SATURDAY 05 SEPTEMBER 2020

SAT 00:00 Charles Chilton - Journey into Space (b007jmt2)
Operation Luna
5. The First of Many
The stalled rocket ship prevents Captain Jet Morgan and his crew from returning to Earth.
Written and produced by Charles Chilton.
Jet Morgan …. Andrew Faulds
Lemmy Barnett …. Alfie Bass
Doc …. Guy Kingsley-Poynter
Mitch …. David Williams
Other parts played by David Jacobs
Music composed and orchestra conducted by Van Phillips.
The original 1953 recordings of this futuristic series were erased.
This series was re-recorded and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in April 1958.
SAT 00:30 Off the Page (b00771k5)
Letting the Cat Out of the Bag
4 Extra Debut. Dominic Arkwright, Fran Abrams, Camilla Wright and Simon Evans discuss the role of journalism in revealing secrets. From December 2006.
SAT 01:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlhs)
6. In Dreams
It's time for Merseyside private eye Rosie Monaghan to confront the murderer. Or is it?
Must she go down these mean streets?
Conclusion of Alan McDonald's thriller serial starring Paula Wilcox as Rosie.
Rosie ...... Paula Wilcox
Margie ...... Elizabeth Estensen
Jerry ...... Christopher Bramwell
Bob ...... Dominic Grounsell
Carol ...... Helen Roberts
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Mike ...... Steve Hodson
Martin ...... Paul Barber
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Deputy Chief Constable ...... Dominic Letts
Helen ...... Rachel Atkins
Old Woman ...... Diana Payan
Graham ...... David Thorpe
Dorothy ...... Pauline Yates
Auntie ...... Jillie Meers
Music composed by Peter Howell.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
SAT 01:30 Mark Gatiss - Black Butterfly (b0161mpx)
5. Deadly Adversary
Having followed a trail that led from Soho to Jamaica, via Istanbul, Lucifer Box has finally come face to face with a deadly adversary from his past.
Will our hero prevent him from carrying out his evil plan?
Written and concluded by Mark Gatiss.
Set in 1953, this is the third in a trilogy of spoof spy novels detailing the devilishly daring adventures of secret agent, Lucifer Box.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in October 2011.
SAT 02:00 Wordaholics (b01s6c9z)
Series 2
Episode 4
Gyles Brandreth chairs the word-obsessed comedy panel show.
Katy Brand and Alex Horne compete with Richard Herring and Natalie Haynes for wordy supremacy.
Richard Herring decides to reclaim the word 'middle class' and tries to decipher the 16th century phrase 'a mare's nest'. Team-mate Natalie Haynes tries to get rid of the word 'decimate' and despite being a vegetarian works out what the very meaty cookery term 'barding' means.
Alex Horne comes up with the correct definition for the Victorian phrase 'a scraping castle' and asks to take the word 'a' out of the dictionary. Meanwhile, Katy Brand takes a guess at what the unit of measurement 'the Warhol' is and reveals that her favourite word is 'plop'.
Writers: Jon Hunter and James Kettle.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.
SAT 02:30 Minor Adjustment (b0b1xt8g)
A Change of Art
Sarah's mother Bea arrives with a horse-box full of expressionist art and three moulting cats.
Six-part comedy series about the Stubbs family - cartoonist Richard, therapist Sarah and their daughters - Kate, aged 16 and three-year-old Amy who has Down's Syndrome.
Written by Son and father team, Andy and Eric Merriman - inspired by Andy's own four-year-old daughter, Sarah. Eric famously wrote legendary BBC comedy series 'Beyond Our Ken'.
Richard ...... Peter Davison
Sarah ...... Samantha Bond
Kate ...... Claire Russell
Amy ...... Sarah Merriman
Bea ...... Phyllida Law
Felix Patterson ...... Jonathan Adams
Paul ...... Simon Fielder
Meg ...... Zulema Dene
Autograph Hunter ...... Colleen Prendergast
Art Collector ...... Alice Arnold
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1996.
SAT 03:00 Peter Tinniswood (b007k354)
The Governor's Consort
Mary Wimbush stars as Lady Edith in this play written specially for her by Peter Tinniswood.
Lady Edith is sailing with her husband to the tiny South Atlantic island of St David's, of which he's about to become Governor.
