubris and downfall.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001r7gz)
Israel-Gaza conflict, Endometriosis test, Sam Brown - Savile survivor
Images of children, mothers and grandmothers are flooding media and social media two days after a coordinated attack by Hamas on Israel. Israel has since declared war. Emma Barnett speaks to the BBC's Anna Foster, who is in Israel, not far from Gaza, who talks about the impact on women on both sides of the conflict. Also Emma hears from the son of a 74-year-old Israeli former headmistress and Arabic teacher who is believed by her family to have been kidnapped from her home, and Alicia Kearns MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
A new test could cut the time it takes to diagnose endometriosis from an average of eight years to just eight days. Researchers at the University of Hull have developed a test that uses a urine sample instead of a laparoscopy, an invasive surgical procedure that is currently used to diagnose the condition. Emma is joined by Dr Barbara Guinn, Reader in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hull, to discuss.
The new BBC drama series The Reckoning starts tonight on BBC One. It tells the story of Jimmy Savile, who for decades was one of the UK’s most influential celebrities forging friendships with politicians and royalty and raising millions for charity. But after his death in 2011, it transpired he was also one of the country’s most prolific sexual predators, abusing hundreds of people, many of them children. The series, which stars Steve Coogan as Jimmy Savile, explores how he was able to hide in plain sight and use his celebrity status, powerful connections and fundraising activity to gain uncontrolled access to vulnerable young people. Sam Brown was abused by Saville from the age of 11. Her story is depicted in episode 3 of the series, and she joins Emma.
MON 11:00 The Gift (m001r7hf)
5. Health
How can life change when a home DNA test reveals you may be predisposed to serious illness?
It's the go-to Christmas present for the person who already has everything. A gift that promises to tell you who you really are and how you're connected to the world.
Millions of us have spat into a tube and sent a vial of our DNA to a company like Ancestry and 23andMe. Their tests promise to unlock the truth of our heritage - perhaps even a future foretold in our genes.
Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide.
Presenter: Jenny Kleeman
Producer: Conor Garrett
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Executive Producer: Philip Sellars
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
MON 11:30 The Bottom Line (m001r20f)
Tradespeople
From plumbers to electricians, plasterers to builders, most of us need to hire a trader at some point. But what's it like to work in the industry, and how has it been affected by changes such as Brexit, the pandemic and inflation? How should you go about finding a trader who is trustworthy and will deliver quality work?
In recent decades, going into a 'trade' has not been as strongly encouraged as to going to university, but tradespeople of all kinds are in short supply, so what is being done to encourage more young people to take up a trowel or pick up a drill?
Evan Davis and guests discuss.
CONTRIBUTORS
Chris Day - Electrician, Mayday Electrical Solutions Ltd.
Kalece Okusanya - Decorator - Suave Property Care
Will Davies - Co founder , Aspect Property Maintenance
Tim Balcon - CEO, Construction Industry Training Board
Peter Gordon - Listener
PRODUCTION TEAM
Producer: Julie Ball
Editor: China Collins
Sound: Tim Heffer and Graham Puddifoot
Prod. Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
MON 12:00 News Summary (m001r7hw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m001r7jb)
Temu Data Sharing, Paying with Cash, HS2 Cancellation
A new report by the financial analyst Grizzly Research warns that the Temu app which is popular on social media might be "aggressively" harvesting users’ data without their permission. Temu is an online superstore run by a Chinese company. It’s been described as a cut-price Amazon and has signed up millions of customers since it launched in the UK in April this year. Some of its top selling items at the moment include a handheld massage gun for £
10.89 and a telescopic floor mop for £
4.48. We speak to Alan Woodward, Professor of Cyber Security at Surrey University and Sarah Widd, a You and Yours listener from Kent who's a big fan of Temu.
Research by UK Finance, the body which represents banks, says that payments in cash have increased for the first time in 10 years. Notes and coins had been on the wane since 2012 with card spending overtaking them in 2017. Our reporter, Julian Paszkiewicz, goes to West Yorkshire, to talk to people who are still paying in cash to find out why. We also hear from Adrian Buckle, Head of Research at UK, about why cash is becoming more popular again.
We look at the fallout from the cancellation of the HS2 rail link between Birmingham and Manchester. We ask what it means for people who’ve already had their lives disrupted by compulsory purchase orders for property and land. We hear from a farmer in Staffordshire who lost 40 acres of his 100-acre site for the planned Phase 2a route up to Crewe. We also speak to a home owner in Didsbury in South Manchester who’d been told a tunnel was going to be built on the ground beneath his house.
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Tara Holmes
MON 12:57 Weather (m001r7js)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m001r7k8)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
MON 13:45 An Almanac for Anxiety: In Search of a Calmer Mind (m001ng75)
Episode 1 - Fire
Anxiety is the most common form of mental illness in the UK, with nearly a fifth of people experiencing it over the course of a year. Although it is often treated through medication, there are many alternative ways which are proving to be very effective in reducing anxiety amongst some people. In this series, we explore how connecting with the elemental forces of nature helps people with a range of mental illnesses to feel better. We also learn about the current academic research behind these methods.
In Episode 1 - Fire - we visit an overnight camp on the banks of the River Spey near Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands run by the charity Fire and Peace. According to the participants, - who have a range of mental ill health and addiction issues - the experience of spending time around the fire in nature is transformative when it comes to promoting feelings of connection and wellbeing. We also hear new research which shows how being around a campfire can be calming.
Produced and Presented by Helen Needham
Research by Anna Miles and Maud Start
Original Music by Anthony Cowie
Mixed by Ron McCaskill
A BBC Scotland Production made in Aberdeen for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m001r7lf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 This Cultural Life (m001r7lt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Saturday]
MON 15:00 Brain of Britain (m001r7mb)
Heat 9, 2023
(9/17)
In which city did this year's Tour de France begin? What's the title of the poem by Philip Larkin that ends with the line 'Never such innocence again'? And what's a 'Chicken of the Woods'? The answers to all of these questions can be found in today's heat of Brain of Britain - but will the competitors know them? Russell Davies is in the chair, with a lively audience cheering on the contestants at the Radio Theatre in London.
Taking part today are
Ray Eaton from London
Michael Frankl from Windsor
Carolyn Schofield from King's Lynn
Mickie Wynne-Davies from Oxted in Surrey.
There'll also be a chance for a Brain of Britain listener to win a prize by Beating the Brains with questions he or she has devised.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
MON 15:30 The Food Programme (m001r7kg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:00 History's Secret Heroes (p0fqnlz5)
9. Jack King and the Fifth Column
Eric Roberts, a bank worker from Surrey, joins MI5. He is given the alias Jack King and his job is to hunt for British Nazi-sympathisers.
Helena Bonham Carter shines a light on extraordinary stories from World War Two. Join her for incredible tales of deception, acts of resistance and courage.
A BBC Studios Podcast production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Amie Liebowitz
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
MON 16:30 The Digital Human (m001r7n0)
Series 30
Synthetic
With the rush of generative AI, we have the capacity to create synthetic companions that seem more human than ever before. They can talk in real time, and with enough user input can be moulded into a perfect friend - sharing your interests, build with a custom personality that you enjoy, and always available to talk for a brief chat, or to unleash some
3am anxiety upon, without burdening a real human friend.
They have the potential to provide some psychological benefit to people. But, there are concerns. What if the company behind such an AI companion suddenly changed the terms of service, what if your carefully crafted Synthetic Companion wasn't themselves anymore, or stopped responding in a way that met the users needs?
This happened in early 2023, when Replika, one of the biggest AI Companion apps decided to ban all adult content, without informing their users. The Big Change, as it came to be known, set the Replika community on fire, and showed how issues of control, expectations and the human propensity to project human attributes onto our machines can come back to bite us.
Yet, we should have already known this. Tech developers trying to sell their new shiny product will tell you that it's never been seen before. But we've been using technology to create fake humans to interact with for more than a century.
In this episode, Aleks looks to some Synthetic Humans of the past, to understand why people bond so readily with them, and how going forward into a future where we are likely going to have AI Humans all around us, we can insure that they serve our needs and do no harm to the end user.
MON 17:00 PM (m001r7nm)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001r7p3)
The move comes in response to unprecedented attacks by Hamas at the weekend
MON 18:30 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m001r7pn)
Series 2
Episode 6 - Brighton
Who is JD Wetherspoon named after? When was the UK's first nudist beach opened? And which company gives its name to the world's thinnest residential tower? This week, Paul Sinha is in Brighton to test his audience's knowledge on these questions, and more.
Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience
Original music: Tim Sutton
Sound engineer: David Thomas
Producer: Ed Morrish
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 19:00 The Archers (m001r7q8)
Lynda and Kenton approach Adil to discuss the impact of Bonfire Night being held in the Country Park rather than on The Green. Stressed Adil doesn’t receive their beer tent suggestion well. He accuses Lynda of exceeding her remit and having a poor understanding of Grey Gables.
Adil gives Kenton a full apology for earlier. He’s dealing with a lot of problems but that doesn’t excuse how he spoke, he says. He agrees to a beer tent as long as it’s stylish. Kenton thanks Adil but doesn’t let him go without pointing out that Lynda did not deserve his take-down. Adil seeks out Lynda at Ambridge Hall to apologise. She admits what he said was hurtful. Adil almost opens up but then instead promises to face his challenges with the motto – Be More Snell.
Eddie’s heard about Susan’s Six Things To Do Before She’s Sixty. He suggests she can overcome her fear of ghosts by testing out his Halloween Trail in Leader’s Wood. After being turned down by Tracy, Susan asks Emma to come along on the Trail too. After a bit of persuading, Emma agrees. Meanwhile, Susan’s hoping Neil’s arranged a helicopter ride for her birthday – he keeps dropping transport-related hints.
On the Halloween Trail, Emma and Susan are unnerved by eerie sounds nearby. Then, when someone quickly approaches, Emma throws a punch only to learn that it’s Will. Eddie insists he couldn’t spoil the surprise. Emma’s proud to have proven she isn’t afraid of ghosts. Nursing a sore nose, Will quits being the witch for Eddie’s Halloween Trail.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m001r7qr)
Piper Kathryn Tickell performs, film director Terence Davies remembered, author Jhumpa Lahiri, £200 million for Heritage Places
Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening’s new album, Cloud Horizons, fuses synthesizers with a bone flute, a sistrum – very old Egyptian instrument - and lyrics based on an inscription in Latin carved on a stone in Northumberland nearly 2 millennia ago. Kathryn talks to Samira about this ancient Northumbrian futurism and plays her smallpipes, live.
We remember the film director Terrence Davis, perhaps best known for the film Distant Voices, who has died aged 77. Samira spoke to him for Front Row last year, about his Netflix drama Benediction, which followed the life of the war poet Siegfried Sassoon.
Samira talks to Jhumpa Lahiri, the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, essayist and editor. Her latest offering Roman Stories marks a return to shorter fiction, presenting snapshots of a city and its unnamed residents in flux.
Today the Heritage Fund announces nine ‘Heritage Places’ across the UK- the first of twenty to receive a share of £200 million in National Lottery funding over the next 10 years to support local heritage. We hear from Eilish McGuinness, Heritage Fund Chief Executive about how the money will be spent and from Eirwen Hopkins, founder of the heritage group Rich History in Neath Port Talbot, one of the nine places to receive the cash injection.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Olivia Skinner
MON 20:00 The 93% Club (m001r7r6)
Sophie Pender was the first in her family to go to university. Getting into Bristol University to study law seemed like a dream after a tough upbringing. But what she found at university wasn’t quite a fairy tale ending.
Top universities and elite professions remain disproportionately over-represented by the 7% of students who attend private school. Whilst valid attempts are being made to be more inclusive at some of these institutions, Sophie found that a history of elitism meant that university life was hard to navigate. So she set up the 93% Club and invited others to join her.
Sophie and the team are building a members’ club to rival some of the most exclusive and expensive clubs in the UK. By using the power of networking they’re trying to challenge the ‘old boys network’ and repurpose it to change society and tackle social immobility.
There are now 93% Clubs across the country, at 36 universities, and Sophie hopes that these clubs can shake the status quo beyond university and into professional life. The clubs offer career advice and support into graduate schemes in areas like law, finance and the Civil Service. They hope that by getting students to network and learn what it takes to get into the top jobs they can create an ecosystem of opportunity for everyone.
In this programme, Sophie goes back to her roots to find out what has changed for state school students today and whether the 93% Club can fight against an unfair society.
Producer: Helen Lennard
A Must Try Softer production for BBC Radio 4
MON 20:30 Analysis (m001r7rj)
How can we grow the UK economy?
The cost of living crisis followed a decade in which people’s wages and incomes barely grew. The idea that each generation does at least as well as the one before, has for the moment ended. We’ll only start getting better off again if we can get the economy growing – as it used to in the decades preceding the financial crisis. So, what levers can governments pull to get growth back into the system? Why don't governments do the things that nearly every expert thinks might work? Should we be looking to governments at all? Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies explores the challenges facing the UK economy and asks: how can any government get the UK economy growing?
