SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER 2015

SAT 00:00 Kurt Vonnegut - Thanasphere (b007jqzb)
Major Allen Rice is the first American astronaut in space. His military mission is to report back weather conditions over enemy terrain. Lift off goes well and the spaceship settles into its orbit, with regular radio reports coming back to base.
But then, somehow the major hears a child crying. What happens next takes this pioneering mission in a direction no-one could have predicted...
American writer, Kurt Vonnuegut's delicious piece of sci-fi philosophy from the 1950's is read by Kerry Shale.
Producer: Joanne Lafferty
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in 2004.
SAT 00:30 Soul Music (b00763hf)
Series 2
In the Mood
Critic Alyn Shipton and Glen Miller’s trombonist Paul Tanner, reflect on the impact of the jitterbug super hit.
Series about music that makes the hairs stand up on the back of our necks.
Producer: Lucy Lunt
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2001.
SAT 01:00 JM Barrie - Peter Pan (b00sct9q)
Spring Cleaning Time Again
Wendy longs for home, but first she and the brothers must be rescued from Captain Hook.
Starring Toyah Willcox as Peter Pan, Ron Moody as Mr Darling / Hook, June Whitfield as Mrs Darling, Georgina Cates as Wendy, Roy Hudd as Smee and Chris Emmett as Starkey.
Dramatist: Philip Glassborow
Producer: Dirk Maggs
First heard on BBC Radio 4 in 1995.
SAT 01:30 Merry Widows (b00mb9pk)
Women whose much-loved husbands have died describe finding unexpected happiness late in life, and the challenge of creating a new identity. Restarting a life when one suddenly finds oneself alone, having been married for decades, and for all of one's adult life, is never easy. There are contributions from women who had never lived on their own: people who married early, and happily, and stayed married. But then comes the blow of their husbands' death; they explain what happened next - and it surprised everyone
A Loftus Audio production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b00yrgzc)
Virginia Woolf - Flush
Episode 5
5/5 Virginia Woolf's biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's beloved spaniel, Flush, is read by Jenny Coverack.
The Brownings have settled happily in Florence, their little boy is growing up, and Flush is growing old. He can't understand his mistress's new enthusiasm for summoning the spirits, and he's lost his old passion for roaming the streets and fields of Florence. It's time for him to lie in the shade of a market stall and remember the good times he's lived through.
Abridged and produced by Sara Davies.
SAT 02:15 Grimm Thoughts (b01pgll1)
Episode 10
When the Grimm brothers first published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, in a scholarly effort to collate a national identity of the people, it was the beginning of an obsessive project of two intricately interwoven lifetimes.
To mark the bicentenary of the first edition, writer and mythographer Marina Warner explores the many compelling and often controversial aspects of the tales in a 10-part series, revealing new insights into the stories we think we know so well, and introducing us to the charms and challenges of those that we don't.
Alongside beautifully narrated extracts from the tales themselves, renowned academics and artists who work closely with the Grimm's rich heritage add to our understanding of these deceptively complex stories.
In the final episode, with fairy tales enjoying a renaissance across film and literature, we look to the future of these tales that have haunted our past and the fundamental appeal of storytelling.
Considering Hansel and Gretel, a universal story of the joys and dangers of youth and innocence, we speak to playwright Lucy Kirkwood about her brand new National Theatre adaptation of the tale, and explore what the many contemporary takes on the Grimms' legacy might tell us about the modern world.
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 02:30 15 Minute Drama (b012llrv)
Alison Lurie - Imaginary Friends
Episode 10
By Alison Lurie. Dramatised by Melissa Murray
10/10
Roger, on his way to visit Tom McCann in hospital, has stopped off to visit Elsie, where he has heard some terrible news.
Roger ... Jonathan Forbes
McCann ... Nathan Osgood
Elsie ... Barbara Barnes
Mrs Munger ... Jane Whittenshaw
Nurse ... Elaine Claxton
Directed by Marc Beeby.
SAT 02:45 Kenneth Tynan - Theatre Writings (b00r9y0y)
An Open Letter
The critic's surprisingly negative 1962 review about his idol Laurence Olivier. Read by Michael Sheen and David Horovitch.
SAT 03:00 Don Taylor - God's Revolution (b00vcwhw)
For the Agreement of the Sword
1649, and Cromwell is determined to foil the soldiers' rebellion. English Civil War drama with Bernard Hepton and Graham Blockey.
SAT 04:00 The 3rd Degree (b00yyc89)
Series 1
Durham
Coming this week from Durham University, host Steve Punt asks Earth Scientists about Philip Larkin, and English Literature professors about Fish from Marillion. So if you're struggling to remember what happened to Solomon Grundy on Saturday, why the witches in Macbeth speak in trochees not iambs and which footballer was sent off during the 2006 World Cup Final for nutting his opponent - this is the quiz show for you.
"The 3rd Degree" is a funny, lively and dynamic new quiz show aimed at cultivating the next generation of Radio 4 listeners whilst delighting the current ones. It's recorded on location at a different University each week, and it pits three Undergraduates against three of their Professors. Being a Radio 4 programme, it of course meets the most stringent standards of academic rigour - but with lots of facts and jokes thrown in for good measure.
Together with host Steve Punt, the show tours the (sometimes posh, sometimes murky, but always welcoming!) Union buildings, cafés and lecture halls of six universities across the UK.
The rounds vary between Specialist Subjects and General Knowledge, quickfire bell-and-buzzer rounds and the 'Highbrow & Lowbrow' round cunningly devised to test not only the students' knowledge of current affairs, history, languages and science, but also their Professors' awareness of television, film, and Lady Gaga... In addition, the Head-to-Head rounds, in which students take on their Professors in their own subjects, were particularly lively, and offered plenty of scope for mild embarrassment on both sides...
The resulting show is funny, fresh, and not a little bit surprising, with a truly varied range of scores, friendly rivalry, and moments where students wished they had more than just glanced at that reading list...
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 04:30 Albert and Me (b007js8c)
Series 1
Looking for a Job
Single dad Bryan needs a job, but can he find an employer who'll let him bring his young son Albert along?
Stars Richard Beckinsale as Bryan Archer, Pat Coombs as Mum/Albert and John Comer as Dad. With Terence Alexander as Rex and Madeline Smith as Stephanie.
Written by Jim Eldridge.
Producer: John Fawcett Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in November 1977.
SAT 05:00 The Change (b0076p3r)
Series 3
Episode 3
With both couples' relationships seemingly over, another bombshell hits: there's a baby on the way. How on earth will the news be received?
Carol …. Lynda Bellingham
George …. Philip Jackson
Violet ...... Marcia Warren
Maureen …. Maureen Beattie
Ken …. James Vaugnan
Sonia …. Emma Kennedy
Jerry …. Barnaby Kay
Dave …. Mark Powley
Doctor ...... Rosie Armstrong
Diana Aitchison ...... Herself
Series 3 of the sitcom about a married couple's attempts to smooth over their singularly troubled midlife funk - Carol is hormonal and 15-stone George is a transvestite. Onlookers can't quite agree on the nature of their dynamic.
Written by Jan Etherington and Gavin Petrie.
Producer: Elizabeth Freestone
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2004.
SAT 05:30 Shedtown (b01ppn91)
Series 2
Shed Report
Who hasn't thought about running away from it all at some time or other? Throwing caution to the wind, wrenching oneself out of a long established orbit to head for the deep space of the unknown?
In series two of Shedtown, our wooden icon of escape and isolation - the shed - continues to be a symbol of possibility and change. Our Sheddists arrived and survived - and, now waking from a beach-baked slumber, the familiar residents find faces old and new on the sand.
Episode 1:
Deborah Dearden arrives back at the beach. Not such a stranger - yet stranger still.
Barry............................Tony Pitts
Jimmy..........................Stephen Mangan
Eleanor..................Ronni Ancona
Colin........................Johnny Vegas
Deborah.....................Emma Fryer
William..................Adrian Manfredi
Diane....................Rosina Carbone
Dave......................Shaun Dooley
Father Michael........James Quinn
Wes......................Warren Brown
Nell...........................Eleanor Samson
Narrator.................Maxine Peake
Music....................Paul Heaton and Jonny Lexus
Written and Directed by Tony Pitts
Produced by Sally Harrison
A Woolyback Production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 06:00 King Lear on Boxing Day (b007728h)
On Boxing Day 1606, the entertainment offered to King James I and his guests at Whitehall Palace was a new play by William Shakespeare - King Lear.
