SATURDAY 17 DECEMBER 2016

SAT 00:00 Robert Aickman - The Hospice: Omnibus (b0855zx8)
4 Extra Debut. BBC 6 Music's Gideon Coe reads Robert Aickman's teasingly elusive strange tale, with a newly commissioned soundtrack by Vic Mars.
SAT 00:30 Soul Music (b013q20t)
Series 12, Spiegel im Spiegel
Exploring the impact that Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's piece for piano and violin Spiegel im Spiegel has had on people's lives.
Written in 1978, just prior to his departure from Estonia, Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel is musically minimal, yet produces a serene tranquillity.
It's in F major in 6/4 time, with the piano playing rising crotchet triads and the violin playing slow scales, alternately rising and falling, of increasing length, which all end on the note A. The score of the piece looks deceptively simple, but as violinist, Tasmin Little explains, it's one of the most difficult pieces to perform because the playing has to simply be perfect, or the mood is lost.
"Spiegel im Spiegel" in German literally can mean both "mirror in the mirror" as well as "mirrors in the mirror", referring to the infinity of images produced by parallel plane mirrors.
The programme contains an interview with visual artist Mary Husted who heard this work and was inspired to produce a set of collages called "Spiegel im Spiegel" which in a round about way, led to her long lost son tracing her for the first time in his life.
SAT 01:00 The Blackburn Files (b007wn7k)
Series 3, A Case of Happy Endings
Setting out to track down a missing person, private-eye Steven J Blackburn finds something more...
The concluding case for the ex-pitman turned investigator and his assistant Tracey. Set in a South Yorkshire town that's seen better days.
Starring Finetime Fontayne as Stephen J Blackburn, Judy Flynn as Tracey Duggan, John Branwell as Frank Ellis and Ann Rye as Maggie.
Scripted by Ian McMillan, Martyn Wiley and Dave Sheasby
Director: Dave Sheasby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1993.
SAT 01:30 In Search of the Villa Noel Fleuri (b00x44dz)
The American thriller and travel-writer, David Dodge (1910-1974), is best known for his 1952 novel To Catch A Thief, which Hitchcock turned into an iconic film three years later. Unusually for Hitchcock, half the film was shot on location, and the Riviera is as much a star as Grace Kelly (in her final film - she met Prince Rainier during a publicity shoot and became Princess of Monaco) and Cary Grant (whom Hitchcock tempted out of retirement with this script).
Dodge's book was inspired by a real incident when he briefly became the number 1 suspect for a daring cat-burglary at his rich neighbour's villa. It is the story of John Robie, a reformed cat-burglar who must prove his innocence by catching the thief who is duplicating his methods. His pursuit leads him into the arms of beautiful American heiress Francie Stevens.
Jean Buchanan tells the story and attempts to locate the Villa Noel Fleuri, where these dramatic events ultimately resulted in one of Hollywood's best-loved films. In the course of her quest Jean visits Golfe Juan, the fishing port between Canne and Nice where the Dodges arrived in France; she's given a tour of the Carlton hotel in Cannes by the Chef-Concierge, Stephane Fanciulli, who shows her the very room where Grant and Kelly watched - and made - fireworks; she makes a notable discovery in the Nice-Matin newspaper archives and attempts to consolidate her finds on maps held in Vallauris.
She is assisted by Randal Brandt of the Bancroft Library at the University of California Berkeley and by Dirk Dominic, an expert in To Catch A Thief locations. While Paul Gambaccini lends his expertise in film.
Jean Buchanan has adapted Dodge's novel, To Catch A Thief, as a play for BBC Radio 4, to be broadcast on 08/01/2011.
Producer: Marya Burgess.
SAT 02:00 Ian McEwan - Saturday (b0076r5g)
Episode 10
February 15th, 2003: At the end of the day, Henry Perowne realises he has a decision to make. Concluded by Robert Glenister.
SAT 02:15 Book of the Week (b01mltk6)
Bring Me Sunshine - A Windswept, Rain-Soaked, Sun-Kissed, Snow-Capped Guide to Our Weather, Fog
by Charlie Connelly
Read by Stephen Mangan
The final stops on Charlie Connelly's meteorological journey include a young man's obsession with photographing snowflakes and a musical ode to the sea - the foghorn symphony.
We talk about the weather a lot. It exasperates, confounds and on occasion delights us. Our national conversation is dominated by the weather, but how much do we really know about it? In Bring Me Sunshine, Charlie Connelly sets off on the trail of our island obsession.
He breezes through the lives of meteorological eccentrics, geniuses, rainmakers and cloud-busters and brings vividly to life great weather events from history.
He sheds light on Britain's weirdest wind, the first weather forecast and why people once thought firing cannons at clouds was a great idea.
Having adventured round the shipping forecast areas for his bestselling Attention All Shipping, Connelly is the perfect guide through a mélange of gales, blizzards, mists, heatwaves and the occasional shower of fish. Bring Me Sunshine answers all your weather questions as well as helping you to distinguish your graupel from your petrichor.
Produced by Joanna Green
A Pier Production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 02:30 Moya O'Shea - The Chocolate Lovers' Club (b00w6f7p)
Episode 5
Mysterious Mrs Drexl is last to share a chocolate tale, and the members soon discover why. Moya O'Shea's tale with Sylvia Syms and Paula Wilcox.
SAT 02:45 Travels With a Donkey (b00cblbn)
A Night Among the Pines
There's donkey trouble and no women around for Robert Louis Stevenson on his French mountain adventure. Read by Alan Cumming.
SAT 03:00 Classic Serial (b00cq7p2)
The Ring and the Book, Episode 2
Robert Browning's poetic masterpiece of sex, lies and murder, adapted by Martyn Wade.
Accused of murder, Guido fights desperately for his life.
Browning ...... Anton Lesser
Guido Franceschini ...... Roger Allam
Pompilia ...... Loo Brealey
Caponsacchi ...... Dominic Rowan
Bottini ...... Michael Maloney
Arcangeli ...... Stephen Moore
Pietro Comparini ...... Andrew Sachs
Violante Comparini ...... Frances Jeater
Paolo Franceschini ...... Dan Starkey
Margherita ...... Joan Walker
Judge ...... John Rowe
Directed by Abigail le Fleming.
SAT 04:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b03cf03n)
Series 6, Ingrams, Bussmann, Stringer
This week, the Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Humphrey Ker welcome Private Eye founder and editor of The Oldie Richard Ingrams; comedian and "world's worst foreign correspondent" Jane Bussmann, and the former head of Sony and the CBS network Sir Howard Stringer to discuss libel, lucky scrapes, African warlords, dozy judges and the difficulties of depicting a famous chat-show host's body parts in a cartoon.
The show was researched by James Harkin Molly Oldfield and Stevyn Colgan of QI.
The producers were Richard Turner and Dan Schreiber.
SAT 04:30 The Phenomenon Squad (b0855z15)
Episode 4
Brabazon's intrepid cops are purging pornography. But WPI Nutkins wants a wimple. Stars Roy Kinnear and Susie Blake. From October 1987.
SAT 05:00 Never Too Late (b011j605)
Down Memory Lane
Feisty Hilda's senior citizen holiday sees man-mad Mildred after a nostalgic destination. Stars Thora Hird. From January 1981.
SAT 05:30 John Shuttleworth's Lounge Music (b084tlr0)
Series 2, Episode 4
John Shuttleworth invites celebrated pop stars to his Sheffield home to perform one of their own songs and also, more importantly, one of his.
This week, John's guest is Mari Wilson.
Joan Chitty gets very excited about Mari's visit as she used to have a wonderful beehive and Joan would like Mari to give her the same look. John is not convinced this is a good idea as Joan has very short spiky hair and far too much hair lacquer would be required.
Anyway, there are more important things to be done. Mari needs to sing one of John's songs and John has to prepare for a medley of Mari's songs and get Top Tips on the Telephone from Tony Burrows who famously appeared on Top of The Pops three times in one show!
Written and Performed by Graham Fellows with special guests Mari Wilson and Toni Burrows
Produced by Dawn Ellis
A Chic Ken production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 06:00 Saturday Drama (b01kxzr6)
From Russia with Love
It's 1955 and the Russians plan an act of terrorism. Choice of target? James Bond. To be 'killed with ignominy': a major sex scandal will leave his reputation, and that of MI6, in tatters.
Colonel Rosa Klebb of the KGB devises a plan to lure Bond into their trap, using beautiful Corporal Tatiana Romanova as bait - plus a Spektor, the latest Russian decoding device. MI6 learns that Tatiana wants to defect and 'M' orders Bond to Istanbul. When Tatiana makes contact she seems to be in love with him - but is she? Either way, he soon falls for her and they leave Istanbul together, accompanied by larger-than-life Darko Kerim, Head of British Intelligence in Turkey. The climax of the drama includes a surprising confrontation between Bond and the murderous Rosa Klebb.
In writer Archie Scottney's brilliantly evocative 'radio screenplay', we see another side to 007. Unsure of his judgement, can he bring the lovely Tatiana safely to England, along with the precious Spektor? Will the Russians succeed in having Bond killed? If so, who is the would-be murderer?
This is Jarvis & Ayres' third James Bond dramatization.
Specially composed music by Mark Holden and Michael Lopez
Director: Martin Jarvis
Producer: Rosalind Ayres
A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 07:30 Cat Women of the Moon (b0145x7h)
Episode 2
Cat Women of the Moon was a 1950s film that followed a popular motif in science fiction; an all women society surviving without men. One of its biggest challenges? How to reproduce. In the final part of a two part programme we look at how science fiction has been used to examine the myriad ways we might continue the human race. From test tube babies to parthenogenesis. From cloning to male pregnancy. From artificial wombs to a collective consciousness or hive mind. The programme includes contributions from some of Britain's leading science fiction writers including Iain Banks, China Mieville, Nicola Griffith and Geoff Ryman. The programme is presented by the writer Sarah Hall, author of 'The Carhullan Army' and 'The Electric Michelangelo' which was short listed for the Booker Prize. The programme is produced in Manchester by Nicola Swords.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b01hw44y)
A History of the Stiff Upper Lip
Emotion is no longer private. Whether a marital collapse on reality TV or real-time twitter updates on the progress of an abortion, emotions are hung out there for all to witness. Whatever element of self-restraint may exist in our cultural DNA, it's increasingly under siege.
We've come a long way from when the ruling classes saw reticence and fair play as virtues uniquely their own and lamented 'the emotionally-uncontrolled and latently-violent working class'; when English public schools were created specifically to educate boys into showing submission, courtesy and devotion to their superiors; and when there lurked a real fear of the working class 'losing control', rebelling, and giving rise to anarchy.
Louisa Foxe goes on a journey through the archives - sometimes horrifying or amusing, always revealing and perceptive - and reveals how and why the British attitudes towards the expression of emotion have changed; how the nation has swung in and out of its penchant for repression over 600 years; and how that first Victorian stiff upper lip, far from being entrenched, was actually the product of post-Romantic pragmatism, anxiety about manliness and colonial necessity.
Taking their toll on the stiff upper lip, Louisa argues, have been two world wars, the socialist project, the rise of therapy culture, and the demise of the aristocracy's moral influence.
The results? Exclusively positive, some would say. But archive from World War One to Princess Diana, and interviewees including Frank Furedi, Ralph Fiennes, David Starkey, Andrew Motion, Peter Hitchens, and Thomas Dixon suggest that results are mixed at best and that we haven't changed as much as we believe.
Producer: David Coomes
A CTVC Production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 09:00 Sue Perkins' Christmas Comedy Stocking (b007jzvz)
Episode 1
Feel festive with Radio Active, The Masterson Inheritance, and Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead. Plus Tony Hawks' 12 Days of Christmas and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Christmas Carol.
SAT 12:00 Robin and Wendy's Wet Weekends (b0132tk0)
Series 3, Alka Salsa
Robin is talked into a salsa weekend, against his better judgement. Starring Kay Stonham and Amelia Bulmore. From June 2004.
SAT 12:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k4m9)
The Bolshoi Ballet
The lad's hopes for a night of dance at London's Covent Garden don't quite go to plan.
Starring Tony Hancock, Sidney James, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Theme and incidental music composed by Wally Stott. Recorded by the BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz.
Producer: Dennis Main Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1956.
SAT 13:00 Writing the Century: Omnibus (b085zwrf)
Writers James and Timmie Hanley send news and advice to their son Liam across 30 years. With Katherine Jakeways and Paul McGann.
SAT 14:15 Down Your Way (b085zygq)
Pam Ayres in the Forest of Dean
4 Extra Debut. On her first visit, poet Pam Ayres had a broken heart - as she returns to the 'land twixt the Severn and the Wye. From March 1988.
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b01hw44y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 Saturday Drama (b01kxzr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Cat Women of the Moon (b0145x7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 The Scarifyers (b085zygs)
The King of Winter, Episode 4
As everlasting winter sets in, Crow and Dunning race to save Prince George from the evil Lord Blackthorn. Starring David Warner.
SAT 18:30 Weird Tales (b01nt0s0)
Series 3, Night Terrors
by Lizzie Nunnery
The pressure's getting too much for clever clogs Victoria. She can't sleep at night. She has nightmares. But it's okay because they're just bad dreams. Until one day the dreams become real. Eddie Marsan stars in the final terrifying episode from a series of chilling plays for winter nights.
Cast
Dad ... Eddie Marsan
Victoria ... Katie Angelou
Laura ... Georgia Groome
Mum ... Sally Orrock
Jane ... Francine Chamberlain
Produced by Helen Perry
The Writer
Lizzie is a talented young playwright whose new play THE SWALLOWING DARK was a finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2010. She was one of the writers of the critically acclaimed UNPROTECTED, which was awarded the Amnesty International Award for Freedom of Expression. Lizzie has also had numerous radio plays broadcast including PRINTS: POSTCARDS FROM A CATACLYSM, THE SINGER, TINY CHAOS,DEATH IN UPPER DUKE STREET and an adaptation of a Dick Clement and Ian le Frenais script for Radio 4's DECADES season. She is currently under commission with the Druid Theatre and is Writer in Residence at Liverpool Hope University.
SAT 19:00 Sue Perkins' Christmas Comedy Stocking (b007jzvz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 My Teenage Diary (b01l0kc5)
Series 4, Rhona Cameron
My Teenage Diary returns with six more brave celebrities ready to revisit their formative years by opening up their intimate teenage diaries, and reading them out in public for the very first time. In this episode, comedian Rufus Hound is joined by Rhona Cameron who revisits her teenage years when she struggled to come to terms with her sexuality and had to cope with the sudden death of her father.
Producer: Harriet Jaine
A Talkback production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 22:30 Revolting People (b007jrt6)
Series 1, More Storm Clouds
The wedding reception of the year ends in drunken chaos. 1770 America sitcom starring Andy Hamilton. From January 2000.
SAT 23:00 The Mary Whitehouse Experience (b007jn4f)
From 10/02/1990
David Baddiel, Rob Newman, Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis give timely Valentine's Day advice. With Mark Thomas. From February 1990.
SAT 23:30 Elis James's Pantheon of Heroes (b01c19p3)
Series 1, Heroic Failures
Gelert the dog, anyone who has played rugby for Wales and William Frost face the vote. From February 2012.

