SATURDAY 04 JULY 2020

SAT 00:00 James Follett - Earthsearch (b007jp2r)
Earthsearch II
Earthvoice
The crew of spaceship Challenger's search is over, but Earth is not how they left it...
The conclusion of James Follett's cult sci-fi drama.
Commander Telson ...... Sean Arnold
Sharna ...... Amanda Murray
Darv ...... Haydn Wood
Astra ...... Kathryn Hurlbutt
Angel One ...... Sonia Fraser
Angel Two ...... Gordon Reid
Bran ...... Michael Maloney
Elka ...... Jill Lidstone
Tidy ...... David Gooderson
Peeron ...... George Parsons
Earthvoice ...... Michael Tudor Barnes
Director: Glyn Dearman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1982.
SAT 00:30 Off the Page (b0076z54)
My Brilliant Baby
Dominic Arkwright discusses the joys of parenting with Amanda Mitchison, Tom Hodgkinson and Caroline Oulton. From July 2006.
SAT 01:00 Wally K Daly (b007lxnf)
Orphans in Waiting
Sunday AM
More danger awaits the Jago children as they head to a mysterious war-torn land...
A spy thriller by Wally K Daly.
Mike ...... Judy Bennett
Janey ...... Abigail Docherty
Peter ...... Simon Radford
With Tariq Alibai, Tony Wredden, Bhasker and Amerjit Deu.
Audio from the author's own collection.
Producer: Dan Garrett
First broadcast on BBC Radio 5 in September 1990.
SAT 01:30 Jim Eldridge - Down Payment on Death (b007jtl9)
5. The Moment of Truth
Retired hitman, Art Gordo, finally comes face-to-face with his mysterious nemesis.
Dinsdale Landen stars in the gripping conclusion of Jim Eldridge's thriller adapted from his own novel.
Art Gordo …. Dinsdale Landon
Louise Lenehan …. Frances Jeater
Paul Le Clerk …. Donald Gee
Sally Le Clerk …. Joanna Wake
Leon Young …. Basil Henson
Forbes …. Douglas Blackwell
Parsons …. Terrence Hardiman
Hotel Porter …. Frank Coda
Charles Allweather …. Glyn Owen
Producer: John Fawcett-Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in May 1976.
SAT 02:00 Wordaholics (b01dhhps)
Series 1
Episode 5
Gyles Brandreth hosts the comedy panel show in which guests are challenged to display their knowledge of words and language.
On the panel: Jack Whitehall, Milton Jones, Natalie Haynes and Countdown's Susie Dent.
Letter of the week is P which really packs a punch.
We learn why Susie Dent's favourite word is 'blurb', we find out what a Chicago Piano was and we listen as Jack Whitehall struggles to reduce to a tweet a particularly fruity passage from his father's autobiography.
Writers: James Kettle and Jon Hunter.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2012.
SAT 02:30 King of Bath (b047ljr2)
Ars Brevis
No true gentleman would speak Welsh, but Beau Nash finds that revealing his roots is the only way to secure a fortune.
Six-part comedy drama series by Arnold Evans casting the 18th-century dandy Richard 'Beau' Nash in a series of adventures.
Beau Nash ...... David Bamber
Annie ...... Eiry Thomas
Lady Huntingdon ...... Rosamund Shelley
FannyAlice Arnold
Pryderi ...... Iestyn Jones
Widow Perkins ...... Stevie Parry
Composer: John Hardy
Directed at BBC Wales by Alison Hindell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1999.
SAT 03:00 Ronald Frame - Greyfriars (b00pd7d2)
With petty thieves at work in the high street and a gang of ruthless house-breakers at work in both the Old and New Town areas of Edinburgh, new police recruits John Gray and his faithful dog have their work cut out.
John Gray served as an Edinburgh policeman for several years in the 1850s and, like other officers on the beat back then, he had to provide his own police dog: the faithful Skye terrier that came to be known as Greyfriars Bobby.
Ronald Frame’s Victorian thriller written for radio stars Crawford Logan and Paul Young.
Bobby ...... Crawford Logan
Jock (John Gray) ...... Paul Young
Aeneas Cairncross ...... Kenny Blythe
Bridie ...... Gayanne Potter
Lachlan Cairncross ...... Simon Tait
Sergeant Mitchell ...... Iain Agnew
McCrae ...... Steven McNicol
Lady Cairncross ...... Vivienne Dixon
Produced at BBC Glasgow by David Ian Neville.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2002.