Four hundred years on, Francine Stock and a studio full of guests, including actors Fiona Shaw and Oliver Ford Davis; scholars Jonathan Bate, Richard Dutton, Brett Dolman and Tiffany Stern; food historian Ivan Day and musicians Passamezzo (along with some distinguished contributors from the BBC Archives), bring to life every aspect of that momentous opening night.
SAT 07:30 Lucinda Lambton's Elevations and Revelations (b0075xw9)
Hatchlands Park
The historian visits Hatchlands Park near Guilford, featuring Robert Adam's first English interior. From September 2000.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b01pgq4j)
Blithe Margaret
Margaret Rutherford was a benign battleaxe, chin wagging like a windsock, famous as Miss Marple, Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit and for her roles in Passport to Pimlico, The Importance of Being Earnest and an Oscar-winning performance in The VIPs. Stephen Fry looks back at the life and work of one of our finest comedy actors and one of Britain's best-loved box office stars.
The comic and dramatic roles Margaret played were as nothing to the astonishing true crime stories that shaped her life and career. Murder was to play a part in her life, beyond the role of Miss Marple. She was also a regular visitor to a young offenders' institution and had a family secret that she never revealed.
The programme includes archive of Margaret herself, film director David Lean, writer Rumer Godden, comedian Frankie Howerd, actor Robert Morley, her husband Stringer Davis, and informally adopted daughter Dawn Langley Simmons. We also hear from Andy Merriman (author of Margaret Rutherford: Dreadnought with Good Manners) and actress Damaris Hayman.
And Stephen talks to one of Margaret's distant relatives. Somewhat surprisingly, it's the Rt.Hon.Tony Benn.
Producer: Tamsin Hughes
A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 09:00 Comedy Greats (b007jthv)
The 1960s
Episode 1
Decade by decade, Barry Cryer showcases some of the funniest and finest shows ever broadcast by the BBC.
Six favourite shows plucked from the swinging 1960s schedules of the BBC Light Programme and BBC Home Service:
* Beyond Our Ken
Series 3 (7/14)
Kenneth Horne's busy week - and check out the latest film releases in 'Picture Go Round'. With Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden and Bill Pertwee. From May 1960.
* It's A Fair Cop
From 19/06/61
Eric Sykes plays a hapless copper on a bank stake-out. With Hattie Jacques, Deryck Guyler and Dick Emery. From June 1961.
* The Navy Lark
Series 9 (16/20) Cuthbert Joins the Navy
Mrs Povey insists that her snooty nephew samples a career on the ocean wave aboard HMS Troutbridge. Stars Stephen Murray, Jon Pertwee, Leslie Phillips, Ronnie Barker, Michael Bates, Richard Caldicot, Heather Chasen and Tenniel Evans. From October 1967.
* Benny Hill Time
From 29/03/64
Fred Scuttle in a James Bond spoof. Topical sketches and more with Peter Vernon, Jan Waters and Anthony Sharp. From March 1964
* The Clitheroe Kid
Series 12 (11/20) Stop the Wedding, I Want to Get Off
The cheeky youngster is due to be a page boy at his Auntie's wedding, but he's not too keen on his satin outfit - so soon sparks more mayhem. Stars Jimmy Clitheroe, Peter Sinclair, Patricia Burke, Danny Ross, Diana Day, Fred Gaunt and Brian Trueman. From December 1968.
* I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again
Series 6 (4/13)
Schools debate, Merseyside mariachi and trouble at t'mill. Songs and sketches with John Cleese, Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, David Hatch and Jo Kendall. From May 1968.
Produced and scripted by Peter Reed
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in May 2003.
SAT 12:00 The Motion Show (b0075rmr)
Series 1
Episode 3
The merits of watching TV - and retiring at the age of 30.
Dr Phil Hammond watches over proceedings in the quirky debating game.
With Simon Fanshawe, Peter Bradshaw, Brian Sewell and Steve Punt
Producer: Helen Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1998.
SAT 12:30 No Commitments (b007jntb)
Series 6
Make My Day
It's a big day for Anna's new partner Stuart at his gallery, but will her sisters ruin it? Stars Rosemary Leach. From July 1999.
SAT 13:00 Virginia Baily - Early One Morning Omnibus (b06knj7b)
Episode 1
Rome 1943. A split-second decision is about to change Chiara's life forever.
Cardiff 1973. Welsh teenager Maria learns some shocking news about her past.
Greta Scacchi, Juliet Aubrey and Sophie Melville star in Miranda Emmerson's dramatisation of Virginia Baily's powerful novel of love, loss and learning to be a mother.
Omnibus of the first five of ten parts. The action moves between Nazi-occupied Rome and 1973.
Narrator.....Greta Scacchi
Chiara.....Juliet Aubrey
Maria.....Sophie Melville
Cecilia.....Alex Tregear
Daniele.....Adam Thomas Wright
Gennaro/ Adult Daniele.....Cesare Taurasi
Simone/ Nonna.....Jessica Turner
Antonio.....David Hounslow
Gabriele.....David Acton
Tommaso/ Nazi officer/ Brian.....Felix Auer
Edna.....Amelia Lowdell
Barry/ Goffredo.....Chris Pavlo
Gianni.....Sam Dale
Director: Emma Harding
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2015.
SAT 14:10 Inheritance Tracks (b06j2h4d)
Raymond Blanc
Renowned chef Raymond Blanc selects Edith Piaf's 'La Vie En Rose' and Arvo Part's 'Spiegel Im Spiegel'.
SAT 14:15 Drama (b00ryl01)
Peter Whalley - The Disappearance
By Peter Whalley
A compelling psychological thriller with fraudulent identity at its heart.
Alice moves into a converted Victorian house and rents the top floor. The landlord lives below. Both tenant and landlord are not who they say they are, and as each discovers the truth, it's clear one of them is going to die.
Martin ..... Lee Ingleby
Alice ..... Joanne Froggatt
Denise ..... Becky Hindley
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris.
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b01pgq4j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 King Lear on Boxing Day (b007728h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Lucinda Lambton's Elevations and Revelations (b0075xw9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 Doctor Who (b06j6wry)
The Entropy Composition
A Prog Rock symphony rediscovered in the vaults can be catastrophic for the entire cosmos.
Peter Davison is the Fifth Doctor with his companion Nyssa played by Sarah Sutton.
This episode is one of four generated by Big Finish Productions' 2010 'Opportunity for New Writers' contest, which attracted around 1200 entries,
Peter Davison played the Fifth Doctor on BBC TV from 1981 to 1984.
Sarah Sutton played Nyssa between 1981 and 1983. She was first seen on 'The Keeper of Traken' - Traken being Nyssa's home planet, when she starred with the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker)
Written by Rick Briggs.
Original music composed by Richard Fox and Lauren Yason.
Directed by Ken Bentley
Producer: David Richardson
A Big Finish production.
SAT 18:30 The Routemasters by Andrew McGibbon (b007jnrf)
2. Don't Be a Freud
The time travellers hit 19th-century Austria, where Freud is about to give a historic paper on telepathy, which Raymond and Hildegard are bent on stealing...
Starring Amanda Donohoe as Hilderghast, Andrew McGibbon as Raymond, Karl Minns as the Conductor, Owen Evans as Bernie, Nick Romero as Karl, Andy Mulligan as Herr Grubberman, Dan Freedman as Breyer, Alex Lowe as the interpolator and Sophie Aldred as Martha.
Written by Andrew McGibbon. Additional material by Rob Colley, Julian Mayers and Kevin Greening.
Theme by Ozzy Temple and other music by Nick Romero.
Producer: Julian Mayers
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1999.
SAT 19:00 Comedy Greats (b007jthv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better (b00db05r)
Series 2
Diligence
The comedian examines the virtue of hard work. Tim Key and Tom Basden pay great attention to detail in their poems and songs. From September 2008.
SAT 22:30 Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive (b00cymp0)
Series 4
Episode 1
The comedy zookeeper unleashes his menagerie of laugh-beasts. With Robin Ince, Lucy Porter and Matt Kirshen. From August 2008.
SAT 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b06jp78x)
The best in contemporary comedy. Arthur Smith chats to Lolly Adefope.
SAT 23:00 Saturday Night Fry (b00936hz)
Episode 5
Stephen Fry shares some fishy thoughts as he serves up more witty banter and sketches.
With Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson and her mother Phyllida Law.
Written by Stephen Fry with additional material by Ian Brown and James Hendrie.
Producer: Dan Patterson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1988.
SAT 23:30 28 Acts in 28 Minutes (b009ly1p)
Series 2
Episode 3
28 performers have just 60 seconds in which to entertain the audience in this traditional variety show, featuring established stand-ups, and some newer talent
The whole thing is presided over by John Humphrys, who sits at the side of the stage with a stopwatch, ready to cut the microphone when the time is up.
And hey - if there's an act you don't like, well, there's another one along in 55 seconds or so...
Phil Cornwell
Francesca Beard
The Bearded Ladies
Matt Morisroe
James Sherwood
John Richardson
Tom McRae
Geoffrey McGivern
Liam Mullone
Danielle Ward
John Finnemore
Greedy
Ian Stone
Gwyn Herbert
Kerry Godliman and David Lane
Lee Bannard
Simon Jones
Terry Saunders
Ginger & Black
Simon Evans
Nathan Penlington
Tim Fitzhigham
Carol Smith
Alex Lowe
Producers: Rohan Acharya and Ed Morrish
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2008.


SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER 2015

SUN 00:00 Doctor Who (b06j6wry)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 00:30 The Routemasters by Andrew McGibbon (b007jnrf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 Virginia Baily - Early One Morning Omnibus (b06knj7b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:10 Inheritance Tracks (b06j2h4d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:10 on Saturday]
SUN 02:15 Drama (b00ryl01)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Saturday]
SUN 03:00 Archive on 4 (b01pgq4j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 King Lear on Boxing Day (b007728h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 Lucinda Lambton's Elevations and Revelations (b0075xw9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Imaginary Friends Omnibus (b012qn75)
Episode 2
Alison Lurie's comic novel dramatised by Melissa Murray. Roger has gone to see Verena, worried that Tom has influenced the announcement that the Varnians are coming to Earth.
SUN 07:15 Pier People (b00760nx)
Brighton's Piers
Brighton has two piers - one happy and one sad, The Palace Pier and the West Pier. What's the future for them? From February 2001.
SUN 07:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b00hd80x)
Series 4
Documentary
To further his career as a top celebrity, Arthur manages to persuade Geoffrey away from his duties at the church hall, to help make a documentary about Arthur himself to sell to the BBC! A visit to an old haunt proves intriguing - could the management have changed hands?
Everyday life with Count Arthur Strong is, as always, an enlightening experience! We again follow the one time Variety Star as he uncompromisingly fulfils his daily list of engagements.
Stars Steve Delaney, Alastair Kerr, David Mounfield and Mel Giedroyc.
Produced by John Leonard and Mark Radcliffe.
A Komedia Entertainment & Smooth Operations production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 08:00 Educating Archie (b007jss9)
From 09/10/1957
Archie Andrews encourages his mentor Peter Brough to fight the flab.
Radio ventriloquism with Dick Emery, Warren Mitchell, Pearl Johnson and Ronald Chesney.
Running from 1950- 1958, Educating Archie introduced a number of soon-to-be household names to listeners, including Tony Hancock, Benny Hill, Harry Secombe, Dick Emery, Hattie Jacques, Bruce Forsyth and Max Bygraves - all taking a turn in tutoring Archie.
Music by from the BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet
Producer: Roy Speer
From a series made by ABC in Australia and also first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1957.
SUN 08:30 Frankie Howerd Show (b00n3ptz)
A feast of comic capers from the king of big titters, with June Whitfield and Ray Fell. From November 1974.
SUN 09:00 1606: William Shakespeare and the Year of Lear - Omnibus (b06j7vjh)
A compelling look at an extraordinary year in the life and work of Shakespeare when he wrote King Lear, Macbeth and Anthony and Cleopatra.
SUN 10:10 Inheritance Tracks (b06j7vwh)
Julie Walters
The award-winning actress has inherited 'Moonlight Sonata' as a beloved track and would pass on the soulful 'My Funny Valentine'.
SUN 10:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b06j7whr)
Fashion
Betty Jackson
From Ella Fitzgerald to Moby.
Fashion designer Betty Jackson CBE shares her castaway choices with Sue Lawley and talks about her life and work.
Betty has been at the cutting edge of the British Fashion scene for decades.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2002.
SUN 11:00 TED Radio Hour (b06j7xfq)
Series 2
Predicting the Future
A journey through fascinating ideas based on talks by riveting speakers on the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) stage.
Guy Raz investigates some bold predictions about our future and what our future lives might look like.
With Nina Tandon, Richard Resnick, Marc Goodman, Todd Humphreys, Sebastian Thrun and Nicholas Negroponte.
First broadcast in the USA on National Public Radio.
SUN 11:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00lxhb3)
Series 1
Birds of Paradise
Sir David Attenborough talks about the Birds of Paradise, a group of birds which evolved in the relative safety of New Guinea, allowing them to acquire adornments and feathered decorations so resplendent that they fooled the early explorers who discovered them.
Series of talks by Sir David on the natural histories of creatures and plants from around the world.
Producer: Julian Hector.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in August 2009.
SUN 12:00 Educating Archie (b007jss9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 12:30 Frankie Howerd Show (b00n3ptz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 13:00 Imaginary Friends Omnibus (b012qn75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 14:15 Pier People (b00760nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SUN 14:30 Sascha Arango - Reading Europe: The Truth and Other Lies Omnibus (b06j7y5s)
Germany - The Truth and Other Lies, pt 2
Famous novelist Henry Hayden has it all, or so it seems.Now he has to tells his mistress about his past. Read by Jamie Parker.
SUN 15:30 Creme de la Crime (b0081mpp)
Series 2
Six Feet Down Under
Michael Feydeau -TV's much loved Inspector Niblett - and crime expert, David Pershore probe a strange death by cutlery back in 1824.
Tales from the vaults of villainy written by and starring Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis.
Director: Adam Bromley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2002.
SUN 15:45 Ronald Frame Short Stories (b06j82gv)
Tea and Dancing
It had become a pleasant ritual on her birthday. But the third time revealed an awful truth. Short story read by Lynn Farleigh.
SUN 16:00 Saturday Drama (b00kwfbd)
Hattie Naylor - J'Accuse
By Hattie Naylor. Dramatisation inspired by a newspaper article written by Emile Zola in response to the Dreyfus Affair of the 1890s, when a Jewish army officer was persecuted and wrongly imprisoned by the French military and judicial establishment. Louis Gregori gives a right-wing and nationalistic perspective on the events that led him to believe that the murder of the guiltless Dreyfus was the correct and only action.
Louis ...... Mark Heap
Dominique ...... Kathryn Hunt
Arnaud ...... Graeme Hawley
Zola ...... Conrad Nelson
Eugene/Dreyfus ...... Paul Mundell
Gustav ...... Jonathan Keeble
Directed by Pauline Harris.
SUN 17:00 Poetry Extra (b06j8553)
The Echo Chamber: Jen Hadfield on Shetland
BBC Radio 4's and 4 Extra's Poet in Residence, Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's radio poetry archive.
In The Echo Chamber, Paul Farley meets the poet Jen Hadfield at home and out and about in Shetland taking some of her poems from her book Byssus back to where they were written, their source.
Byssus is the name given to a mussel's beard, which anchors the shellfish to its rock. Many poems in the book explore both molluscs and bivalves, but also what a home might mean to other creatures including poets. Half the poems need wellington boots, the others a good raincoat, but the Spring is here too and life grows afresh.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.
SUN 17:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b00hd80x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 18:00 Friday Drama (b01694p2)
Recordings Recovered from the House of Leaves
Adapted by Mike Walker.
"The Navidson Record now stands as part of this country's cultural experience and yet, in spite of the fact that hundreds of thousands of people have seen it, the film continues to remain an enigma. Some insist it must be true, others believe it is a trick on a par with the Orson Welles radio romp The War of the Worlds. Many more have never even heard of it."
With these words Zampano preludes the excerpts from an extraordinary film, cut together by Will Navidson from cameras located within his house and those he took with him into the labyrinth that had sprung up there over the course of a few days.
According to the Navidson record, it was when the family returned to the house from a trip to Seattle that they first discovered the additional door and the space behind it. Will Navidson, celebrated adventure photographer, was intrigued, his partner Karen insisted that the door be permanently locked. But one night after a row, Navidson opened the door and went in. He found rooms beyond rooms, all windowless, all unlit, and only narrowly escaped becoming lost forever in the labyrinth. Not long afterwards the spiral staircase appeared, corkscrewing downwards to a dark infinity. So Navidson equipped his brother Tom and others for an expedition, as if they were embarking on a quest into some architectural jungle. The cameras rolled and they descended, and here's the audio.
House of Leaves is the remarkable cult novel by Mark Z Danielewsky, a labyrinth of its own kind with its multiple interwoven narratives and textual tricks. This dramatic piece re-imagines the terrifying heart of the story.
The narrator in this production is Jim Norton who recently received both an Olivier award for the National Theatre production and a Tony for the hit Broadway production of Conor McPherson's The Seafarer, and is currently appearing again at the National in McPherson's new play The Veil.
Producer/Director: John Taylor
A Fiction Factory production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 19:00 TED Radio Hour (b06j7xfq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 19:50 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00lxhb3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:50 today]
SUN 20:00 1606: William Shakespeare and the Year of Lear - Omnibus (b06j7vjh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SUN 21:10 Inheritance Tracks (b06j7vwh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:10 today]
SUN 21:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b06j7whr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:15 today]
SUN 22:00 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b00hd80x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 22:30 On the Town with the League of Gentlemen (b0081tbs)
The Wedding
Reg finds Barbara through the local Close Encounters dating agency.
The first incarnation of the award-winning black comedy, about the "local people" of the town of Spent - before it hit TV.
Starring Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton.
Written by the cast and Jeremy Dyson.
The League of Gentlemen won a Perrier Edinburgh Fesvital award in 1997 and this radio series debuted in the same year. They also won a Sony Radio Award. The cult series switched to TV for three series on BBC 2 from 1999, plus stage shows and a feature film.
Producer: Sarah Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1997.
SUN 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b06jp7qx)
The best in contemporary comedy. Arthur Smith chats to Lolly Adefope.
SUN 23:00 Newsjack (b06hj04z)
Series 13
Episode 6
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 Recorded for Training Purposes (b00gdyxx)
Series 3
Episode 1
Fast-paced sketch show about modern communication, media noise and contemporary obsessions.
With Ben Willbond, Dominic Coleman, Ingrid Oliver, Rachel Atkins, Lewis Macleod and Julie Mayhew.
Writers:
Rebecca Hobbs
Christina Martin
James McDougall
Kate Chedgey
Michael Balazo
John Dorney
Daniel Harlos
John-Luke Roberts
Matt Honeyball
James Sherwood
Mike Ryan
Michael Rees
Script editors: James Cary, Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris
Producer: Ed Morrish
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2009.


