SATURDAY 07 SEPTEMBER 2024
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m0022l22)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 The Lowball Tapes (m0014xxr)
Hunting the Truth
The public had a chance to find out the truth about the Libor scandal in 2012 – but somehow they didn’t. Andy finds secrets kept from MPs and even the juries in the rate rigging trials. Can he find out where the instructions to lowball really came from?
Presenter: Andy Verity
Producer: Sarah Bowen
Music: Oskar Jones
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0022l24)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0022l26)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0022l28)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m0022l2b)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0022l2d)
A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4
SAT 05:45 Frontlines of Journalism (m001lyw8)
9. Who’s in control?
The same story can look very different depending on how it’s written and where you get it. Who's in control?
Revisiting some of the most difficult stories he’s reported on, BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen looks at some of the obstacles that stand between journalists and what Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein called 'the best obtainable version of the truth'.
Jeremy speaks with: broadcaster and former editor of the News of the World, Piers Morgan; Emily Bell - Professor at Columbia University School of Journalism, journalist and environmentalist George Monbiot, former Reuters journalist Sabina Cosic, CNN’s Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour, and Dean Baquet - until 2022 the executive editor of the New York Times.
Presenter: Jeremy Bowen
Producer: Georgia Catt
Assistant Producer: Sam Peach
Additional research: Rob Byrne
Series mixing: Jackie Margerum
Series Editor: Philip Sellars
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m0022s7p)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m0022kvy)
Wildlife Watching on Mull
The growth of wildlife documentaries and social media has boosted our interest in wildlife. Footage of whales birds and mammals shot by keen nature lovers around the British Isles has alerted us to the presence of apex predators such as Orca in the waters around Northern Scotland. It's not surprising that people visit the island of Mull in the hope of spotting some of the abundant wildlife. Otters are especially popular at the moment. The creation of the Hebridean Whale Trail has also highlighted the presence of the different cetaceans in the sea around Mull and visitors can take boat tours or walks around the island in search of dolphins, porpoises, minke and humpback whales. And if they're lucky they may spot the remaining two West Coast Orca John Coe and Aquarius. But while nature tourism is welcomed those who work in wildlife conservation on Mull are keen that visitors are respectful and responsible towards the creatures they've come to see.
Producer Maggie Ayre takes a walk from Tobermory on the Hebridean Whale Trail with Morven Summers and her colleague Sadie Gorvett to learn about the work they do encouraging visitors to log their cetacean sightings on their app and take part in a Citizen Science survey of marine mammals.
She meets Mull's Wildlife Warden Jan Dunlop on Calgary Bay to hear why Jan is concerned about the presence and proximity of too many people to the island's otter population and the impact that can have on the animals.
All three advocate a kind of slow nature tourism that means appreciating the beauty of all the wildlife on the island as opposed to going with a checklist of creatures to spot.
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m0022s7r)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
SAT 06:57 Weather (m0022s7t)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m0022s7w)
Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m0022s7y)
Dan Jones, Cara Dillon, Tim Minchin
Historian and author Dan Jones, multi-award-winning music Cara Dillon, plus the Inheritance Tracks of comedian and mind behind the music of Matilda the Musical - Tim Minchin.
SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m0022s80)
Leif Erikson
Greg Jenner is joined in the eleventh century by Dr Eleanor Barraclough and actor Kiell Smith-Bynoe to learn about legendary Viking explorer Leif Erikson. Leif was possibly the first European to reach the Americas, nearly half a millennium before Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean. According to the stories told about him, he was a lucky explorer with a murderer for a father and a fearsome warrior for a sister, who travelled in his longship across the Atlantic to the coast of North America. But we only know about him from two Norse sagas, written in the centuries after his death – so did he exist at all? This episode explores the saga narrative before delving into the archaeological evidence for a Viking presence in Canada, to discover what we can know for sure about this legendary adventurer.
You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.
Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Jon Norman Mason
Written by: Jon Norman Mason, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: James Cook
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0022s82)
Series 45
Episode 3
Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m0022s84)
Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0022s86)
Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the world
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m0022s88)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m0022s8b)
Paul Lewis presents the latest news from the world of personal finance.
SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m0022l1d)
Series 115
Episode 1
Topical panel quiz show, taking its questions from the week's news stories.
SAT 12:57 Weather (m0022s8d)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m0022s8g)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m0022l1m)
Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities.
SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m0022s8j)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m0022l1h)
Writer: Sarah McDonald Hughes
Director: Mel Ward
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Ruth Archer…. Felicity Finch
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Ian Craig…. Stephen Kennedy
Ed Grundy…. Barry Farrimond
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Mia Grundy…. Molly Pipe
Will Grundy…. Philip Molloy
Brad Horrobin…. Taylor Uttley
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Adam Macy…. Andrew Wincott
Lottie Summers…. Bonnie Baddoo
SAT 15:00 Stalingrad (m0022s8l)
4. The Volga
By Vasily Grossman
Translated by Robert and Elizabeth Chandler
Dramatised by Jonathan Myerson
Part four of Grossman's dark and honest account of the epic battle of Stalingrad; a prequel to his novel Life and Fate.
Mark Bonnar, Kenneth Cranham and Scarlet Courtney star in Grossman’s prequel to Life and Fate, recently published in its first ever English translation by Richard and Elizabeth Chandler.
Stalingrad explores the approach of war to the city of Stalingrad, through the many lives of the Shaposhnikov family and their partners. The soldiers of the Third Reich draw ever nearer to the Volga, where Krymov and his men struggle to hold the line.
After three years of agonised rewrites under the censors' gaze, Stalingrad was finally published in the USSR to universal acclaim, though Grossman was soon being denounced for depicting Russians who were not always heroes. But as a former war correspondent, Grossman was determined to tell the dark and honest truth of the epic battle of Stalingrad, and the men and women caught up in it.
Nikolai Krymov ...... Mark Bonnar
Pyotr Vavilov ..... Richard Elfyn
Nastya Vavilov ..... Gwawr Loader
Tolya ….. Will Kirk
Filyashkin ..... Francois Pandolfo
Kovalyov ..... Gareth Pierce
Lena ..... Caitlin Richards
Malyarchuk ….. Simon Ludders
Rezchikov ..... Marc Danbury
Usurov ..... Adam Courting
Vera ..... Scarlett Courtney
Stepan Spiridonov ….. Kenneth Cranham
Marusya Spiridonova ..... Eiry Thomas
Original music composed by John Hardy, with Rob Whitehead, and performed by Oliver Wilson-Dixon, Tom Jackson, Stacey Blythe, and Max Pownall.
Directed by Jonathan Myerson
Series Producer Alison Hindell
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m0022s8n)
Highlights from the Woman's Hour week.
SAT 17:00 PM (m0022s8q)
Full coverage of the day's news.
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m0022s8s)
Nick Robinson has a conversation with, not an interrogation of, the people who shape our political thinking about what shaped theirs.
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0022s8v)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m0022s8x)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0022s8z)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0022s91)
Clive Anderson and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.
SAT 19:00 Profile (m0022s93)
An insight into the character of an influential person making the news headlines
SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m0022kv8)
Kiri Te Kanawa
The New Zealand born opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is one of the world's greatest sopranos. She enjoyed a 50 year career singing lead roles in opera houses around the globe, and on dozens of studio recordings. Since retiring in 2017 she has focussed on leading her Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation which supports young opera singers from her home country.
Dame Kiri talks to John Wilson about her early life in Gisborne and Auckland, New Zealand. Of Māori heritage, she was adopted as a baby and cites both her parents as a huge influence on her choice of career and work ethic. As a teenager she loved musical theatre, her favourite being Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story which she was later to record in an operatic version conducted by Bernstein himself. Moving to London in 1966 to study at the Royal Opera Centre, her education in opera began in earnest under her teacher Vera Rózsa. Her breakthrough role came in 1971 when she was cast as the Countess Almaviva in the Royal Opera House's production of The Marriage of Figaro. Her Metropolitan Opera House debut followed three years later when she was asked at the last minute to replace the soprano singing Desdemona in Verdi's Otello for the opening performance. Dame Kiri discusses the fame and attention she attracted when in 1981 she performed at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, watched live by 600 million people. After over 60 years of performing, she also talks about her decision to finally retire in 2017.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
Archive used:
Omnibus : Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, BBC1, 10 May 1985
BBC Sound Archive, Kiri Te Kanawa interview with Andrew Sakley, 1966
Soprano Sundays, BBC2, 21 Dec 1975
Le Nozze di Figaro, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, 1971
Otello, Metropolitan Opera New York, 1974
BBC Sound Archive, The marriage service in St. Paul's Cathedral of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, 29 July 1981
Top Of The Pops, BBC1, 24 October 1991
Parkinson, BBC1, 18 March 1981
Going Live, BBC1, October 1991
Wogan BBC1, 25 Dec 1984
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (b014m1px)
The Life and Fate of Vasily Grossman
Jim Riordan crosses the former Soviet Union to explore the life and fate of Soviet writer Vasily Grossman, author of Life and Fate. Grossman was both a heroic war journalist and post-war heretic feared by the state.
In 1961 the KGB came not to arrest writer Vasily Grossman but his masterwork, Life and Fate. Its direct comparison of Nazism and Stalinism, set against the terrible battle of Stalingrad, so alarmed the Soviet authorities that they compared it to the threat of Western nuclear weapons, telling him it would not be published
for 200 years. The novel would finally be smuggled to the West and published long after Grossman's death in 1964.
Jim Riordan goes in search of those who knew Grossman in the war ravaged city of Stalingrad (present day Volgograd), reads Grossman's celebrated war diaries in the Moscow archives and hears from those who smuggled his masterpiece Life and Fate abroad. There it began a new life in the West where it has become increasingly viewed as one of the most significant works of the 20th Century.
Reader Kenneth Cranham
Producer: Mark Burman
SAT 20:45 One to One (m0022s95)
Jamie Dornan on being Paul Conroy
Jamie Dornan - star of Fifty Shades and The Fall - played conflict photographer Paul Conroy in A Private War. Paul has travelled back from the frontline in Ukraine to talk to Jamie about the role, what he did to prepare, and whether he can still manage a decent scouse accent.