Her fellow passengers, not to mention the crew and the exuberant band on board, produce an invigorating and somewhat earthy effect on her Ladyship, a frustrated woman of 'a certain age' with a vivid imagination.
Lady Edith …. Mary Wimbush
Sir Wilfred …. John Moffatt
Doctor Spofforth …. Bernard Hepton
Captain MacWhirter …. Stephen Thorne
Delgado …. Keith Drinkel
Chief Engineer …. Matthew Morgan
First Officer …. James Telfer
Tarleton …. Jonathan Adams
Radio kept Mary Wimbush particularly busy throughout her career. She was known to millions as Julia Pargetter in 'The Archers' until her death in 2005, shortly after she'd recorded an episode of the BBC's long-running soap opera at the BBC's Mailbox in Birmingham.
Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1993.
SAT 04:00 Podcast Radio Hour (m000m6c4)
Steve Coogan on Alan Partridge's return to audio
It's been 29 years since the character of Alan Partridge made his debut in the Radio 4 satirical radio show On The Hour. Since then Steve Coogan's inept Norfolk broadcaster has seen huge success with various TV shows and even a feature film, Alpha Papa.
This week Alan makes a return to audio with a brand new podcast 'From The Oasthouse' - available to download from Audible.
Steve Coogan chats to Amanda Litherland about the benefits of making comedy that's for ears only, and shares some of the secrets behind Alan Partridge's 30 year success.
Later, Amanda is joined by the writer and critic Scott Bryan to recommend more of the latest new listens, including:
Poppy Hillstead Has Entered The Chat
Futile Attempts At Surviving Tomorrow - (Kim Noble and Novel)
My Year In Mensa (Jamie Loftus)
The Bomb (BBC World Service)
Media Tribe (Shaunagh Connaire)
On Things We Left Behind (Acast)
Book Off (Joe Haddow)
The Two Shot Podcast (Craig Parkinson)
Chasing Charlie (Freemantle Australia)
SAT 05:00 Alone (b0b01rvy)
Series 1
The Long Bad Friday Night
A sitcom, written by Moray Hunter and starring Angus Deayton, about five single, middle aged neighbours living in flats in a converted house in North London.
Mitch is a widower and part-time therapist who is looking to put his life back together now that he is single and living - supposedly temporarily - with Will, his younger, more volatile and unhappily divorced half-brother.
Elsewhere in the building are schoolteacher Ellie who is shy, nervous and desperately missing her ex-boyfriend, overly honest, frustrated actress Louisa, and socially inept IT nerd Morris.
In this opening episode, Mitch's late wife's sister Helen, is keen to meet up with him for a drink. She's too keen for Mitch who hides out upstairs with Ellie while Will attempts to resolve the situation. But his attempts to get rid of Helen don't exactly go to plan. Meanwhile, Louisa needs to piggy back on someone's wi-fi to watch her favourite TV show and winds up having to hang out with Morris.
This Friday night is not panning out well for anyone.
Mitch ...... Angus Deayton
Ellie ...... Abigail Cruttenden
Will ...... Pearce Quigley
Louisa ...... Kate Isitt
Morris ...... Bennett Arron
Helen ...... Carrie Quinlan
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in April 2018.
SAT 05:30 Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups (b07tc1rm)
Series 4
Construction Time Again
Episode 3 - Construction Time Again. Tom's Dad offers some unwanted assistance.
Series 4 of Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups presents another hilarious helping of down-the-line adventures from Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated Tom. Listen in on Tom's weekly phone calls home to his Mum, Dad and Gran in Sheffield and get a glimpse into the triumphs and tribulations of the Wrigglesworth clan in all its dysfunctional glory.
Starring Tom Wrigglesworth, Paul Copley, Kate Anthony, Elizabeth Bennett.
Written by Tom Wrigglesworth and James Kettle with additional material by Miles Jupp.
Producer: Richard Morris
A BBC Studios Production.
SAT 06:00 Miss Marple (b00rz7b2)
Sleeping Murder
Amateur sleuth Jane Marple must solve the mystery surrounding a young woman's terrifying childhood memory - before the murderer is provoked to strike again.
Published posthumously in 1976 but set in the 1930s, Agatha Christie's whodunit stars June Whitfield as Miss Marple.
