SATURDAY 17 MARCH 2018

SAT 00:00 William Gibson - Pattern Recognition (b007k21k)
Episode 5In seedy Moscow, 'coolhunter' Cayce meets the maker of the footage. Lorelei King concludes the fast-moving thriller. From February 2007.
SAT 00:30 Mastertapes (b01nxh35)
Series 1, Paul Weller (the B-Side)John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question in the A-side, and then the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances.
Programme 3, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "The Gift", the final album from the Jam (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Tuesday 13th November and available online), Paul Weller responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from the album which was released 30 years ago.
Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where all the programmes of the series can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.
Producers: Paul Kobrak & India Rakusen.
SAT 01:00 Hercule Poirot (b0684x8t)
The Adventure of the Clapham CookHercule Poirot (formerly chief of the Belgian force, now private detective) would have preferred to spend the day attending to affairs of importance, trimming his moustache, applying pomade. But suddenly the case of a missing domestic fired the little man's imagination.
Taken from Poirot's Early Cases by Agatha Christie. Read by Nigel Stock
Producer Barbara Crowther
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1974.
SAT 01:30 In Search of the Singing Postman (b00tmlh2)
The writer DJ Taylor grew up in Norfolk. When he was missing his roots, he'd put on a record by Allan Smethurst, The Singing Postman, to remind him of home.
Smethurst is best known for one song - Have You Got A Loight Boy. By the mid 1960's he featured on the pop chart, just behind The Moody Blues. With his goofy smile and postman's uniform, he was the one hit wonder to end all one hit wonders. But DJ Taylor believes he was something far more than that.
Taylor argues that the songs turn out, not to be novelty numbers, but plaintive celebrations of a kind of lost, rural life that had begun to disappear, even as it was committed to vinyl. His songs are firmly rooted in the traditional ballads of Norfolk. His work is the last gasp of a genuinely popular art form, before it went down amid the onslaught of post-war mass culture.
There were even plans to send Smethurst to Nashville, the idea being that 'Country and Eastern' would appeal to the US audience. Smethurst admired the early American greats like Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family - their playing influenced his own lilting guitar style.
This programme tells the story of Smethurst's brief dalliance with fame and his steady fall into obscurity as he struggled with alcohol addiction. DJ Taylor pays tribute to the man who loved Norfolk, and through his songs preserved the memories and language of an entire way of life.
The programme is produced in Manchester by Nicola Swords.
SAT 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b01sjn6b)
John le Carré - A Delicate Truth, Truth Must OutIf 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: Truth must out - whatever the cost.
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.
SAT 02:15 Grimm Thoughts (b01pgll1)
Episode 10When the Grimm brothers first published their Children's and Household Tales in 1812, in a scholarly effort to collate a national identity of the people, it was the beginning of an obsessive project of two intricately interwoven lifetimes.
To mark the bicentenary of the first edition, writer and mythographer Marina Warner explores the many compelling and often controversial aspects of the tales in a 10-part series, revealing new insights into the stories we think we know so well, and introducing us to the charms and challenges of those that we don't.
Alongside beautifully narrated extracts from the tales themselves, renowned academics and artists who work closely with the Grimm's rich heritage add to our understanding of these deceptively complex stories.
In the final episode, with fairy tales enjoying a renaissance across film and literature, we look to the future of these tales that have haunted our past and the fundamental appeal of storytelling.
Considering Hansel and Gretel, a universal story of the joys and dangers of youth and innocence, we speak to playwright Lucy Kirkwood about her brand new National Theatre adaptation of the tale, and explore what the many contemporary takes on the Grimms' legacy might tell us about the modern world.
Producer: Kevin Dawson
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 02:30 Charles Dickens (b007vmbs)
The Old Curiosity Shop, Episode 10Mrs Jarley keeps Little Nell and her Grandfather fully occupied. Dickens dramatisation with Julia McKenzie. From January 2003.
SAT 02:45 Book of the Week (b01sdw1m)
Perilous Question: The Drama of the Great Reform Bill 1832, Episode 5'The struggle for the Great Reform Bill of 1832 took place a the crossroads of English history.' - so says Antonia Fraser in her lively and insightful account of the political change that took take place during this period.
Times were in flux. The Industrial Revolution was underway. The reverberations of the French Revolution were still being felt. And the country would be ruled by a new monarch, William IV.
And political change, who and how we would vote, was now in the spotlight. Put there mainly by the
Whigs - led by Earl Grey.
Age-old corruption, rotten boroughs, even hereditary peers would feel these winds of change. But how would the Bill be made law? Bumpily and dramatically, as it turned out, and its path is followed in five episodes, which are abridged by Katrin Williams:
5. Reform of Britain's voting system wins the day and the Bill becomes law. 'It is difficult
to believe that it is done' - is the consensus, after months of dramatic debate and
hand-wringing..
Reader Adrian Scarborough.
Producer Duncan Minshull.
SAT 03:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09vb8y1)
The Day of the Scorpion, Episode 2Lady Manners hears Hari Kumar's account of his interrogation at the hands of Ronald Merrick. In Mirat.
Susan and Teddie get married, and back in Pankot, Barbie Batchelor has trouble with her wedding gift.
The last days of the British Raj in India as the Second World War leads inevitably towards independence.
Paul Scott's classic series of novels dramatised by John Harvey.
Sarah Layton - Lia Williams
Mildred Layton - Geraldine James
Susan Layton - Alex Tregear
Teddie Bingham- Nicholas Boulton
Ronald Merrick - Mark Bazeley
Lady Manners - Irene Sutcliffe
Barbie Batchelor - Marcia Warren
And Mabel Layton - Margaret Tyzack
Count Bronowski - Gary Waldhorn
Fenny Grace - Selina Griffiths
The Nawab - Raad Rawi
Ahmed Kasim - Shiv Grewal
Aunt Shalini - Nina Wadia
Nigel Rowan - Benedict Cumberbatch
Hari Kumar - Prasanna Puwanarajah
Gopal - Bhasker Patel
With Amit Shah.
Music by Raiomond Mirza.
Director: Jeremy Mortimer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
SAT 04:00 The Motion Show (b00768mm)
Series 3, Episode 3Graeme Garden chairs the debating game featuring Hugh Dennis, Gyles Brandreth, Arthur Smith and Emma Kennedy. From July 2000.
SAT 04:30 Kathmandu or Bust (b07p6ksb)
Turkish DelightThe travellers arrive in Turkey, but will they all be able to explore the land of Kismet? Stars David Haig. From June 1996.
SAT 05:00 The Emerald Green Show (b077xx1r)
CutEmerald's illusions of glamour and fame are shattered when she meets her TV producer.
A vain, ambitious black woman dreams of becoming a chat show queen.
Lisselle Kayla's four-part comedy series starring Llewella Gideon as Emerald Green.
With Jonathan Firth as Tristram, Iwan Thomas as Fabio, Dean Hill as Victor, Sheila Reid as Eunice and Jonathan Keeble as David.
Director: Pam Fraser Solomon
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1998.
SAT 05:30 In and Out of the Kitchen (b03vd7cx)
Series 3, The After-DinnerThe tranquillity of the Trench household is breached once again when Damien's mother calls once morning to say she's coming to stay while Damien's father is on a silent retreat. No sooner has she arrived than she starts setting about trying to be helpful, which only irritates Damien more. He is therefore forced to spend some time away by accepting the offer of an after-dinner speaking engagement, something he's never tried before...
Cast:
Damien Trench - Miles Jupp
Anthony - Justin Edwards
Ian Frobisher - Philip Fox
Damien's mother - Selina Cadell
Jennifer - Priyanga Burford
Heckler - David Seddon
Nigel Thingummy - Michael Bertenshaw
Producer: Sam Michell.
SAT 06:00 Saturday Drama (b039lmk2)
Somerset Maugham - For Services RenderedSomerset Maugham's classic play, with Sian Thomas and David Calder.
Written in 1932 For Services Rendered is Somerset Maugham's incisive state-of-the-nation play - written fifteen years on from the end of WW1.
Set in late summer 1932 in Kent, the Ardsley family seem to be managing their lives very well but in reality each of them is fighting for survival. The Ardsley children are facing unpromising futures: Ethel is married to a former officer who is not quite the man she hoped he'd be; Eva is unmarried and approaching 40, martyring herself to the cause of their brother Sydney; Sydney has been blinded in the war; and Lois, at 27, is single and without a hope of marrying in the English backwater the family live in.
The family must go through a seismic shift in order to survive. The younger generation can no longer live their lives in the blueprint of the older generation, they must find a new way of living. England is changing, falling apart, and must begin again.
The first performance was on 1 November 1932 in the West End (with Ralph Richardson playing Leonard Ardsley). The anti-war message was not popular with audiences, and the play only ran for 78 performances.
The play is particularly extraordinary viewed in retrospect as the lessons of WW1 are written so clearly across the lives of the characters who, less than a decade later, would find themselves at war again.
For Services Rendered was written by Somerset Maugham. It is adapted and directed for radio by Lu Kemp.
SAT 07:30 Freedom Pass (b00sgzk6)
Episode 2Sexagenarians Alan Coren and Christopher Matthew use free travel to venture forth on their local public transport. From September 2004.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b00sn68x)
Monsieur NonJulian Jackson explores the contradictory and complex nature of the man who was happy to say 'yes' to making London his wartime HQ and rallying point, but 'Non' when twenty years later Britain was petitioning to join the Common Market. In fact it's not too far-fetched to suggest that De Gaulle's apparent perversity was at least partly responsible for Britain's long-standing ambivalent feelings towards Europe and the EU over the last fifty years ...
Speaking from a BBC studio on 18th June 1940, General Charles de Gaulle issued an extraordinary rallying cry to his countrymen who had just capitulated to Hitler and declared an armistice with the German Fuhrer. Attacking the actions of Marshal Petain, "whatever happens," he intoned, "the flame of French resistance must not and shall not die." From London in a steady stream of eloquent and heartfelt broadcasts across the remaining years of the war, de Gaulle kept the spirit of defiance in the face of the Nazi occupier burning strongly. London was henceforth the headquarters of the Free French forces and the power base for de Gaulle. But the general had an uncanny knack of rubbing his hosts up the wrong way, and Churchill and he were often at loggerheads. But his time in London was the making of the statesman, one of Europe's greatest twentieth century figures.
Julian Jackson, a specialist in modern French history and author of one of the best books on the French soldier-politician, traces the roots of the conundrum that was General Charles de Gaulle who died in 1970.
Producer: Simon Elmes.
SAT 09:00 Pam Ayres - The Radio Years (b09w3762)
In a special show recorded at The Storyhouse Theatre in Chester, as part of the City's literary festival, broadcaster Paul Blezard meets with Pam Ayres to celebrate the author and poet's remarkable life and BBC radio career.
Pam Ayres has been a writer, broadcaster, and entertainer for over 40 years, and is one of the few authors with books in the Sunday Times bestseller charts in almost every decade since the 1970s.
In front of an enthusiastic audience, Pam reflects on the radio years encompassing many programmes including Open Road, Just A Minute and Desert Island Discs
** With Great Pleasure (1979). Pam's personal choice of poetry & prose with Martin Jarvis providing the readings.
** That Reminds Me (2002) Pam entertains an audience with reminiscences, poems and anecdotes.
** Ayres on the Air (2014) A classic episode from series 5 with Geoffrey Whitehead and Felicity Montagu.
Charting the highs and lows of Pam's life, hear rare radio footage including an early appearance with Frankie Howerd.
And with her unique brand of humour, Ayres recalls her love of working on radio and introduces a new poem EXCLUSIVE to BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Producer: Stephen Garner
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in 2018.
SAT 12:00 We've Been Here Before (b00ft41b)
Series 2, Episode 1Clive Anderson's panel show of the past, with Gyles Brandreth, John O'Farrell, Arabella Weir and Arthur Smith. From June 2004.
SAT 12:30 King Street Junior (b007jnjg)
Series 9, ResponsibilitiesA new school year, a new face in the staffroom and the start of great confusion.
Created by Jim Eldridge, ten series of this comedy about a junior school ran between 1985 and 1998. King Street Junior Revisited ran from 2002 to 2005.
Written by Richard Stoneman.
Stars Karl Howman as Mr Sims, James Grout as the Headmaster, Margaret John as Mrs Stone, Paul Copley as Mr Long, Deirdre Costello as Mrs Patterson, Vivienne Martin as Mrs Rudd, Marlene Sidaway as Miss Lewis, Jacqueline Beatty as Miss Read, Holly Reed as Jilly/Jenny and Anthony Hamblin as Rafat.
Producer: John Fawcett Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1996.
SAT 13:00 A Small Town Murder: Omnibus (b09w24bt)
Series 11Some joyriders have crashed their stolen car and died at the scene. But what caused the teenagers to rebel in the first place? Stars Meera Syal.