Future interviewees in the series include Greg Wise (Mountbatten in The Crown)
plus Rosamund Pike who has played both Marie Curie and Marie Colvin.
Paul Conroy was working with Marie Colvin when she was killed in Syria.
The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde
SAT 21:00 The History Podcast (m0022s97)
Escape from the Maze
Escape from the Maze - Omnibus Part 2
It's supposed to be escape proof. The most secure prison in western Europe. The IRA is going to turn that on its head.
In the second of two omnibus programmes, Carlo Gebler navigates a path through the disturbing inside story of the mass escape from Northern Ireland's Maze Prison in 1983 - the biggest jailbreak ever to take place on British or Irish soil. As former IRA inmates reveal how they pull off a breakout that creates shockwaves at the heart of government - key prison officials explain why they're unable to stop them.
Presenter: Carlo Gebler
Producer: Conor Garrett
Editor: Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Production Co-ordinator: Gill Huggett
Original Music Score: Phil Kieran
Archive: Cyprus Avenue Films
SAT 22:00 News (m0022s99)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m0022l0m)
Fresh Food Ideas? Some new MPs look ahead
As MPs return to Westminster after the summer recess, The Food Programme catches up with three of the newer recruits to discuss future food policies.
Sheila Dillon meets Dr Simon Opher MP (Labour), Aphra Brandreth MP (Conservative) and Sarah Dyke MP (Liberal Democrat) at the head office and kitchens of catering firm Social Pantry, who work with ex-prisoners on their zero-waste food offering.
The questions come from some familiar voices to The Food Programme, including Dr Chris Van Tulleken, Asma Khan, Nicole Pisani (Chefs in Schools), Professor Tim Lang and Helen Browning (Soil Association).
Can this group of MPs push food and farming up the agenda in Parliament, and if so - what will be their focus?
Presented by Sheila Dillon
Produced in Bristol by Natalie Donovan
SAT 23:00 The Many Wrongs of Lord Christian Brighty (m0022s9c)
Episode 3. The Village I Abandoned
Babs persuades absentee landlord Brighty that he has to visit his estate village for the first time ever to make it up to the estate villagers, but their visit swiftly descends into a mystery. With Brighty away, Churlington defies specific instructions NOT to clean the East Wing.
Lord Christian Brighty is the talk of the Regency 'Ton' - a celebrated libertine, a heartthrob and a hero to many. But close-up, he is a spoilt, impetuous, life-ruining bastard… Or at least he was. Because his carefree life of infinite privilege has been upended by an encounter with his new chambermaid - the uneducated but forthright Babigail - who became the first person to tell him the unvarnished truth about his selfish behaviour. Overnight, his lifelong trust that everyone loved him had been replaced with a gnawing fear that Babs was right.
So now, with his narcissism collapsing and a need to prove to Babs he is actually a good person, Lord Brighty is determined to fix all his past wrongs. And by extension all the ills of Regency society. Accompanying him in his quest are Babs (elevated beyond her station to a chambermaid-cum-adviser role), and his butler, Mr Churlington. Although Churley would prefer everything to stay exactly as it used to be (as would all Brighty’s friends, family and the entirety of high society).
Written by Amy Greaves & Christian Brighty
Cast:
Lord Christian Brighty ….. Christian Brighty
Babs ….. Jessica Knappett
Churlington ….. Colin McFarlane
Gibbs ….. David Reed
Susannah / Old Meg ….. Katia Kvinge
Fanny ….. Nimisha Odedra
Script Editor ….. David Reed
Sound & Recording ….. David Thomas
Photographer ….. Will Hearle
Production Assistant ….. Katie Sayer
Producer ….. Ben Walker
A DLT Entertainment Production for BBC Radio 4
Christian Brighty and Amy Greaves are award-winning comedians. Their viral sketches based on Bridgerton, Poldark and Jane Austen have catapulted them to viral stardom, securing Christian’s place as the internet’s answer to Mr Darcy and amassing 150 million views across TikTok and Instagram (@brightybuoy). Amy and Christian both have a deep love of the work Jane Austen, traditional regency romance (not smut), and historical romance set in the regency (smut).
SAT 23:30 Brain of Britain (m0022khj)
Heat 1, 2024
(1/17)
The venerable general knowledge quiz returns for its 2024 tournament, with Russell Davies hosting the quest for this year's Brain of Britain. 48 competitors from around the UK set out to win one of the nation's most prestigious quizzing titles.
Luck as well as knowledge comes into play, as the moment the competitors get a question wrong they lose their turn and may have to watch others forging ahead until the next round. There is a safety net for runners-up going forward to the semi-finals, but their scores will need to be impressive...
Starting their bids for the title today are
Richard Aubrey from London
Brendan Curtis from Tunbridge Wells
Heather Smith from Chichester
Sophie Williamson from Norwich.
Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria
SUNDAY 08 SEPTEMBER 2024
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m0022s9f)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
SUN 00:15 Bookclub (m0022khg)
Ken Follett: A Column of Fire
Bestselling novelist Ken Follett joins James Naughtie and readers to discuss his historical novel A Column of Fire, the third in his hugely successful Kingsbridge series. It’s a tale of spying and intrigue, as Elizabeth I battles to keep her throne in the face of fierce religious division across Europe.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0022s9h)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0022s9k)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0022s9m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0022s9p)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0022s9r)
St Gabriel in Stoke Gabriel, Devon.
Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Gabriel in Stoke Gabriel, Devon. The church building was originally constructed in the early 13th century, rebuilt in the 15th century and refurbished by the Victorians however the original Norman tower still survives. There are six bells, the oldest of which dates from 1658. The Tenor weighs seventeen hundredweight and is tuned to the note of F. We hear them ringing Devon Call Changes.
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m0022knx)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted.
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m0022sf2)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m0022knd)
The British Elite
Do today's power brokers correspond to the familiar caricatures of old? Laurie Taylor talks to Aaron Reeves, Professor of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Oxford, who has delved into the profiles and careers of over 125,000 members of the British elite from the late 1890s to today, as well as interviewing over 200 leading figures from diverse backgrounds. Were they born to rule, travelling from Eton to Oxbridge? Do they espouse different values from their earlier variants? And are those born into the top 1% just as likely to get into the elite today as they were 125 years ago? Also, Rachel Louise Stenhouse, Senior Lecturer in the Sociology of Education at Manchester Metropolitan University looks at private school entry to Oxbridge. By examining a bespoke intervention in a private school in England, she sheds new light on how students are advantaged when applying to elite universities, finding that applicants need to demonstrate that ‘they can think’ and ‘perform’ under pressure. But is an ease of performance evidence of knowledge and skills or, more often, of educational privilege?
Producer: Jayne Egerton
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m0022sf4)
Spirit of the Soil
Ten years ago Marian Austin decided to give up her job as a ski centre manager in the West Highlands and 'retire to agriculture' as she describes it. Marian and her husband Andy are now full time farmers on their croft, Craig Dhu, which is situated close to the Caledonian Canal and in the shadow of Ben Nevis.
They grow a wide variety of organic fruit and vegetables and supply produce to a vegetable box scheme, a local market and some of their neighbours. They are active members of the Lochaber Environmental Group (LEG), which is working hard to encourage more local growing and to reduce food miles and reliance on the big supermarkets.
Marian has become a committed composter, which she says is particularly important in the Lochaber area which, like most of the West Highlands, has thin sandy soil, hilly terrain and high rainfall. She devotes a lot of time to making large quantities of compost for Craig Dhu, as well as running classes for her colleagues and new growers.
One of her reference books is a booklet, 'Spirit of the Soil,' which details how countless generations of small farmers and crofters have managed to make a living in the challenging conditions of the West Highlands
Author and horticulturalist, John Wombell, carried out extensive research into agricultural history and techniques in the area and his booklet covers all aspects of local farming knowledge including soil systems, crops grown, field drainage and – most importantly – the gradual introduction of manures and composts, especially seaweed.
Marian says the methods outlined in 'The Spirit of the Soil' are still relevant today.
Presented by Kathleen Carragher and produced by John Deering.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m0022sf6)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m0022sf8)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m0022sfb)
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m0022sfd)
Lepra
The author Victoria Hislop makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of the charity Lepra.
To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope ‘Lepra’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Lepra’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
Registered Charity Number: 213251
SUN 07:57 Weather (m0022sfg)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m0022sfj)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m0022sfl)
The Call of Religious Life
A service exploring the ancient calling of religious life. Ever since those first disciples heard Jesus’ call to leave everything behind and follow him, both men and women have experienced that deep inner and often radical calling to leave family and home and their former ambitions behind and devote themselves to following the path of Jesus Christ in community.
Rev Richard Carter, leader of the Nazareth Community at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, visits a number of religious communities across the UK, including the Sisters of the Holy Paraclete at St Hilda’s Priory in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The preacher is Dominican Friar Fr Timothy Radcliffe, based at Blackfriars in Oxford.
Producer: Andrew Earis
SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m0022l1p)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m0022sfn)
James Henry on the Little Tern
A new series of Tweet of the Day for Sunday morning revealing personal and fascinating stories from some fresh voices who have been inspired by birds, their calls and encounters.
Author and lifelong birdwatcher James Henry enjoys windsurfing on the Blackwater estuary in Essex. In summer his activity is often enriched by little terns flying alongside him, or observed at their breeding colony nearby. Yet James worries. With rising sea levels, will their shingle breeding grounds survive?
Producer : Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio in Bristol
Studio Engineer : Caitlin Gazeley
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m0022sfq)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell
SUN 10:00 The Reunion (m0022sfs)
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
On 9 November 1989, history was made as thousands of East Berliners surged through the checkpoints, marking the fall of the Berlin Wall - an event that not only signified the end of the Cold War but also paved the way for the reunification of Germany.
For nearly three decades, the Berlin Wall had divided East and West Berlin, an embodiment of the Iron Curtain that separated Europe. The fall of the Wall was preceded by widespread political changes and public protests across Eastern Europe, reflecting a growing demand for freedom and reform.
Part of what led to this historic moment was a miscommunication during a press conference by Günter Schabowski, an East German official, who mistakenly announced that border crossings would be opened. This announcement, broadcast on live television, prompted a rush to the border, where overwhelmed and unprepared guards eventually allowed people to pass freely into West Berlin.