MONDAY 19 OCTOBER 2015

MON 00:00 Friday Drama (b01694p2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Imaginary Friends Omnibus (b012qn75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:15 Pier People (b00760nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 Sascha Arango - Reading Europe: The Truth and Other Lies Omnibus (b06j7y5s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 Creme de la Crime (b0081mpp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:45 Ronald Frame Short Stories (b06j82gv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:45 on Sunday]
MON 04:00 Saturday Drama (b00kwfbd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Poetry Extra (b06j8553)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b00hd80x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 Kingsley Amis - Moral Fibre (b06jdy6r)
Welsh librarian, John Lewis tangles with a social worker who's determined to rescue a young girl from a life of sin, whether or not she wishes to be saved.
Stars Sion Tudor Owen as John Lewis, Julie Berry as Jean Lewis and Thelma Whiteley as Mair Webster.
Written by Kingsley Amis and dramatised by John Scotney.
Producer: Jane Morgan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1987.
MON 06:30 John Mayall's Blues Adventures (b00lg9y2)
Blues musician John Mayall presents a homage to the rhythm and blues scene that exploded in Britain in the early 1960s.
With contributions from Bill Wyman, Zoot Money and Eric Burdon.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2009.
MON 07:00 Turf Wars (b00zsjyj)
The Accidental Head
The Accidental Head by Jeremy Front
Beth just wants what's best for her 11 year old son; a solid secondary education at the kind of school that recognises his genius, as well as his aptitude for baroque music. A school like Folgate. But when the family is edged out of Folgate's catchment area, a battle begins.
Beth takes on the might of the council with a mixture of community action, ancient by-laws and sheep.
Directed by James Robinson.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.
MON 07:30 Just a Minute (b06gqkv8)
Series 73
Episode 2
A Trip to Ikea and The Hippocratic Oath are amongst the subjects on the cards as Paul Merton, Julian Clary, Susan Calman and Josie Lawrence join Nicholas Parsons to see who can avoid hesitation, deviation and repetition. Hayley Sterling blows the whistle.
Produced by Victoria Lloyd.
MON 08:00 Dad's Army (b007jpgq)
Series 2
The Day the Balloon Went Up
Captain Mainwaring gets carried away with the platoon's war effort.
Adapted for radio from Jimmy Perry and David Croft's BBC TV scripts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.
Captain Mainwaring …. Arthur Lowe
Sergeant Wilson …. John Le Mesurier
Corporal Jones …. Clive Dunn
Private Fraser …. John Laurie
Private Godfrey …. Arnold Ridley
Private Pike …. Ian Lavender
Warden Hodges …. Bill Pertwee
Vicar …. Frank Williams
The Verger …. Edward Sinclair
Squadron Leader …. Michael Knowles
Announcer …. John Snagge
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1975.
MON 08:30 As Time Goes By (b06jf7bz)
Series 3
Episode 6
Jean's sister-in-law Penny arrives with the news that she's left her husband Stephen.
Starring Judi Dench as Jean and Geoffrey Palmer as Lionel. With Moira Brooker as Judith, Philip Bretherton as Alistair, Jenny Funnell as Sandy, Paul Chapman as Stephen and Jennifer Piercey as Penny.
A six-part adaptation by Bob Larbey of series three of his popular BBC TV sitcom. Two former lovers Jean and Lionel have been reunited unexpectedly after losing contact for 38 years.
After falling in love in the early 1950s, army officer Lionel was sent to Korea, but they lost touch after a letter he sent to her never arrived. Both assumed the other had lost interest, but their paths have crossed again on his return to England.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in March 1999.
MON 09:00 The Motion Show (b0075rt1)
Series 1
Episode 4
The merits of the Class system - and should Men be more like Women?
Dr Phil Hammond watches over proceedings in the quirky debating game.
With John O'Farrell, Mark Maier, Maria McErlane and Miles Kington.
Producer: Helen Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1998.
MON 09:30 Electric Ink (b01kkqc9)
Series 2
Episode 6
Maddox's future is uncertain as a rather shady character plans to buy the newspaper.
Alistair Beaton and Tom Mitchelson's comic satire set in the struggling world of newspapers.
A group of dysfunctional journalists attempt to cover major news stories whilst grappling with the demands of a multi-platform environment, as circulation figures plummet as the recession means half the workforce is laid off.
Maddox ..... John Sessions
Oliver ..... Alex Jennings
Freddy ..... Stephen Wight
Carol ..... Polly Frame
Masha ..... Debbie Chazen
Andrei Zinoviev ..... Ewan Bailey
Steward ..... Adeel Akhtar
Producer: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2011.
MON 10:00 Classic Serial (b00czqt0)
Honoré de Balzac - The Black Sheep
Episode 1
Chris Dolan's dramatisation of Honore de Balzac's entertaining tale of family rivalry and fortunes lost and won, set in 19th-century France.
After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Philippe Bridau becomes a reckless gambler who steals from his mother to finance his obsession. She foolishly continues to idolise him, and it is left to his more dependable brother Joseph to rescue the family from destitution.
Narrator ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Philippe Bridau ...... Thomas Arnold
Joseph Bridau ...... Mathew Pidgeon
Agathe Bridau ...... Briony McRoberts
Madame Descoings ...... Phyllida Law
Desroches ...... Jon Glover
Monsieur Hochon ...... Christian Rodska
Madame Hochon ...... Colette O'Neil
Max Gilet ...... Alan Cox
Baruch ...... Nyasha Hatendi
Giroudeau ...... David Holt
Mariette ...... Liz Sutherland
Directed by Bruce Young.
MON 11:00 Afternoon Reading (b015zpdl)
The Mystery of the Hills
Making Contact
By Andrew Greig.
Read by Liam Brennan.
A poet reflects upon a romantic encounter from his youth, which taught him the value of language and the nature of identity.
First in a series of stories commissioned to mark the centenary of the birth of the Highland poet Sorley MacLean. Awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1990, MacLean is regarded as the greatest Gaelic poet of the Twentieth Century, giving new literary standing to a language which has at times seemed close to extinction.
MacLean was born in October 1911 on Raasay, a small island lying off the east coast of Skye, into a family immersed in Highland history and culture. It is often said that what Hugh MacDiarmid did for Scots, Sorley MacLean did for Gaelic, sparking a Gaelic renaissance in Scottish literature. He was also instrumental in preserving and promoting the teaching of Gaelic in Scottish schools. He died in 1996.
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
MON 11:15 Drama (b00yz3hd)
Jonathan Holloway - The Old Spies
A new play by Jonathan Holloway about three former spies in an old peoples' home. They talk and remember their old missions and rage against the dying of their lights. They now have nowhere to go but hold on to the stories of their adventurous lives as they feel their own minds, memories and personalities shifting.
MON 12:00 Dad's Army (b007jpgq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 As Time Goes By (b06jf7bz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 Kingsley Amis - Moral Fibre (b06jdy6r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:30 John Mayall's Blues Adventures (b00lg9y2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 14:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00sm5xn)
Episode 1
Junior lecturer Jim Dixon takes recovering academic Margaret out on a date. Read by Martin Jarvis.
The all-time classic comic novel of academic life written by Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim lists the fortunes - or rather misfortunes - of Jim Dixon, a man of many faces, most of which don't fit his surroundings.
Produced and abridged by Pat McLoughlin.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1992.
MON 14:15 Noise: A Human History (b01r9c95)
Echoes in the Dark
What do caves tell us about the mind and beliefs of Neolithic people? With no scientific explanation to hand for the phenomenon of the echo, it was natural to assume it was a spirit voice.
Certain echoes sounded like the galloping hooves of beasts; others like the fluttering wings of birds. These echoes appeared to come from the rocks themselves. They moved, they were uncanny - all this hinting at a 'spirit world' within.
Professor David Hendy from the University of Sussex visits the caves of Arcy-sur-Cure in Burgundy with musicologist Iegor Reznikoff to listen to evidence deep underground next to paintings of bison and birds.
A 30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.
Producer: Matt Thompson
A Rockethouse production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.
MON 14:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dtkj8)
Grazia Deledda - Reeds in the Wind
Episode 1
Grazia Deledda's powerful story of love, poverty, honour and retribution set in the rugged landscape of 1900's Sardinia. Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths from a translation by Martha King.
Efix is a loyal servant to the Pintor sisters Noemi, Ester and Ruth, the last remnants of a noble family in decline, dishonoured by a sister, Lia, who ran away and driven to poverty by the sudden and mysterious death of their father. Only Efix knows the truth. When he discovers that the sisters have received a telegram from Lia's son, the ghosts of the past emerge.
EFIX.....John Lynch
ZUAN.....Kane Tomlinson Weaver
LIA.....Holliday Grainger
DON ZAME.....Conrad Nelson
KALLINA.....Kathryn Hunt
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Series Synopsis:
Efix is a loyal servant to the Pintor sisters Noemi, Ester and Ruth, the last remnants of a noble family in decline. For twenty five years they have lived with the dishonour of a sister Lia who ran away and the poverty brought about by the sudden and mysterious death of their father. Only Efix knows the truth but now with the arrival of Lia's son, their nephew Giacinto, old secrets and unspoken desires surface.
Grazia Deledda wrote thirty-three novels and many books of short stories, almost all set in Sardinia. In 1926, ten years before her death, she became the second woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. She wrote Reeds in the Wind in 1913.
Deledda's characteristic love of the natural landscape and fascination with the folk culture of the island underpins the novel. A dreamlike quality envelops the story where past and present merge. It is a novel full of imagery, of smells, of colour, of light and shade. The religious festivals, the music and the growing love between Giacinto and Grixenda contrast with Efix's frightening visions of the past and the repressed and austere existence of the Pintor sisters in their dilapidated home- a prison of their own making that separates them from the flow of life.
MON 14:45 Book of the Week (b00wdf44)
Bettany Hughes - The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life
Episode 1
Written by Bettany Hughes. We think the way we do because Socrates thought the way he did. His aphorism 'The unexamined life is not worth living' may have originated twenty-five centuries ago, but it is a founding principle of modern life.
Socrates lived in a city that nurtured the key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought- yet, as he wrote nothing in his lifetime, he himself is an enigmatic figure. "The Hemlock Cup" tells his story, setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home, and dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world.
Socrates was a soldier, a lover, a man of the people. He philosophised neither in grand educational establishments nor the courts of kings but in the squares and public arenas of Golden Age Athens. He lived through an age of extraordinary materialism, in which a democratic culture turned to the glorification of its own city; when war was declared under the banner of democracy; and, when tolerance turned into intimidation on streets once populated by the likes of Euripides, Sophocles and Pericles.
For seventy years he was a vigorous citizen of one of the greatest capitals on earth, but then his beloved Athens turned on him, condemning him to death by poison. Socrates' pursuit of personal liberty is a vibrant story that Athens did not want us to hear. But Bettany Hughes has painstakingly pieced together Socrates' life, following in his footsteps across Greece and Asia Minor, and examining the new archaeological discoveries that shed light on his world. "The Hemlock Cup" relates a story that is as relevant now as it has ever been.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Reader: Bettany Hughes
Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 15:00 Classic Serial (b00czqt0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:00 The Motion Show (b0075rt1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 16:30 Electric Ink (b01kkqc9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
MON 17:00 Turf Wars (b00zsjyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 17:30 Just a Minute (b06gqkv8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 18:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007jv38)
Freezerville
A group of scientists are conducting research in the Antarctic, the most pristine environment on Earth - but there are black clouds on the horizon. Welcome to the dark, dark world of Cold Blood...
Made in 2005 but set in 2015.
Simon Bovey's 5-part sci-fi thriller stars Tim McMullan as Bowers, Tom Mannion as Commander Taft, Stuart McLoughlin as Max Bellingfield, Ndidi Del Fatti as Anaya and Helen Longworth as Deborah Marks.
Director: Marc Beeby
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in 2005.
MON 18:30 A Good Read (b0075zfs)
Tariq Ali and Jean Binta Breeze
Louise Doughty talks to author and playwright Tariq Ali, and Jamaican dub poet Jean Binta Breeze about their favourite books by Sam Selvon, Beryl Bainbridge and Robert Irwin. From 2000.
The Lonely Londoners - Sam Selvon
Publisher: Longman
Master Georgie - Beryl Bainbridge
Publisher: Abacus
Night & Horses & the Desert: An Anthology of Classical Arabic Literature - Robert Irwin
Publisher: Penguin.
MON 19:00 Dad's Army (b007jpgq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 As Time Goes By (b06jf7bz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 Kingsley Amis - Moral Fibre (b06jdy6r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:30 John Mayall's Blues Adventures (b00lg9y2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 21:00 Afternoon Reading (b015zpdl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:15 Drama (b00yz3hd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
MON 22:00 Just a Minute (b06gqkv8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 The Headset Set (b01nl9pw)
Series 2
Episode 1
A fast-moving audience sketch show set in the world of a call centre called Smile5, a company that sells anything and everything. This week, a new Guy called Scott starts work at Smile 5, while sketches include a man calling to complain about a faulty bowl.
Aleesha and other characters ..... Chizzy Akudolu
Bernie and other characters ..... Margaret-Cabourn Smith
Big Tony, Ralph and other characters ..... Colin Hoult
Sailesh, Bradley and other characters ..... Phaldut sharma
Writers ..... Various
Script editor ..... Dan Tetsell/James Kettle.
Producer ..... Tilusha Ghelani
WELCOME TO SMILE5!
Smile5 is a mail order catalogue company selling everything from Rolex watches to lawnmowers, from financial products to phone and broadband, from holidays to health insurance. And somewhere in a brown-field wasteland miles from the nearest town, it runs one of the largest call centres operating in the UK. This is the world of The Headset Set.
Each episode features a host of sketches set eavesdropping on both sides of the bizarre, horrific and ludicrous business-customer relationship. The remaining sketches are set in the Smile5's offices. We meet four of the call centre's employees:
Sailesh - Officially the team leader, Sailesh has recently moved from Bangalore seemingly bringing a wealth of call-centre experience and an admirable work ethic lacking in his fellow Headsetters, which the others resent him for.
Bernie - As she's been here longer than anyone, she refuses to recognise Sailesh's authority. She also refuses to learn how to use anything more technologically advanced than a 1980s trim phone.
Aleesha - A self-loathing street-wise cynic who resents having to work at Smile 5. Or in fact, having to work at all.
Big Tony - Tony spends most of his time on the phone, but not necessarily on Smile 5 business. He's always running some sort of dodgy scam, like a minicab office from his desk.
Other sketches feature Smile5's unsympathetic counsellor and the head of training Ralph, who trains the most inept of the call centre staff, such as the child-like Bradley.
The series stars Chizzy Akudolu (Holby City), Margaret Cabourn Smith (Fresh Meat, Miranda), Colin Hoult (Being Human; Life's Too Short), Lucy Montgomery (Armstrong and Miller; Lucy Montgomery's Variety Pack) and Phaldut Sharma (Eastenders)
WRITERS
This is a team written sketch show originated by Stephen Carlin and James Kettle. Established sketch writers such as Stephen Carlin, James Kettle, Jon Hunter and Colin Hoult are joined by the best comedy writers to have emerged from recent 'open door' radio shows. These recent Radio 4 and 4 extra shows, Recorded for Training Purposes and Newsjack, gave new comedy writers an opportunity to hone their skills.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.
MON 23:00 The News Quiz Extra (b06jglpc)
Series 15
Episode 5
A satirical review of the week's news, chaired by Miles Jupp. Miles is joined by Jeremy Hardy, Bob Mills, Anne McElvoy and Sara Pascoe.
MON 23:45 Creme de la Crime (b008756y)
Series 3
The Quiller Killer
TV detective Michael Feydeau ponders the murder of Christopher Marlowe. Stars Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. From April 2003.


TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER 2015

TUE 00:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007jv38)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 A Good Read (b0075zfs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 Kingsley Amis - Moral Fibre (b06jdy6r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 John Mayall's Blues Adventures (b00lg9y2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00sm5xn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:15 Noise: A Human History (b01r9c95)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dtkj8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:45 Book of the Week (b00wdf44)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Classic Serial (b00czqt0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 The Motion Show (b0075rt1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:30 Electric Ink (b01kkqc9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 Turf Wars (b00zsjyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 Just a Minute (b06gqkv8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 Kingsley Amis - All the Blood Within Me (b06jgs5r)
Following a 30-year unrequited love affair, Alec attends his paramour Betty's funeral - only to hear some home-truths which would be better left unsaid - or maybe not?
Stars Tom Watson as Mac, David Sinclair as Bob, Mia Soteriou as Annette and Jonathan Tafler as Franco.
Written by Kingsley Amis and dramatised by John Scotney.
Producer: Jane Morgan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1987.
TUE 06:30 Forever 22 (b00hc948)
Roger Daltrey explores the turbulent relationship between Buddy Holly and his manager and producer, Norman Petty.
Niki Sullivan and JI Allison, guitarist and drummer with The Crickets, and Buddy's widow Maria Elena reveal that all was not well between the pair, and the tensions led to a split. Roger hears how Petty made a series of unusual business decisions on behalf of the band, and accrued writing credits - and consequently royalty payments - to himself which are still causing financial difficulties some 50 years on.
TUE 07:00 Arrested Development (b0075vxs)
Episode 4
Can Bob manage to woo Kate back? What future for jilted bride Penny?
Stars Letitia Dean as Penny, Phil Cornwell as Dave, Julian Rhind-Tutt as Andy and Susannah Doyle as Kate.
Simon Warne's 4 part-comedy serial.
Producer: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2000.
TUE 07:30 There Is No Escape (b06grjn7)
Episode 1
Andrew Lawrence's sitcom about a man dissatisfied with his life, whose feeble attempts to run away invariably end with him traipsing home defeated.
In this opening episode, Andrew arrives home from work one evening to find the house even more of a mess than usual. An argument with his girlfriend about cleaning escalates and Andrew storms out to find something to eat.
After a soul destroying encounter with the woman in the local shop, who can only recommend frozen turkey dinosaurs for his meal, Andrew joins his work mate, Lennie, for a consolation dinner in the pub.
Later he returns home and is forced to negotiate about a cleaner through the letterbox before he is finally allowed back in.
Starring:
Andrew Lawrence
Diane Morgan
With Rosie Cavaliero and Marek Larwood.
Producer: Jane Berthoud
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2015.
TUE 08:00 Round the Horne (b007jlx6)
Series 3
Episode 4
Kenneth Horne heads up the river and swings by Julian and Sandy's Bona Antiques shop just off the Portobello Road. Rambling Syd Rumpo sings 'The Taddle Groper's Dance'.
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 1967.
TUE 08:30 To the Manor Born (b007jpzw)
The Rhythms of the Earth
Cash-strapped Lady of the Manor, Audrey fforbes-Hamilton has been forced to sell her beloved Grantleigh Estate when her husband died.
With her butler Brabinger in tow, they've decamped to the tiny Old Lodge cottage.
From this vantage point, Audrey is set to keep a close and disapproving eye on the estate's new owner, the nouveau-riche Richard DeVere, a wholesale foods magnate of Czech descendent.
She must educate the new squire into the ways of the Lord of the Manor...
Starring Penelope Keith and Keith Barron.
Adapted for radio by Peter Spence from his BBC TV script.
Audrey fforbes-Hamilton …. Penelope Keith
Richard DeVere …. Keith Barron
Marjory Frobisher …. Angela Thorne
Brabinger …. Nicholas McArdle
Mrs Polouvicka …. Margery Withers
Ned …. Frank Middlemass
First piloted for BBC radio, but whisked off to BBC TV before it ever appeared, before finally arriving home in 1997.
Producer: Jane Berthoud
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in January 1997.
TUE 09:00 The News Quiz Extra (b06jglpc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:45 Creme de la Crime (b008756y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:45 on Monday]
TUE 10:00 Classic Serial (b00d3k14)
Honoré de Balzac - The Black Sheep
Episode 2
Chris Dolan's dramatisation of Honore de Balzac's entertaining tale of family rivalry and fortunes lost and won, set in 19th-century France.
Philippe's gambling has left his family destitute and his political activities have landed him in jail. His mother and brother seek financial help from a rich elderly relative, but a pretty young housekeeper and her lover have already laid plans to rob the old man of his money.
Narrator ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Philippe Bridau ...... Thomas Arnold
Joseph Bridau ...... Mathew Pidgeon
Agathe Bridau ...... Briony McRoberts
Flore Brazier ...... Lucy Paterson
Jean-Jacques Rouget ...... Timothy Bateson
Desroches ...... Jon Glover
Monsieur Hochon ...... Christian Rodska
Madame Hochon ...... Colette O'Neil
Max Gilet ...... Alan Cox
Baruch ...... Nyasha Hatendi
Fario ...... Chris Pavlo
Directed by Bruce Young.
TUE 11:00 Afternoon Reading (b015zqv5)
The Mystery of the Hills
The Girl with the Red Hair
By Mairi MacLeod.
Read by Mairi Morrison.
A young Skye woman, Eilidh, stops for a break during a walk in the Cuillin mountains. In her rucksack she carries a recent gift: the collected poems of Sorley MacLean. As she begins to read, she hears a woman singing and is transported by the sadness in her voice. Who is the stranger; what tragedy has she suffered?
Second in a series of stories specially commissioned to mark the centenary of the birth of the Highland poet Sorley MacLean. A warded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1990, MacLean is regarded as the greatest Gaelic poet of the Twentieth Century, giving new literary standing to a language which has at times seemed close to extinction.
MacLean was born in October 1911 on Raasay, a small island lying off the east coast of Skye, into a family immersed in Highland history and culture. It is often said that what Hugh MacDiarmid did for Scots, Sorley MacLean did for Gaelic, sparking a Gaelic renaissance in Scottish literature. He was also instrumental in preserving and promoting the teaching of Gaelic in Scottish schools. He died in 1996.
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
TUE 11:15 Drama (b00yyh94)
Bullmore and Macmillan - Family Tree
Mackenzie Crook and Amanda Root star in this magical play which was co-written by comedy writer-performer Amelia Bullmore and playwright Duncan Macmillan.
Nancy knows her teenage son doesn't like washing, but she has no idea of the strange and bewildering consequences that this lack of soap and scrubbing will lead to - and nor does Dan. As his body adjusts to a more 'natural' state, Nancy and Dan's delicate status quo is disrupted and life-changing decisions have to be made.
A funny, moving fairy tale about mums and their sons, and letting children grow and blossom into the people they want to be.
Terry ..... Mackenzie Crook
Nancy ..... Amanda Root
Storyteller ..... Dorien Thomas
Dan ..... Gareth Pierce
Reena. ..... Amelia Bullmore
Dustin ..... Simon Ludders
Fizz ..... Claire Harry
Producer: Sam Hoyle
BBC Cymru Wales.
TUE 12:00 Round the Horne (b007jlx6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 To the Manor Born (b007jpzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 Kingsley Amis - All the Blood Within Me (b06jgs5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:30 Forever 22 (b00hc948)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 14:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00sm8nh)
Episode 2
Will an 'arty' weekend at the Welches give lecturer Jim an opportunity to impress his colleagues? Read by Martin Jarvis.
TUE 14:15 Noise: A Human History (b01rdzhz)
The Beat of Drums
Words are only one way to communicate - humans have found many more.
Professor David Hendy travels to Ghana to hear the talking drum, a language made of drumbeats that once carried messages through the rainforest like a telegraph signal.
There's also a treasure from the Pitt Rivers Sound Archive - the sound of Bayaka pygmies of the Central African Republic preparing for a net hunt. How do non-verbal sounds carry information and how do they bind us together as a group?
30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.
Producer: Matt Thompson.
A Rockethouse production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.
TUE 14:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dy7qg)
Grazia Deledda - Reeds in the Wind
Episode 2
Grazia Deledda's powerful story of love, poverty, honour and retribution set in the rugged landscape of 1900's Sardinia. Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths from a translation by Martha King.
The Pintor sisters Noemi, Ester and Ruth are the last remnants of a noble family in decline. For twenty five years they have lived with the dishonour of a sister, Lia, who ran away and the poverty brought about by the sudden and mysterious death of their father. Now a telegram announcing the imminent arrival of Lia's son, their nephew Giacinto, causes turmoil.
EFIX.....John Lynch
NOEMI.....Charlotte Emmerson
ESTER.....Deborah McAndrew
RUTH/KALLINA.....Kathryn Hunt
LIA.....Holliday Grainger
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
TUE 14:45 Book of the Week (b00wgz8w)
Bettany Hughes - The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life
Episode 2
Written by Bettany Hughes.
Socrates lived in a city that nurtured the key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought- yet, as he wrote nothing in his lifetime, he himself is an enigmatic figure. "The Hemlock Cup" tells his story, setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home, and dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world.
The young Socrates listens to the great thinkers of Athens and begins to form his own philosophical thoughts on life.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Reader: Bettany Hughes
Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 15:00 Classic Serial (b00d3k14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:00 Act Your Age (b00qcj8m)
Series 2
Episode 3
Simon Mayo hosts the comedy show that pits the comic generations against each other to find out which is the funniest.
Team captains Jon Richardson, Ed Byrne and Johnnie Casson are joined by Jared Christmas, Mark Watson and Eddie Large.
Producers: Ashley Blaker and Bill Matthews.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2010.
TUE 16:30 Old Dog and Partridge (b007jvg6)
Episode 5
When Jack's old chum Ralph comes to visit with his trophy wife Kirstie, Jack feels the need to invent a fiancee.
Joe Turner’s six-part sitcom stars Michael Williams as Jack, Lisa Coleman as Nicola, Cherry Morris as Mrs Drummond, Simon Greenall as Andy, John Duttine as Ralph and Debra Stephenson as Kirstie.
Producer: Liz Anstee
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1999.
TUE 17:00 Arrested Development (b0075vxs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 17:30 There Is No Escape (b06grjn7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 18:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007s5v2)
Cold Heart
At Ellsworth Research Centre, deep in the Antarctic, scientist Russell Bowers is recovering after his incredible trek. Meanwhile, Commander Taft and meteorologist Anaya are heading to Mitchell Bluff to discover what they can about the attack on Bowers and his team.
Simon Bovey's 5-part sci-fi thriller set in 2015 stars Tim McMullan as Bowers, Tom Mannion as Commander Taft, Stuart McLoughlin as Max Bellingfield, Ndidi Del Fatti as Anaya and Helen Longworth as Deborah.
Director: Marc Beeby
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in 2005.
TUE 18:30 That Reminds Me (b007jn9p)
Series 2
Maureen Lipman
Actress Maureen Lipman looks back on her career in film, TV and the theatre, as she entertains an audience.
Featuring memories of growing up in Hull and her great heroine, Joyce Grenfell.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2000.
TUE 19:00 Round the Horne (b007jlx6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 To the Manor Born (b007jpzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 Kingsley Amis - All the Blood Within Me (b06jgs5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:30 Forever 22 (b00hc948)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 21:00 Afternoon Reading (b015zqv5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 21:15 Drama (b00yyh94)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
TUE 22:00 There Is No Escape (b06grjn7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 Twenty Players (b06jmc82)
Series 1
Gertrude Trelawny Ferris
Forgotten sporting heroes. Gerald Sinstadt tells the story of the sporting all-rounder Gertrude Trelawny Ferris. From June 1995.
TUE 22:45 Gus Murdoch's Sacred Cows (b00fn9hk)
4. Roads
Fearless reporter Gus Murdoch probes Britain's highways and byways.
Written by and starring Stephen Carlin.
With Neil Edmond, Margaret Cabourn-Smith, John Rowe, Renton Skinner and Marc Willcox.
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani
Made for BBC Radio 7 and first broadcast in November 2008.
TUE 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b06l478k)
Tiff Stevenson chats to Naz Osmanoglu and Mark Cooper Jones from WitTank.
TUE 23:00 Delve Special (b007jqfr)
Series 4
Bitter Harvest
Investigating pesticides and agricultural policy, intrepid reporter David Lander asks if farming is in crisis.
Written by Tony Sarchet.
Starring Stephen Fry as David Lander.
With Brenda Blethyn, Robert Bathurst, Jack Klaff, Phil Nice, Philip Pope and Julia Hills.
Producer: Paul Mayhew Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1987.
TUE 23:30 Ectoplasm (b007wwd6)
The Adventure of the Stupid Ignorant Americans
Lord Zimbabwe faces his greatest challenge yet - a voyage to the moon to rescue an American who has been subject to a cruel alien snatch.
This could only mean one thing.......
Dan Freedman and Nick Romero’s comedy about the swashbuckling exploits of Lord Zimbabwe, occultist and adventurer.
Lord Zimbabwe ...... Nick Romero
Dr Lilac ...... Dan Freedman
Cletus ...... Owen Oakeshott
Marylou Coyotecock ...... Sophie Aldred
Vicar ...... Colin Guthrie
Theremin ...... Peter Donaldson
Other parts played by the cast.
Producer: Helen Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2000.


WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2015

WED 00:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007s5v2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 That Reminds Me (b007jn9p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 Kingsley Amis - All the Blood Within Me (b06jgs5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 Forever 22 (b00hc948)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00sm8nh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:15 Noise: A Human History (b01rdzhz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dy7qg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:45 Book of the Week (b00wgz8w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 Classic Serial (b00d3k14)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Act Your Age (b00qcj8m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:30 Old Dog and Partridge (b007jvg6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 Arrested Development (b0075vxs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 There Is No Escape (b06grjn7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 Kingsley Amis - Dear Illusion (b06jmkm7)
EA Potter is thought to be a great poet, but what does he feel about himself?
Starring Freddie Jones as EA Potter, Carolyn Pickles as Sue MacNamara and Shaun Prendergast as Pat Bowes.
Written by Kingsley Amis and dramatised by John Scotney.
Producer: Jane Morgan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1987.
WED 06:30 The Shock of the Knee (b00gmdxp)
Fashion writer Colin McDowell recalls the rise of the miniskirt and Yves Saint Laurent's 1959 House of Dior collection, which introduced hemlines above the knee, and the shocked reactions of society.
The press were agog at these developments, and even some Dior staff thought that Saint Laurent's designs had gone too far. At the same time in Britain, short skirts became increasingly popular with young women.
McDowell talks to one of the most important designers of the period, Mary Quant, as well as representatives of today's fashion industry, and wonders if womenswear will ever be as shocking again.
An All Out production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 07:00 Huddwinks (b00b1p9r)
Series 2
The Curse of the Smollett's Curse!
Melissa and Compton win a holiday, but spurn Herne Bay for an adventure in ancient Egypt. Stars Roy Hudd. From June 1988.
WED 07:30 To Hull and Back (b06hjkv6)
Series 1
The French Connection
Sophie still lives at home with her mum in Hull. They make a living doing car boot sales at the weekend. Except they don't really make a living because her mum can't bear to get rid of any of their junk.
Plus, they don't have a car. As their house gets more cluttered, Sophie feels more trapped. Sophie dreams of moving to London to meet her dad and to become a famous actress. Will this dream come true?
Pilot episode of the sitcom by BBC New Comedy Award winner, Lucy Beaumont.
Starring Lucy Beaumont as Sophie and Maureen Lipman as Sheila.
Producer: Carl Cooper
A BBC Radio Comedy Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2014.
WED 08:00 The TV Lark (b019m4j5)
The Prestige Show
With only one commercial to play, struggling new channel Troutbridge TV stages a flagship show to boost its viewing figures.
After four series of 'The Navy Lark', the BBC decided the comedy crew needed a new setting, so where better than brand new independent station, Troutbridge TV?
However, after just ten episodes, this proved to be only a temporary change of course for the crew of HMS Troutbridge - as the crew were soon back aboard 'The Navy Lark'.
CAST:
The Producer …. Stephen Murray
The Floor Manager …. Jon Pertwee
The Director …. Leslie Phillips
Henry Povey …. Richard Caldicote
'Fatso' Johnson/Bernard Yeast …. Ronnie Barker
‘Taffy’ Goldstein …. Teniel Evans
Gervais Batsford-Shaw/ Sir Jimson Whitaker-Smythe …. Michael Bates
Vera/Janet …. Janet Brown
TTV Continuity Announcer …. Robin Boyle
Scripted by Lawrie Wyman
Producer: Alastair Scott Johnston.
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in February 1963.
WED 08:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00dyb12)
Series 6
Episode 10
Problem corner with Marjorie Droops, and Robinson Prunestone gets marooned.
Starring Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie.
Written by Simon Brett, Graeme Garden and Jo Kendall.
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 Liam Cohen, Dave Lee and Bill Oddie.
Producer: David Hatch/Peter Titheradge
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 in June 1968.
WED 09:00 Puzzle Panel (b00z628p)
Episode 10
Fiendish brain teasers with Chris Maslanka, Dr Doreen Baxter, Professor David Singmaster and Robert Eastway. From August 1998.
WED 09:30 The Six Mothers-in-Law of Henry VIII (b0076j10)
Episode 3
With Henry suffering from a surfeit of mothers-in-law, perhaps his luck will change with Jane Seymour?