SAT 14:10 Inheritance Tracks (b09w22d2)
Tony BlackburnBBC Radio 2's Tony Blackburn chooses 'Reet Petite' by Jackie Wilson and 'I'm Still Waiting' by Diana Ross.
SAT 14:15 Down Your Way (b09w22d4)
Ludovic Kennedy on the West Highland LineBroadcaster and train enthusiast, Ludovic Kennedy travels on one of the most scenic stretches of railway in Scotland on his way to the Isle of Skye.
Down Your Way was a schedule staple for decades - starting on the BBC Home Service in 1946 and ending its run on BBC Radio 4 in 1992. Using a variety of hosts, including Richard Dimbleby and Brian Johnston, the programme toured villages, towns and cities across the UK. At the height of the series' success in the 1950s, it was attracting 10 million listeners a week.
Ludovic Kennedy: 1919 - 2009.
Producer: Jill Marshall
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1991.
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00sn68x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 Saturday Drama (b039lmk2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Freedom Pass (b00sgzk6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 Afternoon Drama (b00j1dvz)
MayfliesBy Mike Maddox. Douglas Scofield has retired from the world of astronomy and, following the death of his wife, now runs a fish farm with his daughter, who is expecting her first child. All he wants is peace and quiet and a chance to write his book about fishing.
However, a visit from an old colleague brings news of a message from a distant world, the very sign of life Douglas spent his career searching for. Is it safe to reply? Indeed, should they reply at all - and to what purpose?
Douglas Scofield ...... Derek Jacobi
Dave ...... Jason Isaacs
Lucy ...... Catherine McCormack
Mole ...... Danny Webb
Moira ...... Sarah Douglas
Rob ...... Steven Cree
Directed by Neil Gardner.
SAT 18:45 Stephen King - Cookie Jar (b09w84b1)
Peculiar ChildhoodWhen his great-grandson asks for a story, Rhett begins to tell him about his own mother's peculiar life.
'I had sort of a peculiar childhood, because my mother was peculiar. Not outright crazy, but very, very peculiar. Stories were her way of staying sane... A way to cover that hole in reality the way you might cover a well with boards so no one would fall in. But her stories stopped working for her. Because the thing she was afraid of was in the house with her all along.'
From 'The Bazaar of Bad Dreams', Stephen King's story adapted in three parts. Read by Colin Stinton.
Music by Timothy X Atack.
Abridged and produced by Mair Bosworth.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016.
SAT 19:00 Pam Ayres - The Radio Years (b09w3762)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Tommy Tiernan's Open Mouth (b0460r1c)
A night of live stand-up from one of the greatest living stand ups, Tommy Tiernan. Expect stories and folklore, and tales of magic, myth, and drunken idiocy.
Tommy is a multi-award winning comedian, having won the Perrier Award, British Comedy Awards, and a number of Edinburgh Festival awards. Tommy Tiernan's Open Mouth sees Tommy doing what he does best - just a comedian, a mic and an audience.
SAT 22:30 Irish Micks and Legends (b051s4t4)
Series 2, King Larry Long EarsAisling Bea (British Comedy Award Winner 2014) and Yasmine Akram (Sherlock) return with a second series, offering their unique take on Ireland's ancient stories.
Irish Micks and Legends is comedic, highly irreverent storytelling of ancient Irish folklore. Still the very best pals, Aisling and Yasmine take their role explaining Irish legends to the British nation very seriously indeed. That said, it would appear that they haven't had the time to do much research, work out who is doing which parts, edit out the chat or learn how to work the sound desk.
With a vast vault of fantastical myths, mixed with 21st century references to help you along, prepare for some very silly lessons in life, love and the crazy shenanigans of old Ireland and modern Irish. The first series was a Chortle Best Radio Comedy Nominee 2013.
Episode Two: King Larry Long Ears.
Aisling and Yasmine tell the tale of King Larry Lonshach, a man hiding a terrible, gag inducing secret beneath his crown. Only his hairdressers ever find out the secret - but that knowledge doesn't end well for them.
Producer: Raymond Lau
A Green Dragon Media production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 22:45 Dylan Moran - The Expedition (b09w2369)
4 Extra Debut. To give his wife some space, Aiden undertakes a tough Arctic expedition with her brother. Written and performed by Dylan Moran. From July 2010.
SAT 23:00 Dave Allen: Goodnight and May Your God Go With You (b00t5w10)
Ed Byrne celebrates the life of Dave Allen, the sit-down, stand-up comedian, whose unique style entranced and entertained audiences all over the world for over 30 years.
To some, he was an alternative comedian before the phrase was even coined; never afraid to tackle previously taboo subjects, such as sex, death or, with the routines that he was most famous for, religion. Acclaim and controversy followed him in equal measure, and his work has inspired many modern comedians such as Jack Dee, Dylan Moran and Eddie Izzard.
Ed examines Dave's life, career and comic legacy, remembering the impression his TV shows left on him as a small child growing up in Ireland. Ed also explores how Dave's prowess as a storyteller came from the rich oral traditions of their shared Irish heritage.
Dave first found UK fame thanks to The Val Doonican Show in the mid 1960s, as Val recalls. But Dave had already toured much of the world and enjoyed his own massively successful TV show in Australia.
In 1971, Dave Allen At Large arrived on BBC TV and with its mixture of sketches and Dave's unique sit-down stand up, musing on life from his iconic stool with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He was a star in a golden era that included The Two Ronnies and Morecambe & Wise.
Writer Peter Vincent and actor Michael Sharvell-Martin share their personal recollections of working with Dave throughout the 70s and 80s. The programme also features a rare interview with Dave's son, Ed Allen, who recalls a father who loved his work, but treasured his private time with family and friends even more.
Other contributors include Jimmy Tarbuck (who, like Dave, started his career as a Butlin's Redcoat); Helen Shapiro (who Dave toured with, alongside the Beatles, in the early 60s); Hollywood director Stephen Frears (who cast Dave in a 1979 Alan Bennett play); and comedians Mark Thomas and Jo Caulfield.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in July 2010.

SUNDAY 18 MARCH 2018

SUN 00:00 Afternoon Drama (b00j1dvz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 00:45 Stephen King - Cookie Jar (b09w84b1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:45 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 A Small Town Murder: Omnibus (b09w24bt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:10 Inheritance Tracks (b09w22d2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:10 on Saturday]
SUN 02:15 Down Your Way (b09w22d4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Saturday]
SUN 03:00 Archive on 4 (b00sn68x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 Saturday Drama (b039lmk2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 Freedom Pass (b00sgzk6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Charles Dickens (b007w0xm)
The Old Curiosity Shop (Omnibus), Episode 2Avoiding evil money-lender Quilp, debt-ridden Little Nell and her Grandfather escape the shop and flee.
Starring Emily Chennery as Nell, Alex Jennings as the Narrator, Trevor Peacock as Grandfather, Daniel Bliss as Kit, Phil Daniels as Daniel Quilp, Ben Crowe as Dick Swiveller and Gerard McDermott as Giant/Grinder.
Charles Dickens's fourth novel was published in 1841.
Dramatised in 25 episodes by Mike Walker.
Music by Melanie Pappenheim and Anne Wood.
Director: Jeremy Mortimer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002.
SUN 07:15 Rukhsana Admad - After Life (b09w2cct)
4 Extra Debut. A young escort spots a way of changing her lifestyle when a client buys a bizarre priceless object. Read by Nina Wadia. From July 1996.
SUN 07:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b039ctgm)
Series 3, Episode 1John Finnemore, the writer and star of Cabin Pressure, regular guest on The Now Show and popper-upper in things like Miranda, presents a third series of his hit sketch show.
The first series was described as "sparklingly clever" by The Daily Telegraph and "one of the most consistently funny sketch shows for quite some time" by The Guardian. The second series won Best Radio Comedy at both the Chortle and Comedy.co.uk awards, and was nominated for a Sony award.
In this new series, John promises to stop doing silly sketches about nonsense like Winnie the Pooh's honey addiction or how goldfish invented computer programming, and concentrate instead on the the big, serious issues.
This first episode of the series addresses the kind of animals that don't get sanctuaries; why the train manager needs to see the train driver; and why people literally shout at the radio?
Written by and starring John Finnemore, with Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan. Original music is by Susannah Pearse.
Producer: Ed Morrish.
SUN 08:00 Ray's a Laugh (b00ssp46)
From 15/11/1949Ted and Kitty quarrel over her frock - and reporter George gets festive.
Starring Ted Ray.
With Kitty Bluett, Peter Sellers, Patricia Hayes, Fred Yule and Leslie Perrins.
Ray's A Laugh - the successor to ITMA - follows the comedy exploits of Ted's life at home with his 'radio' wife Kitty, as well as in a variety of jobs. It ran from 1949 to 1961.
Scripted by Eddie Maguire and Ted Ray.
Music from Bob & Alf Pearson and The Beaux and The Belles.
BBC Dance Orchestra conducted by Stanley Black.
Producer: George Inns
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in November 1949.
SUN 08:30 Harry Worth in Things Could Be Worse (b09w2ccw)
Going for a SongHarry is determined to grab a sale bargain by spending the night outside a department store.
Written by David McKellar and David Renwick.
Starring Harry Worth. With John Baddeley, John Graham and Miriam Margolyes.
Producer: Simon Brett
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1976.
SUN 09:00 The Railways: Nation, Network and People (Omnibus) (b06rdcvz)
The coming of the trains shunted our vocabulary onto new tracks, and also did some odd things to time...
Read by Stephen Tompkinson - Simon Bradley's remarkable book offers both an understanding of the great sweep of change inaugurated by the railways but also a vast wealth of detail that reveals the sometimes eccentric ways in which ordinary people reacted to the arrival of mass transport.
We get a glimpse into the disconcerting era when the time in London was several minutes ahead of the time in Bristol, and Plymouth was twenty minutes behind. We are reminded of the richness of linguistic gifts that the railways brought to our vocabularies.
The difficulties of lighting and heating trains are examined as well as the history of 'refreshment stops' and the commercial opportunities they brought. Architecture and engineering are covered alongside the impact on social classes and gender.
What cannot be denied is that most passengers have a love-hate relationship with our railways, but many of us know little of the journey taken to get to where we are now.
Abridged and produced by Jill Waters.
A Waters Company Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2015.
SUN 10:10 The Listening Project (b03jfmqf)
Lesley and Kieron - Surfing Through LifeFi Glover introduces a conversation where a mother questions her son's priorities since he became a father; should surfing and skateboarding still take centre stage, even if the fact that he's celebrating beating Crohn's disease influences his outlook?
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. Most of the unedited 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
Producer: Marya Burgess.
SUN 10:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b09w2fth)
The Emerald Isle, Colm Toibin4 Extra Debut. From George Bizet to Joni Mitchell. Writer Colm Toibin shares his castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From January 2016.
SUN 11:00 Podcast Radio Hour (b09vb9g9)
Ben HunteRadio 4 Extra explores the world of podcasts and finds the best on offer.
Each week, Amanda Litherland and a guest presenter recommend one or two podcasts from the BBC and beyond. From some of the most popular series, to lesser-known hidden gems, they feature their favourite finds and speak with the people who make them.
This week's guest is presenter, Ben Hunte.
Podcasts featured: Stance, and a chat with its presenters Heta Fell and Chrystal Genesis - and activist DeRay McKesson talks about his podcast Pod Save The People.
SUN 12:00 Ray's a Laugh (b00ssp46)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 12:30 Harry Worth in Things Could Be Worse (b09w2ccw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 13:00 Charles Dickens (b007w0xm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 14:15 Rukhsana Admad - After Life (b09w2cct)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SUN 14:30 Tessa Hadley - The Past (b06cjlxm)
Omnibus1968: Jill, mother to Harriet, Roland and Alice, arrives unexpectedly at her parent's home, children in tow.
Sian Thomas continues Tessa Hadley's tender and witty novel about siblings, secrets, misunderstandings and passion.
Three middle-aged sisters and a brother meet up in their grandparents' old house for three long, hot summer weeks. Under the idyllic surface, there are immediate tensions. Secrets, misunderstandings and passion play out as the characters shift and reappraise and a way of life - bourgeois, literate, ritualised - winds down to its inevitable end.
While the siblings circle each other, and the adolescents approach each other, the children watch and come to their own conclusions.
Tessa Hadley is one of Britain's finest writers, an acute observer of character, time and place and the most published short story writer in the New Yorker in recent years.
Abridged by Sally Marmion.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast in 2015.
SUN 15:45 The BBC and All That (b01p0vfv)
Episode 2Roger Eckersley was persuaded in 1923 to give up his loss-making chicken farm and join the newly formed BBC. He stayed there for the rest of his career, holding many positions including Director of Entertainment.
Eckersley's memoirs, The BBC and All That, published in the 1940s, include beautifully drawn descriptions of the first month in the now iconic Broadcasting House, after the BBC moved there in 1932 from Savoy Hill. He often smuggled in small groups of friends for unofficial tours of the hidden areas of the BBC, including drama studios, sound effects stores and the boiler room in the basement - his favourite.
