SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2015

SAT 00:00 15 Minute Drama (b04hyvtm)
Marcy Kahan - Lunch
The Whole Enchilada
by Marcy Kahan
Bella has made some life changing decisions but Bill has an announcement of his own.
Directed by Sally Avens.
SAT 00:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01ghgk3)
Toil and Trouble
Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, continues his object-based history. Taking artefacts from William Shakespeare's time, he explores how Elizabethan and Jacobean playgoers made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived.
With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and he considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.
Programme 10. TOIL AND TROUBLE - The differences between Scottish and English witches are revealed by a model ship, made to be hung in a church.
Producer: Paul Kobrak.
SAT 00:30 Keith Waterhouse - Billy Liar (b01f9wj6)
Episode 5
Billy's fantasies have all been exposed. Will he leave to start a new life in London? Concluded by Stephen Tompkinson.
SAT 00:45 Sir Harry Secombe - Goon Abroad (b01494gh)
Sports and Swansea
Goon Show star Sir Harry Secombe recalls his school days in Wales, lessons in sportsmanship, and he makes a few confessions.
Conclusion of the autobiography of comedian and singer Sir Harry Secombe.
Abridged by Elizabeth Proud.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1983.
SAT 01:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b016lbpt)
Series 4
Horne, Wheeler, De Botton
Hosted by the Professor of Ignorance from the University of Buckingham John Lloyd C.B.E. and the intensely curious comedian Dave Gorman.
This week's guests:
Alex Horne is a comedian and writer. He co-presents the anarchic BBC4 comedy panel show We Need Answers with Tim Key and Mark Watson. Alex may have started his career as a stand-up comic by winning a Christmas cracker joke writing competition. Since then, his life has been one long experiment, the biggest of which is a project to become the oldest man in the world. He is still alive to this day and climbing up the chart by a hundred places every minute. Alex is also developing his own unique form of beard and has been trying for some time to get a new word of his own invention into the Oxford English Dictionary.
Sara Wheeler is a traveller and travel writer who has been described as the new Eric Newby. Her travel books include Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica; Travels in a Thin Country; and the biography of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a polar explorer who himself wrote a moving account of his own experience as a survivor of Scott's disastrous 1912 Antarctic expedition. Sara often speaks on behalf of the disenfranchised nomadic peoples of the arctic, such as the Chukchi, who live in the far North Eastern tip of Siberia. When not travelling, Wheeler lives with her family in London.
Alain de Botton is a writer of essayistic books that have been described as a 'philosophy of everyday life' and have been bestsellers in 30 countries. Alain also started and helps to run The School of Life, dedicated to a new vision of education. Alain started writing at a young age. His first book, Essays in Love [titled On Love in the US], was published when he was 23.Alain's next book is titled Religion for Atheists.
SAT 01:30 My Life in Five Books (b0132tgd)
Series 2
Zoe Wicomb
2/4
Zoe Wicomb was born and raised in South Africa and has lived in Scotland since 1994. She's taught in the Department of English Studies at the University of Strathclyde and now concentrates on writing.
Her latest book, You Can't get Lost in Cape Town is a collection of short stories about growing up as a young coloured woman in South Africa.
Zoe talked to Stuart about these five books:
1. The Children's Bible
2. Toni Morrison - Beloved.
3. Flannery O'Connor -A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
4. Chinua Achebe - Things Fall Apart.
5. Virginia Woolf - To the Lighthouse.
SAT 02:00 Steve May - Last Man Out (b00755g9)
At the end of a night of jazz, only the drummer and the bar manager remain, packing up and picking over the ruins of their lives.
Starring Louise Lombard as Gill and Donald Sumpter as Henry.
Drums: Damian Grant
Director: Ned Chaillet
First broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Thirty Minute Theatre in January 1998.
SAT 02:30 City Messengers (b00d028s)
Documentary following the lives of two of London's 400 cycle couriers, whose working day is spent delivering packages across the city. The job is badly paid and the risk of serious injury is relatively high, yet there is a thriving sub-culture of people who have chosen the freedom of the road above the security of the office.
SAT 03:00 DH Lawrence - Sons and Lovers (b007jlrk)
Episode 3
Gertrude clings to her son Paul, who now turns to a new lover even though he has not forgotten his first love.
Conclusion of DH Lawrence's classic novel dramatised by Michael Butt.
Paul Morel …. Benedict Sandeford
Gertrude Morel …. Elizabeth Estenson
Walter Morel …. Clive Russell
Miriam Leivers …. Fiona Clarke
William …. Joseph Attenborough
Annie …. Andrea Nicholas
Mrs. Radford …. Kate Rutter
Clara Dawes …. Janice Chambers
Baxter Dawes …. Peter Meakin
Director: Claire Grove
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1999.
SAT 04:00 Afternoon Reading (b00826cw)
Alan Howard Reads
The Sentence
By Nina Raine. A judge looks back on his childhood and a story that he told his children. Read by Alan Howard.
SAT 04:15 Mrs Bradley - The Mystery of a Butcher's Shop (b00947vh)
The Bones of the Matter
Rupert Sethleigh is missing and a headless corpse's been found jointed in the Butcher's Shop.
Rupert's cousin Jimsey is under suspicion, but Mrs Lestrange Bradley has other ideas...
Stars Mary Wimbush as Mrs Bradley, Richard Pearce as Aubrey Harringay, Christopher Scoular as James Redsey, David King as the Vicar of Wandles, Teresa Gallagher as Felicity Broome, Terence Edmond as George William Saville and Norman Bird as Superintendent Bidwell
Glady's Mitchell's story of mayhem and murder dramatised by Elizabeth Proud.
Producer: Sue Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1991.
SAT 05:00 Beachcomber... By the Way (b0082ckc)
Series 1
Episode 4
Lord Shortcake takes up amateur dramatics, Captain Foulenough takes us back to his unsavoury childhood, Cricket is taken too seriously, and Prodnose is escorted to the graveyard in the hope he’ll take the hint...
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, John Sessions and Patricia Routledge recreate the world of the JB Morton.
Running in the Daily Express from 1924 to 1975 – JB Morton’s surreally comic ‘Beachcomber’ column paved the way for a great deal of modern humour.
Adapted by Michael Barfield with Richard Ingrams.
Announcer: Brian Perkins
Producer: Harry Thompson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1989
SAT 05:30 Living with the Enemy (b00771zg)
Episode 6
'If you can't get even, get mad'. Gyles goes on the rampage and Sophie turns to gossip.
A night out celebrating turns to disaster for everyone...
Sitcom about a Tory MP-turned-media celebrity and a comedian-turned-holistic therapist.
Written by and starring Nick Revell and Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Brandon ...... Gyles Brandreth
Nick Reynolds ...... Nick Revell
Sophie Okuyu ...... Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Barry ...... Martin Hyder
Asif ...... Dan Mersh
Rick ...... Neil Pearson
Producer: Ed Morrish
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2006.
SAT 06:00 Wally K Daly - What's Stigmata? (b05n2wsz)
4 Extra Debut. What happens when the 'greatest non-believer of all time' develops mystical powers? Stars Peter Jeffrey and Norma Ronald.
SAT 07:15 Colin Dexter Short Stories (b007k4xz)
Inspector Morse - The Burglar
Neighbourly concern about a suspicious stranger sets a new puzzle for the Oxford-based detective. Read by John Turner.
SAT 07:30 Freedom Pass (b00sw6bx)
Episode 7
Using free over-60s travel, Alan Coren and Christopher Matthew head to London Zoo and Regents Park's boating pond. From September 2005.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b01lsr14)
Inner Voices - The Burton Diaries
The archive of Richard Burton is a rich treasure. The performances are by common consent amongst the most compelling of any age, given in a voice that many have felt to be an aural equivalent of heaven. Hamlet, Under Milk Wood, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Equus stand out, and then there are the blockbusters: Wild Geese, Where Eagles Dare, Anthony and Cleopatra, Night of the Iguana and The Robe. Add to that the poetry readings - Dylan Thomas of course but also Shakespeare and the English Classics. It is a feast for the ears.
Yet it is a remarkable testament to the man and to his life that, just as magnetic as the body of work, is another collection. Through several periods of his life, most notably from the mid-1960s to the early '70s (his 'superstar years') he kept a diary, sometimes handwritten, mostly typed out and assembled in thick notebooks. The diaries provide a unique view of the world in which he moved, among actors and directors, writers and poets, millionaires and royalty. They also give an insight into his approach to acting, his insecurities, his drinking and his volatile relationship with Elizabeth Taylor at a time when they were the most famous couple in the world.
Twenty-five years ago, shortly after Burton's death, Melvyn Bragg was given access to the diaries to write his definitive biography of Burton, Rich. Now, to mark the publication of the complete diaries, Bragg presents an Archive on 4 which examines Burton's life through broadcast interviews and the previously inaccessible lens of his diaries. Bragg returns to Burton to reassesses the man in the light of his own experience and in the light of the private and confessional thoughts that Burton wrote, alone, throughout his life.
Burton was the gifted son of a Welsh miner. He met a remarkable teacher and made the journey to Oxford and on to superstardom - but he was seldom really happy. He was a hellraiser who often behaved appallingly and was accused of squandering an extraordinary talent on drinking and bad movies. If that was all he was then he'd be just a footnote in 20th century culture. But Burton was also a man of wonderful erudition, passion, insight and self- knowledge. He fought his way through life through force of will, love, and voracious reading. It is this side of the man that makes him such a remarkable presence. It is also a side of him captured in a rich vein of BBC archive and interviews.
The diaries show him on top of the world, in love, in despair, and fighting the alcoholism that had killed his father and he knew was killing him. This programme puts the flesh and the voice back into our collective understanding of one of the great cultural figures of the 20th century.
SAT 09:00 Suburbia (b05n3yjq)
What created suburbia, when and how?
In the 19th century the first suburban districts sprang up around city centres (at first London and Manchester) to accommodate those who wanted to escape the squalid conditions of the industrial town. From the mid-19th century the development of the railways (like the Metropolitan line to Middlesex and then Bucks), made it possible for the majority of the city's population to reside outside the city and to commute into the centre for work. The railway could take you from Middlesex to The City, from Bucks to Baker Street. It was the birth of Metroland, as celebrated by poet Sir John Betjeman.
But the suburbs were more than just about planning and building; they developed a culture set apart from the metropolitan influence of the sinful city. In the suburbs grew a whole lifestyle of refinement, respectability and aspiration. And along with their distance from the city came the disdain of the fashionable non-suburbanites: "How very suburban!" became synonymous with a sneering disdain for conventionality.
Simon Fanshawe explores Suburbia as a place of both continuity and change. Through poems, TV sitcom, history and commentary he traces the story of the suburbs – how they came to be – and also their cultural influence on British lifestyle from fashion, architecture, music, morals, gardening and social one-upmanship. From Betjeman to Reggie Perrin through, amongst other things, Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party, Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole, TV sitcom The Good Life, the sketches of Monty Python, and the birth of punk rock.
Simon explores what the suburbs were originally, what they have become and how; despite changes in demographics and social mobility, they still typify a very British set of values. The programme also features exclusive interviews with the likes of Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Penelope Keith.
Producer: Mike Greenwood
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
SAT 12:00 Anne Tyler - Ladder of Years (Omnibus) (b05n40rr)
Episode 2
An unexpected romantic encounter in the grocery aisle sparks the beginning of a new adventure for homely Delia Grinstead.
Anne Tyler's unsettling story about marriage, family and hope.
Delia Grinstead's new job in the sleepy town of Bay Borough draws her into the business of another fractured family.
Omnibus of the last five of ten episodes dramatised by Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
Delia ...... Nancy Crane
Adrian ...... Ian Conningham
Sam ...... Nathan Osgood
Eliza ...... Jessica Turner
Rosemary ...... Rhiannon Neads
Skipper ...... David Acton
Carroll ...... Sam Valentine
Driscoll ...... Mark Edel-Hunt
Susie ...... Roslyn Hill
Director: David Hunter
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015.
SAT 13:10 Inheritance Tracks (b05nxj07)
Ulrika Jonsson
The television presenter chooses Verdi's The Grand March from Aida and Oppna Landskap by Ulf Lundell.
SAT 13:15 Baldi (b00wfzw9)
Series 5
The Million-Dollar Question
Paolo Baldi - Franciscan priest turned Dublin sleuth - investigates the mysterious deaths of members of a rockabilly band. What is the connection to patterns of squares and triangles?
Starring David Threlfall as Paolo Baldi, Tina Kellegher as Tina Mahon, TP McKenna as Father Troy, Owen Roe as Rynne, Diana Quick as Angela , Gerry O'Brien as Chuck, Frank O'Sullivan as Tuohy, Kieran Lagan as Dr Graham, Patrick Fitzsymons as Anto and The Sabre Jets as The Sun Boys.
Murder mystery written by Barry Devlin.
Format by Barry Devlin. Developed and produced by BBC Northern Ireland.
Directed in Belfast by Lawrence Jackson.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008.
SAT 14:00 Barry Cryer - Rock of Ages (b0076g2s)
Barry Cryer as you've never heard him before - belting out the blues, and a string of classic gags. From his hit 2002 Edinburgh Fringe show.
Ably assisted by Tottenham's finest rocker Ronnie Golden and featuring top rockers Ronnie And The Rex featuring Pete Turtle, Richard Simmons and Richard Allen.
Scripted by Barry Cryer, Ronnie Golden and John Dowie.
Producer: Dave Cohen.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2003.
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b01lsr14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 Wally K Daly - What's Stigmata? (b05n2wsz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:15 Colin Dexter Short Stories (b007k4xz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SAT 17:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b01mqqb1)
Series 2
Episode 2
John Finnemore, the writer and star of Cabin Pressure, regular guest on The Now Show and popper-upper in things like Miranda and Family Guy, records a second series of his hit sketch show.
The first series was described as "sparklingly clever" by The Daily Telegraph and "one of the most consistently funny sketch shows for quite some time" by The Guardian. It featured Winnie the Pooh coming to terms with his abusive relationship with honey, how The Archers sounds to people who don't listen to the Archers and how Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde decided whose turn it was to do the washing up.
Of those things, this episode includes another sketch about how the Archers sounds to people who don't listen to the Archers, as well a song about a dog and a sketch about a mathematician's agent.
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme is written by and stars John Finnemore. It also features Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan. Original music is by Susannah Pearse. It is produced by Ed Morrish.
SAT 18:00 Simon Guerrier - Graceless (b01l1lpf)
Series 1
The Fog
Abby and Zara arrive in Compton in 1912, where they sample local beer and get arrested. Stars Ciara Janson and David Warner.
Abby - Ciara Janson
Zara - Laura Doddington
Marek - Fraser James
Daniel - David Warner
Nan - Patricia Brake
Nicholas - Alex Mallinson
Written by Simon Guerrier
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
A Big Finish Production.
SAT 19:00 Suburbia (b05n3yjq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Sabotage (b05n7rfw)
Series 2
Episode 2
Developed by the team behind the live comedy night of the same name, Sabotage prides itself on being a comedy show for comedy fans; a unique event where the acts love coming to perform, and the fans seek out something special.
MC Mark Talbot introduces:
Ivo Graham
Colin Hoult
Mae Martin
Sheeps
Dan Clark
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Hat Trick Productions.
SAT 23:00 Goodness Gracious Me (b007jv2l)
Series 1
Episode 2
Indian students on a gap year enjoy bustling England's smells at the airport, the Indian Neighbours are cooking a roast and Skipinder the Punjabi Kangaroo hops in.
Stars Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Nitin Sawhney, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia.
Gold Winner of the Sony Radio Academy Awards. The sketch comedy show originally ran on BBC Radio 4 from 1996 to 1998, later transferring to TV on BBC Two from 1998 to 2001.
Scripted by Sharat Sardana, Richard Pinto and the cast.
Produced by Gareth Edwards and Anil Gupta.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1996.
SAT 23:25 The Comedy Club Interviews (b05p6v04)
From 10pm to midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Arthur Smith chats to Matt Rees.
SAT 23:30 Wondermentalist Cabaret (b00y2f1f)
Series 1
Episode 1
Poet, performer, enemy of all that's difficult and upsetting, Matt Harvey brings his own comedy-infused, musically-enhanced, slightly interactive poetry cabaret to the airwaves.
Recorded in front of an audience in Bristol, he's joined by Elvis McGonagall and one man house band Jerri Hart.
Fellow poets Lucy English and Byron Vincent battle it out with Elvis in a Dead Poets' Slam, while the audience compose their own poem on the subject of Sundays.
Producer: Mark Smalley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2011.