Presenter: Paul Johnson
Producer: Farhana Haider
Editor: Claire Fordham
Contributors:
Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge.
Jagjit Chadha, Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research
Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of the Learning and Work Institute
Richard Davies, Director of the Economics Observatory
Louise Hellem, Chief economist at the CBI.
Nicholas Macpherson, former Permanent Secretary at the Treasury.
Rowan Crozier, CEO C. Brandauer & Co Ltd
Sam Bowan, Editor of Works in Progress
MON 21:00 Young Again (m001r526)
1. Linda Evangelista
Kirsty Young talks to legendary supermodel Linda Evangelista about what she’s learned from her life so far. After a career spanning 40 years, in early September 2023 she released a retrospective book with photographer Steven Meisel. As one of the first international supermodels, she reflects on listening to your parents, the infamous “$10,000 a day” quote, knowing your worth, and she looks back on how it felt to leave her marriage.
If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what would you tell them? In Young Again Kirsty takes her guests back to the pivotal moments in their lives. Reflecting on what they wish they’d known at the time, and what they’ve learned along the way, she discovers the honest – and surprising – advice they’d give their younger selves.
Producer: Sam Peach
Content Editor: Richard Hooper
Executive Editor: Alice Feinstein
Senior Technical Producer: Duncan Hannant
Presenter: Kirsty Young
A BBC Audio Production
MON 21:30 Start the Week (m001r7ft)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m001r7s6)
Israel's PM warns 'enormous force' coming to Gaza
An Israeli who hid in his house as it was stormed by gunmen, before he was rescued - by his father
Life under siege in the Gaza strip
Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy
MON 22:45 Open Throat by Henry Hoke (m001r7sm)
Episode One
“I’ve never eaten a person but today I might . . .”
A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Fascinated by the voices around them, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their own identity. When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call 'ellay'. The lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, on their tour through the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: do they want to eat a person, or become one?
Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, this is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.
Henry Hoke took his inspiration from the life of P-22, the real-life mountain lion who became famous in LA and beyond. He was born in the Santa Monica mountains but made a 50-mile journey, crossing multiple highways to reach LA. He lived in Griffith Park in the Hollywood hills for over 10 years and was euthanised in December 2022 after he became unwell and began acting erratically. He never found a mate because he was cut off from other mountain lions by the highways that hemmed in the park. After his death the California governor paid tribute to P-22, saying that his “survival on an island of wilderness” had “captivated the world”.
Reader – Carl Prekopp
Abridger – Sara Davies
Sound Engineer – Ilse Lademann
Producer – Alison Crawford for BBC Audio
MON 23:00 Sound Towns (m001mbwq)
Bristol: Wild Bunch
Great music is born from a collision of societal and political change. This series explores the origin stories of some of the UK's most vital musical movements.
In this episode, we visit Bristol. The 'Bristol Sound' has been described as "possessing a darkness that is uplifting, a joyful melancholy", but it couldn't have existed without the 'Wild Bunch' parties of the 80s, These were the spark that grew to create Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky. The sound of Bristol can't be separated from the story of immigration. Illegal sound system parties, directly inspired by their Jamaican counterparts, were commonplace.
Bristol's goldilocks size, coupled with its collision of cultures, incubated the 'Wild Bunch', the name for a loose gathering of musicians, DJs and graffiti artists. The Wild Bunch parties were a direct descendent of the earlier sound system events, and threw together hip hop, reggae, funk and R&B with ambient electronic sounds. The Wild Bunch eventually became the musical collective that defined trip-hop. Three Wild Bunch members - Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall and Andrew Vowles - formed Massive Attack, alongside Tricky.
Producer: Victoria McArthur
Narrator: Vanessa Kisuule
Researcher: Juliet Conway
Sound mix: Lee McPhail
MON 23:30 Three Faces of WH Auden (m001qt7s)
Episode 3
If nothing remained of WH Auden's work other than his love poems, they alone would be enough to secure his place as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. Works like 'Lullaby', 'O Tell Me Truth About Love' and in particular 'Funeral Blues' (featured as it was in the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'), are often the first point of contact for readers with Auden. What they find are poems filled with a deep humanity as well as a strong anxiety at the passage of time and the limits of love, something he was a all too aware of from his own experience. In this, the final episode of the series, Michael Symmons Roberts speaks with guests including Alexander McColl Smith, Hannah Sullivan, Carl Phillips, Helmut Neundelinger about the evolution of Auden's love poems, while Zaffar Kunial offers a close reading of 'Funeral Blues'. Poet and priest Rachel Mann describes how the fact that Auden was gay helps explain the anonymity and formal distancing that appears particularly in his early love poems - and Alan Bennett charts Auden's relationship with his long term partner and collaborator Chester Kallman.
Producer: Geoff Bird
Poems referred to:
Lullaby
O tell Me The Truth About Love
Since
Funeral Blues
Taller Today
The More Loving One
Glad
All published by Faber & Faber
All poetry is fair dealt under criticism and review.
TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER 2023
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m001r7t2)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 00:30 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7g7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001r7td)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001r7tq)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001r7v1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m001r7v9)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001r7vk)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rev Cheryl Meban.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m001r7vr)
Farmers in Scotland are assessing the damage caused by record-breaking rainfall which has flooded hundreds of acres of farmland. As much of England was basking in sunshine, Scotland experienced a deluge. The floodwater, which is unusual for this time of year, has ruined high-value crops that were still waiting to be harvested.
We talk to the farm manager whose mental health campaign Walk With Me has gone global. It encourages a more open approach to mental health in agriculture across the world, as part of World Mental Health Day.
All week we're gathering up autumn fruits, and hearing how farmers are taking advantage of the season's natural abundance. On King Charles's Sandringham Estate a new pilot project has started to grow fruit and nut trees in strips, among arable crops. Agro-forestry, as it's known, is gaining recognition by commercial farms as a system which can enhance soil health, while creating invertebrate habitats in fields which sometimes have little space for biodiversity.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
TUE 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b03szw62)
Avocet
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
Chris Packham presents the avocet. With its black and white plumage, blue-grey legs and delicate upturned bill, the avocet is one of our easiest birds to identify. They are a conservation success and are now breeding in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Kent and elsewhere.
TUE 06:00 Today (m001r7wx)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 Building Soul - with Thomas Heatherwick (m001r7x6)
The Cult of Modernist Architecture
Why and when did our buildings become so boring? Anyone exploring the streets of our oldest cities can see this wasn’t always the case.
In part 2 of this series, Thomas Heatherwick argues that a cult of Modernism took hold of the architectural establishment in the 20th century, with an obsessive focus on form follows function at the expense of visual complexity and delight. Is one man, known as Le Corbusier, really responsible for creating our age of boring buildings?
Join Thomas as he challenges the architectural establishment to stop slavishly following Le Corbusier’s vision long after it ran out of steam. Thomas also argues that the legacy of modernism conveniently suits developers whose primary concern is the maximisation of short-term profits, at a huge cost to the environment as well as to our civic identity and personal wellbeing.
Producer: Tom Pooley
A Tempo & Talker production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 09:30 How to Win a Campaign (m001r7xl)
3. Nailing the message and shooting the messenger
Former Downing Street strategist, adviser to Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings and Vote Leave insider Cleo Watson examines the building blocks and dark art of political campaigning.
We've had many electoral tests in the UK in the last decade or so – general elections in 2015, 2017 and 2019, and the 2016 EU referendum – and the results of nearly all of them have raised eyebrows. Why? Is it just the policies or the parties, or have some of these campaigns had some secret alchemy or luck that made them succeed or fail against expert opinion and the betting markets?
In this series, Cleo Watson sits down with some of the brains behind the biggest campaigns in recent history and tries to piece together where it went right – and wrong – for the teams and parties involved.
Along the way she asks key questions about the role of traditional and social media, the importance of authenticity and charisma in our politicians, and what lessons we can learn ahead of 2024.
What do polling and focus groups really tell us, and what do we mean by strategy, messaging and fieldwork? How are the ‘ground campaign’ and the ‘air campaign’ orchestrated? How are really effective slogans crafted and tested, how do you ace a TV debate, and what is campaigning’s digital future?
How are cutting-edge developments in data science changing the game, and how concerned should we be about these new methods of persuasion? Or do old-fashioned posters, leaflets, rosettes, door-knocking, manifestoes, party political broadcasts and speeches also still shift the dial?
And if you are thoroughly cynical about mainstream elections, what can you do as a citizen to persuade our elected representatives to prioritise the issues you care about the most? Cleo discovers what makes a successful campaign with those who have achieved recent notable successes in public health, gender equality and climate change.
Contributors across the series:
Pippa Crerar, political editor of the Guardian
Dominic Cummings, director of the Vote Leave campaign and former Chief Adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Julie Etchingham, ITV election debates host
Ayesha Hazarika, former adviser to the Labour party during the 2010 and 2015 elections, and political commentator
Fiona Hill, former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Theresa May
James Johnson, pollster and Senior Opinion Research and Strategy Adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May, and now director of research company J.L. Partners
Gina Martin who led the campaign to make upskirting illegal in 2019
Charles Ogilvie, former Director of Strategy for Cop26
Craig Oliver, news editor, producer and media executive, and former Director of Politics and Communications for Prime Minister David Cameron
Stephen Parkinson, National Organiser of the ground operation for the Vote Leave campaign
Sarah Sands, former editor of The Sunday Telegraph and The Evening Standard and BBC Radio 4’s Today
James Schneider, co-founder of Momentum and senior adviser to Jeremy Corbyn
Joe Slater, polling strategist at Stack data agency
Paul Stephenson, former Director of Communications of the Vote Leave campaign
Dolly Theis, epidemiology researcher at Cambridge University and public health campaigner
Lucy Thomas, former deputy director of the Britain Stronger in Europe (Remain) campaign
Chris Ward, former political adviser to Sir Keir Starmer
Producer: Eliane Glaser
Executive Producers: Jon Holmes and Richard Danbury
Sound Design: Tony Churnside
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 09:45 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7y1)
Book of the Week: Ep 2 - An Epiphany
In Michael Lewis's eye-opening account of the meteoric rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former crypto billionaire discovers high finance and has an epiphany Jamie Parker reads.
It was late 2021 when Lewis first met the man who had recently been declared Forbes' richest man under 30 with a little over $22 billion to his name. A year later, Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire had collapsed. After their first meeting SBF (as he is known) granted Lewis the freedom to tell his story, so he was there as the crypto wunderkind continued to amass his billions. He was also there when it all came tumbling down, and he bore witness to the aftermath. At the same time Lewis explores the extraordinary boom in crypto currency, and the fast changing world of high stakes finance.
Michael Lewis's best known books expose the inner workings of high finance, baseball and the 2016 US presidential campaign, they include Flash Boys, The Big Short which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster, The Blind Side, Moneyball, Liars Poker. His latest book, Going Infinite is a twenty-first-century epic of high-frequency trading and even higher stakes, of crypto mania and vast amounts of money, of hubris and downfall.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001r7yj)
Israel-Gaza conflict: Bereaved parents across the divide, musician Esther Abrami, Emily Hunt, Is the future of the Labour Party
After the Hamas attacks at the weekend and Israel’s order of a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip in response, we talk to two people from the different communities involved. A few years ago, Bassam Aramin lost his 10-year-old daughter, Abir, who was killed by an Israeli soldier, and Robi Damelin lost her 28 year old son, David, after he was killed by a Palestinian sniper. Neither were killed in this latest stage of the Israel-Gaza conflict but as members of a cross-community group called the Parents Circle-Families Forum, they’re uniquely placed to comment on the situation.
Esther Abrami was handpicked by Julian Lloyd Webber as one of 30 under 30 to watch, and she is the first classical musician to win the ‘Social Media Superstar’ category at the Global Awards. With more than 400,000 followers on TikTok, Esther joins Emma Barnett to discuss her new album, Cinema, and to perform live in the studio.
Women dominated headlines at the Conservative Party conference last week. But is the future of the Labour Party female? Rachel Cunliffe, Associate Political Editor at the New Statesman, and Alice Thomson, columnist and interview at The Times, bring us the latest news from Liverpool.
The Government’s official independent rape advisor Emily Hunt has decided to walk away from her role. She advised the government in the run-up to the landmark 2021 End-to-End Rape Review - which has successfully increased the number of rape cases getting to court to pre-2016 levels. But she has said that her own experiences within the justice system as an abuse victim have left her feeling unsafe.
Presenter: Emma Barnett
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
Studio Manager: Tim Heffer and Gayl Gordon
TUE 11:00 Young Again (m001r7z0)
2. Daniel Kaluuya
Kirsty Young talks to the movie star Daniel Kaluuya, about what he’s learned from his life so far. He grew up in Camden, North London and first found success as an actor and also writer of the teen drama Skins. An acclaimed career in Hollywood has followed, with an Academy Award in 2021 for his role in Judas and the Black Messiah. His first feature film which he has written, produced and directed, The Kitchen, will be released in early 2024.