He had a wonderfully unstuffy and rebellious nature - surprisingly appropriate for a BBC that was regarded by the Establishment of the time as an unruly upstart. He relished tales of being banned from broadcasting live football commentaries, so paying a string of eye-witnesses to leave the ground at regular intervals and give descriptions of the action they had just seen. He was part of the Pronunciation Committee when George Bernard Shaw and poet laureate Robert Bridges almost came to blows over the how to say "acoustic", and found himself in a discussion about jazz with Queen Mary during which, he learned from an appalled friend afterwards, he had persisted in calling her "My Dear".
The BBC and All That brings to life once more the feelings of awe and excitement experienced by the radio pioneers who worked within the walls of the brand new Broadcasting House.
Abridged and Produced by Neil Cargill
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 16:00 Saturday Drama (b01s02y8)
Frances Iles - Before the FactEmilia Fox, Ben Caplan and Patricia Hodge star in a dramatisation of the novel that Alfred Hitchcock based his film, 'Suspicion' on.
Set in the early 1930s, Emilia Fox plays the part of Lina - a girl in her late twenties, from a wealthy family. In danger of becoming a spinster, life changes for the better when Lina meets Johnnie Aysgarth, a charming stranger who proposes marriage. Johnnie saves Lina from a boring life with her parents and whisks her off on an extravagant honeymoon. But on their return Lina begins to discover that Johnnie is not all he seems. His gambling threatens to ruin them but is her growing suspicion that he is also a murderer founded on reality or her imagination?
BEFORE THE FACT
By FRANCES ILES
Dramatised for radio by RONALD FRAME
Producer/Director: David Ian Neville.
SUN 17:00 Poetry Extra (b09w2lgm)
Les Murray and Kit WrightPoet Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's radio poetry archive with 'Stanza on Stage' featuring poets Les A Murray and Kit Wright.
Simon Armitage introduces the duo in a performance from the Birmingham Readers and Writers Festival.
Producer: Viv Beeby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1997.
SUN 17:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b039ctgm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 18:00 The World of Daphne du Maurier (b09w2lgp)
GanymedeThe man arrived in Venice happy and contented with life. He left Venice shattered by an unusual experience destined to mark him for life.
Series of adaptations of Daphne Du Maurier's famous short stories.
Starring John Le Mesurier as the Man.
With Anthony Daniels as the Boy, David Gooderson as the Porter/Consul and John Sharp as the Fat Man.
Dramatised and produced by Derek Hoddinott.
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in 1974.
SUN 18:30 Charles Chilton - Space Force (b007jn65)
Series 2, Unto Death - And BeyondStranded on the Golden Planet, the Space Force crew must find a way to return to Mars.
Conclusion of Charles Chilton's second intergalatic six-part adventure.
Starring Barry Foster as Captain Saxon Berry, Nicky Henson as Chipper Barnett, Nigel Stock as Magnus Carter, Tony Osoba as Lodderick Sincere.
With Wendy Murray, Willoughby Goddard, Bernard Brown and Mia Soteriou.
Charles Chilton wrote and produced many popular and successful radio programmes for the BBC - including the classic 1950s serial 'Journey into Space' - charting the adventures of Captain Jet Morgan. This fired the imagination of millions, years before the first moon landing. It was the last radio drama to record higher ratings than the new young upstart television!
Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1985.
SUN 19:00 Podcast Radio Hour (b09vb9g9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 20:00 The Railways: Nation, Network and People (Omnibus) (b06rdcvz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SUN 21:10 The Listening Project (b03jfmqf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:10 today]
SUN 21:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b09w2fth)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:15 today]
SUN 22:00 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b039ctgm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 22:30 Meet David Sedaris (b03mclqh)
Series 4, Episode 5One of the world's funniest storytellers is back on BBC Radio 4 doing what he does best.
This week, he considers his native tongue as if it were a foreign language in "English Lesson" and the trouble that taxidermy can bring in "Understanding Understanding Owls".
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09w6x0t)
Rachel Parris 2/2Arthur Smith talks to musical comedy marvel and star of The Mash Report, Rachel Parris.
SUN 23:00 Newsjack (b09vb1bf)
Series 18, Episode 6BBC Radio 4 Extra's topical sketch show Newsjack returns for its 18th series with host Angela Barnes.
Featuring Josh Berry, Chiara Goldsmith and Jason Forbes.
Script Editors: Ed Amsden and Tom Coles
Producers: Adnan Ahmed and Lyndsay Fenner
Production Co-ordinator: Nick Coupe
Irreverent and satirical, Newsjack is the scrapbook sketch show written entirely by the Great British public and then brought to life by a revolving cast of sketch performers.
This is the final show in this series - we'll be returning in the autumn with more crowd-sourced comedy...
Details for submitting material can be found on the Newsjack programme page. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kvs8r.
SUN 23:30 2000 Years of Radio (b007scys)
Series 1, Dark Age FMIt's just coming up to 500AD, but watch out - the end of the world is nigh. With Marcus Brigstocke. From October 2000.
SUN 23:45 Quando, Quando, Quando (b007ym3m)
The NitsThe Quando brothers' hair salon is inundated with children wanting their haircut before the start of the school-term.
But one of them is accompanied by nits and the result is itchy mayhem...
Brothers Rene, Carlo and Charlie Quando chop, snip and crimp their lucky clients into shape at London's finest hair salon.
Six-part comedy written and performed by Rainer Hersch and Mark Maie. With Stephen Greif and Catherine Tate.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1999.

MONDAY 19 MARCH 2018

MON 00:00 The World of Daphne du Maurier (b09w2lgp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 Charles Chilton - Space Force (b007jn65)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Charles Dickens (b007w0xm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:15 Rukhsana Admad - After Life (b09w2cct)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 Tessa Hadley - The Past (b06cjlxm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:45 The BBC and All That (b01p0vfv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:45 on Sunday]
MON 04:00 Saturday Drama (b01s02y8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Poetry Extra (b09w2lgm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b039ctgm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p3lg0)
An Amateur Corpse, Episode 1Actor-cum-sleuth Charles Paris is once again out of work - an event made worse by his maddening mother Joan's arrival to recuperate from an operation.
So when he bumps into old friend, Hugo, who offers him some voiceover work, Charles is doubly happy; some money and a chance to escape the house.
But a simple voice job leads Charles into Hugo's drink-fuelled depressing marriage. His young wife spends most of her time at an am-dram group with some very strange members and Hugo seems ready to crack....
By Jeremy Front - based on Simon Brett's novel.
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Joan ..... Geraldine McEwan
Hugo ..... Paul Ritter
Ellie ...... Amaka Okafor
Saskia ..... Christine Absalom
Geoff ...... Patrick Brennan
Clive ...... Sam Alexander
Director ...... Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.
MON 06:30 The Body of Art (b00kt8r3)
Bob Dickinson talks to performance artists who have used their own bodies as a site for art, and in doing so challenged the limits of what it means to be human.
In 2008 the Australian artist, Stelarc, began a new project in which he grew a genetically-cloned ear on his left arm. This cloned organ will, after continuing surgery, be fitted with a microphone and linked to the internet, so that we will all be able to listen, from our PCs, to what Stelarc is hearing through his 'extra ear'. At the same time, the French artist, Orlan, produced an installation, Harlequin Coat, which uses recombinant DNA technology to fuse living cells taken from her body with the cells of other humans, and animals.
Bob Dickinson talks to these artists and others, including Marina Abramovic, Franko B and the Chinese artist He Yun Chang, and asks them what makes them want to endure discomfort, pain and isolation. He reports on the way in which certain artists are now moving away from the limited space of their bodies, fascinated by the way technology and genetic engineering are remapping our understanding of the self.
MON 07:00 Winston (b0080hsj)
Winston in Love, Figuratively SpeakingNancy sparks concern by eloping with Roland. Meanwhile Father declares he's in love with Mrs Sunderland - figuratively speaking, of course.
Peter Tinniswood's bawdy comedy serial stars Bill Wallis as Winston, Maurice Denham as Father, Shirley Dixon as Nancy, Liz Goulding as Rosie and Christian Rodska as William.
Director: Shaun MacLoughlin
First broadcast on BBC Radio in January 1991.
MON 07:30 Just a Minute (b09v32j9)
Series 80, Episode 4Nicholas Parsons and regular guest Paul Merton challenge Josie Lawrence, Jenny Eclair and Tony Hawks to speak for a minute on such diverse topics as Zombies, Pi and Audrey Hepburn.
Hayley Sterling blows the whistle.
Produced by Victoria Lloyd.
A BBC Studios production.
MON 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k15z)
The Holiday CampSid hires the lad to run his new venture, but then he discovers a surprise next door.
Starring Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sidney James. Andree Melly, Kenneth Williams and Denis Wilson.
Announcer: 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 May 1955.
MON 08:30 Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b007xvlm)
Series 1, Episode 3Flywheel's assistant Ravelli gets kidnapped, but will the shady lawyer pay the ransom?
Recreation of the Marx Brothers' lost shows charting the adventures of shady lawyer Waldorf T Flywheel and his assistant, Emmanuel Ravelli. Originally broadcast with sponsors on America's NBC radio network in the 1930s. The scripts were rediscovered in 1988.
Starring Michael Roberts as Groucho Marx as Waldorf T Flywheel and Frank Lazarus as Chico Marx as Emmanuel Ravelli
With Lorelei King and Graham Hoadly.
Written by Nat Perrin and Athur Sheekman. Adapted by Mark Brisenden.
Music arranged and conducted by David Firman.
Producer: Dirk Maggs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1990.
MON 09:00 We've Been Here Before (b00fy1g5)
Series 2, Episode 2Clive Anderson's yesteryear quiz with Gyles Brandreth, John O'Farrell, Natalie Haynes and Richard Herring. From June 2004.
MON 09:30 King Street Junior (b007jnjz)
Series 9, Danger ZoneHeadmaster Mr Beeston yearns for the time when school was a sanctuary from the harsher perils of the outside world.
Created by Jim Eldridge, ten series of this comedy about a junior school ran between 1985 and 1998. King Street Junior Revisited ran from 2002 to 2005
Written by Jim Eldridge.
Stars Karl Howman as Mr Sims, James Grout as the Headmaster, Deirdre Costello as Mrs Patterson, Paul Copley as Mr Long, Marlene Sidaway as Miss Lewis, Margaret John as Mrs Stone, Vivienne Martin as Mrs Rudd, Alice Arnold as Mrs Goodman, Desmond Askew as the Mugger, Sam Gaunt as Alex, Craig Stein as Tim and Ritu Jutla as Aretha.
Producer: John Fawcett Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1996.
MON 10:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w2pyf)
The Day of the Scorpion, Episode 3Sarah travels to Calcutta to visit Ronald Merrick in hospital and to hear at first hand of Teddie Bingham's tragic encounter with Indian National Army troops.
The last days of the British Raj in India as the Second World War leads inevitably towards independence.
Paul Scott's classic series of novels dramatised by John Harvey.
Sarah Layton - Lia Williams
Mildred Layton - Geraldine James
Susan Layton - Alex Tregear
Teddie Bingham - Nicholas Boulton
Ronald Merrick - Mark Bazeley
Fenny Grace - Selina Griffiths
Barbie Batchelor - Marcia Warren
Mabel Layton - Margaret Tyzack
General Rankin - Hugh Dickson
Clark -Giles Fagan
Mira - Priyanga Elan
Reverend Peplow - Ian Masters
With Jason Chan, Shiv Grewal, Robert Hastie and Emily Wachter.
Music by Raiomond Mirza.
Director: Jeremy Mortimer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
MON 11:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w2tlt)
Series 5, The LetterRobert Crosbie's wife has been arrested for murder. She swears she is innocent. But a letter comes to notice which casts doubts on her story and her character. Is she guilty?
Interviewed in 1933, Maugham said, 'It has always seemed to me that literature can only find its fullest and freest expression in the essay or short story.' He wrote more than 100 stories, at least 14 of which he burned on one of his 'bonfire nights', after Winston Churchill warned that they contravened the Official Secrets Act. Of the stories that do survive, he said, 'some of them deal with circumstances and places to which the passage of time and the growth of civilisation will give a romantic glamour.'
A collection of Maugham's best stories with tales from home and abroad. Tales of intrigue from far-flung colonial outposts and tales of passion from quintessentially British hearths.
Maugham writes perfect vignettes - snapshots of human life in all its diversity - captured at a moment of crisis or revelation.
Abridged by Polly Coles
Read by Lucy Robinson
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
MON 11:15 Tommies (b09d4bky)
10 November 1917From T E Lawrence and the Great Pyramid at Giza, to the Third Battle of Gaza, Tommies explores the Intelligence battle redrawing the Middle East, in this two-part adventure starring Indira Varma and Lee Ross.