SUNDAY 22 MARCH 2015

SUN 00:00 Simon Guerrier - Graceless (b01l1lpf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 Archive on 4 (b01lsr14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:00 Anne Tyler - Ladder of Years (Omnibus) (b05n40rr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]
SUN 03:10 Inheritance Tracks (b05nxj07)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:10 on Saturday]
SUN 03:15 Baldi (b00wfzw9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:15 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 Wally K Daly - What's Stigmata? (b05n2wsz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:15 Colin Dexter Short Stories (b007k4xz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b01mqqb1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Marcy Kahan - Lunch (b04j9zdr)
Series 2 Omnibus
by Marcy Kahan
Bill and Bella meet every month for lunch and swap news.
It's March 2014 and whilst Bella has been walking across the Sahara, Bill has been busy humiliating himself.
Bill ..... Stephen Mangan
Bella ..... Claire Skinner
Directed by Sally Avens.
SUN 07:10 Inheritance Tracks (b05nxm75)
Adam Ant
The singer and musician chooses I Survived by Adam Faith and Get It On by Marc Bolan and T.Rex.
SUN 07:15 Whatever Happened to the Teapots? (b00nt9c3)
Episode 3
In the 1980s, Roger Law of Spitting Image went to Stoke-on-Trent to get some novelty Margaret Thatcher teapots made. Now Roger returns to meet up with the craftsmen who helped him get a handle on Mrs T.
Roger finds out who is winning in the battle for ceramic supremacy, Stoke or China. The Far East may have notched up a high score but Stoke-on-Trent have some key players in reserve.
SUN 07:30 Clare in the Community (b01693gs)
Series 7
Basic Attraction
Finally, it's Clare and Brian's wedding day! But first there's the Hen Party and Stag Night to get through.
Sally Phillips is Clare Barker the social worker who has all the right jargon but never a practical solution.
A control freak, Clare likes nothing better than interfering in other people's lives on both a professional and personal basis. Clare is in her thirties, white, middle class and heterosexual, all of which are occasional causes of discomfort to her.
Join Clare in her continued struggle to control both her professional and private life. In today's Big Society there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.
SALLY PHILLIPS Clare
ALEX LOWE Brian
NINA CONTI Megan / Nali
RICHARD LUMSDEN Ray
LIZA TARBUCK Helen
ANDREW WINCOTT Simon
SARAH KENDALL Libby
TRACY WILES Nina / Mrs Mellish
GERARD MCDERMOT Registrar
ADAM BILLINGTON Gavin / Terry
VICTORIA INEZ HARDY Nurse / Trudi
Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden
Producer Katie Tyrrell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2011.
SUN 08:00 All Gas and Gaiters (b007jp89)
Series 1
Give a Dog a Bad Name
Confusion reigns when Noote does his aunt a favour - behind the Bishop's back.
The ecclesiastical sitcom started life as a TV pilot in Comedy Playhouse, ahead of a run on BBC1 from 1966 to 1971.
Adapted from their TV script by husband-and-wife team, Pauline Devaney and Edwin Apps.
The Archdeacon …. Robertson Hare
The Bishop …. William Mervyn
The Bishop's Chaplain …. Derek Nimmo
The Dean …. John Barron
Mrs Pugh-Critchley …. Joan Sanderson
Miss Stephenson …. Tania Robinson
Producer: David Hatch.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1971.
SUN 08:30 Life With The Lyons (b013m0s9)
Danger, Richard at Work
Ben has a business meeting on the golf course. But will he end up feeling below par?
Starring real-life American family: Ben Lyon and his wife Bebe Daniels and their children, Richard and Barbara.
With Doris Rogers as Florrie, Molly Weir as Aggie, Horace Percival as Mr Wimple, Hugh Morton, Bob Block, Gwen Lewis and Selma Vaz Diaz.
Life With The Lyons was one the BBC's most popular radio sitcoms between1950 and 1961. It was also adapted for BBC TV.
Written by Bebe Daniels, Bob Block and Ronnie Hanbury.
BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet.
Producer: Tom Ronald
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in December 1954.
SUN 09:00 Alan Garner - Elidor (b010m612)
Episode 3
Malebron continues to seek Findhorn in Elidor. Meanwhile, The Evil are closing in on the Treasures as they intensify their effort to break through worlds.
Roland senses that he and his family are in danger, but his strong imagination threatens to tip the balance.
Alan Garner's classic fantasy adventure dramatised in four-parts by Don Webb.
Stars Mossie Cassidy as Roland, Raffey Cassidy as Helen, William Rush as Nicholas, Stephen Hoyle as David, Toby Hadoke as Malebron and Fiona Clarke as Mrs Watson.
Original music composed by Ian Williams
Directed at BBC Manchester by Charlotte Riches.
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in April 2011.
SUN 09:30 Michelle Magorian - Back Home (b011chj6)
Episode 3
With the loss of her only friend, Rusty is desperate to return to her second family in America. Stars Jessica Marshall-Gardiner.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b05n7xp2)
Parky at 80
Barry Cryer
4 Extra Debut. From Gustav Holst to Little Richard, comedian Barry Cryer shares his castaway choices with Michael Parkinson. From November 1987.
SUN 10:40 Inheritance Tracks (b05nxmv6)
Benjamin Zephaniah
The writer, poet and musician chooses Bob and Marcia's Young, Gifted and Black, and Something Inside by Labi Siffre.
SUN 10:45 Afternoon Reading (b00zf342)
Extremely Entertaining Short Stories
A Source of Irritation
Stacey Aumonier's life as a stage performer, 'society entertainer', World War One private and draughtsman all contributed to his unrivalled reputation as a short-story writer in the 1920's.
Nobel Prize winner and Forsyte Saga author John Galsworthy described Stacy Aumonier as "one of the best short-story writers of all time." Other famous admirers included Alfred Hitchcock, who had several of his stories adapted for television, and James Hilton, author of Goodbye, Mr Chips, who once said of Aumonier: "I think his very best works ought to be included in any anthology of the best short stories ever written."
However since his untimely death at the age of 51, Aumonier has been rather forgotten. This is particularly ironic considering Galsworthy's belief - expressed in his foreword to a posthumously published collection of short stories - that Aumonier would, through his writing, "outlive nearly all the writers of his day."
Sadly, this did not happen. Yet the recently published collection of Aumonier's Extremely Entertaining Short Stories has certainly helped bring this overlooked talent to a new audience. Aumonier's stories are not only hilarious, full of wit and genuine warmth for his subjects, but also beautifully constructed insights into the various absurdities of human behaviour; be it in the drawing rooms of London high society or the trenches of World War I.
'The Brown Wallet' read by Mark Heap.
Mark Heap has appeared widely across television, radio and film; he recently appeared on TV as Thomas Brown in the returning BBC series 'Lark Rise to Candleford'. His acclaimed comedic performances include 'Spaced', 'Green Wing' and BBC series 'The Great Outdoors'
'The Brown Wallet' by Stacy Aumonier was abridged by Neville Teller and read by Mark Heap. It was recorded in Belfast and the Producer/Director was Laura Conway.
'A Source Of Irritation' read by Mark Addy.
Mark Addy has worked extensively in film, television and on stage. His many credits include 'The Full Monty', 'Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1983' and the upcoming HBO television series 'Game of Thrones'.
'A Source of Irritation' by Stacy Aumonier was abridged by Neville Teller and read by Mark Addy. It was recorded in Belfast and the Producer/Director was Michael Shannon.
'The Room' read by Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne's many television credits include 'The Catherine Tate Show', 'Teachers' and '20 Things to Do before You're Thirty'. Mathew is best known to many for his portrayal of Gavin in the hit BBC series 'Gavin and Stacey'.
'The Room by Stacy Aumonier was abridged by Neville Teller and read by Mathew Horne. It was recorded in Belfast and the Producer/Director was Laura Conway.
SUN 11:00 TED Radio Hour (b05n81wg)
Series 1
The Unquiet Mind
A journey through fascinating ideas based on talks by riveting speakers on the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) stage.
Guy Raz investigates madness and sanity and the grey area between the two. With neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks.
SUN 11:45 Afternoon Reading (b01064yv)
Edna O'Brien - Saints and Sinners
Black Flower
'Black Flower' by Edna O'Brien.
Read by Sheila Hancock
Abridged by Doreen Estall
Produced by Lawrence Jackson
Edna O'Brien is one of the most distinguished writers and figures in the world of letters. Since emerging from Ireland in the early 1960s with 'The Country Girls', her many novels including 'Girl with Green Eyes', 'House of Splendid Isolation' and 'In The Forest' have attracted both praise and controversy. 'Saints and Sinners' is her eagerly awaited new collection.
Sheila Hancock CBE most recently won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Role in a Musical for 'Cabaret', as well as appearing in 'Sister Act' the Musical. She is known for her numerous TV and film appearances, and her popular memoirs 'The Two of Us' and 'Just Me'.
Producer Lawrence Jackson's credits for Radio 4 include four series of the popular murder-mystery 'Baldi', two series of John Connolly's 'Ghost Stories' and the Classic Serial 'Barry Lyndon'. For Radio 7 his credits include C.S.Lewis' 'Out of the Silent Planet' and 'Perelandra', G.K.Chesterton's 'The Man Who Was Thursday', Daphne Du Maurier's 'The House on the Strand' and classic ghost stories by Sheridan Le Fanu and Algernon Blackwood.
SUN 12:00 Marcy Kahan - Lunch (b04j9zdr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 13:10 Inheritance Tracks (b05nxm75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:10 today]
SUN 13:15 Whatever Happened to the Teapots? (b00nt9c3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SUN 13:30 GB Shaw - The Devil's Disciple (b007jtmm)
A biting satire on puritanism, set in 1777 during the American Revolution. Stars Tony Church and James Laurenson.
SUN 15:00 All Gas and Gaiters (b007jp89)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 15:30 Life With The Lyons (b013m0s9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 16:00 Mel's Mix: The Best of The 4 O'Clock Show (b05n87gx)
Cerys Matthews, Danny Wallace & Keep It in the Family
Mel Giedroyc is back with highlights from the past week on the 4 O'Clock Show including quiz game Keep It in the Family and author Danny Wallace.
SUN 17:00 Alan Garner - Elidor (b010m612)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SUN 17:30 Michelle Magorian - Back Home (b011chj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