SAT 04:00 Podcast Radio Hour (m000kgv9)
Movie nostalgia and podcasts without borders
Take your seats for a showcase of movie podcasts.
Suchandrika Chakrabarti joins Amanda Litherland to talk about the podcasts that have caught their attention this week, from bees to media giants.
Plus Isabelle Roughol talks about her new project Borderline.
Featuring:
Oh Hello, the p'dcast
Land of the Giants
Living Beeing
Obsessed With... I May Destroy You
You Must Remember This
Scriptnotes
Black Men Can't Jump (in Hollywood)
Unspooled
The Next Picture Show
SAT 05:00 Man at the Helm (b07z4dj4)
Episode 3
The kids begin to wonder if Charlie Bates is reliable man at the helm material and decide the local vet is a much better option.
Nina Stibbe’s comic novel set in 1970s rural Leicestershire.
Adapted by Amanda Whittington.
Lizzie ….. Eloise Webb
Amy….. Fern Deacon
Little Jack ….. Ben Barker
Elizabeth ….. Amanda Hale
Charlie Bates ….. Andy Nyman
Mr Lomax ….. Jason Barnett
Mr Swift ….. Tom Forrister
Pub landlady ….. Adie Allen
Director: Gemma Jenkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2016.
SAT 05:30 Stand-Up Specials (m000kfy0)
Dave Podmore's Positive Test
The world has been turned upside down in 2020, but could the dearth of sport offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for cricket's anti-hero Dave Podmore to make big bucks?
Pod is in negotiations with the Tokyo Olympics and, after all the efforts to take drugs out of sport, finally there's a chance to take the sport out of drugs. At the same time, can he save the precious jobs of the acting community or, now that we live in the 'new normal', are their valuable jobs as giant sporting mascots gone forever?
Starring Christopher Douglas, Andrew Nickolds, Nicola Sanderson and Lewis Macleod
Written by Christopher Douglas, Andrew Nickolds and Nick Newman
Produced by Jon Harvey
Executive Producer: Richard Wilson
A Naked production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 06:00 Wally K Daly Trilogy (b007jqz6)
A Right Royal Rip-Off
Inmates Charles and George have a nice little scam going on behind bars. The last thing they want is to be released from prison, so they plot an outrageously daring heist - involving the Crown Jewels.
Starring Peter Jones, Charles Hawtrey, Donald Hewlett and Bernard Bresslaw.
The second of Wally K Daly's trilogy of criminal gang capers produced in the style of old British comedy films.
Charles Forbes .... Peter Jones
Governor Smith ... Donald Hewlett
George Evans .... Lockwood West
Fingers .... Charles Hawtrey
Bullet Head ..... Bernard Bresslaw
Nigel .... John Warner
Mrs Sopworth .... Pauline Letts
Colonel .... Stephen Thorne
Basil .... Ronald Herdman
Winston .... Steve Hodson
Tommy .... John Bull
Chair Person .... Miranda Forbes
Billy .... David Timson
Wilkes .... John Rowe
Plunket .... John Rye
Perkins .... Adrian Egan
Doreen .... Wendy Murray
Calloni .... Gordon Reid
Listen out for conclusion of Wally K Daly's Trilogy - The Bigger They Are.
Producer: Martin Jenkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1982.
SAT 07:30 Great Lives (b04yk47g)
Series 35
Eve Pollard on Nora Ephron
Former newspaper editor and writer Eve Pollard tells Matthew Parris why Nora Ephron, the screenwriter of hit films such as 'When Harry Met Sally', 'Heartburn', and 'Sleepless in Seattle', is a Great Life.
They are joined by Dr Jennifer Smyth, an historian whose teaching includes women in Hollywood at the University of Warwick.
Producer: Perminder Khatkar
SAT 08:00 Dilemma (b01747kt)
Series 1
Episode 1
Sue Perkins presents moral and ethical posers to Dave Gorman, Richard Herring, Rebecca Front and Dominic Lawson.
Would you provide an alibi to someone you hate? Would you confront an elderly relative about casual racism at a family gathering?, and what are the relative merits of Silvio Berlusconi, Vlad the Impaler, L. Ron Hubbard and Amanda Holden?
This is the panel show spotlighting the choices bombarding us in Britain today, as well as some more theoretical problems.
