Everyone wants private eye VI Warshawski off the case, but the next body isn't hers. In fact, she thought he was the villain.
Sara Paretsky's thriller stars Kathleen Turner as VI Warshawski. With James Aubrey as Martin Bledsoe, William Hootkins as Bobby Mallory, Kerry Shale as Murray and Bill Nighy as Roger Ferrant.
Sara Paretsky has created one of the most popular female sleuths in modern crime-fiction. Her heroine, VI Warshawski, is a strong female character in a male-dominated world. VI is comfortable packing heat and trailing nasty suspects but she never loses touch with her basic femininity. Paretsky says of her Warshawski: "I was troubled by the way women were portrayed in (detective fiction) they always seemed either evil or powerless. I thought it was time for a tough, smart, likeable female private investigator".
Kathleen Turner also starred in the same role in the 1991 film 'VI Warshawski'.
Dramatised by Michelene Wandor.
Sometime in the 12th-century two children appeared from a pit on the edge of a field in the Suffolk village of Woolpit.
They were coloured green and spoke a unknown language. They sickened until they were allowed to eat green beans. The boy died but the girl revived and grew up learning English, marrying a man from Kings Lynn, and speaking of the place she and her brother had come from.
Susannah Clapp and Richard Mabey investigate the story and its remarkable enduring appeal to villagers, visitors and a succession of folklorists and writers.
Nigel is haunted, while Michael thinks he is Bruce Willis. Stars Raymond Coulthard and Adam Godley. From February 2007.
Series 11 of the show where one week's interviewee becomes the next week's interviewer. The first episode of Chain Reaction was broadcast on BBC Radio Five in 1991 when John Cleese was the first comedian in the hot seat. Now, 25 years on, a new series sees another raft of the world's best-loved comedians talking to each other about their lives and work. This week, the writer, broadcaster and erstwhile News Quiz host Sandi Toksvig turns interviewer as she chats to comedy icon, Roy Hudd.
Sandi Toksvig is a prolific writer and broadcaster who chaired the News Quiz on BBC Radio 4 for nine years and over 220 episodes. In 2015 she was a founder member of the Women's Equality Party and, later that year was announced as the new host of the long-running BBC television series, QI.
Roy Hudd has clocked up more than 50 years in showbusiness, starting out as a Butlins redcoat in the 1950s and then developing a stellar career through numerous successes on stage, radio and screen. BBC Radio listeners know him best as the host of the much loved News Huddlines on Radio 2 for 26 years. More recently, Roy gained plaudits for his moving portrayal of Bud Flanagan in the BBC drama 'We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story'.
In this the year of his 80th birthday, Roy tells Sandi about his beginnings in showbusiness, reveals how Arthur Askey gave him a leg up in the early days and shares his favourite pantomime story courtesy of Tom O'Connor.
Sister ships HMS Troutbridge and HMS Makepeace are sent on a wild ghost chase into the fog.
Stars Leslie Phillips as the Sub-Lieutenant, Jon Pertwee as the Chief Petty Officer, Stephen Murray as the Number One, Richard Caldicote as Captain Povey, Heather Chasen as Mrs Povey, Ronnie Barker as Commander Stanton, Tenniel Evans as the Admiral and Michael Bates as Commander Bracewell.
Laughs afloat aboard British Royal Navy frigate HMS Troutbridge. The Navy Lark ran for an impressive thirteen series between 1959 and 1976.
Producer: Alastair Scott Johnston.
With the rise of the Common Market in mind, Radio Prune goes International.
Starring Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie.
Sketches written by Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie.
Originating from the Cambridge University Footlights revue 'Cambridge Circus', ISIRTA ran for 8 years on BBC Radio and quickly developed a cult following.
Music and songs by Bill Oddie, Liam Cohen and Dave Lee.
What is Masterchef finalist Kirsty Wark's signature dish? What is Andrew Maxwell's best character trait? What is Francis Wheen's greatest fear?
All these questions, and more, will be answered in the show hosted by Miles Jupp, where panellists are tested on how well they know their nearest and dearest.
Miss Primrose is ordered to travel to South Africa and murder General Cheeseman. With Alison Steadman. From September 1988.
In the week when President Woodrow Wilson declared "The world is on fire, and sparks are likely to drop anywhere", pressures begin to tell at the Bevan hospital too.
Mr Day, the painter, recalls the unusual circumstances by which Netty Sargent came to own her house. (1891) Read by Richard Mitchley.
These tales from Thomas Hardy published between 1877 and 1929, possess all the power of his novels: the wealth of description, the realistic portrayal of the age old lore of Wessex, the 'Chaucerian' humour and the shrewd insights into human nature. They tenderly re-create, what was even then, a rapidly vanishing rural world and yet the narratives remain timeless in their embrace of both the farcical and the tragic aspects of daily life.
After a head injury, Terri keeps notes to help her memory, but her notebooks begin to contradict each other. With Jo-Anne Horan.
If the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, how can they remain silent? Damian Lewis begins reading A Delicate Truth, the brand new novel from the master of his genre, John le Carré, a novel which tells the story of a good man who must choose between his conscience and his duty to the Service.
An undercover counter-operation in the British colony of Gibraltar; a middle-ranking man from the Foreign Office serving as 'eyes on' and reporting to an ambitious Minister; the aim to capture a jihadist arms-buyer - the success, assured.