The ensuing scenes of jubilation were broadcast around the world. East and West Berliners clambered atop the Wall, embracing, celebrating, and chipping away at the concrete barrier that had separated them for so long. The fall of the Berlin Wall became a powerful symbol of the triumph of freedom over oppression.
Kirsty Wark speaks to Georg Mascolo, a journalist who witnessed the moment the first gate was opened; Jens Reich, an opposition leader; Tim Eisenlohr, one of the youngest activists in the reform movement; André Herzberg, a GDR-critical musician; Birgit Schlicke who witnessed the fall of the wall while incarcerated as a political prisoner; and Christine Bartels who lived right next to the border and could see the so-called death-strip from her window.
Producer: Ilona Toller
Series Producer: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m0022sfv)
Writer: Sarah McDonald Hughes
Director: Mel Ward
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Ruth Archer…. Felicity Finch
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Ian Craig…. Stephen Kennedy
Ed Grundy…. Barry Farrimond
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Mia Grundy…. Molly Pipe
Will Grundy…. Philip Molloy
Brad Horrobin…. Taylor Uttley
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Adam Macy…. Andrew Wincott
Lottie Summers…. Bonnie Baddoo
SUN 12:15 Profile (m0022s93)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m0022ktb)
Series 30
Episode 5
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.
Angela Barnes, Glenn Moore, Shaparak Khorsandi and Neil Delamere are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as websites, cartoons, Prince Harry and teeth.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 12:57 Weather (m0022sfx)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m0022sfz)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world.
SUN 13:30 American Socialist (m00223nm)
Eugene V. Debs is perhaps best known for his 1920 run for President from prison - that election marked his fifth attempt at the White House. But he was also one of America's most successful proponents of socialism.
It was the German sociologist Werner Sombart who famously once asked "Why is there no socialism in the United States?". Historian and writer Professor Jill Lepore tells the story of the socialist from the town of Terre Haute in the American Midwest who changed the political dial in early twentieth century America.. She examines the influence and legacy of the long-time Socialist Party leader and explores the role of socialism in American politics then and now.
Presenter:
Jill Lepore, Professor of Political History at Harvard University and staff writer at The New Yorker.
Contributors:
William E. Huntington Professor of History at Boston University Bruce Schulman
Professor of History at Indiana State University Lisa Phillips
Professor of History at the University of Tennessee and author of Democracy's Prisoner: Eugene V. Debs, the Great War and the Right to Dissent Ernest Freeberg
Reader: Demetri Goritsas
Producer: Camellia Sinclair for BBC Audio, Bristol
Studio engineers: Caitlin Gazeley and Suzy Robins
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0022l10)
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.
SUN 14:45 One Night in Paradise (m000tcl5)
The Last Time
A final fling with his art lecturer lover at a rundown seaside hotel doesn't go quite as planned for the young barista. By Bethan Roberts. Read by John Biddle.
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4, produced and directed by Kate McAll
SUN 15:00 Mahabharata Now (m0022sg1)
Episode 6: Dance of Deceit
The Gods, the law, capitalism and politics jostle for power in this bold adaptation of the ancient Indian poem Mahabharata. Dramatised as a gripping family epic set in 21st century Mumbai, this series is powered by the tensions and rivalries of a turbulent business empire.
A dynasty divided against itself... the battle to control Hasta Enterprises escalates.
The deed is done. With the company partitioned, Dhruv and Yash can begin to put their stamp on the divisions they now control. Dhruv and Shaks are quick to make ruthless decisions at the expense of their employees, while Yash is inspired by quality and integrity, no matter what the financial cost.
Padma is much less convinced by Yash's ideas, spiralling further into hatred of Dhruv, but their daughter Nyra's new-found confidence and freedom from her abusive marriage is a chance to make her father take her seriously as a business partner.
As Gopi continues to deliver her wisdom and knowledge to the opposing sides, is she helping the family... or is this all for the Gods' amusement?
Episode 6 "Dance of Deceit"
Written by Ayeesha Menon, Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle
Dhruv Neil Bhoopalam
Yash Tavish Bhattacharyya
Padma Ira Dubey
Gita Shernaz Patel
Shaks Vivek Madan
Karthik Sukant Goel
Nyra Abir Abrar
GP200 Bhavnisha Parmar
Vidya Irawati Karnik
Olivia Malaika Choudhury
Lawyer Devika Shahani Punjabi
Mr. Desai Aseem Hattangady
Priest Mukul Chadda
Johar Akash Khurana
Landlord Zeus Paranjape
Account Manager Garima Yajnik
gAbbI Helen Quigley
Other roles were played by Omkar Kulkarni, Zeus Paranjape, Prerna Chawla and members of the cast.
Sound Supervisor (Mumbai) Ayush Ahuja
Sound Engineer (Mumbai) Ashyar Bulsara
Sound Design and Post Production David Thomas
Original Music Imran Ahmad
Producer Helen Quigley and Andrew Mark Sewell
Producer (Mumbai) Nadir Khan
Executive Producer Andrew Mark Sewell
Director Jatinder Verma
A B7 Media production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 16:00 Open Book (m0022sg3)
Graham Norton
Graham Norton speaks to Johny Pitts about his new novel, Frankie.
SUN 16:30 Brain of Britain (m0022sg5)
Heat 2, 2024
(2/17)
Four contenders for the title Brain of Britain 2024 join Russell Davies at the Radio Theatre in London. At least one of them will win through to the semi-finals and take another step towards becoming the 71st name on the roll of champions. The questions cover all aspects of general knowledge, from literature, film and music to geography and the natural world.
Appearing in Heat Two are:
Andrew Fanko from Market Harborough in Leicestershire
Anthony Fish from Pontypool in South Wales
Caroline Latham from Romford in East London
Dr Sarah Merry from Banbury in Oxfordshire
The competitors will also face a pair of tricky questions supplied by a Brain of Britain listener aiming to Beat the Brains.
Assistant Producer Stephen Garner
Producer Paul Bajoria
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5yk6)
Fight the Power: The song that became an anthem of protest
It's 35 years since the release of one of the most provocative songs in music history.
Fight the Power by hip-hop group, Public Enemy, was radical both politically and sonically.
The song was written at the request of filmmaker, Spike Lee, who needed an anthem for his 1989 movie, Do the Right Thing.
The film became a box office smash and - despite controversy surrounding Public Enemy's image - the song soon became an anthem of protest and rebellion all over the world.
Public Enemy frontman, Chuck D, shares his memories of that time with Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Chuck D and Spike Lee pictured in 1989. Credit: Getty Images)
SUN 17:10 Policing Protest (m0021j1s)
Tactics and Crowds
The story of policing is bound up with the history of protest. Far more than dealing with demonstrations on the street, policing owes its very existence to fears of political unrest and to help protect the state from public disorder. In this wide-ranging three-part series, BBC Home Affairs Editor Mark Easton, with the help of former Police Assistant Commissioner Rob Beckley, tells the story of policing protest in the UK from Peterloo to the present - and beyond.
Episode 2: Tactics and Crowds
In the wake of extremely tough sentencing for Just Stop Oil campaigners and their direct action protests on the M25, this episode explores the ongoing, tactical arms race between protestors and police. Given new powers to curb the duration of protests and set the limit of what counts as unreasonable public disturbance, the police are also conscious of human rights legislation that protects our freedom to protest. But do the radical tactics of organisations like JSO make it harder for other, less militant groups - or is the new legislation part of a wider political clampdown on protest? Police training around public order is focused on protest and the threat of disorder turning into riot. This episode examines the 19th century crowd psychology that underlies modern policing – a fear of the power of the multitude, and the need to contain it.
Modern policing in Britain has its origins in protest. The Metropolitan Police was founded by Robert Peel in 1829 in the shadow of the Peterloo massacre ten years earlier where, under instruction from the government, local militia fired directly into the crowd gathered in Manchester in support of voting rights for working men. Peel devised the notion of ‘policing by consent’ as a way of securing support for police within communities, as opposed to using coercive force from without. So simultaneously a police force, an arm of the state tasked with controlling public order and crowd control, that would also be a community service - sensitive and responsive to citizens - was formed. This tension lies at the heart of policing even today and is part of a deeper story of how society contains and manages dissent.
Today, policing protest and the control of public order remain at the heart of modern policing. Every week in the capital and cities around the UK the sheer scale, diversity and number of protests is increasing - from domestic issues to climate change and international affairs, with large protests on events in the Middle East. There are huge variations in tactics and the use of social media by different groups – from marching and procession to occupation and ‘static’ protest, direct action and disinformation. And all of this requires policing.
In an era of what police are calling ‘chronic’ protest, resources are being stretched to breaking point. Live social media means the police are under more scrutiny and pressure than ever. Organisations like Extinction Rebellion have brought the capital to a standstill while other groups, like Black Lives Matter, have targeted policing itself as an object of protest.
Hearing from police officers of all ranks, activists and agitators from across the protest spectrum, historians, political thinkers, lawyers and journalists – and rich with archives - this series goes deep into the philosophical foundations and real tactics of public order policing. It explores the future of AI in policing protest and new technologies deployed by protestors, the police’s use of crowd psychology, the testing of ‘operational independence’ in the face of political pressure and the regulation of what spaces may or may not be used for public dissent today – the erosion of the protest space, reclaiming our political commons.
Where does the future of protest lie - and with new powers at their disposal, how will it be policed?
Contributors include criminologist Alex Vitale; XR activist Sarah; Rick Muir, director of the Police Foundation; Melissa Carrington from Just Stop Oil; Matt Twist, Assistant Commissioner for Met Operations; Graham Smith, CEO of Republic; Superintendent Oliver Cosgrove, Avon Somerset Police; Kerry Reece, a public order trainer from Gloucestershire Constabulary; Tony Blatchford, a Silver Public Order Commander; Police Support Unit instructor Jim Hill; group psychologist Clifford Stott; historian Katrina Navikas; author and Black Lives Matter activist Adam Elliott-Cooper; justice campaigner and creator of the 4Front project Temi Mwale; Chief Executive Officer of the College of Policing Andy Marsh; new correspondent and filmmaker Greg McKenzie, Detective Inspector and protest liaison Upile Mtitimila and ecological activist Dan Hooper, aka ‘Swampy’.
