SATURDAY 24 MAY 2014

SAT 00:00 Jane Austen (b0076h34)
Mansfield Park
Episode 10
Fanny returns to Mansfield Park to claim her rightful place in the household. Stars Felicity Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch and David Tennant.
SAT 00:15 A Short History of Ireland (b007v073)
Cultural Revival; Home Rule Promised
The country's rich and turbulent story continues. With Richard Dormer, James Greene and Frances Tomelty.
SAT 00:30 Inspector Resnick (b00mbmh4)
Wasted Years
Episode 5
A spate of armed robberies has DI Charlie Resnick recalling his 1980s nemesis, the soon-to-be-paroled John Prior. Philip Jackson reads John Harvey's thriller.
SAT 01:00 Life, Death and Sex with Mike and Sue (b01n6yj7)
Series 2
Relationships
Sofa-bound TV presenters Mike and Sue ponder the future and grapple with relationships.
Series 2 of Bill Dare's sitcom stars Robert Duncan and Jan Ravens.
Mike ...... Robert Duncan
Sue ...... Jan Ravens
With Roger Blake, Bill Dare, Alistair McGowan and Sally Philips.
Music by Mark Burton.
Producer: Jo Clegg
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1997.
SAT 01:30 Humphrey Lyttelton - Play As I Please (b01ghlgr)
Gigging Around
Humphrey Lyttelton tells June Knox-Mawer about forming his first band and all-time hero, Louis Armstrong. From December 1993.
SAT 02:00 Wimsey (b007jwgz)
Busman's Honeymoon
2. Credit Where Credit's Due
With William Noakes dead, Superintendent Kirk has his suspicions, but upper crust sleuth, Lord Peter Wimsey is not so sure...
Ian Carmichael stars as Lord Peter Wimsey – the British gentleman detective created by Dorothy L Sayers.
Classy and sharp-witted, aristocratic amateur sleuth Lord Peter Bredon Wimsey was born in 1890 and educated at Eton and Oxford, before serving in the military during the First World War.
Ian Carmichael appeared as Lord Peter Wimsey for BBC Radio from 1973 to 1983, in addition to the BBC TV adaptations that were broadcast between 1972 and 1975.
Lord Peter Wimsey …. Ian Carmichael
Lady Wimsey …. Sarah Badel
Bunter …. Peter Jones
Mrs Ruddle …. Pearl Hackney
Mr Puffett …. Michael Ripper
MacBride …. Roger Lloyd Pack
Frank Crutchley …. Kenneth Cranham
Narrator …. John Westbrook
Superintendent Kirk …. Peter Vaughan
Constable Sellon …. Christopher Beeny
Dramatised by Alistair Beaton.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1983.
SAT 02:30 The World's a Stage (b00763zg)
Merely Players?
Henry Goodman looks at the actor's role in casting, characterisation and 'resting'. With Geraldine James and Pam St Clement. From September 2001.
SAT 03:00 Inspector Resnick (b00755wt)
Slow Burn
2/2 Deadly Rhythm
A charred body has been found in the remains of Jimmy Nolan's city-centre jazz club.
Inspector Resnick's team are called to the scene of another deadly conflagration. Is there a link?
Conclusion of John Harvey's thriller.
Charlie Resnick ...... Philip Jackson
Graham Millington ...... Sean Baker
Lynn Kellogg ...... Kate Eaton
Jimmy Nolan ...... John Rowe
Joanne Hubble ...... Alison Pettitt
Stuart Hubble ...... Gerard McDermott
Nicola Venner ...... Rachel Atkins
Fire Officer ...... Alistair Danson
Clarice ...... Jenny Lee
Simmonds ...... Iwan Thomas
Producer: David Hunter
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1998.
SAT 04:00 Dylan Thomas (b04412c9)
Holiday Memory
4 Extra Debut. 'A tuck of dresses, a rolling of trousers'. Poet Dylan Thomas vividly recalls an evocative August Bank Holiday. From January 1946.
SAT 04:15 Martyn Wade - The Other Constance Chatterley (b007k0l7)
Mrs Chatterley of Gravesend reveals similar interests to her famous namesake.
Martyn Wade's comedy set in the 1930s starring Felicity Montagu and Rachel Atkins.
A failing firm of solicitors is saved from ruin by the prospect of a literary libel case. But it may involve the rather buttoned up partner of the firm going way beyond the call of duty.