Jonathan Coy stars as Henry VIII

An unreliable history, created and written in six parts by Barry Grossman.

Henry VIII ...... Jonathan Coy
Thomas Cromwell ...... Milton Johns
The Chronicler ...... Alfred Burke
Jane Seymour ...... Jasmin Hyde
Lady Margaret ...... Eve Matheson
Sir John ...... John Webb
Antonio ...... Jonathan Kydd

Music by Jim Parker.

Producer: John Fawcett Wilson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2003.
WED 10:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00snl4p)
Episode 1
17th century Exmoor in Devon: John Ridd meets Lorna Doone (and they fall in love) and we meet the murderer Carver Doone, the highwayman Tom Faggus and the miser Uncle Benn.
David Schofield and Alison Pettit star in RD Blackmore’s popular and enduring romantic tale.
Dramatised in three-parts by Barry Letts.
John Ridd …. David Schofield
Lorna Doon …. Alison Pettit
Mother …. Janet Dale
Tom Faggus …. Cornelius Garrett
Uncle Ben …. James Warrior
Carver Doone …. Kim Durham
Young Lorna …. Charlotte Grattidge
Jeremy Stickles …. Graham Padden
Lizzie Ridd …. Sunny Ormonde
Young Lizzie …. Laura Berry
Annie Ridd …. Katherine Mount
Young Annie …. Samantha Dowling
Gwenny …. Susan Jeffrey
John Fry …. Ian Brooker
Counsellor Doone …. Graham Colclough
Charlie Doon …. David Perks
Directed at BBC Pebble Mill by Brian Lighthill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1997.
WED 11:00 Afternoon Reading (b015zs0v)
The Mystery of the Hills
Hallaig
By Iain Finlay MacLeod.
Read by Tony Kearney.
A man reflects upon the consequences of a decision made too lightly.
Hebridean writer Iain Finlay MacLeod completes this series of stories specially commissioned to mark the centenary of the birth of the Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean. The title of this story refers to MacLean's great poem "Hallaig", while lines from the poem "The Choice" are central to the story's theme. Both poems can be read in full on MacLean's official website (see link opposite).
Sorley MacLean was born in October 1911 on Raasay, a small island lying off the east coast of Skye, into a family immersed in Highland history and culture. Awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1990, he is regarded as the greatest Gaelic poet of the Twentieth Century, giving new literary standing to a language which at times seemed close to extinction.
Produced by Kirsteen Cameron.
WED 11:15 Drama (b00yz551)
David Harrower - Good with People
By David Harrower.
A gripping and funny portrait of small town life. The small town in question is Helensburgh, a once thriving seaside destination in the shadow of Faslane nuclear submarine base.
Hotel receptionist Helen is challenged by the arrival of a young man, whose return to the town throws her life into turmoil.
Helen ..... Maureen Beattie
Evan ..... Paul Chequer
Jack ..... Sean Biggerstaff
Directed by Gaynor Macfarlane.
WED 12:00 The TV Lark (b019m4j5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00dyb12)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 Kingsley Amis - Dear Illusion (b06jmkm7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 13:30 The Shock of the Knee (b00gmdxp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 14:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00snq96)
Episode 3
At a party, lecturer Dixon gets into a fight and spies something unsettling through the curtains. Read by Martin Jarvis.
WED 14:15 Noise: A Human History (b01rdzlc)
The Singing Wilderness
Professor David Hendy of the University of Sussex explores our relationship with noisy nature.
How do we interact with what the American nature writer Sigurd Olsen called 'The Singing Wilderness'?
Hear the Bosavi people of Papua New Guinea sing a 'gisalo' in the darkness of a forest longhouse, and extraordinary recordings from around the world, including musical trees, the bluesy singing of the pootoo bird, and a real frog chorus.
30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.
Producer: Matt Thompson.
A Rockethouse production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.
WED 14:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dw0t7)
Grazia Deledda - Reeds in the Wind
Episode 3
Grazia Deledda's powerful story of love, poverty, honour and retribution set in the rugged landscape of 1900's Sardinia. Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths from a translation by Martha King.
The village festival, the Feast of Our Lady of Rimedio is underway when Giacinto unexpectedly arrives. Noemi finds herself overwhelmed by Giacinto's arrival and calls for Efix to take him to the festival.
EFIX.....John Lynch
NOEMI.....Charlotte Emmerson
GIACINTO.....Matthew McNulty
ESTER.....Deborah McAndrew
KALLINA.....Kathryn Hunt
GRIXENDA.....Holliday Grainger
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
WED 14:45 Book of the Week (b00wgzdr)
Bettany Hughes - The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life
Episode 3
Written by Bettany Hughes.
Socrates lived in a city that nurtured the key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought- yet, as he wrote nothing in his lifetime, he himself is an enigmatic figure. "The Hemlock Cup" tells his story, setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home, and dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world.
War engulfed much of Socrates' life. Now a young man, he must take up his sword and fight for his beloved Athens.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Reader: Bettany Hughes
Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 15:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00snl4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 16:00 Puzzle Panel (b00z628p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 16:30 The Six Mothers-in-Law of Henry VIII (b0076j10)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
WED 17:00 Huddwinks (b00b1p9r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 17:30 To Hull and Back (b06hjkv6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 18:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007s74m)
The Changing Man
After his trip to Mitchell Bluff, Taft's realised Bowers' story about the attack on his base doesn't add up - and Bowers isn't giving anything away. Worse, a member of Taft's team has been found dead...
Simon Bovey's 5-part sci-fi thriller set in 2015 stars Tim McMullan as Bowers, Tom Mannion as Commander Taft, Stuart McLoughlin as Max Bellingfield, Ndidi Del Fatti as Anaya and Helen Longworth as Deborah.
Director: Marc Beeby
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in 2005.
WED 18:30 Off the Page (b0076tmn)
Common as Muck
Matthew Parris talks class, brass and manure with commoners Geoff Dyer, Michael Collins and Ian Duhig. From 2005.
WED 19:00 The TV Lark (b019m4j5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00dyb12)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 Kingsley Amis - Dear Illusion (b06jmkm7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 20:30 The Shock of the Knee (b00gmdxp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 21:00 Afternoon Reading (b015zs0v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 21:15 Drama (b00yz551)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
WED 22:00 To Hull and Back (b06hjkv6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 Bird Island (b01k2b18)
Series 1
Episode 3
On one hand, Ben is on the trip of a lifetime to Sub-Antarctica. On the other, he's trapped in an icy hell with one other person, a dodgy internet connection and a dictaphone. Loneliness is something of a problem. His fellow travelling scientist Graham should alleviate this, but the tragi-comic fact is, they are nerdy blokes, so they can only stumble through yet another awkward exchange. Ben experiences all the highs and lows that this beautiful, but lonely place has to offer but fails miserably to communicate this to Graham. So, Ben shares his thoughts with us in the form of an audio 'log'.
Apart from his research studying the Albatross on the Island, Ben attempts to continue normal life with an earnestness and enthusiasm which is ultimately very endearing. We're with him as chats awkwardly with Graham, telephones his mother and as he tries to form a long distance relationship with a woman through Chemistry.com. In fact, we follow Ben as everything occurs to him. We also hear the pings and whirrs of machinery, the Squawks and screeches of the birds and the vast expanse outside. Oh, and ice. Lots of ice.
EPISDE THREE:
Bird Island is the story of Ben, a young scientist working in Antarctica, trying to socially adapt to the loneliness by keeping a cheery audio diary on his Dictaphone. An atmospheric 15 minute non-audience comedy.
Ben and Graham encounter a seal cub that's been attacked. He takes it home and carefully nurses it back to life and share the pup's progress with his mum and Dad.
EPISDE THREE CAST:
Ben ..... Reece Shearsmith
Graham ..... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Beverley..... Alison Steadman
Robin..... Gerard Mcdermott
Written by ..... Katy Wix
Produced by ..... Tilusha Ghelani.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.
WED 22:45 Before They Were Famous (b01m5nt2)
Series 1
Episode 3
Ian Leslie presents a new Radio 4 comedy show which brings to light the often surprising first literary attempts of some of the world's best known writers. A project of literary archaeology, Leslie has found evidence in the most unlikely of places - within the archives of newspapers, periodicals, corporations and universities - showcasing the early examples of work by writers such as Jilly Cooper during her brief and unfortunately unsuccessful foray into the world of war reporting, and Hunter S Thompson in his sadly short-lived phase working in the customer relations department for a major American Airline.
These are the newspaper articles, advertising copy, company correspondence and gardening manuals that allow us a fascinating glimpse into the embryonic development of our best loved literary voices - people we know today for their novels or poems but who, at the time, were just people with a dream...and a rent bill looming at the end of the month.
Produced by Anna Silver and Claire Broughton
A Hat Trick production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 The History Plays (b01d1403)
O Salutaris Hostia, Diana
The History Plays are a series of imagined conversations at key moments in the recent history of Britain.
In "O Salutaris Hostia, Diana" Imelda Staunton stars as Martha and Toby Jones as Graham. The couple look back over their lives together but their very different views on Diana mask a far more personal conflict, and Graham's dislike of the princess has its roots in his pain over the circumstances of their son Alan's death.
Written and directed by Nigel Smith
Produced by Gareth Edwards.
WED 23:30 Weak at the Top (b00ry9j0)
Series 1
Trout Farm
John Weak discovers there's a "T" missing from the end of HR, when Human Resources has a communal hot flush over his witty entry on Deirdre Simmons's leaving card...
Alexander Armstrong stars as John Weak in Guy Browning’s sitcom.
Randy, devious, sexist and workshy, John Weak puts the man into management.
John Weak ...... Alexander Armstrong
Hayley ...... Clare Perkins
Sir Marcus ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Bill Peters ...... Ron Cook
Phil Bellinger ...... Stephen Critchlow
Clare Barrett ...... Colleen Prendergast
Deidre Simmons ...... Susan Jameson
Simon Henshaw ...... Harry Myers
Producer: Jonquil Panting
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2005.


THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER 2015

THU 00:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007s74m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 Off the Page (b0076tmn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 Kingsley Amis - Dear Illusion (b06jmkm7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 The Shock of the Knee (b00gmdxp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00snq96)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:15 Noise: A Human History (b01rdzlc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dw0t7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:45 Book of the Week (b00wgzdr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00snl4p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 Puzzle Panel (b00z628p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 The Six Mothers-in-Law of Henry VIII (b0076j10)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 Huddwinks (b00b1p9r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 To Hull and Back (b06hjkv6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 Kingsley Amis - I Spy Strangers (b06jsp31)
By 1945 the servicemen in Europe were longing for demob and hoping to avoid the war in the Far East. Major Raleigh's company was very much at a loose end, so holding a mock parliament seemed a good way of keeping the men out of mischief.
Stars Iain Cuthbertson as Jock Watson, Steve Hodson as Major Raleigh, Anthony Jackson as Sgt Hargreave and Philip Fox as Lt Frank Archer.
Written by Kingsley Amis and dramatised by John Scotney.
Producer: Jane Morgan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1987.
THU 06:30 Van Gogh: Seeing Red (b00pfrzs)
Art historian Richard Cork explores the mind of the painter Vincent van Gogh through his extraordinary letters.
Richard Cork explores the mind of Vincent van Gogh through his correspondence.
A keen and expressive correspondent who regaled acquaintances with his views on love, religion and sex, he put pen to paper with the same creative vigour as he put paintbrush to canvas.
By the time he walked into a field in the town of Auvers-sur-Oise and shot himself in the chest, the 37-year-old van Gogh had left behind a rich literary legacy that would, like his painting, outlive his short and tortured life.
Producer: Kate Bland
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2009.
THU 07:00 North by Northamptonshire (b0184vh8)
Series 2
Episode 3
A visiting choir sets hearts aflutter amongst the ladies of Wadenbrook, while Mary's dad, Norman, has an adventure of his own.
Sheila Hancock narrates the bittersweet adventures of the residents of a small town in Northamptonshire.
Written by Katherine Jakeways.
John Biggins................................Keith
Mackenzie Crook...........................Rod
Felix Dexter...............................Arnold
Kevin Eldon...................Jonathan / Ken
Shelia Hancock....................... Narrator
Jessica Henwick...........................Helen
Katherine Jakeways........ Esther / Jacqui
Felicity Montagu..............................Jan
Geoffrey Palmer........................Norman
Lizzie Roper..............................Angela
Penelope Wilton............................Mary
Rufus Wright................................Frank
Producer: Victoria Lloyd
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2011
THU 07:30 The Brig Society (b06gwcpm)
Series 3
Being a Lord
Good Lord. Exactly what Marcus has become in order to peer under the ermine and see if we really do need that second chamber. Along the way he'll be looking at the history and function of the House of Lords, getting himself a Coat Of Arms and having a good old rummage in the Woolsack.
Helping him declare his interests will be Margaret Cabourn-Smith (2Miranda"), William Andrews ("Sorry I've Got No Head") and Justin Edwards ("The Thick Of It").
Written by Marcus Brigstocke, Jeremy Salsby, Toby Davies, Nick Doody, Steve Punt and Dan Tetsell.
Produced by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 08:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jlqh)
Series 3
Without Prejudice
Harold persuades Albert to leave their rag and bone yard to move out to suburbia.
Starring Wilfrid Brambell as Albert and Harry H Corbett as Harold. With Edward Kelsey, Garrard Green and Trevor Martin.
Following the conclusion of their hugely successful association with Tony Hancock, writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson wrote 10 pilots for the BBC TV's Comedy Playhouse in 1962. The Offer was set in a house with a yard full of junk, featuring the lives of rag and bone men Albert Steptoe and his son Harold and it was the spark for a run of 8 series for TV.
Adapted for radio from Galton and Simpson's TV script by Gale Pedrick.
Produced by Bobby Jaye
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in April 1971.
THU 08:30 The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b0082crd)
Series 2
Episode 4
Can shady lawyer Waldorf T Flywheel save a struggling department store from closure?
Recreation of the Marx Brothers' lost shows charting the adventures of shady lawyer Waldorf T Flywheel and his assistant, Emmanuel Ravelli. Originally broadcast with sponsors on America's NBC radio network in the 1930s. The scripts were rediscovered in 1988.
Groucho Marx as Waldorf T Flywheel ...... Michael Roberts
Chico Marx as Emmanuel Ravellias ...... Frank Lazarus
With Lorelei King, Graham Hoadly and Vincent Marzello.
Written by Nat Perrin and Athur Sheekman. Adapted by Mark Brisenden.
Music arranged and conducted by David Firman.
Producer: Dirk Maggs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1991.
THU 09:00 Genius (b008m9jv)
Series 2
Brian Sewell
A cure for jet lag and a horse bike?
Dave Gorman asks art critic Brian Sewell to choose the public's best loopy idea.
Award-winning comedian Dave Gorman and a celebrity guest chew over the ridiculous, unworkable but sometimes genius inventions, schemes and policies of the public.
Producer: Simon Nicholls
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
THU 09:30 No Commitments (b007jntt)
Series 6
Excess Baggage
The past catches up with Stuart, which impacts on Anna - and her sisters make it worse. Stars Rosemary Leach. From July 1999.
THU 10:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00snrxb)
Episode 2
Murderer Carver Doone tries to force Lorna into marrying him, but her true love, John Ridd, sets out to rescue her...
David Schofield and Alison Pettit star in RD Blackmore’s popular and enduring romance set on 17th century Exmoor.
John Ridd …. David Schofield
Lorna Doon …. Alison Pettit
Mother …. Janet Dale
Tom Faggus …. Cornelius Garrett
Uncle Ben …. James Warrior
Carver Doone …. Kim Durham
Jeremy Stickles …. Graham Padden
Lizzie Ridd …. Sunny Ormonde
Annie Ridd …. Katherine Mount
Gwenny …. Susan Jeffrey
Charlie Doon and …. David Perks
Judge Jeffries …. Jonathan Wyatt
Dramatised by Barry Letts.
Directed at BBC Pebble Mill by Brian Lighthill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in in September 1997.
THU 11:00 Gillian Tindall - The Lunch Box (b06jt3tn)
The simple container used for savoury biscuits. Then it became a symbol of a devastating moment in history. Read by Anna Massey. From August 1992.
THU 11:15 Bettina Gracias - Asha's World (b007vg89)
Asha's controlling mother rings up from India to tell her she's arranged a date for her with a gorgeous Indian doctor. She refuses to go and her best friend Veronique goes instead, pretending to be Asha, setting in train a twisty romantic tale of mistaken identities.
Bettina Gracias's comedy stars Archie Panjabi as Asha, Leena Dhingra as Mum, Jemma Elder as Lisa, Anushka Dahssi as Veronique and Ajay Chhabra as Raj.
Producer: David Hunter
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
THU 12:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jlqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b0082crd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 Kingsley Amis - I Spy Strangers (b06jsp31)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 13:30 Van Gogh: Seeing Red (b00pfrzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 14:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00sny11)
Episode 4
Lecturer Jim Dixon wakes up to trouble. Can disaster be averted by a quick-thinking friend? Read by Martin Jarvis.
THU 14:15 Noise: A Human History (b01rdzq0)
A Ritual Soundscape
Orkney's Neolithic sites feel like theatre stages, encouraging us to move through them in unfamiliar ways. If the people noticed striking sound effects, they must have been tempted to exploit them. But exploit them how, exactly?
Were these the kind of places where our ancestors came to make a spectacular din - or places where they came in search of silence and sensory deprivation?
Professor David Hendy of the University of Sussex explores the ritualistic use of sound.
30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.
Producer: Matt Thompson.
A Rockethouse production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.
THU 14:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dw0wr)
Grazia Deledda - Reeds in the Wind
Episode 4
Grazia Deledda's powerful story of love, poverty, honour and retribution set in the rugged landscape of 1900's Sardinia. Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths from a translation by Martha King.
Giacinto and Grixenda's love blossoms at the Festival of Our Lady of Rimedio but Ester confides in Efix her growing concern for Giacinto's behaviour which leads to a confrontation and a shocking confession.
EFIX.....John Lynch
GIACINTO.....Matthew McNulty
GRIXENDA.....Holliday Grainger
PREDU.....Conrad Nelson
ESTER.....Deborah McAndrew
KALLINA.....Kathryn Hunt
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
THU 14:45 Book of the Week (b00wgzmb)
Bettany Hughes - The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life
Episode 4
Written by Bettany Hughes.
Socrates lived in a city that nurtured the key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought- yet, as he wrote nothing in his lifetime, he himself is an enigmatic figure. "The Hemlock Cup" tells his story, setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home, and dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world.
Socrates debates with the young men of Athens, suggesting that their future may lie in a simpler life of good.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Reader: Bettany Hughes
Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 15:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00snrxb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:00 Genius (b008m9jv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 16:30 No Commitments (b007jntt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
THU 17:00 North by Northamptonshire (b0184vh8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 17:30 The Brig Society (b06gwcpm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 18:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007s8gn)
Sanctuary No More
Deb's found evidence that Bowers has been experimenting on himself and is now a Chimera - changing at a cellular level - but, the question is, into what?
The answers will have to wait, because now there's a killer on the loose...
Simon Bovey's 5-part sci-fi thriller set in 2015 stars Tim McMullan as Bowers, Tom Mannion as Commander Taft, Stuart McLoughlin as Max Bellingfield, Ndidi Del Fatti as Anaya and Helen Longworth as Deborah.
Director: Marc Beeby
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in 2005.
THU 18:30 Great Lives (b0076yjt)
Series 9
WG Grace
Series of biographical discussions with Matthew Parris. Piers Morgan nominates WG Grace as the greatest English cricketer of all time. From May 2006.
THU 19:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jlqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b0082crd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 Kingsley Amis - I Spy Strangers (b06jsp31)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 20:30 Van Gogh: Seeing Red (b00pfrzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 21:00 Gillian Tindall - The Lunch Box (b06jt3tn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
THU 21:15 Bettina Gracias - Asha's World (b007vg89)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
THU 22:00 The Brig Society (b06gwcpm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 The Secret World (b01169br)
Series 1
Episode 1 - Pilot
From John Humphrys and Ringo to Alan Carr and Alan Sugar.
Pilot of the comedy impressions series examining the bizarre and private lives of public people.
Starring:
Jon Culshaw
Sarah Hadland
Jess Robinson
Lewis Macleod
Duncan Wisbey
Producer: Bill Dare
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2008.
THU 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b06l47jk)
Tiff Stevenson chats to Naz Osmanoglu and Mark Cooper Jones from WitTank.
THU 23:00 We Are Klang: Amazing Lives (b007k3vt)
Musical
On its 25th anniversary, writers and performers reflect on Gummy Monkey: The Musical. Stars Greg Davies. From April 2007.
THU 23:30 The Mark Steel Lecture (b007jv2j)
Series 1
WG Grace
Radical comic Mark Steel profiles the 'first modern celebrity' in English cricketing and Victorian society, WG Grace.
Series of humorous lectures covering historical figures who shaped their era.
With Melanie Hudson and Kim Wall. .
Producer: Phil Clarke
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1999.


FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2015

FRI 00:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007s8gn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Great Lives (b0076yjt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 Kingsley Amis - I Spy Strangers (b06jsp31)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 Van Gogh: Seeing Red (b00pfrzs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00sny11)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:15 Noise: A Human History (b01rdzq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dw0wr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:45 Book of the Week (b00wgzmb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00snrxb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 Genius (b008m9jv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 No Commitments (b007jntt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 North by Northamptonshire (b0184vh8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 The Brig Society (b06gwcpm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Kingsley Amis - Affairs of Death (b06jtqpg)
Pope Leo's had something on his conscience for 900 years - the confessions of a Scottish King: King Macbeth.
Stars Peter Jeffrey as Pope Leo IX, Ken Stott as Macbeth, Olivier Pierre as Hildebrand and Kim Wall as Desiderius.
Written by Kingsley Amis and dramatised by John Scotney.
Producer: Jane Morgan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1987.
FRI 06:30 Skip (b00sgbl8)
The secret life of the rubbish skip. They are such a familiar sight on our streets that most of us take the common-or-garden skip for granted.
But to some people they are the focal point of their lives, whether for survival, inspiration for art, or the subject of a university Garbology degree. And what is our fascination with not only keeping an eye on what other people put in them, but also maybe having a rummage, or best of all, spiriting away a discarded piece of treasure?
Writer and gardening expert Alys Fowler, herself no stranger to "liberating" skipped curios for her garden and home, builds a picture of our behaviour in and around these metal Aladdin's caves and unearths amusing and amazing tales to add to skip folklore of recent years.
Forget the old floorboards and broken sofas, afficionados see skips as a source of everything from priceless antiques to free food. And if your community needs affordable extra amenities such as a swimming pool or skateboard park, there's an artist who has created these very things - from old skips.
As Alys looks in a fresh way at skips throughout the land, what secrets and treasures are they about to reveal?
Producer: Neil Cargill
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 07:00 The Change (b0076p6t)
Series 3
Episode 4
With George's big birthday looming, he gets two surprises - one from his wife and the other from his mother.
Carol …. Lynda Bellingham
George …. Philip Jackson
Violet ...... Marcia Warren
Maureen …. Maureen Beattie
Ken …. James Vaugnan
Sonia …. Emma Kennedy
Jerry …. Barnaby Kay
Dave …. Mark Powley
Nurse ...... Rosie Armstrong
Series 3 of the sitcom about a married couple's attempts to smooth over their singularly troubled midlife funk - Carol is hormonal and 15-stone George is a transvestite. Onlookers can't quite agree on the nature of their dynamic.
Written by Jan Etherington and Gavin Petrie.
Producer: Elizabeth Freestone
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2004.
FRI 07:30 Shedtown (b01pw3lq)
Series 2
'Til Press Do Us Part
Who hasn't thought about running away from it all at some time or other?
Throwing caution to the wind, wrenching oneself out of a long established orbit to head for the deep space of the unknown?
In series two of Shedtown, our wooden 'man-cave', icon of escape and isolation - the shed - continues to be a symbol of possibility and change.
Episode 2:
As William weds his blushing, boiler-suited, berk of a bride, old Johnny Edwards takes a turn for the worse.
Barry............................Tony Pitts
Jimmy..........................Stephen Mangan
Eleanor.........................Ronni Ancona
Johnny..........................Alan Leith
Colin.............................Johnny Vegas
Deborah........................Emma Fryer
William.........................Adrian Manfredi
Diane...........................Rosina Carbone
Dave............................Shaun Dooley
Father Michael.............James Quinn
Wes............................Warren Brown
Nell.............................Eleanor Samson
Narrator.......................Maxine Peake
Music..........................Paul Heaton and Jonny Lexus
Written and Directed by Tony Pitts
Produced by Sally Harrison
A Woolyback production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jsvk)
Series 5
The Election Candidate
The electioneering lad battles to represent East Cheam in the Houses of Parliament.
Stars Tony Hancock.
With Sidney James, Bill Kerr, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Theme and incidental music written by Wally Stott.
Producer: Tom Ronald
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in March 1958.
FRI 08:30 The Goon Show (b014s6hl)
Series 6
The Secret Escritoire
Neddie Seagoon's furniture is at the centre of a Malayan man-shrinking plot

Groundbreaking, surreal BBC radio comedy written by Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes.

Starring:
Peter Sellers
Harry Secombe
Spike Milligan

First billed as Crazy People, ten series of The Goon Show were recorded between 1951 and 1960, but sadly many of the earliest shows weren’t kept in the archive.

With the Ray Ellington Quartet and Max Geldray.

Orchestra conducted by Wally Stott.

Announcer: Wallace Greenslade

Producer: Peter Eton

First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in September 1955.
FRI 09:00 The 3rd Degree (b00z58bg)
Series 1
Stirling
Coming this week from the University of Stirling, host Steve Punt puts questions to students and lecturers of Psychology, Marketing, and English Studies. So if you've got a notion as to who lived at 7 Eccles Street, what is James Bond's family motto, or why on earth a marketer might use a 'semantic cognitive differential tangent' then listen in...
"The 3rd Degree" is a funny, lively and dynamic new quiz show aimed at cultivating the next generation of Radio 4 listeners whilst delighting the current ones. It's recorded on location at a different University each week, and it pits three Undergraduates against three of their Professors in a genuinely original and fresh take on an academic quiz. Being a Radio 4 programme, it of course meets the most stringent standards of academic rigour - but with lots of facts and jokes thrown in for good measure.
Together with host Steve Punt, the show tours the (sometimes posh, sometimes murky, but always welcoming!) Union buildings, cafés and lecture halls of six universities across the UK.
The rounds vary between Specialist Subjects and General Knowledge, quickfire bell-and-buzzer rounds and the 'Highbrow & Lowbrow' round cunningly devised to test not only the students' knowledge of current affairs, history, languages and science, but also their Professors' awareness of television, film, and Lady Gaga... In addition, the Head-to-Head rounds, in which students take on their Professors in their own subjects, were particularly lively, and offered plenty of scope for mild embarrassment on both sides...
The resulting show is funny, fresh, and not a little bit surprising, with a truly varied range of scores, friendly rivalry, and moments where students wished they had more than just glanced at that reading list...
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 09:30 Albert and Me (b007jsbh)
Series 1
Spanner in the Works
Single dad Bryan's son Albert is starting nursery - what could possibly go wrong?
Stars Richard Beckinsale as Bryan Archer, Pat Coombs as Mum/Albert and John Comer as Dad. With John Junkin as Harry.
Written by Jim Eldridge.
Producer: John Fawcett Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in November 1977.
FRI 10:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00sp1f1)
Episode 3
When Lorna is taken to London, John fears he’s lost her forever. Meanwhile Carver Doone has murderous plans....
Starring Alison Pettit and David Schofield.
Conclusion of RD Blackmore’s popular and enduring romance set on 17th century Exmoor.
John Ridd …. David Schofield
Lorna Doone …. Alison Pettit
Mother …. Janet Dale
Carver Doone …. Kim Durham
Jeremy Stickles …. Graham Padden
Tom Faggus …. Cornelius Garrett
Lizzie Ridd …. Sunny Ormonde
Annie Ridd …. Katherine Mount
Gwenny …. Susan Jeffrey
Charlie Doon …. David Perks
Counsellor Doone …. Graham Colclough
King James …. Jonathan Wyatt
Dramatised by Barry Letts.
Directed at BBC Pebble Mill by Brian Lighthill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in in September 1997.
FRI 11:00 Gillian Tindall - Missing (b06jv3hm)
An intriguing story with a twist explores the effect on a family when Uncle Elwyn just disappears one day. Read by Alice Arnold. From June 1992.
FRI 11:15 Drama (b00dkff7)
Nick Warburton - Last Days of Grace
By Nick Warburton
Easter Monday, 1908. And there's snow on the ground. An aging icon, W.G. Grace, contemplates another day in his life-long cricketing obsession. He arrives at the Oval and can't quite bear to sit in the clubhouse to meet the usual people. Instead he trudges out in to the cold to face a different type of questioning.
W.G.Grace ..... Kenneth Cranham
GF ..... Benedict Cumberbatch
Voice of Cricket ..... Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Produced by Steven Canny
Nick Warburton is a writer of great significance in audio drama. In 2007 he won the Peter Tinniswood Award for the Best New Play on Radio. He was thrilled to be a guest interviewee on Test Match Special during their 50th Anniversary celebrations.
"To his contemporaries Grace was supreme and, in words used of Aristotle, the master of those who know. For longevity, for his effect on the game, for performances with bat and ball, for his place in history, William Gilbert Grace stands alone." Sir John Major.
FRI 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jsvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 The Goon Show (b014s6hl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Kingsley Amis - Affairs of Death (b06jtqpg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 Skip (b00sgbl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00sp3dx)
Episode 5
Lecturer Jim Dixon is preoccupied about losing his job whilst preparation for the summer ball begins. Read by Martin Jarvis.
FRI 14:15 Noise: A Human History (b01rdzx0)
The Rise of the Shamans
Around the world charismatic individuals claim the ability to change the weather, heal illness and help crops grow. Professor David Hendy explains how sound - and its manipulation - is central to the shaman's power.
David introduces the eerie rituals of Siberian reindeer herders as they summon spirits, before coming closer to home to hear a mysterious singing angel high in the facade of Wells Cathedral.
30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.
Producer: Matt Thompson.
A Rockethouse production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.
FRI 14:30 15 Minute Drama (b01dvzpc)
Grazia Deledda - Reeds in the Wind
Episode 5
Grazia Deledda's powerful story of love, poverty, honour and retribution set in the rugged landscape of 1900's Sardinia. Dramatised by Linda Marshall Griffiths from a translation by Martha King.
Giacinto's behaviour is causing trouble for the Pintor sisters. Noemi disapproves of his relationship with Grixenda and there are rumours that Giacinto is gambling. Will Efix's attempts to put things right work?
EFIX.....John Lynch
NOEMI.....Charlotte Emmerson
ESTER.....Deborah McAndrew
RUTH/KALLINA.....Kathryn Hunt
GIACINTO.....Matthew McNulty
PREDU.....Conrad Nelson
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
FRI 14:45 Book of the Week (b00wgznx)
Bettany Hughes - The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life
Episode 5
Written by Bettany Hughes.
Socrates lived in a city that nurtured the key ingredients of contemporary civilisation - democracy, liberty, science, drama, rational thought- yet, as he wrote nothing in his lifetime, he himself is an enigmatic figure. "The Hemlock Cup" tells his story, setting him in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean that was his home, and dealing with him as he himself dealt with the world.
The Spartans break down Athenian walls and Socrates is barred from associating with the city's youth. His card is marked.
Abridged by Libby Spurrier
Reader: Bettany Hughes
Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 15:00 RD Blackmore - Lorna Doone (b00sp1f1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:00 The 3rd Degree (b00z58bg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 16:30 Albert and Me (b007jsbh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
FRI 17:00 The Change (b0076p6t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 17:30 Shedtown (b01pw3lq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 18:00 Simon Bovey - Cold Blood (b007jv49)
The Antarctican
The struggle at the South Pole continues.
Having witnessed the destruction of the Ellsworth Research Centre and the death of several of their colleagues, the survivors prepare to flee...
Conclusion of Simon Bovey's 5-part sci-fi thriller set in 2015 stars Tim McMullan as Bowers, Tom Mannion as Commander Taft, Stuart McLoughlin as Max Bellingfield, Ndidi Del Fatti as Anaya and Helen Longworth as Deborah.
Director: Marc Beeby
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in 2005.
FRI 18:30 Soul Music (b00763ln)
Series 2
The Lark Ascending
Tasmin Little, Iona Brown and Allan Stephenson reflect on the impact of Ralph Vaughan Williams's most English of works.
Series about music that makes the hairs stand up on the back of our necks.
Producer: Rosie Boulton
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2001.
FRI 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jsvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 The Goon Show (b014s6hl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Kingsley Amis - Affairs of Death (b06jtqpg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 Skip (b00sgbl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Gillian Tindall - Missing (b06jv3hm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
FRI 21:15 Drama (b00dkff7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
FRI 22:00 Shedtown (b01pw3lq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:25 The Comedy Club Interviews (b06nd3nz)
Arthur Smith chats to Russell Howard.
FRI 22:30 BBC New Comedy Awards (b06jwd0n)
2015
Heat eight
The next heat in comedy's most prestigious new talent competition from Birmingham's famous Glee Club.
Our host Joe Lycett presents some of the best new comedians from across the UK.
Judges for this heat are comedian Isy Suttie, BBC Comedy Producer Sam Bryant and editor of comedy website Chortle, Steve Bennett.
Produced by Lyndsay Fenner and Laura Baron.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in October 2015.
FRI 23:30 The Skivers (b00jd5jn)
Series 3
Paul McKenna
Hypnotist Paul McKenna gets a taste of his own medicine. Sketch show with Nick Golsen and Tim de Jongh. From January 1997.