SATURDAY 05 OCTOBER 2024

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m0023glc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 The Kindness of Strangers by Kerry Hudson (m0023gjn)
At Home

In these five specially commissioned essays, Kerry Hudson explores the kindness of strangers - how tiny encounters (and larger actions) have turned the tide repeatedly in desperate circumstances.

They encompass topics such as the psychology of kindness in childhood, the vulnerability of travelling alone in places with troubled histories, how Kerry had to learn to rely on the strangers working in an underfunded health service in a foreign country while suffering from a life-threatening illness, the perils of life on the water and the generosities of the boating community experienced whilst living on a canal boat, and how kindness can sometimes come with unexpected caveats and conditions depending on what you look like and where you are from.

Born in Aberdeen, Kerry Hudson grew up in poverty and fear, in a succession of council estates, B&Bs and caravan parks with a single parent mother who suffered from challenging mental ill-health, compounded by addiction.

Kerry's first novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was published in July 2012 and was shortlisted for eight literary prizes, including the Guardian First Book Award and Green Carnation Prize, and won Scottish First Book of the Year. Kerry's second novel, Thirst, was developed with support from the National Lottery through an Arts Council England grant, and published in July 2014 before being shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize. Her first work of non-fiction, Lowborn (2019) became a Times bestseller and was hailed as ‘One of the most important books of the year’ by The Guardian. A follow-up to Lowborn, titled Newborn, was published in February 2024.

Written and Read by Kerry Hudson
Commissioned and Produced by Jill Waters
A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023glj)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023gln)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023gls)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:30 News Briefing (m0023glw)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023gly)
The Season of Creation

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Father Martin Magill


SAT 05:45 Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity (m001y86n)
How glues helped us fly

In this series, materials scientist Mark Miodownik charts the journey of human progress through the sticky substances that have shaped us.

In episode three he explores how adhesives have unlocked radically new designs for aircraft, letting us build planes that flew higher, faster and further than ever before.

He learns how, during WWII, adhesives allowed Britain to build a fighter plane that could outstrip anything else in the sky.

And he hears how glues are used to create the strong and lightweight stuff that planes are made out of today – materials that will be central to the goal of environmentally sustainable flight.

Contributors:
Christopher Wilk, Victoria and Albert Museum
Ginger Gardiner, Composites World

Producer: Anand Jagatia
Presenter: Mark Miodownik
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m0023p9s)
The latest news headlines. Including the weather and a look at the papers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m0023gms)
These Debatable Lands

Helen Mark visits 50 square miles that were neither England nor Scotland. The Debatable Lands, between Carlisle and Gretna, were home to untameable crime families that petrified the most powerful of Lords and Kings. For hundreds of years governments in London and Edinburgh left the region to its own laws and moral codes. When they did intervene, the result was an explosion of violence that's still visible in the landscape of derelict towers and still audible in the Border Ballads collected by Walter Scott.

Author, Graham Robb guides Helen through the region's complex history and Ian Scott Martin takes her to the ramparts of Gilnockie Tower- the fearsome stronghold of the Armstrong family, one of the most notorious clans of Border Reivers.

The Union of the Crowns in the early 17th century brought the age of the Debatable Land to an end, ushering in a long period of peace broken abruptly in 1915. On the Western Front the British Army was running out of shells. In Westminster the government fell and the decision was made to build an enormous 9 mile long munitions factory, stretching across the region. Rebecca Short of the Devil's Porridge Museum guides Helen around the remains of the industrial landscape in which 30,000 people- 16,000 of them women- worked in the production of the cordite that propelled shells across the battlefields of Belgium and France.

The western tip of the Debatable Land reaches out to the saltmarshes of the Solway Firth. This apparently peaceful landscape soon yields its secrets. The land is constantly battered and transformed by the tides while animals and plants have to adapt to survive the harsh and dynamic conditions. Helen explores the creeks, bogs and rivers with David Pickett of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Chris Miles of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland.

Producer: Alasdair Cross


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m0023p9v)
05/10/24 Farming Today This Week: 'Poultry police', dairy recruitment crisis, imported carrots, deer.

Poultry keepers say they can't access government websites to register their birds. From 1st October anyone who keeps birds has to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to help with monitoring bird flu outbreaks, even those with just one or two chickens. Failure to comply could mean a fine of £2,500. However bird owners who've tried to register say the system is not working. Defra says it's had a high number of applications and is working at pace to process them.

Dairy farmers are finding it a 'real struggle' to recruit new staff, according to industry experts, The farmer-owned dairy coop Arla spoke to nearly 500 UK dairy farmers and just under 90% of them said they had advertised jobs and had few or no applicants at all. So what’s holding young people back from a life working with dairy cows in a career that can also involve robotics, veterinary science and data analysis to mention just a few of the skills involved in modern milk production?

The UK is 97% self-sufficient in carrots, according to the British Carrot Association, but poor weather over the last year has meant supermarket shelves stocked with bags of carrots imported from China, Israel and other countries. Is that a trend that’s likely to continue?

We’ve been talking about deer all this week, their impact on the environment and how to manage their growing population.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


SAT 06:57 Weather (m0023p9x)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m0023p9z)
05/10/24 - Amol Rajan and Justin Webb

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m0023pb1)
Jodi Picoult, Kristian Nairn, Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn, Alexander Armstrong

One of the world’s best known and bestselling authors Jodi Picoult is no stranger to controversy, some of her books have been banned in the US, and her latest novel might just ruffle a few ruffs here too as she looks to bust the myths we hold about the truth behind who wrote Shakespeare's plays.

The actor and DJ Kristian Nairn, perhaps best known as the gentle giant Hodor in Game of Thrones, has written a memoir sharing stories about his life coming of age as a gay man during The troubles in Northern Ireland and finding his confidence as a drag queen called Revvlon.

And Sam Evans and Shauna Guinn reveal what happened when they quit their 9-5 jobs, went on a pilgrimage around the Southern US states, and learned the dark art of American BBQ.

All that, plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of actor, author and the voice of Danger Mouse and Hey Dugge - Alexander Armstrong.

Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay
Producer: Ben Mitchell


SAT 10:00 Curious Cases (m0023pb3)
Series 1

Space Bubbles

While chatting at the back of class, best mates Abi and Sofia got curious about bubbles. How do you make really giant ones? Could you even get one around the entire planet?

Hannah and Dara set out to investigate. They hear from a renowned 'bubbleologist', and learn how NASA helped him blow his way to a world record. They coax a physicist to reveal the secrets of his peer-reviewed bubble-juice formula, and investigate how bubbles work in space and in the ocean.

Our curious duo also discover an audacious project aiming to build a Brazil-sized raft of bubbles... in space!

Contributors:

Dr Helen Czerski, UCL
Dr Justin Burton, Emory University
Dr Awesome, Bubbleologist
Professor Carlo Ratti, MIT

Producer: Ilan Goodman
Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem
A BBC Studios Audio Production


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0023pb6)
Series 45

Postbag

Jay Rayner and his panel of chefs, cooks and food writers dig deep into the Kitchen Cabinet inbox in a postbag edition of the programme. Providing their true thoughts on full English breakfasts and bechamel sauce hacks are food experts Tim Anderson, Jeremy Pang, Lerato Umah-Shaylor and Sophie Wright.

Jay and the panel discuss hash browns and the tastiest one-pot dishes, and respond to a perhaps controversial question - what’s the point of mozzarella? They later take a stance on the best flavour of jam, and deliberate over the proper shape to cut a sandwich.

And if you too feel strongly about the way your veg is chopped, Jeremy Pang offers validating intel about the importance of chopping methods in Chinese cookery.

Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Dulcie Whadcock
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 11:00 Americast (m0023gl5)
Will conflict in the Middle East impact the US election?

How important is the United States when it comes to resolving conflict in the Middle East, and how much power does the U.S. president really have in the region? With the election just weeks away, Justin and Sarah look at how the conflict might affect voters, and what it means for both Donald Trump’s and Kamala Harris’s presidential campaigns. CNN’s Chief International Anchor, Christiane Amanpour joins Justin and Sarah, sharing her insights and contacts from the region.

HOSTS:
• Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter
• Sarah Smith, North America Editor

GUEST:
• Christiane Amanpour, CNN Chief International Anchor

GET IN TOUCH:
• Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
• Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
• Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
• Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Rufus Gray, Alix Pickles, and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0023pb8)
Israel Undeterred

Kate Adie presents stories from Israel, Sudan, the US, Bali and Canada

It’s nearly a year since the Hamas launched its attacks in southern Israel, to which Israel responded with a major aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza. This fifth Gaza war is the longest ever, and shortly after it began, Lyse Doucet had a prescient encounter that presaged Israel's response over the past 12 months.

Sudan’s civil war has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises – with nine million people forced from their homes. Barbara Plett Usher reflects on a powerful encounter with one woman, whose torment reflects that of the entire country.

In this week’s VP debate in the US, one issue continued to provoke strong responses – that of abortion rights. And in some parts of the country, the future of access to IVF is also polarising communities, especially among evangelical Christians, after an Alabama court ruling this year. Ellie House was in the swing state of Michigan.

The town of Canggu in Bali has seen radical transformation, evolving from a low-key fishing town to a haven for digital nomads. For locals, it's brought fast-paced change and new jobs - but it's compounded existing problems with infrastructure, as Michelle Jana Chan discovered.

This week, Dutch PM, Mark Rutte, took over as NATO secretary general. He travelled to Ukraine, just as Kyiv suffered a heavy blow with the fall of Vuhledar in the east. NATO meanwhile has to continue to prepare for a wider conflict of any kind. Hannah King witnessed a recent training exercise in Canada.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production coordinators: Sophie Hill & Katie Morrison


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m0023pbb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m0023pbd)
Scam Special: Game Changing New Fraud Rules

In a special programme broadcast live from the Atrium in Quay House at MediaCityUK, Paul Lewis discusses a momentous change in the way banks treat customers who have money stolen from their bank accounts by what is called Authorised Push Payment Fraud.

In 2023 a record number of people lost hundreds of millions of pounds to thieves who tricked them, manipulated them and then drained their bank accounts.

On October 7th new rules will come into force which mean nearly all transfers will be covered, so that victims will be refunded in the vast majority of cases up to a limit of £85,000.

Money Box gets hundreds of emails from people who've lost money to scams and frauds and this will be life changing for those who find themselves a victim of this kind of crime.

To mark this change, the team will be joined by a panel of experts and people who've lost thousands of pounds in these sort of scams.

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Catherine Lund and Jo Krasner
Studio Producer: Sarah Rogers
Studio Managers: Pete Smith, Matthew Dempsey and Cameron Ward
Editor: Jess Quayle

(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 5th October 2024)


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m0023gkf)
Series 115

Peace & Peaks

Alasdair Beckett-King, Zoe Lyons, Scott Bennett, and Cindy Yu join Andy Zaltzman to quiz the news

This week on The News Quiz the panel look for the solution to world peace, check in with the Conservative final four, and tackle Everest (not literally).

Written by Andy Zaltzman

With additional material by: Jade Gebbie, Cody Dahler, Dee Allum, and Pete Tellouche
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: Richard Morris
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

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


SAT 12:57 Weather (m0023pbg)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News and Weather (m0023pbj)
The latest national and international news and weather reports from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m0023gkn)
Rushanara Ali MP, Annabel Denham, Tobias Ellwood, Adrian Ramsay MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Beccles Public Hall & Theatre in Suffolk with Rushanara Ali MP, the building safety and homelessness minister; Telegraph columnist and deputy comment editor Annabel Denham; former Conservative MP and foreign office minister Tobias Ellwood; and Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP.

Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Kevan Long


SAT 14:00 Any Answers? (m0023pbl)
Call Any Answers? to have your say on the big issues in the news this week.

If you have been affected by any of the details discussed in this edition of the programme there is information of help and support in the UK available at bbc.co.uk/actionline


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m0023gkh)
As Chris waits at The Bull for Harrison to turn up, Lilian chats about the ‘Name the Pub Cat’ competition. Chris just hopes they end up with a better name than Prospero! When Will appears with Ed, he gets a frosty reception. Upset Will heads off and Ed tries to explain that Will and Emma did try to make George confess. Ed thinks that as George’s uncle, Chris should be more understanding. But Chris retorts that after everything he did to Alice and Martha, George is no nephew of his.

George nervously awaits Alice’s arrival at No.1 The Green, explaining to Will and Ed that he has to face this alone – he’s not a kid anymore. When Alice arrives she explains she’s not there to have a go at George, she’s there to read out her impact statement to him face to face. The prosecutor will read it out in court. George fights back tears as Alice outlines how George’s actions have impacted on her personal life, work and especially her daughter Martha. Because of George, Alice felt like she was on a course of self-destruction. When she finishes, shell-shocked George sobs saying how sorry he is. Alice is gentle but firm telling him she understands what he’s going through – she’s far from perfect. But she advises him to take responsibility for what he did, and if he ends up in prison, to use that time to grab every opportunity he can to put his life back together. He mustn’t let this ruin him. George promises it won’t – he’ll come out of this a better person.


SAT 15:00 Drama on 4 (m0023pbn)
It Can't Happen Here

Sinclair Lewis's prescient 1936 satirical novel It Can't Happen Here, adapted for radio by Mike Walker.

Following her recent discovery of a series of interviews recorded in 1939 with Doremus Jessup, the exiled editor of The New England Informer, Jane Fernandez takes us on a very personal journey into history in this one-off documentary charting the rise and fall of America's most unlikely president - Berzelius 'Buzz' Windrip.

CAST

Doremus Jessup - Ben Miles
Lorinda Bryant - Debora Weston
The Presenter - Ashleigh Haddad
President Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip - Nathan Osgood
Bishop Prang - Stuart Milligan
Shad Ladue - Nathan Nolan

Production Co-ordinator - Eleri McAuliffe
Sound Design - Catherine Robinson and Nigel Lewis
Producer - John Norton

A BBC Audio Wales Production

The programme image uses a photograph from a "Pro-American Rally" held at Madison Square Garden in 1939.


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m0023pbq)
Weekend Woman’s Hour: SEND transport, Hair thinning, Women and prison, The Tuam babies scandal: A Woman's Hour Special

Mums who give up work or cut their hours because they have a child with special educational needs and disabilities say problems with school transport is one of the reasons. An opinion poll from Opinium commissioned by Woman's Hour for a programme on SEND last month revealed 12% of mothers flagged lack of appropriate funded transport as a problem. Woman's Hour hears from three mums, Ellie Partridge, Ramandeep Kaur and Sabiha Aziz, who are struggling to transport their children with SEND to school, and in some cases are having to pay hundreds of pounds a month.

Hair loss comes in many forms, from thinning to complete loss. In his new YouTube series, Hair Stories, hairstylist Michael Douglas, with over 37 years of experience working with women’s hair, explores women’s unique stories and the personal connection they have with their hair. Joining Michael is Katie O'Callaghan, who experienced hair loss and ultimately chose to undergo a hair transplant.

In her speech at Labour conference the Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said: "for women, prison isn’t working." To discuss her latest announcement, as well as the launch of the Women's Justice Board, Nuala is joined by the former Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, and Lily Blundell, Head of Community Programmes at the charity, Women in Prison.

For this special edition of Woman's Hour, Nuala McGovern travels to Tuam, County Galway in Ireland to visit the site of a former mother and baby home which came to the world’s attention in 2014. It was revealed that up to 796 babies and young children who died in the care of the nuns who ran the home, had been disposed of in a disused sewage tank. Now, more than a decade since the scandal broke, work is starting on a full excavation. Nuala speaks to guests including Paul Forde, a survivor of the Tuam home, whose baby sister's remains may be in the mass grave.

When Cathy Hollingworth was first diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, she decided to document her journey through poetry. Now she’s publishing a collection of 22 poems called Getting It Off My Chest. She joins Kylie to discuss the poems and how they helped her get through her treatment, as well as what she hopes others can learn about talking to people with cancer.

The London Piano Festival runs at Kings Place from Friday 4 - Sunday 6 October. Nuala is joined by Katya Apekisheva, co-founder of the festival, a Professor of Piano at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, to explore of the lives and music of women piano composers from the last two centuries.

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


SAT 17:00 PM (m0023pbs)
Full coverage of the day's news.


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m0023pbv)
The John Swinney One

The First Minister of Scotland sits down with Nick to reflect on his reluctant path to power.

Producer: Daniel Kraemer


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0023pbx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m0023pbz)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023pc1)
A 2 year old boy is one of four people killed in a small boat


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m0023pc3)
Tim Smit, Patrick Gale, Tom Allan, Anna Keirle, Angeline Morrison

Stuart Maconie presents Loose Ends from the North Cornwall Book Festival in St Endellion. He is joined by Patrick Gale, Tom Allan, Anna Keirle and Tim Smit, and there's music from the multi-instrumentalist Angeline Morrison.

Patrick Gale is the author of the Emmy award-winning BBC drama Man in an Orange Shirt and novels including A Place Called Winter, A Perfectly Good Man and Notes From An Exhibition. He’s been the Artistic Director of the North Cornwall Book Festival since it began in 2012. He joins Loose Ends to tell us all about his final year in the role.

Born in Scotland and armed only with an English degree, Tom Allan turned his back on his desk-based city job and headed west, where a life out in the open air beckoned. Now a full-time thatcher and writer, Tom’s book On The Roof tells tales of craftmanship from around the world and he joins Stuart to talk nitches, yealms and exactly what to do with a biddle.

Anna Keirle is stand-up, writer and actor who has been working the comedy circuit for over 20 years performing from Cornwall to Edinburgh and beyond. She co-wrote and starred in Radio 4’s Wosson Cornwall alongside Dawn French, and faced Anne Robinson when she took on - and won - The Weakest Link.

Former archaeologist-come-songwriter-come-producer-come-entrepreneur Sir Tim Smit KBE once sheltered from the Cornish rain in an estate agents while on holiday - and ended up buying a house. After relocating to Cornwall, he came across someone who needed a little archaeology expertise for some overgrown and neglected land... and the Lost Gardens of Heligan were reborn. Spotting a disused pit a little further up the road, and - one night in the local pub later - plans for the Eden Project were formed. Opening in 2001, the Project has contributed over £1.9 billion to the Cornish economy.