But back in the UK a junior officer has his doubts and commits an unthinkable act. Three years on, he will find himself facing an impossible choice. In a journey that will take him from Cornwall to Wales via murky secrets in the depths of Whitehall, Toby Bell will try to find out the truth about the night on the Rock and bring it the attention and justice it deserves.
Tonight: Breaking Every Rule - Toby takes an irrevocable step.
John le Carré was born in 1931 and attended the universities of Bern and Oxford. He taught at Eton and served briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. For the last fifty years he has lived by his pen. He divides his time between London and Cornwall.
Damian Lewis is a British actor best known for his role as Nicholas Brody in Homeland. His many credits include Band of Brothers, Life and The Forsyte Saga.
Social networking appears to be expanding our circles of friendship just as our sense of community is contracting: Dr Thomas Dixon presents a timely history of how the meaning and experience of friendship have changed over the centuries.
At a time when Christianity taught a gospel of universal love, including loving your enemy, individuals might still find themselves drawn to particular friendships. The Bible itself contained such contradictions, as the 17th century Anglican poet George Herbert put it: "David had his Jonathan, Christ his John." These apparent contradictions were the cause of real anxiety amongst devout Christians.
The role of individual friendships became even more apparent after the Reformation, when personal friendships began to assume the confessional role once held by priests.
Thomas Dixon takes up the story during the Civil War, and considers this tension within particular religious communities such as the Quakers.
He talks with the historian Naomi Tadmor and also hears from Anglican-turned-Quaker, Terry Waite, who movingly recalls the meaning of friendship and of learning to love himself as a friend, during years of solitary confinement after being taken hostage in 1987.
Molesworth's efforts to explain the best way to bunk off class are thwarted by the fact all the masters seem to have disappeared.
Imelda Staunton stars as Nigel Molesworth, the Curse of St Custards, in this fresh adaptation of the notorious Goriller of 3B's guide to skool life for tiny pupils and their parents.
Aided by best friend Peason and thwarted by everyone from Grabber the skool bully to Wandsworth the skool dog, Nigel Molesworth teaches us the ins and outs of skool life - including how to avoid lessens and how to build your own H-bomb.
Molesworth ...... Imelda Staunton
Peason ...... Sophie Thompson
Grabber ...... Jack Farthing
Prudence ...... Jessica Brown Findlay
Headmaster ...... Patrick Barlow
Latin Master ...... Lewis Macleod
Adapted by Patrick Barlow and George Poles from the books by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle, with additional material by Abigail Wilson.
Clashing with his father, James Rebanks gains a place at Oxford University, but misses the farming life.
James Rebanks is the first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations.
Small scale farming is an increasingly precarious livelihood, it's almost impossible to earn enough money to bring up a family, you need a secondary income. And so, as disagreements with his father intensified, James, aged twenty-one, decided to return to education, resulting in a place at Oxford. All the time he was away, he longed to be back home, working on the fells.
James Rebanks has a huge following on Twitter ( as the @herdyshepherd1 ) where you can see photographs detailing day to day life on the farm - including his fine flock of Herdwick sheep and, the latest additions to the workforce, sheepdog Floss's ten puppies.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
Assembled monster turned B&B landlady, Brenda investigates a mysterious Whitby radio host. Stars Joanna Tope and Monica Gibb.
4 Extra Debut. Dominic Arkwright, Fran Abrams, Camilla Wright and Simon Evans discuss the role of journalism in revealing secrets. From December 2006.
There's a bloke sitting at the other end of the Job Centre waiting room. Joe, Terry and Stuart try and work out who he is.
He starts giving the three lads, evil looks. Joe becomes adamant that he is a hitman sent by the Food Standards Agency. Terry thinks it might be a bloke from Benefits fraud. Whoever he is they're determined not to be intimidated and return the evil looks.
Steven Burge’s comedy about the staff and the clients who frequent a Job Centre in the Essex town of Rayleigh.
Starring Matthew Horne and Daniel Mays.
Stuart ...... Mathew Horne
Joe ...... Daniel Mays
Terry ...... Tony Way
Mr Rocastle ...... Tony Way
Nicola ...... Zahra Ahmadi
Gary Probert ...... Steve Oram
Bill Parfitt ...... David Seddon
George Dorset ...... Alex Lowe
Mandy Dorset ...... Bharti Patel
Mr Boland ...... Michael Bertenshaw
Producer: Katie Tyrrell.
The French Revolution is in full swing and the fate of the Masterson family is inextricably linked with that of a tumble dryer.
An improvised historical saga of a family at war with itself - based entirely on audience suggestions.
Starring Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Caroline Quentin, Jim Sweeney and Phelim McDermott.
The team take the audience on a posh day out. Starring Tim de Jongh, William Vandyck and Tim Firth. From January 1991.
THURSDAY 31 MARCH 2016
THU 00:00 Paul Magrs - Never the Bride (b0092n8g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 Off the Page (b00771k5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 VI Warshawski (b007jnm6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 The Green Children of Woolpit (b00slvqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b01sdmy9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:15 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03ynvdb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 15 Minute Drama (b04vf6z5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:45 The Shepherd's Life (b05r3xc3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:45 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b06l3js2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 It's Not What You Know (b037tnxt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 The Fall of the Mausoleum Club (b007jqjk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 The Brothers (b00pm1nv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 Chain Reaction (b0742mqd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 VI Warshawski (b007jnmq)
Deadlock
The Long Goodbye
Clayton Phillips's body could only have got into the hold of the Gertrude Rutton one way. VI uses the same vehicle to confront the villain and ends up swimming for her life.