SUN 18:00 Daphne Du Maurier (b007jlbw)
Don't Look Now
John and Laura Bennett are on holiday in Venice, trying to get over the tragic death of their daughter.
They seem to be succeeding, until a blind psychic starts relaying messages from beyond the grave...
Daphne du Maurier's classic tale of slow-dawning terror first published in 1971.
Laura Bennett ...... Anna Chancellor
John Bennett ...... Michael Feast
Sister ...... Colette O'Neil
Elidah ...... Carolyn Pickles
Policeman ...... Sean Baker
Waiter ...... Ewan Bailey
Porter ...... Carl Prekopp
Dramatised by Ronald Frame.
Director: Patrick Rayner
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2001.
SUN 19:00 TED Radio Hour (b05n81wg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 19:45 Afternoon Reading (b01064yv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 today]
SUN 20:00 Dave Allen: Goodnight and May Your God Go With You (b00t5w10)
Ed Byrne celebrates the life of Dave Allen, the sit-down, stand-up comedian, whose unique style entranced and entertained audiences all over the world for over 30 years.
To some, he was an alternative comedian before the phrase was even coined; never afraid to tackle previously taboo subjects, such as sex, death or, with the routines that he was most famous for, religion. Acclaim and controversy followed him in equal measure, and his work has inspired many modern comedians such as Jack Dee, Dylan Moran and Eddie Izzard.
Ed examines Dave's life, career and comic legacy, remembering the impression his TV shows left on him as a small child growing up in Ireland. Ed also explores how Dave's prowess as a storyteller came from the rich oral traditions of their shared Irish heritage.
Dave first found UK fame thanks to The Val Doonican Show in the mid 1960s, as Val recalls. But Dave had already toured much of the world and enjoyed his own massively successful TV show in Australia.
In 1971, Dave Allen At Large arrived on BBC TV and with its mixture of sketches and Dave's unique sit-down stand up, musing on life from his iconic stool with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He was a star in a golden era that included The Two Ronnies and Morecambe & Wise.
Writer Peter Vincent and actor Michael Sharvell-Martin share their personal recollections of working with Dave throughout the 70s and 80s. The programme also features a rare interview with Dave's son, Ed Allen, who recalls a father who loved his work, but treasured his private time with family and friends even more.
Other contributors include Jimmy Tarbuck (who, like Dave, started his career as a Butlin's Redcoat); Helen Shapiro (who Dave toured with, alongside the Beatles, in the early 60s); Hollywood director Stephen Frears (who cast Dave in a 1979 Alan Bennett play); and comedians Mark Thomas and Jo Caulfield.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in July 2010.
SUN 21:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b05n7xp2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 21:40 Inheritance Tracks (b05nxmv6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:40 today]
SUN 21:45 Afternoon Reading (b00zf342)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]
SUN 22:00 Clare in the Community (b01693gs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 22:30 The Richest Man in Britain (b00nw3wq)
The Kidnap
Sitcom by Nick Hornby and Giles Smith about an ageing rock star and his search for fulfilment.
Trillionnaire rocker Dave Mabbutt finds the perfect excuse to get rid of shed-loads of cash when his mum is taken hostage.
Dave Mabbutt ...... Mark Williams
Dom ...... Russell Tovey
Mr Green the Banker ......Geoff McGivern
Dimitri the Kidnapper ...... Phil Cornwell
Sophie/Waiter ...... Matt Addis.
SUN 23:00 Newsjack (b05gv7zm)
Series 12
Episode 4
This week's stories lovingly bashed, mashed and moulded into sketches, one-liners and vox-pops by the public. Trying to make sense of it all is our host, Nish Kumar.
SUN 23:30 Jon Ronson On (b00pkbmr)
Series 5
When Small Talk Goes Wrong
Jon Ronson talks to Denis Fillion who was behind one of the first major internet hoaxes. Denis used to post threads and make small talk on a technical forum called Anandtech. Irritated by the misogyny he found on the site, he invented a female character to join in the chat.
Soon he found himself flirting with his own character and weaving a tale so believable that the character took on an air of reality, even for him. As the relationship deepened, Denis was forced to take drastic action to get out of his own hoax. With additional contributions from comedian Josie Long and Charlie Brooker.
Producer: Laura Parfitt
A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.


MONDAY 23 MARCH 2015

MON 00:00 Daphne Du Maurier (b007jlbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b05n7xp2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]
MON 01:40 Inheritance Tracks (b05nxmv6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:40 on Sunday]
MON 01:45 Afternoon Reading (b00zf342)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Sunday]
MON 02:00 All Gas and Gaiters (b007jp89)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 Life With The Lyons (b013m0s9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:00 Clare in the Community (b01693gs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 GB Shaw - The Devil's Disciple (b007jtmm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Alan Garner - Elidor (b010m612)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Michelle Magorian - Back Home (b011chj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 Detective (b01s2kd7)
Series 3
1. The Trap
A suspect in an armed London hold-up asks to see Detective Sergeant Brook - whose new assistant, Jack Tully, arrives and is plunged straight into the sharp end of police work.
Starring Ray Brooks and Stephen Garlick.
More tough stories of crime and detection in London written by Robert Barr
Detective Sergeant Brook …. Ray Brooks
Detective Constable Tully …. Stephen Garlick
Thomas Brady …. Stephen Grief
Detective Sergeant Harrison …. Peter Cleall
Chief Inspector Roach …. Stephen Yardley
Tommy …. Michael Ripper
Chris Thompson …. Peter Acre
Bill …. Michael Jenner
DC Tim O'Brien/Prison Warder …. Anthony Jackson
Kathy/Hotel Receptionist …. Eileen Tully
Robert Barr also wrote TV scripts for the BBC's Z Cars and Softly Softly. He was also a prize-winning TV producer.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 2 in June 1984.
MON 06:30 O Lucky Man! (b00djtj2)
John Harris presents a documentary investigating the life and work of the film director Lindsay Anderson. The programme focuses on If..., O Lucky Man! and Britannia Hospital, the trilogy of films Anderson made with Malcolm McDowell featuring the character Mick Travis.
With contributions from McDowell himself, Stephen Frears, Helen Mirren and writer David Sherwin, Harris examines Anderson's vision of Britain and his contradictory character.
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 07:00 Know Your Place (b018ttwj)
Marriage of Convenience
Is it wedding bells for caretaker Ramsay in a quest to keep his job?
Ramsay Potts is the jobsworth caretaker at a crumbling Edwardian block of flats, pursued by the over-amorous cleaner Elsie.
Starring Roy Dotrlce as Ramsay and Patricia Hayes as Elspeth Spurgeon.
Eight-part sitcom written by Andrew Palmer and Nell Brennan.
With Pat Coombs, Frank Thornton, John Graham, Jon Glover, April Walker and Benny Lee.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in March 1982.
MON 07:30 Just a Minute (b055g10q)
Series 71
Episode 6
Nicholas Parsons hosts the popular panel game.
MON 08:00 Dad's Army (b007jsg2)
Series 1
Battle School
The Walmington-on-Sea platoon is off to a weekend training camp - subject to Captain Mainwaring and his map...
The comic exploits of a Second World War Home Guard platoon in Walmington-on-Sea.
Adapted for radio from Jimmy Perry and David Croft's TV scripts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.
Captain Mainwaring …. Arthur Lowe
Sergeant Wilson …. John Le Mesurier
Corporal Jones …. Clive Dunn
Private Godfrey …. Arnold Ridley
Private Pike …. Ian Lavender
Private Frazer …. John Laurie
Major Smith …. SJack Watson
Captain Rodrigues …. Alan Tilvern
Announcer …. John Snagge
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in April 1974.
MON 08:30 The Michael Bentine Show (b00k9dbv)
From 22/04/1984
From duelling kings to a Commons washroom attendant.
Michael Bentine stars in the ultimate one man show written and performed by the host.
Producer: Jamie Rix
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in April 1984.
MON 09:00 The Write Stuff (b01bbb6d)
Series 15
Gustave Flaubert
Author of the Week is Gustave Flaubert - French modernist novelist and firebrand, who created perhaps the best novel of all time in the form of "Madame Bovary".
Team captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh are joined by comedy writer and author of "May Contain Nuts", John O'Farrell, and literary critic and Guardian journalist, Alex Clark to answer questions about the great Frenchman's life and work.
For the finale of the show, the teams are asked to imagine a 2012 update of Flaubert's "Dictionary of Received Ideas".
MON 09:30 The Brig Society (b036vvrg)
Series 1
Food
Uh-oh - Marcus Brigstocke has been put in charge of a thing!
Each week, Marcus finds he's volunteered to be in charge of a big old thing - a hospital, the railways, British fashion, a prison. And each week he starts out by thinking "Well, it can't be that difficult, surely?" and ends up with "Oh - turns out it's utterly difficult and complicated. Who knew...?"
This week - Marcus has been volunteered to be the face, not to say beard and glasses, of British food. During the course of the show, he'll be eating some food, examining the subject of packaging and waste, eating some more food, looking at supermarkets and seasonality, eating a bit more food, studying manufacturing and junk foods, eating some more food and then probably bursting.
Helping him serve up the show will be Rufus Jones (Hunderby, Holy Flying Circus), William Andrews (Sorry I've Got No Head) and Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Miranda).
The show is produced by Marcus's long-standing accomplice, David Tyler, who also produces Marcus' appearances as the inimitable as Giles Wemmbley Hogg.
Written by Marcus Brigstocke, Jeremy Salsby, Toby Davies, Nick Doody, Steve Punt and Tom Neenan.
Produced by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 10:00 Oscar Wilde (b007jnn1)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Episode 1
"I would give my soul to stay young".
A vain aristocrat - a gilded and spoilt hedonist - makes a dangerous pact to preserve his youth.
Jamie Glover stars in Oscar Wilde's classic 1890 novel dramatised in two parts by Nick McCarty.