There are no "right" answers - but there are some deeply damning ones.
Devised by Danielle Ward.
Producer: Ed Morrish
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
SAT 08:30 Rent (b04fh18w)
Series 1
Episode 5
It's a full moon, Ruby's away and Paul's lovelorn. Will Maria's matchmaking succeed and will Richard ever finish the gardening?
House share comedy about life with lodgers written by Lucy Flannery.
Maria ...... Barbara Flynn
Richard ...... Patrick Barlow
Ruby ...... Diane Louise-Jordan
Amy ...... Linda Polan
Paul ...... Toby Longworth
Producer: Liz Anstee
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1993.
SAT 09:00 Comedy Greats (b007k42m)
The Noughties
Episode 2
Decade by decade, Barry Cryer showcases some of the funniest and finest shows ever broadcast by the BBC.
Yo! From the 21st century of radio comedy, Baz presents another six-pack of noughties favourites:
* Absolute Power
Series 3 (3/6)
Roguish Martin enters the Lords, as Charles takes on a Big Brother 'star'. Stars Stephen Fry and John Bird. From 2002.
* Fags, Mags and Bags
Series 1 (1/6) Raising Keenan
Sanjeev Kohli and Donald Mcleary's Glasgow corner shop sitcom. Owner Ramesh tackles a young tearaway. From 2007.
* The Sunday Format
Series 3 (1/4)
Celebrity eaters choose 'Desert Island Biscs'. Radio's posh paper tells all. With Alexander Armstrong, Emma Kennedy and Tracy-Ann Oberman. From 2001.
* Chain Reaction
Series 1 (2/6) Jimmy Carr interviews Matt Lucas
The deadpan funny man and comedy actor in the tag talk show, where the guest is next interviewer. From 2005.
* Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting
Series 1 (2/6)
Linda Smith gets her neighbour's Jack the Ripper letters authenticated and falls foul of the mafia. With Jeremy Hardy and Don Estelle. From 2001.
* Dead Ringers
Series 6 (5/5)
More celeb sound-alikes as Thora Hird instructs James Bond and Zippy imitates Cherie Blair. Topical impressions with Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens and Kevin Connelly. From 2002.
Produced and scripted by Peter Reed.
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in August 2003.
SAT 12:00 Yes Minister (b007jmpx)
Series 1
The Right to Know
MP Jim Hacker tries to excavate himself from problems with badgers.
Starring Paul Eddington as Jim Hacker, Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby and Derek Fowldes as Bernard.
With Diana Hoddinott as Annie, Peter Cellier as Sir Frederick and Gerry Cowper as Lucy.
Bill Nighy as Frank Weisel, Richard Vernon as Sir Desmond, Richard Davies as Morgan and Arthur Cox as George.
Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn satirical sitcom ran on BBC TV between 1980 and 1984. Yes Minister is centred around the hapless Jim Hacker and a collection of civil service underlings headed by the Machiavellian Sir Humphrey Appleby and obsequious Bernard.
Adapted for radio by producer Pete Atkin.
First broadcast on Radio 4 in 1983.
SAT 12:30 Bristow (b00cbcpg)
Series 1
Fair Shares
Takeover tangles as Bristow learns that Chester Perry is making a takeover bid for the firm across the street.
He thinks that if he surreptitiously invests in rivals Miles and Rudge, he can make a mint...
Michael Williams stars as Bristow, the Chester-Perry buying clerk. He is but a small cog in a gigantic wheel... and he knows it.
Adapted from by Frank Dickens from his famous newspaper cartoon strip. Syndicated internationally, it ran for 51 years from 1961.
Bristow ...... Michael Williams
Jones ...... Rodney Bewes
Mrs Purdy ...... Dora Bryan
Hewitt ...... Owen Brenman
Fudge ...... Jon Glover
Miss Sunman ...... Katy Odey
Prunella Peach ...... Carol Starks
Fred Stokes ...... David Battley
Post Boy ...... Simon Schatzberger
Music: John Whitehall
Producer: Neil Cargill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1999.
SAT 13:00 Jim Eldridge - Down Payment on Death (b007jtkk)
1. A Shot in the Night
Sick of the espionage business, professional hitman Art Gordo had quit the British Secret Service.
But then he's offered big money to carry out one last killing...