Producer: Sam Peach
Content Editor: Richard Hooper
Editor: Alice Feinstein
Senior Technical Producer: Duncan Hannant
Presenter: Kirsty Young
A BBC Audio Production
TUE 11:30 Poet Laureate in the Arctic (m001r7zg)
Episode 1
Considering himself a nature poet and with a geography degree Simon Armitage pledged to put the environment at the heart of his thinking when he became Poet Laureate in 2019. In this series he travels to the Arctic to see for himself what's going on in this part of the world which is so crucial to the climate change debate. He starts with a visit to a glacier
The Steindalsbreen glacier in the Lyngen Alps is over 10 000 years old. His guide is British biochemist Professor Jemma Wadham from UiT, the Arctic University of Norway. After a lifelong obsession with glaciers, Jemma has recently made the north of Norway her home. Her visits to the Arctic, and Svalbard in particular, began when she was studying for her PhD. Her regular study trips mean she has witnessed the changes that are happening here due to climate change and warming for herself. In the Arctic and Antarctic these changes are happening four times faster than the rest of the planet.
As well as experiencing the Arctic for himself and seeing first hand what's happening, Simon tries to capture the majesty and vulnerability of the place in new poems written in response to what he finds .
Producer - Susan Roberts
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m001r7zw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m001r807)
Call You & Yours: Private health care
On Call You & Yours, we'd like to know if you've paid for private health care ?
It's reckoned from surveys that half of us have gone private for something because of NHS waiting times - the younger you are, the more comfortable you feel about it.
So have you been treated privately, why did you opt for that, would you do it again?
Get in touch and tell us if you've paid for private health care.
Email us now - you and yours @ bbc.co.uk or call us on Tuesday on 03700 100 444
Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Producer: Kevin Mousley
TUE 12:57 Weather (m001r80k)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m001r80y)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
TUE 13:45 An Almanac for Anxiety: In Search of a Calmer Mind (m001np8k)
Episode 2 - Wood
Anxiety is the most common form of mental illness in the UK, with nearly a fifth of people experiencing it over the course of a year. Although it is often treated through medication, there are many alternative ways which are proving to be very effective in reducing anxiety amongst some people. In this series, we explore how connecting with the elemental forces of nature helps people with a range of mental illnesses to feel better. We also learn about the current academic research behind these methods.
In Episode 2 - Wood - we visit the Woodwork for Wellbeing Workshop in Bethnal Green, London where every Tuesday people with mental health issues spend time making things with wood. They find it to be very therapeutic and fun. And Professor Miles Richardson of the University of Derby shares research from Japan which shows that simply touching wood is calming.
Produced and Presented by Helen Needham
Research by Anna Miles and Maud Start
Original Music by Anthony Cowie
Mixed by Ron McCaskill
A BBC Scotland Production made in Aberdeen for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m001r7q8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Trust (m001r81y)
Ep 1 - Only Fit for Elmfield Street
Trust by Jonathan Hall.
Ep 1 - Only Fit for Elmfield Street.
There's a new build being finished at East Salford Academy, but the campus is still a building site. And on top of that there is a new system of teaching being introduced that uses the latest technology. Some teachers are coping better than others. Comedy drama starring Julie Hesmondhalgh.
YVETTE ..... JULIE HESMONDHALGH
TIM ..... ASHLEY MARGOLIS
SIR KEN ..... JONATHAN KEEBLE
CAROL ...... SUSAN TWIST
DHRUTTI ...... MINA ANWAR
LIZZIE HOPE-LLOYD ..... VERITY HENRY
GLORIA ..... EMMA GREGORY
Production Co-ordinator - Pippa Day
Technical Team - Sharon Hughes & Amy Brennan
Sound Design - Sharon Hughes
Producer/Director - Gary Brown.
A BBC Audio Drama North Production.
TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (m001r82f)
Series 36
Meeting Myself Coming Back
Notes to Self and Sonic Symmetry. Josie Long presents short documentaries and audio adventures exploring what it looks like coming back to yourself.
The News
Produced by Jess Shane
Featuring Jennifer Mills
Drawn Onward
Produced by Alan Goffinski and Sarita Bhatt
Music, Mix and Sound Design by Alan Goffinski
Man to Boy
Produced by Christina Hardinge and Jack Miguel
Featuring Jacob Kelly
Music by Samuel Mumford
Produced by Axel Kacoutié
Curated by Axel Kacoutié, Eleanor McDowall and Andrea Rangecroft
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:30 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m0016pq1)
Florence Bravo
Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
In the first case in the series, Lucy explores the story of Florence Bravo, the woman at the heart of one of the most sensational unsolved murder cases of the Victorian era, and asks whether she was a ruthless poisoner or an abused wife.
Lucy visits The Priory, Florence Bravo’s grand house in Balham where, on 21st April 1876, after three days of agony, her young husband Charles died of poisoning. They had been married for only five months but the relationship was already under strain - Charles was jealous of the much older doctor Florence had been involved with before their marriage, he was frustrated that he had only limited control of her large fortune, both of them were drinking heavily, and Florence had suffered two miscarriages in close succession.
Lucy meets historian Rosalind Crone at the nearby pub where an inquest was held into Charles Bravo’s death. This case became known as The Balham Mystery and was a Victorian media sensation, with pages of coverage every day in the respectable broadsheets, tabloids and penny dreadfuls. An intimidating, all-male environment, Lucy and Rosalind discover how the inquest into Florence’s husband’s death degenerated into an inquiry into her sexual morality, and they wonder what Victorian women made of Florence’s story. And we hear Florence’s own words as she tried to defend herself at the inquest into her husband’s death.
To gain a contemporary perspective on the Florence Bravo case, Lucy talks to the leading barrister Sasha Wass QC, who has worked on many high-profile cases including those of Rosemary West, Johnny Depp and Rolf Harris. Lucy wants to know why Florence’s accusations about her husband’s cruelty were ignored by the inquest. Would Florence have been treated differently had there been women in the police force, in her legal team, on the jury and in the press? Why do women in criminal investigations continue to undergo ‘trial by media’?
And, crucially, in a case that has never been solved, did she do it?
If you like what you hear, the whole series will be available to listen to from the 25th of July wherever you listen to podcasts. Or you can hear it right now in the UK – before anywhere else – first on BBC Sounds.
Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett and Jonathan Keeble
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 16:00 The Mandates (m001r82w)
Revolt
A century since the British and French Mandates in the Middle East formally began, Tom Bateman draws on his years as a BBC Correspondent based in Jerusalem to examine this critical period in the region’s history. In this second episode Tom looks at the 1930s, when immigration and a nationalist uprising put extraordinary pressure on British rule in Palestine. He reveals how, from institutions and movements of people to ideas and lines on maps, the decisions taken by Britain then still affect the region today, yet remain little understood in Britain.
Producer: Giles Edwards
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (m001r7v3)
Rhys Stephenson and Esther Manito
The children's TV presenter and stand up comedian advocate for favourite books. Rhys Stevenson says the ending of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens made him pace up and down his kitchen, and Esther Manito fell in love with one particular character in Stepping Up by Sarah Turner. Harriett's choice is The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell, which also prompts passionate discussion about characters.
Producer for BBC Audio Bristol is Sally Heaven
TUE 17:00 PM (m001r83d)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001r83w)
He promised a "decade of national renewal" at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool
TUE 18:30 Best Medicine (m001r84c)
Series 1
Sobriety, Touch, Camellia Sinensis, Trust
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 every-day 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.
Joining Kiri this week are haptic technology specialist Dr Ally Barrow with the power of touch and a demonstration of virtual reality injections, mental health nurse Ed Freshwater speaks about a powerful treatment for mental illness, journalist and broadcaster Seyi Rhodes explores what happens when trust is lost in medicine, and comedian Felicity Ward offers sobriety as her best medicine.
Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Featuring: Dr Ally Barrow, Ed Freshwater, Seyi Rhodes and Felicity Ward
Written by Edward Easton, Toussaint Douglass, Pravanya Pillay, 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 (m001r80w)
Neil brings Susan breakfast in bed along with her 60th birthday cards. One turns out to be an invitation to Rob’s baptism. Susan immediately informs Pat.
Usha apologises to Alan for what she said the other day. Her anger over the Rob situation was misdirected. He appreciates her support. Later, Usha notices that Susan is cold with her. Helen, who is making a delivery to the shop, also clocks this. She asks Susan what’s going on and Susan tells her to prepare herself.
Usha reports back to Alan Susan’s cold behaviour. Alan tells her not to worry. Suddenly the doorbell rings urgently. Pat’s at the door with Susan’s baptism invitation from Rob. It highlights the support he’s received from both Alan and Usha. Pat is furious and orders them to stay away from her family. Usha can see Rob is seeking revenge on her. Alan goes to Bridge Farm. Pat doesn’t want to see him, but Helen persuades her to hear him out. Alan has to believe that Rob has found God. Pat thinks it’s just Rob’s mind games. Helen is stoic saying she refuses to let Rob hurt her. Helen goes, then Pat tells Alan that while Helen might be forgiving she isn’t, and the rest of the family are furious.
Before everyone arrives for dinner, Neil gives Susan her big present. With Emma looking on, Neil uncovers a tandem bike. Susan, who’d been hopeful of a helicopter ride, tries to hide her disappointment. Neil then reveals that the whole family have clubbed together for a seat in a chopper too!
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m001r84z)
Nigel Kennedy, art gallery labels, how do museums recover stolen art?
Nigel Kennedy remains the best selling violinist of all time with a repertoire that spans jazz, classical, rock, klezmer and more.
Ahead of his four night residency at Ronnie Scott’s in London this week, Nigel Kennedy and cellist Beata Urbanek-Kalinowska join us in the Front Row studio to perform two reworkings of pieces by Ryuichi Sakamoto and the Polish film score composer, Krzysztof Komeda.
Author Christine Coulson discusses her novel ‘One Woman Show’ written entirely through the medium of art gallery labels – and why we should be looking for longer at the paintings themselves. She’s joined by Dr Catherine McCormack, an independent curator and lecturer at Sotheby’s Art Institute, who reveals more about how labels have changed over the years and provide valuable context for visitors to galleries and museums.
New figures compiled exclusively for Front Row reveal that 65,000 items are currently missing from museums around the world and listed on the Art Loss Register. Carolyn Atkinson goes on the trail of one of those missing artworks, a painting stolen during a brazen art heist in 1989, that has just been returned to a Glasgow museum.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Julian May
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (m001r857)
Bankrupt Birmingham
A perfect storm of equal pay claims and a huge overspend on an IT project has brought Europe’s largest local authority to its knees. But how did Birmingham go from the triumph of hosting the Commonwealth Games to financial ruin in just over a year? Adrian Goldberg investigates for File on 4.
Producer: Phil Marzouk
Producer: Fergus Hewison
Producer: Megan Jones
Reporter: Adrian Goldberg
Technical Producer: Matthew Dempsey
Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Clare Fordham
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m001r85h)
Izabela in the Forest; Can Blind People do That?
Izabela Dłużyk is a blind female sound recordist from Poland. She tells Peter about her passion for sound recording, bird song and one of the last primeval forests in Europe, the Białowieża. She was recently the subject of a documentary with BBC World Service called Izabela in the Forest, where producer Monica Whitlock follows her around during one of her recording sessions and to immerse herself in the rich plethora of sounds there.
Can blind people do that?! We'd like to hear your experiences of when someone told you that you cannot pursue something due to your sight loss. Perhaps it was relating to education or work, or even a hobby. Let us know!
Presenter: Peter White
Producer: Beth Hemmings
Production Coordinator: Liz Poole
Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image, wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three individual 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 of a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.
TUE 21:00 Inside Health (m001r81s)
Inside a sexual assault referral centre
The issue of sexual assault hasn’t been far from the headlines in recent weeks - but what kind of help is available for people who have been through it?
James visits Saint Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester where he meets the people who offer invaluable medical and emotional support to patients. He also talks to a young woman who describes her experience of using the service, which she credits with saving her life.
And why does Covid-19 seem to be flooring people again? James finds out that the body’s own defences are partly to blame.
Lastly, is it safe to flush dog poo down the toilet? We clear up a family debate…
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Content editor: Erika Wright
Production coordinator: Jonathan Harris
Technical producer: Tim Heffer
If you have been affected by child or adult sexual abuse or violence, details of help and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free, at any time to hear recorded information on 0800 077 077.
TUE 21:30 Building Soul - with Thomas Heatherwick (m001r7x6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m001r85q)
The mothers caught in Israel-Gaza conflict
The Israeli government says it's moving to a full-scale offensive against Gaza, in response to the massacres carried out by Hamas. We hear from two mothers - on either side of the conflict - on life under attack.
Also on the programme:
Sir Keir Starmer has promised a decade of national renewal if Labour wins the next general election. His message went down a storm in the conference hall - but how will it be received beyond?
TUE 22:45 Open Throat by Henry Hoke (m001r85v)
Episode Two
“I’ve never eaten a person but today I might . . .”
A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Fascinated by the voices around them, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their own identity. When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call 'ellay'. The lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, on their tour through the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: do they want to eat a person, or become one?
Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, this is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.