Through camel chases, train derailments, riots and assassination squads, British intelligence and anti-colonial sedition go head to head in Cairo - where Mickey's about to meet some surprisingly familiar faces.
Meticulously based on unit war diaries and eye-witness accounts, each episode of TOMMIES traces one real day at war, exactly 100 years ago.
And through it all, we'll follow the fortunes of Mickey Bliss and his fellow signallers, from the Lahore Division of the British Indian Army. They are the cogs in an immense machine, one which connects situations across the whole theatre of the war, over four long years.
Written by Jonathan Ruffle and Avin Shah.
Producers: David Hunter, Jonquil Panting, Jonathan Ruffle
Director: Jonquil Panting and David Hunter.
MON 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k15z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b007xvlm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p3lg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:30 The Body of Art (b00kt8r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 14:00 Book at Bedtime (b037h1yl)
Ian Sansom - The Norfolk Mystery, Episode 1Julian Rhind-Tutt reads Ian Sansom's new comic thriller, The Norfolk Mystery.
It's 1937 and Stephen Sefton is drifting. Just a year earlier, he'd left London in a fever of idealism to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Now he is back, injured both mentally and physically. He has turned into a seething mass of self- pity. He's at rock bottom and penniless. So when he sees an advert for an assistant to a writer, he applies. His interviewer is the People's Professor; Swanton Morley - whose type of learning is the sort scorned by academia but loved by the masses, who lap up his books with titles like 'Morley's Art for All' and 'Morley's Old Wild West.'
His latest project is to be called The County Guides. It's a typically ambitious plan to celebrate the best of England county by county, from the wheelwrights of Devon to the shoe makers of Northampton, and covering sport, natural history and every other conceivable subject in between. They're starting in Norfolk, but they're going to be distracted by a dark discovery and a host of eccentric characters - not all of whom react well to Morley's manner, his pedigree or his un-flinching quest to reveal the truth.
The book is abridged by Lauris Morgan-Griffiths.
Producer: Sarah Langan.
MON 14:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j657)
VoyseyLaurence Llewelyn Bowen's history of our homes from the 1920s to the present day, beginning with a profile of the 'father of the English suburb', Charles Voysey. From March 2008.
MON 14:30 Charles Dickens (b007w5fz)
The Old Curiosity Shop, Episode 11Driven to find shelter in a storm, Little Nell's grandfather finds a place at the card table.
Starring Emily Chennery as Nell, Alex Jennings as the Narrator, Trevor Peacock as Grandfather, Gerard McDermott as Giant/Grinder, Julia McKenzie as Mrs Jarley and Anna Massey as Miss Monflathers.
Charles Dickens's fourth novel was published in 1841.
Dramatised in 25 episodes by Mike Walker.
Music by Melanie Pappenheim and Anne Wood.
Director: Jeremy Mortimer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002.
MON 14:45 Book of the Week (b01slvgw)
Paul Morley - The North (and Almost Everything in It), Episode 1'Here is the north, this is where it lies, where it belongs, full of itself, high up above everything else, surrounded by everything that isn't the north, that's off the page, somewhere else.'
Paul Morley grew up in Reddish, less than five miles from Manchester and even closer to Stockport. Ever since the age of seven, old enough to form an identity but too young to be aware that 'southern' was a category, Morley has always thought of himself as a northerner. What that meant, he wasn't entirely sure. It was for him, as it is for millions of others in England, an absolute, indisputable truth.
Forty years after walking down grey pavements on his way to school, Morley explores what it means to be northern and why those who consider themselves to be believe it so strongly. While exploring his own 'northernness', Morley brings in other voices from the North, from Larkin to Wordsworth, Les Dawson to George Formby, Morrissey to Mark E. Smith, as he attempts to classify the unclassifiable.
Today: Morley on his northern childhood, and how he became a northerner.
Paul Morley is an acclaimed music journalist, writer, presenter and music producer. He made his name writing for the NME between 1977 and 1983, and has gone on to publish several books about music.
Reader: Paul Morley, with additional readings from Paul Hilton
Abridger: Viv Beeby
Producer: Justine Willett.
MON 15:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w2pyf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:00 We've Been Here Before (b00fy1g5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 16:30 King Street Junior (b007jnjz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
MON 17:00 Winston (b0080hsj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 17:30 Just a Minute (b09v32j9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 18:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4lg)
The Seeds of CreationRalph Exon - working for an international fertiliser corporation - has created a new strain of plant: a mutation which he hopes will bring relief to the famine-ridden countries of the world.
It's an innocent-looking plant. But in that plant, known as the Exon strain, there also lurks the Destruction Factor...
Stars T P McKenna as Max Flinders, Paul Copley as Howard Rogers, Rosalind Adams as Denise Exon, Clifford Rose as Ralph Exon, Peter Wickham as Balfour, Rod Beacham as Garrard, Bruce Beeby as Ted Downes and Joan Matheson as Kathy Downes.
Producer: David Spencer
First broadcast as 2 x 90 minute plays on BBC Radio 4 in 1978.
MON 18:30 A Good Read (b09w2wvn)
PD James and Julie MyersonSue MacGregor and her author guests - Julie Myerson and PD James - discuss their favourite books by Molly Bloom, Jim Crace and Jules Verne.
Recorded with an audience at the Ways with Words Festival, Southwold, Suffolk. From 2005
Good Behaviour by Molly Keane
Publisher: Virago Modern Classics
Being Dead by Jim Crace
Publisher: Penguin Books
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
Publisher: Oxford Worlds Classics.
MON 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k15z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b007xvlm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p3lg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:30 The Body of Art (b00kt8r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 21:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w2tlt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:15 Tommies (b09d4bky)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
MON 22:00 Just a Minute (b09v32j9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 A Short Gentleman (b019rqh1)
Episode 4QC Robert's nemesis approaches, along with Edward, basset hound of doom.
Hugh Bonneville stars as Robert Purcell, QC, a perfect specimen of the British Establishment, who applies faultless legal logic to his disastrous personal life.
Jon Canter's comic novel 'A Short Gentleman' adapted by Robin Brooks.
Director: Jonquil Painting
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.
MON 23:00 The Now Show (b09vwzqz)
Series 52, Episode 3Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present the week via topical stand-up and sketches.
Punt and Dennis are joined this week by James Acaster, Rachel Parris, Suzi Ruffell and Daniel Barker.
MON 23:30 The Museum of Everything (b007k4y7)
Series 2, Behind the MagicThe guides star in a beastly new DVD and Turkish art proves popular. Stars Marcus Brigstocke and Dan Tetsell. From May 2005.

TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2018

TUE 00:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4lg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 A Good Read (b09w2wvn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p3lg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 The Body of Art (b00kt8r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b037h1yl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j657)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 Charles Dickens (b007w5fz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:45 Book of the Week (b01slvgw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w2pyf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 We've Been Here Before (b00fy1g5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:30 King Street Junior (b007jnjz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 Winston (b0080hsj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 Just a Minute (b09v32j9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p71wn)
An Amateur Corpse, Episode 2by Jeremy Front
Based on the novel by Simon Brett.
What starts as a simple voiceover job soon leads Charles to the discovery of a dead body.
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Joan ..... Geraldine McEwan
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Hugo ..... Paul Ritter
Ellie ...... Amaka Okafor
Saskia ..... Christine Absalom
Geoff ...... Patrick Brennan
Clive ...... Sam Alexander
Director ...... Sally Avens
Bill Nighy is back as Charles Paris, actor, alcoholic and amateur sleuth. Charles is once again out of work an event that is made worse by the fact that his mother (played by Geraldine McEwen) has come to stay whilst recovering from an operation; and Frances thinks she may be secret tippler - so it might be a good job if Charles laid off the booze in the run up to Christmas.
So when he bumps into old friend, Hugo, who offers him the chance of some voiceover work Charles is doubly happy; some money and a chance to get out of the house. In return Charles agrees to critique Hugo's wife's am-dram group's production of Marat Sade.
But the world of amateur dramatics it seems has more drama off stage than on and Charles discovers a dead body.
TUE 06:30 Sibelius: A Symphony That Burned (b01kjt7h)
The most notorious 'lost work' in classical music: rediscovered? Peggy Reynolds tells the story of Jean Sibelius's infamous Eighth Symphony - with extracts from new musical fragments discovered last year, performed exclusively for the programme.
---
Jean Sibelius thought he'd burned his last symphony forever. For two decades, he had struggled in the forest fastness of his home in the countryside, Ainola, north of Helsinki. Born in 1865, he was Finland's greatest artistic hero: a composer whose music had once articulated an entire nation's dreams of independence. Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, The Second Symphony - all flowed from his pen...and made him an icon.
Now, in the 1930s and 40s, he was an old man of the Romantic era - an artist alive long after his time. Loved by concert audiences but pilloried and mocked by the new winds of musical modernism, now he felt ancient, irrelevant, unable to speak.
For the last 25 years of his long life, he didn't publish a single note of music. How could he? Here was an artist truly adrift between old and new. The year Sibelius was born, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The year he died, 1957, the Russians sent Sputnik into space.
And so, one morning in 1945, Jean Sibelius took the pages of a symphony that had taken him to the brink of despair...and burned it all: destroying it before it destroyed him.
His Eighth Symphony became the most notorious 'lost work' in classical music. Audiences dreamed of hearing just a snatch of what had played inside the old man's head; critics wondered if this 'irrelevance' had been forging secret, daringly original new musical ground.
For decades not a single note could be traced. And then, last year, three short fragments of music were revealed - the culmination of years of painstaking research through piles upon piles of manuscript sketches. The only evidence of any orchestral work by Sibelius during the infamous 'silence of Ainola'. And almost certainly the only tantalising glimpse we may ever get at his fabled Eighth Symphony.
Writer and broadcaster Peggy Reynolds visits Sibelius's home near Helsinki to fully unpick - for the first time - the riddle of Sibelius's Eighth Symphony, with contributions from the great British conductor and Sibelius expert Sir Mark Elder. She presents a performance of newly-discovered musical fragments, performed exclusively for the programme by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under John Storgards...after eight decades, the closest we may ever get of experiencing the most infamous lost work in 20th century music.
TUE 07:00 Stockport, So Good They Named It Once (b007jrj4)
Series 1, OrganathonEddie attempts a record-breaking electronic organ session for charity while son Jason receives a mysterious letter...
The lives of the Stockport-based, Conroy family - in series 1 of Jim Poyser and Damian Lanigan's comedy drama.
Starring Dominic Monaghan as Jason, John McArdle as Eddie, Beverley Callard as Maureen. Jason Done as Michael, Jo-Anne Knowles as Debbie, Chris Pavlo as Hugo, Brian Poyser as Brian and Richard Davies as Mr Owen.
Music: Big George
Producer: Neil Mossey
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1999.
TUE 07:30 Sara Pascoe: The Modern Monkey (b09v3fdy)
Series 1, CharityBrand new stand-up from Sara Pascoe.
Sara will be exploring our modern social world though theories of Evolutionary Psychology and more. How does our monkey past influence our modern lives and how come we can still get emotionally hijacked by our primitive emotions?
The final episode of the series explores the concept of Charity. We've looked at some the less pleasant aspects of humans in previous episodes but this show is all about the positive. There are lots of examples of altruistic behaviour and feats of generosity - the social traits of our species are at the root of why we're so successful. But it's complicated. Can we find compassion for each other when we're doing the wrong things for the right reasons?
Recorded on location at The Foundling Museum.
Written by and starring Sara Pascoe
Production co-ordinator Toby Tilling
Producer Alexandra Smith
A BBC Studios production.
TUE 08:00 The Ken Dodd Show (b05tyv7s)
From 10/08/1975The King of Knotty Ash and pals on their poor but happy childhoods - and all is revealed about the Legover legacy.
Starring Ken Dodd.
With Jo Manning Wilson, Miriam Margolyes, Talfryn Thomas, Chris Emmett and Michael McClain.
Devised and written by Ken Dodd with Dave Dutton, Terry Ravenscroft, Maurice Bird and Philip and Mike Brennan.
Doddy's Diddy Orchestra conducted by Geoff Alderson.
Producer: Bobby Jaye
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 in August 1975.
TUE 08:30 The Men From the Ministry (b0162mzj)
Health and DeficiencyThe bird-brained bureaucrats mind a budgie - what could possibly go wrong?
Stars Richard Murdoch and Deryck Guyler.
With Norma Ronald, Ronald Baddiley, John Graham and Mandy Cuthbert.
Written by Edward Taylor and John Graham.
'The Men from the Ministry' ran for 14 series between 1962 and 1977. Deryck Guyler replaced Wilfrid Hyde-White from 1966. Sadly many episodes didn't survive in the archive. However, the BBC's Transcription Service re-recorded 14 shows in 1980 - never broadcast in the UK, until the arrival of BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in August 1974.
TUE 09:00 The Now Show (b09vwzqz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:30 Turf Wars (b00zm084)
How's Your Mother?MICHAEL MALONEY stars in Simon Brett's short play for this comedy drama series: 'TURF WARS'.