Dinsdale Landen stars in a five-part thriller adapted by Jim Eldridge from his own novel.
Art Gordo …. Dinsdale Landen
Clarke …. Manning Wilson
Louise Lenehan …. Frances Jeater
Ben/Roberts …. Jon Croft
Joe/Ferguson …. Peter Craze
Charles Allweather …. Glyn Owen
Producer: John Fawcett-Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in May 1976.
SAT 13:30 Jim Eldridge - Down Payment on Death (b007jtkq)
2. The Double Target
Retired hitman, Art Gordo, heads to his friend Louise's flat to plan his next moves.
Dinsdale Landen stars in Jim Eldridge's thriller adapted from his own novel.
Art Gordo …. Dinsdale Landen
Clarke …. Manning Wilson
Louise Lenehan …. Frances Jeater
Roberts/Man on the Phone …. Jon Croft
Joe/Ferguson …. Peter Craze
Charles Allweather …. Glyn Owen
Paul Le Clerk …. Donald Gee
Producer: John Fawcett-Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in May 1976.
SAT 14:00 Jim Eldridge - Down Payment on Death (b007jtkw)
3. A Life for a Life
Retired hitman, Art Gordo, faces more pressure to kill the shadowy Charles Allweather.
Dinsdale Landen stars in Jim Eldridge's thriller adapted from his own novel.
Art Gordo …. Dinsdale Landon
Louise Lenehan …. Frances Jeater
Paul Le Clerk …. Donald Gee
Sally Le Clerk …. Joanna Wake
Leon Young …. Basil Henson
Charles Allweather …. Glyn Owen
Producer: John Fawcett-Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in May 1976.
SAT 14:30 Jim Eldridge - Down Payment on Death (b007tcfh)
4. The Professionals
Retired hitman, Art Gordo, makes a decision about his target, Charles Allweather.
But what about Louise?
Dinsdale Landen stars in Jim Eldridge's thriller adapted from his own novel.
Art Gordo …. Dinsdale Landon
Louise Lenehan …. Frances Jeater
Paul Le Clerk …. Donald Gee
Leon Young …. Basil Henson
Francis/Forbes …. Douglas Blackwell
Parson …. Terrence Hardiman
Charles Allweather …. Glyn Owen
Producer: John Fawcett-Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in May 1976.
SAT 15:00 Jim Eldridge - Down Payment on Death (b007jtl9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:30 today]
SAT 15:30 A Good Read (b00sjcv8)
Misha Glenny and Bob Mills
In the first of a new series, author and journalist Misha Glenny and comedy performer and writer Bob Mills talk to Sue MacGregor about the books they love.
Books featured in the programme:
Sue MacGregor - The Lost Estate (Le Grand Meaulnes) by Alain Fournier
Publ. Penguin Classics
Misha Glenny - War with the Newts by Karel Capek
Publ. Penguin
Bob Mills - The Moon and Sixpence by Somerset Maugham
Publ. Vintage
Produced by Beth O'Dea.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.
SAT 16:00 Wally K Daly Trilogy (b007jqz6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Great Lives (b04yk47g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (b0076s23)
Quintessential Phase
Fit the Twenty-Third
Arthur returns to where Earth should be to find a barely occupied planet, and no Fenchurch.
Douglas Adams's sci-fi comedy following the misadventures of hapless human Arthur Dent.
The Book …. William Franklyn
Voice of the Bird …. Rula Lenska
Arthur Dent …. Simon Jones
Ford Prefect …. Geoffrey McGivern
Zaphod Beeblebrox …. Mark Wing-Davey
Trillian …. Susan Sheridan
Tricia McMillan …. Sandra Dickinson
Zarniwoop Vann Harl …. Jonathan Pryce
Eddie the Computer …. Roger Gregg
Grebulons …. Andy Taylor and Michael Fenton Stevens
Prophet …. John Challis
Information Creature …. Mitch Benn
Gail Andrews …. Lorelei King
Colin the Robot …. Andrew Secombe
Announcer …. John Marsh
Music by Philip Pope and Paul ‘Wix’ Wickens
Adapted and Directed by Dirk Maggs
Produced by Helen Chattwell and Bruce Hyman
An Above the Title production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in May 2005.
SAT 18:30 Ray Bradbury's Tales of the Bizarre (b007jm1r)
Series 2
And So Died Riabouchinska
A man lies murdered in a basement - but there's a surprising non-human witness.