Dorian Gray ...... Jamie Glover
Lord Henry Wotton ...... Ian McDiarmid
Basil Hallward ...... Steven Pacey
Sybil Vane ...... Tilly Gaunt
Jim Vane ...... Harry Myers
Mrs Vane ...... Elizabeth Mansfield
Lord Fermor ...... Brett Usher
Aunt Agatha ...... Mary Wimbush
Butler ...... Gavin Muir
Mrs Vandelaur ...... Elizabeth Bell
Lady Harley ...... Tessa Worsley
Servant ...... Tom George
Other parts played by the cast.
Director: Gordon House.
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in January 2000.
MON 11:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xd2kh)
The Mistletoe Bride
The happiness of a young bride on her wedding day comes to a tragic and abrupt end. Read by Bryony Hannah.
"The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting Tales" is a collection of haunting short stories written, abridged and introduced by Kate Mosse. They are all inspired by legends and folktales from the French and Sussex Countryside and each story explores the relationship between landscape and emotion. Grief and Guilt. Loss and happiness. They are timeless in their telling, ranging from the mythical past to the present day. Kate Mosse has chosen 5 out of the collection that exemplify the redemption experienced by the various grief stricken men and women as they come to terms with their destiny.
Producer: Celia de Wolff
Made for 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
MON 11:15 Loose Ends (b05jb86w)
Danny Wallace, Tab Hunter, Christian O'Connell, Andy de la Tour, Isis Thompson, Young Fathers, Phil Manzanera
Clive Anderson is joined by Danny Wallace, Tab Hunter, Christian O'Connell, Andy de la Tour and Isis Thompson for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Young Fathers and Phil Manzanera.
Producer: Sukey Firth.
MON 12:00 Dad's Army (b007jsg2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 The Michael Bentine Show (b00k9dbv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 Detective (b01s2kd7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:30 O Lucky Man! (b00djtj2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 14:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jlkw)
Episode 1
The complications facing parents when a marriage breaks down and a new relationship begins.
Joanna Trollope's novel about the traumas and delights of adjusting to a step-family.
Read by Penelope Wilton.
Abridged in ten parts by Pat McLoughlin.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
MON 14:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvkwh)
Treason and Plots
Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, continues his object-based history. Taking artefacts from William Shakespeare's time, he explores how Elizabethan and Jacobean playgoers made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived.
With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and he considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.
Programme 11. TREASON & PLOTS - A tabloid history of Shakespeare's England, told through a collection of contemporary accounts of plots to murder Elizabeth I and James I.
Producer: Paul Kobrak.
MON 14:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jxxt)
Episode 1
12 year old Meena Kumar is an Asian girl living a fairly uneventful life in the Black Country village of Tollington near Wolverhampton in the 1970s - surrounded by her loving, if slightly eccentric, Punjabi family.
But then one days she meets Anita Rutter..
Actress and comedy writer Meera Syal reads her first novel - abridged in ten parts by Doreen Estall.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1996.
MON 14:45 Book of the Week (b00rw7hy)
Douglas Rogers - The Last Resort
Episode 1
1/5
The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers read by Jack Klaff. Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall Productions. The author tells the story of his parents fight to stay on their backpacker lodge in Zimbabwe despite the political upheaval of the last decade. When he hears the news of the death of the first white farmer, Rogers is concerned for his parents safety but when he returns home to visit them, nothing has prepared him for what he finds.
MON 15:00 Oscar Wilde (b007jnn1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b05n8zdk)
A Monster Calls, Fred MacAulay and the Dawn Chorus
Mel Giedroyc hosts a new episode of Fred MacAulay's nail-biting quiz Keep It in the Family. Plus she hears the dawn chorus, and David Hayman reads A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness.
MON 17:00 A Whole New Ball Game (b00cfsz9)
Series 1
Tactics
It's the semi-final of the Frewitt Cup, but Father Benedict's tactics manual falls into enemy hands.
Robert Patterson knows that victory will come only with the help of the Angel of the Lord.
A six-part black comedy by Martin Davies
Stars Desmond Barrit as Father Benedict, Brenda Blethyn as Mrs Patterson, Paul Parris as Robert Patterson, Charlotte Coleman as Barbara Patterson, Martino Lazzeri as Guy Entwhistle, Mark Straker as Andy, Claire Skinner as Janet and Gordon Reid as Mr Plant,
Producer: Lissa Evans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1993.
MON 17:30 Know Your Place (b018ttwj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 18:00 The Write Stuff (b01bbb6d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 18:30 A Good Read (b05n90f1)
Bibi Baskin and Giles Foden
Broadcaster Bibi Baskin and journalist Giles Foden join Sarah LeFanu to talk about favourite paperbacks by Patrick McCabe, Paul Muldoon and Eric Newby. From 1999.
Books discussed:
The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe
Publisher : Pan Books
New Selected Poems by Paul Muldoon
Publisher : Faber & Faber
The Last Grain Race by Eric Newby
Publisher : Picador.
MON 19:00 Dad's Army (b007jsg2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 The Michael Bentine Show (b00k9dbv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 Detective (b01s2kd7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:30 O Lucky Man! (b00djtj2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 21:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xd2kh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:15 Loose Ends (b05jb86w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
MON 22:00 Just a Minute (b055g10q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 The Brig Society (b036vvrg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
MON 23:00 The News Quiz Extra (b05n7gpy)
Series 13
Episode 5
A satirical review of the week's news chaired by Jeremy Hardy, with Bob Mills, Hugo Rifkind, Elis James and Samira Ahmed.
MON 23:45 Elastic Planet (b007k2h5)
The Babies
Links between cheese sculpture, pavement privatisation, skirting boards and the great knitting reform act.
Animator and voice of Bagpuss and the Clangers, Oliver Postgate island-hops through a stream of bizarre coincidences.
Ben Moor’s cosmic comedy of connections with Miriam Margoyies, Dan Strauss, Kerry Shale, Michael Simkins, Gary Waldhorn, Alan Dedicoat, Hugh Scully and James Naughtie.
Producer: Jon Naismith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1995.