In a gossipy village Humphrey Partridge is reckoned to be anti-social, indeed stand-offish. But he always has an excuse - namely that he has to look after his ailing elderly mother. It raises eyebrows at work. For example when Humphrey's boss needs him to stand in for a colleague at a conference abroad, Humphrey point blank refuses to go. The boss ends up going himself. No-one has ever met the legendary matriarch. Not even nosy Raj the local postman. But then one morning when Humphrey is at work, Raj notices a fire in Humphrey's house, breaks in to put it out and makes an extraordinary discovery. Soon police are digging in Humphrey's garden. But just what is Humphrey's dark secret?
HOW'S YOUR MOTHER by Simon Brett
Directed by Peter Kavanagh.
TUE 10:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w2zr4)
The Towers of SilenceAfter the death of Mabel Layton, her companion Barbie Batchelor has to leave Rose Cottage.
It's summer 1945, and as the war comes to a close, the days of the British Raj are numbered...
Paul Scott's classic series of novels dramatised by John Harvey.
Sarah Layton - Lia Williams
Mildred Layton - Geraldine James
Susan Layton - Alex Tregear
Ronald Merrick - Mark Bazeley
Fenny Grace - Selina Griffiths
Barbie Batchelor - Marcia Warren
Reverend Peplow - Ian Masters
Clarissa Peplow - Susan Jameson
Kenneth Coley - Stephen Hogan
With Jason Chan, Robert Hastie, Rez Kempton, Stuart McLoughlin and Ndidi Del Fatti.
Music by Raiomond Mirza.
Director: Jeremy Mortimer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
TUE 11:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w2zr6)
Series 5, The Ant and The Grasshopper/Princess SeptemberSomerset Maugham wrote just a few fables amongst his large collection of short stories. Here are two - one about misconceptions and the other about the dangers of vanity.
Interviewed in 1933, Maugham said, 'It has always seemed to me that literature can only find its fullest and freest expression in the essay or short story.' He wrote more than 100 stories, at least 14 of which he burned on one of his 'bonfire nights', after Winston Churchill warned that they contravened the Official Secrets Act. Of the stories that do survive, he said, 'some of them deal with circumstances and places to which the passage of time and the growth of civilisation will give a romantic glamour.'
A collection of Maugham's best stories with tales from home and abroad. Tales of intrigue from far-flung colonial outposts and tales of passion from quintessentially British hearths.
Maugham writes perfect vignettes - snapshots of human life in all its diversity - captured at a moment of crisis or revelation.
Abridged by Polly Coles
Read by Daniel Weyman and Lucy Robinson
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
TUE 11:15 Tommies (b09dp6k4)
11 November 1917From T E Lawrence and the Great Pyramid at Giza, to the Third Battle of Gaza, Tommies explores the Intelligence battle redrawing the Middle East, in this two-part adventure starring Indira Varma and Lee Ross.
Through camel chases, train derailments, riots and assassination squads, British intelligence and anti-colonial sedition go head to head in Cairo - where Mickey's about to meet some surprisingly familiar faces.
Meticulously based on unit war diaries and eye-witness accounts, each episode of TOMMIES traces one real day at war, exactly 100 years ago.
And through it all, we'll follow the fortunes of Mickey Bliss and his fellow signallers, from the Lahore Division of the British Indian Army. They are the cogs in an immense machine, one which connects situations across the whole theatre of the war, over four long years.
Written by Jonathan Ruffle and Avin Shah.
Producers: David Hunter, Jonquil Panting, Jonathan Ruffle
Director: Jonquil Panting.
TUE 12:00 The Ken Dodd Show (b05tyv7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 The Men From the Ministry (b0162mzj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p71wn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:30 Sibelius: A Symphony That Burned (b01kjt7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 14:00 Book at Bedtime (b037jpwt)
Ian Sansom - The Norfolk Mystery, Episode 2Julian Rhind-Tutt reads Ian Sansom's new comic thriller, The Norfolk Mystery.
Everybody had heard of Swanton Morley - the People's Professor. His was the kind of learning that was scorned by the official world of Academia but adored by the throbbing masses who bought books of his with tiles like 'Morley's guide to Carpentering', 'Morley's Book of the Sea' and 'Morley's Old Wild West'.
Sefton only just survived Morley's interrogation at the interview. He had fallen short with his knowledge of the Canadian export market but redeemed himself with his ability to recite a little of Wordsworth's Prelude. As Sefton meets Morley's thrill seeking daughter Miriam, he begins to wonder what he has let himself in for.
The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom is abridged by Lauris Morgan-Griffiths.
Produced by: Sarah Langan.
TUE 14:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j65c)
ModernismThe modernist social experiment came close to being realised with the blocks of flats built in the early 1930s. From March 2008.
TUE 14:30 Charles Dickens (b007w3zv)
The Old Curiosity Shop, Episode 12Lawyer Sampson Brass and his dragonish sister Sally are presented with a clerk. Dickens dramatisation starring Trevor Peacock. From January 2003.
TUE 14:45 Book of the Week (b01sm6rt)
Paul Morley - The North (and Almost Everything in It), Episode 2'Here is the north, this is where it lies, where it belongs, full of itself, high up above everything else, surrounded by everything that isn't the north, that's off the page, somewhere else.'
Paul Morley grew up in Reddish, less than five miles from Manchester and even closer to Stockport. Ever since the age of seven, old enough to form an identity but too young to be aware that 'southern' was a category, Morley has always thought of himself as a northerner. What that meant, he wasn't entirely sure. It was for him, as it is for millions of others in England, an absolute, indisputable truth.
Forty years after walking down grey pavements on his way to school, Morley explores what it means to be northern and why those who consider themselves to be believe it so strongly. While exploring his own 'northernness', Morley brings in other voices from the North, from Larkin to Wordsworth, Les Dawson to George Formby, Morrissey to Mark E. Smith, as he attempts to classify the unclassifiable.
Today: holiday trips to the south coast expose the darker side of life in the north.
Paul Morley is an acclaimed music journalist, writer, presenter and music producer. He made his name writing for the NME between 1977 and 1983, and has gone on to publish several books about music.
Reader: Paul Morley, with additional readings from Paul Hilton
Abridger: Viv Beeby
Producer: Justine Willett.
TUE 15:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w2zr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:00 The Personality Test (b00m16xm)
Series 1, Greg DykeThe former BBC director-general quizzes a panel about himself. With Sue Perkins, Lucy Porter and Robin Ince. From July 2006.
TUE 16:30 Such Rotten Luck (b068r53r)
Series 2, Why Did You Marry a Writer?Struggling writer Wodehouse hopes that a new biography will change his fortunes. Stars Tim Pigott-Smith. From December 1991.
TUE 17:00 Stockport, So Good They Named It Once (b007jrj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 17:30 Sara Pascoe: The Modern Monkey (b09v3fdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 18:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4mr)
The Devil's HarvestAs fires erupt, why is Ralph Exon's new plant strain mutation growing so rapidly? Stars Paul Copley and TP McKenna. From March 1978.
TUE 18:30 Pioneers (b013n554)
Series 2, James GoodfellowPioneer, James Goodfellow tells Clare English about his invention of the cash machine and the global impact it had on the banking industry.
James also patented the Personal Identification Number (PIN) technology which is still fundamentally the basis for modern day cash withdrawals.
Producer: Philip Sime
First broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in 2011.
TUE 19:00 The Ken Dodd Show (b05tyv7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 The Men From the Ministry (b0162mzj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p71wn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:30 Sibelius: A Symphony That Burned (b01kjt7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 21:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w2zr6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 21:15 Tommies (b09dp6k4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
TUE 22:00 Sara Pascoe: The Modern Monkey (b09v3fdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 Elvis McGonagall Takes a Look on the Bright Side (b042l78v)
Series 1, The Winner Takes It AllEpisode 2. The Winner Takes It All.
Elvis is persuaded, much against his will, to engage with society's apparent mania for competitions. The opportunities are legion: karaoke, writing in to magazines, the competition for best kept caravan park and a local poetry slam
Producer: Frank Stirling
A Unique production for BBC Radio 4
Written by Elvis MacGonagall, with Richard Smith, Helen Braunholtz-Smith and Frank Stirling.
Stand-up poet, armchair revolutionary, comedian and broadcaster Elvis McGonagall (aka poet and performer Richard Smith) is determined to do something about his bitter, dyspeptic and bloody minded view of contemporary life. There are good things out there, if he could only be bothered to find them. From his home in the Graceland Park near Dundee, the Scottish punk poet goes in search of the brighter side of life. With the help of his dog,Trouble, his friend, Susan Morrison, and his own private narrator, Clarke Peters, Elvis does his very best to accentuate the positive - he really does. Recorded almost entirely on location, in a caravan on a truly glamorous industrial estate somewhere in Scotland.
As Elvis, poet Richard Smith is the 2006 World Poetry Slam Champion, the compere of the notorious Blue Suede Sporran Club and appears regularly on BBC Radio 4 ("Saturday Live", the "Today Programme", "Arthur Smith's Balham Bash", "Last Word", "Off The Page" and others as well as writing and presenting the popular arts features "Doggerel Bard" on the art of satiric poetry and "Beacons and Blue Remembered Hills" on the extraordinary resonance of A.E. Housman's 'Shropshire Lad', which was recorded on location as well.
(further info at www.elvismcgonagall.co.uk).
TUE 22:45 Richard Marsh (b01rlnj6)
Love and Sweets, The Perfect MatchWinner of Best Scripted Comedy in the BBC Audio Awards 2014, poet and playwright Richard Marsh fuses poetry and prose to tell a witty and honest story about moving in with his girlfriend Siobhan, planning the perfect proposal, and the build-up to his wedding day. What could be easier?
Richard's exhilarating relationship with Siobhan is going from strength to strength, and they are swept up in the heady rush of friends meeting friends and moving in together. Sharing a flat is a whirlwind of excitement, but also throws up problems for the couple - especially when Siobhan's mum comes to stay and doesn't pull her punches when it comes to what she thinks of Richard.
But Richard's got bigger things to worry about. He's secretly planning the perfect proposal, and even though when it comes to the big moment things don't go exactly as planned, soon Richard and Siobhan find themselves preparing for the wedding of their dreams. But if planning the perfect proposal was fraught with complications, it's nothing compared to planning the perfect wedding. Richard's just not sure why the joining of two hearts needs to involve Microsoft Excel...
Contains some explicit language.
Written and performed by Richard Marsh
Producer: Ben Worsfield
A Lucky Giant production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09w6xjz)
Phil Nichol 1/2Rob Deering chats to comedian, rock god, serious actor, West End star, writer, director and general comedy hero Phil Nichol.
TUE 23:00 Warhorses of Letters (b03srddp)
Series 3, Episode 4The last in the series of the epistolary equine love story starring Stephen Fry as Napoleon's horse Marengo and Daniel Rigby as the Duke of Wellington's mount Copenhagen, with an introduction by Tamsin Greig.
Old age has come to our horses, and Marengo is sick. Copenhagen is determined that he and his true love will be truly together just once before Marengo quits this earthly life for a new paddock in the sky.
In perhaps the most moving exchange of letters ever sent by one horse to another the final act of this tragic love story unfolds.
Written by Robbie Hudson and Marie Phillips
Produced by Gareth Edwards.
TUE 23:15 Poets' Tree (b00srg4q)
Episode 4Paul Hamilton looks at pop music's poetic merits plus a tribute to an unheralded genius. Stars Kevin Eldon. From April 2008.
TUE 23:30 Arthur Smith's Balham Bash (b00s0hn9)
Series 2, Episode 2Comedy and music from the Arthur Smith residence. With Paloma Faith, Miles Jupp and Tom Wrigglesworth.

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018

WED 00:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4mr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 Pioneers (b013n554)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01p71wn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 Sibelius: A Symphony That Burned (b01kjt7h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b037jpwt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j65c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 Charles Dickens (b007w3zv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:45 Book of the Week (b01sm6rt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w2zr4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 The Personality Test (b00m16xm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:30 Such Rotten Luck (b068r53r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 Stockport, So Good They Named It Once (b007jrj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 Sara Pascoe: The Modern Monkey (b09v3fdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pc2kt)
An Amateur Corpse, Episode 3by Jeremy Front
Based on the novel by Simon Brett.
Charles wants to prove that his old friend Hugo didn't kill his wife, but all the signs are pointing to Hugo's guilt.
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Joan ..... Geraldine McEwan
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Hugo ..... Paul Ritter
Holly ..... Susie Ridell
Detective ..... Don Gilet
Paramedic ...... Joe Sims
Director ...... Sally Avens
Bill Nighy is back as Charles Paris, actor, alcoholic and amateur sleuth. Charles is once again out of work an event that is made worse by the fact that his mother (played by Geraldine McEwen) has come to stay whilst recovering from an operation; and Frances thinks she may be secret tippler - so it might be a good job if Charles laid off the booze in the run up to Christmas.