And there's music from Angeline Morrison, who joins us to play Fair Maid In Bedlam and the haunting Unknown African Boy. Angeline has been unearthing the voices of black ancestors whose footprint has been missing from the collected British folk history. Affectionately referred to as 're-storying', the result of her work - 2022’s The Sorrow Songs - drew acclaim across the board, praising her “courage in reconstructing folk repertoire” as “truly revolutionary”.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Elizabeth Foster
Production Co-ordinator: Lydia Depledge-Miller

Photo: Drew Shearwood


SAT 19:00 Profile (m0023pc5)
David Lammy

He’s not yet completed a hundred days in his new job, but David Lammy finds himself overseeing the UK’s response to rising tensions in the Middle East.

Born to Guyanese parents in north London, and raised by his mother from the age of 12 after his father left them, the foreign secretary is known for his advocacy for social justice, equality, and human rights.

His journey to the top of British politics began with a legal career – becoming the first black Briton to study a masters in law at Harvard. At 27, David Lammy became Parliament’s youngest MP when he was elected in Tottenham, and he went on to become a junior minister under Sir Tony Blair.

In opposition, he spent some of his time on Labour’s back benches – though now finds himself front and centre, facing countless fast-moving global challenges.

Mark Coles meets some of the people who know David Lammy best - from childhood friends, to his beloved 'Aunty May'.

Contributors
Decca Aitkenhead - Chief Interviewer, The Sunday Times
Paul Waugh - Labour MP for Rochdale
Ben Rhodes - Political commentator
Mayfield Griffith - Godmother of David Lammy

Production team
Producers: Di Richardson, Michaela Graichen and Ben Cooper
Editor: Ben Mundy
Sound: Neil Churchill
Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Janet Staples

Archive
United Nations General Assembly
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson, 11 May 2018
Channel 4 News


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m0023gm6)
Margaret Drabble

The novelist, biographer and critic Dame Margaret Drabble published her debut novel in 1963. She quickly went on to become a bestselling and critically acclaimed chronicler of the lives of modern women in a series of contemporary realist stories, often based on her own life and experiences. Her 19 novels include The Millstone, The Waterfall, The Ice Age and The Radiant Way, and her non-fiction includes books on Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth and Arnold Bennett. She has also edited the Oxford Companion to English Literature.

Dame Margaret tells John Wilson about her upbringing in Sheffield and how winning a scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge, shaped her literary tastes. It was there that she heard the lectures of the academic F R Leavis and first discovered contemporary novels by Angus Wilson and Saul Bellow. She became an actress and worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company before her first novel, A Summer Birdcage, the story of the relationship between two sisters, was published in 1963. She recalls how her literary career began in the wings of the RSC and talks candidly about her often strained relationship with her older sister, the late novelist A S Byatt.
Dame Margaret also discusses the influence of her friend, the Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m0023pc7)
Bombers

On October 5th 1974, two bombs exploded in pubs in Guildford, Surrey. On November 21st that same year, two more devastated pubs in Birmingham. The events that followed led to the most serious challenge for British justice in modern times. This is the story of how Chris Mullin investigated the cases as a young journalist, exposing the mistakes and corruption within the police investigations, and tracking down some of the real bombers. He reveals why these cases became the most significant miscarriages of justice in modern times, and why wrongful convictions - like the Post Office cases - still happen today.


SAT 21:00 Living on the Edge (m001q136)
Omnibus 2

Ten coastal encounters, presented by writer Richard King.

Not simply town or countryside, the coastline is a place apart – attracting lives and stories often overlooked.

In these ten programmes, Richard King travels around the UK coast to meet people who live and work there – a sequence of portraits rooted in distinct places, which piece together into an alternative portrait of the UK: an oblique image of the nation drawn from its coastal edge.


SAT 22:00 News (m0023pc9)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m0023gjl)
A Food Revolution in Ten Ideas.

Dan Saladino looks at 10 potentially planet changing ideas for the future of food, from a farm out at sea to a pioneering rethink on how we can feed cities. Dan meets the scientists, entrepreneurs and risk-takers focused on transforming the health of the planet, and us.

Produced and presented by Dan Saladino.


SAT 23:00 Randy Feltface's Destruction Manual (m0023htf)
3. Air

Randy Feltface is waking up and smelling the coffee. Unfortunately, he’s also smelling carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride, benzene, styrene, formaldehyde, arsenic, lead, chromium, benzo(a)pyrene, dioxins, furans and PCBs - but that’s modern-day industry for you. Don’t believe him? Just ask popular Kidz TV presenter Mr Stinky!

This head-on charge into possibly the most important subject facing humanity comes to you via a show where you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn, you’ll laugh again between the learny bits and most of all, you’ll be able to say “I was there when Radio 4 decided to have a show hosted by a puppet”.

Randy Feltface has been seen on Netflix, ABC, NBC, and has a huge & devoted following across the globe (1m+ social media followers, 1.6m TikTok followers, 833k subscribers, 79m YouTube views). His hour-long specials are YouTube cult classics, his world tours are sold-out sensations, and he's the only Radio 4 presenter to be entirely made of felt.

With Margaret Cabourn-Smith & William Hartley

Produced & directed by David Tyler

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Brain of Britain (m0023ftp)
Heat 5, 2024

(5/17)
Four more quizzers from around the UK join Russell Davies for the UK's longest-established general knowledge quiz. Today's winner will take another of the semi-final places and increase their chances of being named BBC Brain of Britain 2024.

The competitors today are
Andrew Bingham from Woolwich in London
Eithne Cullen from East London
Sean Lea from Lewisham in London
Hannah Reilly from Clarkston near Glasgow.

A Brain of Britain listener will also have a chance to win a prize if the competitors fail to answer questions he or she has submitted.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria

A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

SUNDAY 06 OCTOBER 2024

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m0023pcc)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


SUN 00:15 Open Book (m0023ftm)
Alan Hollinghurst

Chris Power talks to Alan Hollinghurst. His novels from The Swimming-Pool Library to The Sparsholt Affair, and the Booker-winning The Line of Beauty, have over the last 30 years mapped a unique landscape of queer desire, art, politics, class and sense of Englishness.
In his latest book, Our Evenings, we follow the life of Dave Win, a mixed race child who lives with his mother in a provincial English town from his bursary funded 1960s public school, to Oxford University, through his radical acting career of early adulthood and on to older age and the pandemic of 2020. Dave Win's intimate memories of maternal bond, friends and lovers illuminate larger cultural and political shifts in the landscape.

The American writer Rumaan Alam talks about Entitlement the follow up novel to the highly successful Leave the World Behind. He explores why he wanted to write about money, and it's corrupting effect on a young woman who realises that doing the right thing may not always bring you the rewards you've earned.

And with long nights ahead, we have a recommended read of ghost stories from Drummond Moir of Atlantic Books.

Book List - Sunday 29 September
The Swimming-Pool Library by Alan Hollinghurst
The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Haunted Tales by Adam Macqueen
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023pcf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023pch)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023pck)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:30 News Briefing (m0023pcm)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m0023pcp)
The church of St Mary the Virgin in Bowdon near Altrincham

Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Mary the Virgin in Bowdon near Altrincham, Greater Manchester. The long ridge of Bowdon Hill is crossed by the Roman road of Watling Street, linking Cheshire and Lancashire. There has been a church on this raised site, in the centre of Bowdon, since Saxon times. By the mid-19th century the church needed to be extensively rebuilt to house the rapidly expanding congregation. There are eight bells all of which cast by the John Taylor foundry of Loughborough in 1964. The Tenor weighs eighteen hundredweight and tuned to the note of E. We hear them ringing Stedman Triples.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m0023dr6)
Peer Support

When you need help or information, where is best to turn? Perhaps reaching out to peers via online methods, or perhaps finding a group that you can meet up with in-person.

Has the prevalence of social media and online meetings discouraged in-person get togethers and has it meant that the quality of our interactions has been diminished? Or does it make accessing information and help from peers and organisations much easier and more efficient. The answers will naturally differ from person to person, depending on preference and whether you are able access to online methods. This episode is dedicated to peer support; where you get it from, who you get it from, and in what form you prefer it.

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


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m0023pg5)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m0023dqn)
Architecture and Hope

Yvonne Jewkes, Professor of Criminology at the University of Bath, talks to Laurie Taylor about the design of prisons and the importance of an architecture of hope which nurtures the possibility of rehabilitation, from Limerick to Norway. They’re joined by Lynne McMordie, Research Associate at the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research at Heriot-Watt University, whose research suggests that the congregate nature of hostels and shelters for homeless people often compound the problems of residents, rather than providing a safe space or route to secure housing.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m0023pg7)
Sounds of a Somerset Vineyard

After a short time working in wildlife television then as a gardener Ingrid Bates followed her dream of becoming a viticulturist. First she worked in an established vineyard before setting up her own on rented farmland outside of Bristol. Dunleavy Vineyards produces several different types of grapes which are made into red, rose and white wines. Ingrid enjoys the special sense of place she derives from being out in the rows of vines in all weathers all year round. Often when she's working alone apart from the planes taking off from nearby Bristol Airport the only sounds she hears are birdsong and the neighbouring farmer calling his sheep. Ingrid wanted to incorporate this sense of place into the wines so has developed a barcode on the bottles which takes listeners to the sounds of the vineyard in all seasons. Sybil Ruscoe visits Ingrid at her vineyard on a hot summer day and walks along the vines with Ingrid and meets Marshall the farmer and her friend Peter who helped with bird identification.

Producer: Maggie Ayre for BBC Audio Bristol


SUN 06:57 Weather (m0023pg9)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m0023pgc)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m0023pgf)
October the 7th Memorial, Atheist v Theists, Dashera Diwali

October 7th marks one year since the devastating attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel, which unfolded as a series of horrific massacres. Sunday hears the experiences of some of those whose lives were directly changed by the events of a year ago. Ruby Chen is the father of Itay, who was just 19 years old when he was last seen by his family. Itay was a US/Israeli citizen and was serving in the Israeli army on October 7th. Israeli authorities believe he was killed on or soon after that day, but his body has never been recovered. Also on the programme, we hear from Emilie and her 15-year-old daughter Noor, who returned to the UK last year, having moved out to Gaza to be with close family living there ahead of October 7th. Due to their dual nationality, they were able to leave Gaza as the bombing intensified.

A team of researchers from a programme called Explaining Atheism, led by Queen’s University Belfast, has spent the last three years exploring why people around the world become atheists and agnostics, and this week they launched interim results. The team surveyed nearly 25,000 people from six countries (Brazil, China, Denmark, Japan, the UK, and the USA) and found that the UK now has more atheists than theists, ushering in the ‘UK’s first atheist age.’ In the programme, we hear from Dr Lois Lee, who was part of the research team, and Chine McDonald, Director of the think tank Theos.

Out and about in Manchester city, William Crawley joins others for a dramatic performance of the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic chronicling the Hindu god Vishnu's mythic life. The drama was staged over a few hours in the middle of Manchester's Exchange Square as the city's Indian community celebrated the annual Dashehra Diwali Mela—with dazzling light shows, a traditional food market, arts and crafts, and a fabulous parade.

Presenter: William Crawley
Producers: Bara'atu Ibrahim & Dan Tierney
Editor: Rajeev Gupta

Production Coordinator: Kim Agostino
Studio Managers: Amy Brennan & Carwyn Griffiths


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m0023pgh)
The Orchard Project

Wildlife presenter Julia Bradbury makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of The Orchard Project. The charity plants and restores orchards across the UK, helping urban spaces become more climate-resilient whilst creating a green space for local communities.

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 ‘The Orchard Project’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘The Orchard Project’.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4

Registered Charity Number: 1139952. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://www.theorchardproject.org.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m0023pgk)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m0023pgm)
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the Sunday papers


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m0023pgp)
Impossible Friendship

Canon Sarah Snyder, director of an international centre for reconciliation based at Rose Castle in Cumbria, leads this act of worship which focuses on peacebuilding. The centre invites strangers and even adversaries to meet and work with one another. In recent months it has welcomed US Republicans and Democrats - as well as Israelis and Palestinians, Russians and Ukrainians.

Canon Snyder is joined in the castle by peacemakers who have been engaged is some of the world’s most protracted struggles, and reflects on how their faith inspires them in their work. She hears from Professor Ephraim Isaac is a Jew from Ethiopia, James Lual Atak, a Christian from South Sudan and Dr Sarah Ahmed, a Muslim from Iraq.

Two of the peacebuilders became good neighbours in the most unlikely circumstances. They live in a place of extreme violence, on opposing sides of the conflict in Kaduna state in Northern Nigeria. Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa recall their seemingly impossible friendship, and reflect on the difficult journey they’ve taken towards healing and reconciliation.

Readings from Psalm 77 and Luke chapter 10.

Music includes Gorecki’s symphony of sorrowful songs, the “small symphony of religions” sung by the interfaith Pontanima choir of Bosnia, and the hymn “Christ is Our Light.”

Producer: Rosie Dawson


SUN 08:48 A Point of View (m0023gks)
Paranoids and Publicists

Adam Gopnik revisits two famous American essays from the 1960s and finds a remarkably contemporary vision - and one 'that seems to have an application to our own time and its evident crisis.'

He couples Richard Hofstadter's 1964 essay, 'The Paranoid Style in American Politics' with Daniel Boorstin's 1962 classic on 'image' and America's tenuous relationship with facts.

'It is the admixture of Hofstadter's political paranoia with Boorstin's cult of publicity,' writes Adam, 'that makes Trump so very different from previous political figures.'

Producer: Adele Armstrong
Sound: Peter Bosher
Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Editor: Tom Bigwood


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m0023pgr)
Sir Michael Palin on the Oystercatcher

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.

A walk along a shoreline often brings with it the sound of the oystercatcher. These vocal waders, neatly attired in their black and white plumage, complete with red accents, more often than not notice you before you see them. Though it is their bill which is remarkable as Sir Michael Palin reveals in this episode.

Producer : Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio on Bristol
Studio engineer : Suzy Robins


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m0023pgt)
A year since the October 7th attacks

A British-Israeli woman and a British-Palestinian man meet to reflect on the attacks and the resultant year of conflict in the Middle East. The UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees joins us live from Beirut. And Dame Evelyn Glennie tells us about how musicians can experience music after losing their hearing.


SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m0023qjw)
Ronnie O'Sullivan - Extended Edit

This is an extended version of a programme first broadcast on Sunday 28 May 2023.

Ronnie O’Sullivan OBE is currently ranked the number one snooker player in the world, and is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the history of the sport.

He has won the Masters a record seven times and he jointly holds the record for winning the World Snooker Championship seven times. Since 1997 he has held the world record for the fastest 147 break, leading to his nickname 'the Rocket'.

Ronnie grew up in Essex and his father gave him his first snooker cue when he was seven. He took to the game immediately: he was playing on a full size snooker table when he was just eight, and two years later he was beating adult players. By the age of 12, he was winning cash prizes in local tournaments, and was soon earning more than his teachers.

Ronnie turned professional when he was 16, and quickly established himself as a star player and a fans' favourite - but he has also made headlines away from the snooker table, with accounts of his depression and struggles with alcohol and drugs. For many years he has kept his physical and mental health in check through his passion for running.

He received an OBE in 2016 for services to snooker.

DISC ONE: Lose Yourself - Eminem
DISC TWO: Careless Whisper - Wham!
DISC THREE: Step by Step - Whitney Houston
DISC FOUR: Real Gone Kid - Deacon Blue
DISC FIVE: You’re So Vain - Carly Simon
DISC SIX: Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics
DISC SEVEN: Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) - Train
DISC EIGHT: That’s All - Genesis

BOOK CHOICE: Running with the Kenyans by Adharanand Finn
LUXURY ITEM: A painting set
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: That’s All - Genesis

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Sarah Taylor


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m0023pgw)
Writer: Keri Davies
Director: Kim Greengrass
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Ben Archer…. Ben Norris
David Archer…. Timothy Bentinck
Jill Archer…. Patricia Greene
Pat Archer…. Patricia Gallimore
Tony Archer…. David Troughton
Lilian Bellamy…. Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter…. Hollie Chapman
Chris Carter…. Wilf Scolding
Susan Carter…. Charlotte Martin
Ed Grundy…. Barry Farrimond
Emma Grundy…. Emerald O’Hanrahan
George Grundy…. Angus Stobie
Will Grundy…. Philip Molloy
Brad Horrobin…. Taylor Uttley
Tracy Horrobin…. Susie Riddell
Azra Malik…. Yasmin Wilde
Khalil Malik…. Krish Bassi
Zainab Malik…. Priyasasha Kumari


SUN 12:15 Profile (m0023pc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 Just a Minute (m0023g6r)
Series 93

3. Rhymes with Touché and Suché and John Belushé

Julian Clary, Jenny Eclair, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Josie Lawrence join host Sue Perkins for the long-running quick-thinking panel game, aiming to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include John O'Groats, The Perfect Outfit, and Adding Insult To Injury.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Manager: Jerry Peal
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


SUN 12:57 Weather (m0023pgy)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m0023ph0)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world.


SUN 13:30 The Conflict: One Year On (m00240ss)
On the eve of the anniversary of the 7 Oct 2023 attack on Israel, BBC correspondents reflect on their past year of reporting and what is next for the Middle East. Rich in story telling, analysis and personal experience, we hear from the BBC's best journalists who have been covering the Middle East.


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m0023gk3)
Postbag Edition: Henry Moore Studios and Gardens

What do you do with lily stems once the flowers have fallen off? Any tips on growing chanterelle mushrooms? When's the best time to prune fig trees in the northeast?

Peter Gibbs and his panel of horticultural experts take a visit to Henry Moore's Studio and Gardens, while dipping into the GQT postbag to answer your gardening conundrums.