Presented by Mark Easton, with reporting by Rob Beckley
Produced by Simon Hollis
A Brook Lapping production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0022sg8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m0022sgb)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0022sgd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m0022sgg)
Nihal Arthanayake
A selection of highlights from the past week on BBC radio
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m0022sgj)
Susan fears the worst, and Chris has the rug pulled from under him.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m0022sgl)
Reaching for Rossini
In an engaging programme full of beautiful music, Joanna Robertson eavesdrops on a cast of talented young opera singers from around the world, as they work on favourite arias to perfect the style of "bel canto" ("beautiful singing"). They have come to the bel canto summer school of the Georg Solti Accademia, in the small Italian seaside town of Castiglione della Pescaia in Tuscany. The academy was founded in memory of the legendary conductor who had his summer residence here. We listen in on the world-class students as they hone their bel canto technique with leading vocal coaches, opera singers and conductors.
"Bel canto" is now on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is both a style of singing and a repertoire. It requires vocal artists to produce a penetrating yet luxuriantly smooth, and very expressive sound - often with virtuosic and dazzling runs of notes. Bel canto singing can be heard above an orchestra, without the help of amplification. It sounds effortless, but takes years to learn. It can be used for any style of music, but the repertoire most closely associated with it are operas by the nineteenth century Italian composers Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti.
Joanna joins the young singers and their teachers to find out more about bel canto and to hear how this sound is produced.
Producers: Arlene Gregorius and Joanna Robertson
Editor: Penny Murphy
Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele
Sound mix: Andy Fell
Photo of Rebecca Gulinello by Jennifer Lorenzini
With special thanks to Jonathan Papp, Artistic Director, and all at the Solti Accademia 2024
Young artists heard in this programme:
Eva Rae Martinez - Soprano
Rebecca Gulinello - Soprano
Aebh Kelly - Soprano
Clover Kayne - Mezzo Soprano
Xavier Hetherington - Tenor
Oliver Heuzenroeder - Baritone
SUN 19:45 Buried (m001hfr3)
Series 1
Series 1 - 4. Blackleg
In the dead of night, a meeting with a vet, who talks of an eerie event. It leads to a trail of toxins. Could Mobuoy still be a threat?
"All you have to do... is dig it up."
A trucker’s deathbed tape plays out. It’s urgent, desperate.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast series, investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor deep-dive into one of the worst environment crimes in UK history - the secret dumping of a million tonnes of waste near a city. But when they uncover missing documents, fears of toxicity and allegations of organised crime, they realise they’ve stumbled into something much bigger. As they pick at the threads of one crime, they begin to see others. Could Britain be the home of a new mafia, getting rich on our waste?
In a thrilling ten-part investigation, the husband-and-wife duo dive into a criminal underworld, all the time following clues left in a deathbed tape. They’re driven by one question - what did the man in the tape know?
Presenters and Producers: Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor
Assistant Producer: Tess Davidson
Original Music and Sound Design: Phil Channell
Sound Design and Series Mixing: Jarek Zaba
Executive Producers: Phil Abrams and Anita Elash
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
A Smoke Trail production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m0022kw3)
Former astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield on the language of Space exploration
Colonel Chris Hadfield is a veteran of three spaceflights. He crewed the US space shuttle twice, piloted the Russian Soyuz, helped build space station Mir and served as Commander of the International Space Station.
Getting words and language right in as clear and a concise way is a matter of life and death for astronauts. Crews are traditionally made up of different nationalities and Russian is second to English on board. Chris Hadfield who flew several missions and captained the International Space Station talks about how astronauts communicate and the special language they use that he dubs NASA speak. He speaks several languages and lived in Russia for twenty years. As an author he has written several novels based on his experience in Space and as a fighter pilot the latest of which is The Defector. His books The Apollo Murders are being made into a series for TV. He tells Michael about the obligation he feels to share in words as best he can an experience that so few people have - of being in space and seeing Earth from afar.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m0022l14)
Weekly obituary programme telling the life stories of those who have died recently.
SUN 21:00 Money Box (m0022s8b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m0022sfd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0022s86)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m0022sgn)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.
SUN 23:00 The Human Subject (m0022sgs)
The Gay Man and the Pleasure Shocks
In The Human Subject, Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Julia Shaw investigate the threads connecting modern day medicine to its often brutal origins.
This is the story of patient B-19, a 24-year old who, in 1970, walks into a hospital in Louisiana troubled by the fact that the drugs he’s been abusing for the past three years are no longer having the desired effect. He claims he is “bored by everything” and is no longer getting a “kick” out of sex.
To Dr Robert Heath’s intrigue, B-19 has “never in his life experienced heterosexual relationships of any kind”. Somewhere along the way, during the consultations, the conclusion is drawn that B-19 would be happier if he wasn’t gay. And so they set about a process that involves having lots of wires sticking out of his brain. Julia and Adam hear from science journalist and author, Lone Frank, author of The Pleasure Shock: The Rise of Deep Brain Stimulation and Its Forgotten Inventor.
Presenters: Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Julia Shaw
Producer: Simona Rata
Assistant Producer: Mansi Vithlani
Executive Producer: Jo Meek
Sound Design: Craig Edmondson
Commissioner: Dan Clarke
An Audio Always production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 23:30 Frontlines of Journalism (m001lyw8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:45 on Saturday]
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m0022l12)
The Stranger by Daisy Johnson
Daisy Johnson is a multi-award-winning short story writer whose debut novel Everything Under was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
In The Stranger she weaves a gentle romantic story beginning with an unusual flatshare to save money, then twists it into a suspenseful thriller all in the space of 14 minutes - read by Saffron Coomber.
Saffron Coomber has recently starred in Sir Lenny Henry's Windrush drama Three Little Birds, was in Small Axe by Steve McQueen, and made her West End debut as Shakespeare's muse in Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Written by Daisy Johnson
Read by Saffron Coomber
Produced by Allegra McIlroy
MONDAY 09 SEPTEMBER 2024
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m0022sgw)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.
MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m0022knz)
The 'ghost city' of Cyprus
The once glamorous Cypriot beach resort of Varosha has stood empty and frozen in time since war divided the island 50 years ago, but it is now partially open to tourists and there are hotly contested plans for its renewal.
Maria Margaronis speaks to Varosha's former inhabitants - mostly Greek Cypriots - who fled in 1974 when Turkish troops invaded the island and have been unable to return ever since, after Turkey fenced off the town as a bargaining chip for future peace negotiations.
Some of these Varoshians want to rebuild the resort together with the island's Turkish Cypriots - a potential model for diffusing hostilities across the whole island - and the UN says its original inhabitants must be allowed to return. But, following decades of failed peace talks, the internationally unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which controls Varosha, now says it intends to re-open and redevelop the entire town.
Presenter: Maria Margaronis
Producer: Simon Tulett
Series editor: Penny Murphy
Studio Manager: Gareth Jones
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman and Katie Morrison
Music credit: Michalis Terlikkas
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0022s9r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0022sgz)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0022sh1)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0022sh3)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:30 News Briefing (m0022sh5)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0022sh9)
A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m0022shf)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
MON 05:57 Weather (m0022shh)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m0022t6v)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 The Artificial Human (m0020qt2)
Can AI get me a new job?
Artificial Intelligence is in our homes, schools and workplaces. What does this mean for us?
In 'The Artificial Human,' Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong set out to 'solve' AI. Or at the very least, to answer our questions about it. These are the questions that really matter to us - is AI smarter than me? Could AI make me money? Will AI save my life? They'll pursue the answer by speaking to those closest to the forefront of AI-related innovation. By the end of each programme, the subject will be a little clearer - for us, and for themselves.
In this episode, we're asking: can AI get me a new job?
AI has changed the job market a LOT. It can sift through CVs, headhunt new talent and even conduct interviews. So where does that leave those looking for a new job? Does this place us in a better or worse position?
Aleks and Kevin don't have all the answers, but they bring intelligence, curiosity and wit to the journey, seeking out the facts for us and speaking to those who are currently shaping our AI futures. This is very much a shared journey to get to the bottom of our deepest hopes and fears about these world changing technologies.
MON 09:30 How to Play (m0022t6x)
Holst's The Planets with the Royal College of Music and Sibelius Academy Orchestra
Two student orchestras come together and invite us to eavesdrop on their rehearsals as they prepare to play Holst's epic work The Planets at the 2024 Proms.
From Helsinki, the young players of the Sibelius Academy join forces with London's Royal College of Music and conductor Sakari Oramo. Rehearsing just metres away from the Royal Albert Hall, we hear how they grapple with the musical universe conjured up by Holst - and work together to pull off a stellar performance.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0022t6z)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
MON 11:00 Complex (m0022t71)
It's said that it takes a village to raise a child, and never is that more true than for families raising children with complex disabilities. They rely on health, social care and other professionals to help keep their children healthy, happy, and living at home. But this tangled network of support has been worn thin by growing demand and dwindling resources.
Seven year-old Nora has a rare genetic disorder and complex care needs. This three-part series guides us through the concentric circles of Nora’s life. In this second episode, we travel with Nora to school, where she gets to socialise and learn valuable communication skills.
But getting to school is not straightforward. Nora's medical needs are so complex that she couldn't go to school without a nurse. Now, it's her annual continuing healthcare review, assessing the level of support she is entitled to. Can Nora continue to rely on the back-up that has kept her healthy and thriving over the last year?
Presented by Tors and Dave
Produced by Redzi Bernard
Music by Lily Sloane
Executive Producer: Rachel Hooper/Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
MON 11:45 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022t73)
Episode 1
When nine-year old Keira suffers catastrophic injuries in a car accident, her devastated family agree that she would have wanted to be an organ donor. Meanwhile in another part of the country Max has been hospitalised for almost a year with a virus that is causing his young heart to fail. When Max's parents receive the call they've been longing for, they know it comes at unimaginable cost to another family.
Dr Rachel Clarke follows the journey of the heart from Keira to Max with compassion and clarity. Exploring the history of the medical innovations in transplantation that led us here, she meets some of the physicians, nurses, scientists and surgeons whose knowledge and dedication make this remarkable procedure possible.