Sara Paretsky's thriller stars Kathleen Turner as VI Warshawski. With Bill Nighy as Roger Ferrant, Peter Marinker as Nils Greyfalk and Kerry Shale as Murray.
Eleanor Bron as Lottie, William Hootkins as Bobby Mallory, James Aubrey as Martin Bledsoe, Peter Marinker as Nils Greyfalk, Teresa Gallagher as Paige Carrington and William Roberts as Clayton Phillips.
Sara Paretsky has created one of the most popular female sleuths in modern crime-fiction. Her heroine, VI Warshawski, is a strong female character in a male-dominated world. VI is comfortable packing heat and trailing nasty suspects but she never loses touch with her basic femininity. Paretsky says of her Warshawski: "I was troubled by the way women were portrayed in (detective fiction) they always seemed either evil or powerless. I thought it was time for a tough, smart, likeable female private investigator".
Kathleen Turner also starred in the same role in the 1991 film 'VI Warshawski'.
Dramatised by Michelene Wandor.
Director: Janet Whitaker
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1993.
THU 06:30 Gurinder - the Indian Sequel (b00s1n43)
We're off to Goa with British film director Gurinder Chadha, who's a special guest at India's biggest and most colourful film festival, in Goa.
Her movies - Bend It Like Beckham, Bride And Prejudice, Bhaji on the Beach - are big hits in India. For millions of Indians, her portrayal of life for British Asians is the most realistic view they've had of their diasporic counterparts in the UK. Not only have her films changed our notion of what 'British' means by putting the Asian community firmly in the mainstream consciousness, but the way that Indian audiences respond to her films also tells us something about the changing relationship between India and the UK, and the Indian diaspora who live here.
As a twice migrant herself, she brings elements of Indian, Kenyan, and British themes to her work - a fusion of cinematic methods and subject matter.
In the glamorous setting of the flamboyant Goan film festival, we'll discover how huge Gurinder is there, and talk to Indian cinemagoers, directors, actors, and movie buffs about the larger than life director, her films, and how, whilst they're clad in their designer labels in a country that's a new world power, they see the British Asian community as endearingly old fashioned.
Producer: Lucy Greenwell.
A Just Radio production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.
THU 07:00 All the Young Dudes (b007ncd1)
Series 1
Homeward Bound
Moving back where he grew up, Patrick meets school mate Billy. Jim Sweeney's comedy-drama with Steve Steen. From July 2001.
THU 07:30 Hal (b04pr6sy)
Series 1
Death
Hal Cruttenden stars as a 40-something husband and father who, years ago, decided to give up his job and become a stay at home father. His wife, Sam, has a successful business career which makes her travel more and more. His children, Lilly and Molly, are growing up fast, and his role as their father and mentor is diminishing by the day.
Written by Hal Cruttenden and Dominic Holland.
With Dominic Holland, Ed Byrne, Anna Crilly, Gavin Webster, Dominic Frisby and Samuel Caseley.
In this episode, Hal faces a horrifying thought - he might have testicular cancer. So he tries to look mortality in the face - not easy for an overly sensitive and emotional man. He tries to bond with his entrepreneurial stepson Jack, but a visit to a football match doesn't work out as Hal planned.
An unlikely form of salvation arrives when it's suggested that Hal takes part in a charity run. Things take an unexpected turn and Hal actually surprises himself - but not in the way he planned.
Producer: Paul Russell
An Open Mike production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2014.
THU 08:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jp1c)
Series 6
Porn Yesterday
Harold's aghast when he discovers exactly 'What the Butler Saw'!
Starring Wilfrid Brambell as Albert and Harry H Corbett as Harold.
Written for TV and adapted for radio by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Albert ...... Wilfrid Brambell
Harold ...... Harry H Corbett
Mabel ...... Norma Ronald
Vicar ...... Anthony Sharpe
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 eight series for TV.
Producer: Bobby Jaye
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 in March 1976.
THU 08:30 Radio Active (b008s3jb)
Series 4
The Martin Brown Show
A big break for "Mr Hospital Radio" himself, as Martin Brown gets his very own show on Radio Active.
Radio Active is the one and only local national radio station.
Starring:
Helen Atkinson-Wood
Angus Deayton
Geoffrey Perkins
Philip Pope
Michael Fenton-Stevens
Music by Philip Pope and Steve Brown.
Written by Angus Deayton and Geoffrey Perkins. With Jon Canter.
Producer: Jamie Rix
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1984.
THU 09:00 Booked (b0075llz)
Series 3
Episode 2
Ian McMillan's irreverent literary game with Mark Thomas, Roger McGough, Dillie Keane and Miles Kington.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1997.
THU 09:30 Beachcomber... By the Way (b008qs53)
Series 3
Episode 3
A woman struggles to take off her shoe – and the perils of drinking different types of alcohol.
Richard Ingrams John Wells, John Sessions, Joan Sims amd Patricia Routledge recreate the world of JB Morton.