So when he bumps into old friend, Hugo, who offers him the chance of some voiceover work Charles is doubly happy; some money and a chance to get out of the house.But when Charles finds Hugo's wife dead in their swimming pool he becomes determined to prove Hugo innocent of her murder. Maybe some of the members of Ginny's Amateur Dramatic group will be able to help Charles uncover the truth.
WED 06:30 The Big B at 70 (b01nk147)
Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest star in Bollywood and a cinematic colossus in Indian cinema for 40 years.
To mark his 70th birthday in 2012, Sarfraz Manzoor looked back over his career.
Producer: Mark Rickards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.
WED 07:00 The Architects (b03zdkk7)
Series 1, Multi-FaithComedy by Jim Poyser and Neil Griffiths. 25 years on, Sir Lucien is still bitter about the rejection of his designs for Shakespeare's Globe in reinforced concrete. Finally he's going to do something about it.
Directed by Toby Swift.
WED 07:30 It's Not What You Know (b09v6xwz)
Series 5, Episode 2What would be Gyles Brandreth superpower, who is Sarah Kendall's all time hero and what is the source of Phil Wang's shame?
All these questions, and more, will be answered in the show hosted by Joe Lycett where panellists are tested on how well they know their nearest and dearest.
Produced by Adnan Ahmed.
It was a BBC Studios Production.
WED 08:00 The Navy Lark (b007tcd9)
Sea Trials of the PoppadomIt's hands across the sea - as the crew of HMS Troutbridge help to commission a foreign frigate.
Starring Leslie Phillips as the Sub-Lieutenant, Jon Pertwee as the Chief Petty Officer, Stephen Murray as the Number One, Richard Caldicot as Captain Povey, Heather Chasen as Heather, Tenniel Evans as the Admiral and Ronnie Barker and Michael Bates as the Potarneylanders.
Laughs afloat aboard British Royal Navy frigate HMS Troutbridge. The Navy Lark ran for an impressive thirteen series between 1959 and 1976.
Scripted by Lawrie Wyman.
Producer: Alastair Scott Johnston
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1960.
WED 08:30 Round the Horne (b00j05x3)
Series 1, The Man with the Golden ThunderballKenneth Horne, Master Spy probes a robot plot, while Julian and Sandy tackle his patio courtesy of Bona Homes and Fabe Gardens.
With Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden and Bill Pertwee.
Recorded at the BBC's Paris Studio in Lower Regent Street, London. Announcer: Douglas Smith
Round The Horne was born out of the demise of BBC radio comedy Beyond Our Ken, after the end of writer Eric Merriman's involvement. Using the same cast and producer, Barry Took and Marty Feldman were persuaded to write the scripts - which led to four series that ran between 1965 and 1968 - packed full of parodies, recurring characters, catchphrases and double-entendres.
Music by Edwin Braden and the Hornblowers and The Fraser Hayes Four.
Producer: John Simmonds
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in May 1965.
WED 09:00 Many a Slip (b007jv0k)
From 08/08/1978Roy Plomley challenges Eleanor Summerfield and Gillian Reynolds to battle David Nixon and Tim Rice in the panel game to spot mistakes.
Featuring more tune-twisters from Steve Race.
Devised and written by Ian Messiter.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1978.
WED 09:30 The Right Time (b00fvbgz)
Series 2, Episode 5Seeking treasure with metal detectors - and B & B holidays - with a twist!
Sketch show for people growing older disgracefully. Written and performed by people who've lived a bit.
Stars Eleanor Bron, Graeme Garden, Neil Innes, Paula Wilcox, Clive Swift and Roger Blake.
Written by Graeme Garden, Neil Innes, Julie Balloo, Colin Bostock-Smith, John Pidgeon, Jan Etherington, Peter Spence and Andrew Nickolds.
Music by Ronnie & The Rex.
Producer: Helen Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2002.
WED 10:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w3m6t)
A Division of the Spoils, Episode 1With the war at an end, will the Layton family be able to unite behind Susan's decision to remarry?
Paul Scott's concluding novel about the end of the British Raj. Dramatised by Shelley Silas.
Alex Tregear - Susan Layton
Benedict Cumberbatch - Nigel Rowan
Mark Bazeley - Ronald Merrick
Lia Williams - Sarah Layton
Jeremy Northam - Guy Perron
Gary Waldhorn - Bronowski
Shiv Grewal - Ahmed
Hugh Dickson - Colonel Layton
Sam Dastor - Mak
Amerjit Deu - Sayed Kasm
Stuart McLoughlin - Sergeant
Matthew Thomas-Davies - Edward
Music by Raiomond Mirza.
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
WED 11:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w3m6w)
Series 5, The TaipanA successful businessman has everything he wants. When he looks about him, everything seems to be going well in this best of all possible worlds. And yet something haunts him.
Interviewed in 1933, Maugham said, 'It has always seemed to me that literature can only find its fullest and freest expression in the essay or short story.' He wrote more than 100 stories, at least 14 of which he burned on one of his 'bonfire nights', after Winston Churchill warned that they contravened the Official Secrets Act. Of the stories that do survive, he said, 'some of them deal with circumstances and places to which the passage of time and the growth of civilisation will give a romantic glamour.'
A collection of Maugham's best stories with tales from home and abroad. Tales of intrigue from far-flung colonial outposts and tales of passion from quintessentially British hearths.
Maugham writes perfect vignettes - snapshots of human life in all its diversity - captured at a moment of crisis or revelation.
Abridged by Polly Coles
Read by Daniel Weyman
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
WED 11:15 Afternoon Drama (b008crmn)
The Tyger HuntLavinia Murray's play imagines a surreal day in the life of the young William Blake. With a runaway tiger on the loose, William is out with his sketch pad to capture the magic of a truly enchanting and extraordinary afternoon.
William ...... Barney Clark
Mrs Blake/Mary Capper/Smock race runner ...... Pippa Haywood
Mr Blake/Broadsheet yeller/Innkeeper ...... David Fleeshman
Tol Tiddle Doll/Matchsyick seller ....... Jonathan Keeble
Ann Capper/Corncutter ...... Kathryn Hunt
Dog/Drunk/Bellows mender ...... Seamus O'Neill
Music consultant: Philip Tagney.
Directed by Pauline Harris.
WED 12:00 The Navy Lark (b007tcd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 Round the Horne (b00j05x3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pc2kt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 13:30 The Big B at 70 (b01nk147)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 14:00 Book at Bedtime (b037jcjr)
Ian Sansom - The Norfolk Mystery, Episode 3Julian Rhind-Tutt reads Ian Sansom's new comic thriller, The Norfolk Mystery.
Sefton and Morley (the People's Professor) set off in rural Norfolk to do field research for the first of The County Guides. With typical ambition and zealous eye for detail, Morley is keen to capture as much of the local flavour as possible, dictating to Sefton on everything from the history of flint knapping to the local names for birds. But they are soon diverted from their enquiries by an altogether more sinister discovery.
The abridgement is by Lauris Morgan-Griffiths
The producer is Sarah Langan.
WED 14:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j65h)
UtilityLaurence Llewelyn-Bowen visits a pre-fab and considers ways in which the post-war government urged a reluctant public to embrace 'good design'. From March 2008.
WED 14:30 Charles Dickens (b007w4dk)
The Old Curiosity Shop, Episode 13Dick Swiveller gets to know a mysterious gentleman and eavesdrops on a conversation. Dickens dramatisation with Sandi Toksvig. From January 2003.
WED 14:45 Book of the Week (b01sm7n6)
Paul Morley - The North (and Almost Everything in It), Episode 3Paul Morley grew up in Reddish, less than five miles from Manchester and even closer to Stockport. Ever since the age of seven, old enough to form an identity but too young to be aware that 'southern' was a category, Morley has always thought of himself as a northerner. What that meant, he wasn't entirely sure. It was for him, as it is for millions of others in England, an absolute, indisputable truth.
Forty years after walking down grey pavements on his way to school, Morley explores what it means to be northern.
Today: sixties glamour finds its way to Reddish, while football binds father and son together.
Paul Morley is an acclaimed music journalist, writer, presenter and music producer. He made his name writing for the NME between 1977 and 1983, and has gone on to publish several books about music.
Reader: Paul Morley, with additional readings from Paul Hilton
Abridger: Viv Beeby
Producer: Justine Willett.
WED 15:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w3m6t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 16:00 Many a Slip (b007jv0k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 16:30 The Right Time (b00fvbgz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
WED 17:00 The Architects (b03zdkk7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 17:30 It's Not What You Know (b09v6xwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 18:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4ny)
The Wings of AzrealInventor Ralph Exon's colleague Max Flinders speculates on the plant strain's potency. Stars TP McKenna and Clifford Rose. From March 1978.
WED 18:30 The Tingle Factor (b04v9kl7)
Ken RussellKen Russell shares those musical moments which stir strong emotions with Jeremy Nicholas.
From Elgar to Leonard Bernstein , the film director also looks back over his life and career.
Producer: Andrew Hussett
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1992.
WED 19:00 The Navy Lark (b007tcd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 Round the Horne (b00j05x3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pc2kt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 20:30 The Big B at 70 (b01nk147)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 21:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w3m6w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 21:15 Afternoon Drama (b008crmn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
WED 22:00 It's Not What You Know (b09v6xwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 The Secret World (b01mw35d)
Series 3, Episode 3From Miranda Hart to Sean Connery, Jon Culshaw and friends imagine the private lives of the famous. With Lewis MacLeod and Julian Dutton. From September 2012.
WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09w6yjw)
Phil Nichol 2/2Rob Deering chats to comedian, rock god, serious actor, West End star, writer, director and general comedy hero Phil Nichol.
WED 23:00 As Told to Craig Brown (b00b7qs7)
Series 1, Episode 1Craig Brown introduces a mixture of satire, social observation and nonsense.
Narrated by Juliet Stevenson and Steve Wright, with John Humphrys, Ronni Ancona, Jon Culshaw, Lewis MacLeod, Ewan Bailey and Margaret Cabourn-Smith.
WED 23:30 The Remains of Foley and McColl (b007m4dx)
SubtleSean Foley and Hamish McColl investigate the art of subtlety by visiting a Jane Austen novel. Surreal comedy from July 2000.

THURSDAY 22 MARCH 2018

THU 00:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4ny)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 The Tingle Factor (b04v9kl7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pc2kt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 The Big B at 70 (b01nk147)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b037jcjr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j65h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Charles Dickens (b007w4dk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:45 Book of the Week (b01sm7n6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w3m6t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 Many a Slip (b007jv0k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 The Right Time (b00fvbgz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 The Architects (b03zdkk7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 It's Not What You Know (b09v6xwz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pg3qw)
An Amateur Corpse, Episode 4by Jeremy Front
Based on the novel by Simon Brett.
Charles closes in on the murderer of his old friend Hugo's wife with help from both his wife and his mother.
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Joan ..... Geraldine McEwan
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Geoff ..... Patrick Brennan
Saskia ..... Christine Absalom
Hugo ..... Paul Ritter
Holly ..... Susie Ridell
Director ...... Sally Avens
Bill Nighy is back as Charles Paris, actor, alcoholic and amateur sleuth. Charles is once again out of work an event that is made worse by the fact that his mother (played by Geraldine McEwen) has come to stay whilst recovering from an operation;So when he bumps into old friend, Hugo, who offers him the chance of some voiceover work Charles is doubly happy; some money and a chance to get out of the house.But when Charles finds Hugo's wife dead in their swimming pool he becomes determined to prove Hugo innocent of her murder. Maybe some of the members of Ellie's Amateur Dramatic group will be able to help Charles uncover the truth.
THU 06:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
Larry Grayson was one of Britain's most popular entertainers, of whom it could genuinely be said that fame, which he gained relatively late in life, did not change him one whit. He was devoted to his adopted home town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, and lived there for most of his life.
His early years were spent performing with a drag act in working men's clubs all over the Midlands. Then in 1971, he was seen performing as a stand-up comedian in London by Michael Grade, then an entertainments promoter. Grade offered Larry a six-minute slot at the London Palladium, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In this profile of Larry Grayson, Jim Lee, Nuneaton-born and bred himself, recalls a comedian whose gently camp and inoffensive humour delighted audiences of all ages.
Michael Grade, Terry Wogan, Isla St Clair and Larry Grayson's nephew and biographer Mike Malyon are among those interviewed for the programme.
Producer Libby Cross.
THU 07:00 North by Northamptonshire (b00sp454)
Series 1, Episode 1Sheila Hancock heads a stunning cast including Mackenzie Crook, Penelope Wilton, Felicity Montagu and Kevin Eldon. This is a clever, funny and touching series about a small town in the middle of Northamptonshire as it prepares for a talent night. It is written by and also stars Katherine Jakeways.
