SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2014

SAT 00:00 Sue Townsend - Adrian Mole (b007js60)
The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole
Episode 3
Adrian's mother is pregnant, and there's a battle to choose the family holiday. Will Adrian's dad get his way? Read by Nicholas Barnes.
SAT 00:15 A History of the Brain (b016x4t1)
The Spark of Being
Dr Geoff Bunn's 10 part History of the Brain is a journey through 5000 years of our understanding of this complex organ in our heads. From Neolithic times to the present day, he reveals the contemporary beliefs about what the brain is for and how it fulfils its functions.
While referencing the core physiology and neuroscience, this is a cultural, not a scientific history. What soon becomes obvious is that our understanding of this most inscrutable organ has in all periods been coloured by the social and political expedients of the day no less than by the contemporary scope of scientific or biological exploration.
In Episode 5: The Spark of Being, the focus is on electricity and communication, within the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body. When John Walsh showed, in 1776, that an eel could generate electricity, it became possible that human consciousness also relied on sparks fizzing within the brain. Coming at a time when Benjamin Franklin - an acknowledged expert on electricity - was signing the Declaration of Independence which asserted that all men are created equal, it generated a new perspective on the workings of the brain; the old hierarchical model was discarded in favour of the doctrine of equipotentiality.
The series is entirely written and presented by Dr Geoff Bunn of Manchester Metropolitan University, with actors Paul Bhattacharjee and Jonathan Forbes providing the voices of those who have written about the brain from Ancient Egypt to the present day, and actor Hattie Morahan giving the Anatomy Lesson which establishes the part of the brain to be highlighted in each episode - in this instance the Corpus Callosum. The original, atmospheric score is supplied by composer, Barney Quinton.
Producer: Marya Burgess.
SAT 00:30 Ladies of Letters (b01mhqbq)
Ladies of Letters Log On
Episode 10
How will the relationship merry-go-round resolve itself? With Patricia Routledge and Prunella Scales. From May 2001.
SAT 00:45 Short stories by DH Lawrence (b007k22t)
Her Turn
When her husband's colliery goes on strike, a wife attempts to gain a share of his strike pay. Read by Peter Meakin.
SAT 01:00 Jest a Minute (b013f0vy)
Series 1
Episode 6
Justin Moorhouse, Greg Davies, Chris Corcoran and Lucy Porter star in Rhod Gilbert's comedy quiz. From September 2006.
SAT 01:30 My Life in Five Books (b00tmhq4)
Series 1
Andrew O'Hagan
Andrew O'Hagan's first novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and his latest novel is making its way to Hollywood. Now a successful author living in London, Andrew reveals to Stuart Cosgrove the five most significant books in his life. As well as revealing his literary secrets, he tells Stuart why he scoured the streets of Bel Air chasing the story of a dog, why he thought London was a lot like Paisley and how he managed to nurture a love of books when the only book in his childhood home was the Kilmarnock phone directory.
SAT 02:00 Paul Temple (b007t1qp)
Paul Temple and the Margo Mystery
A Change of Mind
The debonair sleuth needs to find out why he's been asked to halt his murder investigation...
Francis Durbridge's thriller stars Peter Coke as Paul Temple and Marjorie Westbury as Steve in another intriguing case for BBC radio's smoothest investigator and his glamorous wife.
With Simon Lack as Superintendent Raine, James Thomason as Sir Graham Forbes, Jon Rollason as Tony Wyman, Tommy Duggan as Mike Langdon, Julian Somers as George Kelburn, Joan Matheson as Mrs Fletcher, William Bedle as Bill Fletcher, Mary Wimbush as Dr Benkaray, Hugh Manning as Larry Cross and Tom Watson as Ted Angus.
From 1938 to 1969 the fictional crime novelist and detective Paul Temple, together with his Fleet Street journalist Steve, solved case after case in one of BBC radio's most popular series. They inhabited a sophisticated world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, where the women were chic and the men wore cravats - a world where Sir Graham Forbes, of Scotland Yard, usually needed Paul's help with his latest tricky case.
Producer: Martin C Webster
First heard on the BBC Light Programme in 1961.
SAT 02:30 Celebrating Cecilia! (b00fgsm1)
Catherine Bott tells the story of St Cecilia, the patron saint of music, examining her role as martyr, saint and muse and as the inspiration for some of the great works of music and literature, including work by Handel, Purcell and Benjamin Britten and Chaucer, Pope and Dryden. Catherine learns of Cecilia's gruesome martyrdom and subsequent place in history and witnesses preparations for the annual festival concert staged in her honour.
SAT 03:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b04fchmg)
25-29 August 1914
With the first war-wounded arriving home through Folkestone, the locals attempt to boost morale with a fundraising event.