SUNDAY 18 DECEMBER 2016

SUN 00:00 The Scarifyers (b085zygs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 00:30 Weird Tales (b01nt0s0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 Writing the Century: Omnibus (b085zwrf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:15 Down Your Way (b085zygq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Saturday]
SUN 03:00 Archive on 4 (b01hw44y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 Saturday Drama (b01kxzr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 Cat Women of the Moon (b0145x7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Moya O'Shea - The Chocolate Lovers' Club (b00w8ljj)
Omnibus
Friends recall the importance of chocolate in their lives. Moya O'Shea's tales star Sylvia Syms, Paula Wilcox and Eleanor Bron.
SUN 07:15 Completely Crackers (b00pd1nx)
Episode 1
Comedian Linda Smith discovers how the wrapper, bang, joke, hat and gift in Christmas crackers came to be. From December 2001.
SUN 07:30 Cabin Pressure (b04vf959)
Series 5, Zurich, Part 2
One of the most popular radio sitcoms of the past ten years bows out with a special double episode. In this second and concluding part, as the crew embark on a race against time, just what is Gerti's secret? And will it be happy ever after for Carolyn and Herc?
With the show titles running alphabetically from the first ever episode - "Abu Dhabi" through to this double finale "Zurich" - the cast and crew of MJN Air discover that whether it's choosing an ice-cream flavour, putting a princess in a van or remembering your grandmother's name, no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult.
With special guests including Anthony Head and Timothy West.
Written by John Finnemore
Produced and Directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 08:00 Take It From Here (b01d8nxs)
From 07/05/1958
A spy film spoof takes to the rails, while Ron Glum has got money troubles. Stars Jimmy Edwards and June Whitfield. From May 1958.
SUN 08:30 The Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise Show (b01j9t01)
Series 1, Episode 1
Starting their new series, much loved-comedy Eric and Ernie try to work out when they were last on the radio. But in surprise news, their bachelor flat-share is looking under threat.