Constance Chatterley ...... Rachel Atkins
Miss Priestley ...... Felicity Montagu
David Horovitch ...... Mr Greene
Mr Chatterley ...... Jon Glover
Director: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2004.
SAT 05:00 Second Holmes (b016px9c)
The Case of the Missing Link
The grandsons of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson meet a member of the Moriarty family.
Six light-hearted adventures involving the grandsons of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson written by Grant Eustace
Starring Peter Egan as Stamford Holmes, Jeremy Nicholas as Dr Watson, Simon Hewitt as James Macpherson, David Gooderson as Inspector Winter, Lolly Cockerell as Mrs Pettifer and John Dunn as himself.
Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1983.
SAT 05:30 Smelling of Roses (b00dl042)
Series 3
A Cheeky Little Number
Jo's relationship with Robert is looking a bit rocky, and the situation isn't helped when she meets a charming young wine shipper for whom Rosie's organising a tasting...
Another assignment for Rosie Burns and the event management company, where the clients are only part of the problem...
Written by Simon Brett.
Rosie ..... Prunella Scales
Jo ..... Rebecca Callard
Bob ..... Duncan Preston
Tess ..... Annette Badland
Harry Butt ..... Gideon Turner
Emma Bryson ..... Rebecca Front
Producer: Maria Esposito
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2002.
SAT 06:00 Alick Rowe - Odysseus on an Iceberg (b00l3pxl)
A comic re-telling of the legendary figure's protracted journey home from the Trojan War. With Hugh Dickson and Alex Jennings.
SAT 07:30 Ay Mariachi! (b00xmv28)
It's night-time in the Plaza Garibaldi, Mexico City.
Neil Mcarthy descends into the meaning, madness and music of mariachi - hustling troubadours in sequined suits whose songs of love and pain are inseparable from Mexican life.
Producer: Mark Burman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2004.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b00s1n54)
The Split Up (and the Almost Inevitable Reunion)
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Beatles disbanding, the Reverend Richard Coles, whose own band The Communards split up, examines how rock groups through the decades have decided to call it a day. From the Beatles through to the Verve who've disbanded several times, Richard trawls the BBC archives to find examples of rock split-ups and to ask whether there can ever be a dignified parting of the ways. He examines the many reasons that bands split and reveals a myriad of circumstances underlying these partings of the ways, from artistic differences to personal animosity, the wish of one singer to go solo or simply the end of a particular zeitgeist which characterised their sound. He also asks whether the energy and drive of the music and early days of a band means that tensions and a sundering is often inevitable.
The programme features a wealth of archive material from bands through the decades, of all kinds of musical styles from the Rubettes to The Verve, and from 10cc to The Eagles. There are also new interviews with the record executive Tony Wadsworth and the artist manager Jazz Summers, which give the view points of those working behind the scenes who have to manage and deal with the fall-out when a band splits up. Extra comment is provided by the rock specialists Stuart Maconie and Laura Lee Davies.
But the story doesn't just stop when the bands split. The members may go off and pursue other careers, but often, the creativity which fuelled them at the beginning still drives them 10 years down the line. In addition, touring is now where the big money is to be made. So, for many different reasons, many of the bands we thought we'd never see again are being coaxed from their separate career paths to reunite and go on the road once more. The Police regrouped, Take That have had a new lease of life and the Spice Girls took their children touring the second time around.
Of course, the reunion doesn't always go well. Perhaps the band is without the lead singer who gave such a distinctive sound. Sometimes the artistic differences which sundered the artists in the first place rear their heads again 10 years later. Maybe the fans have grown up and moved on. And that means that a reunited band can do the split-up all over again...
SAT 09:00 Just a Minute (b01dh763)
Without Hesitation
'Nicholas Parsons - he's an institution'. That's what Just a Minute listeners think. And so too is the classic comedy panel game that he's chaired since its first broadcast on 22nd December 1967, on the new BBC Radio 4.
Nicholas Parsons celebrates six decades and counting of dodging deviation, hurdling hesitation and repelling repetition, with performances from some of shows greatest players, including Clement Freud, Derek Nimmo, Peter Jones, Kenneth Williams, Paul Merton, Linda Smith, Stephen Fry, Tony Hawks, Julian Clary and Graham Norton.