Joining forces with Peter are proud gardeners Matthew Biggs and Christine Walkden, and garden designer Bunny Guinness. The panellists are escorted around the seventy acres of outdoor studio space by Sebastiano Barassi, head of the Henry Moore Collections and Programme.

Later in the programme, the panel discusses foreign seeds and the potential issues that planting them would have on our environment.

Producer: Dan Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Carly Maile

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m0023ph2)
Hard Times - Episode 2

Charles Dickens’ novel Hard Times is perhaps best known for its portrayal of school inspector Thomas Gradgrind, who states clearly and repeatedly at the outset that it’s facts that matter, and education should be all about filling children up with these facts as if they were vessels rather than human beings.

In this, the second of two episodes introducing Hard Times, John Yorke looks at how Dickens demonstrates the damage that Gradgrind’s utilitarian approach can have on real people, and offers in opposition to it the colourful spectacle of the circus and the sense of wonder it represents.

Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce points out the ways in which traces of Gradgrind’s approach are still evident in the school room, and how counter-productive that might prove in the modern moment.

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

Contributors:
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, screenwriter and current Children’s Laureate
Dr Emily Bell, University of Leeds
Deborah McAndrew, writer, director and actor

Researcher/Broadcast Assistant: Nina Semple
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Producer: Geoff Bird
Executive Producer: Sara Davies
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Dickensian (m0023ph4)
Hard Times: Episode 2

"Now, what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life."

Louisa and Tom have grown up in the rigid, utilitarian system of their father, Thomas Gradgrind. Hoping to help her brother, Louisa has entered into a loveless marriage with Coketown banker and mill-owner, Bounderby. But when a millworker is suspected of robbing the bank, Louisa starts to fear that her brother may have had a hand in the plot. And she also encounters temptations of her own.

Charles Dickens's novel - subtitled 'For These Times' - is a vivid story for our own age - a short, sharp satire of target-driven education, business, and the denial of the imagination.

Dramatised by Graham White

Thomas Gradgrind ….. David Morrissey
Louisa Gradgrind ….. Rachel Harper
Tom Gradgrind ….. Ike Bennett
Josiah Bounderby ….. Shaun Dooley
Sissy Jupe ….. Janey Orchard
Mrs Sparsit ….. Jan Ravens
James Harthouse ….. Will Close
Stephen Blackpool ….. Arthur Hughes
Rachael ….. Claire Cage
Josephine ….. Julie Barclay
Slackbridge/Collins ….. Richard Elfyn
Bitzer ….. Aaron Anthony
Sleary ….. Patrick Robinson

Production co-ordinators Lindsay Rees and Eleri Sydney McAuliffe
Sound by Rhys Morris, Nigel Lewis and Catherine Robinson
Directed by Emma Harding, BBC Audio Wales


SUN 16:00 Bookclub (m0023ph6)
Susanna Clarke: Piranesi

Susanna Clarke won the Women's Prize for Fiction with her novel Piranesi. She joins James Naughtie and a group of readers to answer their questions about this intriguing, tantalising novel.


SUN 16:30 Brain of Britain (m0023ph8)
Heat 6, 2024

(6/17)
What's the largest artery in the human body? What's the biggest-selling single in Britain never to have reached no.1? And when Shane Warne bowled the so-called 'Ball of the Century', who was on the receiving end? You can find the answers to these and many other questions - and discover whether the contestants know the answers - in the sixth heat of the 2024 Brain of Britain tournament.

There's a place in the semi-finals reserved for today's winner, but others could go through too if the contest is tight and their scores are high enough.

Taking part are:
Jo Cardwell from Lichfield
David Edwards from Denstone in Staffordshire
Brian Johnston from Sutton Coldfield
Janie Mitchell from Lydbury North in Shropshire.

Brain of Britain is a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4.

Assistant Producer: Stephen Garner
Producer: Paul Bajoria


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5ymh)
The day Celia Cruz returned to Cuba

In January 1990, Cuban singer Celia Cruz, known as ‘the Queen of Salsa’, went back to Cuba. Banned by Fidel Castro for opposing his regime, it was the only time in her 43 years of exile that she was able to visit the island.

She was invited to sing in the US naval base on Guantanamo Bay. The trip only lasted a day and a half, but it was full of touching moments and symbolisms. Omer Pardillo Cid, Celia’s manager and close friend, tells Stefania Gozzer about the mark this visit left in the singer.

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

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

(Photo: Celia Cruz holds a Cuban flag as she performs during the 'Combinacion Perfecta' concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, 1993. Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 The Verb (m0023phd)
The Verb in Australia

BBC Contains Strong Language 2024 took place in Sydney Australia in partnership with Red Room Poetry and ABC Australia . This special edition of The Verb was recorded in State Library of New South Wales n front of a audience as part of the festival.

With guests Eileen Chong the first Asian Australian poet to be on the school syllabus, who came to Australia from Singapore in 2007.

Singer songwriter Paul Kelly - described as the Laureate of Australia - whose latest project sets the work of poets as varied as Shakespeare and Les Murray to music .

Omar Sakr - the son of Turkish and Lebanesemigrants whose collection The Lost Arabs won the prestigious Prime Ministers Literary Award .

Ali Cobby Eckermann - a First Nation poet who only met her birth mother as an adult. She, her mother and grandmother were all stolen , tricked or adopted away from their families . Her poetry talks powerfully about this personal and national story .

Recorded with an acknowledgement of the Gadigal people the traditional custodians of the land where this edition of The Verb took place
Produced by Susan Roberts


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m0023phg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m0023phj)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023phl)
Just three months after Sir Keir Starmer took power his chief of staff Sue Gray has quit. And, Israeli forces have encircled a city in northern Gaza.


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m0023phn)
Geeta Pendse

This week we hear a poignant ode to our industrial past, and why even in the 1st Century it was important to keep your receipts. Plus, remember cassette tapes? What you might not know is that these small pieces of plastic and tape created love across oceans. And finally, emotions might be running high but can artificial intelligence help?

Presenter: Geeta Pendse
Producer: Emily Esson
Production Co-ordinator: Jack Ferrie

A BBC Audio Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4.


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m0023npz)
Jolene and Kenton have difficulty photographing their kitten for the kitten naming competition – she keeps disappearing off! Later they spot a boy stroking her in the pub car park, claiming that the kitten was on the road and that he’d practically saved her life. He tells them his name’s Kahlil and he’s just moved into Beechwood.

Later, Kenton’s not satisfied with his kitten photos, but Jolene likes the one in the old Shires ashtray and they decide to go with it for the competition photo. Jolene invites Fallon and Harrison over for a drink later – George is in court this week and Fallon’s feeling confused about reading out her personal statement in court. Jolene’s going there with her for support.

Lilian asks Lynda’s advice about whether she should encourage Alice to come to court for George’s sentencing on Thursday. They stop in mid-flow when they spot a boy appearing to be feeding Lynda’s llamas crisps. He’s adamant he isn’t though, explaining how llama’s digestive systems work. He thinks Salieri’s constipated. That’s too much for Lynda who demands to know the boy’s name to report him to his parents. But he runs off before she can finish. Later a girl turns up looking for him. When Lynda suggests he’s dropped his drinks can as litter, the girl says it’s not his. They’re boycotting that drink. The boy reappears and she heads home with him. Slowly Lynda realises who they might’ve been. Azra lives in Beechwood – what if they’re her children? Lynda worries that she might’ve offended Adil’s family practically as soon as they’ve moved in


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m0023phq)
The Suitcase

On their last tour, the award-winning folk band The Young'uns took with them an old suitcase, some blank luggage tags and marker pens, and asked audience members to fill the case with ideas for songs. Hundreds poured in with stories of hope, remembrance, love, grief and joy. In this programme, singer-songwriter Sean Cooney opens the case to find a myriad of voices all waiting...wanting to be heard.

He follows three stories of love... from a couple who found each other in their 70s through their shared passion of Middlesbrough Football Club, to a story of love, loss and renewal on the banks of the Thames. He meets up with Angela to hear a tale of how some borrowed boots outside a disco led to several dates, a marriage and three children. Inspired by this wonderful story, Sean writes a song to surprise the man with the borrowed boots - Angela's now-husband.

Presenter: Sean Cooney
Producer: Elizabeth Foster


SUN 19:45 Buried (m001hp90)
Series 1

Series 1 - 8. The Screams of the Dead

Crowds gather as a woman speaks. Her child is dead from cancer. And there are countless more. Are the dumps to blame? Under armed guard, one priest decides to speak out at risk of his life.

"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 (m0023gmv)
Social media language

Michael talks to linguist Dr Andreea Calude about her research into how language is used on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter/X. And he asks if we're witnessing the death of email.

Dr Andreea Calude is the author of The Linguistics of Social Media: An Introduction.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Beth O'Dea.
Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz Read less


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m0023gk7)
Kris Kristofferson, Camilla Carr, Hassan Nasrallah, Maria Benitez

John Wilson on

Kris Kristofferson, the singer, songwriter and actor who appeared with Barbra Streisand in ‘A Star is Born’

Camilla Carr, the aid worker who along with her partner was kidnapped and held hostage for 14 months in Chechnya.

Hassan Nasrallah, for over 30 years he was the leader of Lebanon’s militant Shia Islamist movement, Hezbollah. The group was designated as a terror organisation by Israel, the US, UK and other countries.

María Benítez, a dancer, choreographer, and director. She was celebrated for her significant contributions to Spanish dance and flamenco.

Producer: Ed Prendeville

Archive:
Maria Benitez: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, YouTube upload, Institute for Spanish Arts, 16/04/2012; ARTISODE 1.11, Maria Benitez, New Mexico PBS, YouTube upload, 07/12/2009; Radio 1 interview with Kris Kristofferson. 29/05/1978; BBC Hard Talk interview 11/01/00; A Star is Born, Warner Brothers, dir by Frank Pierson, 1967; Bob Dylan, The 30th Anniversary concert celebration, Columbia, 16/10/1992; The Late Late Show, Kris Kristofferson interview, 05/02/1993;


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m0023pbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m0023pgh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m0023pb8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m0023phs)
Ben Wright discusses Sue Gray's departure and what it means for the government with the former Labour deputy leader, Baroness Harriet Harman; former minister and Shadow Secretary for Science, Innovation and Technology, Andrew Griffith; and Salma Shah - who has served as a special adviser in several Whitehall departments. Kevin Schofield - political editor of Huffpost UK - brings additional insight and analysis. The programme also includes an interview with Lord O'Donnell about the role of Cabinet Secretary - which he performed for three Prime Ministers.


SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m0023gm2)
The Haymarket Affair

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the notorious attack of 4th of May 1886 at a workers rally in Chicago when somebody threw a bomb that killed a policeman, Mathias J. Degan. The chaotic shooting that followed left more people dead and sent shockwaves across America and Europe. This was in Haymarket Square at a protest for an eight hour working day following a call for a general strike and the police killing of striking workers the day before, at a time when labour relations in America were marked by violent conflict. The bomber was never identified but two of the speakers at the rally, both of then anarchists and six of their supporters were accused of inciting murder. Four of them, George Engel, Adolph Fischer, Albert Parsons, and August Spies were hanged on 11th November 1887 only to be pardoned in the following years while a fifth, Louis Ling, had killed himself after he was convicted. The May International Workers Day was created in their memory.

With

Ruth Kinna
Professor of Political Theory at Loughborough University

Christopher Phelps
Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Nottingham

And

Gary Gerstle
Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus at the University of Cambridge

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Reading list:

Paul Avrich, The Haymarket Tragedy (Princeton University Press, 1984)

Henry David, The History of the Haymarket Affair (Collier Books, 1963)

James Green, Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America (Pantheon, 2006)

Carl Levy and Matthew S. Adams (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Anarchism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), especially 'Haymarket and the Rise of Syndicalism' by Kenyon Zimmer

Franklin Rosemont and David Roediger, Haymarket Scrapbook: 125th Anniversary Edition (AK Press, 2012)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m0023gk5)
Andrew, Is That You?

Katie has just moved out to the suburbs with her husband Patrick. She misses London, her friends, her life, and feels isolated and a little lonely. She finds solace in Andrew, her neighbour, who she develops feelings for – “Andrew loves Labradors, is obsessed with the sound of the rain, musicals and Jean-Claude Van Damme films…are you kidding me?! It’s like someone made a male version of me…”

When Andrew dies, Katie spirals. She’s unable to process her grief, which leads her to believe that a stray dog who turns up on their doorstep is the reincarnation of Andrew.

The Cullen Brothers are a pair of award-winning writers from Bristol. The worlds and stories they create often blend genres, featuring hyper-real dialogue and characters that an audience can root for. The brothers wrote the R4 series ‘The Attendant’ starring Will Merrick, Patricia Allison and Kenneth Collard which was based on their internationally acclaimed short film of the same name and starred Isy Suttie and Robert James-Collier.

Written by The Cullen Brothers
Read by Isy Suttie
Sound Design by Ilse Lademann
Produced by Alison Crawford

MONDAY 07 OCTOBER 2024

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m0023phv)
The latest news and weather forecast from BBC Radio 4.


MON 00:15 World Of Secrets (w3ct793l)
Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods

Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods: 2. Executive suite

Sophia is working in Harrods and is spotted by Mohamed Al Fayed. She’s handed an incredible career opportunity. Soon she moves to work with her billionaire boss in his executive suite. Not everything is as it seems.

On the shop floor, Mohamed Al Fayed is known for the way he makes a dramatic entrance, flanked by security guards. “He’s coming, he’s coming”, staff call out, as they spring to attention. Celebrity customers in the 1990s, like pop superstar Michael Jackson, are shopping in the store.

This season of World of Secrets is about sexual abuse, and includes descriptions which some listeners might find distressing. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of sexual abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Presented by Cassie Cornish-Trestrail and Shaimaa Khalil, and produced by Neal Razzell and Sally Abrahams. The editor is Matt Willis. It’s a Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.

Special thanks to series consultant, Keaton Stone, director Erica Gornall and executive producer, Mike Radford.


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m0023pcp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023phx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023phz)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023pj1)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:30 News Briefing (m0023pj3)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023pj5)
Apparently Hopeless?

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Father Martin Magill


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m0023pj7)
07/10/24 Charges for abattoir inspections, water management

Plans to get abattoirs to take on more of the cost of vets and meat inspectors are "excessive and dangerous" according to the meat industry.
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, (AIMS) which represents both big and small slaughterhouses, says the Food Standards Agency's proposal to remove or reduce the discount offered to smaller abattoirs risks "single handedly destroying the foundations of the British meat industry".' The FSA, which covers England, Northern Ireland and Wales, has issued a "call for evidence" on the proposed changes, saying that the costs of providing inspectors and official vets have increased and that needs to be passed onto businesses.

All week we're going to look at water management. After a year that has seen storms and vast amounts of flooding, how we respond to weather events in future as the climate changes is a hot topic. We speak to one of the scientists leading a new, government funded research project. Using cutting edge technology the new Flood and Drought Research Infrastructure will measure flooding and droughts to create models that will allow us to predict them, and to find out how we might be able to reduce their impact in the future.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney


MON 05:57 Weather (m0023pj9)
Weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m0023np8)
07/10/24 - One year on from October 7 attack

Justin Webb and Mishal Husain present news and interviews.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m0023npb)
Oceans and the game of evolution

The prize-winning writer Richard Powers moves from the forests and outer space in his last two novels The Overstory and Bewilderment, to dive into the vast and mysterious ocean in his latest work, Playground. Through the lives of four main characters he explores the ubiquity of play in the natural world, and the role technology is playing in the game of evolution.

The scuba diving philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith concludes his three part exploration of the origins of intelligence, with Living on Earth: Life, Consciousness and the Making of the Natural World. As he looks back at the origins of life and its divergence, he places humans within this 3.8 billion year history, and their shared sentience with other life forms, and weighs their current responsibilities on an evolving planet.

The marine biologist Professor Heather Koldewey takes her responsibilities very seriously, acting to protect the oceans from over-fishing and plastic pollution. One of the world’s leading authorities on seahorses, Koldewey has looked at forming partnerships with others to solve problems, from working with a manufacturer to turn discarded fishing nets into high-end carpets, to creating conservation areas alongside local fishing communities in projects across the Indian Ocean.

Producer: Katy Hickman


MON 09:45 Café Hope (m0023npd)
Showing off the streets

Rachel Burden hears from Zakia Moulaoui who started the social enterprise Invisible Cities. They train people who've experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides. Through the tours, they aim to change perceptions and break down the stigma of homelessness.

Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they’re doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip, and celebrating the people making the world a better place.

We’re all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. And the key here is in the trying. This is real life. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it’s always worth a go.

You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023npg)
Cush Jumbo, Author Kate Mosse, Sue Gray quits, Women in business

The Prime Minister's chief of staff Sue Gray has left her post and has been replaced by Morgan McSweeney. It's led some papers to claim "the lads have won this round". To discuss, Nuala McGovern is joined by Caroline Slocock, former civil servant and author of Margaret Thatcher and Me, which reflects on women and power.

Actor Cush Jumbo has reprised the role of Lady Macbeth alongside David Tennant in Macbeth which has just transferred to the Harold Pinter theatre in London. She joins Nuala to discuss how she is approaching one of Shakespeare’s most famous female characters.

A recent government survey showed a sharp decline in the number of female-led businesses. Last year, only 15% of businesses employing fewer than 250 people were owned or led by women, down from 18% in 2022. Debbie Wosskow, serial entrepreneur and co-chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce, joins Nuala.

Kate Mosse is soon to release The Map of Bones, the fourth and final instalment in her series of novels The Joubert Family Chronicles, which begin in 1562 and follow a persecuted Huguenot family, charting generations of courageous and resilient women.