Special singing guests: Peters and Lee.
Written by Eddie Braben
With Anne Hamilton, Michael Segal and Arthur Tolcher.
Music by Dennis Wilson & His Orchestra.
Producer: John Browell

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in February 1975.
SUN 09:00 Richard Holmes - This Long Pursuit: Omnibus (b0860423)
Richard Holmes reflects on 50 years pursuing the lives of others and celebrates the art of biography. Read by Patrick Malahide.
SUN 10:10 Inheritance Tracks (b0860425)
Gabriela Montero
Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero chooses the Schumann's 'Fantasie' and 'Quintet Opus 18' by Mieczyslaw Weinberg.
SUN 10:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b0860428)
Absent Friends, Sir Terry Wogan
4 Extra Debut. After Roy Plomley and Sue Lawley, Terry Wogan shares his third set of castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From January 2012.
SUN 11:00 The Moth Radio Hour (b08604sx)
Series 4, Pagan Fundraisers, Blue Haired Boy, Autism and Oscar
True stories told live in the USA. Jenifer Hixson introduces stories exploring bad luck, faith and perilous adventures.
SUN 11:55 The Listening Project (b01pglry)
Diane and Michael: Man's Best Friend
Fi Glover presents a conversation between a father and daughter Radio 4's series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen. Michael is devoted to his Border Collie and Diane wonders whether perhaps he prefers his dog to his daughter.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Many of the long conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can upload your own conversations or just learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject.
SUN 12:00 Take It From Here (b01d8nxs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 12:30 The Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise Show (b01j9t01)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 13:00 Moya O'Shea - The Chocolate Lovers' Club (b00w8ljj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 14:15 Completely Crackers (b00pd1nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SUN 14:30 Karen Blixen - Babette's Feast: Omnibus (b08606yr)
A few years after the French Revolution, maid Babette cooks her employers a special meal. Read by Sylvestra Le Touzel.
SUN 15:45 Keith Waterhouse - Albert and the Liner (b0186y9l)
A lad is convinced a model of the Queen Mary is coming his way for Christmas. Keith Waterhouse's tale is read by Malcolm Hebden.
SUN 16:00 Peter Tinniswood (b08607fn)
Pen Pals
4 Extra Debut. Transatlantic pen pals since 11, Bristol-based Fay is terrified when Beth announces she is coming to visit. Stars Jane Lapotaire.
SUN 17:00 Poetry Extra (b08607jm)
Paul Durcan - Christmas Day 2/3
Poet-in-Residence Daljit Nagra selects Paul Durcan's reading of his poem Christmas Day. From 1997.
SUN 17:30 Cabin Pressure (b04vf959)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 18:00 Lucy Gannon - Angels at Partridge Cottage (b086098z)
4 Extra Debut. Zoe and Magnus want a Christmas away from it all, but ghosts in their cottage have more traditional ideas. Stars Hedli Nicklaus.
SUN 19:00 The Moth Radio Hour (b08604sx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 19:55 The Listening Project (b01pglry)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:55 today]
SUN 20:00 Richard Holmes - This Long Pursuit: Omnibus (b0860423)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SUN 21:10 Inheritance Tracks (b0860425)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:10 today]
SUN 21:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b0860428)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:15 today]
SUN 22:30 Dave Podmore (b007r4mh)
Dave Podmore's Cricket Fix, Episode 4
The sporting legend tries to gauge the English team's success in his own murky way. Stars Christopher Douglas. From June 2001.
SUN 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b0875z26)
The best in contemporary comedy. Arthur Smith chats to Tez Ilyas.
SUN 23:00 History Retweeted (b03xf1k0)
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The programme that sends us back in time as we hear people from the past comment on a series of major world events, in less than 140 characters.
In The Fall of The Berlin Wall, East meets West in the field of online dating, 80's children's programming pops up on your screen, and Tim Berners-Lee tweets about his world-changing new invention.
Turning statuses into sounds, History Retweeted transports us to timelines gone by, feeding hashtags, trolls and trending topics into moments from history.
Featuring the voices of Tim Barnes and Simon Berry, Wayne Forester and Annabelle Llewellyn, Peter Temple and Jelly Macintosh. With Lucy Beaumont as the voice of The Computer.
Written by Tim Barnes and Simon Berry
Produced by Sally Harrison
A Woolyback production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 23:15 My Booze Hell, by Little Johnny Cartilage (b00d67yf)
Frank Wignall
John Waite investigates the shocking claim that the Cartilages were not a real family. With Ben Miller. From October 1996.
SUN 23:30 The Skivers (b0080rd1)
Series 2, Episode 5
In the final recording at the famous BBC Paris Studios, Nick Golson and Tim de Jongh welcome Spike Milligan. From March 1995.