With Brian Bowles, Simon Greenall, Henrietta Gooden and featuring June Whitfield.
Running in the Daily Express from 1924 to 1975 – JB Morton’s surreally comic ‘Beachcomber’ column paved the way for a great deal of modern humour – thanks to characters he created between the wars.
Adapted by Michael Barfield with Richard Ingrams.
Announcer: Brian Perkins.
Producer: Harry Thompson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1994.
THU 10:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b06l3lgf)
1-5 February 1916
In the week when Britain suffered the worst zeppelin raid thus far in the war, all of Folkestone is jumpy.
Written by Shaun McKenna
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
Story-led by Shaun McKenna
Sound: Martha Littlehailes
Composer: Matthew Strachan
Consultant Historian: Maggie Andrews.
THU 11:00 Thomas Hardy Short Stories - More Tales of Village Life (b075p19n)
Old Mrs Chundle
Kindly soul Mrs Chundle, a little deaf, who sought help from the new curate to hear his weekly sermon. (1929) Read by Richard Mitchley.
These tales from Thomas Hardy published between 1877 and 1929, possess all the power of his novels: the wealth of description, the realistic portrayal of the age old lore of Wessex, the 'Chaucerian' humour and the shrewd insights into human nature. They tenderly re-create, what was even then, a rapidly vanishing rural world and yet the narratives remain timeless in their embrace of both the farcical and the tragic aspects of daily life.
Abridged by Isobel Creed
Produced by Lizzie Davies
Made for BBC Radio Extra by Waters Company Productions.
THU 11:15 David Napthine - Unforgettable (b0483q5w)
May All Your Wishes Come True
Eddie is found wandering Newcastle with no idea of his past. What should he do until his memory returns? Stars Derek Walmsley.
THU 12:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jp1c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:00 today]
THU 12:30 Radio Active (b008s3jb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:30 today]
THU 13:00 VI Warshawski (b007jnmq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:00 today]
THU 13:30 Gurinder - the Indian Sequel (b00s1n43)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:30 today]
THU 14:00 Book at Bedtime (b01sdrrp)
John le Carré - A Delicate Truth
Hard Evidence
If the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, how can they remain silent? Damian Lewis begins reading A Delicate Truth, the brand new novel from the master of his genre, John le Carré, a novel which tells the story of a good man who must choose between his conscience and his duty to the Service.
An undercover counter-operation in the British colony of Gibraltar; a middle-ranking man from the Foreign Office serving as 'eyes on' and reporting to an ambitious Minister; the aim to capture a jihadist arms-buyer - the success, assured.
But back in the UK a junior officer has his doubts and commits an unthinkable act. Three years on, he will find himself facing an impossible choice. In a journey that will take him from Cornwall to Wales via murky secrets in the depths of Whitehall, Toby Bell will try to find out the truth about the night on the Rock and bring it the attention and justice it deserves.
Tonight: Hard Evidence - his worst suspicions confirmed, who can Toby trust now?
John le Carré was born in 1931 and attended the universities of Bern and Oxford. He taught at Eton and served briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. For the last fifty years he has lived by his pen. He divides his time between London and Cornwall.
Damian Lewis is a British actor best known for his role as Nicholas Brody in Homeland. His many credits include Band of Brothers, Life and The Forsyte Saga.
The reader is Damian Lewis
The abridger is Sally Marmion
The producer is Di Speirs.
THU 14:15 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03yqj3f)
Webs of Loyalty
Social networking appears to be expanding our circles of friendship just as our sense of community is contracting: Dr Thomas Dixon presents a timely history of how the meaning and experience of friendship have changed over the centuries.
Renaissance thinkers insisted that friendships were purely about emotional ties, but, in reality, friendships are often formed for more instrumental reasons - to give practical support in times of need. "That's what friends are for", observes one speaker in the opening montage of this episode.
Thomas Dixon takes up his story to explore the impact of expanding commerce and politics on friendship in the 18th century.
He learns about the friendship of the midwife and money-lender, Elizabeth Hatchett, with the pawn-broker, Elizabeth Carter, who lived and worked together in London in the early 18th century. And he looks into the circles of friendship of a Sussex shopkeeper, Thomas Turner, during the 1761 General Election, as an example of friendship within political life. Historians Alex Shepard and Naomi Tadmor share their research and vivid examples of such complex webs of loyalty.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2014.
THU 14:30 15 Minute Drama (b04vfczr)
The Skool Days of Nigel Molesworth
Wizz for Atomms
Tired of masters skipping lessens to visit the new under-matron, Prudence, the Headmaster has banned everyone in school from visiting the infirmary.
But Grabber, the skool bully, has fallen for her and orders Molesworth to help him out.
Imelda Staunton stars as Nigel Molesworth, the Curse of St Custards, in this fresh adaptation of the notorious Goriller of 3B's guide to skool life for tiny pupils and their parents.
Aided by best friend Peason and thwarted by everyone from Grabber the skool bully to Wandsworth the skool dog, Nigel Molesworth teaches us the ins and outs of skool life - including how to avoid lessens and how to build your own H-bomb.