Written by: Shaun McKenna
Consultant Historian: Professor Maggie Andrews
Music: Matthew Strachan
Sound: Martha Littlehailes
Directed and produced by: Lucy Collingwood
Editor: Jessica Dromgoole.
SAT 04:00 Original Shorts (b00vhhgj)
Series 4
Keeping Mum
Jill Gascoine gives a funny and touching performance as Brenda, in Rob Green's specially written short story.
Brenda is a kind, careworn woman of uncertain years who has been caring for her demanding old Mother for most of her life. But Brenda's a romantic and she's still hoping that her own life might begin sometime, somehow.
She'd love to find her 'Rock'. Perhaps Tom, a porter from the local hospital, could fit the bill? Not if Mum has anything to do with it. Hang on, though, does Mum have a hidden agenda?
Director: Martin Jarvis
A Jarvis & Ayres Production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 04:15 Drama (b0112flb)
Katie Hims - Lost Property
A Telegram From the Queen
For Alice's 100th birthday present, her granddaughter Ruthie sets out to put her family back together again. The final play in Katie Hims' trilogy of heartbreak and redemption.
Cast
Ruthie ..... Rosie Cavaliero
Alice ..... Edna Doré
Ted ..... Gary Beadle
Vincent ..... Daniel Rabin
Marcus ..... Stuart McLoughlin
Ray ..... Sean Baker
Queenie ..... Jane Whittenshaw
Roseanna ..... Alex Tregear
Ella May ..... Joanna Monro
Receptionist ..... Sally Orrock
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
Edna Doré stars in A Telegram from the Queen, the final play in this trilogy by acclaimed radio dramatist Katie Hims charting one family's tragi-comic history of heartbreak and redemption. The trilogy won the 2011 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Drama, where Rosie Cavaliero also picked up the Best Actress award.
SAT 05:00 After Henry (b007jpwp)
Series 3
Poor Relations
"No, they're lovely. They'd never make me feel awkward. They'll keep inviting me, even if I never ask them back. That's not the problem. It's my pride. I want to be equal with them. I don't want to traipse around in their wake like something out of Anita Brookner."
Proud Sarah suffers her mother's nosiness, as well as some unexpected advances.
Simon Brett's comedy about three generations of women - struggling to cope after the death of Sarah's GP husband - who never quite manage to see eye to eye.
Sarah ...... Prunella Scales
Eleanor ...... Joan Sanderson
Russell ...... Benjamin Whitrow
Clare ...... Gerry Cowper
Neville ...... Ian Thompson
Four radio series were made, but instead of moving to BBC TV - Thames Television produced 'After Henry' for the ITV network.
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1987.
SAT 05:30 Spangles 'n' Tights (b04pcw9j)
A Folk Song for Europe
The Dublin theatrical costumiers get embroiled in rivalry between two Lancashire clog troupes.
Christopher Fitz-Simon's five-part comedy.
Dessie Doyle ...... David Kelly
Violet Doyle ...... Pauline McLynn
Antony Gogan ...... Eugene O'Brien
Mr McNamara ...... Frank Kelly
Mona Scrummitt ...... Noreen Kershaw
Mr Witherspoon ...... Dave Hill
Belfast Woman ...... Maureen Dow
Music played by John Trotter.
Directed at BBC Belfast by Roland Jaquarello.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1998.
SAT 06:00 John Fletcher - Contraband (b04pl6n0)
A troop of hussars led by Captain Reynolds, encounter a proud, African warrioress by the name of Queen Ibanda.
Starring John Nettles and Adjoa Andoh.
John Fletcher's 18th century swashbuckling adventure about power, politics, revengeful murder - and passionate love.
Captain Reynolds …. John Nettles
Ibanda …. Adjoa Andoh
Sergeant …. Stephen Tomlin
Lord Shelborne …. Roger Hume
Bown …. David Holt
Lukins …. Jonathan Wyatt
Macendrick …. John Telfer
Viggars …. David Stevens
Anna …. Janet Dale
Jack …. Richard Pearce
With Jonathan Milton, Simon Carter, Andy Hockley, Gerry Hinks and Judy Bridgland
Music composed and performed by Martin Allcock with Simon Nicol.
Directed at BBC Pebble Mill by Nigel Bryant.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1993.
SAT 07:30 The House I Grew Up In (b00d0sj4)
Series 2
David Blunkett
The politician takes Wendy Robbins to the boarding schools for the blind that he attended as a child. From August 2008.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b00w0bk1)
Sport on Film
Colin Shindler is a film writer and passionate sports fan and he's still convinced that it's possible to marry the two obsessions on the big screen. However the archive is littered with gallant and some not so gallant failures amidst the few dazzling chariots of fire. Just this year we've had Invictus, recreating the success of the South African Rugby team and the relationship between their captain Francois Pienaar and President Mandela as well as The Damned United and the story of Brian Clough's fall from grace at the hands of the then mighty Leeds United.