TUESDAY 24 MARCH 2015

TUE 00:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jlkw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvkwh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jxxt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 00:45 Book of the Week (b00rw7hy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 The Write Stuff (b01bbb6d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 A Good Read (b05n90f1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Detective (b01s2kd7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 O Lucky Man! (b00djtj2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Oscar Wilde (b007jnn1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xd2kh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:15 Loose Ends (b05jb86w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 A Whole New Ball Game (b00cfsz9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 Know Your Place (b018ttwj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 Detective (b01s316s)
Series 3
2. A Bit of a Grudge
Detectives Brook and Tully have unfinished business with a dangerous crook.
Can he be caught before he flees the country?
Starring Ray Brooks and Stephen Garlick.
More tough stories of crime and detection in London written by Robert Barr
Detective Sergeant Brook …. Ray Brooks
Detective Constable Tully …. Stephen Garlick
Detective Sergeant Harrison …. Peter Cleall
Tommy …. Michael Ripper
Paul Caville …. Douglas Blackwell
Billy Dale …. David Milner
Superintendent …. Arnold Diamond
Detective Constable Mathieson …. Peter Acre
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 2 in June 1984.
TUE 06:30 The Oldest Bible (b00dp74r)
Roger Bolton tells the story of the Codex Sinaiticus, the world's oldest bible, found in 1844 in a monastery in the Sinai Desert. It is soon to become one of the British Library's greatest treasures and accessible to a worldwide audience. Its history is contentious, and its contents controversial.
TUE 07:00 Nikolai Gogol - Three Ivans, Two Aunts and an Overcoat (b00nd0t5)
The Two Ivans
In a sleepy Russian town, a careless insult changes the lives of two neighbours. Stars Griff Rhys Jones. From March 2002.
TUE 07:30 Ayres on the Air (b03qfzgg)
Series 5
Horses
Pam Ayres presents poems, stories and sketches about a subject close to her heart: Horses.
Pam recalls going to the races as a little girl and ponders the significance of leg positioning in statues of horses.
Plus an intriguing story of being flattered by a stranger's attentions at the Badminton Horse Trials.
With:
Felicity Montagu
Geoffrey Whitehead as Pam's long-suffering husband 'Gordon'.
Poems include: The Racehorse Fred, The Stuffed Horse & Dreaming of Fresh Fields.
Sketch writers: James Bugg, Jan Etherington, Grainne McGuire, Andy Wolton and Tom Neenan.
Producer: Claire Jones.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2014.
TUE 08:00 Round the Horne (b00j05w6)
Series 1
Episode 3
Kenneth Horne meets BBC Sound Effects men - and a pantomime horse in The Clissold Saga.
Starring Kenneth Horne. With Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden and Bill Pertwee.
Recorded at the BBC's Paris Studio in Lower Regent Street, London. Announcer: Douglas Smith
Round The Horne was born out of the demise of BBC radio comedy Beyond Our Ken, after the end of writer Eric Merriman's involvement. Using the same cast and producer, Barry Took and Marty Feldman were persuaded to write the scripts - which led to four series that ran between 1965 and 1968 - packed full of parodies, recurring characters, catchphrases and double-entendres.
Music by Edwin Braden and the Hornblowers and The Fraser Hayes Four.
Producer: John Simmonds
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in March 1965.
TUE 08:30 The Ken Dodd Show (b05ncjz0)
From 18/04/1965
Home wine-making tips from Andy Mann, and poetic tributes to those who watch over us at night. With John Laurie. From April 1965.
TUE 09:00 The News Quiz Extra (b05n7gpy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:45 Elastic Planet (b007k2h5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:45 on Monday]
TUE 10:00 Oscar Wilde (b007jnnk)
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Episode 2
Aristocrat Dorian Gray is living a life of selfish pleasure. But is retribution on the horizon?
Jamie Glover stars in the conclusion of Oscar Wilde's classic novel dramatised by Nick McCarty.
Dorian Gray ...... Jamie Glover
Lord Henry Wotton ...... Ian McDiarmid
Basil Hallward ...... Steven Pacey
Woman ...... Tilly Gaunt
Jim ...... Harry Myers
Duke Geoffrey ...... Edward de Souza
Thornton ...... Stephen Critchlow
Campbell ...... Geoffrey Beevers
Lord ...... Gavin Muir
Woman in Opium Den ...... Elizabeth Bell
Lady Narborough ...... Tessa Worsley
Francis ...... Tom George
Duke John ...... Brett Usher
Duchess ...... Alice Arnold
Director: Gordon House.
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in January 2000.
TUE 11:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgccg)
On Harting Hill
A horrified man thinks he's run over a young girl only to find all is not quite as it seems. Read by Robert Glenister.
"The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting Tales" is a collection of haunting short stories written, abridged and introduced by Kate Mosse. They are all inspired by legends and folktales from the French and Sussex Countryside and each story explores the relationship between landscape and emotion. Grief and Guilt. Loss and happiness. They are timeless in their telling, ranging from the mythical past to the present day. Kate Mosse has chosen 5 out of the collection that exemplify the redemption experienced by the various grief stricken men and women as they come to terms with their destiny.
Producer: Celia de Wolff
Made for 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
TUE 11:15 Israel Horovitz - Stations of the Cross (b007596w)
Back from America, David makes a farcical, poetic rail crossing of England for an unforgettable funeral. Stars Israel Horovitz.
TUE 12:00 Round the Horne (b00j05w6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 The Ken Dodd Show (b05ncjz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 Detective (b01s316s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:30 The Oldest Bible (b00dp74r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 14:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn4k)
Episode 2
After her marriage breaks down, Nadine is fuelled with bitterness towards her ex-husband.
Joanna Trollope's novel about the traumas and delights of adjusting to a step-family.
Read by Penelope Wilton.
Abridged in ten parts by Pat McLoughlin.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
TUE 14:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvn29)
Sex and the City
Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, continues his object-based history. Taking artefacts from William Shakespeare's time, he explores how Elizabethan and Jacobean playgoers made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived.
With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and he considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.
Programme 12. SEX & THE CITY - A delicate glass goblet reveals the twin seductions of Venice: its sought after luxuries and its equally sought after lecherous women.
Producer: Paul Kobrak.
TUE 14:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jxz2)
Episode 2
During the long summer break from school, Meena is desperate to be accepted by her peers. Meera Syal reads her own novel.
TUE 14:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlth)
Douglas Rogers - The Last Resort
Episode 2
2/5
The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers read by Jack Klaff. Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall Productions. The author tells the story of his parents fight to stay on their backpacker lodge in Zimbabwe despite the political upheaval of the last decade.
Returning home for a visit, Douglas discovers that though the tourists have long gone, 'Drifters' has acquired a new set of customers.
TUE 15:00 Oscar Wilde (b007jnnk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b05ndg4w)
Mary Berry's Simnel Cake, The Simpsons and Maths, and A Monster Calls
Mel Giedroyc has the next episode of the fun and adrenalin-fuelled family quiz Keep It in the Family with Fred MacAulay, and Mary Berry shares her Simnel cake recipe for Easter.
TUE 17:00 Stilgoe's Around (b00ty334)
The Boat Show (09/04/1984)
Laughs and jigs aplenty from Richard Stilgoe at the Boat Show. With Sheila Steafel and Charles Collingwood. From April 1984.
TUE 17:30 Nikolai Gogol - Three Ivans, Two Aunts and an Overcoat (b00nd0t5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 18:00 Hidden Treasures (b05ndg4y)
Syon House
From bronze statues to Lalique.
Lars Tharp chairs the light-hearted antiques quiz from the London home of the Duke of Northumberland, Syon House.
With John Bly, Philippa Glanville, Jane Hay and Peter Brown.
Producers: Elizabeth Abrahams and Annie Bristow.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1998.
TUE 18:30 Frankly Speaking (b05ndh2t)
Evelyn Waugh
Brideshead Revisited author Evelyn Waugh is grilled about his life and career by Charles Wilmot, Jack Davies and Stephen Black
Regarded as one of the most brilliant novelists of his day, Waugh loathed the BBC. His grandson Alexander believes that this interview, along with a cocktail of sleeping draughts, helped to send him "rather mad". The author later turned his experience on Frankly Speaking into a scene in his novel 'The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold' with Stephen Black becoming the character Angel who haunts Pinfold in his hallucinations.
Launched in 1952 on the BBC Home Service, Frankly Speaking was a novel, ground breaking series. Unrehearsed and unscripted, the traditional interviewee/interviewer pairing was initially jettisoned for three interviewers firing direct questions - straight to the point.
Early critics described it as 'unkempt', 'an inquisition' and described the guest as prey being cornered, quarry being pursued - with calls to axe the unscripted interview. But the format won out and eventually won over its detractors.
Unknown or very inexperienced broadcasters were employed as interviewers, notably John Freeman, John Betjeman, Malcolm Muggeridge, Harold Hobson, Penelope Mortimer, Elizabeth Beresford and Katherine Whitehorn.
Only about 40 of the original 100 programmes survive.
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in November 1953.
TUE 19:00 Round the Horne (b00j05w6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 The Ken Dodd Show (b05ncjz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 Detective (b01s316s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:30 The Oldest Bible (b00dp74r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 21:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgccg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 21:15 Israel Horovitz - Stations of the Cross (b007596w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
TUE 22:00 Ayres on the Air (b03qfzgg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b00j0h9n)
Series 2
Sandi Toksvig
Marcus Brigstocke gets Sandi Toksvig to try some new experiences, seeing the world from a whole new level. From March 2009.
TUE 23:00 Strangers on Trains (b00db0x3)
Episode 3
Nat Segnit is on a quest to venture inside travellers' minds with tales of doomed dates. With Stewart Wright. From September 2008.
TUE 23:15 Ivor Cutler - A Wet Handle (b00cmjvc)
Episode 3
Runaway teaspoons and the spelling of 'marmalade'.
Songs, stories and poems from humourist Ivor Cutler, with Craig Murray-Orr,and Alison O'Kill.
Producer: Neil Cargill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in June 1997.
TUE 23:30 Vent (b00tp80h)
Series 2
Mary's Girl Child
Comatose Ben celebrates Christmas, as the nativity plays out in his unconscious mind.
Dark sitcom following the thoughts of a coma patient written by Nigel Smith.
Starring Neil Pearson as Ben Smith, Fiona Allen as Mary, Josie Lawrence as Mum and Leslie Ash as Blitzkrieg.
With Nicholas Hutchison, Jo Martin, Mark Perry, Scarlett Milburn-Smith and Jeremy Paxman.
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2007.


WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH 2015

WED 00:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn4k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvn29)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jxz2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 00:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlth)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 Hidden Treasures (b05ndg4y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 Frankly Speaking (b05ndh2t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Detective (b01s316s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 The Oldest Bible (b00dp74r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 Oscar Wilde (b007jnnk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgccg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:15 Israel Horovitz - Stations of the Cross (b007596w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 Stilgoe's Around (b00ty334)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 Nikolai Gogol - Three Ivans, Two Aunts and an Overcoat (b00nd0t5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 Detective (b01s2xl6)
Series 3
3. Lost Without a Trace
Detectives Brook and Tully must sound out their snouts to try and recapture £200,000 of stolen electrical goods.
Starring Ray Brooks and Stephen Garlick.
More tough stories of crime and detection in London written by Robert Barr
Detective Sergeant Brook …. Ray Brooks
Detective Constable Tully …. Stephen Garlick
Detective Sergeant Harrison …. Peter Cleall
Chief Inspector Roach …. Stephen Yardley
Ma Gregg … Julie May
Mr Hewitt …. Victor Maddern
Harry …. Johnny Wade
Springer …. William Hope
Other parts played by the cast.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 2 in July 1984.
WED 06:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kp9jy)
Episode 1
Terence Curran goes behind the scenes to experience the recording process as different classical performers prepare for the studio. Among them is the pianist Kathryn Stott. There are also interviews with notable performers including Emma Johnson and Stephen Hough, producers and record company executives who discuss the little-known psychological aspects behind making a classical recording.
Terence explores how performers cope with the demands of making their first recording.
WED 07:00 London Calling (b05ndzw7)
In the Beginning
The man behind TV hits Dad's Army and Hi-De-Hi - Jimmy Perry's star-packed comedy about the early wireless days of the BBC.
Back in 1922, when a microphone jammed if a speaker talked too loudly, the letters of praise and complaint flooded in.
Then a new Director-General, John Brown, came to take over the British Broadcasting Company.
John Brown ...... Graham Crowden
Colonel Beecham ...... Jimmy Perry
Fred "Keep 'em Laughing" Hicks ...... Roy Hudd
Sergeant Lucas ...... Bill Pertwee
Roger Eccles ...... Jeffrey Holland
Miss Nightingale ...... Joanna Munro
Arthur ...... Toby Longworth
Admiral Carpenter ...... Peter Cellier
Jeffrey Stainton ...... Chris Luscombe
Bobby Bright ...... Leonard Kirby
Phyllis Godfrey ...... Amanda Bellamy
Rex Murray ...... Logan Murray
Music by Roy Moore.
Producer: Jo Clegg.
First broadcast nightly on BBC Radio 2 in September 1994.
WED 07:30 Chain Reaction (b055gcbk)
Series 10
Olivia Colman talks to Sharon Horgan
The star of Broadchurch, Twenty Twelve and Peep Show Olivia Colman, talks to creator, writer and star of BBC's BAFTA nominated sitcom Pulling, and winner of the British Comedy Award for best actress, Sharon Horgan.
Chain Reaction is the long running hostless chat show where last week's interviewee becomes this week's interviewer.
Producer: Charlie Perkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015.
WED 08:00 The Navy Lark (b00zw33y)
Series 2
Pertwee Posted to Portsmouth
The Chief Petty Officer makes waves with his request to join Captain Povey's staff.

Starring Leslie Phillips as the Sub-Lieutenant, Jon Pertwee as the Chief Petty Officer, Stephen Murray as Number One, Richard Caldicot as Commander Povey, Ronnie Barker as AS Johnson, Heather Chasen as Heather, Michael Bates as Edgar Pertwee and Tenniel Evans as Uncle Ebenezer Pertwee.

The Navy Lark ran for an impressive 13 series on BBC Radio between 1959 and 1976.

Scripted by Lawrie Wyman.

Producer: Alastair Scott Johnston.