Henry Hoke took his inspiration from the life of P-22, the real-life mountain lion who became famous in LA and beyond. He was born in the Santa Monica mountains but made a 50-mile journey, crossing multiple highways to reach LA. He lived in Griffith Park in the Hollywood hills for over 10 years and was euthanised in December 2022 after he became unwell and began acting erratically. He never found a mate because he was cut off from other mountain lions by the highways that hemmed in the park. After his death the California governor paid tribute to P-22, saying that his “survival on an island of wilderness” had “captivated the world”.
Reader – Carl Prekopp
Abridger – Sara Davies
Sound Engineer – Ilse Lademann
Producer – Alison Crawford for BBC Audio
TUE 23:00 Call Jonathan Pie (p0fsytjk)
Episode 8: Drugs
Pie is doing a phone-in show about drugs policy in the UK, a subject he knows absolutely nothing about. He enlists the help of Sam to guide him through the country’s drug culture. When Pie’s narcissistic coke-fuelled agent pops in, things take a turn for the bizarre and he ends the evening knowing a lot more about drugs than he did at the start.
Jonathan Pie ..... Tom Walker
Jules ..... Lucy Pearman
Sam ..... Aqib Khan
Roger ..... Nick Revell
Agent ..... Daniel Abelson
Voiceovers ..... Bob Sinfield and Rob Curling
Callers ... Daniel Abelson, Ed Kear, Nick Revell, Thanyia Moore and Jonathan Tafler.
Writer ..... Tom Walker
Special thanks to Julie Smith and Peter Burns
Script Editor ..... Nick Revell
Producer ..... Alison Vernon-Smith
Production Coordinator ..... Ellie Dobing
Executive Producer ..... Julian Mayers
Sound Designer ..... Julian Mayers
Original music composed by Jason Read
Additional music Leighton James House
A Yada-Yada Audio Production
TUE 23:30 Lusus (p0c4npt5)
5. Eris
Keri (Morfydd Clark) and Barden (Greg McHugh) have worked hard to buy their city centre flat with a bird’s eye view of the park. The only thing in the way of them throwing a successful housewarming for Keri’s judgemental workmates, are the bird droppings and squawks of the nesting magpies above their balcony. When Keri decides to take action, the birds retaliate in defence of their nest, bringing the age-old battle between human and nature to a shattering climax.
Cast
Keri - Morfydd Clark
Barden - Greg McHugh
Mindfulness Narrator - Caroline Faber
Gabby - Laura Blake
Cersei - Esther Joy Lane
Pest Control - Avril Poole
Party Guest - Nantaara Jafri
Party Guest - Sean Williams
Party Guest - Karima McAdams
Kevin - Henry Newton
Crew
Production Company - Clarence Beeks
Co-Creator/Writer - Samantha Newton
Co-Creator/Director - Rachel Zisser
Executive Producer - Sara Johnson
Executive Producer - Daniel M Jackson
Producer - Hannah Charman, Sister Music
Casting Director - Sophie Kingston-Smith
Casting Assistant - Lainey Lipson
Composer - Na’ama Zisser
Vocalists - Tomer Damsky, Aya Gavriel, Ron Sheskin, Quantum Choir
Sound engineer - Laura Blake
Sound engineer - Charlie Braham
Sound engineer - Gareth Wood
Sound Recording - The Sound Company
Vocalist Recording - Marco Milevski, Mazkeka Studio
Sound Design - King Lear Music & Sound
Lead Sound Designer - Dugal Macdiarmid
Asst Sound Designer - Ned Sisson
Asst Sound Designer - Lauren Cooper
WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2023
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m001r861)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
WED 00:30 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7y1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001r865)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001r869)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001r86f)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m001r86k)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001r86p)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rev Cheryl Meban.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m001r86t)
11/10/23 Gene editing to prevent bird flu, new green label for Red Tractor, pears.
Scientists in Edinburgh have used gene editing techniques in chickens which they say could eventually limit the spread of bird flu.
A heated debate on social media has been sparked amongst farmers after the Red Tractor assurance body unveiled proposals for a new environmental label to its scheme.
Some pear growers in Wales are trialling using a willow mulch around their trees to help tackle fungal disease.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
WED 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b08yqdzd)
Paul Brook on the Redwing
Paul Brook recalls that at the age of eight the redwing ignited his love of birds and birdwatching for Tweet of the Day.
Producer Maggie Ayre.
WED 06:00 Today (m001r7x0)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Life Changing (m001r7xb)
It started as a perfect wedding day
It’s the summer of 2008 and a bride and groom have just stepped out of a carriage drawn by two white horses. The sun is out, the bridesmaids are wearing beautiful dresses, everyone has drinks in hands. The day's gone smoothly for the wedding party and for Emily King who is sitting at the front of the carriage in control of the horses; it's her business and it’s thriving. But then events take a terrifying turn.
The psychological impact of that summer day has been deeply scarring but has also given Emily what her son calls ‘superpowers’.
Details of support with mental health issues are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
WED 09:30 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001r7xq)
Breathe Through Your Nose
Take a nice deep breath in… through your nose. It’s a simple way to get healthier gums, a better memory, and improved lung function. How? Well, it may partly be due to a special molecule called nitric oxide. Michael Mosley speaks to Professor Jon Lundberg from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who made the fascinating discovery that nitric oxide is produced in your nose and travels to your lungs where it has some surprising benefits, including boosting oxygen uptake and possibly helping you fight off infections. Our volunteer Joe tries out a few tips to make nasal breathing a habit.
New episodes will be released on Wednesdays, but if you’re in the UK, listen to new episodes, a week early, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3zqa6BB
Producer: Nija Dalal-Small
Science Producer: Catherine Wyler
Assistant Producer: Gulnar Mimaroglu
Trainee Assistant Producer: Toni Arenyeka
Executive Producer: Zoe Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
WED 09:45 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7y4)
Book of the Week: Ep 3 - A New Venture
Michael Lewis's jaw-dropping account of the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried continues as the former crypto billionaire's new venture in crypto takes off with stunning success. Jamie Parker reads.
It was late 2021 when Lewis first met the man who had recently been declared Forbes' richest man under 30 with a little over $22 billion to his name. A year later, Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire had collapsed. After their first meeting SBF (as he is known) granted Lewis the freedom to tell his story, so he was there as the crypto wunderkind continued to amass his billions. He was also there when it all came tumbling down, and he bore witness to the aftermath. At the same time Lewis explores the extraordinary boom in crypto currency, and the fast changing world of high stakes finance.
Michael Lewis's best known books expose the inner workings of high finance, baseball and the 2016 US presidential campaign, they include Flash Boys, The Big Short which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster, The Blind Side, Moneyball, Liars Poker. His latest book, Going Infinite is a twenty-first-century epic of high-frequency trading and even higher stakes, of crypto mania and vast amounts of money, of hubris and downfall.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001r7yk)
Dr Katalin Kariko - Nobel Prize winner, latest on Israel Gaza, Pelvic pain and pain in sex, The International Day of the Girl.
We heard reports last night from Israel that a massacre had taken place at the weekend in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Women and children were among the dead and we were told that beheadings had happened too. A group of journalists were taken to the scene by Israeli soldiers. Emma is joined by Bel Trew, Chief International Correspondent for the Independent, who was one of the journalists. And, focusing on women's lives in the region, Emma speaks to Adele Raemer, who survived an attack on her home, and we hear extracts from journalist Plestia Alaqad in Gaza, who sent her audio diary to the BBC.
Dr Katalin Kariko's work has had a major impact on people's lives around the world. She tells Emma how the mRNA technology she was working on for decades helped the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech covid vaccines come to be. Now Dr Kariko has been awarded a Nobel Prize. She's a biochemist, Professor at the University of Szeged in Hungary and along with her colleague Professor Drew Weissman, who is at the University of Pennsylvania, she won the prize for the category of Physiology or Medicine.
It’s one of the things we’re most embarrassed to talk about – pain when having sex. This is something that Professor Katy Vincent, academic gynaecologist, and Dr Lydia Coxon, researcher in Pain in Women, are hoping to change. They join Emma alongside BBC presenter Sophie Law to talk about an open panel they held to try and get women to talk about their pelvic pain, and address the taboo around talking about periods, sex and women’s pelvic health.
Since 2011, October 11 has been declared by the UN as International Day of the Girl Child to recognise girls' rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. This year Women of the World (WOW) Festival has launched the Young Leaders Directory, inspiring activists from across the world campaigning on topics such as education, period poverty and climate justice. Emma is joined by two young women, Marwa Shinwari from Afghanistan and Ain Husniza from Malaysia to discuss their passions and hopes for the future.
Presented by Emma Barnett
Producer: Louise Corley
WED 11:00 The 93% Club (m001r7r6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
WED 11:30 Alexei Sayle's Strangers on a Train (m001b3vr)
Series 1
Hull Liverpool
Author, actor and comedy icon, Alexei Sayle takes his last journey in the series travelling around the country by rail. Alexei’s mission is to break the golden rule of travelling by train and actually talk to his fellow passengers in a quest for conversations that will reveal their lives, hopes, dreams and destinations.
There’s humour, sadness and surprise as people reveal what is going on in their lives and, as Alexei passes through familiar towns and cities, he also reveals the stories and memories of his career and childhood.
Alexei has a lifelong ticket to ride in his DNA, as his father was a railway guard and so the Sayle family benefited from free travel in the UK and across Europe. As a boy, Alexei and his family roamed far and wide from the family home in Anfield, Liverpool. At a time when most people thought an exciting trip by train was to Brighton or Blackpool, Alexei travelled thousands of miles to mysterious towns with unpronounceable names in far flung corners of the continent.
In each programme in the series, Alexei embarks on a rail journey, taking pot-luck on who he might meet and inviting them to have a conversation with him. In this episode, Alexei travels on the Hull-Liverpool line and meets Oscar who hopes to become a barrister specialising in human rights cases, Nick and Rachel who have taken up a more simple life after Nick’s stressful career as a consulting engineer working on huge projects like the Shard in London, and mother and daughter Jill and Isobel who tell Alexei how their lives have changed after they both lived through the Ariana Grande concert bombing in Manchester.
And finally, as the last episode in the series ends in Alexei’s home town of Liverpool, he recalls a moving story about his mum, Molly.
A Ride production for BBC Radio 4
WED 12:00 News Summary (m001r7z1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m001r7zf)
Facebook Car Scams; NFT Crash; Pension Withdrawals
Exposing the scammers selling fake cars on Facebook Marketplace for "too-good-to-be-true prices - criminals posing as car sales people speak to our reporter Shari Vahl. Plus we hear from the victims.
The market for NFT's or “non-fungible token”, which is essentially a bit of code that says you own a digital asset, has crashed with new research showing that approximately 97% are worthless. We hear from one person who lost money on them and tech journalist Kate Bevan explains the market collapse.
And new figures from HMRC reveal a significant uptick in the number of people dipping into their pension pots. We hear from one person who's done it and Caroline Siarkiewicz from debt advice service MAPS explains what you need to think about before you consider withdrawing from your pension.
PRESENTER: PETER WHITE
PRODUCER: CATHERINE EARLAM
WED 12:57 Weather (m001r7zt)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m001r805)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
WED 13:45 An Almanac for Anxiety: In Search of a Calmer Mind (m001nvp1)
Episode 3 - Water
Anxiety is the most common form of mental illness in the UK, with nearly a fifth of people experiencing it over the course of a year. Although it is often treated through medication, there are many alternative ways which are proving to be very effective in reducing anxiety amongst some people. In this series, we explore how connecting with the elemental forces of nature helps people with a range of mental illnesses to feel better. We also learn about the current academic research behind these methods.
In Episode 3 - Water - we join a group of socially prescribed outdoor swimmers on Teignmouth Beach in Devon who find joy in immersing themselves in cold water. We also hear why spending time around blue spaces is so effective at promoting a sense of calm from Dr Catherine Kelly of the University of Brighton.
Produced and Presented by Helen Needham
Research by Anna Miles and Maud Start
Original Music by Anthony Cowie
Mixed by Ron McCaskill and Malcolm Torrie
A BBC Scotland Production made in Aberdeen for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m001r80w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Fault Lines: Money, Sex and Blood (m0013hjh)
Series 3: Blood
Deception
Fault Lines: Blood, Ep 3/5
Deception by Fiona Evans
How has Sarah deceived Constance so completely? Constance discovers Sarah's illicit affair with Gabriel, and discovers darker secrets, and deception when Sarah is forced to return to her childhood home.
Constance - Glenda Jackson
Sarah - Pippa Nixon
Gabriel - Joseph Ayre
Mam - Charlie Hardwick
Amanda - Angela Lonsdale.
Sound by Steve Brooke & Sharon Hughes
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
WED 15:00 Money Box (m001r81b)
Money Box Live: Saving for Your Send Off
A lot of us like to save up for special occasions - a holiday, some home improvements - but, as we grow older, more of us think about saving for the costs that come after we die.
In fact, 69% of people make some sort of provision to help with the cost of their funeral, according to the financial services firm Sunlife.
And it's a big bill - more than £9,000 if you want a funeral and a wake or even a party afterwards.