Miss Marple …. June Whitfield
Dr James Kennedy …. Julian Glover
Gwenda Reed …. Beth Chalmers
Giles Reed …. Carl Prekopp
Mrs Hengrave …. Hilda Schroder
Edith …. Joan Littlewood
Richard Erskine …. Derek Waring
Aunt Alison …. Carolyn Pickles
Walter Fane …. Ioan Meredith
Jackie Afflick …. Michael N Harbour
Inspector Last …. Ewan Bailey
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell.
Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2001.
SAT 07:30 Great Lives (b05v7tr5)
Series 36
US Ambassador Matthew Barzun on JG Winant
Matthew Parris meets the American Ambassador Matthew Barzun whose choice of great life is his wartime predecessor, John Gil Winant - the man widely held to have helped seal the special relationship between Britain and America and to have brought the US into the war effort.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
SAT 08:00 Quote... Unquote (m00019ms)
Nigel Rees quizzes a host of celebrity guests on the origins of sayings and well-known quotes, and gets the famous panel to share their favourite anecdotes and quotes.
* Award-winning writer of the Vicar of Dibley - Paul Mayhew-Archer
* Broadcaster and author - Francine Stock
* Comedian - Phil Wang
This is the 54th series of the popular humorous celebrity quotations quiz.
In almost 40 years, Nigel Rees has been joined by writers, actors, musicians, scientists and various comedy types. Kenneth Williams, Judi Dench, PD James, Larry Adler, Ian McKellen, Peter Cook, Kingsley Amis, Peter Ustinov… have all graced the Quote Unquote stage.
Presenter: Nigel Rees
Producer: Simon Nicholls
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2018.
SAT 08:30 Kathmandu or Bust (b07n3djw)
Gut Reaction
Having missed Vienna because Trigger took a wrong exit at a roundabout, the travellers are beginning to worry about the expedition itinerary...
- and about the food, the accommodation, the sleeping arrangements and the state of Trigger's socks.
Mutiny is in the air ...
The five travellers battle on with their expedition to Kathmandu
Series written by Mike Yeaman and David Napthine.
Simon …. David Haig
Mechanic …. Peter Serafinowicz
Petra …. Michelle Chadwick
Callum …. Forbes Masson
Trigger …. Richard Ridings
Joan …. Sarah Crowden
Ellie …. Lolly Susi
Doctor …. Jonathan Keeble
Producer: Lissa Evans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1996.
SAT 09:00 Miranda Hart: From Hampshire to Hollywood (b08r3xx1)
The popular comedian and actress Miranda Hart talks openly to the comedy writer and performer Paul Garner about her life, career and creative process, while we 'gallop' through the following archive radio:
* At Home with the Snails
From 10/07/2001
Miranda stars as Rose, the odious sweetshop owner and sister to Alex, who lives in a shed with his pet snails in this sitcom about a dysfunctional family.
* The Hills Are Alive
From 17/10/2006
A monologue written with her sister Alice, in which Miranda plays a lady who dreams of going on a 'Sound of Music' coach tour.
* Ears Wide Open: In the Dark
From 31/05/2005
Miranda, in the guise of matchmaker Fliss, attempts to help recently dumped Diane find a new partner at a party where all the lights are kept off.
* Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop
From 26/05/2007
The original radio pilot which evolved into the hugely successful TV series 'Miranda'.
Producer: Stuart Ross
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in May 2017.
SAT 12:00 Ed Reardon's Week (b010j4pg)
Series 1
The Swim
Does it seem that the media is run by idiots, lying charlatans and moronic 12-year-olds who should've been drowned at birth in a bucket of raw sewage?
Welcome to the world of Ed Reardon, author, pipe smoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive e-mail.
Christopher Douglas stars as Ed Reardon.
Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds.
In a one-bedroom flat over a hairdresser's in Berkhamsted, Ed has lived on his own since his wife and grown-up kids left him, forcing the sale of the London home.
Ed's first and last published novel ‘Who Would Fardels Bear?’ was bought by Hollywood, relocated from Oldham to San Francisco and turned into a Sally Field movie ('Sister Mom') in the mid-70s. It was directed by Ed's best mate Jaz Milvane whose career has since gone stratospheric. Ed's broke up on re-entry; with the exception of his episode of Tenko in 1982, the royalties of which now amount to about £17 a year - but are anxiously awaited nonetheless.
Ed’s been forced into lowbrow work for the ever popular Christmas book market. Jane Seymour's Household Hints (1996) and The Brand's Hatch Story got him through a couple of winters.