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in February 1960.
WED 08:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00b02bc)
Series 4
Episode 8
Hovercrafts, ferrets - and the three-toed sloth.
More quick-fire sketches, terrible puns, humorous songs and parodies.
Stars Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie.
Written by Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie.
Originating from the Cambridge University Footlights revue 'Cambridge Circus', ISIRTA ran for 8 years on BBC Radio and quickly developed a cult following.
Music and songs by Dave Lee, Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden.
Producer: Humphrey Barclay
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in November 1966.
WED 09:00 Trivia Test Match (b007js6n)
From 10/09/1991
Brian Johnston umpires, as Willie Rushton and William Franklyn battle Tim Rice and Bernard Cribbins. From September 1991.
WED 09:30 Edgar Wallace - Educated Evans (b03yzlyf)
A Judge of Racing
Can the 1920s tipster help a friend in trouble and acquire valuable information along the way? Stars Roy Hudd and Andrew Sachs. From August 1996.
WED 10:00 James Fenimore Cooper - The Last of the Mohicans (b007jljv)
1. Under Siege
The daughters of Colonel Munro are led into danger by vengeful Huron, Magua.
J. Fenimore Cooper's epic set amidst the struggle between the British and the French for control of North America. Dramatised in two-parts by David Calcutt.
CAST:
Narrator …. Garrick Hagon
Major Heyward …. Philip Franks
Uncas …. Clarence Smith
Cora …. Helen McCory
Magua …. Alfredo Michelsen
General Munro …. Russell Dixon
Chingachgook …. Okon Jones
Alice …. Naomi Radcliffe
General Montcalm …. John Jardine
Hawkeye …. Michael Feast
Producer: Michael Fox
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1995
WED 11:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgjdf)
Red Letter Day
A grief-stricken mother goes on a journey in search of peace. Read by Claire Skinner.
"The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting Tales" is a collection of haunting short stories written, abridged and introduced by Kate Mosse. They are all inspired by legends and folktales from the French and Sussex Countryside and each story explores the relationship between landscape and emotion. Grief and Guilt. Loss and happiness. They are timeless in their telling, ranging from the mythical past to the present day. Kate Mosse has chosen 5 out of the collection that exemplify the redemption experienced by the various grief stricken men and women as they come to terms with their destiny.
Producer: Celia de Wolff
Made for 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
WED 11:15 Drama (b01cw5n6)
The Tobacco Merchant's Lawyer
Glasgow 1780. Lawyer Enoch Dalmellington represents the ambiguities of Scottish society since the Union. He detests the corruption of Glasgow's merchants, but can't resist being bought off by them; he dreams of Scottish independence, but is too canny to mention it. And there's a wake-up call to a city whose history has always been more rich, varied and morally ambiguous than the dominant narrative of victimhood allows.
Dalmellington ..... Ian McDiarmid
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer
Iain Heggie was born in Glasgow in 1953. 'A Wholly Healthy Glasgow' , and his John Whiting award-winning play, American Bagpipes, both premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and were later seen at The Royal Court in London. Recent plays include' Love Freaks' (a new take of Double Inconstancy) and 'Sauciehall Street'.
WED 12:00 The Navy Lark (b00zw33y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00b02bc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 Detective (b01s2xl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 13:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kp9jy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 14:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn4y)
Episode 3
After marrying Matthew, Josie wants to be the perfect step-mum to his three children...
Joanna Trollope's novel about the traumas and delights of adjusting to a step-family.
Read by Penelope Wilton.
Abridged in ten parts by Pat McLoughlin.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
WED 14:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvrxk)
From London to Marrakech
Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum, continues his object-based history. Taking artefacts from William Shakespeare's time, he explores how Elizabethan and Jacobean playgoers made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived.
With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and he considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.
Programme 13. FROM LONDON TO MARRAKECH - Sunken gold from West Africa sheds light on the complex relationship Elizabethan England had with the Moors of the Mediterranean.
This programme was originally broadcast in 2012.
Producer: Paul Kobrak.
WED 14:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jy0b)
Episode 3
Twelve-year-old Meena faces racial abuse and is shocked to learn a piece of major family news. Meera Syal reads her own novel.
WED 14:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlt5)
Douglas Rogers - The Last Resort
Episode 3
3/5
The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers read by Jack Klaff. Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall Productions. The author tells the story of his parents fight to stay on their backpacker lodge in Zimbabwe despite the political upheaval of the last decade.
Despite having tried to avoid the senior government minister in his area for years, Douglas's father now needs to see him badly and is introduced to a soldier who, he is told, can help.
WED 15:00 James Fenimore Cooper - The Last of the Mohicans (b007jljv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b05nf4t3)
Keep It in the Family, Giles Andreae and Tolkien Reading Day
Mel Giedroyc with the room that gave birth to Tolkein's Middle Earth, the Inheritance Tracks of author Giles Andreae and David Hayman reads A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness.
WED 17:00 Flying the Flag (b007jx8y)
Series 1
Here in the Western World
Why is the Ambassador's whiskey like an American submarine? And is the noble art of moaning really under threat?
Arms limitation negotiations at the Embassy call for some verbal gymnastics...
Alex Shearer's Eastern bloc embassy sitcom.
Starring Dinsdale Landen as HM Ambassador Mackenzie, Peter Acre as William Frost, Moir Leslie as Helen Waterson, Christopher Benjamin as Colonel Surikov, Jonathan Kydd as Mikhail Korovin, Michael Bilton as Yakov Korovin and Stephen Greif as the United States Ambassador.
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1987.
WED 17:30 London Calling (b05ndzw7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 18:00 Trivia Test Match (b007js6n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 18:30 Off the Page (b0076kp9)
Hitching
Where are all the hitchers? Matthew Parris, Dominic Arkwright, Decca Aitkenhead and Benedict Allen thumb a lift. From March 2004.
WED 19:00 The Navy Lark (b00zw33y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00b02bc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 Detective (b01s2xl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 20:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kp9jy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 21:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgjdf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 21:15 Drama (b01cw5n6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
WED 22:00 Chain Reaction (b055gcbk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b00dgjl0)
Series 2
Episode 6
The showbiz legend gives a lecture to impress the Egyptology Society, but there's a strict dress code. Stars Steve Delaney.
WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b05p2fsz)
From 10pm to midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Jon Holmes chats to Jessica Fostekew.
WED 23:00 The Maltby Collection (b00mbbkh)
Series 3
Episode 2
Walter has staff to fire and a broken heart to mend, but worst of all, his wife's come back to him and seems intent on pandering to his every whim...
Geoffrey Palmer and Julian Rhind-Tutt star in series 3 of David Nobbs’ sitcom about a small museum of paintings and sculpture.
Rod Millet ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Walter Brindle ...... Geoffrey Palmer
Prunella Edgecumbe ...... Rachel Atkins
Susie Maltby ...... Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Julian Crumb-Loosely ...... Ben Willbond
Wilf Arbuthnot ...... Geoff McGivern
Eva Tattle ...... Julia Deakin
Des Wainwright ...... Michael Smiley
Stelios Constantinopoulis ...... Chris Pavlo
Gloria Brindle ...... Helen Atkinson Wood.
Producer: Colin Anderson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2009.
WED 23:30 The Iguanodon (b0075cbr)
Away and Slightly to the Left
Sam Varley is looking for a lift back to the mainland when his boat is wrecked in a storm.
Mr Brook is looking for an unforgettable adventure at sea, after a lifetime in custards.
Neither of them get quite what they're expecting on a boat called 'The Iguanodon'...
Three-part comedy adventure by Paul Lucas.
Sam Varley ...... Paul Haigh
Mr Brook ...... Bernard Cribbins
Don O'Reilly ...... Dermot Crowley
Isabel ...... Rosemary Leach
The Captain ...... John Arthur
Laura ...... Sally Phillips
Harriet ...... Patsy Byrne
Producer: Jo Clegg
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1997.