Today on Money Box Live, we'll be talking about what kind of send off you might want from, woodland burials to tradition services as well as how to pay for it.
This week Felicity Hannah is joined by solicitor Gary Rycroft and Julian Ferguson from the Association of Green Funeral Directors.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Sarah Rogers
Researcher: Eimear Devlin
Editor: Jess Quayle
(First broadcast
3pm, Wednesday 11th October, 2023)
WED 15:30 Inside Health (m001r81s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (m001r826)
Pets
PETS: Laurie Taylor talks to Jane Hamlett, Senior Lecturer in Modern British History at Royal Holloway, University of London, about her study of the British love affair with pets over the last two century. She found that the kinds of pets we keep, as well as how we relate to and care for them, has changed radically. Most importantly, pets have played a powerful emotional role in families across all social classes, creating new kinds of relationships and home lives.
Also Jessica Amberson, Lecturer in Adult and Continuing Education at University College, Cork, takes us on a dog walk and explores what this mundane daily activity means for a canine owner and how it helps shapes the identity of a ‘dog person’?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
WED 16:30 The Media Show (m001r82n)
Reporting the Israel Gaza war
Exploring how the media is covering the conflict, we look at the battle for influence online and some of the misinformation that has been circulating, plus we talk to the BBC’s director of editorial policy about why BBC journalists won't use the word 'terrorists' to describe the perpetrators of the atrocities.
Guests:
Secunder Kermani, Foreign Correspondent, Channel 4 News; Bel Trew, International Correspondent, The Independent; Ben Goggin, Deputy Tech Editor, NBC News Digital; Sherif Mansour, Committee to Protect Journalists; David Jordan, Director, Editorial Policy and Standards, BBC
Presenter: Katie Razzall
Producer: Simon Richardson
WED 17:00 PM (m001r832)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001r83k)
Israel sealed off the Palestinian territory after Hamas gunmen attacks on Saturday
WED 18:30 Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere (m001r840)
Series 4
1. "...monsters under the bed..."
Daliso Chaponda is back for a fourth series.
Episode 1 - Monsters Under The Bed.
In this new series, Daliso is in a more philosophical mood. We find him working through his thoughts, feelings, and opinions by sharing his stories with a live audience in his hometown of Manchester.
Since his last series, Daliso has become a British citizen and is looking forward to talking about anything other than being a migrant. To prove he’s no longer a 'Citizen of Nowhere', he’s decided to write silly jokes about animals, Hobbits, and monsters under the bed! But Daliso soon realises that he won’t get to truly enjoy his spoils just yet, because anti-immigrant sentiment has become unavoidable… In fact, what Daliso really finds in his first show since becoming a Brit is that those monsters under the bed have started to crawl out and take on a different meaning altogether.
Seeking advice from his father, a former refugee who worked for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees before returning to Malawi and becoming a politician, he gets his expert opinion on the current migrant crisis and gets to the bottom of whether his dad really did try to ban farting in Malawi.
Writer... Daliso Chaponda
Additional Material... Meryl O'Rourke
Production Coordinator... Katie Baum
Sound Manger... Jerry Peal
Theme music by Lawi
Image by Steve Ullathorne
Producer... Carl Cooper
This is a BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
--
Daliso Chaponda shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent, making it to the final of the 2017 series and establishing himself as a firm favourite with the judges and the British public. He became a Facebook and YouTube star amassing over 200 million views of his performances. He's also appeared on the Royal Variety Performance.
He has performed around the world and at the Edinburgh, Melbourne, Singapore, and Cape Town comedy festivals. He has also toured the UK and Africa to sell out audiences and rave reviews.
In addition to stand-up comedy, Daliso is also a prolific fiction writer. He has published science fiction, murder mysteries and fantasy fiction in numerous magazines and anthologies. He is currently working on his new novel and a children’s book.
This is this fourth series of his Rose D'Or nominated Radio 4 series.
WED 19:00 The Archers (m001r7wc)
Eddie’s stunned by the news that Rob’s planning to be baptised. Oliver reveals that he received an invitation to the event. Oliver turns his attention to work at Grey Gables. He’s hopeful they’ve turned a corner after a challenging period. George interrupts, keen to move his basketball hoop to No.1 The Green with Eddie’s help. Eddie refuses to lift a finger until George has helped with all the farm jobs that need doing.
Eddie’s disappointed to hear George complain about living at No.1 The Green. Poppy’s guinea pig distracts him while he’s gaming. Eddie suggests giving the pet a bit of attention and then says he’ll tap up a mate who’s big in small mammals. Later, Eddie catches George gushing over Lola the guinea pig. He’s brought a companion for Lola. It’s a neutered male and Eddie suggests they call it Rico. The reference is lost on George. For a moment they’re distracted by Susan and Neil outside on the tandem bike.
Oliver’s surprised to hear from Ian that the kitchen isn’t fit for purpose. Adil promises to take a look shortly. Ian explains that while the kitchen may look nice it doesn’t work as a professional cooking space. Adil doesn’t want Ian saying anything to the contractors, but he goes ahead anyway. As a result, the contractors walk off the site. When Oliver asks what’s going on, Adil blames Ian. It’s another thing Adil has to sort out. It’s little short of disaster, says Oliver.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m001r84p)
Lubaina Himid, Richard Armitage, David Pountney’s new opera
Actor Richard Armitage – who starred in North and South and the Hobbit - joins Nick to discuss writing his debut novel, the bio-tech thriller Geneva, which is about to be published in hardback but was originally commissioned as an audio book.
Autumn 2023 has seen Opera North launching its first sustainable ‘Green Season’. This includes the world premiere of an ambitious new production, Masque of Might which repurposes the music of composer Henry Purcell in a spectacle of song and dance. We hear from its director Sir David Pountney and soprano Anna Dennis.
The Leicester Indie band EasyLife is about to play its last gigs under that name - because the owners of the airline easyJet said their name was too similar to that of the budget airline. EasyGroup confirmed they'd received an agreement from the band saying they would cease using the name after playing at Leicester's 02 Academy and London's Koko. It's not yet known what their new name will be.
The Turner prize winning artist Lubaina Himid was once told “black people don’t make art”. Part of the 1980s movement of Black and Asian British artists, it was decades before her contribution to the arts was recognised with a CBE. She’s now curated an exhibition called A Fine Toothed Comb that looks at the hidden communities of Manchester though her own work and that of other women artists. She steers Nick Ahad around the show and talks about belonging, removing statues and the joys of opera
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m001r850)
How should we think about our enemies?
The surprise attack by Hamas was devastating, leaving hundreds of Israeli civilians dead, injured or taken hostage. Israel’s response was swift, with airstrikes on Gaza killing hundreds of Palestinians, including children.
The scale of the attack was unprecedented, but the cycle of violence and escalation is all too familiar in this land that has been contested for more than a century. Now another generation sees the bloodshed at first hand.
Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel, so for many Jews this is about survival. At the same time, many Palestinians have come to see Israel as a brutal oppressor. Each side sees the other as an existential threat. Even those who refuse to define their neighbours across the Gaza border as ‘the enemy’ may find themselves defined in those terms against their will – and threatened with death.
How should we understand conventional rules of morality in such intractable circumstances? What is a proportionate response to an act of aggression? And what conditions are necessary for a realistic peace process to take hold?
Perhaps the most radical statement in all of human history is “love your enemies”. Those who are pessimistic about peace in the Middle East might dismiss that as naïve. But there are some who can give us real-life examples of the human capacity to rise above anger and grief for a greater good.
How should we think about our enemies?
With Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, Atef Alshaer, Gabrielle Rifkind, Rami Elhanan and Bassam Aramin.
Producer: Dan Tierney.
WED 21:00 When It Hits the Fan (m001r859)
Tobacco, Beckham Inc and an Eton mess
In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss “PR-ing the impossible” - the dirty business of representing the tobacco industry. Also, controlling the narrative – what the new Beckham Netflix documentary tells us about David and Victoria’s three decades of fame and how they’ve managed it. And they’ll be looking at an Eton Mess - and we don’t mean the pudding. What do you do when you're the new Eton provost and an interview from 1988 comes back to haunt you?
Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Researcher: Sophie Smith
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4
WED 21:30 The Media Show (m001r82n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m001r85j)
The hostage negotiator talking to Israeli families and Hamas
Voices from Ashkelon in southern Israel and Gaza City
Why the BBC - and some other media organisations - are reluctant to describe Hamas as "terrorists"
WED 22:45 Open Throat by Henry Hoke (m001r85r)
Episode Three
“I’ve never eaten a person but today I might . . .”
A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Fascinated by the voices around them, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their own identity. When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call 'ellay'. The lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, on their tour through the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: do they want to eat a person, or become one?
Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, this is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.
Henry Hoke took his inspiration from the life of P-22, the real-life mountain lion who became famous in LA and beyond. He was born in the Santa Monica mountains but made a 50-mile journey, crossing multiple highways to reach LA. He lived in Griffith Park in the Hollywood hills for over 10 years and was euthanised in December 2022 after he became unwell and began acting erratically. He never found a mate because he was cut off from other mountain lions by the highways that hemmed in the park. After his death the California governor paid tribute to P-22, saying that his “survival on an island of wilderness” had “captivated the world”.
Reader – Carl Prekopp
Abridger – Sara Davies
Sound Engineer – Ilse Lademann
Producer – Alison Crawford for BBC Audio
WED 23:00 Njambi McGrath (m001r85w)
Njambi McGrath - Black Black
1. First World Problems
Kenyan-born comedian Njambi McGrath exposes the devastating impact of British colonisers on her grandmother's life and how the legacy of racism affects her own life in the UK today.
Originally from Kenya but living in London with her white husband and British children for over a decade, Njambi McGrath finds herself in a tricky position, quite literally in bed with the coloniser!
Exploring the past to find answers for the present, she compares her grandmother’s life under imperialist Britain, with the rise of Nazism and fascism, to her own political climate... with Nazism, and fascism once again on the rise.
With a penchant for incisive one-liners, she challenges our ideas about race and progress and takes on everything from colonialism and culture wars, to coronations and the church.
In this episode, Njambi details the arrival of the British colonisers and the immediate impact it had on her grandmother's generation. With some dark humour, she tells stories of the introduction of concentration camps and forced labour and compares them to the cruelty she faced herself as a child in boarding school, and the legacy of racism which has affected her closest relationships to this day.
Produced by Julia Sutherland
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:15 The Skewer (m001r860)
Series 10
Episode 1
Fresh from winning Gold for Best Comedy at the British Podcast Awards (and Highly Commended as Podcast of the Year), Jon Holmes' comedy current affairs concept album returns for its 10th series to remix the news into satirical shapes.
This week - Labour Possessed, Oh Mr Sunak, and The Lorax fails to save a tree.
Creator / Producer: Jon Holmes.
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:30 Lusus (p0c4nqfs)
6. Boonies
Ben (David Mumeni) and his wife Cammie (Susannah Fielding) are a high-value high-spend couple, but Ben is worried that he won’t be making bonus this month. When he decides to short-change all the service workers and staff who help maintain his comfortable lifestyle, his kids (played by newcomers Henry and Laila Newton) are the ones who suffer. Will Ben listen to his son’s warnings of the man without a face?
Cast
Ben - David Mumeni
Cammie - Susannah Fielding
Sophia - Laila Newton
Kevin - Henry Newton
Anisa - Roni Zisser
Mindfulness Narrator - Caroline Faber
Teacher - Annabel Miller
Teaching Asst - Avril Poole
Dad at pickup - Dugal Macdiarmid
Mum at pickup - Louise Heard
Delivery Guy - Jacob Jackson
Answer Bot - Susannah Fielding
Old lady - Tamar Baruch
Crew
Production Company - Clarence Beeks
Co-Creator/Writer - Samantha Newton
Co-Creator/Director - Rachel Zisser
Executive Producer - Sara Johnson
Executive Producer - Daniel M Jackson
Producer - Hannah Charman, Sister Music
Casting Director - Sophie Kingston-Smith
Casting Assistant - Lainey Lipson
Composer - Na’ama Zisser
Vocalists - Tomer Damsky, Aya Gavriel, Ron Sheskin, Quantum Choir
Sound engineer - Laura Blake
Sound engineer - Charlie Braham
Sound engineer - Gareth Wood
Sound Recording - The Sound Company
Vocalist Recording - Marco Milevski, Mazkeka Studio
Sound Design - King Lear Music & Sound
Lead Sound Designer - Dugal Macdiarmid
Asst Sound Designer - Ned Sisson
Asst Sound Designer - Lauren Cooper
THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER 2023
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m001r866)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
THU 00:30 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7y4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001r86b)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001r86g)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001r86l)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m001r86q)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001r86v)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rev Cheryl Meban.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m001r86x)
A couple has won their battle to stop a solar farm being developed on the land they farm. The application was turned down by North Yorkshire Council. The Tenant Farmers Association, who backed Rob and Emma Sturdy, says renewables should not go on good arable land which is being used for food production.