Strange and chilling tales from the award-winning master of thrillers Ray Bradbury, who tops and tails these radio dramatisations in his own inimitable style.
Don Fabian ...... Liam Brennan
Ria ...... Vari Sylvester
Detective Lieutenant Krovitch ...... John Rammage
Alice ...... Katherine Connolly
Douglas ...... Stephen Ethol
Dramatised by Catherine Czerkawska.
Producer: Hamish Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1997.
SAT 19:00 Comedy Greats (b007k42m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation (b0174hvv)
Intelligence
Mark Watson continues his quest to improve the world, nimbly assisted by Tim Key and Tom Basden.
As broadcast live in November 2011 - Mark invites the audience join in via tweets and messages to work out how we can all make the world a better place.
Mark asks the big questions that are crucial to our understanding of ourselves and society - in a dynamic and thought provoking new format he opens the floor to the live audience and asks them to jump into the conversation via tweets and messages to work out how we can all make the world a better place.
This week Mark looks at "Intelligence" - A certain amount of intelligence is pretty useful. Without the ability to reflect and calculate, we would all be setting fire to our shoes and buying those novels about women who shop and have relationship issues. Yet intelligence has been something of a curse to many. Galileo was tortured for knowing more about science than the church leaders, and Paxman sighs an awful lot when he's hosting University Challenge.
We all know the phrase 'a little learning is a dangerous thing, but then so is a lot of learning, but then again you wouldn't want none at all. So... oh dear, we're basically ruined. We'd better knock down all our schools and universities.' Are we sometimes too smart for our own good?
Mark Watson is a multi-award winning comedian, including the inaugural If.Comedy Panel Prize 2006. He is assisted by Tim Key, winner of Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2009 and Tom Basden who won the the If.Comedy Award for Best Newcomer 2007.
Produced by Lianne Coop.
First broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
SAT 22:30 Chain Reaction (b08j9z4v)
Series 12
Harry Hill Interviews Tim Vine
Harry Hill turns interviewer and invites his chosen guest Tim Vine into the Chain Reaction hot seat.
Chain Reaction is the talk show with a twist where one week's interviewee becomes the next week's interviewer. John Cleese was first in the hot seat back in 1991 and since then, a procession of big names from the world of comedy and entertainment including Jennifer Saunders, Jarvis Cocker and Eddie Izzard have helped continue the chain.
Harry Hill is an award-winning comedian and world-class swingball player. Born in Woking in 1964, he holds a medical degree from the University of London. His books include Flight from Deathrow and Tim the Tiny Horse. He has been a stand-up since the early 90s and is well known as the star of TV Burp and the voice of You've Been Framed. Harry can currently be seen on Alien Fun Capsule.
Harry is joined by Tim Vine (AKA The Punslinger, The Joke-a-motive or The Punaway Train). Tim is best known for his frenetic stage shows, rammed full of rapid one-liners, songs and props. He previously starred in BBC1s Not Going Out, ITV1’s The Sketch Show and hosted the seminal Channel 5 quiz show Whittle.
Together they discuss Tim's teenage dreams of being a pop star, giant moths and the roots of Tim's act.
Producer: Adnan Ahmed
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
SAT 23:00 Tom Wrigglesworth's Open Letters (b01gvtj8)
Series 2
Insurance
Sony Award-winning comic, Tom Wrigglesworth returns for another series of his open letters.
This week, his letter is addressed to the insurance industry as Tom asks why everything has to be so confusing.
Written by Tom Wrigglesworth, James Kettle and Miles Jupp.
Producer: Simon Mayhew-Archer.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2012.
SAT 23:30 Ectoplasm (b007wp38)
The Affair of the Baddie's Niece
Lord Zimbabwe and Dr Lilac travel back through the seas of time to the Wild West.
With the help of the good folk of the town of Tombstone, they must thwart the evil Waffle Baron Ike Clanton.
Dan Freedman and Nick Romero’s comedy about the swashbuckling exploits of Lord Zimbabwe, occultist and adventurer.
Lord Zimbabwe ...... Nick Romero
Dr Lilac ...... Dan Freedman
Ike Clanton ...... Owen Oakeshott
Miss Clanton ...... Sophie Aldred
Priest ...... Colin Guthrie
Ringo ...... Peter Donaldson
Other parts played by the cast.
Producer: Helen Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2000.