THURSDAY 26 MARCH 2015

THU 00:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn4y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvrxk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jy0b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 00:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlt5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 Trivia Test Match (b007js6n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 Off the Page (b0076kp9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Detective (b01s2xl6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kp9jy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 James Fenimore Cooper - The Last of the Mohicans (b007jljv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgjdf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:15 Drama (b01cw5n6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 Flying the Flag (b007jx8y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 London Calling (b05ndzw7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 Detective (b01s5gng)
Series 3
4. The Sell Out
Detective Constable Tully and his boss learn you can't always believe what people tell you - and you can't always win...
Starring Ray Brooks and Stephen Garlick.
More tough stories of crime and detection in London written by Robert Barr
DS Brook …. Ray Brooks
DC Tully …. Stephen Garlick
Chief Inspector Roach …. Stephen Yardley
Tommy …. Michael Ripper
Roberts …. John Judd
Harry Webb …. John Pullen
Terry Nichols …. Jon Strickland
Mrs Gilbert …. Hilda Schroder
Kovacs/DC O’Brien …. Anthony Jackson
DC Mathieson …. Peter Acre
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 2 in July 1984.
THU 06:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kt8r5)
Episode 2
Terence Curran goes behind the scenes to experience the recording process as different classical performers prepare for the studio. Among them is pianist Kathryn Stott. There are also interviews with notable performers including Emma Johnson and Stephen Hough, producers and record company executives who discuss the little-known psychological aspects behind making a classical recording.
Terence explores how more seasoned performers approach recording and also looks at how decisions are reached in chamber groups. Which member of a quartet decides the best 'take', and what happens if no one can agree?
THU 07:00 Potting On (b00kmn18)
Stones
Pam and Gordon Grant are a couple at odds running a garden centre.
While Pam still feels young, Gordon wants to dive, slippers first, into middle age. She wants to go to a rock gig, but he wants to join the bowls club.
Let battle among the begonias commence!
Starring Pam Ayres and Geoffrey Whitehead as Pam and Gordon Grant.
With Trevor Bannister, Karl Theobald and Alex Tregear.
Sitcom by Chris Thompson and Peter Reynolds.
Producer Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2008.
THU 07:30 Alex Edelman - Millennial (b055jpnw)
Alex Edelman presents a special half-hour version of his award winning show about the much misunderstood and ridiculed "Millennial" generation.
Discover how he's used his smart-arse wit to bite back.
The Bostonian Native won the prestigious Best Newcomer Award at the 2014 Edinburgh Comedy Festival aged 25,
Producer: Arnab Chanda
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015.
THU 08:00 Brothers in Law (b05nhvmw)
Series 1
With Use of Bath
Barrister Roger Thursby is caught between a landlord and his tenant.
Starring Richard Briers as Roger Thursby, Richard Waring as Henry Blagrove and Ann Davies as Sally Mannering.
With guest star Deryck Guyler as Butler
Adapted for radio by Richard Waring from the BBC TV scripts.
Restored from BBC Transcription Service tapes - originally edited for sale abroad.
Published in 1955, Henry Cecil's comic legal novel Brothers in Law was adapted first for TV in 1962 by Frank Muir and Denis Norden. It provided the first regular starring role for Richard Briers, who later reprised his role of the idealistic young lawyer Roger Thursby for BBC Radio between 1970 and 1972.
Produced by David Hatch.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1970.
THU 08:30 Not in Front of the Children (b05nhvwk)
Series 1
Sweet Memories
When Henry boasts of his Casanova exploits to his children, Jennifer feels she has to invent an old beau for herself - with disastrous results.
Starring Wendy Craig and Francis Matthew.
The comedy mishaps of the Corner family - Jennifer and Henry and their three kids Trudi, Amanda and Robin.
Four series were first shown on BBC TV from 1967 to 1970. Richard Waring adapted his own scripts for this radio version, now fully restored from the original reel-to-reel tapes. Wendy Craig won a Best Actress BAFTA award for the TV version of Not in Front of the Children in 1969.
Jennifer …. Wendy Craig
Henry …. Francis Matthews
Mary …. Charlotte Mitchell
Trudi …. Roberta Tovey
Robin …. Hugo Keith-Johnston
Amanda …. Jill Riddick
Pam …. Gwenda Wilson
Mr Micklewhite …. Bunny May
Music by Ronnie Hazlehurst
Producer: Trafford Whitelock.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1969.
THU 09:00 It's Your Round (b019f6kd)
Series 2
Episode 4
Four more panellists attempt to beat each other at their own games, with host, Angus Deayton.
Featured rounds:
Will Smith's "Jersey Quiz", all about the weird and wonderful world of his Channel Island birthplace.
Australian actress and comedian, Celia Pacquola's "Now That's Charity!" in which panellists must all pitch a charity which they would use to acquire enough funds to eradicate their personal bêtes noires, like men in flip-flops, Jennifer Aniston films, or people who constantly check their phones.
Jason Solomon's "Tagline Tease" in which panellists have to guess the tagline to a particular film.
Andrew Maxwell's "Boarder, boarder, boarder or boarder"... in which panellists are given a slang term and they have to guess whether it's from the world of snowboarding, surfboarding, clapper-boarding or boarding school.
Producer: Sam Michell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2012.
THU 09:30 The Sit Crom (b00lvmwp)
The Secret Knocke
Mercy's disguise is revealed, Father Francis is perplexed in his hole, Tobias denigrates the vegetables, Arise Higgs and his platoon are billeted on Firebasket Hall and Gazebo has lethal orders.
Sue Limb's six-part comedy set during the English Civil War in the days of Oliver Cromwell.
Sir John Firebasket ...... Joss Ackland
Lady Anne Firebasket ...... Denise Coffey
Tobias Thynne ...... Clive Merrison
Mercy, alias Melissa ...... Miriam Margoyles
Father Francis ...... Nickolas Grace
Slow Ned ...... Chris Emmett
Gazebo Fogg ...... Jack Klaff
Captain Arise Higgs ...... Alun Armstrong
Posthumous ...... Nicky Henson
Counter Tenor ...... Peter Hayward
Lettice ...... Jane Whittenshaw
Music by Colin Sell.
Producer: Jonathan James-Moore
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1990.
THU 10:00 James Fenimore Cooper - The Last of the Mohicans (b007jpng)
2. The Pursuit
As the brutal war rages, Huron chief Magua captures Colonel Munro's daughters.
Hawkeye, Captain Heyward and the Mohicans set out in pursuit...
Conclusion of J Fenimore Cooper's epic set amidst the struggle between the British and the French for control of North America. Dramatised in two-parts by David Calcutt.
CAST:
Hawkeye …. Michael Feast
Major Heyward …. Philip Franks
Cora …. Helen McCrory
Alice …. Naomi Radcliffe
Chingachgook …. Okon Jones
Uncas …. Clarence Smith
Magua …. Alfredo Michelsen
General Munro …. Russell Dixon
General Montcalm …. John Jardine
David …. Robert Whelan
Tamenund …. Joe Speare
The Narrator …. Garrick Hagon
Producer: Michael Fox
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1995
THU 11:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgpv4)
The House on the Hill
A young woman's life is protected by the haunting walls of a house within a house. Read by Lily James.
"The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting Tales" is a collection of haunting short stories written, abridged and introduced by Kate Mosse. They are all inspired by legends and folktales from the French and Sussex Countryside and each story explores the relationship between landscape and emotion. Grief and Guilt. Loss and happiness. They are timeless in their telling, ranging from the mythical past to the present day. Kate Mosse has chosen 5 out of the collection that exemplify the redemption experienced by the various grief stricken men and women as they come to terms with their destiny.
Producer: Celia de Wolff
Made for 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
THU 11:15 Dave Sheasby - Showing Promise (b007m6tg)
With her creative writing course threatened financially, Marjorie's glad to see a new face arrive - even if Harry lacks some of the graces she's accustomed to...
Dave Sheasby’s drama stars Heather Stoney as Marjorie, Gerry Kersey as Brian, John Branwell as John, Lorraine Peters as Jean, Daphne Oxenford as Florence and Graham Roberts as Harry.
Director: Tony Cliff
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1990.
THU 12:00 Brothers in Law (b05nhvmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 Not in Front of the Children (b05nhvwk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 Detective (b01s5gng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 13:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kt8r5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 14:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn5f)
Episode 4
Nadine is getting desperate as she struggles with life a single mother...
Joanna Trollope's novel about the traumas and delights of adjusting to a step-family.
Read by Penelope Wilton.
Abridged in ten parts by Pat McLoughlin.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
THU 14:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvthw)
Disguise and Deception
Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum, continues his object-based history. Taking artefacts from William Shakespeare's time, he explores how Elizabethan and Jacobean playgoers made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived.
With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and he considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.
Programme 14. DISGUISE & DECEPTION - Deception and religion, cross-dressing and travelling salesmen are all unpacked via a pedlar's trunk.
This programme was originally broadcast in 2012.
Producer: Paul Kobrak.
THU 14:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jy1l)
Episode 4
It's a busy time for Meena with Diwali, the fair coming to town and the arrival of an ambulance. Meera Syal reads her own novel.
THU 14:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlt7)
Douglas Rogers - The Last Resort
Episode 4
4/5
The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers, read by Jack Klaff. Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall Productions. The author tells the story of his parents fight to stay on their backpacker lodge in Zimbabwe despite the political upheaval of the last decade.
A new manager has taken over at 'Drifters,' and to the owners' amazement the clientele changes once more.
THU 15:00 James Fenimore Cooper - The Last of the Mohicans (b007jpng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b05nhzjj)
A Monster Calls, Bjork on the Moomins and a Message in a Bottle
Mel Giedroyc has the next episode of quiz master Fred MacAulay's Keep It in the Family, Bjork hears the Moomins, and how a message in a bottle led to a couple falling in love.
THU 17:00 Anything Legal (b0081qyq)
Episode 1
After commuting to work together for 15 years, Charles and George both lose their jobs, but decide to keep it a secret...
Starring Donald Hewlett and Michael Knowles.
A Tale of Two City Gents by Wally K Daly
Charles …. Donald Hewlett
George …. Michael Knowles
Hilary …. Norma Ronald
GJ …. Tony Anholt
Futristics Manager …. David Ryall
Billy …. Michael Bilton
Harry the Publican …. Colin Starkey
Theme music by Jim Parker
Producer: John Fawcett Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1984.
THU 17:30 Potting On (b00kmn18)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 18:00 It's Your Round (b019f6kd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 18:30 Great Lives (b0076hth)
Tommy Cooper
Writer and broadcaster Clement Freud chooses comedian Tommy Cooper. With Humphrey Carpenter. From November 2003.
THU 19:00 Brothers in Law (b05nhvmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 Not in Front of the Children (b05nhvwk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 Detective (b01s5gng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 20:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kt8r5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 21:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgpv4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
THU 21:15 Dave Sheasby - Showing Promise (b007m6tg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
THU 22:00 Alex Edelman - Millennial (b055jpnw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 Newsjack (b05nj0yg)
Series 12
Episode 5
This week's stories lovingly bashed, mashed and moulded into sketches, one-liners and vox-pops by the public. Trying to make sense of it all is our host, Nish Kumar.
Nish is joined by Natasia Demetriou, London Hughes and Chris Kendall.
THU 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b05p2fvd)
From 10pm to midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Jon Holmes chats again to Jessica Fostekew.
THU 23:00 In and Out of the Kitchen (b016ljx7)
Series 1
January 1st to 5th
Mouth-watering entries from the kitchen diary of cookery writer, Damien Trench.
written by and starring Miles Jupp.
In a mixture of narrative, dialogue and recipes, Damien unflinchingly captures every angle of his day-to-day life, "no matter how grisly or, indeed, how gristly".
Damien and his partner, Anthony, deciding on their New Year's Resolutions. They start by finally making up their minds to commit to each other...namely, by signing up a builder, Mr Mullaney to install a new kitchen which Damien hopes will eventually become the food and preparation space that he's always dreamed of.
On top of all this, Anthony decides to get fit and Damien decides to do a radio programme about the French bean. But not everything goes according to plan...
Also featuring Damien's easy-to-follow recipes: for a "Super Simple" Roast Beef, cooking your own pasta, and "Marvellously Moist Muffins".
Damien Trench ...... Miles Jupp
Anthony ...... Justin Edwards
Damien's Mother ...... Selina Cadell
Mr Mullaney ...... Brendan Dempsey
Ian Frobisher ...... Philip Fox
Researcher ...... Alex Tregear
Producer: Sam Michell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
THU 23:30 Hut 33 (b00m0ld0)
Series 1
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Bletchley Park codebreakers grapple with the complexities of religion.
CAST:
Charles …. Robert Bathurst
Archie …. Tom Goodman-Hill
Minka …. Olivia Colman
Gordon …. Fergus Craig
Mrs Best …. Lill Roughley
Joshua …. Alex MacQueen.
Written by James Carey.
Producer: Adam Bromley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2007.