Molesworth ...... Imelda Staunton
Peason ...... Sophie Thompson
Grabber ...... Jack Farthing
Headmaster ...... Patrick Barlow
Radio Announcer ...... Lewis Macleod
Adapted by Patrick Barlow and George Poles from the books by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle, with additional material by Abigail Wilson.
Director: Patrick Barlow
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2014.
THU 14:45 The Shepherd's Life (b05r3zjm)
Episode 4
James Rebanks recalls the dark days of 2001, facing the horror of foot-and-mouth disease.
James is the first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations.
In this episode, he remembers the dark days of 2001, when farmers faced the horror of Foot and Mouth disease. From the loss came something unexpected: a neighbour's kindness led him to breed pure Herdwick sheep.
James Rebanks has a huge following on Twitter (he's the @herdyshepherd1 ) where you can see photographs detailing day to day life on the farm - including his fine flock of Herdwick sheep and, the latest additions to the workforce, sheepdog Floss's ten puppies.
Read by Bryan Dick
Written by James Rebanks
Abridged by Sian Preece
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2015.
THU 15:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b06l3lgf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 today]
THU 16:00 Booked (b0075llz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 16:30 Beachcomber... By the Way (b008qs53)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 today]
THU 17:00 All the Young Dudes (b007ncd1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:00 today]
THU 17:30 Hal (b04pr6sy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:30 today]
THU 18:00 Paul Magrs - Never the Bride (b00941pb)
The Vintage Costumed Hero Ball
Monstrous B&B landlady Brenda gets a murderous surprise at a superheroes convention. Stars Joanna Tope and John Paul Hurley.
THU 18:30 Great Lives (b0077058)
Series 10
Nina Simone
Joanna MacGregor chooses the singer, pianist and activist. With Matthew Parris and expert analysis from Mark Coles. From September 2006.
THU 19:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jp1c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:00 today]
THU 19:30 Radio Active (b008s3jb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:30 today]
THU 20:00 VI Warshawski (b007jnmq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:00 today]
THU 20:30 Gurinder - the Indian Sequel (b00s1n43)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:30 today]
THU 21:00 Thomas Hardy Short Stories - More Tales of Village Life (b075p19n)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 today]
THU 21:15 David Napthine - Unforgettable (b0483q5w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 today]
THU 22:00 Hal (b04pr6sy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:30 today]
THU 22:30 The Headset Set (b0124pxs)
Series 1
Episode 2
A new phone system is causing chaos in the call centre at Smile5, the mail order catalogue company.
Eavesdrop on both sides of the bizarre, horrific and ludicrous phone calls when customers call in as events unfold with company staff.
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 ..... Paul Sharma
Writers: James Kettle, Stephen Carlin, Andy Wolton, Colin Hoult, Madeleine Brettingham, Dale Shaw, Kevin Core, Rob Gilroy, Tom Neenan and Jon Hunter.
Script editors: James Kettle and Dan Tetsell
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.
THU 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b076pxzd)
The best in contemporary comedy. Tiff Stevenson chats to Pro Resting.
THU 23:00 Old Harry's Game (b007jmbj)
Series 3
A Four Letter Word
A new arrival in Hell persuades Satan to re-shoot 'Casablanca' - with a mutant alien.
Andy Hamilton’s devilishly funny sitcom set in Hell.
Satan …. Andy Hamilton
The Professor …. James Grout
Thomas …. Jimmy Mulville
Scumspawn …. Robert Duncan
Other characters played by Felicity Montagu, Philip Pope, Nick Revel and Michael Fenton Stevens.
Producer Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1999.
THU 23:30 Sir Ralph Stanza's Letter from Salford (b00767qj)
Series 1
The Verse Was Yet to Come
The new poet-in-residence heads to the north-west to gain inspiration from the locals. Stars James Quinn. From May 2002.
THU 23:45 Steven Appleby's Normal Life (b00slshn)
Series 2
Normal Reality
Cartoonist Steven Appleby is only mildly surprised to be identified as the Earth's supreme being by alien civilisations throughout the universe.
But where does reality end and fantasy begin?
Paul McCrink stars as Steven Appleby with what he laughably describes as "insights into normal, everyday life".
With:
Rosalind Paul
Ewan Bailey
Nigel Betts
Rachel Atkins
Written by Steven Appleby
Producer: Toby Swift
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2003
FRIDAY 01 APRIL 2016
FRI 00:00 Paul Magrs - Never the Bride (b00941pb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Great Lives (b0077058)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 VI Warshawski (b007jnmq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 Gurinder - the Indian Sequel (b00s1n43)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b01sdrrp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:15 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03yqj3f)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 15 Minute Drama (b04vfczr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:45 The Shepherd's Life (b05r3zjm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
14:45 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b06l3lgf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 Booked (b0075llz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 Beachcomber... By the Way (b008qs53)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 All the Young Dudes (b007ncd1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 Hal (b04pr6sy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Lost Special (b01c8cbn)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story of the mysterious disappearance of a train en route from Liverpool. Read by David Schofield.
FRI 06:30 M1: The Modernist Marvel (b00nk9hz)
Poet and musician John Hegley shares his reflections on Britain's first major motorway which opened in 1959, with a poetic meditation.
With his mandolin in tow, John slows down, turns off and seeks out the overlooked sights and sounds of the M1 - the 200-mile stretch of road that's the transport backbone of Britain.