Coastal communities living close to wind turbines off the east coast are to be offered cheaper electricity. The scheme, which runs from Grimsby down to Skegness, aims to promote the use of green energy.
All week we're talking about autumn fruits. A brewery in Cornwall is using foraged blackberries to create a beer, with a little help from the community.
Presenter = Caz Graham
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
THU 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b02txxkl)
Dotterel
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about our British birds inspired by their calls and songs. Steve Backshall presents the dotterel.
Dotterels are waders, rather like small plovers with a broad white-eye stripe. In the UK, they're almost confined as breeding birds to the Scottish Highlands. They don't tend to fly away when approached which led our ancestors to believe that they are stupid. "Dotterel" derives from the same source as "dotard" and this tameness meant that the birds were easy prey for Victorian collectors.
THU 06:00 Today (m001r7sj)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m001r7sv)
The Federalist Papers
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay's essays written in 1787/8 in support of the new US Constitution. They published these anonymously in New York as 'Publius' but, when it became known that Hamilton and Madison were the main authors, the essays took on a new significance for all states. As those two men played a major part in drafting the Constitution itself, their essays have since informed debate over what the authors of that Constitution truly intended. To some, the essays have proved to be America’s greatest contribution to political thought.
With
Frank Cogliano
Professor of American History at the University of Edinburgh and Interim Saunders Director of the International Centre for Jefferson Studies at Monticello
Kathleen Burk
Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London
And
Nicholas Guyatt
Professor of North American History at the University of Cambridge
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Reading list:
Bernard Bailyn, To Begin the World Anew: The Genius and Ambiguities of the American Founders (Knopf, 2003)
Mary Sarah Bilder, Madison’s Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention (Harvard University Press, 2015)
Noah Feldman, The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President (Random House, 2017)
Jonathan Gienapp, The Second Creation: Fixing the American Constitution in the Founding Era (Harvard University Press, 2018)
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison (eds. George W. Carey and James McClellan), The Federalist: The Gideon Edition (Liberty Fund, 2001)
Alison L. LaCroix, The Ideological Origins of American Federalism (Harvard University Press, 2010)
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, The Federalist Papers (Penguin, 1987)
Pauline Maier, Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788 (Simon and Schuster, 2010)
Michael I. Meyerson, Liberty's Blueprint: How Madison and Hamilton Wrote the Federalist Papers, Defined the Constitution, and Made Democracy Safe for the World (Basic Books, 2008)
Jack Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution (Knopf, 1996)
Jack N. Rakove and Colleen A. Sheehan, The Cambridge Companion to The Federalist (Cambridge University Press, 2020)
THU 09:45 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7wb)
Book of the Week: Ep 4 - A Crypto Empire Expands
Michael Lewis's eye-opening account of the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried reaches 2022 as the former crypto billionaire's empire keeps on growing. Jamie Parker reads.
It was late 2021 when Lewis first met the man who had recently been declared Forbes' richest man under 30 with a little over $22 billion to his name. A year later, Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire had collapsed. After their first meeting SBF (as he is known) granted Lewis the freedom to tell his story, so he was there as the crypto wunderkind continued to amass his billions. He was also there when it all came tumbling down, and he bore witness to the aftermath. At the same time Lewis explores the extraordinary boom in crypto currency, and the fast changing world of high stakes finance.
Michael Lewis's best known books expose the inner workings of high finance, baseball and the 2016 US presidential campaign, they include Flash Boys, The Big Short which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster, The Blind Side, Moneyball, Liars Poker. His latest book, Going Infinite is a twenty-first-century epic of high-frequency trading and even higher stakes, of crypto mania and vast amounts of money, of hubris and downfall.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001r7th)
Dawn French, Laura Linney, Israel-Gaza conflict, Unconventional living
Nearly 350,000 people have been displaced in Gaza, since Israel launched retaliatory air strikes and created a blockade of the area. In Gaza's hospitals, where thousands of people are being treated, power is running out. Women and children are chief among those affected. Emma speaks to Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Najla Shawa, a humanitarian worker who lives in the west side of Gaza City with her family and Adele Raemer, a grandmother in Israel.
Emmy winning actor, Laura Linney, joins Emma Barnett to discuss her new film, The Miracle Club, in which she stars alongside other film icons, Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates. Emma asks her how much she misses playing Wendy Byrde in the much-acclaimed long-running TV series Ozark.
'My Boyfriend Lives with with My Husband,' was the intriguing headline of an article in the Guardian newspaper recently; While Caroline and the children she shares with her husband Niel live in Cheltenham, Niel is living with Caroline's boyfriend in Scotland. Both Caroline and Niel describe their unconventional family living arrangements to Emma and explain how it came about and why it works for them.
Dawn French has been making people laugh as a writer, comedian and actor, for more than 30 years. Her celebrated shows include French and Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley, and Jam and Jerusalem. She joins Emma to discuss her new book about the hilarious gaffes that she made in life, as part of her one-woman mission to celebrate what it means to be gloriously, messily human, rather than striving for Instagram-style-perfection.
Presenter: Emma Barnett
Producer: Rebecca Myatt
Studio manager: Steve Greenwood
THU 11:00 From Our Own Correspondent (m001r7ts)
Australia’s Indigenous referendum
Kate Adie presents stories from Australia, Poland, the US, Cameroon and Cape Verde.
Australians are voting in a historic referendum on whether or not to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the country’s constitution, and create a body that can advise governments on issues affecting their communities. After months of campaigning voters are bitterly divided, as Katy Watson found out.
Poland’s upcoming election could result in an unprecedented third consecutive term for the incumbent right-wing populist government. Adam Easton travels to the Polish countryside to find out why the government remains popular.
The suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona’s state capital, are among the fastest-growing in America. As brand new homes and offices spring up, there’s a problem developing beneath them. Mark Moran reports from a desert state that is running out of water.
The Ngonnso statue, held in the collection of a Berlin museum, holds cultural and spiritual significance for the Nso people of Cameroon. Kim Chakanetsa meets the activist who successfully campaigned for the Ngonnso’s repatriation.
And October marks the end of the nesting and hatching season for Cape Verde’s loggerhead sea turtles. Rob Crossan takes a night time walk along the beach to catch sight of one.
Producer: Viv Jones
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
THU 11:30 A Good Read (m001r7v3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
THU 12:00 News Summary (m001r7wk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 You and Yours (m001r7vl)
Gap Finders: Marjorie Hayward who's combatting loneliness
This week's Gap Finder is Marjorie Hayward, the founder of several initiatives to tackle loneliness.
Marjorie spent her career teaching nursing for many years at the University of Central Lancashire. But when Marjorie retired, and after the death of her husband, Marjorie was looking for a new purpose and wanted to help people.
Marjorie felt lonely herself, so set up a befriending service in her local town of Chorley which has been in high demand ever since, receiving referrals from GPs and the local council.
Marjorie also set up the After Loss Club, where people who lost loved ones could meet and talk with each other.
But Marjorie's runaway success has been establishing Talkin' Tables, which emerged after Covid lockdowns. Sensing an epidemic of loneliness made worse by the pandemic, Marjorie reserved a table in a cafe in her local town, inviting people to come along, have a cup of tea, and talk to others. There are now dozens of tables across Lancashire, Cumbria and the West Midlands every week. each table has a "greeter" encouraging people who walk in to join them if they're shy.
Marjorie speaks to Winifred about the crippling effects of loneliness, why Covid made loneliness work, and the joy she gets from helping people meet others.
You can find more about Talkin' Tables here: https://www.talkintables.co.uk/home
Or you can write to: Buttermere Community Centre, Buttermere Avenue, Chorley, PR7 2JG.
PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m001r7vs)
Weighted Blankets
Do weighted blankets reduce stress and help you sleep better?
They’ve gone from a middle-aisle fad to being a regular fixture in supermarkets and online stores. Weighted blankets can cost upto £200 and promise to give you a deeper, more restful sleep. But do they?
Listener Theresa wanted to know about the science behind them. What is it about the ‘deep touch’ or ‘deep pressure’ stimulation that the manufacturers claim helps us to sleep? They’re also often marketed as offering help with anxiety and autism. Listener Claire runs a support group for children with autism and is keen to know more, so I speak to the lead scientist of a big study into that. And listener Pauline wonders whether there are any health risks associated with weighted blankets?
Once again this series we’re testing and investigating your suggested wonder-products, so if you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad, and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.
Presenter: Greg Foot
Producer: Simon Hoban
THU 12:57 Weather (m001r7vx)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m001r7w1)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
THU 13:45 An Almanac for Anxiety: In Search of a Calmer Mind (m001p1pg)
Episode 4 - Air
Anxiety is the most common form of mental illness in the UK, with nearly a fifth of people experiencing it over the course of a year. Although it is often treated through medication, there are many alternative ways which are proving to be very effective in reducing anxiety amongst some people. In this series, we explore how connecting with the elemental forces of nature helps people with a range of mental illnesses to feel better. We also learn about the current academic research behind these methods.
In Episode 4 - Air - we visit an infant school in Nottingham where young children regularly learn breathing techniques to reduce stress and anxiety. We also hear about research from Italy showing how slowing our breathing impacts positively on brain activity. Plus breath coach and founder of School Breathe, Aimee Hartley, shares her experience of learning to breathe well.
Produced and Presented by Helen Needham
Research by Anna Miles and Maud Start
Original Music by Anthony Cowie
Mixed by Ron McCaskill and Malcolm Torrie
A BBC Scotland Production made in Aberdeen for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m001r7wc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001r7wl)
The Adventurers: Scenes from the East India Company
Piracy, big business and the English Crown come together in this action packed origin story of one of the most profitable businesses ever launched.
It was the staggeringly profitable trade in exotic spices that kick started the East India Company, the corporation that would come to define British Imperialism and global trade. Fin Kennedy’s drama, based on the known facts, tells the story of how this infamous enterprise came into being.
It was in 1594 that British pirates captured a huge Portuguese galleon laden with spices and, bringing it into port at Dartmouth, piqued the interest of Crown and traders alike. Why let the pirates make all the money? But with the Crown reluctant to fund further missions, the traders need an innovative solution to start their business – the Joint Stock Company, where anyone could invest. But even with the first mission a crucial choice arises – should they trade British products for these spices or just do as the pirates have done and plunder the traders who have already done the work?
So begins not only the story of the East India Company but also the founding principles of global trade for years to come.
Written by Fin Kennedy
Tina Tucker Holly Atkins
Younger Smythe / Reeves Kyle Abdullah
Captain Burgh / Bernard Nigel Barratt
Dale / Lancaster Dario Coates
Lady Ashley Lucy Phelps
Gilbert / Smythe / Hickson Ben Turner
Other parts were played by Ardeshir Alexandre Sefre, Abraham Popoola, Salem Zayed
and members of the company.
Sound Design Alisdair McGregor
Producer and Director Boz Temple-Morris
A Holy Mountain production for BBC Radio 4
THU 15:00 Ramblings (m001r7wy)
Oldbury on Severn and Inside Planet Earth
Clare walks with Mike Gunton, the man in charge of Planet Earth III, another blockbuster series from the BBC’s Natural History Unit. Mike’s a passionate walker and he takes Clare on a favourite local route around Oldbury on Severn where he courted his wife, and once filmed a sequence in a graveyard about the grim sounding ‘burying beetle’. He also shares stories of his many years working with Sir David Attenborough, and what it’s like making some of the most beautiful and memorable TV shows of recent years. Oldbury on Severn is, as it sounds, near the banks of the longest river in the UK which runs 220 miles from its source in the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales to where it meets the sea at the Bristol channel. They meet at St. Arilda's Church and head off on a circular walk of around five miles ending back in the village, at the local pub.
Map: OS Explorer 167 Thornbury, Dursley and Yate
Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m001r7fq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Open Book (m001r7mt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:00 Any Questions? (m001r7x7)
Any Questions on... the Welfare State
This month, Any Questions turns 75. To mark the occasion, Alex Forsyth is joined by guests to discuss how the way panellists debate has changed - how language, attitudes and perspectives have shifted throughout the programme's history. How have our fears and preoccupations shifted? Are arguments made differently now?
The world into which Any Questions emerged saw the state taking a more active role in providing for the population than ever before. In the first programme of the series, Alex turns her attention to the welfare state. She's joined by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Lamont and Contributing Editor at Novara Media Ash Sarkar, along with former Any Questions presenter and BBC Political Editor Chris Mason. Together, they delve into the Any Questions archive, hearing snippets from the programme at crucial points over the last 75 years. The four examine how expectations of the role of the state in supporting society have evolved and explore how debate about benefits has changed.
Presenter: Alex Forsyth
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Assistant Producer: Jo Peacey
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m001r7xn)
Assembly theory
A paper recently published in the journal Nature claimed that assembly theory could help explain and quantify selection and evolution. But what exactly is assembly theory? In this episode Marnie Chesterton speaks to science writer Philip Ball and zoologist and writer Professor Matthew Cobb. They dig into the science behind this tricky concept and figure out why it makes people so angry.
A sample recovered by NASA from the Bennu asteroid hurtled back to earth recently. This week we saw what’s been retrieved from 200 million miles away. Studies on the dust and rock are just getting underway. Professor Tom Zega, one of the mission scientists, reveals why this sample will be important for many years to come.