Written and read by Rachel Clarke
Abridged by Clara Glynn
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
MON 12:00 News Summary (m0022t75)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m0022t77)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
MON 12:57 Weather (m0022t79)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m0022t7c)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
MON 13:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022t7f)
11. Love Bytes
At thirty-one, mathematician Chris McKinlay is looking for love. But if it’s all a numbers game, his are not adding up. Could he be the problem? Or is something else getting in the way?
Producer: Lauren Armstrong Carter
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
MON 14:00 The Archers (m0022sgj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Plum House (m000h1lw)
Series 3
2. #SO BRITISH
Plum House's curator Peter Knight (Simon Callow) finds unlikely TV fame, whilst being featured on an ancestry show helping celebrity guest Derren Brown trace his roots to the museum. When Peter's most eccentric foibles are broadcast to millions, manager Tom and the team fear a backlash, but instead the audience take Peter to their hearts - his appearance goes viral #SOBRITISH and suddenly Plum House visitor numbers shoot up. How will the team handle the new business and will Peter be able to keep his head, even if Julian has selflessly put himself forward as his manager?
Plum House features Simon Callow, Jane Horrocks, Miles Jupp, Pearce Quigley, Tom Bell and Louise Ford.
Guest starring this week; Emma Denly, Alex Lowe
Written by Ben Cottam and Paul McKenna
Directed by Paul Schlesinger
Produced by Claire Broughton
It is a BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
MON 14:45 Wolverine Blues (m000ydpz)
Episode 3
Wolverine Blues, or a Case of Defiance Neurosis
Fiction from Graeme Macrae Burnet, inspired by the case study "Defiance Neurosis of a Seventeen-Year-Old High School Student" by Alphonse Maeder.
Dr Maeder’s therapy sessions bring some uncomfortable truths about Max’s home life to the surface.
Read by Robin Laing and Alasdair Hankinson
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
Graeme Macrae Burnet lives in Glasgow and is the author of novels including the Man Booker shortlisted 'His Bloody Project' and longlisted 'Case Study'. His new novel, 'A Case for Matricide', is published in October and concludes the Georges Gorski trilogy.
MON 15:00 Great Lives (m0022std)
Jo Brand picks American blues singer Bessie Smith
The biography show where famous guests pick someone they admire or love. Today Jo Brand picks Bessie Smith.
Bessie Smith was born in 1894 in Chatanooga, Tennessee and orphaned by the time she was 9. She lived, breathed and sang the blues. Known for hits like Downhearted Blues and Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do, she was an incredibly powerful and trailblazing singer.
Picking her for her attitude more than anything is the comedian Jo Brand; "She behaved appallingly sometimes, and secretly I quite admire that".
Joining Jo is Jackie Kay, a Bessie Smith fangirl since the age of 12 and author of Bessie Smith: singer, icon, pioneer.
The presenter is Matthew Parris and the producer for BBC Studios Audio is Ellie Richold,
MON 15:30 Extreme: Muscle Men (m0022t7h)
Muscle Men
7. French Fries or Bust
When bodybuilder William Dillon moved to LA, he dreamed of getting rich quick by selling the promise of big muscles in a bottle. But in the spring of 1987, that dream has come crashing down around him. With the authorities closing in on the steroid dealing ring, and fearing for his life, it’s time for Dillon and the steroid dealing ring to face the music.
In the fallout from the investigators’ operation, things get ugly. Loyalties are tested, and Dillon’s life could be on the line. News of what was then the biggest steroid bust in American history travels across the US and beyond, and host Natalia Mehlman Petrzela explores how it lay the groundwork for an anti-steroid movement that’s about to transform the way these drugs are policed and regulated.
Featuring William Dillon, Mike Zumpano, and Professor Daniel Rosenke, Professor of Sports Studies and Stirling College-Chengdu University
Presenter and Executive Producer: Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
Producer: Caroline Thornham
Assistant Producer: Mohamed Ahmed
Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Production Manager: Cheree Houston
Sound Design and Mix by Daniel Kempson
Original Music by SilverHawk, aka Cyrille Poirier
Executive Producer: Max O’Brien
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
Featuring clips from:
Interview with Philip Halpern - Professor Daniel Rosenke
CBS Evening News, 1987 - CBS
Panorama: Dying to Win: Drugs in Sport - BBC1
Senate hearing into steroid use by professional athletes - Senator Joe Biden, US Pool, Associated Press Archive
MON 16:00 American Socialist (m00223nm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
13:30 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0022s82)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m0022t7k)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0022t7m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (m0022t7p)
Series 30
Episode 6
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they’re able to smuggle past their opponents.
Miles Jupp, Holly Walsh, Lou Sanders and Marcus Brigstocke are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as fungi, the Beckhams, cushions and puddings.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4
MON 19:00 The Archers (m0022ssp)
Harrison struggles to keep control, and Jazzer spies a golden opportunity.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m0022t7r)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
MON 20:00 The Briefing Room (m0022kw6)
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m0022kwb)
A weekly programme looking at the science that's changing our world.
MON 21:00 History's Secret Heroes (p0hm0s04)
20. Manfred Gans and X Troop
Manfred Gans joins an elite, secret unit of Jewish commandos to take on the Nazis with advanced fighting and counterintelligence skills. But can he save his own family?
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 Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Suniti Somaiya
Assistant Producer: Lorna Reader
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Written by Alex von Tunzelmann
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
MON 21:30 Intrigue (m0020y2k)
To Catch a Scorpion
To Catch A Scorpion: 9. A Sting In The Tail
Barzan Majeed thought he was safe in Iraq but all that changes following the release of this series. Police and prosecutors in Iraq start their own investigation and before long they announce dramatic developments. For reporter Sue Mitchell, and her colleague, former soldier and aid worker, Rob Lawrie, the news signals possibilities for securing justice for some of those harmed in boat and lorry crossings.
This a bonus episode which covers developments following this BBC investigation. In the Kurdish controlled areas of Northern Iraq, Barzan Majeed's smuggling operations come under intense scrutiny. The Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, tells the programme that he hopes for a closer working relationship with Europe when it comes to tackling this problem. He has met with bereaved relatives and seen the pain and loss that comes with migrant journeys at the hands of smugglers like Scorpion.
For the UK’s National Crime Agency, the developments signal a real possibility of securing justice for some of the families who have suffered. This is also a chance to progress international links that could result in further arrests. There are other cases like Barzan’s - where smugglers have been tried in their absence by courts in Europe after escaping arrest and returning to Iraq. Those names have now been passed to the authorities in Iraq.
To Catch a Scorpion is a BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4 and is presented and recorded by Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie.
The series is produced by Sue Mitchell, Winifred Robinson and Joel Moors
The Editor is Philip Sellars
Commissioning Editor is Daniel Clarke
Assistant Exec Tracy Williams
Assistant Commissioner Podcasts/Digital, Will Drysdale
Original music is by Mom Tudie
and Sound Design is by Tom Brignell
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m0022t7t)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
MON 22:45 The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro (m0022t7w)
The Ticket: Part 1
Alice Munro’s short stories, often set in small town Canada, weave together fiction and autobiography to explore the complexities of human life. The author, who died in May, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013.
In “The Ticket”, a woman engaged to a man from a wealthier class pores over childhood memories and family lore in an attempt to prepare for married life.
Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
MON 23:00 Limelight (m001qml4)
The System - Series 3
The System - Method 2: Fill the Hole
Five Methods for Overcoming Mortality.
Season 3 of Ben Lewis’ award-winning thriller.
Ankle-tagged by the authorities and cancelled by the media, Maya is trying to focus on a life of hedonism when she begins to suspect someone is trying to kill her. Are they? Or is there something even more surreal about to unfold?
Cast:
Maya… Siena Kelly
Coyote…Divian Ladwa
Reggie…Ian Dunnett Jnr
Robin…Ryan Sampson
Original music and sound design by Danny Krass
A BBC Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0022t7y)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
TUESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2024
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m0022t80)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022t73)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0022t82)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0022t84)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0022t86)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m0022t88)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0022t8b)
A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m0022t8d)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
TUE 06:00 Today (m0022ss1)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m0022ss3)
Peter Stott on climate change deniers and Italian inspiration
In the summer of 2003, Europe experienced its most intense heatwave on record - one that saw more than 70,000 people lose their lives.
Experiencing the effects whilst on holiday in Tuscany, climate scientist Peter Stott was struck by the idea that just maybe, he could use a modelling system developed by his team at the UK’s Met Office Hadley Centre, to study extreme weather events such as this very heatwave mathematically; and figure out the extent to which human influences were increasing their probability.
That’s exactly what he went on to do - and, through this work and more, Peter has helped to shine a light on the causes and effects of climate change.
His career, predominantly at the Met Office Hadley Centre, has seen him take on climate change sceptics and explain the intricacies of greenhouse gas emissions to global leaders. His work with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change even earned him a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
But the biggest challenge remains: Peter talks to Jim Al-Khalili about whether humanity can adapt quickly enough to deal with the increasingly dangerous effects of our warming world...
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m0022ss5)
Programme exploring the limits and potential of the human mind.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0022ss7)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m0022l1k)
Joe Stilgoe and Gabriella Swallow on Beethoven, Doo-wop and Mambo
Cellist Gabriella Swallow and singer, pianist and songwriter Joe Stilgoe join Anna Phoebe and Jeffrey Boakye as they add the next five tracks, taking us from a pioneering use of a vocoder for a Stanley Kubrick soundtrack to a Grace Jones synth hit, via some early American Doo-wop.
Producer: Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
March – from A Clockwork Orange by Beethoven, Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind
This Night by Billy Joel
When You Dance by The Turbans
Gopher by Yma Sumac
Slave to the Rhythm by Grace Jones
Other music in this episode:
Night Boat to Cairo by Madness
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk
The Shining - Main Title, by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind
Piano Sonata No.8 by Bach, played by Alfred Brendel
Why do Fools Fall in Love by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) by Betty Everett
Street Hassle by Lou Reed
Dance at the Gym from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
TUE 11:45 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022ss9)
Episode 2
When nine-year old Keira suffers catastrophic injuries in a car accident, her devastated family agree that she would have wanted to be an organ donor. Meanwhile in another part of the country Max has been hospitalised for almost a year with a virus that is causing his young heart to fail. When Max's parents receive the call they've been longing for, they know it comes at unimaginable cost to another family.