Adventurer Elise Wortley is following in the footsteps of forgotten female explorers… all whilst wearing the same, historically accurate clothing. She joins Nuala to tell her more about her mission.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Emma Pearce


MON 11:00 On the Run (m0023pcs)
Running The Show

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

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

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

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

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

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

With thanks to Thor Gotaas, author of 'A Global History of Running' and Dr Nathalie Hager

Producer: Sam Peach
Readings by Nuhazet Diaz Cano


MON 11:45 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023npj)
He Was a Friend of Mine

Andrew O’Hagan turns his clear eye on human relationships for Radio 4, with a week of essays examining friendship from every angle. He opens with childhood friendships against a background of endless summer days, moving to the tragic accident at the heart of a Bob Dylan cover.

Andrew O'Hagan is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction whose novels have been adapted for stage and screen. His essays and reports have appeared in the London Review of Books, the New York Review of Books, Granta, The Guardian and The New Yorker.

Read by the author
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie


MON 12:00 News Summary (m0023npm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m0023npp)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


MON 12:57 Weather (m0023npr)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m0023npt)
October 7th attack: Israel remembers

On the first anniversary of the attack by Hamas the World at One hears from Israel. Former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and historian Sir Simon Schama reflect.


MON 13:45 The History Podcast (m0023npw)
The Brighton Bomb

The Brighton Bomb: 1. A Matter of Timing

When you get right down to it, everything in life is a matter of timing.

The clock that propels this story went unheard for three weeks, three days, six hours and thirty-six minutes…until the bomb it was attached to went off at 2.54am on Friday 12 October, 1984. The day of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton.

Which means the Prime Minister and all her cabinet are guaranteed to be in the Grand Hotel.

It's the biggest direct assault on the British parliamentary system since the Gunpowder Plot in 1605.

And in the bomber's mind, it’s only the start.

Written and presented by Glenn Patterson

Series Producer: Owen McFadden
Story Consultant and Sound Design: Alan Hall
Producer: Lena Ferguson
Archive Producer: Fran Rowlatt McCormick
Production Co-Ordinator: Hollie Wallace
Composer: Mark McCambridge
Sound Engineer: Claire Marquess
Mixing Engineer: Mike Woolley
Patrick Magee archive courtesy of Peter Taylor and Whistledown Productions

Executive Producer: Rachel Hooper

A Walk on Air production in association with Keo Films for BBC Radio 4


MON 14:00 The Archers (m0023npz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Plum House (m000htwf)
Series 3

6. Fete and Fortune

The third series of Plum House concludes with the annual summer fete in the grounds of Plum House itself. Mayor Gerry is minded to move the fete to a different location if this year's festivities are the disaster they were last year so everyone is told to be on best behaviour. Unfortunately this doesn't allow for the arrival of Maureen's old nemesis Sue at the fete as their annual rivalry is once again reignited. Meanwhile Emma is still mad at Tom for his deception over her contract. Will the team manage to keep up appearances to the Mayor throughout the day, and will Sue and Maureen manage to maintain civil relations...

Plum House features Simon Callow, Jane Horrocks, Miles Jupp, Pearce Quigley, Tom Bell and Louise Ford.
This episode features special guests Miranda Richardson and 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 Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (m0016xkr)
Episode Two

Helen Fielding's iconic 1996 novel of life as a single thirty-something woman in London.

"Daniel will be back in the office today. I shall be poised and cool and remember that I do not need men in order to be complete, especially not him."

Bridget Jones begins the new year full of resolutions. She pledges in her diary to drink less, smoke less, lose weight, find a new job, stay away from unsuitable men and learn to programme the VCR. But her resolve is tested by the horrors of attending dinner parties with the "smug marrieds", the confusing behaviour of her charming rogue of a boss Daniel Cleaver, and her increasingly embarrassing encounters with human rights lawyer Mark Darcy.

Bridget Jones's Diary started life as a weekly column in the pages of The Independent in 1995, when Fielding worked on the news desk. Helen’s column chronicled the life and antics of fictional Bridget Jones as a thirty-something single woman in London trying to make sense of life and love. It was first published as a novel in 1996 and has gone on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into a series of films.

Read by Sally Phillips
Abridged by Sara Davies
Produced by Mair Bosworth and Mary Ward-Lowery


MON 15:00 A Good Read (m0023nq1)
Irvine Welsh and Andrew O'Hagan

A new series begins at the Edinburgh International Book Festival with guests Irvine Welsh and Andrew O'Hagan. Irvine Welsh is best known as the author of Trainspotting. Andrew O'Hagan's Mayflies was recently made into a BBC TV series. The programme was recorded in front of an audience at the Dynamic Earth Centre. Irvine Welsh chooses a lesser known book - Brian by Jeremy Cooper. It's the story of a lonely man's redemption through his love of film. A membership of the BFI (British Film Institute) opens up his world and offers an escape from his humdrum existence working for the housing department of a North London council.
By contrast Andrew chooses Robert Louis Stevenson's masterpiece of dual identity - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Again although it's set in London Andrew recognises the streets of Edinburgh's New Town in the book.
Harriett brings the Australian writer Helen Garner's novel The Children's Bach for discussion. It's the story of family breakdown and the ensuing emotional fallout.

Produced by Maggie Ayre for BBC Audio Bristol

Photo credit: Desiree Adams / Penguin Random House


MON 15:30 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley (m0023jkr)
Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley

32. Princess Caraboo - Fake Princess

Lucy Worsley and her all-female team of detectives travel back in time to meet con artists, hoaxers and crooks from across the world. Women living extraordinary lives in a world made for men.

In this episode of Lady Swindlers, Lucy meets Princess Caraboo, a woman abducted from palace gardens in Indonesia, traded by pirates and carried away to South West England in 1817. Or so she says…

Lucy is joined in the studio by writer and broadcaster Salma El-Wardany, presenter of BBC Radio London’s Breakfast Show, to delve into this sensational story. Lucy then heads to the village where it all happened to meet Lady Swindlers in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone.

Together, they follow Caraboo’s journey from wandering vagrant to star attraction. They ask how a woman with no money, no papers and not a word of English could walk into a rural community in Regency England and wind up living in a grand manor house as an honoured guest.
They consider her very ‘unladylike’ behaviour: climbing trees, swimming naked in the lake, shooting arrows and gutting pigeons. They reflect on the influence of nearby Bristol, a cosmopolitan city rich on profits from the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans.

The team discuss how we judge strangers, particularly women, and whether desperation can justify deceit. Would we judge Princess Caraboo any differently today?

Producer: Sarah Goodman
Readers: Clare Corbett and Jonathan Keeble
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter

A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.

If you're in the UK, listen to the newest episodes of Lady Killers first on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/3M2pT0K


MON 16:00 The Conflict: One Year On (m00240ss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 Marianna in Conspiracyland (m0023nq5)
Why Do You Hate Me? USA

3. The Fable of the Pikesville Clip: ‘I’ve been burnt by the fire once, so I’ll think twice before posting’

A headteacher at a school in small American suburb of Baltimore was a prominent member of the local community. But many in the neighbourhood turned on Principal Eric Eiswert, after an audio clip emerged of him appearing to make racist and antisemitic remarks.

Except, what no one knew then was that another bombshell would transform what they thought of the headteacher – and of themselves.

In this episode of Why Do You Hate Me? USA, Marianna investigates the network of posts and people that can make it so hard to know what’s really going on, even down the street. She explores a new tool at the disposal of conspiracy theorists, trolls, and bad actors at the 2024 presidential election, and interrogates the damage it can cause to tightly-knit communities.

Host: Marianna Spring
Producers: Daniel Wittenberg & Emma Close
Story Editor: Matt Willis
Editor: Sam Bonham
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Sound Design: Tony Churnside
Production Co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge


MON 17:00 PM (m0023nq7)
Israel marks one year since Hamas attacks

Hamas fires on Israel as the nation mourns the victims of October 7 with a day of ceremonies. We hear from the family of a slain hostage, and from Gazans caught in the fighting. Also, what has Labour achieved in its first 100 days in power? And Glasgow's Tree Hugging competition winner.


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023nq9)
Memorial services have been held to mark a year since Hamas attacks on Israel.


MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m0023nqc)
Series 93

4. Trying Times - the national newspaper for judges

Sue Perkins challenges Jan Ravens, Tony Hawks, Katherine Parkinson and Stephen Fry to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include Small Town Secrets, Mark Antony, and the Subject of Ridicule.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Rajiv Karia
An EcoAudio certified production.

A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (m0023nqf)
Fallon’s non-plussed when Tom sends Adam to help out at the Tearoom, because she’s catering for the South Borsetshire Culture Group. Fallon asks Adam to serve customers while she sorts the brunch booking. But Adam mixes up Azra’s order and struggles with the coffee machine. So Fallon suggests taking his place and Adam can plate up the brunch. But later Fallon’s shocked at his sandwiches which look like door stops! Adam apologises saying he thought they looked rustic, but Fallon’s worried. However she’s relieved when the group report that they loved the country-farm style of the experience. Later, Fallon asks Adam whether Alice is going to George’s hearing, but he doesn’t know. Fallon is going to read out her personal statement; she feels George should hear it in person.

George hands over his social media business to Brad, though Brad’s feeling ill-equipped. He watches as George packs up his room. Brad thinks that George might not get a custodial sentence, but George thinks it unlikely. Later George demonstrates drone filming, but when it’s Brad’s turn, the drone comes crashing to the ground. George is initially irritated that Brad might’ve broken it, but it turns out to be minor damage and George says it wasn’t Brad’s fault. Later George tells Brad he made a promise to Alice to come out of all of the mess better, but he’s worried about everything he’ll miss out on when he’s in prison. He’ll miss home and also Brad. Brad says that although George is a pain in the backside, he’s going to miss him too.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m0023nqh)
Alison Moyet, Leigh Bowery exhibition, Adrian Sutton

Alison Moyet joins us in the studio to talk about her career, from Yazoo to going solo and a new album.

Fashion renegades of the 1980s via Leigh Bowery, Taboo and the Blitz nightclub, we take a look at a new exhibition with Pam Hogg and Sue Tilley.

War Horse composer Adrian Sutton on going back to his classical roots with his latest composition, a violin concerto.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Corinna Jones


MON 20:00 Rethink (m0023gmx)
Rethink... wealth

Rethink considers how we might take a different approach to the issues of our time, asking some of the brightest minds what we could do to make the world a better place.

This week: billionaires. They are some of the wealthiest people who have ever lived - a tiny group with a large influence on politics, society and the lives of millions.

The gap between the super rich and everyone else is huge. According to Credit Suisse, just fourteen billionaires own fourteen percent of the world’s entire wealth.

Should we cap the wealth of the super rich? Philosopher Ingrid Robeyns has developed the concept of "limitarianism". This would limit an individual's wealth to 10 million dollars, pounds or euros - or whatever the local currency is - with anything beyond that point confiscated by governments.

So is this theft?

Socialism gone mad?

A good idea?

Or something that governments must do?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Lucy Burns
Editor: Clare Fordham

Contributors:
Ingrid Robeyns, professor of Ethics of Institutions at Utrecht University and author of "Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth"

Liam Byrne, Labour MP and author of the book "The Inequality of Wealth"
Sam Dumitriu, author and head of policy at campaign group Britain Remade
Helen Miller, Deputy Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and head of their tax sector


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m0023gmz)
Could coal shut-down mark new era for energy?

“That’s the end of coal in the UK for electricity.”

The UK’s last coal-fired power station has closed, ending Britain's 142-year reliance on coal.

But what difference will the closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar make – and could it mark a new dawn for clean energy?

After 20 years of research into microplastics and headline upon headline on their potential harms, how much do we really know about these tiny particles?

Also this week, Marnie turns lab rat for a navigation experiment, and why are we all so obsessed with Moo Deng?

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Sophie Ormiston, Ella Hubber & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis

BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with the Open University.

If you want to test your climate change knowledge, head to bbc.co.uk - search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to the Open University.


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m0023npb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Café Hope (m0023npd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023nqk)
Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas attacks

As Israel has been mourning the mass killings and abductions by Hamas exactly a year ago, the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon has been escalating.
We hear from an Israeli who survived the assault and from a Palestinian who's spent the last year in Gaza and get the latest on the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon. We also discuss the impact on British Jews with Booker Prize winning novelist Howard Jacobson.

Plus, we hear an urgent call for the government to improve care for people with ME - or chronic fatigue syndrome - and we speak to one of the winners of the Nobel Prize for Medicine.


MON 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m0023nqm)
Episode 6

This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.

When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.

Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.

What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

Written by Gabrielle Zevin

Abridged by Joseph Bedell

Read by Zoe Maltby

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:00 Limelight (m001rh6q)
Harland - Series 3

Harland - 1. Diu luna

Lucy Catherine's supernatural thriller returns to Harland, the new town haunted by its bloody past. Six weeks have passed and Dan is under house arrest, suspected of murder, arson and abducting a baby. His search for missing police detective Sarah Ward and the answer to the mystery of the Hare Witches seems to be at an end.

Dan ..... Tyger Drew-Honey
Morris ..... Rupert Holliday Evans
Sadie ..... Melissa Advani
Sarah ..... Ayesha Antoine
Janis ..... Fiona Skinner
DCI Cummins ..... John Lightbody
Security Guard ..... Tyler Cameron
DJ ..... Don Gilet
Tool Voice ..... Kitty O’Sullivan

Production Co-ordinator ..... Jenny Mendez
Technical Producer ..... Andrew Garratt
Sound Design by Peter Ringrose and Caleb Knightley
Directed by Toby Swift
A BBC Audio Production for BBC Radio 4


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0023nqp)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster as MPs mark the first anniversary of the 7th of October attacks on Israel by Hamas.

TUESDAY 08 OCTOBER 2024

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m0023nqr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023npj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023nqt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023nqw)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023nqy)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:30 News Briefing (m0023nr0)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023nr2)
Coping with Being Martha

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Father Martin Magill.


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m0023nr4)
08/10/24 - Cell-cultivated protein, natural flood management, Dartmoor wild camping

More than a million pounds is being given by the Government to the Food Standards Agency, to decide what needs to be put in place to ensure new, "cell-cultivated" foodstuffs will be safe to eat. We hear from the FSA's Chief Scientific Advisor.

The long-running case about whether the public can 'wild camp' on Dartmoor, will be heard in the Supreme Court, where a final determination will be made. The dispute is between Dartmoor National Park and landowners Alexander and Diana Darwall, who own Stall Moor common on south-west Dartmoor.

It's one year since the launch of the Welsh Government's Natural Flood Management Accelerator programme - a 2-year, £4.6 million investment in nature-based solutions to reduce flooding. We visit one of the 23 projects.

And people living in a small coastal community near Robin's Hood Bay in North Yorkshire say they fear being cut off this winter, after a landslip caused the closure of the only road in and out of their village. It's not yet known when the road will be fixed. In the meantime the council has set up an alternative route - a 12 mile diversion via a former railway line - but, locals say it's unsuitable and potentially unsafe during the winter months.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons


TUE 06:00 Today (m0023pv0)
08/10/24 - Water companies ordered to repay £158m

The water regulator has ordered 13 companies to pay £158m back to customers after they missed key targets on sewage, supply interruptions and leaks - we talk to Ofwat's David Black and Water UK's David Henderson. Has the Government left it too long between winning the election and presenting it's first budget? We hear from economist Mohamed El Erian and the Labour MP and chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, Liam Byrne. The chairman of the Spectator, Charles Moore, and the founder of ConservativeHome, Tim Montgomerie, on the future of the Conservative party as MPs vote out another candidate for leader. And it's shaping up to be a spectacular autumn as the wet spring and mild temperatures mean leaves have yet to fall.


TUE 09:00 Young Again (m0023pv2)
13. Minnie Driver

Kirsty Young asks actor Minnie Driver what advice she would give her younger self.

Driver has fashioned a 30-year career in the entertainment industry since becoming a Hollywood star in movies including Circle of Friends and Grosse Pointe Blank. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Good Will Hunting, and she revisits that famous Oscar night with Kirsty. Driver also discusses her unconventional childhood, being left to fend for herself in Miami as an 11 year old, sexism and misogyny in the film industry, and the teacher who inspired her.

A BBC Studios Audio production.


TUE 09:30 All in the Mind (m0023pv4)
Should we take teens more seriously? And the link between eating disorders and autism

Could we be misunderstanding eating disorders for some patients? Research suggests that more than 30 percent of inpatients being treated for an eating disorder are also autistic. Claudia Hamond talks to Professor Kate Tchanturia from Kings College London, and Fiona Hollings, expert by experience, who helped develop a new approach to treating eating disorders in people with autism.

What are your strongest memories from your teenage years? For good and bad Dr Lucy Foulkes, from Oxford University, argues that our adolescence shapes us. She talks to Claudia about taking teenage love more seriously, having empathy for risk-taking teens, and how to look back on your adolescence more fondly.

And Professor Daryl O’Connor, from the University of Leeds, discusses new research which shows that focussing on positive memories can help people who have previously been depressed feel happier. He and Claudia discuss how this might be useful if you feel your mood start to drop.

Producer: Lorna Stewart
Editor: Holly Squire
Studio Manager: Tim Heffer


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023pv6)
UK Covid inquiry, Sophie Kinsella, Rower Imogen Grant

If you remember the #butnotmaternity campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic you’ll recall that women were sometimes left to give birth without their partners. Those restrictions for maternity care were left in place far too long affecting the mental health of mothers and staff. That's according to evidence given to the Covid-19 inquiry which this week is looking at the subject in detail. The inquiry has been listening to the impact on women from 13 pregnancy, baby and parent organisations. We hear from our correspondent who has been following it, Jim Reid, and from Jenny Ward, the CEO of the Lullaby Trust, who gave evidence on behalf of all the organisations. And we talk to Daisie Lane who tells us of her own experience and her book chronicling 150 other women's experiences.

Bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, known for the hugely popular Shopaholic series and many other bestsellers, has sold over 45 million books which have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her latest novel, What Does It Feel Like?, is her most autobiographical yet. It tells the story of a novelist who wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there and learns she’s had surgery to remove a large tumour growing in her brain. She must re-learn how to walk, talk, and write again. Six months ago, Sophie shared with her readers on social media that in 2022, she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of aggressive brain cancer. It’s known for its poor prognosis with only 25% of people surviving more than one year, and only 5% survive more than five years.