MONDAY 19 DECEMBER 2016

MON 00:00 Lucy Gannon - Angels at Partridge Cottage (b086098z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Moya O'Shea - The Chocolate Lovers' Club (b00w8ljj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:15 Completely Crackers (b00pd1nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 Karen Blixen - Babette's Feast: Omnibus (b08606yr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:45 Keith Waterhouse - Albert and the Liner (b0186y9l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:45 on Sunday]
MON 04:00 Peter Tinniswood (b08607fn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Poetry Extra (b08607jm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Cabin Pressure (b04vf959)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b018zllv)
Episode 1
Starting afresh on a Swedish island, Joakim and Katrine's little girl can't sleep. Supernatural thriller read by Nigel Cooke.
MON 06:30 Mel's Iron Age Holiday (b017mv1r)
Mel Giedroyc takes a British family back 2,000 years to live in a Danish Iron Age village at Sagnlandet Lejre. Every summer ordinary families apply to live in the authentically reconstructed village for a week, to experience living as close to the Iron Age as possible. This year one lucky British family has been accepted.
Mel Giedroyc joins them and immerses herself with glee: putting on the layers of hand-woven woollen garments and matching bonnet and settling down onto her sheepskins in her pitch-dark wattle-and-daub hut. It's hard and primitive living. Days are occupied by gathering and preparing food as close to authentic Iron Age food as possible, grinding flour, fetching water, forging iron and chopping wood. Through the week, there are emotional highs and lows for all of them.
Then the week ends with a pagan ceremony at the Sacrificial Bog...
Producer Beth O'Dea.
MON 07:00 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076hbn)
Series 3, Close But No Cigar
PJ dumps Cassie - does this mean that Pete and Cassie will finally get together? Stars Debra Stephenson From October 2003.
MON 07:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b084wzjs)
Series 66, Episode 5
The godfather of all panel shows pays a visit to the Theatre Royal in Bath. Regulars Barry Cryer and Tim Brooke-Taylor are joined on the panel by Jeremy Hardy and Jo Brand, with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell accompanies on the piano. Producer - Jon Naismith. It is a BBC Studios production.
MON 08:00 The Burkiss Way (b007jrr7)
Series 3, The Next to Last Burkiss Way
Waves are parted as the team take on the Holly Bibbly (or Holy Bible). Stars Jo Kendall and Chris Emmett. From February 1978.
MON 08:30 It Sticks Out Half a Mile (b007jpyj)
Marooned
A visit to the pier theatre ends in disaster for Arthur Wilson and Miss Perkins. Dad's Army spin-off stars John Le Mesurier. From January 1984.
MON 09:00 Just a Minute (b00pqh91)
Series 56, Episode 2
Nicholas Parsons chairs the devious word game. Panellists Josie Lawrence and Charles Collingwood reveal how they know when they are in love (though not necessarily with each other), and Paul Merton and Chris Neill remember what it was like to be sweet sixteen.
MON 09:30 The Change (b0076cwf)
Series 2, Episode 3
George's desire to move back in with Carol is not reciprocated. Stars Lynda Bellingham and Chris Ellison. From February 2003.
MON 10:00 Mystery Theater (b0863s4t)
The Humphrey Bogart Theater. Dead Man
4 Extra Debut. 1949: Can a man live with his conscience after committing a terrible crime? Humphrey Bogart stars in James M Cain's famed tale.
MON 10:30 Film Star (b060c9bx)
"Humphrey Bogart belonged to the era - on screen anyhow - when a guy could still call a lady a broad and not be thought sexist, and when the lady in question could give back as good as she got - and sometimes better - without being thought feminist."
Alexander Walker recalls the screen career of the legendary actor Humphrey Bogart, star of The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and The Big Sleep.
Whether a snarling gangster, a trench-coated crusader, a romantic loner or even a grizzled old soak, Bogart created more classic roles than maybe any other star and, as one of the great movie heroes, he's never gone out of fashion - or affection.
Alexander Walker reviewed films for the London Evening Standard for over 43 years, He died in 2003.
Produced by Wendy Clay.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1988.
MON 11:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016c8yc)
Episode 6
Bond has won. Will he live long enough to enjoy victory? Is Le Chiffre really beaten? Alex Jennings reads the classic spy novel.
MON 11:15 Katie Hims - Lila (b007632j)
Lila has lost her husband. Only his tactless brothers are left. Will life be the same after Ron's death? Starring Denise Black.
MON 12:00 The Burkiss Way (b007jrr7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 It Sticks Out Half a Mile (b007jpyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b018zllv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:30 Mel's Iron Age Holiday (b017mv1r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 14:00 Fairy Tales Retold by Sara Maitland (b01phdqk)
Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up
Acclaimed short story writer Sara Maitland puts her own distinctive and magical spin on a classic fairy tale to create Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up - and she gives it a very different ending. The tale is told by Lia Williams.
Producer Beth O'Dea.
MON 14:15 Disneyfied (b007654r)
Snow White
4 Extra Debut. How should the Wicked Queen die? Phill Jupitus examines the Walt Disney effect of turning classic tales into films. From November 2001.
MON 14:30 Charles Dickens (b00x5c6g)
A House to Let, Episode 1
Eminent Victorian trio Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell tell of a woman's worries over an unsettling sign of life in a derelict house. Stars Marcia Warren.
MON 14:45 Travels With a Donkey (b00cglj2)
The Camisards
As his 1878 French mountain adventure continues, Robert Louis Stevenson recollects battles over religion. Read by Alan Cumming.
MON 15:00 Mystery Theater (b0863s4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 15:30 Film Star (b060c9bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
MON 16:00 Just a Minute (b00pqh91)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 16:30 The Change (b0076cwf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
MON 17:00 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076hbn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 17:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b084wzjs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 18:00 Doctor Who (b0863wzt)
Demon Quest, The Relics of Time, part 1
4 Extra Debut. The Time Lord returns to Nest Cottage to fix the TARDIS, but Mrs Wibbsey sparks havoc. Tom Baker stars as the Fourth Doctor.
MON 18:30 A Good Read (b0076g2l)
4 Extra Debut. Sue MacGregor, Claire Rayner and Miles Kington discuss paperbacks by Axel Munthe, Sarah Waters and Byron Rogers. From July 2003.
MON 19:00 The Burkiss Way (b007jrr7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 It Sticks Out Half a Mile (b007jpyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b018zllv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:30 Mel's Iron Age Holiday (b017mv1r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 21:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016c8yc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:15 Katie Hims - Lila (b007632j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
MON 22:00 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b084wzjs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 The Mark Steel Lecture (b00sh2f1)
Series 3, Napoleon Bonaparte
The radical comedian offers his humorous assessment of the life and career of the battling French emperor. From October 2002.
MON 23:00 The Now Show (b08507yp)
Series 49, Episode 7
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by James Acaster, Sara Pascoe and Pippa Evans as they present the week via topical stand-up and sketches
Written by the cast with additional material from Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch, Gareth Gwynn, Robin Morgan and Catherine Bohart.
Producer: Adnan Ahmed
BBC Studios Production.
MON 23:30 Will Smith Presents the Tao of Bergerac (b007vl20)
Episode 3
Comedian Will Smith is obsessed with 1980s detective series Bergerac, so uses an audio book of its star, John Nettles, reading the Tao, to navigate the minefield of his life with the help of a special guest.
Will explores his bad luck with romance, helped by a special guest from the world of Bergerac.
With Amelia Bullmore, John Nettles, Dan Tetsell, Olivia Poulet and Tara Blaise.

TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER 2016

TUE 00:00 Doctor Who (b0863wzt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 A Good Read (b0076g2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b018zllv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 Mel's Iron Age Holiday (b017mv1r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Fairy Tales Retold by Sara Maitland (b01phdqk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:15 Disneyfied (b007654r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 Charles Dickens (b00x5c6g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:45 Travels With a Donkey (b00cglj2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Mystery Theater (b0863s4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 03:30 Film Star (b060c9bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 Just a Minute (b00pqh91)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:30 The Change (b0076cwf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076hbn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b084wzjs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019cbr4)
Episode 2
While Joakim Westin tries to come to terms with his wife's death, Hendrik begins housebreaking. Supernatural thriller read by Nigel Cooke.
TUE 06:30 Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture (b00zd704)
Comedian Paul Sinha harbours an obsession with trivia and quizzes, and is immensely proud to be ranked the UK's 22nd best quizzer. At the European Quizzing Championships in Derby, he pits his skills against the Continent's finest, meeting the quizzing world's superstars, and asking why, unlike the UK, other parts of the world celebrate success in the field of knowledge as much as any sporting triumph.
Producer Monise Durrani.
TUE 07:00 Dave Sheasby - Sharing Fatman (b0863ysy)
The Thoroughbred Game
Is there a connection between their horse's virus and a mysterious offer to the syndicate? Stars Gillian Bevan. From June 1999.
TUE 07:30 Clare in the Community (b084x76y)
Series 11, Joan Alone
Episode 5 - Joan Alone
Joan's birthday offers Clare a really good example of why it's so important to be aware of loneliness and isolation in the community. With added morris dancing.
Sally Phillips is Clare Barker the social worker who has all the right jargon but never a practical solution.
A control freak, Clare likes nothing better than interfering in other people's lives on both a professional and personal basis. Clare is in her thirties, white, middle class and heterosexual, all of which are occasional causes of discomfort to her.
Each week we join Clare in her continued struggle to control both her professional and private life In today's Big Society there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.
Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden
Producer Alexandra Smith
A BBC Studios production.
TUE 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 the BBC Light Programme in April 1971.
TUE 08:30 The Men From the Ministry (b007jw7r)
Christmas Spirit
The bumbling civil servants are acting like Scrooge! Stars Richard Murdoch and Deryck Guyler. Re-recording from April 1980.
TUE 09:00 The Now Show (b08507yp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:30 The Stanley Baxter Playhouse (b01q7gz5)
Series 5, The Spider
By Rona Munro.
At last, the true story can be told of Robert the Bruce and his encounter with that spider on the eve of battle with the English.
Veteran comedian Stanley Baxter plays the role of Scotland's greatest monarch - portrayed in this sharply observed comedy by award winning writer Rona Munro as self-obsessed, selfish, demanding, rather spoilt, and with a pretty bad case of arachnaphobia. Hugh Ross plays the hermit who sorts the wayward monarch out and saves the day.
Press reviews for past series:
'Brilliant.. with the veteran Baxter still hitting all the notes faultlessly. Perfect listening." - Radio Times
"Writer Rona Munro turns tragedy inside out to brilliant comic effect." - Daily Telegraph
"The seemingly indestructible Glasgow funny man triumphs again." - The Times
Directed by Marilyn Imrie
A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 10:00 Mystery Theater (b08642sl)
The Clock: The Hunter and the Hunted
4 Extra Debut. 1946: Bud hates his family's tradition of hunting. A cautionary tale of role-reversal starring Harp McGuire as Father Time.
TUE 10:30 Mystery Theater (b06451zz)
The Black Museum: Orson Welles 1/2
'The Open End Wrench'. Orson Welles' tale inspired by a real case from Scotland Yard's gruesome gallery of murder artefacts.
The significance of the wrench is not necessarily what you'd assume, at least not at first. Lowly quiet Martin Beech appears to have been cuckolded, but is his shock at the drunk-driving demise of his wife genuine?
The films of Orson Welles films have guaranteed him a place in the pantheon of film heroes (Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, Touch of Evil). This series is one of several fascinating sidesteps into a medium which arguably contributed to Welles' success - radio. Thanks to Harry Alan Towers, British radio was host to his dulcet tones for a spell in the early 1950s - including his famous cinematic anti-hero in The Lives of Harry Lime.
In The Black Museum, Orson is your host and guide through tales based on the grim and ominous collection of objects connected to significant British crimes.
Produced by Towers of London and first broadcast in the USA in 1952.
TUE 11:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016d77h)
Episode 7
Bond is captive, and no help can possibly reach him in time. He is at Le Chiffre's mercy. Alex Jennings reads the classic spy novel.
TUE 11:15 Afternoon Drama (b01fjz31)
Daniel Davies - Is Anything Broken?
by Daniel Davies
A real-time comedy drama about modern life, set during one of the most stressful journeys known to humanity - the trip from Arrivals Hall to Departure Gate.
Directed by Marc Beeby
Patrick, an architect en route to a major pitch, is negotiating the airport obstacle course when he learns that his son has had an accident at school.
Already running late, Patrick and his assistant Oriane must now juggle multiple simultaneous phone calls and security scans, Blackberry emails and duty-free queues, as they cope with Patrick's over-complicated work and home life. The emotional rollercoaster of arranging childcare, managing a marital breakdown, call centre delays and emergency conferences are added to the gruelling airport triathlon - a circle of hell newly opened for the super-connected of the 21st century.
This is Daniel Davies' first play for radio.
TUE 12:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jlqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 The Men From the Ministry (b007jw7r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019cbr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:30 Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture (b00zd704)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 14:00 Fairy Tales Retold by Sara Maitland (b01pnlwg)
The Gingerbread Business
Acclaimed short story writer Sara Maitland gives a magical spin to the story of Hansel & Gretel, in The Gingerbread Business - a sumptuous tale of confectionery and cunning told by Lia Williams.
Producer Beth O'Dea.
TUE 14:15 Disneyfied (b0076558)
Pinocchio
How Walt Disney rescued a cricket from the jaws of death and turned him into an international star of the big screen. From November 2001.
TUE 14:30 Charles Dickens (b00x7l7s)
A House to Let, Episode 2
Will discovering the history of the derelict house solve the mystery of the strange watcher at the window? Stars Marcia Warren.
TUE 14:45 Travels With a Donkey (b00cgsrr)
The Heart of the Country
Robert Louis Stevenson enjoys wild views of French mountains feathered with chestnut trees. Read by Alan Cumming.
TUE 15:00 Mystery Theater (b08642sl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 15:30 Mystery Theater (b06451zz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
TUE 16:00 Trivia Test Match (b00vdc9q)
From 24/09/1991
Brian Johnston umpires, as Tim Rice and Robin Bailey battle Willie Rushton and Bob 'The Cat' Bevan. From September 1991.
TUE 16:30 Flying the Flag (b00dyb0t)
Series 4, No Special Treatment
After the Health Care service is privatised, the embassy staff spot some advantages. Stars Dinsdale Landen. From July 1992.
TUE 17:00 Dave Sheasby - Sharing Fatman (b0863ysy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 17:30 Clare in the Community (b084x76y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 18:00 Doctor Who (b086443l)
Demon Quest, The Relics of Time, part 2
In Roman Britain, The Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey are taken for Druids, and sent to kill a rival tribe's wizard. Stars Tom Baker.
TUE 18:30 Comic to Comic (b0081mmm)
Series 2, Adam Hills
The champion of celebratory comedy Adam Hills chats to Bruce Morton about some of his most memorable gigs. From February 2006.
TUE 19:00 Steptoe and Son (b007jlqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 The Men From the Ministry (b007jw7r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019cbr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:30 Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture (b00zd704)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 21:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016d77h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 21:15 Afternoon Drama (b01fjz31)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
TUE 22:00 Clare in the Community (b084x76y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 The Richest Man in Britain (b00p6v3r)
The Meltdown
Sitcom by Nick Hornby and Giles Smith about an ageing rock star and his search for fulfilment.
Trillionnaire rocker Dave Mabbutt buys some last-minute holiday Euros and promptly brings down the entire international monetary system.
Dave Mabbutt ...... Mark Williams
Dom ...... Russell Tovey.
TUE 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b087kb0g)
The best in contemporary comedy. Richard Herring is joined in the Comedy Club by Deborah Francis-White.
TUE 23:00 Victor Lewis-Smith (b086443n)
4 Extra Debut. Festive-wrapped compilation of Victor's more controversial items from his original BBC Radio 1 series. From December 1992.
TUE 23:30 The In Crowd (b00sf7tp)
Series 3, Episode 2
Sketch show from Manchester's Comedy Store with Robin Ince, Helen Moon, Smug Roberts and Kate Ward. From July 2002.