We also hear from Ed Yong who has been shortlisted for the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize. He tells us about his book, An Immense World, where he encourages us to think beyond the confines of our fleshy bodies.
People experience the world in many different ways. It all comes down to perception. We speak to Professor Fiona Macpherson who, along with neuroscientist Professor Anil Seth, are co-leads of The Perception Census which aims to document the differences. Fiona reveals how this could help shine a light on consciousness and what it means to be human. The census closes at the end of the month and everyone’s welcome. You can take part here: https://perceptioncensus.dreamachine.world
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Harrison Lewis and Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
BBC Inside Science is produced in collaboration with the Open University.
THU 17:00 PM (m001r7y3)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001r7z4)
Israel says no resources will be allowed into Gaza until Hamas releases its hostages. And, a watchdog say Rishi Sunak's changes to green polices have undermined net zero targets.
THU 18:30 Kevin Eldon Will See You Now (m0007x63)
Series 4
A Giraffe on a Pulley
Kevin Eldon and his all-important cast present the show from Kevin’s very own mansion, complete with an Italian genius, a brace of pedantic sons, a giraffe on a pulley and Britain’s noisiest toast.
Kevin Eldon is a comedy phenomenon. He’s been in virtually every major comedy show in the last fifteen years. But not content with working with the likes of Chris Morris, Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse, Stewart Lee, Julia Davis and Graham Linehan, he’s also created his own comedy series for BBC Radio 4.
After all the waiting - Kevin Eldon Will See You Now.
Also starring Morwenna Banks, Kate Duchêne, Justin Edwards (The Thick Of It), Miles Jupp, Paul Putner (Little Britain), David Reed (The Penny Dreadfuls), Catherine Shepherd and Dan Skinner.
Written by Kevin Eldon
with additional material by Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris (A Touch Of Cloth and those modern Ladybird books).
Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m001r7t9)
Lynda can see Adil is under a lot of strain and suggests a couple of days away. Adil thinks that’s impossible. Everyone seems to be on his case at the moment.
Ravenous George calls into the Tea Room. Emma admits she’s missing him and that he was right about how living separately would make things better between them all. Emma catches George up on her Grey Gables tickets and Rob’s baptism. Helen comes in to say Susan and Neil have fallen off their tandem bike. Emma rushes out to them, leaving George and Helen awkwardly in each other’s company. Later with Helen, Emma brings up Rob and George’s involvement. She acknowledges things have been strained but she’s always there if Helen needs her. Helen refuses to let Rob affect her and Emma thinks she sounds strong. When George delivers salad, Helen asks him to help in the dairy.
While they work, Helen tells George her concern over raising boys and how that can lead to behaviour that might seem extreme from the outside. George gets it. Helen wants Jack and Henry to understand there’s a right way to behave. She thinks George is starting to understand this too. George apologises for the misuse of his video-making skills.
Emma helps Lynda with the seating plan for the Grey Gables Ball. Monty keeps hassling them, so Lynda takes him for a walk. Adil’s then surprised to find Emma at Ambridge Hall as he departs for a short break. She gives him a hand with his heavy luggage. On her return, Lynda’s pleased to hear from Emma that Adil has taken her advice.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m001r7zr)
Front Row reviews the Frasier reboot and performance from folk musician Martin Hayes
Samira Ahmed is joined by critics Anne Joseph and Nancy Durrant to review some of this week’s cultural highlights. They discuss the new series of the classic TV comedy Frasier, which is returning to our screens after nearly two decades, and a new exhibition, Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style.
Martin Hayes has gone from playing the fiddle in his father’s ceilidh band in County Clare to performing for President Obama at the White House. Martin brings his band, The Common Ground Ensemble to perform in the Front Row studio.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Corinna Jones
THU 20:00 The Briefing Room (m001r7r9)
What was Hamas thinking?
David Aaronovitch and guests talk through the thinking behind Hamas's deadly attack on Israel, discuss what might happen next and ask what all this means politically.
Guests:
Jennifer Jefferis, Director of Curriculum at the Security Studies Program, in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown
Shashank Joshi, Defence editor at The Economist
David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Koret Project on Arab-Israel Relations
Production: Ben Carter, Sally Abrahams and Kirsteen Knight
Production co-ordinator: Sophie Hill and Jacqui Johnson
Sound: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
THU 20:30 The Bottom Line (m001r803)
Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis
As the UK gets ready to host a major global summit on the safety of artificial intelligence, Evan Davis speaks to one of the technology's leading global figures.
Demis Hassabis explains how he went from child chess champion to game developer to co-founder of AI research lab DeepMind, which was bought by Google in 2014.
He discusses Google's answer to ChatGPT and AI's ability to create breakthroughs in science, but also its downsides, including the potential extinction of the human race.
GUEST: Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind
PRODUCTION TEAM
Producers: Joel Moors and Simon Tulett
Editor: China Collins
Sound: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman
(Picture: Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind)
THU 21:00 BBC Inside Science (m001r7xn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 today]
THU 21:30 In Our Time (m001r7sv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m001r80m)
The doctors treating the injured in Israel and Gaza
Israel says it will continue its siege of Gaza until dozens of people taken hostage by Hamas are released. We hear from a doctor in Gaza and one in Israel.
Also on the programme:
We’re live in Warsaw ahead of a significant election for Poland.
And the referendum for indigenous rights that’s divided Australia.
THU 22:45 Open Throat by Henry Hoke (m001r812)
Episode Four
“I’ve never eaten a person but today I might . . .”
A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Fascinated by the voices around them, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their own identity. When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call 'ellay'. The lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, on their tour through the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: do they want to eat a person, or become one?
Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, this is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.
Henry Hoke took his inspiration from the life of P-22, the real-life mountain lion who became famous in LA and beyond. He was born in the Santa Monica mountains but made a 50-mile journey, crossing multiple highways to reach LA. He lived in Griffith Park in the Hollywood hills for over 10 years and was euthanised in December 2022 after he became unwell and began acting erratically. He never found a mate because he was cut off from other mountain lions by the highways that hemmed in the park. After his death the California governor paid tribute to P-22, saying that his “survival on an island of wilderness” had “captivated the world”.
Reader – Carl Prekopp
Abridger – Sara Davies
Sound Engineer – Ilse Lademann
Producer – Alison Crawford for BBC Audio
THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m001r9mn)
Horror in Israel and Gaza - What next?
Listen to Amol and Nick reflect on the Israel and Gaza conflict as they talk about what it might mean for the wider world. They talk to Martha, who’s spent much of this week presenting Radio 4’s Today from Jerusalem. The former chief of MI6, Sir Alex Younger is in ‘The Today Podcast’ studio giving his take on intelligence failures in the region and discussing his fears for what will happen next.
Plus Nick’s spent the week at Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Find out what he and Amol made of Sir Keir Starmer’s speech and his interview on Today and Jane Green professor of politics at Oxford University is back with the latest polling.
Episodes land every Thursday. Subscribe to The Today Podcast to get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week. With insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme.
Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email Today@bbc.co.uk
The Today Podcast is presented by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson. The producers are Tom Smithard and Stephanie Mitcalf. The editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. The Today Podcast music is composed by Nick Foster and Paddy Fletcher.
THU 23:30 Lusus (p0c4nrxj)
7. Khar Darakh
The lonely life of Christopher (Ncuti Gatwa) is significantly improved when he rescues a puppy. When his neighbour Magnus (Alistair Petrie) threatens to report the dog, Christopher sinks into a depression. His feelings of being trapped turn physical, and he struggles to combat the almost paralysing aloneness and fear, that increases after discovering Magnus’s fate.
Cast
Christopher - Ncuti Gatwa
Magnus - Alistair Petrie
Old lady - Tamar Baruch
Mindfulness Narrator - Caroline Faber
Sophia - Laila Newton
Kevin - Henry Newton
Voicemail - Stevie Ward
Dog Pound worker - Samantha Newton
Crew
Production Company - Clarence Beeks
Co-Creator/Writer - Samantha Newton
Co-Creator/Director - Rachel Zisser
Executive Producer - Sara Johnson
Executive Producer - Daniel M Jackson
Producer - Hannah Charman, Sister Music
Casting Director - Sophie Kingston-Smith
Casting Assistant - Lainey Lipson
Composer - Na’ama Zisser
Vocalists - Tomer Damsky, Aya Gavriel, Ron Sheskin, Quantum Choir
Sound engineer - Laura Blake
Sound engineer - Charlie Braham
Sound engineer - Gareth Wood
Sound Recording - The Sound Company
Vocalist Recording - Marco Milevski, Mazkeka Studio
Sound Design - King Lear Music & Sound
Lead Sound Designer - Dugal Macdiarmid
Asst Sound Designer - Ned Sisson
Asst Sound Designer - Lauren Cooper
FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER 2023
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m001r81c)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 00:30 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7wb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m001r81v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m001r828)
World Service
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m001r82q)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m001r836)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m001r83r)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rev Cheryl Meban.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m001r848)
How do energy companies decide where to put renewables? After a Yorkshire couple, successfully challenged plans to build a solar installation on their tenant farm, we speak to the company that wanted to create a solar farm there, and find out how they select land for renewable projects.
Conservationists say the government's new agri-environment scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, doesn’t reward farmers adequately for the human, social and cultural value of the land they manage. Friends of the Lake District has published research to establish the ‘true’ value of an upland common. We visit Little Asby Common in the Westmorland Dales to see why the charity thinks the 450 hectare site has a potential value of £61 million.
All week we're celebrating autumn fruits. It's been a good year for grapes, with vineyards enjoying a bumper harvest. One producer in Shropshire has enlisted a small army of volunteers to help pick the crop.
Presenter: Caz Graham
Producer: Jon Wiltshire
FRI 05:58 Tweet of the Day (b0979f3x)
Rosa Gleave on the Goldcrest
Rosa Gleave from BirdLife International, reveals how she recognises the song of the goldcrest and why that has inspired a change in her life.
Producer: Eliza Lomas
Photograph: Francis C. Franklin.
FRI 06:00 Today (m001r7pv)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m001r7jj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Going Infinite by Michael Lewis (m001r7zy)
Book of the Week: Ep 5 - The Fall
Michael Lewis's jaw-dropping account of Sam Bankman's dramatic rise and fall reaches November 2022 when things unravel fast. Jamie Parker reads.
It was late 2021 when Lewis first met the man who had recently been declared Forbes' richest man under 30 with a little over $22 billion to his name. A year later, Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire had collapsed. After their first meeting SBF (as he is known) granted Lewis the freedom to tell his story, so he was there as the crypto wunderkind continued to amass his billions. He was also there when it all came tumbling down, and he bore witness to the aftermath. At the same time Lewis explores the extraordinary boom in crypto currency, and the fast changing world of high stakes finance.
Michael Lewis's best known books expose the inner workings of high finance, baseball and the 2016 US presidential campaign, they include Flash Boys, The Big Short which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster, The Blind Side, Moneyball, Liars Poker. His latest book, Going Infinite is a twenty-first-century epic of high-frequency trading and even higher stakes, of crypto mania and vast amounts of money, of hubris and downfall.
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Produced by Elizabeth Allard
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m001r7qt)
Shirley Ballas, Bed Bugs, Everything Now writer Ripley Parker
Shirley Ballas is best known for being one of the judges on BBC Strictly Come Dancing and her stellar career in Latin dance that earnt her the title, ‘Queen of Latin’. She joins Krupa to talk about Strictly, the menopause and her new book, Murder on the Dancefloor.
Last weekend’s earthquake in Western Afghanistan killed 1,300 people and injured many more according to UN figures. UNICEF have said more than 90% of those who died were women and children, as they were more likely to have been at home. Krupa speaks to Salma Braham, Afghanistan Country Director for the International Rescue Committee. She joins live from Kabul.
Bed bugs are everywhere in the news. The actress Sue Elliott Nicholls joins us to describe the shame she felt when her house became infested. Social media influencer and author “Queen of Clean” Lynsey Crombie says with education and vigilance bed bugs can be avoided in the first place. She shares her top tips on actions we should take now and what we must avoid.
Serious issues relating to cervical screening services in parts of Northern Ireland have led to 17,500 women having their smear tests re-checked as part of a major review of cervical screening dating back to 2008. Failures in screening has led to some abnormal tests not being followed up. Marie-Louise Connolly, the BBC’s NI Health Correspondent joins us to explain, together with a patient, we are calling Susan, who has been affected by previous failures within the screening system.
Ripley Parker is the 22-year-old writer and creator of the new Netflix series Everything Now. She joins Krupa to talk about why the series is so important to her, and how it came from her own personal experiences as a teenager.
Presenter: Krupa Padhy
Producer: Emma Pearce
FRI 11:00 The Briefing Room (m001r7r9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Thursday]
FRI 11:30 Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice (m000c0cl)
Episode 1
A new series from Tom Allen, star of Mock The Week, Bake Off Extra Slice, The Apprentice: You're Fired and fresh from a sell out solo performance at The London Palladium.
Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice explores what happens when Tom's calm and collected exterior collapses. He used to be such a nice boy but what has happened to turn him naughty?
With help from the assembled studio audience, Tom works out how best to navigate some tricky social situations and how to keep a lid on his fury when confronted with life's small injustices.
Featuring Gabby Best.
Photo credit: Edward Moore @edshots
Producer: Richard Morris
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m001r8vk)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Archive on 4 (m001r7md)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Saturday]
FRI 12:57 Weather (m001r7sb)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m001r7sn)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
FRI 13:45 An Almanac for Anxiety: In Search of a Calmer Mind (m001p6vt)
Episode 5 - Earth
Anxiety is the most common form of mental illness in the UK, with nearly a fifth of people experiencing it over the course of a year. Although it is often treated through medication, there are many alternative ways which are proving to be very effective in reducing anxiety amongst some people. In this series, we explore how connecting with the elemental forces of nature helps people with a range of mental illnesses to feel better. We also learn about the current academic research behind these methods.
In Episode 5 - Earth - we visit the Horticultural Therapy Trust allotment in Plymouth and discover how gardening can be soothing for people with severe mental illnesses. We also hear about how putting our hands in the earth can be good for our gut microbiome and potentially our mental health.
Produced and Presented by Helen Needham
Research by Anna Miles and Maud Start
Original Music by Anthony Cowie
Mixed by Ron McCaskill and Malcolm Torrie
A BBC Scotland Production made in Aberdeen for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m001r7t9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m001r7tn)
The System - Series 3
The System - Method 5: Die
Five Methods for Overcoming Mortality.
Season finale of Ben Lewis’ propulsive thriller.
When the Children of the Green Man open the castle gates to a mob of gamers, it becomes clear that a storm is coming.
The fate of everyone is now in the hands of the few. But whose version of reality will win out?
Cast:
Maya… Siena Kelly
Jake … Jack Rowan
Coyote…Divian Ladwa
Robin…Ryan Sampson
Matt Finch…Rhashan Stone
Original music and sound design by Danny Krass
A BBC Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams
FRI 14:45 Close Encounters (m001mlzp)
Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Christabel Pankhurst
The fifth of Martha Kearney's new series celebrating portraits and portraiture through the eyes of ten Great Britons.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee whittled his options down to two, the architect Sir Christopher Wren and his final choice, the Suffragette Christabel Pankhurst. His decision was informed in part by an admiration for a woman who saw a problem and sought to fix it, and also by a desire to pay tribute to his own mother who had her own battle for equal recognition in the world of computer science.
In each episode we find out about the subject of the portrait, the moment at which their image was captured for posterity and the importance of image and identity for those who find themselves in the eye of the nation's attention today.
Producers: Tom Alban and Mohini Patel
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m001r7tz)
Isle of Wight
Can banana plants survive cold winters? How do I get my Aeonium Schwarzkopfs to branch? What’s the difference between a cold frame and greenhouse?
Kathy Clugston and her team of horticultural experts are on the largest of England’s islands, the Isle of Wight, for today's episode of Gardeners' Question Time.
Joining Kathy on the panel are pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, organic gardener Bob Flowerdew, and curator of RHS Wisley Matthew Pottage
Later Matt Biggs gives us a detailed explanation for why every gardener needs to have a Hoheria sexstylosa 'Stardust' in their gardens.
Producer: Dom Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Hannah Newton
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m001r7v8)
Something Borrowed
Ann Louise Ross reads a new story from Karen Campbell.
An exciting announcement forces a woman to mull on love, choice and the delicate bonds of family.
Karen Campbell is the author of eight novels, including Radio 4 Book at Bedtime 'This Is Where I Am'. A former police officer, then Glasgow City Council press officer, she won the Best New Scottish Writer Award in 2009. She also teaches creative writing and has worked with young offenders, homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers, and was recently Writer in Residence at Dumfries and Galloway Council. Her recent novel, 'Paper Cup', is a compassionate and hopeful book about what it takes to turn around a life run off course.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m001r7vj)
Kirsty Smitten, Kat Anderson, Beverly Willis, Tony Wade
Kirsty Lang on
The talented young scientist Kirsty Smitten who did pioneering work developing a new generation of antibiotics.
Singer Kat Anderson who made pop history with Motown’s first Number One hit: Please Mr Postman.
The architect Beverly Willis who devoted much of her career to promoting her female peers.
Tony Wade who helped built Britain’s first black owned multi-million-pound business selling hair and beauty products to Afro Caribbean women.
Producer: Ed Prendeville
FRI 16:30 Feedback (m001r7vq)
Israel and Gaza
The BBC has been criticised for avoiding use of the word "terrorist" in its coverage of events in Israel and Gaza. Andrea Catherwood discusses this, and the BBC's coverage of the conflict, with Richard Burgess, the BBC's Director of News Content.
Also, we have more on the ongoing controversy surrounding the BBC's decision to cut Local Radio output.
And two journalism students at Cardiff University run the rule over the Today podcast's new, chattier feel.
Presenter: Andrea Catherwood
Producer: Gerry Cassidy
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 17:00 PM (m001r7vw)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m001r7w4)
Thousands of people are fleeing the area but most have nowhere else to go
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m001r7w9)
Series 112
Episode 6
Andy Zaltzman quizzes the week's news. Providing the answers, hopefully, are, Alex Massie, Simon Evans, Alice Fraser, and Rachel Parris.
In this episode Andy and the panel deconstruct a Grey Wall, celebrate some Nobel achievements, and get ready for Halloween with the world's largest pumpkin.
Written by Andy Zaltzman
With additional material by
Peter Tellouche and Cameron Loxdale
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Dan Marchini
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m001r7wj)
On their way back from a landscaping job, Will’s still insistent that he won’t be the witch on Eddie’s Halloween Trail. Eddie’s van almost collides with Susan and Neil on their tandem bike. Eddie and Will go out to see if they’re OK – no broken bones, only spilt shopping. Separately, Neil and Susan each express their dislike of the tandem to Eddie and Will respectively. They’re both putting on a brave face for one another. Later, Susan and Neil come clean about the tandem bike and are relieved to learn they both want to give it up.
As churchwarden, Neil feels obliged to go to the refugee discussion group at the church. Susan doesn’t feel she can, considering the Bridge Farm Archers’ feelings towards Alan. The whole saga also reminds Susan of her own time in prison 30 years ago.
At No.1 The Green, Eddie discovers that the new guinea pig, supposedly a neutered male, has given birth. George is livid and wants to hide them from Poppy, but Will won’t allow it. George wonders if living at Little Grange wasn’t so bad after all.
Neil waits with Alan in an empty church, but no one turns up for the refugee discussion group. Alan admits he considered taking Usha’s advice of walking away from Rob’s spiritual journey, but he has to take Rob’s request in good faith. After half an hour they call it a night. As they leave they discover graffiti insulting Rob on the church door. Both Neil and Alan are horrified – who would do something like this?
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m001r7ww)
Isata Kanneh-Mason and Neil Brand launch a new series
Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason and musician and silent movie score composer Neil Brand launch a new playlist. With presenters Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye, they choose the first five tracks which take us from a celebratory anthem chanted in football stadiums to a live, mischievous performance by a 12-year-old Stevie Wonder.
Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented, with music direction, by Cerys Matthews and Jeffrey Boakye
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Freed from Desire by Gala
Piano Concerto in F Major: 3rd Movement by George Gershwin
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Piano Quartet in A minor by Gustav Mahler
Fingertips pt 2: Live by Stevie Wonder
Other music in this episode:
Welcome to My World by Ezra Collective
Piano Concerto No. 3 by Sergei Prokofiev
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m001r7x8)
Myles Dickinson, Lisa Nandy MP, Lee Rowley MP, Scarlett Westbrook
As Any Questions turns 75, Alex Forsyth presents political debate from the UK’s youngest city, Bradford. She’s joined at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford by Myles Dickinson, Lisa Nandy MP, Lee Rowley MP and Scarlett Westbrook.
Presenter: Alex Forsyth
Producer: Camellia Sinclair
Lead broadcast engineer: Liam Juniper
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m001r7xm)
No News Is Good News
Will Self on why - for the past eight weeks - he's lived an almost entirely news-free existence.
After a lifetime of keeping up with events and - in recent years - obsessively toggling between news apps 'with all the real cogitation of a commuter playing Candy Crush,' Will has decided to stop paying attention to the news.
'I realised I'd been reading about - and listening to - politicians and pundits for quite possibly months of my life, without really caring one jot or tittle about them.'
He reflects on how the British became the news consumers par excellence in the 19th and 20th Centuries and on growing up in a household where following the daily go-round of news constituted a 'civic virtue.'
In the aftermath of events in the Middle East, Will has a new guiding principle for his news consumption.
Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
FRI 21:00 Archive on 4 (m0018ngf)
Kissinger's Century
In his 100th year, Henry Kissinger, diplomat, adviser to US presidents and ever-present influence in international affairs, discusses his life and career.
In conversation at his home with James Naughtie, he reflects on a life which took him from a childhood in Nazi Germany to the Oval Office.
A powerful and controversial figure, he talks about some of the leaders he has known - De Gaulle and Nixon, Xi and Putin.
He also recalls the times he has lived through, and the way his own ideas about international affairs have developed.
Producer: Giles Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2022.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m001r7y2)
Israel's deadline for Gaza evacuation passes
Also on the programme: a British rabbi resigns over the FA's decision not to project he Israeli flag on Wembley Stadium; and turning the film, Withnail and I, into a play.
FRI 22:45 Open Throat by Henry Hoke (m001r7yl)
Episode Five
“I’ve never eaten a person but today I might . . .”
A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Fascinated by the voices around them, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their own identity. When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call 'ellay'. The lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, on their tour through the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: do they want to eat a person, or become one?
Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, this is a journey through a wonderous and menacing world.
Henry Hoke took his inspiration from the life of P-22, the real-life mountain lion who became famous in LA and beyond. He was born in the Santa Monica mountains but made a 50-mile journey, crossing multiple highways to reach LA. He lived in Griffith Park in the Hollywood hills for over 10 years and was euthanised in December 2022 after he became unwell and began acting erratically. He never found a mate because he was cut off from other mountain lions by the highways that hemmed in the park. After his death the California governor paid tribute to P-22, saying that his “survival on an island of wilderness” had “captivated the world”.
Reader – Carl Prekopp
Abridger – Sara Davies
Sound Engineer – Ilse Lademann
Producer – Alison Crawford for BBC Audio
FRI 23:00 Americast (m001r7z2)
America and Israel: Unconditional Allies?
President Biden has promised to support Israel with whatever it needs and forcefully condemned the attacks by Hamas on civilians. But what do Americans think about the unfolding conflict in the Middle East?
The Americast team also hears from 2020 presidential candidate and co-founder of the Forward Party, Andrew Yang, on why third parties are important to US politics and what it’s like running for the Oval Office.
HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America editor
• Marianna Spring, disinformation and social media correspondent
• Anthony Zurcher, North America correspondent
GUEST:
• Andrew Yang, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate
GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast
Find out more about our award-winning “undercover voters” here: bbc.in/3lFddSF.
This episode was made by Rufus Gray with Claire Betzer and Catherine Fusillo. The technical producer was Philip Bull and the sound designer was David Crackles. The series producer is Daniel Wittenberg. The editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.
FRI 23:30 Lusus (p0c4nt26)
8. Ale of Goibhniu
Desperate to hold off the aging process, twenty something Julia (Ella Bruccoleri) decides to get a radical new beauty treatment from a mysterious dentist’s office in the city. The next day an altered Julia (Tamar Baruch) goes about her day until she realises the drastic change that has occurred. When she returns to the dentist’s office her confusion and panic builds on what she finds. Her obsessive need to turn back time finds her trapped behind the door that nobody should ever open.
Cast
Julia - Ella Bruccoleri
Old Julia - Tamar Baruch
Mindfulness Narrator - Caroline Faber
Dentist - Daniel Jackson
Dentist Receptionist - Caroline Faber
Jen/Cammie - Susannah Fielding
Kevin - Henry Newton
Ben - David Mumeni
Alfie - George Robinson
Interview Receptionist - Sean Williams
Crew
Production Company - Clarence Beeks
Co-Creator/Writer - Samantha Newton
Co-Creator/Director - Rachel Zisser
Executive Producer - Sara Johnson
Executive Producer - Daniel M Jackson
Producer - Hannah Charman, Sister Music
Casting Director - Sophie Kingston-Smith
Casting Assistant - Lainey Lipson
Composer - Na’ama Zisser
Vocalists - Tomer Damsky, Aya Gavriel, Ron Sheskin, Quantum Choir
Sound engineer - Laura Blake
Sound engineer - Charlie Braham
Sound engineer - Gareth Wood
Sound Recording - The Sound Company
Vocalist Recording - Marco Milevski, Mazkeka Studio
Sound Design - King Lear Music & Sound
Lead Sound Designer - Dugal Macdiarmid
Asst Sound Designer - Ned Sisson
Asst Sound Designer - Lauren Cooper