A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a 22-year-old woman was found in south Belfast. Mary Ward is the fourth woman to be murdered in the space of six weeks in Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland - or PSNI - have referred the case to the office of the Police Ombudsman. Earlier this year, the PSNI released figures showing that in the five years between 2019 and 2024, 30 women and girls across Northern Ireland were killed by men. To put that into context, the population of Northern Ireland is around 1.9 million. We hear from Alison Morris - the Crime Reporter for the Belfast Telegraph.

Woman's Hour is joined by the winner of the BBC Green Sport Award, the rower Imogen Grant. Campaigning for cleaner rivers, being vegan and buying fewer clothes are all things Imogen does to protect the environment. She also talks about winning gold at Paris 2024.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Producer: Kirsty Starkey


TUE 11:00 Screenshot (m0023gkk)
Prisons

As The Shawshank Redemption turns 30, Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode explore life behind bars as seen on screen, investigating how film and TV have shaped our ideas about the prison system. Why do prisons make such good settings for cinema?

Ellen investigates the relationship between prison exploitation and prison reform, talking to director S Craig Zahler about his ultra-violent 2017 film Brawl In Cell Block 99 and the movies that inspired it, from Birdman of Alcatraz to Riot in Cell Block 11. And she speaks to Dr Kalima Young about the impact of Netflix's hit series about a women's prison, Orange Is The New Black.

Meanwhile, Mark talks to writer and broadcast Richard Weight about the enduring relevance of the classic British sitcom Porridge. And he speaks to 'the daddy' of prison dramas - Ray Winstone - about the impact of his breakout role as a borstal boy in the controversial, banned TV play Scum.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 11:45 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023pv8)
The Adult Friend

Andrew O’Hagan turns his clear eye on human relationships for Radio 4, with a week of essays examining friendship from every angle. The author raises a glass to adult friendship as he considers the importance of the pub, the strong bonds forged at work and the inevitable loss of old friends.

Andrew O'Hagan is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction whose novels have been adapted for stage and screen. His essays and reports have appeared in London Review of Books, New York Review of Books, Granta, The Guardian and The New Yorker.

Read by the author
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m0023pvb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m0023pvd)
Call You and Yours - Wedding Costs

The average cost of a wedding is now said to be £20,700 in the UK - but within that, there are huge variations. Last week the BBC told the story of 100 couples tying the knot in a single day - they paid £100 each for the service. That got us thinking - if you're gearing up for getting married, how much will you spend? How are you funding it? If you're on a tight budget, what are the best ways to cut the costs? More people are getting married on a weekday - is that the answer? Or are there parts of the traditional wedding that you'd happily get rid of? Or perhaps you've just been put off by the expense of it all and can think of better things to spend £20,000 on.

Get in touch now - you can email youandyours@bbc.co.uk and leave a phone number where we can contact you. And please call us on 03700 100 444. Lines are open at 11 am on Tuesday October 8.

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON
PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


TUE 12:57 Weather (m0023pvg)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m0023pvj)
Tory bid to exempt SEND pupils from VAT rise

The Conservatives call on Labour to exempt all special needs pupils from VAT on private school fees. We hear from an affected family and the Shadow Education Secretary. Also, the latest from Lebanon as Israel expands its ground operation. Plus, why the rate at which life expectancy is rising is slowing down.


TUE 13:45 The History Podcast (m0023pvl)
The Brighton Bomb

The Brighton Bomb: 2. The Man Who Wasn't Walsh

The clock – the long-delay timer – nobody is meant to hear is counting down to 2.54am on the 12th October, 1984.

It's attached to a bomb, behind the panel of the bath of Room 629 in Brighton’s Grand Hotel, left there by a man who signed in as Roy Walsh.

Except he's not Roy Walsh.

Who is the man using his name? And how did he go from a childhood in the east of England to attempting to assassinate the Prime Minister and all her cabinet in the biggest assault on a British government since the Gunpowder Plot on 5th November 1605?

The long timer to this moment was set many, many years before.

Written and presented by Glenn Patterson

Series Producer: Owen McFadden
Story Consultant and Sound Design: Alan Hall
Producer: Lena Ferguson
Archive Producer: Fran Rowlatt McCormick
Production Co-Ordinator: Hollie Wallace
Composer: Mark McCambridge
Sound Engineer: Claire Marquess
Mixing Engineer: Mike Woolley
Patrick Magee archive courtesy of Peter Taylor and Whistledown Productions

Executive Producer: Rachel Hooper

A Walk on Air production in association with Keo Films for BBC Radio 4


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m0023nqf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0023pvn)
Mediation

Tanglewood

by Clara Glynn

Can meditation help when a new documentary about the classic film TANGLEWOOD brings back conflicting memories for its child star and its director?

Murdo ..... Liam Brennan
Laura ..... Gabriel Quigley
Henry ..... Crawford Logan
Alice ..... Jessica Hardwick
Sandra ..... Barbara Rafferty

Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane

As the pressure on the UK’s courts intensifies, more and more cases are going through mediation as an alternative form of conflict resolution. In our series we present cases in which opposing versions of the truth have hardened into what seems like irreconcilable positions. The mediator has to try to find compromise, agreement and a way forward.

Series consultant - Charlie Irvine

An EcoAudio certified production for BBC Audio Scotland


TUE 15:00 Punt & Dennis: Route Masters (m0023pvr)
Series 1: From Beer to Eternity

2 - From Chaos Theory to Anne Boleyn

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are on a mission from Chaos Theory to Anne Boleyn with the assistance of Marcus Brigstocke, in a warm and witty podcast that celebrates new and half-remembered trivia as they try to find entertaining links between random places, people and things.

Could you make your way from The Starship Enterprise to the Air Fryer, armed only with A Level Economics and a Geography degree? Hugh Dennis is going to have to. While Steve Punt will have to pick his way across Africa, to find what links Machiavelli and Madagascar. Across the series, they’ll be joined by guests including Ken Cheng, Kiri Pritchard McLean, Isy Suttie and Marcus Brigstocke, on a scenic route which takes in Shampoo, The Gruffalo, Watford Gap Services and Yoghurt.

Written and hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
With Marcus Brigstocke
Produced by Victoria Lloyd
Recorded at Maple St Creative
Mixed by Jonathan Last

A Listen production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m0023pvt)
Gender and Radicalisation

Is misogyny implicated in radicalisation, across the political spectrum?

Laurie Taylor talks to Elizabeth Pearson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London about her primary research among two of Britain’s key extremist movements: the banned Islamist group al-Muhajiroun, and those networked to it; and the anti-Islam radical right, including the English Defence League, For Britain and Britain First. Also, Katherine Williams, a former post-doctoral student in Politics and International Relations at Cardiff University, explores women's engagement with the far right and queries the notion that women do not support such politics, given the contemporary resurgence and global electoral successes of the far right, in its many guises.

Producer: Jayne Egerton


TUE 16:00 Surrealism Remixed (m0023pvw)
Transformations

100 years ago, when Andre Breton set out his ideas in the first ‘Surrealist Manifesto’ in 1920s Paris, he promoted Surrealism as a way of questioning conventional reality and the rational world. He wanted to revolutionise human experience - could a better world be made through unlocking the subconscious and harnessing the power of dreams?

It led to a flourishing of writing, painting and sculpture depicting uncanny, illogical and dreamlike scenes. This desire to transform an imperfect world, struck a chord with artists and activists beyond the original Paris Surrealist group - people who were searching for new ways to fight the oppression they encountered, whether sexism or racism, to imagine a freer world.

The women of Surrealism are only now getting the recognition they deserve. So, in this episode, Russell Tovey looks closely at just a few of these incredible artists and activists - Meret Oppenheim, Ithell Calquhoun, Lee Miller, Leonora Carrington and Suzanne Césaire, who took the ideas of Surrealism in new directions.

Why did they find Surrealism so liberating?

With Chloe Aridjis, Louisa Buck, Kate Conley, Carine Harmand, Terri Francis, Katy Hessel, Lisa Mullen, Joanna Moorhead, Anthony Penrose and Alexandra Reza.

Producers: Melissa FitzGerald and Eliane Glaser
Sound Design: Tony Churnside
Readings: Hazel Holder
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4

Cover Photo: Martin Creed and Russell Tovey


TUE 16:30 When It Hits the Fan (m0023pvy)
Why Keir needs Bikeshed PR, Strictly’s tabloid battle and Undo Send!

Why does Keir Starmer need to start taking people behind the Number 10 bikesheds and having a quiet word? David Yelland and Simon Lewis explain 'bikeshed PR' and how to move a news story on.

Also, knowing when to step back and call your PR battle a day is not always easy, as the ongoing Strictly Come Dancing fan-hitter shows. What can we learn from this and the returning saga of Wagatha Christie?

And, the email you didn't mean to send.... David and Simon share tales of their personal gaffes and how best to deal with them.

Producer: Eve Streeter
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m0023pw0)
Afternoon news and current affairs programme, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines.


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023pw2)
The head of the security service, MI5, has warned that Russia is on a mission to cause "mayhem" on the streets of Britain.


TUE 18:30 Janey Godley: The C Bomb (m001n8jl)
2. Till Death Do Us Part

Janey Godley doesn’t know how long she’s got left, so she’s telling ALL the jokes! This is her extraordinary story. Fearless and unflinching, yet life affirming stand-up at its very best.

In this episode, we hear how Janey became an unlikely teen bride for a shy autistic 16 year-old who dressed like insurance salesman, and how a mixed marriage that seemed doomed before it even began, has lasted for over 43 years. Oh, and there’s that time they met Prince.

With added insight from Janey’s daughter Ashley Storrie, who helps her mum remember the stories of their life together with humour and love.

Relentlessly authentic, she's also had to face up to her own mistakes - taking responsibility and apologising both publicly and onstage, as well as sharing the shame of being ‘cancelled’ and the very dark place that took her to.

Then, just months later, the hand grenade of a cancer diagnosis forced her to start fighting for her life.

Now, after finally admitting that after everything she’s been through in life, maybe she‘s not “fine”, and with a terminal diagnosis, she’s submitted to the ultimate ‘C bomb' for many men and women of her generation - counselling.

And as a result of this insight, she’s more hilarious and compelling onstage than ever.

Janey’s experienced a life of extremes but has come out the other side with rare insight, still able to make light of all its trials and tribulations in her signature dark and uncompromising style.

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

A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m0023pw4)
Alice brings Chris’s cricket coaching book round to Hannah’s, explaining that Martha had got her hands on it, and it had ended up in Alice’s car. Stella’s not going to make it home for dinner, so Hannah invites Alice to join her for some shepherd’s pie. They have a laugh and Hannah comments it’s really nice to see Alice looking happier. After hearing about Hannah’s dating disasters, Alice asks if Hannah likes Chris. Hannah says what’s not to like, but they’re just mates. Hannah wonders about Alice and Chris’s relationship and Alice explains that they get on because they’re Martha’s parents. Alice thinks if Hannah likes Chris, she should go for it.

Zainab and Khalil are putting off unpacking boxes in their new Beechwood home. They’re interrupted by Lynda popping by to see Azra but she’s still at work. When Lynda asks their names, Zainab hurries Lynda away saying they’re not allowed to let strangers into the house. She then shuts the door on her.

Azra’s horrified when she gets home, and Khalil lets slip about Zainab closing the door on Lynda. But later Lynda returns offering some tagine. When Azra apologises about her children’s behaviour, Lynda says they were right to be cautious. Azra says Lynda’s a friend, but the children met an obnoxious woman the other day who accused Khalil of feeding crisps to her exotic animals. Lynda feels uncomfortable, especially when Khalil appears and makes things even more awkward. However, he’s appreciative of the tagine, while Zainab’s less forthcoming. Lynda’s relieved when Khalil tells her that Uncle Adil only said good things about her.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m0023pw6)
Rick Astley, The West Wing at 25, Barbara Walker

Rick Astley on his new autobiography, Never, which reflects on hitting the big time twice courtesy of his debut hit single, Never Gonna Give You Up.

The West Wing is 25 - television critic Scott Bryan and columnist Sonia Sodha discuss why the glossy American political drama series continues to inspire politicians worldwide.

Artist Barbara Walker on drawing the Black British experience in her new exhibition, Being Here, at the Whitworth.

Presenter: Nick Ahad
Producer: Ekene Akalawu


TUE 20:00 Today (m0023xzy)
The Today Debate: What is the path to peace in the Middle East?

Today presenter Mishal Husain is joined by a panel of guests to ask is there a path to peace in the Middle East?

Joining Mishal are Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's International Editor; Lord Ricketts, who served as a British diplomat for many years including being on the Foreign office Middle East desk during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982; Afif Safieh, former Palestinian Head of Mission in London, Washington, D.C. and Moscow; Ehud Olmert, who was Israeli Prime Minister from 2006 to 2009; Ambassador David Satterfield, who until earlier this year was US Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues and Dr. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.

The Today Debate was produced by Sinead Heekin and Louisa Lewis. The editor is Owenna Griffiths. Studio direction by Ben Andrews.


TUE 20:45 In Touch (m0023ydx)
A Theatre Special

It's now two years since the publication of "The Unseen" - a report exploring domestic abuse experienced by blind and visually impaired people. Now Extant, a group of visually impaired performing artists, has adapted the report into an audio drama, and a short tour of the production starts on the 16th of October in Wolverhampton. Extant members, Ben Wilson and Georgie Wyatt join us to explain more about their work.

Leeds Playhouse Theatre is one of a number of organisations to have collaborated with the Thomas Pocklington Trust and RNIB to provide internships for visually impaired people. We talk to Akin Famakin about his experience as an intern at the Theatre and to Amy Leach, the Deputy Artistic Director.

Presenter: Beth Hemmings
Producer: Fern Lulham
Production Coordinator: Pete Liggins

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


TUE 21:00 World Of Secrets (w3ct793m)
Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods

Al Fayed, Predator at Harrods: 3. Paris

Work trips to “the city of lights” turn dark, as the extent of Mohamed Al Fayed’s power and control becomes clear. Staying in the historic Villa Windsor in Paris should have been a dream come true, but the women are left terrified.

This season of World of Secrets is about sexual abuse. And this episode contains some of the most graphic descriptions. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of sexual abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Presented by Cassie Cornish-Trestrail and Shaimaa Khalil, and produced by Neal Razzell and Sally Abrahams. The editor is Matt Willis. It’s a Long Form Audio production for the BBC World Service.

Special thanks to series consultant, Keaton Stone, director Erica Gornall and executive producer, Mike Radford.


TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m0023gmd)
Side Hustles: What's It Like Balancing Two Jobs At Once?

Side hustlers are seemingly everywhere - some surveys suggest they account for around half of UK workers - and stories of getting rich quick and abandoning the 9-5 are plenty. But the reality for many is much less glamorous: long hours; a precarious balancing act with the day job; and a good chance of failure.

Evan Davis speaks to side hustlers, and their employers, to find out what it’s really like balancing two jobs at once. Plus, why is side hustling so popular anyway? Does it reveal a flourishing entrepreneurial spirit in the UK, particularly among young workers, or is it a symptom of a changing relationship between employer and employee?

Evan is joined by:

Julian Douglas, global CEO, VCCP;
Ewen MacPherson, chief people officer, Havas UK;
Karen Burke, founder, Go Goosey.

Production team:

Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Nicola Brough and Rod Farquhar
Production co-ordinator: Rosie Strawbridge


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023pwd)
Israeli PM calls on the Lebanese to reject Hezbollah

The Israeli prime minister calls on the Lebanese people to reject Hezbollah. Benjamin Netanyahu used his appeal to claim that Israel had killed the man who would have been Hezbollah's next leader. We get reaction from a Lebanese MP allied with Hezbollah's political wing.

We speak to a Florida woman fleeing from Hurricane Milton, a fortnight after Hurricane Helene flooded her home. And has it been a good evening for meteor gazing?


TUE 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m0023pwg)
Episode 7

This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.

When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.

Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.

What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

Written by Gabrielle Zevin

Abridged by Joseph Bedell

Read by Zoe Maltby

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 23:00 Marianna in Conspiracyland (m0023nq5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Monday]


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0023pwj)
Alicia McCarthy reports as MPs discuss the introduction of VAT on private school fees.

WEDNESDAY 09 OCTOBER 2024

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m0023pwl)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023pv8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023pwn)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023pwq)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023pws)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:30 News Briefing (m0023pwv)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023pwx)
The Need to Talk

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Father Martin Magill


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m0023pwz)
09/10/24 - Natural capital report, Thames Water reservoir, beef prices

We cannot achieve food security or climate stability without restoring nature according to a new report from Natural England, which outlines the value of the natural world to our society and our economy. The State of Natural Capital Report says the wildlife and countryside in England should be seen as a 'National Wealth Service' - an economic asset which is vital to national prosperity. It puts a figure on the value of some natural services - for instance it claims pollination is worth around 500 million pounds to agriculture.

Thames Water wants to build a new reservoir near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which could hold 150 billion litres of water! It would cover 4 and half square miles and the company says it would secure future water supply for 15 million people across the South East. But local campaigners say Thames Water should focus on reducing water leakage, before building it. We hear from one farmer facing a compulsory purchase order of some of their land if the plans are approved.

And farmers are getting the highest price for their beef animals in England and Wales, for ten years. Part of the reason, according to Meat Promotion Wales (Hybu Cig Cymru), is growing domestic demand.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons


WED 06:00 Today (m0023q2q)
09/10/24 - Nick Robinson and Emma Barnett

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m0023nz6)
Should the government target persnuffle?

Are childhood obesity rates going down?
Do 35 million birds die every year in the UK after hitting windows?
How much money could the Chancellor find by changing the debt rule?
And Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter contemplates the probability of his own conception.