But Ed remains bullishly optimistic. He may have just one pair of trousers and a seven-figure Amazon sales ranking, but no writer knows more about stealing his agent's stationery... and as a freeloader Ed Reardon is the acknowledged leader of his profession.
Enjoy Ed's flawed attempts to escape poverty and gain the literary success he strongly feels is due. Regular characters include Felix (Ed's long-standing friend and former agent) Ping (his new '12 year-old' agent), the lively pensioners he teaches a screenwriting class to and the irritatingly rich and successful, Jaz Milvane.
Featuring:
Stephanie Cole
John Fortune
Ronnie Golden
Sally Grace
Sally Hawkins
Martin Hyder
Philip Jackson
Rita May
Geoffrey McGivern
Dan Tetsell
Geoffrey Whitehead
Producer: Simon Nicholls
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2005.
SAT 12:30 Beyond Our Ken (m000m5r3)
Series 4
Episode 1
Kenneth Horne searches for a new house and Hornerama looks at the Rome Olympics.
With Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden, Bill Pertwee and Announcer, Douglas Smith.
The precursor to ‘Round The Horne’, ‘Beyond Our Ken’ hit the airwaves in 1958 and ran to 1964 – featuring regulars like Cecil Snaith, Stanley Burkinshaw and Rodney and Charles.
Music from Janet Waters, The Hornets and the BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet.
Written by Eric Merriman
Producer: Jacques Brown
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1960.
SAT 13:00 Mark Gatiss - Black Butterfly (b01614qr)
1. Taking Action
It's 1953. Our hero Lucifer Box is approaching retirement and dismayed to find that he's now more used to veneration than exhilaration. Patronised by his successor and generally feeling jaded, Box decides to take action.
What better to put the spring back in his step than a date with his charming young secretary Miss Beveridge? There's also the glimmer of an exciting new case, as Box begins to investigate what - or who - caused his oldest friend Christopher Miracle to drive his car off a cliff and plunge to his death.
The third in a trilogy of spoof spy novels detailing the devilishly daring adventures of debonair secret agent, Lucifer Box.
Written and read by Mark Gatiss.
Abridged by David Jackson Young.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by BBC Scotland and first broadcast in October 2011.
SAT 13:30 Mark Gatiss - Black Butterfly (b0161cl2)
2. Oblivion
Of an indeterminate age, Lucifer Box is heading towards retirement as Head of the Royal Academy, aka the very secret, Secret Service.
Having had his advances rejected by his successor's secretary, Box heads to Soho in search of oblivion. There, he's shaken out of his self-pity when he witnesses a most curious assassination; soon he's heading across Europe, in the wake of the mysterious killer.
Written and read by Mark Gatiss.
Set in the 1950s, this is the third in a trilogy of spoof spy novels featuring the adventures of debonair - if now slightly decrepit - secret agent Lucifer Box.
Abridged by David Jackson Young.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by BBC Scotland and first broadcast in October 2011.
SAT 14:00 Mark Gatiss - Black Butterfly (b0162lr1)
3. The Trail
The debonair, if now slightly decrepit, Lucifer Box has followed the trail of the mysterious assassin, Kingdom Kum, to Istanbul.
Box must discover who the young man's paymaster is and the culprit behind the production of the deadly hallucinogenic drug, Black Butterfly.
Written and read by Mark Gatiss.
Set in 1953, this is the third in a trilogy of spoof spy novels detailing the devilishly daring adventures of secret agent, Lucifer Box.
Abridged by David Jackson Young.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by BBC Scotland and first broadcast in October 2011.
SAT 14:30 Mark Gatiss - Black Butterfly (b0162k8q)
4. Jamaica
Lucifer Box has learned that Kingdom Kum is a CIA operative, and that they are both investigating the same case: the poisoning of obscure members of the British establishment with a deadly hallucinogenic drug called Black Butterfly.
The killer's trail has led the men to Jamaica, where the suspected next victim, Lord Battenburg, is about to chair the World Government Summit. Will they reach him in time?
Written and read by Mark Gatiss.
Set in 1953, this is the third in a trilogy of spoof spy novels detailing the devilishly daring adventures of secret agent, Lucifer Box.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by BBC Scotland and first broadcast in October 2011.