Each week we catch up with Rod the local supermarket manager (Mackenzie Crook) who shares rather more than is usual about his private life over the store's tannoy system.
We get to know recently divorced Jan (Felicity Montagu) who's been trying unsuccessfully to 'find herself' with a trip abroad to an elephant sanctuary. But it is at home in Wadenbrook that she starts to feel happier with herself as her friendship blossoms with ex-teacher Mary (Penelope Wilton). And, joy of joys, could it be that Jan is going to experience a touch of romance at last?
We are introduced to driving instructor and forthright self-defence teacher Esther (Katherine Jakeways) and her gentle and put-upon Jonathan (Kevin Eldon) as they struggle to start a family and we meet possibly the only happy couple in town, Ken and Keith, as they attempt to teach their pet whippets to dance for the town talent night.
Written by Katherine Jakeways
Produced by Claire Jones
In this week's episode Mary starts rehearsals for the town talent night and is shocked by 12 year old Gregory's slide show of Victorian ladies. Meanwhile Esther sends her husband Jonathan out to collect money for the Leicestershire Infertile Males Project but he ends up at The Bricklayer's Arms looking at pictures of elephants with Jan.
THU 07:30 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (b09v734q)
Hexagonal Phase, Episode 2Simon Jones stars as Arthur Dent in a brand new full-cast series based on And Another Thing...,the sixth book in the famous Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy.
Forty years on from the first ever radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Arthur Dent and friends return to be thrown back into the Whole General Mish Mash, in a rattling adventure involving Viking Gods and Irish Confidence Tricksters, with our first glimpse of Eccentrica Gallumbits and a brief but memorable moment with The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast Of Traal.
Starring John Lloyd as The Book, with Simon Jones as Arthur, Geoff McGivern as Ford Prefect, Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox, Sandra Dickinson and Susan Sheridan as Trillian, Jim Broadbent as Marvin the Paranoid Android and Jane Horrocks as Fenchurch. The cast also includes Samantha Béart, Toby Longworth, Andy Secombe, Ed Byrne, Lenny Henry, Philip Pope, Mitch Benn, Jon Culshaw and Professor Stephen Hawking.
The series is written and directed by Dirk Maggs and based on And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer, with additional unpublished material by Douglas Adams.
Music by Philip Pope
Production research by Kevin Jon Davies
Written and directed by Dirk Maggs
Based on the novel And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer, with additional material by Douglas Adams
Recorded at The Soundhouse Ltd by Gerry O'Riordan
Sound Design by Dirk Maggs
Produced by Dirk Maggs, Helen Chattwell and David Morley
A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 08:00 Marriage Lines (b0654tx1)
Series 2, Episode 9Can Kate and George agree on a place to live together with baby Helen?
Richard Briers and Prunella Scales star in their second series based on the mutual love and mistrust of a young married couple.
Originating on BBC TV, it was adapted for radio due to its popularity by Richard Waring from his own TV scripts.
A decade later, Richard Briers was starring as Tom Good in The Good Life whilst Prunella Scales starred as Sybil in Fawlty Towers. They remained friends until Richard Briers' death in 2013.
Producer: Charles Maxwell
Recorded at the BBC Paris Studio in London.
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in May 1967.
THU 08:30 The Goon Show (b0081rvd)
The Mighty WurlitzerNeddie propels his mighty organ across the Sahara. Stars Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan. From January 1956.
THU 09:00 It's Your Round (b00zm32d)
Series 1, Episode 6'It's Your Round' is the comedy panel show where the format is simple: there is no format. Instead, each of the panellists has brought along their own round for the others to play, meaning that each show is unique, untried, and unpredictable.
This episode Johnny Vaughan, Alan Davies, Roisin Conaty and Arthur Smith battle it out to see who can beat each other at their own games.
Angus Deayton is the host valiantly trying to make sure everyone comes out of it with their reputations intact.
Writers: Angus Deayton and Paul Powell
Devised by Benjamin Partridge.
Producer: Sam Michell.
THU 09:30 The Inimitable Jeeves (b007vgg5)
Bingo and the Little WomanBertie turns into a romantic novelist (again) when Bingo falls in love (again).
PG Wodehouse romp dramatised by Chris Miller from the book.
Starring Richard Briers as Bertie Wooster and Michael Hordern as Jeeves.
With Ronald Fraser as Lord Bittlesham and Jonathan Cecil as Bingo Little.
Producer: David Hatch
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1973.
THU 10:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w3ndq)
A Division of the Spoils, Episode 2Guy returns to India for its independence, but the division of the country sparks tragic consequences.
Paul Scott's concluding novel about the end of the British Raj. Dramatised by Shelley Silas.
Lia Williams - Sarah Layton
Jeremy Northam - Guy Perron
Benedict Cumberbatch - Nigel Rowan
Alex Tregear - Susan Layton
Mark Bazeley - Ronald Merrick
Prasanna Puwanarajah as Hari Kumar
Gary Waldhorn - Bronowski
Shiv Grewal - Ahmed
Sean Baker - Major Peabody
Susan Jameson - Mrs Peabody
Matthew Thomas-Davies - Edward
Other parts by Nicholas Boulton, Emily Wachter, Amit Shah and Robert Hastie.
Music by Raiomond Mirza.
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
THU 11:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w3nds)
Series 5, The Three Fat Ladies of AntibesThree ladies discuss the most important things in life - bridge and diets. With a twinkling in his eye, Maugham could be writing about any latest fad in today's obsessional world.
Interviewed in 1933, Maugham said, 'It has always seemed to me that literature can only find its fullest and freest expression in the essay or short story.' He wrote more than 100 stories, at least 14 of which he burned on one of his 'bonfire nights', after Winston Churchill warned that they contravened the Official Secrets Act. Of the stories that do survive, he said, 'some of them deal with circumstances and places to which the passage of time and the growth of civilisation will give a romantic glamour.'
A collection of Maugham's best stories with tales from home and abroad. Tales of intrigue from far-flung colonial outposts and tales of passion from quintessentially British hearths.
Maugham writes perfect vignettes - snapshots of human life in all its diversity - captured at a moment of crisis or revelation.
Abridged by Polly Coles
Read by Lucy Robinson
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
THU 11:15 Afternoon Drama (b01rr7rr)
Lavinia Murray - Once upon a Time There Was a BeatrixOnce Upon A Time There Was A Beatrix
by Lavinia Murray
Combining fact with fantasy we imagine a day in the life of the young Beatrix Potter as a child, and glimpse at the roots of her creativity.
19th century London: Helen Beatrix Potter is 14 years old and lives in Kensington with her parents. Her younger brother, Bertram has just gone off to boarding school. Life has changed irrevocably and Beatrix realises she faces years of isolation and parental indifference. She is on the verge of vanishing within the social mores around her. Today, Beatrix has to find her own life. When she visits the local cemetery she finds herself at the centre of a rather frightening hunt for a young rabbit, and discovers a way to excel.
Produced and Directed by Pauline Harris
Further info:-
Producer and writer team have created two other dramas about creative geniuses in childhood - The Tyger Hunt - about the young William Blake, and The Beautiful Ugly, about the young Hans Christian Anderson.
THU 12:00 Marriage Lines (b0654tx1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 The Goon Show (b0081rvd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pg3qw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 13:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 14:00 Book at Bedtime (b037jhd5)
Ian Sansom - The Norfolk Mystery, Episode 4Julian Rhind-Tutt reads Ian Sansom's new comic thriller, The Norfolk Mystery. The parishioners of Blakeney are reeling from the discovery of the reverend's body; Mrs Snatchfold is particularly distressed. The police arrive, and Sefton gets to know the troubled housekeeper, Hannah. A local retired professor by the name of Thistle-Smith is also recruited to help, but he and Morley lock horns immediately.
The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom is abridged by Lauris Morgan-Griffiths.
Produced by: Sarah Langan.
THU 14:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j65q)
DIYLaurence Llewelyn Bowen explores the history of our homes from the 1920s to the present day.
Skills were in short supply after World War II and DIY was presented as an essential and democratic component of every marriage.
THU 14:30 Charles Dickens (b007w2k7)
The Old Curiosity Shop, Episode 14Little Nell becomes confused as she tries to stop her grandfather's gambling. Dickens dramatisation with Trevor Peacock. From January 2003.
THU 14:45 Book of the Week (b01snjpr)
Paul Morley - The North (and Almost Everything in It), Episode 4Paul Morley grew up in Reddish, less than five miles from Manchester and even closer to Stockport. Ever since the age of seven, old enough to form an identity but too young to be aware that 'southern' was a category, Morley has always thought of himself as a northerner. What that meant, he wasn't entirely sure. It was for him, as it is for millions of others in England, an absolute, indisputable truth.
Forty years after walking down grey pavements on his way to school, Morley explores what it means to be northern.
Today: the teenage Morley's head is turned when glam rock hits Manchester.
Paul Morley is an acclaimed music journalist, writer, presenter and music producer. He made his name writing for the NME between 1977 and 1983, and has gone on to publish several books about music.
Reader: Paul Morley, with additional readings from Paul Hilton
Abridger: Viv Beeby
Producer: Justine Willett.
THU 15:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w3ndq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:00 It's Your Round (b00zm32d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 16:30 The Inimitable Jeeves (b007vgg5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
THU 17:00 North by Northamptonshire (b00sp454)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 17:30 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (b09v734q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 18:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007jpbg)
BirdstrikeHaving already sparked a plane crash, the deadly Exon plant strain's advance continues. Stars TP McKenna and Paul Copley. From March 1978.
THU 18:30 Great Lives (b00wldvg)
Series 23, DH LawrenceDH Lawrence was, in the words of Geoff Dyer, a man with thin wrists and thick trousers. He was also the author of Women in Love, Sons and Lovers and Lady Chatterley's Lover. But poet and performer John Hegley has chosen him above all for the quality of his poetry, an admiration presenter Matthew Parris also shares.
Lawrence died aged just 44. An obituary at the time reckoned he was 'a rebel against all the accepted values of modern civilization'. Certainly his life - born in Eastwood, Notts, became a teacher only to run off with a German-born mother of three to embark on his 'savage pilgrimage' around the world - was unpredictable. As indeed was this programme, recorded in front of an audience at the Arnolfini in Bristol, with John Hegley using both music and verse to make his point. Geoff Dyer, the author of Out of Sheer Rage, makes the case that Lawrence's unpredictability was a sign of strength, and that his best work lies in his letters and not his books.
The producer is Miles Warde.
THU 19:00 Marriage Lines (b0654tx1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 The Goon Show (b0081rvd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pg3qw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 20:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 21:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w3nds)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
THU 21:15 Afternoon Drama (b01rr7rr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
THU 22:00 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (b09v734q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 Sketchorama (b047c7x4)
Series 3, Episode 1Tom Tuck presents the pick of the best live sketch groups currently performing on the UK comedy circuit - featuring three up and coming groups in character, improv, broken and musical sketch comedy.
In this programme:
Casual Violence
A comedy collective featuring Luke Booys, Greg Cranness, Dave Arrondelle, Alex Whyman, Ben Champion and writer James Hamilton. Their most recent show, House of Nostril, had sell out runs at the Soho Theatre and the Lowry in Salford Quays, following the show's success at the Edinburgh Fringe 2013. They won a ThreeWeeks Editor's Choice Award in 2011 for their show Choose Death, and their writer James Hamilton was nominated for the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality in 2011 and 2012.
Croft and Pearce
Hannah Croft and Fiona Pearce met at school and, in a radical bid to break free from a quiet, cerebral existence in the Home Counties, they both went to study at Oxford University. Desperate to be chatted up by men from mainland Europe, Hannah studied French and Italian. Desperate not to be, Fiona studied English. Fiona went on to train on the three year acting course at Central School of Speech and Drama. Eager to be like Fiona, Hannah also studied acting for three years, at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since then they have enjoyed three successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Beasts
Three refined gentlemen of comedy - Owen Roberts, James McNicholas and Ciarán Dowd. After a sell-out second Edinburgh show, these monstrously funny sketchmen are all set for greater success.
Producer: Gus Beattie
A Comedy Unit production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Masala FM (b007zjm8)
Episode 4The station is only attracting Z-list Asian celebrities, but then a top 'royal' phones in. Stars Meera Syal. From September 1996.
THU 23:30 Bleak Expectations (b00ngz6q)
Series 3, A Lovely Life Re-Kippered Again Once MoreIn Mark Evans's Dickensian spoof, even death cannot prevent an old enemy from returning. Stars Tom Allen. From October 2009.

FRIDAY 23 MARCH 2018

FRI 00:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007jpbg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Great Lives (b00wldvg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 A Charles Paris Mystery (b01pg3qw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Book at Bedtime (b037jhd5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j65q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 Charles Dickens (b007w2k7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:45 Book of the Week (b01snjpr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 Paul Scott - The Raj Quartet (b09w3ndq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 It's Your Round (b00zm32d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 The Inimitable Jeeves (b007vgg5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 North by Northamptonshire (b00sp454)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (b09v734q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Wimsey (b007jvmh)
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, Armistice NightLord Peter Wimsey investigates the puzzling death of rich, retired General Fentiman who's found dead in an armchair at his gentleman's club.