WEDNESDAY 21 DECEMBER 2016

WED 00:00 Doctor Who (b086443l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 Comic to Comic (b0081mmm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019cbr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture (b00zd704)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Fairy Tales Retold by Sara Maitland (b01pnlwg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:15 Disneyfied (b0076558)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 Charles Dickens (b00x7l7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:45 Travels With a Donkey (b00cgsrr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 Mystery Theater (b08642sl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 03:30 Mystery Theater (b06451zz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Trivia Test Match (b00vdc9q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:30 Flying the Flag (b00dyb0t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 Dave Sheasby - Sharing Fatman (b0863ysy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 Clare in the Community (b084x76y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019jrhl)
Episode 3
Joakim tries to cope, but a visit from some friends yields a hasty departure. Swedish supernatural thriller read by Nigel Cooke.
WED 06:30 St Ives and Me (b017mvx8)
St Ives, a Cornish seaside town 300 miles from comedian and poet Anna Chen's London home has been attracting artists for two centuries. A varied assortment of eccentrics, entrepreneurs and free spirits have turned the pilchard-fishing and tin-mining town into a popular cultural haven.
Anna has been holidaying there since she was ten and knew many of the famous artists who've populated and popularised St Ives.
In the late 1970s the bohemian fashion journalist and novelist Molly Parkin was a regular on the St. Ives scene and she recalls how, in the dark recesses of Mr Peggotty's disco, she introduced Anna to artist Patrick Heron. In his Porthmeor studio by the Atlantic, Heron used to make Anna mugs of tea while he painted and sketched her and their conversations opened her eyes to the arts. Revisiting those studios, she meets two present day painters maintaining the St Ives' tradition.
On a personal tour of the town, she returns to Barbara Hepworth's sculpture garden, hears about the unique light conditions that attract so many artists and reveals the vital roles Napoleon, Von Ribbentrop and the 1960s hippies played in promoting and preserving St Ives.
At lunchtime, in Norway Square, Anna performs her comic poetry in the St Ives Festival, which has been attracting trendsetters for thirty years.
And she waits on the beach, with bated breath, for the legendary 33rd wave.
Producer: Chris Eldon Lee
A Culture Wise production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 07:00 Robin and Wendy's Wet Weekends (b013cx3p)
Series 3, Dream Genie
Derek is devastated when he hears that his ex-wife Jackie is unwell. Stars Kay Stonham and Brian Capron. From July 2004.
WED 07:30 Women Talking About Cars (b084xr59)
Sarah Millican
Victoria Coren Mitchell interviews some of the country's most remarkable women about their lives via the cars they have known. This week Sarah Millican reminisces about her Dad's long lost Granada and describes a traffic jam that lead to some desperate measures...
With car descriptions read by Josette Simon.
WED 08:00 The Navy Lark (b017stwl)
Mysterious Radio Signals
Sub-Lieutenant Phillips' love-life causes havoc at sea for the crew of HMS Troutbridge. Stars Leslie Phillips. From June 1971.
WED 08:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k4v4)
The Income Tax Demand
With a bill looming, the lad consults crooked chartered accountant Sid. Stars Tony Hancock and Sid James. From November 1956.
WED 09:00 Heresy (b021480y)
Series 9, Episode 4
Victoria Coren Mitchell presents another edition of the show which dares to commit heresy.
Her guests this week are newspaper columnist Julia Hartley-Brewer, the Rev. Richard Coles and food critic, television presenter and novelist Giles Coren.
Producers: Victoria Coren Mitchell and Daisy Knight
An Avalon Television production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 09:30 Rent (b00752yh)
Series 3, Episode 6
The end of an era as first faltering steps are taken, literally and metaphorically. Stars Barbara Flynn, Patrick Barlow and Linda Polan. From March 1997.
WED 10:00 Mystery Theater (b08646s1)
The Mysterious Traveller: The House of Death
4 Extra Debut. 1944: Maurice Tarplin conjures a tale of two greedy paranoid spinsters - and an unforgettable train journey. With Irene Hubbard.
WED 10:30 Mystery Theater (b06167d8)
Dime a Dance: Lucille Ball
Selected shows from the golden days of American radio in the 1940s and 50s, when many of Hollywood's greatest screen stars were regular performers, often re-enacting their famous film roles.
Lucille Ball stars as New York dance hall worker Ginger Allen, who is embroiled in the terrifying hunt for a dangerous killer.
Adapted from Cornell Woolrich's classic 1938 short story. From CBS Radio's Suspense series which ran from 1942 to 1962.
Lucille Ball (1911-1989) was dubbed the 'Queen of B-Movies' in the 1940s, before she became an American TV icon in her hit comedy series I Love Lucy (1951-1957). She was also the head of the studio which made it. More TV comedy hits followed like The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy, and Life with Lucy.
Produced and directed by William Spier.
First broadcast in the USA on 13 January 13, 1944 on the Columbia Broadcasting System.
WED 11:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016d8xq)
Episode 8
Bond is convalescent. Could Le Chiffre have been right - is it time for the games to end? Alex Jennings reads the classic spy novel.
WED 11:15 Steve Chambers - Victoria Station (b08646s3)
Series 2, Silent Night Train
Wednesday December 18th 1896: A rescued promise and a hopeful delivery at Bridgford's Victoria train station. Stars Gavin Muir.
WED 12:00 The Navy Lark (b017stwl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k4v4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019jrhl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 13:30 St Ives and Me (b017mvx8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 14:00 Fairy Tales Retold by Sara Maitland (b01pt9nf)
Mother Love
Mother Love, a dark and powerful fairy tale of maternal jealousy retold by Sara Maitland. It's read by Lia Williams.
Producer Beth O'Dea.
WED 14:15 Disneyfied (b007655s)
101 Dalmatians
Phill Jupitus wonders if Disney went too far with his portrayal of evil Dalmatian puppy fur-loving Cruella de Vil? From November 2001.
WED 14:30 Charles Dickens (b00x7fj7)
A House to Let, Episode 3
The derelict house mystery deepens when manservant Trottle finds people inside. But why are they there? Stars Marcia Warren.
WED 14:45 Travels With a Donkey (b00cgyjn)
Farewell, Modestine!
As Robert Louis Stevenson's French mountain adventure concludes, there is a last supper with his donkey. Read by Alan Cumming.
WED 15:00 Mystery Theater (b08646s1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 15:30 Mystery Theater (b06167d8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
WED 16:00 Heresy (b021480y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 16:30 Rent (b00752yh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
WED 17:00 Robin and Wendy's Wet Weekends (b013cx3p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 17:30 Women Talking About Cars (b084xr59)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 18:00 Doctor Who (b08646s5)
Demon Quest, The Demon of Paris, part 1
Having left Roman Britain, The Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey travel to 1894 Paris, on the trail of Toulouse-Lautrec. Stars Tom Baker.
WED 18:30 Off the Page (b00nvzyv)
Porky Pies
According to a recent survey we live in a world full of lies - concluding that most people tell at least two important lies a day, a third of conversations involve some sort of deception and 60 per cent of the population have cheated on their partners at least once.
To debate this and seek out the truth about lies are Professor Richard Wiseman, who has spent a lifetime trying to discover the clues that give away deception, writer Ian Leslie, who described the search for the perfect lie detector, and columnist Michele Hanson, whose mother was only ever able to tell the truth.
WED 19:00 The Navy Lark (b017stwl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k4v4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019jrhl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 20:30 St Ives and Me (b017mvx8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 21:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016d8xq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 21:15 Steve Chambers - Victoria Station (b08646s3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
WED 22:00 Women Talking About Cars (b084xr59)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 Meet David Sedaris (b01n0vhg)
Series 3, Attaboy; In the Waiting Room
The multi-award winning American essayist, David Seadris, brings more of his wit and charm to BBC Radio 4 with a series of audience readings.
Episode 1 (of 6):
This week childhood discipline in the Sedaris household is recalled in "Attaboy" and the perils of agreeing without understanding in a foreign country are examined in "In The Waiting Room".
Produced by Steve Doherty
A Boomerang Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b087kb22)
The best in contemporary comedy. Richard Herring is joined in the Comedy Club by Deborah Francis-White.
WED 23:00 We Know Everything (b08646s7)
Episode 6
Does colour exist or is it a pigment of our imagination? Dan Gaster and Paul Powell tackle audience quirky questions. From August 1995.
WED 23:15 Sir Ralph Stanza's Letter from Salford (b0076fcx)
Series 2, Speeches
Sir Ralph hosts a literary lunch at the Munchbox Cafeteria, but there is another poet in town. Stars James Quinn. From June 2003.
WED 23:30 Hut 33 (b00wbkxg)
Series 2, Where Boffins Dare
To avoid a war posting to Burma, the blundering codebreakers must catch a German spy. Stars Robert Bathurst. From June 2008.