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news, and in life.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Reporter: Charlotte McDonald
Producers: Bethan Ashmead Latham, Natasha Fernandes and Nathan Gower
Series producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Editor: Richard Vadon


WED 09:30 The Coming Storm (m0023q2v)
S2: 5. The Photocopier

Gabriel Gatehouse is on holiday with his family when he gets an invitation to an exclusive party in New York City from a group called Praxis. The tech start-up plans to create a new sovereign state somewhere on the Mediterranean coast, part of a new tech movement called ‘the network state’. The idea is that these statelets, governed not by a giant state bureaucracy but on the blockchain, will eventually replace the nation state. Gabriel meets crypto cowboys cheering on the end of democracy and tech bros hoping to replace the dollar with meme coins. It looks like kids playing around, larping as revolutionaries. But kids playing around with memes gave rise to Pizzagate, Qanon and Jan 6…

Producer: Lucy Proctor
Sound design and mix: James Beard
Editor: Richard Vadon
Script consultants: Richard Fenton-Smith and Afsaneh Gray
Commissioning editor: Dan Clarke
Original music: Pete Cunningham


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023q2z)
Dr Hilary Cass, Actor Alison Steadman, Operation Identify Me, Electro-folk singer Frankie Archer

Dr Hilary Cass, now Baroness Cass, led a four year review into children’s gender identity services in England.  Her final report concluded that children had been let down by a lack of research and "remarkably weak" evidence on medical interventions, and called for gender services for young people to match the standards of other NHS care.  In an exclusive interview Nuala McGovern gets Dr Hilary Cass’s reflections six months on from releasing her landmark report.

Alison Steadman is one of our best loved actors.  Candice Marie in Nuts in May, Beverly in Abigail’s Party, Mrs Bennett in Pride and Prejudice and Pamela in Gavin & Stacey, just some of the iconic characters Alison has brought to life.  She’s also won an Olivier Award for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and a National Society of Film Critic Award.  She is also a keen birdwatcher.  She joins Nuala to talk about her memoir, Out of Character.

The second phase of a campaign aimed at finding the names of unidentified women who were murdered or killed in suspicious circumstances is being launched. Operation Identify Me is highlighting another 46 cold cases that European police are seeking to solve. BBC coverage of last year’s appeal helped to identify a British woman, Rita Roberts, some 30 years after her murder. Nuala is joined by BBC Correspondent Anna Holligan.

The Northumbrian electro-folk musician Frankie Archer has performed at Glastonbury and The BBC Proms, been featured on ‘Later... With Jools Holland’,and named as One To Watch! She has released a new EP 'Pressure and Persuasion’, through which she tells the stories of four women and girls from centuries past who navigate the same expectations that are put on women today.  She joins Nuala to talk about womanhood, tradfolk and her current UK tour, and to perform her current single, Elsie Marley.

Presented by Nuala McGovern
Producer: Louise Corley


WED 11:00 Today (m0023xzy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:45 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023q35)
An Ode to Friendship

Andrew O’Hagan turns his clear eye on human relationships for Radio 4, with a week of essays examining friendship from every angle. Today he teases out the connections between poetry and friendship as he remembers old friends like Seamus Heaney - and a Scottish terrier called Lucky.

Andrew O'Hagan is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction whose novels have been adapted for stage and screen. His essays and reports have appeared in London Review of Books, New York Review of Books, Granta, The Guardian and The New Yorker.

Read by the author
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie

The recording of Seamus Heaney reading his poem "Postscript" is from Seamus Heaney Collected Poems, courtesy of RTÉ.


WED 12:00 News Summary (m0023q38)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m0023q3b)
Negative Shopping Experiences, Property Voyeurism, Halloween for Pets

If you've ever abandoned a shopping trip midway through because of long queues, rude staff or lack of stock, you're not alone. A new report out this week suggests 80 percent of people have experienced this and its costing retailers billions in lost revenue. We'll hear about one person's experience of a shopping trip gone wrong. And Kyle Ferguson, Chief Executive of Forsta, the company behind the research, discusses its findings with Jo Causon, Chief Executive of the Institute of Customer Service.

It's estimated that one in 14 home viewings are by time wasters, acting either out of curiosity or for future research. We hear why people do it and get advice from property expert and journalist Charlie Lamdin about when you should and shouldn't do it.

And sales of Halloween pet products have jumped up in the past year with pets treats, accessories and even costumes for sale. We hear about some of the ways people are getting pets involved - as well as the do's and don'ts of going about it.

PRESENTER - WINIFRED ROBINSON

PRODUCER - CATHERINE EARLAM


WED 12:57 Weather (m0023q3d)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m0023q3g)
Will the chancellor change her fiscal rules?

As the Chancellor considers whether to change her fiscal rules, the Conservatives accuse the government of trying to fiddle their debt figures. We speak to economist and former Cabinet Secretary Lord Gus O'Donnell. Also, British AI innovator Sir Demis Hassabis is awarded the Noble Prize for chemistry.


WED 13:45 The History Podcast (m0023q3j)
The Brighton Bomb

The Brighton Bomb: 3. England Teams

The bomb is set for 12 October 1984 - but the IRA have been building to this for decades

It's the night of 17 September 1984. The guest in room 629 of Brighton’s Grand Hotel has ordered a bottle of vodka and three cokes. It seems he is having a small party.

A few minutes before, the guest – who signed in two days ago as Roy Walsh – put the panel back on the side of the bath in 629’s en suite.

Behind that panel he has left a bomb, timed to go off in three weeks, three days, six hours and thirty-six minutes, at 2.54am on Friday 12 October. The day of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton.

And the Prime Minister and all her cabinet, as this man who calls himself Roy Walsh knows, will be staying in the Grand Hotel.

It's the biggest direct assault on the British Government since the Gunpowder Plot.

The bomb will kill 5 people and injure 30.

It's the latest in a line of Irish republican attacks in England that stretches back to 1867.

Written and presented by Glenn Patterson

Series Producer: Owen McFadden
Story Consultant and Sound Design: Alan Hall
Producer: Lena Ferguson
Archive Producer: Fran Rowlatt McCormick
Production Co-Ordinator: Hollie Wallace
Composer: Mark McCambridge
Sound Engineer: Claire Marquess
Mixing Engineer: Mike Woolley
Patrick Magee archive courtesy of Peter Taylor and Whistledown Productions

Executive Producer: Rachel Hooper

A Walk on Air production in association with Keo Films for BBC Radio 4


WED 14:00 The Archers (m0023pw4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0023q3l)
Mediation

Spilt Milk

by Clara Glynn

It's been a year since Kirsten and Bill opened their home to a Ukrainian family. Now relationships have become strained, can mediation help them to find agreement?

Murdo ..... Liam Brennan
Kirsten ..... Kirsty Stuart
Bill ..... Michael Nardone
Larissa ..... Vera Graziadei
Mykola ..... Dmitry Everdeen

Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane

As the pressure on the UK’s courts intensifies, more and more cases are going through mediation as an alternative form of conflict resolution. In our series we present cases in which opposing versions of the truth have hardened into what seems like irreconcilable positions. The mediator has to try to find compromise, agreement and a way forward.

Series consultant - Charlie Irvine

An EcoAudio certified production for BBC Audio Scotland


WED 15:00 Money Box (m0023q3n)
Money Box Live: How to Buy a Home

Buying a home is legendarily one of the most stressful events in life so today on Money Box Live we're going to try to take some of the pressure off by talking you through how it should work.

Obviously there's much more to it than finding your dream house and a lot that can happen between viewing a property and getting the keys.

We talk to first-time buyers on the property hunt in Stockport in Greater Manchester, and our panel of experts, Simon Gammon, Head of Finance at Knight Frank and Beth Rudolf from the Conveyancing Association joins Felicity Hannah to take questions from listeners.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Craig Henderson/Sarah Rogers
Editor: Sarah Rogers

This episode was first broadcast on Weds 9th October 2024.


WED 15:30 The Artificial Human (m0023q3q)
Can AI Save the NHS?

The Darzi report of September 2024 painted a bleak picture of the NHS; crumbling infrastructure, low productivity and increasingly unhappy patients. AI is seen as key to turning the health service around but is it the panacea many claim?

Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong find out if its on the front line or in the back office that AI can offer the NHS the biggest bang for its limited buck?

Presenters: Aleks Krotoski & Kevin Fong
Producer: Peter McManus
Researcher: Emily Esson
Mixed by: Kris McConnachie


WED 16:00 The Media Show (m0023q0n)
Reporting Gaza, expert women on the news, publishing's big week

The BBC's Rushdi Abualouf, The Economist's Zanny Minton Beddoes, how to increase the number of female experts on the news, and the publishing industry's "Super Thursday".

Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins

Assistant Producers: Lucy Wai and Martha Owen


WED 17:00 PM (m0023q3s)
Tory leadership and Hurricane Milton

The Conservative leadership is down to the final two. We hear from the rival camps. And - out! Wimbledon is getting rid of human line judges.


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023q3v)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 18:30 Ivo Graham's Obsessions (m0023q3x)
Series 1

2. Susie McCabe & Kieran Hodgson

Ivo Graham travels to Glasgow to find out what obsesses his guests, Glaswegian comedian Susie McCabe, and comedian, actor, and Glasgow adoptee Kieran Hodgson.

Susie builds her credentials as a Lego obsessive, and Kieran waxes lyrical about the journey up the East Coast Main Line. The audience share their obsessions too, and Ivo receives a gift from one kind audience member. This week's very obsessed person, or 'VOP' is Dr Malcolm Knight, who brings his love of puppetry to its most natural medium, the radio.

Hosted by Ivo Graham
Featuring Susie McCabe, Kieran Hodgson and Dr Malcolm Knight

Written by Ivo Graham and Zoe Tomalin

Additional Material by Alex Kealy, Peter Tellouche and Christina Riggs

Recorded at the Tron Theatre by Sean Kerwin
Sound editing by Charlie Brandon King
Production Coordinators: Katie Baum & Jodie Charman
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, a BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4

An EcoAudio certified production
Show image: Matt Stronge


WED 19:00 The Archers (m0023q00)
George helps Eddie with the turkeys at the Grundy’s pole barn and discuss the big tea Clarrie’s making before George’s sentencing tomorrow. Eddie reckons George must be nervous and says he’s there if George needs to talk. But George just wants to work with the turkeys and be with Eddie. Poppy’s made a video of messages from everyone for George - even filmed the fields. A couple of turkeys escape through some broken fencing. Eddie’s wearing smart trousers for tonight’s meal but slips in the mud as George manages to catch the turkeys. Eddie thinks George did well, saying he’ll fix the fencing in the morning. George is halfway through offering to help when he stops, and sombre Eddie says it’ll get done. When George says he’ll miss all this, Eddie comforts him saying he knows, but it will all be here when George gets back.

Emma gets George’s things together and Ed turns up to help. Will and Poppy have pulled out some pictures for George, but Emma says that George doesn’t want any, it’ll make things harder for him. Out of earshot, Will asks Ed if Emma’s ok. Ed doubts it, but says she’s staying strong for George.

While the meal’s being prepared, Eddie tries to hide his muddy trousers from Clarrie. George tells Will and Ed that he doesn’t want anyone to come to court with him, just Emma. And holding back tears, tells everyone how sorry he is and how ashamed they must be. Eddie says they’re not ashamed of him, in fact they’re prouder of George than they’ve ever been.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m0023q3z)
Booker author Charlotte Wood, Surrealism discussion & playwright Tim Price on Odyssey '84

Booker Prize-shortlisted author Charlotte Wood talks about her novel Stone Yard Devotional.

In the month that marks 100 years since the publication of poet André Breton's Manifesto of Surrealism, artist Gavin Turk and art historian Professor Alyce Mahon discuss the significance and impact of surrealism on art over the past century.

And playwright Tim Price on Odyssey '84, an epic retelling of the 1984 Miners' Strike, inspired by Homer's Odyssey, which is being staged at Cardiff's Sherman Theatre.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan


WED 20:00 AntiSocial (m0023gjs)
Pop stars, boundaries and toxic fandom

Music artists are cancelling gigs to protect their mental health but what do they owe their fans?

American singer Chappell Roan pulled out of two appearances at short notice - not for the first time - saying she needed a few days to prioritise her health. Earlier in the summer, she called out fans’ “creepy behaviour” and said abuse and harassment of famous people shouldn’t be normalised. Her critics say she’s ungrateful and her cancellations cost fans money. But supporters argue she represents a new generation of artists who are no longer willing to put up with the industry’s damaging demands.

How has Chappell Roan’s relationship with fans evolved as her career has taken off? How have radical changes to the music industry’s business model affected demands on artists? And what has social media done to the connection between pop stars and their followers?

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Caroline Bayley
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Richard Vadon

Archive: British Pathe; Netflix.


WED 20:45 Profile (m0023pc5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


WED 21:00 The Kitchen Cabinet (m0023pb6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


WED 21:30 All in the Mind (m0023pv4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023q42)
Floridians prepare as Hurricane Milton lashes coast

US officials are warning Hurricane Milton, which is scheduled to make landfall on Florida's western coast within hours, could be "deadly and catastrophic". Millions of citizens have fled those areas in the storm's path, but others have decided to stay. We spoke to one man preparing to bunker down with his girlfriend and dog.

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken on the phone. The pair discussed Israel's response to an Iranian missile attack last week and pledged to remain in "close contact" in the coming days. The BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen has spoken to former Israeli leader Naftali Bennett, who believes Israel should target Iran's nuclear programme.

And a much maligned south coast town has inspired a piece of classical music. The Bognor Regis Suite was composed by local jeweller and musician Roger Clayden, inspired by his daily routine in the town.


WED 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m0023q44)
Episode 8

This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.

When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.

Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.

What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

Written by Gabrielle Zevin

Abridged by Joseph Bedell

Read by Zoe Maltby

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:00 Influencers (m001q0xz)
Series 1

1. Gratitude

Katy Brand and Katherine Parkinson write and star in a new comedy about the world of influencing, where they play Ruth and Carla – two wannabe stars of the online business world.

They are bound together by a carefully controlled image that can lead to lucrative product placements and well-paid endorsements - but only if the PR is played just right. And that’s a problem because, behind the scenes, things are not always as harmonious as they seem.

Episode 1: Gratitude
Ruth and Carla are worrying about company finances, plotting their next big move to give their shared business a boost and desperately thinking of things to add to their new Gratitude Diary.

Carla – Katy Brand
Ruth – Katherine Parkinson

Written by Katy Brand and Katherine Parkinson
Producer: Liz Anstee

A CPL production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 The Skewer (m0023q46)
Series 12

Episode 5

The week’s biggest stories like you’ve never heard them before. The news remixed into a satirical comedy concept album.

Jon Holmes presents the multi-award-winning The Skewer. This week - Sooty and Sue Gray, and Iranian Avengers Assemble.

Headphones on.

Producer: Jon Holmes
An unusual production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0023q48)
Susan Hulme reports from Westminster where it was the first session of PMQs since MPs returned from the conference recess.

THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2024

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m0023q4b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023q35)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023q4d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023q4g)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023q4j)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:30 News Briefing (m0023q4l)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023q4n)
A reflection and prayer to start the day with Father Martin Magill


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m0023q4q)
10/10/24 Threat of the bark beetle to UK forestry, seabed damage in protected areas, re-wiggling rivers

How best to stop the spread of a tiny beetle that could have a huge impact on the future health and profits of UK forestry? From the end of this month all new planting of spruce, with a handful of exceptions, will be banned across much of the south east of England. The restrictions form part of the Government's plans to control the bark beetle, a pest which has caused significant damage to forests across Europe. It was first found in the UK in 2018, this latest measure is a new addition to current rules restricting the felling and movement of spruce trees, their bark and their wood.

Environmental groups say the Scottish Government is failing the nation’s marine environment by leaving large areas of the seabed unprotected. It’s ten years since the introduction of Marine Protected Areas, but restrictions have still not been fully implemented.

We're talking about how we manage water in the landscape all this week, so we’ve been to see how re-wiggling a river works on a restored floodplain in Wiltshire.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.


THU 06:00 Today (m0023pz9)
10/10/24 - Emma Barnett and Nick Robinson

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 In Our Time (m0023pzc)
Robert Graves

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the author of 'I, Claudius' who was also one of the finest poets of the twentieth century. Robert Graves (1895 -1985) placed his poetry far above his prose. He once declared that from the age of 15 poetry had been his ruling passion and that he lived his life according to poetic principles, writing in prose only to pay the bills and that he bred the pedigree dogs of his prose to feed the cats of his poetry. Yet it’s for his prose that he’s most famous today, including 'I Claudius', his brilliant account of the debauchery of Imperial Rome, and 'Goodbye to All That', the unforgettable memoir of his early life including the time during the First World War when he was so badly wounded at the Somme that The Times listed him as dead.

With

Paul O’Prey
Emeritus Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Roehampton, London

Fran Brearton
Professor of Modern Poetry at Queen’s University, Belfast

And

Bob Davis
Professor of Religious and Cultural Education at the University of Glasgow

Producer: Simon Tillotson

Robert Graves (ed. Paul O'Prey), In Broken Images: Selected Letters of Robert Graves 1914-1946 (Hutchinson, 1982)

Robert Graves (ed. Paul O'Prey), Between Moon and Moon: Selected letters of Robert Graves 1946-1972 (Hutchinson, 1984)

Robert Graves (ed. Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward), The Complete Poems (Penguin Modern Classics, 2003)

Robert Graves, I, Claudius (republished by Penguin, 2006)

Robert Graves, King Jesus (republished by Penguin, 2011)

Robert Graves, The White Goddess (republished by Faber, 1999)

Robert Graves, The Greek Myths (republished by Penguin, 2017)

Robert Graves (ed. Michael Longley), Selected Poems (Faber, 2013)

Robert Graves (ed. Fran Brearton, intro. Andrew Motion), Goodbye to All That: An Autobiography: The Original Edition (first published 1929; Penguin Classics, 2014)

William Graves, Wild Olives: Life in Majorca with Robert Graves (Pimlico, 2001)

Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves: The Assault Heroic, 1895-1926 (Macmillan, 1986, vol. 1 of the biography)

Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves: The Years with Laura, 1926-1940 (Viking, 1990, vol. 2 of the biography)

Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves and the White Goddess, 1940-1985 (Orion, 1995, vol. 3 of the biography)

Miranda Seymour: Robert Graves: Life on the Edge (Henry Holt & Co, 1995)

In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production


THU 09:45 Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity (m001y8gt)
War and Wounds

In this series, materials scientist Mark Miodownik charts the journey of human progress through the sticky substances that have shaped us.