Dr Rachel Clarke follows the journey of the heart from Keira to Max with compassion and clarity. Exploring the history of the medical innovations in transplantation that led us here, she meets some of the physicians, nurses, scientists and surgeons whose knowledge and dedication make this remarkable procedure possible.
Here, at the start of the heart’s journey, paramedics race to reach Keira at the scene of the accident.
Written and read by Rachel Clarke
Abridged by Clara Glynn
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m0022ssc)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m0022ssf)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
TUE 12:57 Weather (m0022ssh)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m0022ssk)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
TUE 13:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022ssm)
12. Scandal in the Air
At a niche engineering conference, a young researcher shares some data that looks like an embarrassing mistake. Little does he know, his simple bar chart is the first pebble in an avalanche exposing a scandal of epic proportions.
Producer: Ilan Goodman
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0022ssp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m000v89p)
Going Dark
In 1642, the lives of three actors are devastated by a theatre ban that will last 18 years. They witness the upheavals of plague, Civil War, Puritan persecution and the execution of their Royal patron, Charles I. Marcella Evaristi’s play celebrates the remarkable survival and ultimate Restoration triumph of these real-life friends who finally returned to the stage as celebrated players in 1660.
Michael……….....Justin Salinger
Charlie……………Daniel Boyd
Walter…………....Joel MacCormack
Mattie…………….Melody Grove
Robin……………..Stephen Boxer
Isobel……………..Candida Benson
Susannah…………Lauren Cornelius
Producer/Director: Bruce Young
BBC Scotland
TUE 15:00 Short Cuts (m0022ssr)
Sound Waves
Trying to capture a lost homeland on tape, reclaiming urban landscapes through the sound of skateboarding, and the noise that is one of the great equalisers of the world. Short documentaries that ripple through space - presented by Josie Long.
Curated by Axel Kacoutié, Eleanor McDowall and Andrea Rangecroft
Producer: Andrea Rangecroft
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m0022sst)
Coffee Culture
Urban baristas in a US city and Chinese managed coffee bars in Italy.
Laurie Taylor talks to Geoffrey Moss, Professor of Instruction in the Department of Sociology, Temple University, about the subcultural lives of hipsters who are employed in Philadelphia. Such young people have taken low-wage service sector jobs, despite their middle-class origins and educational background, because they enjoy the city's hipster subculture. Working within cool, noncorporate coffee shops with like minded colleagues blurs lines between work and leisure. For those that are artistic, barista life has provided a flexible work schedule which allows time for creative pursuits. But this new research suggests that these subcultural lives are now greatly diminished by class, race and gentrification.
Also, Grazia Ting Deng, Lecturer at Brandeis University's Department of Anthropology, explores the paradox of “Chinese espresso". The coffee bar is a cornerstone of Italian urban life, with city residents sipping espresso at more than 100,000 of these local businesses throughout the country. So why is espresso in Italy increasingly prepared by Chinese baristas in Chinese-managed coffee bars? Deng investigates the rapid spread of Chinese-owned coffee bars since the Great Recession of 2008 and draws on her extensive ethnographic research in Bologna. She finds that longtime residents have come, sometimes resentfully, to regard Chinese expresso as a new normal and immigrants have assumed traditional roles, even as they are regarded as racial others.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
TUE 16:00 Illuminated (m0022sgl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Sunday]
TUE 16:30 When It Hits the Fan (m0022ssw)
Who's in the news for all the wrong reasons? With David Yelland and Simon Lewis.
TUE 17:00 PM (m0022ssy)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0022st0)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 18:30 Heresy (m0017kd4)
Series 12
Episode 1
Victoria Coren Mitchell presents the show which dares to commit heresy.
Joining Victoria Coren Mitchell to commit heresy about feelings and trigger warnings are comedians Desiree Burch and David Baddiel and artist Grayson Perry.
Written, presented, and produced by Victoria Coren Mitchell with additional material from Dan Gaster and Charlie Skelton.
Series created by David Baddiel
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m0022st2)
Alice attempts to come to terms with recent events, and Robert takes charge.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m0022st4)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
TUE 20:00 Today (m0022st6)
The Today Debate
Mishal Husain is joined by an expert panel for the Today Debate.
TUE 20:45 In Touch (m0022st8)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted.
TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m0022stb)
Ivory Coast's cocoa crisis
The price of cocoa - the essential ingredient in chocolate - has more than quadrupled on the international market in the last two years. Yet many of those growing it have not benefitted. In fact, drought, disease and a lack of investment have led to catastrophic harvests and, therefore, a drop in income for many small producers of cocoa, especially in Ivory Coast. This West African country is the world’s largest producer of cocoa - up to 45% of the world’s total. Most of the growers are small-scale, poor farmers. There are now calls for these growers to get a bigger chunk of the chocolate bar and, in so doing, to help ensure future production. John Murphy travels to Ivory Coast to delve into the world of chocolate production.
TUE 21:30 Great Lives (m0022std)
[Repeat of broadcast at
15:00 on Monday]
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0022stg)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
TUE 22:45 The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro (m0022stj)
The Ticket: Part 2
Alice Munro, who died in May, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Her short stories, often set in small town Canada, weave together fiction and autobiography to explore the complexities of human life.
In “The Ticket”, an engaged woman gathers items for her trousseau as she scours the marriages closest to her in search of clues that will help her find happiness.
Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
TUE 23:00 Poetry Please (m0020211)
Sean Hewitt
Roger McGough returns with more listener poetry requests.
Produced by Sally Heaven for BBC Audio
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0022stl)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
WEDNESDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2024
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m0022stn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022ss9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0022stq)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0022sts)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0022stv)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:30 News Briefing (m0022stx)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0022stz)
A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m0022sv1)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
WED 06:00 Today (m0022sy4)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 More or Less (m0022skj)
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.
WED 09:30 The Coming Storm (m0022yv2)
S2: Ep 1. The Yogi
America through the looking glass - enter a world where nothing is as it seems.
As America heads into a presidential election, Gabriel Gatehouse dives back into the labyrinthine rabbit warren of American conspiracy culture.
Whilst liberals across the world worry about a possible return of Donald Trump, millions of Americans are convinced that their democracy has already been highjacked - by a sinister Deep State cabal. How did this happen? And who is behind it?
Gabriel meets a January 6 rioter running for office who sees his detention as political imprisonment and goes on the trail of a Californian yogi who stormed the capitol and then fell even deeper down the rabbit hole.
Producer: Lucy Proctor
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0022sy6)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
WED 11:00 Today (m0022st6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:45 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022sy8)
Episode 3
When nine-year old Keira suffers catastrophic injuries in a car accident, her devastated family agree that she would have wanted to be an organ donor. Meanwhile in another part of the country Max has been hospitalised for almost a year with a virus that is causing his young heart to fail. When Max's parents receive the call they've been longing for, they know it comes at unimaginable cost to another family.
Dr Rachel Clarke follows the journey of the heart from Keira to Max with compassion and clarity. Exploring the history of the medical innovations in transplantation that led us here, she meets some of the physicians, nurses, scientists and surgeons whose knowledge and dedication make this remarkable procedure possible.
As the author delves into the wartime roots of transplantation, Max’s concerned parents watch his health deteriorate.
Written and read by Rachel Clarke
Abridged by Clara Glynn
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
WED 12:00 News Summary (m0022syb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m0022syd)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
WED 12:57 Weather (m0022syg)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m0022syj)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
WED 13:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022syl)
13. The Grain of Truth
Amid the desperation of war-starved Netherlands a doctor finds a way of curing a group of gravely ill children. His finding challenges accepted medical wisdom, and provokes opposition from Catholics. But why had the rest of the world missed this miracle treatment?
Producer: Ilan Goodman
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
WED 14:00 The Archers (m0022st2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0022tm1)
Tribe of Two
Growing up in Devon’s sleepiest market-town, Mari has never felt she belongs. There’s the day-to-day trials that come with being a mixed-race kid in noughties rural England. And then there’s Baba, her larger-than-life Zimbabwean father – a local celebrity on the world music festival circuit.
Baba is desperate for Mari to learn his songs and follow in his footsteps, and Mari plays along. Literally. But she feels little connection to a country and a culture that Baba has always been strangely reluctant to talk about.
All that changes one blissful, teenage summer, when a daring distant cousin comes to visit from Zim. A fuse is lit in Mari that will blow the familiar certainties of her old life apart. When she swaps her dad’s world of festivals for uni in Plymouth, the town’s straight-talking, rough-edged gay scene offers a fresh sense of identity.
But will Mari’s new-found strength be enough to confront a dark family secret?
A story of multifaceted identities and what it means to truly make your own kind of music.
By Malaika Kegode
Mari ..... Mae Munuo
Makenda ….. Mogali Masuku
Baba ..... Cyril Nri
Mum/Chrissie ..... Mary Woodvine
Ben ….. Nay Oliver Murphy
Salt Peter/Hippy ….. Stephen Kennedy
The Jess’s/Form teacher ….. Jade Matthew
Lad ..... Flynn Hallman
Other voices played by the cast
Composer, Harry Wrigley
Mbira player and composer, Otto Gumaelius
Sound design, Adam Woodhams
Mix, Steve Bond
Executive producer, Nicolas Jackson
Director/Producer, Jesse Fox
An Afonica production for BBC Radio 4
WED 15:00 Money Box (m0022syn)
The Money Box team invites listeners and a panel of experts to discuss one personal finance topic in depth.
WED 15:30 The Invention Of... (m0022syq)
Taiwan
At the beginning of this year the president of the Chinese People's Republic, Xi Jinping, claimed that people living on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should reunite "and share in the glory of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation". But is Taiwan really a part of China, and could this question lead to war? Misha Glenny and producer Miles Warde have been to the capital Taipei and also Tainan City in the south to find out about their relationship with the Chinese mainland.