John learns why there is no Junction 3, discovers how a scientific formula for loo breaks determined how far apart service stations should be built, and admires the road for the glimpse on the modern world it offers us.
Producer: Simon Jacobs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2009.
FRI 07:00 1835 (b012mbjv)
Down at the Old Bull and Bush
Belport falls in love with renowned music-hall artiste Emilia La Rue. But can he prise her away from Svyatislav the strong man? Probably not.
Comic saga of an aristocrat and his servant who struggle to find things to do in the mid- 1830s.
Belport ...... Paul Rider
Ned ...... Jason Done
Danvers ...... Roy Barraclough
The Great Fettuccine ...... Simon Greenall
Emelia ...... Sue Cleaver
Written and directed at BBC Manchester by Jim Poyser.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2004.
FRI 07:30 Wordaholics (b01sdmd2)
Series 2
Episode 6
Gyles Brandreth presides over the comedy panel game where, this week, Susie Dent and Lloyd Langford compete against Dave Gorman and Natalie Haynes to find out which team is the most passionate and knowledgeable about words.
This week Susie Dent reveals two of her favourite now-defunct words from Samuel Johnson's Dictionary are 'pandiculation' (to stretch while yawning) and 'snirtle' (to laugh in a quiet and restrained manner); Dave Gorman comes up with a new cliche to replace 'Curiosity Killed the Cat'; Natalie Haynes tells us what the Cockney rhyming slang 'a Basil' refers to and Lloyd Langford is asked the meaning of 'dumpoke' from the 1903 dictionary, 'Hobson Jobson - A Glossary of Anglo Indian Colloquial Words and Phrases' (a book which Susie Dent claims is 'a very good read').
Writers: Jon Hunter and James Kettle
Producer: Claire Jones.
FRI 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jxpn)
Series 6
The Impersonator
When he hears his sound-alike in a TV commercial, the lad heads straight to court.
Starring Tony Hancock. With Sidney James, Bill Kerr, Peter Goodwright, Ann Lancaster, Jerry Stovin, Jack Watson, Ronald Wilson and Wilfrid Babbage.
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 December 1959.
FRI 08:30 The Goon Show (b008wf71)
Series 7
The Nadger Plague
Neddie Seagoon turns to witchcraft in a bid to thwart Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty
Groundbreaking, surreal BBC radio comedy written by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens.
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 October 1956.
FRI 09:00 Wildbrain (b075pp7l)
1997 - Semi-final
Lionel Kelleway visits Bristol, to test more wildlife knowledge in the BBC Natural History Unit's quiz.
FRI 09:30 No Commitments (b007jp3z)
Series 8
Impossibly High Standards
Victoria grows more irritating, as Anna gets a surprise proposition. Simon Brett comedy starring Celia Imrie. From January 2002.
FRI 10:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b06l4n8z)
8-12 February 1916
In the week that conscription came into effect, there are secrets and celebrations in Folkestone. Final Omnibus of the season, Home Front returns on 4th April 2016
Adeline Lumley ..... Helen Schlesinger
Albert Wilson ..... Jamie Foreman
Anna White ..... Amelia Lowdell
Charles Chaplin ..... Owen Clarke
Cristine ..... Ysabelle Cooper
Dolly Clout ..... Elaine Claxton
Dorothea Winwood ..... Rachel Shelley
Dr Streatfield ..... Chris Pavlo
Elsie Buss ..... Tracey Wiles
Eric Morton ..... Paul Rainbow
Florrie Wilson ..... Claire Rushbrook
Gabriel Graham ..... Michael Bertenshaw
Hilary Pearce ..... Craige Els
Isabel Graham ..... Keely Beresford
Ivor Davies ..... Alun Raglan
Ivy Layton ..... Lizzy Watts
Jessie Moore ..... Lucy Hutchinson
Johnnie Marshall ..... Paul Ready
Kitty Lumley ..... Ami Metcalf
Laurie Pearce ..... Will Howard
Lilian Frost ..... Alex Tregear
Maisie Harris ..... Cassie Layton
Nancy Parker ..... Jane Whittenshaw
Norman Harris ..... Sean Baker
Roland Pemble ..... Jack Holden
Ruby Tulliver ..... Martine McCutcheon
Ruth Billings ..... Katie Redford
Sylvia Graham ..... Joanna David
Victor Lumley ..... Joel MacCormack
Winifred Dinsdale ..... Alice Lowe
Clerk ..... Richard Pepple
Written by Shaun McKenna
Directed by Allegra McIlroy
Editor: Jessica Dromgoole
Story-led by Shaun McKenna
Sound: Martha Littlehailes
Composer: Matthew Strachan
Consultant Historian: Maggie Andrews.
FRI 11:00 Thomas Hardy Short Stories - More Tales of Village Life (b075pq6s)
The Thieves Who Couldn't Help Sneezing
An ambush on Christmas Eve does not end well for the perpetrators. (1877) Read by Richard Mitchley.
These tales from Thomas Hardy published between 1877 and 1929, possess all the power of his novels: the wealth of description, the realistic portrayal of the age old lore of Wessex, the 'Chaucerian' humour and the shrewd insights into human nature. They tenderly re-create, what was even then, a rapidly vanishing rural world and yet the narratives remain timeless in their embrace of both the farcical and the tragic aspects of daily life.