In episode four he explores how the accidental invention of superglue produced a life saving adhesive that was used to treat battle wounds during the Vietnam War.

He hears how medical glues today have transformed the way we heal ourselves. And he learns about research into a new generation of tissue adhesives inspired by sticky, slimy secretions from the natural world.

Contributors:
Chantelle Champagne, University of Alberta
Jeff Karp, Brigham and Women's Hospital through Harvard Medical School

Sound effects: Cup breaks by avakas, from Freesound

Producer: Anand Jagatia
Presenter: Mark Miodownik
Executive Producer: Sasha Feachem
BBC Studios Audio Production


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023pzf)
Hurricane response, Meera Syal & Tanika Gupta, Contraception, Neneh Cherry

Hurricane Milton landed today in Florida, battering the US state with winds of around 120 miles per hour. Residents were warned to evacuate for their own safety - but some have stayed. Professor of Risk and Hazard at Durham University Lucy Easthope joins Anita Rani to look at the women who stay behind in these situations, and their reasons behind this, as well as whether disaster planning reflects gender differences.

A Tupperware of Ashes is a play which follows an ambitious Michelin-Star chef, Queenie, played by Meera Syal. It's a family drama about life, immigration and the Indian spiritual cycle of death and rebirth written by playwright Tanika Gupta. Both women join Anita to talk about the play which is currently on at the National Theatre.

A new report from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, looks into what women want from contraception, the innovations in non-hormonal contraception, and the contraceptive options available to men. Anita is joined by CEO of BPAS Heidi Stewart and 28-year-old Charlotte whose contraceptive pill gave her severe migraines for more than two years before the connection was made.

Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper and producer Neneh Cherry first achieved global success in 1988 with her hit Buffalo Stance. She now has released a beautiful and personal memoir, A Thousand Threads. Neneh joins Anita to talk more about her life and career, and the stories she tells in the book.

Presenter: Anita Rani
Producer: Lottie Garton


THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m0023pzh)
Nile Rodgers

Nile Rodgers is one of the most successful and influential figures in popular music. As a songwriter, producer and arranger he has enjoyed a 50 year career with his bands Chic and Sister Sledge, and collaborations with artists including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Madonna, Daft Punk and Beyoncé.

Bringing his 1959 Fender Stratocaster guitar to the This Cultural Life studio, Nile tells John Wilson how the instrument has been the bedrock of almost every record that he worked on, and acquiring the nickname 'The Hitmaker'. He discusses his bohemian upbringing in 1950s New York with his mother and stepfather who were both drug users. He chooses as one of his most important influences his jazz guitar tutor Ted Dunbar who taught him not only about musical technique but also how to appreciate the artistry of a hit tune. “It speaks to the souls of a million strangers” he was told.

Nile Rodgers reminisces about his musical partner Bernard Edwards, with whom he set up the Chic Organisation after the pair first met on the club circuit playing with cover bands. He discusses their song writing techniques and the importance of what they called ‘deep hidden meaning’ in lyrics. He also reflects on the untimely death of Bernard Edwards in 1996 shortly after he played a gig with Nile in Tokyo, and why he continues to pay musical tribute to his friend in his globally-touring stage show which includes the songs of Chic and other artists they worked with.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


THU 11:45 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023pzk)
Losing Friends

Andrew O’Hagan turns his clear eye on human relationships for Radio 4, with a week of essays examining friendship from every angle. The author wrestles with endings - from the tragic loss of an old comrade to the disloyal rupture that ends a friendship forever.

Andrew O'Hagan is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction whose novels have been adapted for stage and screen. His essays and reports have appeared in London Review of Books, New York Review of Books, Granta, The Guardian and The New Yorker.

Read by the author
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie


THU 12:00 News Summary (m0023pzm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 The Bottom Line (m0023pzp)
Debt: Do Collectors Deserve Their Bad Reputation?

It must be one of the most-maligned professions out there - on a par, perhaps, with traffic wardens - but debt collectors perform a vital service to businesses and the wider economy. So why do we love to despise them?

Evan Davis and guests discuss the industry's inner workings, from the public image of aggressive, burly bailiffs, to the reality of repayment plans prompted by artificial intelligence. We ask how most try to ensure they collect debts fairly, and also hear the other side of the debt story - how damaging and stressful it can be for businesses who desperately need the money.

Plus, why do we find it so hard to talk about debt in the UK? We hear about the industry's efforts to tackle the stigma.

Evan is joined by:

John Pears, UK CEO, Lowell;
Amon Ghaiumy, co-founder and CEO, Ophelos;
Dana Denis-Smith, CEO and founder, Obelisk Support.

Production team:

Producer: Simon Tulett
Researcher: Farhana Haider
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Dafydd Evans and Sarah Hockley
Production co-ordinators: Rosie Strawbridge and Katie Morrison


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m0023pzr)
Longevity Supplements - 100th Episode

Can taking special supplements help us to live longer?

It's the 100th episode of Sliced Bread and to mark the occasion we're investigating the pills and supplements that claim to help us live longer - and more healthy - lives.
Listener Soly has heard about so-called 'biohackers' such as Bryan Johnson in the US, who are trying to turn back the clock on their biological age and reverse the process that makes their bodies vulnerable to illness and disease. Each day they're taking a special blend of compounds and chemicals which they claim slow down or even reverse the hallmarks of ageing.

Increasingly these supplements and diet plans are available to buy - but are they worth the money? Can they really extend our lives beyond the current normal human lifespan? What does the evidence say so far about their effectiveness?

Greg is joined in the studio by Dr Andrew Steele, author of 'Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old' to try to unlock the secrets of staying young and run the studies through the evidence mill.

We could not have made it to 100 episodes of Sliced Bread without YOUR suggestions for wonder products to investigate. Please do keep them coming! If you have seen something claiming to make you happier, healthier or greener, and want to know if it is SB or BS, then please do send it over on email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or drop us a message or voice note on WhatsApp to 07543 306807.

PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND PHIL SANSOM


THU 12:57 Weather (m0023pzt)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m0023pzw)
Assessing the damage from Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton hits Florida with a life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding. Also, the government lays out its planned changes to workers' rights, and Tesla unveils its new Robotaxi.


THU 13:45 The History Podcast (m0023pzy)
The Brighton Bomb

The Brighton Bomb: 4. It's Going to Happen

When you get right down to it, everything in life is a matter of timing.

It's the night of 17 September 1984. The guest in room 629 of Brighton’s Grand Hotel has ordered a bottle of vodka and three cokes.

A few minutes before, the guest – who signed in two days ago as Roy Walsh – put the panel back on the side of the bath in 629’s en suite.

Behind that panel he has left a bomb, timed to go off in three weeks, three days, six hours and thirty-six minutes, at 2.54am on Friday 12 October. The day of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton.

And the Prime Minister and all her cabinet, as this man who calls himself Roy Walsh knows, will be staying in the Grand Hotel. How do you feel as the timer ticks down? How do you fill your days?

And what of those who, all unknowing, are travelling towards the end date you have set?

Written and presented by Glenn Patterson

Series Producer: Owen McFadden
Story Consultant and Sound Design: Alan Hall
Producer: Lena Ferguson
Archive Producer: Fran Rowlatt McCormick
Production Co-Ordinator: Hollie Wallace
Composer: Mark McCambridge
Sound Engineer: Claire Marquess
Mixing Engineer: Mike Woolley
Patrick Magee archive courtesy of Peter Taylor and Whistledown Productions

Executive Producer: Rachel Hooper

A Walk on Air production in association with Keo Films for BBC Radio 4


THU 14:00 The Archers (m0023q00)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0023q02)
Mediation

Crossing the Line

by Clara Glynn

Mia works for a leading Edinburgh tech company. She alleges sexual harassment and discrimination against her older boss, Daniel. Can mediation offer a way to avoid a costly Employment Tribunal?

Murdo ..... Liam Brennan
Mia ..... Hiftu Quasem
Daniel ..... Andy Clark
Susanna ..... Maryam Hamidi

Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane

As the pressure on the UK’s courts intensifies, more and more cases are going through mediation as an alternative form of conflict resolution. In our series we present cases in which opposing versions of the truth have hardened into what seems like irreconcilable positions. The mediator has to try to find compromise, agreement and a way forward.

Series consultant - Charlie Irvine
Thanks to Alun Thomas

An EcoAudio certified production for BBC Audio Scotland


THU 15:00 Ramblings (m0023q04)
Arsenic and Fish Weirs on the Edge of Dartmoor

Clare explores the Lower Tavy Valley in Devon with Sharon Gedye a physical geographer who's spent years discovering how the area's rich history has shaped its landscape and people.

Sharon takes Clare on a circular walk starting on West Down, on the western edge of Dartmoor, heading down towards the River Tavy and eventually reaching Double Waters, the confluence of the Tavy and Walkham. On the way they see evidence of arsenic mines, copper workings and discuss long forgotten but fascinating fish weirs.
One of these, Sharon discovered with the help of court records, was the focus of an unlikely battle in 1280.

Sharon is also interested in how humans shape landscape and how landscape shapes us. Thinking of her grandfather, she says: He was a quarry-man on Dartmoor and by picturing him working and polishing the granite, I feel closer to how he experienced the world.

Also on the walk are two of Sharon's friends who bring their own areas of expertise to their interpretation of the area: archeologist Chris Smart, and heritage consultant, Andrew Thompson

Sharon writes a blog which you can find at www.awalkinenglishweather.com They met at WhatThreeWords: grin.tend.negotiators / Grid Ref: SX479708

Presenter: Clare Balding
Producer: Karen Gregor


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m0023pgh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 Illuminated (m0023phq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:15 on Sunday]


THU 16:00 Rethink (m0023q08)
Rethink... immigration

Rethink looks again at the issues of our time, and considers how we might approach them differently. Scrutinising the latest thinking and research, we look at what this might mean for policy and society.

In this episode, we’re looking at one of the most divisive issues of our time – immigration – and in particular, how we can change the discourse around migration.

Polling from the British Social Attitudes survey suggests that the UK is now more divided on immigration, by age, education, and political party, than at any time since 2011. But polling also indicates that there are large areas of agreement between people who are pro-immigration and others who are immigration-sceptic.

A majority of people think net immigration is too high.

A majority also believe that Ukrainian refugees, Afghans who helped UK forces, Hong Kong Chinese, doctors, nurses and care workers should be allowed to come to the UK.

And most people agree that crossing the channel in small boats is not a good idea.

So if a majority of people agree on these issues, how have we become so tribal? Why have politicians of all flavours failed us over the decades? How can get them to be more honest about the trade-offs that come with every immigration decision that's made - and how can we change the political discourse?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Clare Fordham

Contributors:
Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future
Alan Manning, Professor of Economics at the LSE and former chair of the Migration Advisory Committee
Dr Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory in Oxford, and a current advisor to the Migration Advisory Committee
Robert Colvile, Director, the Centre for Policy Studies


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m0023q0b)
Should we bring back extinct animals?

A woolly mammoth by 2028.

That’s the bold claim from US company Colossal Biosciences, who say research is under way that will make this possible.

But even if we have the technology to bring back a long dead species, should we? We hear the arguments for and against de-extinction.

Also this week, what will Europa Clipper find when it heads to one of Jupiter’s icy moons and how to win a Nobel Prize.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producers: Ella Hubber, Sophie Ormiston & Gerry Holt
Editor: Martin Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis

BBC Inside Science is produced in partnership with the Open University.


THU 17:00 PM (m0023q0d)
Clean-up from Hurricane Milton begins

The clean-up from Hurricane Milton begins across Florida, where four people have died. Also on PM, we hear from the Employment Minister about the changes to workers rights.


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023q0g)
Rescue operations are underway in Florida, after Hurricane Milton tore through the state.


THU 18:30 Olga Koch: OK Computer (m0023q0j)
Series 3

2. Religion

Comedian and computer scientist Olga Koch tries to explain beliefs and superstitions to her sassy and ultra-rational digital assistant Algo. Can you ever truly “get” Madonna? (The pop icon or the mother of Jesus).

Performed by Olga Koch
Written by Olga Koch and Charlie Dinkin

Featuring Rajiv Karia as Algo

Additional material from Rajiv Karia, Peter Tellouche and Christina Riggs

Produced by Benjamin Sutton
A BBC Studios Audio Production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m0023nyt)
George and Emma wait for his solicitor outside the courtroom at Felpersham Crown Court. George groans when he spots Lilian and Adam arriving. The solicitor explains the proceedings, but George is shocked when he hears that Fallon’s going to read her own Victim Personal Statement. Emma’s surprised when Susan appears and asks her to go, but Susan explains that they shouldn’t face this day alone. George is her grandson and Emma’s her daughter, so she’s staying.

When it’s time to go in scared George thanks Emma for coming with him and asks Susan to look after Emma. Tearful Susan promises she will.

Fallon reads her statement, outlining how traumatic it’s been. George didn’t rescue her because he cared, he did it because he knew it was his fault.

When the court adjourns for lunch Fallon approaches Emma, who says it must have been really difficult for Fallon. Fallon reckons it can’t have been easy for Emma hearing it either. She hopes that Emma finds today manageable. Emma says how sorry George is and Fallon says she saw it in his face, but what happened still happened.

George’s barrister puts George’s case, but in the end the judge passes his sentence: one year for the charge of dangerous driving and two years for perverting the course of justice, to be served concurrently. Susan comforts distraught Emma. George is equally upset when he discovers from his solicitor that he’s going to an adult prison. But he asks her to tell Emma that he was ok about it, before George is left alone in the cell.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m0023q0l)
Review: Film - Timestalker, Theatre - The Other Place, TV - Disclaimer

Tom Sutcliffe and his guests journalist Stephen Bush and theatre critic Kate Maltby review the latest cultural releases. These include Apple TV's thriller Disclaimer which stars Cate Blanchett and Sacha Baron Cohen, Alice Lowe's comedy sci-fi film Timestalker and Alexander Zeldin's modern reworking of Antigone at the National Theatre, The Other Place. And after today's announcement that Han Kang has won the Nobel Prize for Literature, her former editor at Granta Magazine, the author Max Porter talks about her poetic prose.

Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Paula McGrath and Natasha Mardikar


THU 20:00 The Media Show (m0023q0n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m0023pc3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 The Warsaw Ghetto: History as Survival (m001l9bf)
3. Smuggling - Peretz Opoczynski

The story of the Oyneg Shabes archive. Between 1940-43 a group of dedicated writers, led by historian Emanuel Ringeblum, secretly recorded daily Jewish existence in the Warsaw Ghetto. The project grew to become history as survival. Anton Lesser narrates this 10 part series revealing the lives, stories & destruction of the Ghetto.
Episode 3-Smuggling. Yiddish journalist & poet Peretz Opoczynski was one of Oyneg Shabes' most gifted writers, effortlessly capturing the nuances of the daily struggle to survive. Nowhere more so than in his depiction of the smuggling that proved essential to the survival of Jewish and non-Jewish Poles alike. With Alfred Molina .

In the middle of Europe, in the middle of the 20th Century, a half million Jewish men, women & children were herded into a prison city within a city. Walled off & surrounded by the German occupiers & their collaborators. How do you tell the world about your life and fate? Historian and activist Emanuel Ringelblum devised and directed a clandestine archive- codename Oyneg Shabes (Joy of the Sabbath) to chronicle every aspect of their existence. He recruited over 60 'zamlers' or gatherers to write, collect & compile thousands of pages-diaries, essays, poems, art, photographs & ephemera. The archive was buried as the ghetto was being destroyed. Listen to their stories.

Narration by Anton Lesser with Alfred Molina. Translation by David Suchoff. Warsaw Streetscape voices Helen Beer and Mame Loshn. Krystena Bell & Syrena Youth Theatre. Historical adviser Samuel Kassow, Musical adviser Bret Werb. Written & produced by Mark Burman.

For more information go to: https://www.jhi.pl/en/research/the-ringelblum-archive-and-the-oneg-shabbat-group/about-the-ringelblum-archive


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023q0q)
Beirut rocked by more Israeli air strikes

Twenty-two people have been killed and 117 injured in Israeli air strikes on central Beirut, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. BBC reporters heard loud explosions echoing from the site of a strike in Bachoura, a small Shia area in the Lebanese capital.

A trail of destruction has been left in Florida after Hurricane Milton struck. The aftermath includes political barbs between the two US Presidential candidates.

And the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to South Korean writer Han Kang, who explores themes including grief, violence and patriarchy.


THU 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m0023q0s)
Episode 9

This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.

When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.

Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.

What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

Written by Gabrielle Zevin

Abridged by Joseph Bedell

Read by Zoe Maltby

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4


THU 23:00 The Today Podcast (m0023q0v)
Is Labour working?

This week marks 100 days of Keir Starmer’s government. But the new Prime Minister has already faced several setbacks, with stories swirling of freebies, party infighting, and anger at the scrapping of the winter fuel payments scheme.

Nick and Amol sit down with Thangam Debbonaire, the former Labour MP and Shadow Culture Secretary, who lost her seat in the 2024 election. Is the negative media coverage of the new government unfair? Does Starmer have a ‘politics problem’? And what is it like to watch the drama unfold from the outside?

Plus, more from behind the scenes of Radio 4! Weather presenter and meteorologist Simon King is here to share the secrets of the Shipping Forecast.

If you have a question you’d like Amol and Nick to answer, get in touch by sending us a message or voice note on WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or send an email to today@bbc.co.uk.

To get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme, subscribe to The Today Podcast on BBC Sounds so you don’t miss an episode.