FRIDAY 27 MARCH 2015

FRI 00:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn5f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvthw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jy1l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 00:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlt7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 It's Your Round (b019f6kd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 Great Lives (b0076hth)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Detective (b01s5gng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 Performing to the Red Light (b00kt8r5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 James Fenimore Cooper - The Last of the Mohicans (b007jpng)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xgpv4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:15 Dave Sheasby - Showing Promise (b007m6tg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 Anything Legal (b0081qyq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 Potting On (b00kmn18)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Detective (b01s5l3b)
Series 3
5. Murder of a Shy Girl
Reclusive Joan is found dead, but Detectives Brook and Tully wonder how solitary her life really was...
Starring Ray Brooks and Stephen Garlick.
More tough stories of crime and detection in London written by Robert Barr
DS Brook …. Ray Brooks
DC Tully …. Stephen Garlick
DS Harrison …. Peter Cleall
Chief Inspector Roach …. Stephen Yardley
Palmer …. Nigel Greaves
Mrs Stevens …. Margery Withers
Mr Johnson …. Arnold Diamond
Mr Sheldon …. Haydn Wood
Jonathan Evans …. Mark Straker
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 2 in July 1984.
FRI 06:30 The Bond Correspondence (b00bfczy)
Lucy Fleming embarks upon a quest to discover more about her mysterious uncle Ian, creator of James Bond. Roger Moore is the voice of Ian Fleming.
FRI 07:00 Rent (b007522v)
Series 3
Episode 1
The new baby needs a name and Richard doesn’t want to reveal one of his.
Series 3 of Lucy Flannery's award-winning sitcom about Maria and Richard Reynolds and their lodgers.
Maria …. Barbara Flynn
Richard …. Patrick Barlow
Amy …. Linda Polan
Ruby …. Vivienne Rochester
Paul …. Dave Lamb
The Barrister …. Sally Grace
The Judge …. Brian Bowles
Producer: Liz Anstee.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1997.
FRI 07:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b01mx27b)
Series 2
Episode 3
John Finnemore, the writer and star of Cabin Pressure, regular guest on The Now Show and popper-upper in things like Miranda and Family Guy, records a second series of his hit sketch show.
The first series was described as "sparklingly clever" by The Daily Telegraph and "one of the most consistently funny sketch shows for quite some time" by The Guardian. It featured Winnie the Pooh coming to terms with his abusive relationship with honey, how The Archers sounds to people who don't listen to the Archers and how Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde decided whose turn it was to do the washing up.
This episode doesn't feature any of those things, but it does feature a sketch about messengers, a sketch about the history of alchemy and a sketch... Sketch? "Sketch"? Sorry, you know when you repeat a word so often it starts to go weird? "Sketch". Sketch! Ssssssketch. That's got it, better now. Anyway, there's a sketch about that.
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme is written by and stars John Finnemore. It also features Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan. It is produced by Ed Morrish.
FRI 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b00t1bnk)
Series 3
Hancock's Hair
Paranoid over going bald, the lad pays a visit to Maison James
Starring Tony Hancock.
With Bill Kerr, Sidney James, Andree Melly and Kenneth Williams.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Theme and incidental music composed by Wally Stott. Recorded by the BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz.
Producer: Dennis Main Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in January 1956.
FRI 08:30 The Men from the Ministry (b011vmdc)
Just the Ticket
The Ministry for General Assistance organises a national lottery - no thanks to the bumbling bureaucrats.
A weekly tribute to all those who work in government departments.
Stars Richard Murdoch and Deryck Guyler. With Norma Ronald, Ronald Baddiley and John Graham.
Written by Edward Taylor and John Graham.
'The Men from the Ministry' ran for 14 series between 1962 and 1977. Deryck Guyler replaced Wilfrid Hyde-White from 1966. Sadly many episodes didn't survive in the archive, however the BBC's Transcription Service re-recorded 14 shows in 1980 - never broadcast in the UK, until the arrival of BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in September 1971.
FRI 09:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b016w83r)
Series 4
Enfield, West, Green
Harry Enfield is a comedian and sketch character actor whose creations have made a permanent mark on the nation's psyche and whose catchphrases have echoed around playgrounds and building sites for decades. His monstrous creations include the iconic 80s character Loadsamoney, Stavros the Kebab Shop Owner and Tory Boy. Harry had a bit of a punkish image as a youth, but in fact he's quite posh. So posh that Virginia Woolf once famously referred to his grandparents in a notorious letter to Lytton Strachey. To find out what it was she said about them, either listen in or you could always Google it yourself.
Lucie Green is a solar researcher based at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London's Department of Space and Climate Physics, a Bletchley-like stately pile tucked away in the Surrey countryside that houses 150 of Britain's top space scientists. She studies activity in the atmosphere of the Sun. She takes a strong interest in science education, and in 2009 was awarded the Royal Society's Kohn award for Excellence in Engaging the Public with Science.
Admiral Alan William John West, Baron West of Spithead GCB DSC PC once ran the entire Royal Navy. From June 2007 to May 2010, he was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the British Home Office with responsibility for Security and a Security Advisor to Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Prior to his ministerial appointment, he was First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy, from 2002 to 2006. He has served aboard 14 ships, and in his first post as a captain, was the last to abandon ship as his vessel had been attacked by the Argentine Air Force during the Falklands war. As Head of Military Intelligence, he once had the honour of using a desk that played a unique role in history.
FRI 09:30 Richard Barton: General Practitioner! (b00753kj)
Episode 1
In 1946, Edward J Mason wrote the first episode of Dick Barton - Special Agent. The BBC Light Programme's hugely popular serial followed the adventures of the ex-Commando and his mates Jock Anderson and Snowy White. Despite facing a series of never-ending cliff-hangers at the hands of dastardly villains, our hero always triumphed. "With one bound Dick was free!".
Half a century later, Edward J's son Lol created Richard Barton, son of Dick, in an affectionate homage to one of BBC Radio's most enduring heroes.
When Richard's dad arrives to convalesce after an operation and to start work on his memoirs, strange parallels begin to emerge between past and present, between Dick's old adventures and events in his son's village.
Richard Barton ...... Robert Bathurst
Old Dick Barton ...... Moray Watson
Jock ...... Iain Cuthbertson
Young Dick Barton ...... Julian Dutton
Sally Phillips ...... Sally Barton
Mrs Cadwalladder ...... Ann Beach
Fassbinder ...... Kim Wall
Colin Meadows ...... Wayne Forester
Producer: Jo Clegg
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1997.
FRI 10:00 Graham Swannell - Kiss of Life (b05n7tp5)
Married 40 years, Dot tries to make Arthur fully appreciate her and show extra affection. Stars Brenda Bruce and Norman Bird.
FRI 11:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xh0ft)
The Revenant
An old man's guilt will haunt him and not release him until the truth is told. Read by Charlotte Emmerson.
"The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting Tales" is a collection of haunting short stories written, abridged and introduced by Kate Mosse. They are all inspired by legends and folktales from the French and Sussex Countryside and each story explores the relationship between landscape and emotion. Grief and Guilt. Loss and happiness. They are timeless in their telling, ranging from the mythical past to the present day. Kate Mosse has chosen 5 out of the collection that exemplify the redemption experienced by the various grief stricken men and women as they come to terms with their destiny.
Producer: Celia de Wolff
Made for 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
FRI 11:15 Frances Byrnes - An Unchoreographed World (b01pr7s5)
Dancer Margot Fonteyn and her lover are trapped in Holland during the German invasion of May 1940. Stars Sophie Jerrold.
FRI 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b00t1bnk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 The Men from the Ministry (b011vmdc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Detective (b01s5l3b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 The Bond Correspondence (b00bfczy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 Joanna Trollope - Other People's Children (b007jn5v)
Episode 5
Tom plans a third marriage to Elizabeth, but how will they cope with his possessive daughter?
Joanna Trollope's novel about the traumas and delights of adjusting to a step-family.
Read by Penelope Wilton.
Abridged in ten parts by Pat McLoughlin.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998.
FRI 14:15 Shakespeare's Restless World (b01gvwxr)
The Flag That Failed
Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum, continues his object-based history. Taking artefacts from William Shakespeare's time, he explores how Elizabethan and Jacobean playgoers made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived.
With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and he considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.
Programme 15. THE FLAG THAT FAILED - The problems in uniting Scotland and England and in creating a Great Britain are encapsulated in a set of designs for a common flag.
This programme was originally broadcast in 2012.
Producer: Paul Kobrak.
FRI 14:30 Meera Syal - Anita and Me (b007jy30)
Episode 5
Twelve-year-old Meena's mother finally gives birth, and she decides to form a gang with Anita. Meera Syal reads her own novel.
FRI 14:45 Book of the Week (b00rzlt9)
Douglas Rogers - The Last Resort
Episode 5
5/5
The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers, read by Jack Klaff. Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall Productions. The author tells the story of his parents fight to stay on their backpacker lodge in Zimbabwe despite the political upheaval of the last decade.
The day that Douglas's parents have been dreading finally arrives.
FRI 15:00 Graham Swannell - Kiss of Life (b05n7tp5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b05n7ygc)
A Monster Calls and Philip Ardagh on Sherlock Holmes
Mel Giedroyc presents Patrick Ness's moving story A Monster Calls, read by David Hayman. Plus Philip Ardagh investigates Sherlock Holmes, and the last Keep It in the Family.
FRI 17:00 Beachcomber... By the Way (b0084hyx)
Series 1
Episode 5
Lady Cabstanleigh holds a party, Mrs McGurgle gets into an argument, Chief Inspector Blunderton follows up a few leads, and Justice Cocklecarrot has to contend with the antics of the Filthistan trio.
Richard Ingrams, John Wells, John Sessions and Patricia Routledge recreate the world of the JB Morton.
Running in the Daily Express from 1924 to 1975 – JB Morton’s surreally comic ‘Beachcomber’ column paved the way for a great deal of modern humour.
Adapted by Michael Barfield with Richard Ingrams.
Announcer: Brian Perkins
Producer: Harry Thompson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1989
FRI 17:30 Rent (b007522v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 18:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b016w83r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 18:30 My Life in Five Books (b01394vt)
Series 2
Val McDermid
Treat yourself to a treat from the BBC Radio Scotland archives in this delightful programme where crime writer Val McDermid shares some of her all time favourite books with Stuart Cosgrove. Best selling author Val McDermid grew up in Kirkcaldy then was accepted to read English at St Hilda's College Oxford when she was only 17. Realising that she wasn't suited to a nine to five job Val became a journalist and after training in Devon she worked on national newspapers in Glasgow and Manchester. Following the success of her book Report for Murder published in 1987 Val was able to give up the day job and concentrate on writing, the rest, as they say, is history!
Val picks the following 5 titles and tells Stuart Cosgrove why they are significant books in her life.
1: TREASURE ISLAND by Robert Louis Stevenson
2: THE COLLECTED POEMS by Norman MacCaig
3: THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by Agatha Christie
4: SEXUAL POLITICS by Kate Millett
5: INDEMNITY ONLY by Sara Paretsky.
Produced by Mike Walker.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.
FRI 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b00t1bnk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 The Men from the Ministry (b011vmdc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Detective (b01s5l3b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 The Bond Correspondence (b00bfczy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Kate Mosse - The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales (b03xh0ft)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
FRI 21:15 Frances Byrnes - An Unchoreographed World (b01pr7s5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
FRI 22:00 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b01mx27b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 Sarah Millican's Support Group (b010twf6)
Series 2
1. 'My partner is too controlling - a fight for the TV remote'
"My partner is too controlling - a fight for the television remote"
"I'm a non drinker with no friends - should I just buy a cat?"
Sarah Millican returns as a life counsellor and modern-day agony aunt tackling the nation's problems head on, dishing out real advice for real people.
Assisted by her very own team of experts of the heart - man of the people local cabbie Terry, and self qualified counsellor Marion,
Sarah tackles the nation's problems head on and has a solution for everything.
Sarah ...... Sarah Millican
Marion ...... Ruth Bratt
Terry ...... Simon Daye
Linda ...... Diane Morgan
Matthew ...... Will Smith
Written by Sarah Millican.
Producer: Lianne Coop
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2011.
FRI 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b05p6v1v)
From 10pm to midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Arthur Smith chats to Doc Brown.
FRI 23:00 The Consultants (b007k32d)
Series 3
Episode 1
Chesney fixes the alphabet, which has a leaky 'e'.
Cerebral sketch show written by and starring Neil Edmond, Justin Edwards and James Rawlings.
Producer: Will Saunders
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2004.
FRI 23:30 Can't Tell Nathan Caton Nothing (b01cws2l)
Series 1
About Work
Despite his comedy career, Nathan's family try persuading him to take a job at Dad's office.
This is the story of young, up-and-coming comedian Nathan Caton, who becomes the first in his family to graduate from University - only to opt for a career in comedy - much to his family's annoyance who want him to get a 'proper job' using his architecture degree.
Each episode shows the criticism, interference and rollercoaster ride that Nathan endures from his family as he pursues his career against their wishes.
A mix of Nathan's stand-up intercut with scenes from his family life.
Written by: Nathan Caton. Additional material by: Ola and Maff Brown.
Nathan ..... Nathan Caton
Grandma ..... Mona Hammond
Mum ..... Adjoa Andoh
Dad ..... Curtis Walker
Mr Brimson ..... Don Gilet
Paul ..... Ola
Lingerie Customer / Boss ..... Chizzy Akudolu
Script Editor: James Kettle
Producer: Katie Tyrrell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2012.
FRI 23:45 Tina C (b01b1jwx)
Tina C's Global Depression Tour
Australia
Country legend Tina C challenges the Secretary for the US Treasury, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve and the former CEO of Goldman Sachs.
Where they have failed, she can come up with a solution to the Global Recession.
So Tina has set off on a six country tour to prove it - and her next stop is down under.
Tina C ...... Christopher Green
With:
Andrew Cornell
Victoria Inez Hard
James Lailey
Musical arrangements by Duncan Walsh Atkins and Christopher Green
Director: Jeremy Mortimer.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2012.