THURSDAY 22 DECEMBER 2016

THU 00:00 Doctor Who (b08646s5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 Off the Page (b00nvzyv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b019jrhl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 St Ives and Me (b017mvx8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Fairy Tales Retold by Sara Maitland (b01pt9nf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:15 Disneyfied (b007655s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Charles Dickens (b00x7fj7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:45 Travels With a Donkey (b00cgyjn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 Mystery Theater (b08646s1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 03:30 Mystery Theater (b06167d8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 Heresy (b021480y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 Rent (b00752yh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 Robin and Wendy's Wet Weekends (b013cx3p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 Women Talking About Cars (b084xr59)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b01b1s05)
Episode 4
Detective Davidsson takes another step forward in her investigation into Katrine's death. Swedish supernatural thriller read by Nigel Cooke.
THU 06:30 A Family Business: The Chaplin Legacy (b00wqvp5)
4 Extra Debut. Tim Brooke-Taylor discovers how the creative legacy of Charlie Chaplin lives on through his grandson, James Thierree. From January 2011.
THU 07:00 Peter Tinniswood (b00g1hb2)
Winston at Christmas
Nancy is keen for the family to enjoy a festive celebration together, but the old rogue has other ideas. Stars Maurice Denham. From December 1991.
THU 07:30 A Beginner's Guide to India (b085014q)
Women
India is the second most populous nation in the world (1.2 billion people), and British-Indian is the largest ethnic minority in the United Kingdom (1.4 million people). So after Radio 4 broadcast A Beginner's Guide To Pakistan last year, it feels only right to broadcast A Beginner's Guide To India as without India there wouldn't even be a Pakistan.
Our guide will be Aditi Mittal, a Mumbai-based comic who has already appeared on The Now Show and on The Asian Network's Big Comedy Night. Radio 4 has brought her to the UK to perform A Beginner's Guide To India because she, like all Indians, loves the British - the last time they got some, they kept them for 200 years.
Episode 1: Women.
Aditi Mittal looks at the options open to women in modern India; from sports stars to Bollywood actresses, from business leaders to politics, Aditi explores the gap between how India talks about and treats its women.
A Beginner's Guide To India will look at an undoubtedly significant and increasingly important country from a point of view that is rarely heard, performed by the most exciting stand-up comedian India has generated. As with A Beginner's Guide To Pakistan ("Stylishly cynical, brutally newsy, bitingly funny, this is political stand-up done with gusto", The Sunday Telegraph) it is informative, educational and entertaining, broadening the range of voices in Radio 4 comedy.
Written and performed by ... Aditi Mittal
The Voice of the Guide ... Ritula Shah
Produced by ... Ed Morrish
A BBC Studios Production.
THU 08:00 Stop Messing About! (b00b52ck)
Series 1, Episode 2
A dirty wartime romp and the tale of a naughty gnome. Stars Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick and Joan Sims. From April 1969.
THU 08:30 The Michael Bentine Show (b008yrw8)
From 26/02/1984
From the Metropolitan Police to a dead newsreader, it's the ultimate one-man show, written by the host. From February 1984.
THU 09:00 Foul Play (b00jm6kb)
Series 3, The Proof of the Pudding
Crime writers PD James and HRF Keating probe death at dinnertime. Simon Brett hosts the murder quiz. From December 1997.
THU 09:30 Taking It up the Octave (b0864cc2)
Episode 1
4 Extra Debut. Tempers and egos flare as Opera Sunderland opts for West Side Story over an innovative gay opera. With Godfrey James. From June 1997.
THU 10:00 Mystery Theater (b0864cc4)
Boston Blackie: The Jonathan Diamond
4 Extra Debut. 1944: The kind-hearted thief is called-upon to retrieve a gem, but it proves not to be a simple robbery. Stars Chester Morris.
THU 10:30 Mystery Theater (b062nhqb)
Drive In: Judy Garland
1946: "There are a lot of things that can happen at a drive-in that aren't on the menu".
Legendary Hollywood actress and singer, Judy Garland stars in this thrilling episode from CBS Radio's Suspense series.
Star of film classics The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Meet Me in St Louis (1944), this drama sees Judy in far more peril than we're used to - as single, star-struck waitress Mildred working in a Hollywood drive-in diner.
One night she attends to a very late customer, but never can she have expected such a terrifyingly dangerous encounter.
Earlier in 1946, aged 24, Judy Garland had given birth to her daughter Liza Minnelli.
First broadcast in the USA on the Columbia Broadcasting System.
THU 11:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016dgyz)
Episode 9
Bond is confused. Reunited with Vesper, their love continues. But what troubles her? Alex Jennings reads the classic spy novel.
THU 11:15 PL Travers - The Fox at the Manger (b00g227d)
When a fox meets the Messiah at the Nativity, he offers up his cunning. Magical story starring Wendy Hiller and Alec McCowen.
THU 12:00 Stop Messing About! (b00b52ck)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 The Michael Bentine Show (b008yrw8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b01b1s05)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 13:30 A Family Business: The Chaplin Legacy (b00wqvp5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 14:00 Sue Townsend - Mole Cooks His Goose (b007jty0)
Adrian Mole takes charge of the family's festive lunch. Sue Townsend's festive tale is read by Nicholas Barnes.
THU 14:15 Disneyfied (b0076569)
Mary Poppins
Phill Jupitus discovers how Disney annoyed the magic nanny's creator, PL Travers - and her un-Disneylike departure. From November 2001.
THU 14:30 Charles Dickens (b00x58pp)
A House to Let, Episode 4
Trottle makes a disturbing discovery at the derelict house, in a locked room. Stars Marcia Warren and Alec McCowen.
THU 14:45 The Demon Cakestand of Beastley Chase (b008f8hb)
A festive tale from the Mausoleum Club. Could Sir Henry's cake adoration be his downfall? Stars Stephen Fry. From December 1984.
THU 15:00 Mystery Theater (b0864cc4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 15:30 Mystery Theater (b062nhqb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
THU 16:00 Foul Play (b00jm6kb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 16:30 Taking It up the Octave (b0864cc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
THU 17:00 Peter Tinniswood (b00g1hb2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 17:30 A Beginner's Guide to India (b085014q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 18:00 Doctor Who (b0864cvx)
Demon Quest, The Demon of Paris, part 2
In 1894 Paris, The Doctor and Mrs Wibbsey confront Toulouse-Lautrec, who is suspected of being a serial killer. Stars Tom Baker.
THU 18:30 Great Lives (b009twrf)
Series 15, Paavo Nurmi
Series of biographical discussions with Matthew Parris.
Former athlete and television commentator Steve Cram nominates Paavo Nurmi, the 'Flying Finn'. Middle and long distance runner Nurmi won nine gold medals in 12 Olympic events and is often considered the greatest track and field athlete of all time.
THU 19:00 Stop Messing About! (b00b52ck)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 The Michael Bentine Show (b008yrw8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b01b1s05)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 20:30 A Family Business: The Chaplin Legacy (b00wqvp5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 21:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016dgyz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
THU 21:15 PL Travers - The Fox at the Manger (b00g227d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
THU 22:00 A Beginner's Guide to India (b085014q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b01m5n7s)
Series 2, Gravinia and Plumpf
by Dan Tetsell
Brian Gulliver, a seasoned presenter of travel documentaries, finds himself in a hospital's secure unit after claiming to have experienced a succession of bizarre adventures. This week Brian relives his adventures in Gravinia, a land where the military are revered above everything.
Brian Gulliver ..... Neil Pearson
Rachel Gulliver..... Mariah Gale
Fillick ..... Marcus Brigstocke
Chaplain ..... Adrian Scarborough
Guest ..... Tracy Wiles
Host..... Patrick Brennan
Stegga ..... Barunka O'Shaughnessy
Barista..... Harry Livingstone
Dragit ..... Nick Mohammed
Glugas Hold ..... Dan Tetsell
Producer ..... Steven Canny
This is the second series of this satirical adventure story created by Bill Dare. The series has attracted an excellent cast led by Neil Pearson and including, Duncan Wisby, Vicki Pepperdine, Lisa Dillon, Colin Hoult, Toby Longworth, Adrian Scarborough, Dan Tetsell, Barunka O'Shaughnessy, Debra Stephenson, Colin Hoult, Nina Conti, Jo Bobin and Marcus Brigstocke.
For years Bill Dare wanted to create a satire about different worlds exploring Kipling's idea that we travel, 'not just to explore civilizations, but to better understand our own'. But science fiction and space ships never interested him, so he put the idea on ice. Then Brian Gulliver arrived and meant that our hero could be lost in a fictional world without the need for any sci-fi.
Gulliver's Travels is the only book Bill Dare read at university. His father, Peter Jones, narrated a similarly peripatetic radio series: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
THU 23:00 The Last Hurrah - Interview With the Snowman (b055g0pl)
Episode 2
Rik Mayall is Elton, the last remaining talking Snowman - an alcoholic, war-mongering, immortal, immoral tyrant. Duncan Pow is Ed Mullet.

Elton's interview with Ed sprawls onwards, in the depths of the dangerously secret and disgusting gentlemen's club, The Last Hurrah, moving gracelessly from the time he invented Y-Fronts to his highly suspicious escape from East Germany.

Specially adapted for radio from the original series "The Last Hurrah" - the late Rik Mayall is at his anarchic best, in his last great leading role.
Produced by Sweetchuck Productions.
THU 23:30 Night Class (b00769gy)
Episode 3
Pottery teacher Johnny Vegas has his class put the kiln to unconventional use, namely a dog cremation. From September 2002.