Abridged by Isobel Creed
Produced by Lizzie Davies
Made for BBC Radio Extra by Waters Company Productions.
FRI 11:15 Drama (b011plrz)
Gerda Stevenson - The Apple Tree
Family drama set on a Scottish island, starring Juliet Stevenson.
Maria is an Englishwoman who has fallen in love with her husband Iain's Highland heritage - but there's a shock in store for them when they take a trip home to his mother's island croft.
It is Hogmanay. Iain, an artist, and the son of a crofter, has just received news of his mother's death. He and Maria set off from Edinburgh to attend the funeral. They drive north in blizzard conditions. Eventually they reach Iain's mother's house, where brother James, sister-in-law Ishbel, and the church elders are gathered. In the aftermath of this family crisis Maria's love affair with the island way of life will be severely tested.
Maria..............Juliet Stevenson
Iain.................Iain MacRae
James.............David Walker
Ishbel..............Carina MacLeod
Minister..........Angus Peter Campbell
Producer/director: Bruce Young
Gerda Stevenson is a Scottish actress, writer and director. She is married to the Gaelic poet, Aonghas MacNeacail.
FRI 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jxpn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 The Goon Show (b008wf71)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Lost Special (b01c8cbn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 M1: The Modernist Marvel (b00nk9hz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 Book at Bedtime (b01sdw31)
John le Carré - A Delicate Truth
A Ghost from the Past
If the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, how can they remain silent? Damian Lewis begins reading A Delicate Truth, the brand new novel from the master of his genre, John le Carré, a novel which tells the story of a good man who must choose between his conscience and his duty to the Service.
An undercover counter-operation in the British colony of Gibraltar; a middle-ranking man from the Foreign Office serving as 'eyes on' and reporting to an ambitious Minister; the aim to capture a jihadist arms-buyer - the success, assured.
But back in the UK a junior officer has his doubts and commits an unthinkable act. Three years on, he will find himself facing an impossible choice. In a journey that will take him from Cornwall to Wales via murky secrets in the depths of Whitehall, Toby Bell will try to find out the truth about the night on the Rock and bring it the attention and justice it deserves.
Tonight: A Ghost from the Past - Sir Christopher Probyn's idyllic retirement is about to be shattered.
John le Carré was born in 1931 and attended the universities of Bern and Oxford. He taught at Eton and served briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. For the last fifty years he has lived by his pen. He divides his time between London and Cornwall.
Damian Lewis is a British actor best known for his role as Nicholas Brody in Homeland. His many credits include Band of Brothers, Life and The Forsyte Saga.
The reader is Damian Lewis
The abridger is Sally Marmion
The producer is Di Speirs.
FRI 14:15 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b03yqyz9)
When William Met Mary
Social networking appears to be expanding our circles of friendship just as our sense of community is contracting: Dr Thomas Dixon presents a timely history of how the meaning and experience of friendship have changed over the centuries.
The famous 1989 film, When Harry Met Sally, crystallised for modern viewers the key question of whether a man and woman can truly be friends without any sexual element.
This was a question which radical and educated people were beginning to ask in the 18th century, alongside its mirror image - can a husband and wife also be friends?
Thomas Dixon traces the changing face of friendship and the new idea of "companionate marriage" during this era, through the linked histories of the feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and the radical philosopher William Godwin.
With the help of the historian Barbara Taylor, he considers three moving stories: Mary's early friendship with Fanny Blood, of whom she declared: "To live with this friend is the height of my ambition"; the halting start, close friendship and devoted but tragically short marriage of Wollstonecraft with Godwin, who described their relationship as "friendship melting into love"; and the marriage of their daughter, Mary, who wrote of her desolation after the death by drowning of her husband, the poet Percy Shelley: "I have now no friend."
Thomas Dixon brings together issues of friendship and marriage in this most contemporary of historical series.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2014.
FRI 14:30 15 Minute Drama (b04vjh7t)
The Skool Days of Nigel Molesworth
Fun with Scrumms
As the school term comes to an end, Molesworth must find a way to survive the perils of the playing field and the wrath of skool bully Grabber if he’s to have any hope of tucking into some Christmas turkey.
Imelda Staunton stars as Nigel Molesworth, the Curse of St Custards, in this fresh adaptation of the notorious Goriller of 3B's guide to skool life for tiny pupils and their parents.
Aided by best friend Peason and thwarted by everyone from Grabber the skool bully to Wandsworth the skool dog, Nigel Molesworth teaches us the ins and outs of skool life - including how to avoid lessens and how to build your own H-bomb.
Molesworth ...... Imelda Staunton
Peason ...... Sophie Thompson
Grabber ...... Jack Farthing
Prudence ...... Jessica Brown Findlay
Headmaster ...... Patrick Barlow
Chief Prune ...... Lewis Macleod
Adapted by Patrick Barlow and George Poles from the books by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle, with additional material by Abigail Wilson.
Director: Patrick Barlow
Producer: Liz Anstee
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2014.
FRI 14:45 The Shepherd's Life (b05r6sx0)
Episode 5
Spring is the farmer's reward for the hard days of winter - and in this final episode, the cycle of the year begins again, as James Rebanks prepares for lambing.