SAT 15:00 Mark Gatiss - Black Butterfly (b0161mpx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:30 today]
SAT 15:30 A Good Read (b00v72fr)
Tim Mackintosh-Smith and Philip Norman
Sue MacGregor and her guests - biographer Philip Norman, and Arabist and travel writer Tim Mackintosh Smith - discuss favourite books by Adam Nicolson, and J.M. Coetzee.
Sea Room by Adam Nicolson
Publisher: Harper Collins
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
Publisher: Penguin Modern Classics
Youth by J.M. Coetzee
Publisher: Vintage
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2010.
SAT 16:00 Miss Marple (b00rz7b2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Great Lives (b05v7tr5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (b09yfqst)
Hexagonal Phase
6. A Thor in the Air
Yet another fight-to-the-death for Thor, but will this one have a happy ending?
A full-cast production of the sixth book in the famous Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy, based on Eoin Colfer’s ‘And Another Thing...’
The Book …. John Lloyd
Arthur Dent …. Simon Jones
Ford Prefect …. Geoff McGivern
Zaphod Beeblebrox …. Mark Wing-Davey
Trillian …. Sandra Dickinson
Random …. Samantha Beart
Jeltz …. Toby Longworth
Constant Mown …. Andy Secombe
Aseed Preflux…. Phillip Pope
Vogon Gunner …. Tom Alexander
Thor/Left Brain …. Mitch Benn
Hillman Hunter …. Ed Byrne
Fenchurch …. Jane Horrocks
Marvin …. Jim Broadbent
Announcer …. John Marsh
Based on the novel with additional material by Douglas Adams
The series is co-written, directed and sound-designed by Dirk Maggs.
Music by Philip Pope
Production Research: Kevin John Davies
Produced by Dirk Maggs, Helen Chattwell and David Morley
A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in April 2018.
SAT 18:30 Ben Moor - Undone (b0090vcf)
Series 2
Unification
Edna must avert an inter-dimensional apocalypse at Tankerton's wedding.
Ben Moor's comic sci-fi saga about magazine editor Edna Turner entering a parallel world where her version of London is replaced with the city of Undone.
Edna Turner ...... Alex Tregear
Tankerton Slopes ...... Ben Moor
Billy/Carlo ..... Duncan Wisbey
Ida ..... Sophie Duvall
Vicar ..... John Dougall
Prince ..... Kevin Eldon
Other parts played by the cast.
Producer: Colin Anderson
Made for BBC Radio 7 by BBC Radio Comedy and first broadcast in February 2008.
SAT 19:00 Miranda Hart: From Hampshire to Hollywood (b08r3xx1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting (b007jvf7)
Series 1
The Carpet Sweeper
Buying a new carpet sweeper for her elderly neighbour Betty sparks a major operation for Linda.
The first of two comedy series written by and starring Linda Smith.
Linda takes on the mantle of the United Nations as she tries to broker a fragile peace between her morbid elderly neighbour Betty and her live-in builder Chris. In the strife-torn streets of East London, can bingo and musical theatre ever be reconciled?
Linda ...... Linda Smith
Chris ...... Chris Neill
Betty ...... Margaret John
Worra ...... Femi Elufowoju Jr
Other parts played by Jeremy Hardy and Martin Hyder.
Guest appearances from Rabbi Lionel Blue and Jenni Murray.
Producer: Lucy Armitage
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2001.
SAT 22:30 Rhod Gilbert's Bulging Barrel of Laughs (b00tkmcl)
Episode 1
Welsh comic Rhod Gilbert introduces regulars Lloyd Langford and Greg Davies.
Plus Sarah Millican takes a weekly look at The Six Stages of Woman.
Find out whether whales can paint and what annoys Rhod about supermarket potatoes.
With live music from Scouting for Girls, including their hit She's So Lovely.
Guest comedian is country and western singer Wilson Dixon.
Producers: Julia Mckenzie and Lianne Coop.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in September 2010.
SAT 23:30 The Mary Whitehouse Experience (b044153k)
Series 4
Episode 2
The pernicious evil of shampoo and conditioner.
Starring the double double-acts of David Baddiel and Rob Newman and Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis.
With Mark Hurst.
BBC Radio 1's alternative comedy with sketches, stand-up and the odd spot of audience participation.
Starting in 1989, the foursome's popularity sparked a BBC TV-transfer of the same name.
Producer: Armando Iannucci
First broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in October 1990