FRIDAY 23 DECEMBER 2016

FRI 00:00 Doctor Who (b0864cvx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Great Lives (b009twrf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b01b1s05)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 A Family Business: The Chaplin Legacy (b00wqvp5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Sue Townsend - Mole Cooks His Goose (b007jty0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:15 Disneyfied (b0076569)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 Charles Dickens (b00x58pp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:45 The Demon Cakestand of Beastley Chase (b008f8hb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 Mystery Theater (b0864cc4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 03:30 Mystery Theater (b062nhqb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 Foul Play (b00jm6kb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 Taking It up the Octave (b0864cc2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 Peter Tinniswood (b00g1hb2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 A Beginner's Guide to India (b085014q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b01bl2mf)
Episode 5
As a harsh blizzard descends, Tilda must face a desperate gun battle. Swedish supernatural thriller concluded by Nigel Cooke.
FRI 06:30 Crib City (b0076pnq)
Susannah Clapp investigates Naples's claim to be the home of the Christmas crib. The Italian city has been making miniature model holy stables for centuries with great craftsmanship and the tradition has continued to the present day. She visits the great churches of the city where spectacular cribs are on show and mingles with Christmas shoppers down the city centre street of crib makers to explore the survival of this true folk art.
FRI 07:00 Second Thoughts (b007jzst)
The Fight Before Christmas
Faith's children and Bill's ex-wife threaten her dream of a perfect Christmas. Stars Lynda Bellingham. From December 1992.
FRI 07:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b08579m6)
Series 8, The Scam
As Christmas approaches and Arthur attempts to engineer his Christmas scotch from Secret Santa, he bumps into an old friend from his Army Days. Will Arthur be persuaded to be involved in an investment scheme?
All false starts and nervous fumbling badly covered up by a delicate sheen of bravado and self-assurance, an expert in everything from the world of entertainment to the origin of the species, everyday life with Arthur is an enlightening, sometimes frustrating, never dull experience.
Count Arthur Strong is supported in the Christmas special by his Radio Repertory Company (like the RSC only better) - Alastair Kerr, Dave Mounfield and Mel Giedroyc.
Steve Delaney has been performing as Count Arthur Strong since the late 90s. In the last 15 years the character has evolved from Edinburgh cult to a mainstay of BBC comedy, with seven series on BBC Radio 4, and a TV sitcom that has stepped from BBC2 to BBC1 and will return for a third series in 2017.
A Komedia Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 08:00 Yes Minister (b007k0nj)
Series 2, A Question of Loyalty
With a war on waste at the Civil Service - what does Jim Hacker think?
Starring Paul Eddington as Jim Hacker, Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby, Derek Fowldes as Bernard and Judy Parfitt as Betty Oldham MP.
Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn's satirical sitcom ran on BBC TV between 1980 and 1984. Yes Minister is centred around the hapless Jim Hacker and a collection of civil service underlings headed by the Machiavellian Sir Humphrey Appleby and obsequious Bernard.
Adapted for radio by producer Pete Atkin.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1984.
FRI 08:30 The Goon Show (b007jq5n)
I Was Monty's Treble
The British hatch a cunning plan to confuse the Germans. But who (or what) is Eccles? Stars Peter Sellers. From November 1958.
FRI 09:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b03dfl0b)
Series 6, Herring, Lippincott, Clemente
This week, the Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Humphrey Ker welcome the art historian and former director of the Greenwich Observatory Dr Kristin Lippincott; comedian, chat show host and blogger Richard Herring and animal locomotion expert Dr Christofer Clemente. Topics for illumination include Time, inspiration, writer's block, sticky ants' feet, Russia's Greatest Love Machine lizards doing wheelies and the most controversial moustache in history.
The show was researched by James Harkin, Molly Oldfield and Stevyn Colgan of QI.
The producers were Richard Turner and Dan Schreiber.
FRI 09:30 The Phenomenon Squad (b0864fjy)
Episode 5
Brabazon's cops prepare to greet an alien craft due to land on Salisbury Plain. Stars Roy Kinnear and Simon Cadell. From October 1987.
FRI 10:00 Mystery Theater (b063jjxt)
Lifeboat: Tallulah Bankhead
Legendary hard-living actress Tallulah Bankhead reprises her role as Constance 'Connie' Porter in Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 film Lifeboat for this NBC radio adaptation.
Introduced by Alfred Hitchcock.
July 1943: Connie is a glamorous foreign correspondent aboard a lifeboat alone in the middle of the Atlantic, after the freighter ship SS Argo was torpedoed by a Nazi submarine. She soon rescues John Kovak from the ship's engine room (Jeff Chandler) and sparks fly between the couple as they pick up other survivors - including a Nazi seaman from the enemy U-boat.
Presented by NBC's Screen Directors' Playhouse on November 16th 1950, the film's director Alfred Hitchcock briefly explains how he made the movie - based on a story by John Steinbeck.
Adapted for radio by Jack Ruben
Announcer: Jimmy Wallington
Produced by Howard Wiley and directed by Bill Cairn.
First broadcast in the USA on NBC in 1950.
FRI 10:50 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b063jkdz)
Tallulah Bankhead
Hollywood star Tallulah Bankhead speaks frankly to Roy Plomley about how hopeless she'd be on a desert island. Revealing how very lazy she is, Tallulah recalls some of her many performances on stage in London.
The only surviving extract from the first broadcast in December 1964.
FRI 11:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016dklr)
Episode 10
Bond is betrayed, and it seems the true enemy is much closer to home than he realises. Alex Jennings concludes the spy classic.
FRI 11:15 Poirot (b008j05h)
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
Hercule Poirot does not care for the British weather at the best of times, but at Christmas he's convinced the only way to survive is to shut himself up in his London apartment.
Imagine his horror, then that to avert a diplomatic catastrophe, he must take on a case that means spending the festive period in a large old house in the countryside. Attending an old-fashioned dinner party, he must use all his powers of deduction to retrieve a stolen ruby.
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars John Moffatt as Poirot. With Donald Sinden as Colonel Lacey, Sian Phillips as Mrs Lacey, Ifan Meredith as The Prince/Michael and Elizabeth Proud as Mrs Ross.
From a book first published in 1960 and dramatised by Michael Bakewell.
Directed by Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2004.
FRI 12:00 Yes Minister (b007k0nj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 The Goon Show (b007jq5n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b01bl2mf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 Crib City (b0076pnq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 Rhys Davies Competition Winners (b01pf5v0)
Supper
Supper by Linda Ruhemann. It's Christmas Eve and a woman begins to decorate a very empty house. The kids have left home and she's facing the prospect of her first Christmas alone. However, she's expecting an unusual guest for supper: Her ex-husband. Runner-up in the Welsh short story contest.
Read by Sharon Morgan
Directed by James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales Production.
FRI 14:15 Disneyfied (b007656w)
Jungle Book
Phill Jupitus claims it is the greatest movie ever made. But did Disney make real monkeys disappointing by comparison? From November 2001.
FRI 14:30 Charles Dickens (b00x544m)
A House to Let, Episode 5
The derelict house finally reveals its sad secrets, but Trottle is determined to make it a happy ending. Stars Marcia Warren.
FRI 14:45 Nabokov's Christmas (b01pfy5p)
by Vladimir Nabokov.
An intensely moving short story about a father mourning the death of his son. On Christmas Eve, a grieving father moves around the family home gathering together some of his son's effects. This leads him to discover things that he did not know about his beloved son and also to find something among his belongings that will renew his will to live.
Vladimir Nabokov was born in St. Petersburg in 1899, the eldest son of an aristocratic family. Nabokov is arguably most famous for his 1955 novel LOLITA.

Read by Robert Glenister.
Produced by Gaynor Macfarlane.
FRI 15:00 Mystery Theater (b063jjxt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 15:50 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b063jkdz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:50 today]
FRI 16:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b03dfl0b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 16:30 The Phenomenon Squad (b0864fjy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
FRI 17:00 Second Thoughts (b007jzst)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 17:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b08579m6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 18:00 Doctor Who (b0864fk0)
Demon Quest, A Shard of Ice, part 1
The Doctor is reunited with Captain Yates, as they search for the lost TARDIS components in 1847 Germany. Stars Tom Baker.
FRI 18:30 Soul Music (b03m79cq)
Series 17, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Soul Music tells the story of the song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and talks to people for whom it has special meaning.
'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas', was first performed by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me In St Louis', for the now famous scene in which Garland and her seven year old sister, played by Margaret O'Brien are downcast about the prospect of moving away from their beloved home.
Garland asked the composer, Hugh Martin to modify his original lyric, explaining it to be too depressing for her to sing, or the audience to hear.
Martin's collaborator and friend, John Fricke, explains the importance this song had for the composer and the joy he experienced in hearing it covered by every major artist since, from Frank Sinatra to Chrissie Hynde, Punk band Fear to Cold Play, Rod Stewart to James Taylor.
It's clear that the song's enduring power lies in a beautiful melody with a melancholic feel that sums up our emotional ambivalence to the Christmas season. We hear from those who have a special connection to the song.
Producer Lucy Lunt.
FRI 19:00 Yes Minister (b007k0nj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 The Goon Show (b007jq5n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Johan Theorin - The Darkest Room (b01bl2mf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 Crib City (b0076pnq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 James Bond - Casino Royale (b016dklr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
FRI 21:15 Poirot (b008j05h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
FRI 22:00 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b08579m6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 Pleased to Meet You (b018j8cb)
A Very Dora Christmas, A Very Dora Christmas
Find out what, or rather who, saucy Dora Dale is roasting on an open fire. Stars Jake Yapp and Martin Kelner. From December 2011.
FRI 23:00 Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive (b007x6kn)
Series 3, Episode 3
Topical piffle and outrageous fibs from Armando and his special guests Dara O Briain, Simon Evans and David Quantick. From August 2007.
FRI 23:30 Hamish and Dougal: You'll Have Had Your Tea (b00jzzg3)
Series 2, The Fitness Club
The Laird challenges Dougal to swim, cycle and run in a MacAthlon. Stars Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden. From March 2004.
FRI 23:45 Self Storage (b01gykv4)
Jobhunting
Dave is still separated. Can he get his life back on track by getting a job? Stars Reece Shearsmith. From October 2007.