The first son of a shepherd, who was himself the first son of a shepherd, James and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. Through his eyes we see that the Lake District is not a playground or a scenic backdrop, it's a working landscape that needs sheep and its farmers to survive.
Concluded by Bryan Dick
Written by James Rebanks
Abridged by Sian Preece
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron
Music details:
Track: "The Nightshift"
CD: Country Escape
Label: BBC Production Music BBCPM031.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2015.
FRI 15:00 Home Front - Omnibus (b06l4n8z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 today]
FRI 16:00 Wildbrain (b075pp7l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
FRI 16:30 No Commitments (b007jp3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 today]
FRI 17:00 1835 (b012mbjv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:00 today]
FRI 17:30 Wordaholics (b01sdmd2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:30 today]
FRI 18:00 Paul Magrs - Never the Bride (b009gctd)
Our Frank
A cliff-top drama for Whitby landlady Brenda, when her monstrous old fiance appears. Stars Joanna Tope and Monica Gibb.
FRI 18:30 Soul Music (b008pygx)
Series 6
Tainted Love
Originally a Motown song written by Ed Cobb and recorded by Gloria Jones, Tainted Love became famous on the UK's Northern Soul scene in the late 1970s.
It was heard by Marc Almond and Dave Ball who later became Soft Cell, and recorded a classic version.
Featuring:
Mark Ravenhill
Peter Christopherson
Ray Harris
Russ Winstanley
Alan King
Dave Ball
Mike Thorne
Danny McNamara
Nev Fountain
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.
Producer: Sara Conkey
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2008.
FRI 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jxpn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 The Goon Show (b008wf71)
[Repeat of broadcast at
08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The Lost Special (b01c8cbn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 M1: The Modernist Marvel (b00nk9hz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Thomas Hardy Short Stories - More Tales of Village Life (b075pq6s)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:00 today]
FRI 21:15 Drama (b011plrz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 today]
FRI 22:00 Wordaholics (b01sdmd2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 Rudy's Rare Records (b01nq1c8)
Series 4
Miss Reenie Comes to Stay
Adam's surprise birthday present for his Dad backfires.
Adam has a surprise for his Dad's birthday - his sister Reenie! It backfires when Miss Reenie turns out to be the house guest from hell and plans to stay for 6 months.
Father and son comedy set in the finest old-school record shop in Birmingham. Starring Lenny Henry, Larrington Walker and some terrific tunes.
Rudy's Rare Records is a tiny down at heel old reggae record shop in Birmingham - one of a dying breed; a place with real soul, stacked with piles of vinyl, where the slogan is "if we don't have it - them don't mek it". It's owned by the charismatic, irrepressible Rudy Sharpe (Larrington Walker), reluctantly helped out by his long-suffering neurotic son Adam (Lenny Henry) and Handsworth's first, black, surly girly goth, Tasha (Natasha Godfrey). Rudy has recently married his long-term love interest Doreen (Claire Benedict) which is leaving his best friend Clifton (Jeffery Kissoon) feeling left out - that is until Rudy's sister Miss Reenie comes to stay.
Adam ..........Lenny Henry
Rudy.......... Larrington Walker
Tasha...........Natasha Godfrey
Doreen..........Claire Benedict
Clifton...........Jeffery Kissoon
Miss Reenie.......Angela Wynter
RSPCA Man ........ ..Joe Sims
Written by Paula Hines
Script Editor: Danny Robins
Producer: Katie Tyrrell
SWEET JAMAICA * LORD KITCHENER
DANGER IN YOUR EYES * ASWAD
LORD A MASSIE MASSIE * DANNY D AND THE SHADOWS
NOT ME * ROBERT MITCHUM
GIRL I'VE GOT A DATE * ALTON ELLIS
I'M IN LOVE AGAIN * FATS DOMINO
TOP FORM/OLD MACDONALD * YELLOWMAN
SISTER LOVE * GREGORY ISAACS
BLACK WOMAN * SISTER CAROL
DANGEROUS * KARDINAL OFFISHALL & AKON.
FRI 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b076py0b)
The best in contemporary comedy. Arthur Smith chats to Max and Ivan.
FRI 23:00 The Mark Steel Lecture (b007md98)
Series 2
Che Guevara
The radical comedian profiles the revolutionary leader who became a left-wing hero, despite chronic asthma. From April 2001.
FRI 23:30 Hard to Tell (b03jb3n7)
Series 2
Episode 3
Second series of the relationship comedy written by Jonny Sweet.
It tells its central love story through the couple's individual conversations with their family and friends. In the process, we are introduced to all manner of relationships from a father and his cherished tour van to two women rivalling for the position of Best Friend, from a brother and sister comparing notes on Brazilians to a vicar and his new parish, and from a lodger's historic fling with a local waitress to a mum's lack of control over her desire to monitor her son's life.
Recorded on location, Hard To Tell's naturalistic, contemporary and conversational style brings new meaning to restaurants, funerals, French dressers and monkey puzzle trees.
Jonny Sweet is also the writer of Radio 4's Party and co-writer/co-star of Chickens on Sky 1.
Episode 3:
Tom's Mum's cousin has died and she volunteers her son to give the eulogy. At the funeral, Ellen suspects an infidelity, while Gillian the lodger suspects a mental disorder.
Producer: Lucy Armitage
A Tiger Aspect production for BBC Radio 4.