"I've obviously been following the situation in Ukraine, and it strikes me that before our eyes we're seeing the rapid development of a new Ukrainian consciousness and national identity. What's struck me about coming here to Taiwan is the same process is underway." Misha Glenny
Contributors include Amanda Hsiao senior analyst of the Crisis Group and Chris Buckley, the chief China correspondent for the New York Times now relocated to Taipei. Plus you'll hear from long time resident of Taiwan Chris Taylor, author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Tibet. "All Xi Jinping understands is complete control .... he's given up on what the Taiwanese call the silver bullet, promises of great trade opportunities and get rich, join us. Nobody's buying that. So the only way he's going to get it is by force of some kind."
Taiwan is episode 57 of How to Invent a Country on BBC Sounds, the series that has previously travelled to Germany, Brazil, Turkey and Russia. Misha Glenny is a former Central Europe correspondent for the BBC and the author of McMafia. The producer for BBC Studios Audio in Bristol is Miles Warde.
WED 16:00 The Media Show (m0022sx9)
Topical programme about the fast-changing media world
WED 17:00 PM (m0022sys)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0022syv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 18:30 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m0016pw7)
Series 1
Round two: The World
The problem with quizzes is that the same questions keep coming up, like “What’s the largest land mammal?” So the more quizzes you do the more predictable they get.
Luckily, here comes quizzer, comedian and Rose d’Or winner Paul Sinha with his new series, Paul Sinha’s Perfect Pub Quiz. In each episode he will invite the audience to tell him their favourite quiz questions, before offering up not just different and surprising questions, but also the fascinating stories behind the answers.
It’s facts, jokes, stories and puns – just the way you like them.
This week's show is full of questions for the World Round of the quiz. Paul asks about the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, the world's longest river, and the US state which has Boston as its capital. The audience, meanwhile, contribute questions about countries on the equator, wordless national anthems, and matching flags.
Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material Oliver Levy
Additional questions The Audience
Original music: Tim Sutton
Sound engineer: Jerry Peal
Producer: Ed Morrish
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4
*The African elephant, as you well know.
WED 19:00 The Archers (m0022sws)
Neil tries to put on a brave face while Tony has professional problems
WED 19:15 Front Row (m0022syx)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m0022l0r)
Adam Fleming helps you work out what the culture war arguments are really about.
WED 20:45 Boys (m001yqpr)
About the Boys
4. Sex and Consent
In this episode, boys from all over the UK talk to Catherine Carr about sex, relationships and consent. In a post #MeToo and #Everyone’sInvited world, the boys talk very openly about their fears and anxieties around sex - especially to do with false allegations of assault. They also describe the pressures and the confusion they feel when trying to form physical and romantic relationships. Boys talk about the roles they feel they have to play and the difficulties in being both tough and emotionally open. Catherine also hears some of the work being done in schools and colleges designed to help boys and girls to communicate more openly and talks to a lawyer who works defending boys accused of sexual crime.
Thanks to
Haberdashers’ Boys School
Ben Dunks - author of ‘Intimacy: A Guide for Young Men About Sex.’
South Dartmoor Community College
Brook Advisory
Sandra Paul, Kingsley Napley
Beyond Equality
Producer: Catherine Carr
Researcher: Jill Achineku
Executive Producer: Marie Helly
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4
WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m0022ss3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m0022ss5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m0022sz0)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
WED 22:45 The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro (m0022sz2)
Home: Part 1
Alice Munro’s short stories, often set in small town Canada, weave together fiction and autobiography to explore the complexities of human life. The author, who died in May, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013.
In “Home”, a woman sets out on the long bus ride into rural Canada to visit her elderly father and lively stepmother on the farm where she grew up.
Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
WED 23:00 Follow the Rabbit (m0022sz4)
The Ghost of Elizabeth Weaver
Follow the Rabbit is a brand new comedy series following Chris Relish, an amateur paranormal investigator and podcast maker who is on a mission to prove the existence of supernatural forces after claiming he's had a romantic experience with a ghost.
The subject of this episode is Wes, a local nerd who believes his recently deceased girlfriend, Elizabeth Weaver, is haunting him and preventing him from moving on. Wes wants to make contact with Elizabeth to find out what she wants and give her the closure she needs. Chris enlists the help of parapsychologist and medium, Ophelia Winter. The three of them visit Elizabeth's grave, performing a séance in an attempt to break through.
Cast
Chris Relish: Tom Lawrinson
Wes: James Baxter
Ophelia Winter: Chelsea Halfpenny
Kathleen Relish: Jo Enright
Marco: Owen Cooper
Written and produced by James Boughen
Executive Producers: Simon Mayhew Archer and Michelle Farr-Scott
Original music by Sam O'Leary and Jacob Howard
A Motif Pictures production for BBC Radio 4
WED 23:15 The Skewer (m0022sz6)
Series 12
Episode 1
Jon Holmes brings you the week's biggest stories like you've never heard them before.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0022sz9)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
THURSDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 2024
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0022szc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022sy8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0022szf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0022szh)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0022szk)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:30 News Briefing (m0022szm)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0022szp)
A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m0022szr)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
THU 06:00 Today (m0022sw4)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 Across the Red Line (m002243y)
Series 7
Should national service be reintroduced? - with former defence minister Tobias Ellwood and president of the NUS Amira Campbell
Anne McElvoy and the conflict mediator Gabrielle Rifkind facilitate this edition's debate about calls to reintroduce National Service. It's an idea many in the military say is essential in the new world order. In January the outgoing head of the Armed Forces General Sir Patrick Saunders said the creation of a citizens army was essential and only last month the new head of the British Army General Sir Roly Walker said Britain's army must be ready in three years to fight a war against what he described as an "axis of upheaval" - Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
In the run up to the recent general election the conservatives pledged to introduce national service if they were re-elected. Support for the idea appeared to split along generational lines with many older people appearing to back it with young people against.
The idea was the brainchild of the former Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood who served in the armed forces before becoming an MP. He lost his seat last month but he remains convinced that such service must happen. He argues that the peace of the post cold war era is over, that appeasement doesn’t work and that everyone needs to lean in and take their share of the security burden. Alongside him in the studio but on the opposite side of the debate is the president of the National Union of Students Amira Campbell . The NUS which represents more than 7 million students described the proposal as “regressive” and “ridiculous”
Presenter: Anne McElvoy
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
THU 09:30 Illuminated (m001yhg4)
John Meagher: The Divil's Own
Did you ever have a recurring dream that you think might just be a memory? Or a nightmare so vivid that it could almost be real?
John Meagher has. He’s been dreaming about a group of devil worshippers who may or may not have terrorised his home town of Newry, Northern Ireland since the early 90s.
John takes us on a funny, fearful and surprising journey of discovery across Northern Ireland to uncover the truth behind the story of "The Whitehoods" of Newry and discovers that the "Satanic Panic" wasn't exclusive to his home town.
But what was really going on? And why do so many towns in the North have a similar story?
Can John find out the truth and lay these memories to rest? Is there any truth to be found at all in this land of saints, scholars and spoofers?
For the sake of his sleeping patterns and his marriage, John is determined to find out.
A Fabel production for BBC Radio 4
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0022sw6)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m0022sw8)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
THU 11:45 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022swb)
Episode 4
When nine-year old Keira suffers catastrophic injuries in a car accident, her devastated family agree that she would have wanted to be an organ donor. Meanwhile in another part of the country Max has been hospitalised for almost a year with a virus that is causing his young heart to fail. When Max's parents receive the call they've been longing for, they know it comes at unimaginable cost to another family.
Dr Rachel Clarke follows the journey of the heart from Keira to Max with compassion and clarity. Exploring the history of the medical innovations in transplantation that led us here, she meets some of the physicians, nurses, scientists and surgeons whose knowledge and dedication make this remarkable procedure possible.
When a match is made via the national donor database, the teams swing into action.
Written and read by Rachel Clarke
Abridged by Clara Glynn
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
THU 12:00 News Summary (m0022swd)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 You and Yours (m0022swg)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m0022swj)
Greg Foot investigates the so-called wonder products making bold claims.
THU 12:57 Weather (m0022swl)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m0022swn)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
THU 13:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022swq)
14. Whispers from the Cosmos
In a shabby brick hut in 1967, a young researcher spots a bizarre, pulsing signal: a cosmic whisper picked up a huge receiver she helped to build. Is it just mundane interference - or could it be alien life?
Hannah Fry shares a tale of one woman’s journey through the male-dominated halls of 1960s academia, to a groundbreaking discovery that transformed our understanding of the universe.
Producer: Ilan Goodman
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
THU 14:00 The Archers (m0022sws)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m000gd0c)
Edith Sitwell in Scarborough
Delightful mixture of fact and fantasy exploring the extraordinary poet, writer and critic Edith Sitwell. Edith returns to Scarborough where she was born, and meets her younger self to wreak revenge on her parents where she was subjected to cruelty as a child.
Dame Edith - Glenda Jackson
Miss Edith - Bella Ramsey
Lady Ida - Julia Davis
Sir George - Jonathan Keeble
Moat - Roger Ringrose
Written by Mary Cooper from an idea by Lavinia Murray
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
THU 15:00 Open Country (m0022swv)
Aberaeron's Mackerel Festival
Jon Gower is in Aberaeron, Ceredigion, to explore how mackerel (and other fish) have shaped the people and landscape.
Jon joins the pretty harbour town’s annual mackerel festival, where the humble mackerel is given thanks at the end of its season with a funeral procession, complete with wailing widows, a blessing from a local reverend and, most years, a sunset cremation on the beach. Here, Jon meets local townsfolk to hear how fishing connects the generations far back in their families and how livelihoods, mackerel populations and the landscape of this town are changing with the climate crisis.
He also hears from Phill Smith and Elinor Gwilym, from the Cymdeithas Aberaeron Society, who talk about how the charming aesthetic of the town is influenced by its connection to fishing, with the colourful harbour houses originally built for sea captains.
Producer: Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m0022sfd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Word of Mouth (m0022swx)
Fine Distinctions
Eli Burnstein talks about fine distinctions between words, including Michael's personal bugbear of forewords, prefaces and introductions, some clarity on clementines, satsumas, tangerines and mandarins, and of course the lunch, dinner and tea debate.
Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m0022swz)
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m0022sx1)
A weekly programme looking at the science that's changing our world.