You can also listen any time on your smart speaker by saying “Smart Speaker, ask BBC Sounds to play The Today Podcast.”

The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Amol was the BBC’s media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he’s also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick was the BBC’s political editor for ten years before and was also ITV’s political editor.

The senior producer is Lewis Vickers, the producer is Hatty Nash, research and digital production from Joe Wilkinson. The editor is Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths. Technical production from Jeremy Morgan.


THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0023q0x)
Alicia McCarthy reports on a row about freedom of speech in England's universities.

FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER 2024

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m0023q0z)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023pzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m0023q11)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m0023q13)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (m0023q15)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:30 News Briefing (m0023q17)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m0023q19)
Throwing Open the Windows

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Father Martin Magill


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m0023q1c)
11/10/24 - Employment rights, beavers, Welsh slurry spreading rules

The government has published its Employment Rights Bill - so what will it mean for farmers and the staff who work for them? Its key proposals include protection against unfair dismissal from day one, flexible working, improved rights for sick pay, bereavement and parental leave, and a move to regulate zero hours contracts. Most of the planned changes won’t take effect until 2026 and there’ll be a period of consultation between now and then.

Conservationists have long argued that the reintroduction of beavers can help reduce the risk of flooding - the dams they build slow the flow of water in rivers, holding it back from built-up areas further downstream. Well, beavers have been living wild on the River Otter in East Devon for at least 16 years, but last year, there was significant flooding in the area.

And some Welsh farmers have claimed they are having to choose between the risk of polluting rivers or breaking the law, ahead of a controversial muck-spreading ban. New rules forbid slurry spreading across Wales from mid October to January, in an effort to protect water quality. NFU Cymru says there is "enormous concern" after wet conditions have hampered efforts to empty slurry stores ahead of the deadline. But the organisation representing Welsh rivers' trusts say farmers have had years to prepare for the changes.

Presented by Caz Graham
Produced by Heather Simons


FRI 06:00 Today (m0023nxx)
11/10/24 - Amol Rajan and Justin Webb

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m0023qjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m0023ny0)
Sharon D Clarke, SEND teacher training, Black nurses in history

Sharon D Clarke is a triple Olivier award-winning actress currently starring in two separate TV series: My Loverman on BBC One and Ellis on Channel 5. In November she’s playing the role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Lyttelton Theatre in London. Sharon joins Krupa Padhy to talk about her new roles and what black representation on stage and screen means to her.

Mums say that the UK’s system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is broken. An opinion poll from Opinium commissioned by Woman's Hour for a programme on SEND last month revealed that only half of mothers believe their child with SEND is well supported in school, and those in Scotland are the least likely to feel this way. Krupa takes a look at what is going on behind the scenes with Julie Allan, Professor of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Birmingham; Bev Alderson, National Executive Member of the teaching union NASUWT and Jo Van Herwegen. Professor of Developmental Psychology and Education at University College London.

The rap musician Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could face lawsuits from more than 100 accusers for sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation. He is currently being held in a New York detention centre after being denied bail. What are the accusations against him? And what impact is this having on the alleged victims? BBC News correspondent Chi Chi Izundu joins Krupa to tell us more.

Who were the trailblazing black women in nursing and how far back does that history go? The children’s black history author Kandace Chimbiri asks that question in her latest book The Story of Britain’s Black Nurses. She examines how far back this history goes and its links to Empire and Britain’s former colonies.


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m0023ny2)
The Champagne of Dairy and other drinks

Jaega Wise travels the country to meet the three finalists in the Drinks Producer category in this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards.

Her journey takes her to Belfast and the Bullhouse Brewery which began life in a farm shed. Now thriving in an industrial estate, head brewer Will Mayne talks about his frustrations with the current alcohol licensing system in Northern Ireland which he says made it hard for him to open a pub and sell his beer. The controversial "Surrender Principle" means there's a cap on the number of issued pub licences which can be sold for one hundred thousand pounds each. Jaega also hears from Colin Neill - the chief executive of the trade body Hospitality Ulster - who believes the current system keeps standards high in pubs and does work for publicans.

Then it's on to East Sussex and the producers of a fermented milk drink nicknamed "the champagne of dairy". Ki-Kefir was co-founded by Sam Murphy who started off making kefir in her London kitchen. It proved so popular with friends and family that she linked up with a dairy farm when she moved to the countryside to expand her production. She shows Jaega how kefir is made and discusses its potential health benefits.

Lastly, Jaega travels to Scotland to see the country's oldest working distillery. The Glenturret Distillery in Crieff has been producing whisky since 1763, with a short break during the years of Prohibition. Distillery manager Ian Renwick hosts a tour and uncorks some 15-year old whisky in the tasting room.

Jaega also mulls over the shortlisted three with the drinks journalist Olly Smith in a whisky bar in London.

Presented by Jaega Wise
Produced by Sam Grist and Robin Markwell
Archive Clip from Saturday Kitchen on BBC1 from 14th Sept, produced by Cactus TV.


FRI 11:45 On Friendship by Andrew O'Hagan (m0023ny4)
Imaginary Friendships

Andrew O’Hagan turns his clear eye on human relationships for Radio 4, with a week of essays examining friendship from every angle. The author concludes with an examination of every writer's companions - the friends of the imagination.

Andrew O'Hagan is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction whose novels have been adapted for stage and screen. His essays and reports have appeared in London Review of Books, New York Review of Books, Granta, The Guardian and The New Yorker.

Read by the author
Producer: Eilidh McCreadie


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m0023ny6)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 AntiSocial (m0023ny9)
Breeding for Britain

Deaths have outnumbered births in the UK for the first time in nearly 50 years, new figures show. Should we encourage people to have more babies?

With an ageing population and not enough babies born to fully replace the older generations, some people are warning of population collapse. It was a hot subject at this year’s Conservative Party Conference - one fringe meeting discussed how to encourage people to have more children - and the phrase ‘Breed for Britain’ was soon trending on X.

Some people say that conversations like this are bad for women, and our total population is still growing - thanks to net migration. Others argue that immigration isn’t the solution, and we need to increase our fertility rate.

What do the figures show about demographic trends? How have other countries tried to boost their birth rates, and have they succeeded? And how has a conspiracy theory about the so-called ‘Great Replacement’ shifted into the mainstream?

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Ellie House, Simon Maybin, Caroline Bayley
Production coordinator: Janet Staples
Editor: Penny Murphy


FRI 12:57 Weather (m0023nyf)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m0023nyk)
Israel fires on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon again

International condemnation grows as Israeli troops fire on UN peacekeepers on Lebanon’s border again. Plus, England’s only provider of holidays for severely disabled people is to close, and author Robert Harris on the film adaptation of his book, ‘Conclave’.


FRI 13:45 The History Podcast (m0023nyp)
The Brighton Bomb

The Brighton Bomb: 5. 2:54am

The IRA’s Patrick Magee has left a bomb, under a bath, in room 629 of the Brighton’s Grand Hotel. It’s timed to go off in three weeks, three days, six hours and thirty-six minutes, at 2.54am on Friday 12 October. The day of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton.

While Party colleagues socialise, or prepare for bed on the last night of conference, the Prime Minister settles down to write her big speech until the early hours.

Or until 2:54am, when the bomb goes off. It's the biggest direct assault on a British Government since the Gunpowder Plot.

Written and presented by Glenn Patterson

Series Producer: Owen McFadden
Story Consultant and Sound Design: Alan Hall
Producer: Lena Ferguson
Archive Producer: Fran Rowlatt McCormick
Production Co-Ordinator: Hollie Wallace
Composer: Mark McCambridge
Sound Engineer: Claire Marquess
Mixing Engineer: Mike Woolley
Patrick Magee archive courtesy of Peter Taylor and Whistledown Productions

Executive Producer: Rachel Hooper

A Walk on Air production in association with Keo Films for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m0023nyt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m00238rd)
Central Intelligence

Central Intelligence: Episode 5

The inside story of the CIA from the perspective of Eloise Page (Kim Cattrall), who joined on the Agency’s first day in 1947 and, in a 40-year career, became one of its most influential figures. 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).

New episodes available on Fridays. Listen first on BBC Sounds.

In Episode 5, the mysterious death of two agents, a mail interception program and the surprise discovery of a network of anti-communist insurgents behind the Iron Curtain.

Cast:
Eloise Page……….Kim Cattrall
Allen Dulles……….Ed Harris
Richard Helms……….Johnny Flynn
Frank Wisner……….Geoffrey Arend
Kermit Roosevelt……….Rob Benedict
Young Eloise Page……….Elena Delia
General Bedell-Smith and General Eisenhower……….Kerry Shale
Julia Helms……….Julee Cerda
Clover Dulles………Laurel Lefkow
Lyman Kirkpatrick……….Akie Kotabe
Macy Dulles……….Will Hislop
Yvonne De Carlo……….Natasha Arancini
Chief Postal Officer……….Dana Hajdoo
Tom Polgar……….Jamie Bogyo

All other parts were played by members of the cast

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
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 and 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 production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 14:45 Buried (m001hnm8)
Series 1

Series 1 - 9. Fear of the Unknown

In his last days, Joe thought the pollution was putting lives at risk. His friends were willing to break the law to find out. Years on, are deadly cancers rising?

"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 (m0023nyy)
Kingston upon Hull: coastal planting, eucalyptus trees and mouldy grapes

When is a seed ready to harvest? Which evergreen shrubs could I plant on the coast? Why are my greenhouse grapes going mouldy?

Kathy Clugston and her panel of horticultural experts are answering questions from an audience of keen gardeners in Kingston upon Hull.

Joining Kathy to plant some useful seeds of advice are proud gardener Matthew Biggs, garden designer Bunny Guinness and head gardener Matthew Pottage. They discuss the best time to use soil improver, how to see a eucalyptus tree through winter and their most creative ideas for attracting punters to open gardens.

Later in the programme, Matt Biggs pays a visit to Stratford Fire Station to hear how they’ve transformed and rejuvenated their garden space.

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m0023wvn)
356A to Marrakech

Stephen Fry reads Andrew Hunter Murray’s new comic short story.

When a computer for a budget airline becomes sentient, things start looking rather terminal for humankind…

A satirical short story about AI, apathy, and in-flight entertainment. Please fasten your headphones, and welcome on board – the 356A to Marrakech.

Andrew Hunter Murray is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Day, The Sanctuary, & A Beginners Guide To Breaking And Entering. A QI Elf, Andrew co-hosts the multi-award-winning podcast No Such Thing As A Fish, and writes for Private Eye.

Read by Stephen Fry.

Producer: Katie Sayer

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4

www.pozzitive.co.uk


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m0023nz2)
Lord Ouseley, Norman Ackroyd, Lore Segal, Cissy Houston

John Wilson on Lord Ouseley, the co-founder of the anti-racism football campaign ‘Kick it Out’ and former Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality.

The landscape artist and printmaker Norman Ackroyd whose work celebrates some of the most remote and inhospitable areas of the UK.

Lore Segal, the author whose book ‘Other People’s Houses’ told the story of her fleeing the Nazis on a Kindertransport and being fostered in England.

The Grammy Award winning singer Cissy Houston was a leading light in gospel music and sung with a range of artists including Elvis, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and her daughter Whitney.

Producer: Ed Prendeville

Archive: BBC HardTalk Interview 05/02/2013, Notes on Water – Poppy Ackroyd ,Norman Ackroyd – Archipelago poem, BBC Front Row Norman Ackroyd interview with John Wilson 10/11/2016, Cissy Houston - Sweet Inspiration, PBS, 1987 Youtube upload, Whitney Houston interview with her mom Cissy, 1988 Youtube upload,Cissy Houston: The Sweet Inspirations, NVLP, 2009 Youtube upload, BBC Woman's Hour 30/06/18 Lore Segal Interview


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m0023nz6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m0023nzb)
Israel is condemned after strikes on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

Israel is condemned after strikes on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon Plus, Andy Burnham joins us to speak about the regional leaders council meeting.


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m0023nzh)
Israel has come under international criticism for firing on UN bases in southern Lebanon. The UK government was among those to raise concerns, saying it was "appalled" by reports.


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m0023nzm)
Series 115

Cleverly Timed Exits

This week on The News Quiz the panel unpack Sue Gray's cabinet exit, the arrival of man (and possible Irish Law firm) Morgan McSweeney and James Cleverly pipped at the post.

Written by Geoff Norcott

With additional material by: Cody Dahler, James Farmer, Tom Mayhew and Christina Riggs.
Producer: Rajiv Karia
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox

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


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m0023nzr)
Kenton gloats to Jolene about his Flower and Produce award-winning apple and cheese pie. Lilian toasts George’s sentencing with them, relieved that Alice and Fallon can both draw a line under it all now. They look through entries for the competition to name the kitten, but they aren’t impressed, so decide to give it another week. However, amongst the entries there’s a message from someone who is interested in the old Shires ashtray in the competition photo. They agree to get in touch with him.

Emma can’t be bothered to get up – not only has her boy been taken away, but they’ve put him in an adult prison. Susan reminds her that George will be on a wing with people his age and that George said he was ok with it. Emma retorts that since they forced him to tell the truth, George has had no choice but to be brave. She knows he’s scared. And she hasn’t had her phone call from him yet. Susan takes her in hand, ordering Emma to get up and get dressed. She needs to think about Keira too.

Later, Emma thanks Susan for chivvying her along. Susan advises her to keep putting one foot in front the other, so that when George rings he’ll hear normality in Emma’s voice. Emma agrees that George is stronger than she thinks. They’ll get him through it. When George rings later he is on edge, because of something kicking off in the wing. When they’re interrupted by a bang inside the prison Emma becomes desperate, before George is cut off.


FRI 19:15 Screenshot (m0023wvq)
Saturday Night Live

Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode look at the impact of Saturday Night Live, or SNL, as the long-running US sketch show prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Just how important is SNL in the history of American comedy? And why have we never quite understood it over here?

Ellen speaks to actor and former SNL writer Paula Pell about how it felt to get a job on the show after growing up as an obsessed fan - and whether the hectic schedule of Saturday Night Live is always conducive to the best comedy. And she talks to US comedian and podcaster Ashley Ray about SNL's enduring influence on American humour, and its relevance for audiences as it enters its 50th season.

Meanwhile, Mark discusses the cinema that has emerged from the series - from big hitters like The Blues Brothers and Wayne's World to box office flops MacGruber and A Night at the Roxbury - with author and Empire magazine editor Nick de Semlyen. And he gets the inside track on working with SNL's legendary super-producer Lorne Michaels - and on bringing the music of Queen to a whole new generation - from Wayne's World's director Penelope Spheeris.

Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m0023nzt)
Bronwen Maddox, Alison McGovern MP, Andrew Mitchell MP, Layla Moran MP

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from St Matthew's Church in Walsall, with the chief executive of the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House, Bronwen Maddox; employment minister Alison McGovern MP; shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell MP; and Layla Moran MP, the new chair of the Commons health and social care committee.

Producer: Paul Martin
Lead broadcast engineer: Owain Williams


FRI 20:50 A Point of View (m0023nzw)
Naughtie on America: Call Me Ishmael

James Naughtie presents the first of four personal essays exploring America's 'wild search for meaning' in the run-up to November's presidential election.

From the freezing waters of Nantucket Sound in Moby Dick, via sunken levees of the Mississippi and the railroad blues of New Orleans, to the ‘raucous expeditions into an underworld of…richly wounded humanity’ in contemporary crime novels, James contemplates this moment in the United States through its fiction.

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


FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m0023nzy)
Childhood and innocence

Can we still be idealistic about childhood? How do we square the impact of war, stories of sexual abuse, the impact of time spent on screens with the idea of children's experiences being about play, learning to be social, listening and creating stories ? Anne McElvoy's guests include:
Katherine Rundell, author of the Waterstones book of 2023 Impossible Creatures, her series about children's literature is on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds next week. It's called The Lion, the Witch and the Wonder.
Emily Baughan, Senior Lecturer in 19th/20th Century British History at the University of Sheffield and author of Saving the Children: Humanitarianism, Internationalism and Empire. She is a New Generation Thinker working with BBC Radio 4 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to share her research on radio.
Miriam Cates former Conservative MP who is now Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social Justice.
Andrew Cooper, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Warwick who teaches courses on philosophy of nature, philosophy of mind, and existentialism.
Grace Lockrobin who is Co-Director of SAPERE - a UK charity that works to realise the benefits of a philosophical education as widely and equitably as possible.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m0023p00)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.


FRI 22:45 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (m0023p02)
Episode 10

This is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.

When Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one morning he is catapulted straight back to childhood, and the hours they spent immersed in playing games.

Their spark is instantly reignited and sets off a creative collaboration that will make them superstars. It is the 90s, and anything is possible.

What comes next is a decades-long tale of friendship and rivalry, fame and art, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love.

Written by Gabrielle Zevin

Abridged by Joseph Bedell

Read by Zoe Maltby

Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4


FRI 23:00 Americast (m0023p04)
It’s James Carville, Stupid!

James Carville, the influential Democrat strategist, and man behind Bill Clinton’s successful ’92 presidential campaign, is on Americast.

His message, ‘It’s the economy, stupid!’ is credited with some of that success.

He tells Justin what he thinks Kamala Harris’s message should be in 2024, and why he thinks her party’s campaign needs to be more aggressive.

And he talks about being the subject of a new documentary, Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid.

HOST
* Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter

GET IN TOUCH:
* Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB
* Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480
* Email Americast@bbc.co.uk
* Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Chris Flynn with Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Jack Graysmark. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

If you want to be notified every time we publish a new episode, please subscribe to us on BBC Sounds by hitting the subscribe button on the app.

You can now listen to Americast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Americast”. It works on most smart speakers.

US Election Unspun: Sign up for Anthony’s BBC newsletter: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68093155

Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including The Global Story, The Today Podcast, and of course Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

The Global Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/w13xtvsd
The Today Podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r
Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl
Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm


FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m0023p06)
Sean Curran reports from Westminster on calls to tackle a lack of trust in politics.