Colin has plans for a cricketing film but as he prepares his new screenplay Colin looks at some of the reasons sport gets tripped up by the requirements of film and he talks to people who've had some success as performers, producers and directors in taking what can be taken from sport and making it dramatic, compelling and yet never losing sight of the need to produce an engaging story and engaging characters.
Lord Puttnam, Hugh Hudson, Michael Sheen, Rachel Portman and the former England cricketer Mike Selvey offer up advice and help Colin make sense of the archival lessons about sport in film.
Producer: Tom Alban.
SAT 09:00 Paul O'Grady Stands Up for Liverpool (b01n1102)
Liverpudlian Paul O'Grady celebrates some of Merseyside's funny Scouse men and women including Arthur Askey, Rob Wilton, Tommy Handley, Kenny Everett, Ken Dodd, Jimmy Tarbuck, Alexei Sayle, Patricia Routledge and John Bishop.
* Big-hearted Arthur Askey was born in Liverpool in 1900 and went on to front Band Waggon, the first regular BBC radio comedy series. Russell Davies introduces an episode of Turns of the Century profiling the man who coined the famous phase "Ay-Thang-You."
* Rob Wilton's was a different catch-phrase, but like Arthur Askey, his comedy entertained millions during the war years, kicking off with those immortal words "The Day War Broke Out". Mark Radcliffe tells Rob's story in an episode of How Tickled Am I?
* ITMA, or It's That Man Again for those not in the know, was the radio home of Tommy Handley, a comedian who was struck down in his prime, bringing to an end one of the most popular radio comedy series the BBC has ever known. And sticking with comedy catchphrases, it was Tommy who first started using the acronym TTFN - long before instant messaging and mobile phone text speak!
* Ken Dodd loves a catch phrase too, and he loves his tickling stick. Fellow Liverpulian funny-man Ricky Tomlinson meets up with Doddy for a chat about his life.
* As radio revolutionaries go, they don't get much more radical than the late Kenny Everett. Well known on both commercial and BBC national radio, it's his time at local BBC Radio Merseyside that we hear about.
* Jimmy Tarbuck tells former Desert Island Discs presenter Sue Lawley how he got his start in comedy.
* Barry Cryer profiles a bit on an imposter to the programme - Patricia Routledge. As Paul O'Grady is quick to point out, Patricia hails from Birkenhead rather than Liverpool, but she's very welcome. The star of Keeping Up Appearances became best known for being the lady of the house at the notorious Bucket Residence.
* And finally, current star John Bishop chats to Desert Island Discs' Kirsty Young about the career change that took him from salesman to standup.
Producer: Elizabeth Clark
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by BBC Scotland and first broadcast in September 2012.
SAT 12:00 Inquest: Day One to Five (Omnibus) (b04ph81c)
The inquest into the death of a female soldier found drowned reveals she has been the victim of a sexual assault by a fellow soldier.
Omnibus of witness statements from over five days, as the coroner must decide whether she took her own life...
Written by Richard Monks.
Hannah ..... Katie Lyons
Stevens ..... Matt Stokoe
Jean ..... Claire Rushbrook
Nicola ..... Nisha Nayar
Mark ..... James Norton
Coroner ..... Philip Fox
Clerk ..... Mark Edel-Hunt
Lorna ..... Jane Slavin
Director ..... Sally Avens
First broadcast in five parts on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.
SAT 13:15 John Mortimer - Rumpole of the Bailey (b007jz6m)
Rumpole and the Scales of Justice
The barrister's love for Othello and his shady contacts help him defend a policeman. Stars Timothy West.
SAT 14:00 Lee and Herring's Fist of Fun (b007k1qh)
Belfast
Goldilocks, Robert the Bruce and body awareness.
From Queen's University, Belfast.
Stewart Lee and Richard Herring’s mix of sharp sketches and situations, stand up topical gags and banter.
With Peter Baynham, Ronni Ancona and John Thomson.
Lee and Herring went to write and star in their successful TV transfer to BBC Two in 1995.
Cult BBC Radio 1 series first broadcast in October 1993.
SAT 14:30 The Harpoon (b00g31qh)
Christmas Special
A glowing Yuletide feast in the pages of the golden magazine's bumper Christmas special.
Enjoy the snow-capped lettering and a silver sixpence hidden in the middle.
With Susie Brann, Alistair McGowan, Mary Elliot-Nelson, Peter Baynham and Julian Dutton.
Producer: Sarah Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1991.
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00w0bk1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 John Fletcher - Contraband (b04pl6n0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Hal (b04p5vl1)
Series 1
Career
Comedian Hal Cruttenden stars as a stay at home father who is having a mid-life crisis.