Starring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey, Peter Jones as Bunter, Martin Jarvis as George Fentiman and John Gabriel as Mr Murbles.
British gentleman detective Lord Peter Wimsey features in a number of detective novels and short stories by English crime writer, Dorothy L Sayers. The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club was first published in 1928.
Classy and sharp-witted, aristocratic amateur sleuth Lord Peter Bredon Wimsey was born in 1890 and educated at Eton and Oxford, before serving in the military during the First World War.
Ian Carmichael appeared as Lord Peter Wimsey for BBC Radio from 1973 to 1983, in addition to the BBC TV adaptations that were broadcast between 1972 and 1975.
Adapted for radio in six episodes by Chris Miller.
Producer: Simon Brett.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1975.
FRI 06:30 The High Street Handicap (b0076syp)
Recreating a legendary fell pony race, poet Ian McMillan makes a pilgrimage to the top of the Lake District mountain 'high street'. From July 2005.
FRI 07:00 The Emerald Green Show (b077ygkd)
Face ValueThe show has failed to deliver, but Emerald's too desperate to give up so easily, Her feathers are ruffled when a bright and talented intern arrives...
A vain, ambitious black woman dreams of becoming a chat-show queen
Lisselle Kayla's four-part comedy series starring Llewella Gideon as Emerald Green.
With Jonathan Firth as Tristram, Iwan Thomas as Fabio, Dean Hill as Victor, Sheila Reid as Eunice, Jonathan Keeble as David and Jo Martin as Tanesha.
Director: Pam Fraser Solomon
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1998.
FRI 07:30 In and Out of the Kitchen (b03w01zk)
Series 3, The Travel PieceWhen Damien is offered the chance to test a new hotel as part of a writing assignment, he jumps at it. Meanwhile, Marion and Mr Mullaney are off on a date.
FRI 08:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00df6ls)
Series 6, Episode 6The great Sir Ruddy Shame - and the Ghost of McMuckle Manse.
Starring Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie.
Written by Simon Brett, Derek Farmer, 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 Liam Cohen, Dave Lee and Bill Oddie.
Producer: David Hatch/Peter Titheradge
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 in May 1968.
FRI 08:30 Brothers in Law (b007jrhv)
Series 2, StatisticsLawyer Roger has a bad day at the races, thanks to Joy's Uncle.
Starring Richard Briers as Roger Thursby, Terence Alexander as Henry Blagrove, Julia Lockwood as Sally, Bridget Armstrong as Joy, John Le Mesurier as the Judge, Richard Wattis as Trent and Malcolm Hayes as the Commentator.
All other parts by Michael Kilgarriff.
Written by Henry Cecil and Basil Dawson.
Published in 1955, Henry Cecil's comic legal novel Brothers in Law was adapted first for TV in 1962 by Frank Muir and Denis Norden. It provided the first regular starring role for Richard Briers, who later reprised his role of the idealistic young lawyer Roger Thursby for BBC Radio between 1970 and 1972.
Producer: David Hatch.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1971.
FRI 09:00 The Motion Show (b070wg2g)
Series 3, Episode 4Graeme Garden's debating game with Gyles Brandreth, Hugh Dennis, Arthur Smith and Antony Worrall Thompson. From August 2000.
FRI 09:30 Kathmandu or Bust (b01pkmq0)
The Truck Stops HereThe travellers have reached... um, well, actually they're lost in the middle of Uzbekistan. Stars David Haig. From July 1996.
FRI 10:00 Afternoon Drama (b00r0smq)
Ronald Frame - PinkertonBy Ronald Frame.
In the new immigrant community of 1840s America, Scotsman Allan Pinkerton turns detective when an influx of counterfeit dollars threatens the local economy.
Allan Pinkerton ...... Forbes Masson
Joan Pinkerton ...... Rachel Ogilvy
John Craig ...... Sam Dale
Mrs O'Riordan/elderly Woman ...... Marcella Riordan
Nathan Madison/ Croupier/Elderly Man ...... Robert Jezek
Lisl ...... Alison Pettitt
Jack Paige/Police Officer ...... John Biggins
Wolf/Bank Teller/Dr Morgan ...... Bruce Alexander
Directed by David Ian Neville.
FRI 10:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00pxq7y)
Series 1, CollectingSeries of talks by Sir David Attenborough on the natural histories of creatures and plants from around the world.
Why do we collect things? Is it a male response to ancient hunting instincts to provide food for the family? Today, collecting by children is in decline, and with it the development of an early fascination with the natural world around them.
FRI 11:00 Short Works: The World of Somerset Maugham (b09w6pcr)
Series 5, The TreasureRichard Harenger needs some new domestic help. He's rather intrigued by his candidate. She seems to anticipate his every thought and need. What could he possibly do without her?
Interviewed in 1933, Maugham said, 'It has always seemed to me that literature can only find its fullest and freest expression in the essay or short story.' He wrote more than 100 stories, at least 14 of which he burned on one of his 'bonfire nights', after Winston Churchill warned that they contravened the Official Secrets Act. Of the stories that do survive, he said, 'some of them deal with circumstances and places to which the passage of time and the growth of civilisation will give a romantic glamour.'
A collection of Maugham's best stories with tales from home and abroad. Tales of intrigue from far-flung colonial outposts and tales of passion from quintessentially British hearths.
Maugham writes perfect vignettes - snapshots of human life in all its diversity - captured at a moment of crisis or revelation.
Abridged by Polly Coles
Read by Daniel Weyman and Lucy Robinson
Produced by Clive Brill
A Brill Production for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
FRI 11:15 Neil Bartlett - In Extremis (b09w6pd6)
4 Extra Debut. A reimagining of Oscar Wilde's hastily arranged sitting with a society palm reader. Stars Corin Redgrave and Sheila Hancock. From April 2002.
FRI 12:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00df6ls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 Brothers in Law (b007jrhv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Wimsey (b007jvmh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 The High Street Handicap (b0076syp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 Book at Bedtime (b037jnlf)
Ian Sansom - The Norfolk Mystery, Episode 5Julian Rhind-Tutt reads Ian Sansom's new comic thriller, The Norfolk Mystery. Morley and Sefton retire to the public bar to discuss the mystery of the reverend's death. But Morley sticks out like a sore thumb; his fondness for tongue twisters and quotations, his expansive gesticulation and the ordering of water don't help. While Sefton squirms with embarrassment, Sefton ponders (loudly) on the motivation for the reverend's apparent suicide. Later, Sefton has another assignation with the mysterious Hannah.
The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom is abridged by Lauris Morgan-Griffiths.
Produced by: Sarah Langan.
FRI 14:15 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's History of Home (b009j65v)
David HicksLaurence looks at the career of a flamboyant and influential decorator, who became a superstar of the 1960s. From March 2008.
FRI 14:30 Charles Dickens (b007w3b7)
The Old Curiosity Shop, Episode 15The hunt continues to track down Little Nell and her grandfather. Dickens dramatisation with Alex Jennings. From January 2003.
FRI 14:45 Book of the Week (b01snxs9)
Paul Morley - The North (and Almost Everything in It), Episode 5Paul Morley grew up in Reddish, less than five miles from Manchester and even closer to Stockport. Ever since the age of seven, old enough to form an identity but too young to be aware that 'southern' was a category, Morley has always thought of himself as a northerner. What that meant, he wasn't entirely sure. It was for him, as it is for millions of others in England, an absolute, indisputable truth.
Forty years after walking down grey pavements on his way to school, Morley explores what it means to be northern.
In today's episode it's 1976, and the Sex Pistols play Manchester's Free Hall. Morley was there.
Paul Morley is an acclaimed music journalist, writer, presenter and music producer. He made his name writing for the NME between 1977 and 1983, and has gone on to publish several books about music.
Reader: Paul Morley, with additional readings from Paul Hilton
Abridger: Viv Beeby
Producer: Justine Willett.
FRI 15:00 Afternoon Drama (b00r0smq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 15:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00pxq7y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]
FRI 16:00 The Motion Show (b070wg2g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 16:30 Kathmandu or Bust (b01pkmq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
FRI 17:00 The Emerald Green Show (b077ygkd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 17:30 In and Out of the Kitchen (b03w01zk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 18:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007jpbx)
Search and DestroyDespite the national emergency, landowners try to profit from the deadly Exon strain. Stars TP McKenna and Rosalind Adams. From March 1978.
FRI 18:30 Mastertapes (b01nxh51)
Series 1, Brinsley Forde (the A-Side)John Wilson continues the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances.
'New Chapter' - More than 30 years since its release, Brinsley Forde talks about Aswad's third studio album. Formed in Ladbroke Grove in West London, Aswad are the band that put UK reggae on the map. They were reknowned for their fusion of styles including dancehall, funk, hip-hop and dub and for bringing strong R&B influences to the reggae scene. New Chapter, their first album for CBS, was both a watershed for the group and a benchmark for British reggae and it features tracks like 'Natural Progression', 'Ina Your Rights', 'Candles' and 'African Children'. Released in 1981, it went on to influence the likes of Maxi Priest, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack.
In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.
First broadcast on Radio 4, where a new series of Mastertapes began on 11th November.
FRI 19:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00df6ls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 Brothers in Law (b007jrhv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Wimsey (b007jvmh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 The High Street Handicap (b0076syp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Podcast Radio Hour (b09w6t9q)
Cariad LloydBBC Radio 4 Extra explores the world of podcasts and finds the best on offer from the BBC and beyond. From some of the most popular series to lesser-known hidden gems.
Sarah Wade and her guest: comedian, actress and podcaster Cariad Lloyd listen in to 'Standard Issue' from the UK and 'Heavyweight' from the USA.
FRI 22:00 In and Out of the Kitchen (b03w01zk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 The Show What You Wrote (b04d4vbz)
Series 2, Sport and LeisureRadio 4's themed sketch show made entirely from contributions sent in by the public is back for a second series.
The best ideas have been chosen from thousands of submissions from new writers resulting in a show like no other.
Recorded in Manchester.
Episode 1 - Sport & Leisure
Written by
The Public
Producers
Alexandra Smith
Carl Cooper.
FRI 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09w6yvy)
Simon Day 1/3Arthur Smith chats to star of Brian Pern and The Fast Show, Simon Day.
FRI 23:00 Kevin Eldon Will See You Now (b04gwg7c)
Series 2, RewelcomeComedy's best kept secret ingredient returns with another series of his own sketch show. Sketches, characters, sound effects, bit of music, some messin' about, you know...
In this episode, we meet Kim Jong-Un's haircut and David Livingstone's trousers, plus we extol the wonders of drink and sneezing.
Kevin Eldon is a comedy phenomenon. He's been in virtually every major comedy show in the last fifteen years, but not content with working with the likes of Chris Morris, Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Harry Enfield & Paul Whitehouse, Stewart Lee, Julia Davis and Graham Linehan, he's finally decided to put together his own comedy series for BBC Radio 4.
After all the waiting - Kevin Eldon Will See You Now...
Appearing across the series are Amelia Bullmore ("I'm Alan Partridge", "Scott & Bailey"), Julia Davis ("Nighty Night"), Paul Putner ("Little Britain"), Justin Edwards ("The Consultants"), David Reed ("The Penny Dreadfuls") & Catherine Shepherd ("Cardinal Burns", "Harry & Paul")
Written by Kevin Eldon
with additional material by Jason Hazeley & Joel Morris ("A Touch Of Cloth", "That Mitchell & Webb Sound")
Original music by Martin Bird
Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4
Kevin Eldon is one of the UK's most noted comic actors. His list of credits include -
Father Ted
I'm Alan Partridge
Brass Eye
Black Books
Hot Fuzz
The IT Crowd
Skins
Big Train
Green Wing
Spaced
Nighty Night
Utopia
Fifteen Stories High
Kevin Eldon Will See You Now is a Pozzitive production, produced by David Tyler.
David Tyler's radio credits include Cabin Pressure, Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive, Marcus Brigstocke's The Brig Society, Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off, Bigipedia, Thanks A Lot, Milton Jones!, Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation, The 99p Challenge, Strap In - It's Clever Peter, My First Planet, The Castle, The 3rd Degree and even, going back a bit, Radio Active. His TV credits include Paul Merton - The Series, Spitting Image, Absolutely, The Paul & Pauline Calf Video Diaries, Coogan's Run, The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon and exec producing Victoria Wood's dinnerladies.
Comedy's best kept secret ingredient returns with another series of his own sketch show.
FRI 23:30 Chain Reaction (b00mtpl4)
Series 3, Jack Dee interviews Jeremy HardyThe two comedians get chatting in the tag-team talk show, where this week's guest is next week's interviewer. From February 2007.