Nicholas talks about how he rather accidently became the chairman. He remembers his friend and creator of the game, the late Ian Messiter. And wonders how he survived the challenges of all those unruly panellists. And Paul Merton recalls his joy and worry when he appeared on the show for the first time. He went from being its greatest fan to being behind the microphone.
SAT 12:00 Vikas Swarup - The Seventh Test Omnibus (b044jhrs)
Episode 1
Offered a chance to change her life, sales assistant Sapna must pass seven tests. Thriller set in India. Stars Rasika Dugal.
SAT 13:15 In the Psychiatrist's Chair (b00751hc)
Paul Theroux
Controversial novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux talks to Dr. Anthony Clare about what spurs him on to write.
Psychiatrist Dr Anthony Clare's in depth interviews with prominent people from different walks of life.
Born in Dublin, author Anthony held a doctorate in medicine, a master's degree in philosophy and was a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. After becoming a regular on BBC Radio 4's Stop the Week in the 1980s, he became Britain's best-known psychiatrist and earned his own vehicle, In the Psychiatrist's Chair.
Starting in 1982, this series ran until 2001 and also transferred to TV. Series highlights include conversations with Bob Monkhouse, Cecil Parkinson and Gerry Adams.
Anthony Clare died suddenly in Paris aged 64 in 2007.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1997.
SAT 14:00 Desert Island Discs: Longplay (b076130h)
Ant and Dec
Kirsty Young chats to the kings of TV prime time, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly
Specially extended edition for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Britain's Got Talent stars look back over their careers and firm friendship spanning 20-odd years, from their days as child actors on TV’s Byker Grove.
They say, "without doubt, the best thing to come out of the last 20 years, the greatest thing we've ever achieved, our biggest success, has been our friendship. And nothing will ever change that."
Back in 2013, Ant and Dec were the first double-act to appear on Desert Island Discs since 1987 – following in the footsteps of legendary duos Morecambe and Wise, Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin, and Peter Brough and Archie Andrews.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in May 2014
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00s1n54)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 Alick Rowe - Odysseus on an Iceberg (b00l3pxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Bird Island (b043wk17)
Series 2
Episode 3
Graham teaches Ben to abseil and the bathroom lock in the Unit base is broken.
Ben ...... Reece Shearsmith
Graham ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Mother ...... Alison Steadman
Jane ...... Katy Wix
Atmospheric comedy about a cheery scientist based in Sub-Antarctica by Katy Wix.
It’s Ben’s trip of a lifetime, but in a vast icy landscape with dodgy internet. Feeling lonely, he shares his thoughts via an audio 'log' on his dictaphone.
Graham is a fellow nerdy scientist so their exchanges are mumbled. Ben’s even more awkward around new arrival Jane, though he’s not entirely sure why.
Producer: Tilusha Ghelan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2014.
SAT 17:45 Don't Start (b01mwvld)
Series 2
Pillow Talk
A potential burglary brings out Frank's inner hero.
What do long term partners really argue about? Sharp new comedy from Frank Skinner returns for a second series. Starring Frank Skinner and Katherine Parkinson.
The first series of Don't Start met with instant critical and audience acclaim:
"That he can deliver such a heavy premise for a series with such a lightness of touch is testament to his skills as a writer and, given that the protagonists are both bookworms, he's also permitted to use a flourish of fine words that would be lost in his stand-up routines" - Jane Anderson, Radio Times.
"Writing and starring in the four-parter Don't Start (Radio 4) Frank Skinner gives full rein to his sharp but splenetic comedy. He and his co-star Katherine Parkinson play a bickering couple exchanging acerbic ripostes in a cruelly precise dissection of a relationship" - Daily Mail.
"a lesson in relationship ping-pong".. - Miranda Sawyer, The Observer.
Series 2 follows hard on its heels. Well observed, clever and funny, Don't Start is a scripted comedy with a deceptively simple premise - an argument. Each week, our couple fall out over another apparently trivial flashpoint - the Krankies, toenail trimming and semantics. Each week, the stakes mount as Neil and Kim battle with words. But these are no ordinary arguments. The two outdo each other with increasingly absurd images, unexpected literary references (the Old Testament, Jack Spratt and the first Mrs Rochester, to name a few) and razor sharp analysis of their beloved's weaknesses. Underneath the cutting wit, however, there is an unmistakable tenderness.
Frank says:
"Having established, in the first series, that Neil and Kim are a childless academic couple who, during their numerous arguments, luxuriate in their own, and each other's, learning and wit, I've tried, in the second series, to dig a little deeper into their relationship. Love and affection, occasionally splutter into view, like a Higgs boson in a big tunnel-thing, but can such emotions ever prevail in a relationship where the couple prefers to wear their brains, rather than their hearts, on their sleeves? Is that too much offal imagery?"
Directed and Produced by Polly Thomas
Executive Producer: Jon Thoday
An Avalon Production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 18:00 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (b007jm6g)
The Secondary Phase
Fit The Twelfth
Arthur and Zaphod learn some unpalatable home truths, but not before disappointment from the ruler of the universe.
Douglas Adams' sci-fi comedy following the misadventures of hapless human Arthur Dent.
The Book ...... Peter Jones
Arthur Dent ...... Simon Jones
Ford Prefect ...... Geoffrey McGivern
Zaphod Beeblebrox ...... Mark Wing-Davey
Eddie ...... David Tate
Marvin ...... Stephen Moore
Lintillas ...... Rula Lenska
Zarniwoop ...... Jonathan Pryce
The original scripts by Douglas Adams (1952-2001) went on to spawn a series of novels, a feature film, at least three stage shows, a TV series, a computer game, a collection of comic books - and various towels.
Radiophonic sound and music by Paddy Kingsland.
Producer: Geoffrey Perkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1980.
SAT 18:30 Fear on 4 (b007jnx3)
Series 2
A Child Crying
To hear the sound of a crying child is not unusual.
What does it mean though when you are the only one who can hear it?
The Man in Black sets the chilling scene...
Fear on 4 brings you more in a series of nerve-tinglers.
Written by James Saunders
The Man In Black …. Edward de Souza
Guy …. Nigel Anthony
Paul …. Ken Cumberlidge
Child's voice …. Cara Kelly
Ian …. Kim Wall
Producer: Gerry Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1989.
SAT 19:00 Just a Minute (b01dh763)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Shappi Talk (b00wr9q6)
Series 2
Divorce and the Single Mother
Shappi Khorsandi uses her own personal experience by taking an acerbic look at what it's like to go through divorce and to become an unexpected single mother. She reveals the challenges and comic consequences of becoming divorced and what it's like raising a young child.
Armed with this experience, Shappi also has a light-hearted chat with model and fellow single mother Jerry Hall, where they find time to compare fascinating notes!
Australian comedian Celia Pacquola provides some additional laughs giving her perspective on the subject and there'll be a themed song from Duncan Oakley.
Producer: Paul Russell
An Open Mike production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 22:30 The Jason Byrne Show (b01p2s1y)
Series 3
I Looked Like Gollum at School
Award-winning comedian Jason Byrne lists the liabilities of looking good.
Stand up and sketches with Laurence Howarth and Daisy Haggard.
Producer: Julia McKenzie
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in November 2010.
SAT 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b0469hgs)
The best in contemporary comedy. Tonight, Arthur Smith is drawn in to the mystic world of the fortune teller Madame Magenta.
SAT 23:00 Bussmann and Quantick Kingsize (b007587z)
Episode 2
Sketches, monologues and weird soup, featuring the Ike Turner and Melvyn Bragg Story.
Originally broadcast live from London's exclusive Imperial Rooms, Mayfair.
Written and performed by Jane Bussmann and David Quantick.
Featuring:
Peter Serafinowicz
Emma Clarke
Steve Brody.
Producer: Phil Bowker.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1998.
SAT 23:30 Richard Herring's Objective (b00v730v)
Series 1
The Toothbrush Moustache
Richard Herring reclaims objects that we've grown to hate.
This week he's reclaiming the toothbrush moustache on behalf of comedy - taking it back from Hitler to give to it's rightful owner Charlie Chaplin. Based on his Edinburgh show Richard examines why a particular piece of facial hair can evoke revulsion in all who see it when in fact the person first associated with it was one of the funniest people on the planet. He grows his own toothbrush moustache and hears what passers by make of it, talks to a German moustache expert about Hitler's vanity and describes how wearing it on the day after the BNP won seats in the last European election strengthened his resolve to continue his campaign. The show was recorded in front of an audience.
Producer ..... Alison Vernon-Smith.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.