Written by Hal Cruttenden and Dominic Holland.
WIth Dominic Holland, Ronni Ancona, Ed Byrne, Anna Crilly, Jonathan Kydd, Gavin Webster, Dominic Frisby, Samuel Caseley, Lucy Robbins and Emily Robbins.
Hal stars as himself, married to Sam and father to two lovely girls. The problem is that, as Sam's career blossoms internationally and daughters Lilly and Molly grow up and are no longer dependent on their loving and caring father, Hal feels restless.
So, with the help of his ever unreliable mates Doug, Fergus and Barry, Hal decides to try new things in his life. But, inevitably, things don't go to plan!
Further challenges come from Hal's now deceased father, who was a true adventurer and all-round hero (something his son sadly is not) and is starting to appear to Hal at the most inopportune times to give unwelcome advice.
In this opening episode, Hal is arranging a special romantic getaway for Sam with some difficulty, Lilly and Molly are becoming almost strangers to Hal, his friend Fergus thinks he's finally found love, and Hal is forced to replace Sam in making a talk at the girls' school as Sam has to go on a work trip abroad.
Producer: Paul Russell
An Open Mike production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2014.
SAT 18:00 Charles Chilton - Space Force (b007jn58)
Series 2
A Test of Endurance
Held captive in an underground city on Mars, the Space Force crew are set to learn their fate...
Charles Chilton's second intergalactic adventure series starring Barry Foster.
Captain Saxon Berry ...... Barry Foster
Chipper Barnett ...... Nicky Henson
Magnus Carter ...... Nigel Stock
Lodderick Sincere ...... Tony Osoba
With Wendy Murray, Willoughby Goddard and Bernard Brown.
Charles Chilton wrote and produced many popular and successful radio programmes for the BBC - including the classic 1950s serial 'Journey into Space' - charting the adventures of Captain Jet Morgan. This fired the imagination of millions, years before the first moon landing. It was the last radio drama to record higher ratings than the new young upstart television!
Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in June 1985.
SAT 18:30 Planet B (b00y90wz)
Series 3
The Pirate Islands
Medley and Kip must battle island inhabitants to save Planet B. Virtual reality saga by Penelope Skinner. Stars Claire Harry.
SAT 19:00 Paul O'Grady Stands Up for Liverpool (b01n1102)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation (b0174hvv)
Intelligence
Mark Watson continues his quest to improve the world, nimbly assisted by Tim Key and Tom Basden.
As broadcast live in November 2011 - Mark invites the audience join in via tweets and messages to work out how we can all make the world a better place.
Mark asks the big questions that are crucial to our understanding of ourselves and society - in a dynamic and thought provoking new format he opens the floor to the live audience and asks them to jump into the conversation via tweets and messages to work out how we can all make the world a better place.
This time Mark looks at "Intelligence" - A certain amount of intelligence is pretty useful. Without the ability to reflect and calculate, we would all be setting fire to our shoes and buying those novels about women who shop and have relationship issues. Yet intelligence has been something of a curse to many. Galileo was tortured for knowing more about science than the church leaders, and Paxman sighs an awful lot when he's hosting University Challenge.
We all know the phrase 'a little learning is a dangerous thing, but then so is a lot of learning, but then again you wouldn't want none at all. So... oh dear, we're basically ruined. We'd better knock down all our schools and universities.' Are we sometimes too smart for our own good?
Producer: Lianne Coop.
First broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
SAT 22:30 Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive (b007ym28)
Series 1
Episode 4
The funny man's radio drop-in centre tackles the thorny issues of TV weather and the election. With Dave Gorman. From June 2005.
SAT 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b04vdkt7)
The best in contemporary comedy. Tonight, Arthur Smith chats again to Nina Conti.
SAT 23:00 The Mark Steel Revolution (b00fy2lp)
The Industrial Revolution
Radical comic Mark Steele re-assesses reassesses a period of major change in Britain.
A series of lectures on the theme of revolution, Mark examines some of the major historical forces at work during revolutions as well as holding up a mirror to our own age.
With Martin Hyder and Carla Mendonca.
Producer: Phil Clarke
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1998.
SAT 23:30 Steven Appleby's Normal Life (b00swl5g)
Series 2
Normal Truth
Cartoonist Steven boldly tells the truth to end this series.
A less-than-wise career move
Paul McCrink stars as Steven Appleby with what he laughably describes as ‘insights into normal, everyday life.’
With:
Rosalind Paul
Ewan Bailey
Nigel Betts
Rachel Atkins
Written by Steven Appleby
Producer: Toby Swift
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
SAT 23:45 No Tomatoes (b0081b7p)
World Weary
World Weary: It's snow jokes from Paul Copley and Helen Moon in the sketch show mixing up language and sounds. From October 2007.