THU 17:00 PM (m0022sx3)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0022sx5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 18:30 Phil Ellis Is Trying (m000mkty)
Series 3
Prison Break
Phil's never got on with his dad Goodison, who spent a lot of Phil's life pretending to be dead. Now in prison for theft of an embarrassingly small bingo prize, Goodison invites Phil to visit him as part of HMP Parbold's annual "Bring Your Family To Prison Day". Phil sees this as an opportunity to reconnect with his dad. After all, as Polly says, it's not like he can run away this time. But when it soon turns out there's more to Goodison's invitation than meets the eye, will Phil be quick enough to see through his clever ruse? Meanwhile, Polly visits Johnny who is serving a 3 to 5 stretch (hours) for selling a hooky hook from the film Hook, and is worried he might be becoming institutionalised.
Cast includes:
Phil Ellis as Phil
Johnny Vegas as Johnny
Amy Gledhill as Polly
Jason Barnett as Basher/Graham McCartney/DJ
Terry Mynott as Prison Warder McKay/Paul McCartney/Hannibal
And
Guest starring Alexei Sayle as Phil's dad Goodison
It was produced by Sam Michell and is a BBC Studios Production
THU 19:00 The Archers (m0022sk5)
There’s a silver lining for Brian and Jazzer stumbles on a surprising secret
THU 19:15 Front Row (m0022sx7)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
THU 20:00 The Media Show (m0022sx9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m0022s91)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Naturebang (m000pxp1)
Slime Mould and Problem Solving
Becky Ripley and Emily Knight celebrate the intelligence of a brainless slime mould. As single-cell protists, with no brain and no nervous system, slime moulds do not 'think' in human terms, but they can calculate and navigate complex systems with incredible efficiency and objectivity. With some help from a few oat flakes, because slime mould loves oats.
One species in particular, Physarum Polycephalum, has proven itself to outwit us time and time again, from solving complex urban transport problems to mapping the structures of the cosmic web. In doing so, it totally overthrows our human definition of intelligence, where we have positioned ourselves at the top of a big biological hierarchy. From the bottom up, slime mould is starting to uproot the whole system.
Featuring Merlin Sheldrake, writer of 'Entangled Life', and experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m0022sxc)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
THU 22:45 The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro (m0022sxf)
Home: Part 2
Alice Munro, who died in May, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Her short stories, often set in small town Canada, weave together fiction and autobiography to explore the complexities of human life.
In “Home”, a woman makes the long journey to her childhood home only to be confronted by worrying changes in her elderly father.
Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m0022sxh)
Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0022sxk)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
FRIDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2024
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m0022sxm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022swb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0022sxp)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0022sxr)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0022sxt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m0022sxw)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0022sxy)
A reading and a reflection to start the day on Radio 4
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m0022sy0)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
FRI 06:00 Today (m0022sjk)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m0022sfs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0022sjm)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m0022sjp)
The Sourdough Library
Dan Saladino visits a unique collection of sourdough bread starters from around the world and explores a hidden world of grains, yeasts, bacteria and their influence on our health.
Produced and presented by Dan Saladino
FRI 11:45 The Story of a Heart by Dr Rachel Clarke (m0022sjr)
Episode 5
When nine-year old Keira suffers catastrophic injuries in a car accident, her devastated family agree that she would have wanted to be an organ donor. Meanwhile in another part of the country Max has been hospitalised for almost a year with a virus that is causing his young heart to fail. When Max's parents receive the call they've been longing for, they know it comes at unimaginable cost to another family.
Dr Rachel Clarke follows the journey of the heart from Keira to Max with compassion and clarity. Exploring the history of the medical innovations in transplantation that led us here, she meets some of the physicians, nurses, scientists and surgeons whose knowledge and dedication make this remarkable procedure possible.
The NHS team are about to begin the complex operation which will change Max’s life – but first, they take a moment to remember Keira and give thanks for the selfless decision her family have made.
Written and read by Rachel Clarke
Abridged by Clara Glynn
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m0022sjv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m0022sjx)
Adam Fleming helps you work out what the culture war arguments are really about.
FRI 12:57 Weather (m0022sjz)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m0022sk1)
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment.
FRI 13:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022sk3)
15. Song of the Sea
A PhD student with a passion for whales stumbles upon something strange. An eerie sound deep beneath the ocean waves is about to rock her world.
Producer Lauren Armstrong Carter
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m0022sk5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m0022sk7)
Central Intelligence
Episode 1
Central Intelligence tells the insider story of the CIA from the perspective of Eloise Page (Kim Cattrall), who joined on the agency’s first day in 1947 and became one of its most powerful women. Eloise takes the listener on a journey through the highs and lows of US foreign policy, spanning the staggering world events that shaped her career, as well as portraying her relationships with early CIA leaders, Allen Dulles (Ed Harris) and Richard Helms (Johnny Flynn).
In Episode 1, tensions with Russia in war-torn Europe, and a letter found in Hitler’s safe…
Cast:
Eloise Page..........Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles..........Ed Harris
Richard Helms..........Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner..........Geoffrey Arend
Young Eloise Page..........Elena Delia
General Vyshinsky..........Matthew Marsh
Erna Flegwel..........Sarah Alles-Shahkarami
Princess Tanda..........Isabella Nefar,
Antoine Guerini..........Walles Hamonde
Tom Polgar..........Jamie Bogyo
Nadia..........Arita Sadiku
Original music by Sacha Puttnam
Production:
Written by Greg Haddrick, who created the series with Jeremy Fox
Sound Designers & Editors: John Scott Dryden, Adam Woodhams, Martha Littlehailes & Andreina Gomez Casanova
Script Consultant: Misha Kawnel
Script Supervisor: Alex Lynch
Trails: Jack Soper
Archive Research: Andy Goddard & Alex Lynch
Production Assistant: Jo Troy
Sonica Studio Sound Engineers: Mat Clark & Paul Clark
Sonica Runner: Flynn Hallman
Marc Graue Sound Engineers, LA: Juan Martin del Campo & Tony Diaz
Margarita Mix, Santa Monica Sound Engineer, LA: Bruce Bueckert
Mirrortone Sound Engineers, NY: Collin Stanley Dwarzski & James Quesada
Director: John Scott Dryden
Producer & Casting Director: Emma Hearn.
Executive Producers: Howard Stringer, Jeremy Fox, Greg Haddrick and John Scott Dryden.
A Goldhawk and ThoroughBred production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:45 Buried (m001hg06)
Series 1
Series 1 - 5. The Missing Memo
A memo goes missing - until now. It rallies a community to keep calling for the truth.
"All you have to do... is dig it up."
A trucker’s deathbed tape plays out. It’s urgent, desperate.
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast series, investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor deep-dive into one of the worst environment crimes in UK history - the secret dumping of a million tonnes of waste near a city. But when they uncover missing documents, fears of toxicity and allegations of organised crime, they realise they’ve stumbled into something much bigger. As they pick at the threads of one crime, they begin to see others. Could Britain be the home of a new mafia, getting rich on our waste?
In a thrilling ten-part investigation, the husband-and-wife duo dive into a criminal underworld, all the time following clues left in a deathbed tape. They’re driven by one question - what did the man in the tape know?
Presenters and Producers: Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor
Assistant Producer: Tess Davidson
Original Music and Sound Design: Phil Channell
Sound Design and Series Mixing: Jarek Zaba
Executive Producers: Phil Abrams and Anita Elash
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
A Smoke Trail production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0022skb)
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m0022skd)
Statue by Emma Smith-Barton
A new short story by Emma Smith-Barton, read by Mia Khan.
Just after giving birth, Sadia turns into a statue. At least, that’s how she feels. One moment she’s reaching out to pull the curtains shut, and the next she’s frozen to the spot. All she can do is look out of the window – and try to understand what’s happening to her.
Emma Smith-Barton’s short stories have appeared in Mslexia and the Bristol Short Story Prize anthology. Her first novel, The Million Pieces of Neena Gill, was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award, and the Romantic Novelists' Association Debut Romanic Novel Award.
Reader: Mia Khan
Sound: Catherine Robinson
Producer: Fay Lomas
A BBC Audio Drama Wales Production
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m0022skg)
Weekly obituary programme telling the life stories of those who have died recently.
FRI 16:30 More or Less (m0022skj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m0022skl)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0022skn)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m0022skq)
Series 115
Episode 2
Topical panel quiz show, taking its questions from the week's news stories.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m0022sks)
Writer: Liz John
Director: Kim Greengrass
Editor: Jeremy Howe
David Archer…. Timothy Bentinck
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Brian Aldridge…. Charles Collingwood
Harrison Burns…. James Cartwright
Alice Carter…. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Neil Carter…. Brian Hewlett
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Ruairi Donovan…. Arthur Hughes
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Will Grundy…. Philip Molloy
Brad Horrobin…. Taylor Uttley
Joy Horville…. Jackie Lye
Alistair Lloyd…. Michael Lumsden
Jazzer McCreary…. Ryan Kelly
Fallon Rogers…. Joanna Van Kampen
Robert Snell…. Michael Bertenshaw
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m0022skv)
Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe create a playlist no computer could.
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m0022skx)
Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m0022skz)
Weekly reflections on topical issues from a range of contributors.
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m0022sl1)
The ideas shaping our world are discussed by this week's host Anne McElvoy and a panel of guests:
Gisela Stuart, Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston, is a British German politician. A former Labour politician she now sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords
David Runciman is former Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge and now hosts Past Present Future: The History of Ideas Podcast. His most recent book is called The History of Ideas : Equality, Justice and Revolution
Producer: Luke Mulhall
You can find past episodes of Free Thinking available on BBC Sounds and as the BBC Arts & Ideas podcast
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m0022sl3)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
FRI 22:45 The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro (m0022sl5)
Home: Part 3
Alice Munro’s short stories, often set in small town Canada, weave together fiction and autobiography to explore the complexities of human life. The author, who died in May, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013.
“Home”. As her father recovers from an illness in hospital, a daughter is thrown together temporarily with her stepmother and must find common ground.
Read by Laurel Lefkow
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie
FRI 23:00 Americast (m0022sl7)
Join the Americast team for insights from across the US.
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0022sl9)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament