SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2020

SAT 00:00 Atomic Tales (b007qtm4)
Unstoppable!
A white-knuckle ride of instellar thrills as a space train hurtles towards Earth
1950s American sci-fi spoof.
Starring the talents of:
John Guerrasio
Jeff Harding
Allison Warnyca
Lewis McLeod
Colin Stinton
Liza Ross.
Written by Adam Tandy and Nat Sones.
Producer: Adam Bromley.
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in August 2006.
SAT 00:30 Off the Page (b007sptx)
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist
Joe Queenan, Pauline Black and Toby Young discuss one of the few German words to find a secure place in the English language.
Though adored by fashion writers and political columnists alike, Queenan says: 'If you used words like zeitgeist where I grew up, they'd break your legs'.
Dominic Arkwright presents.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2007.
SAT 01:00 Maeve Binchy - Firefly Summer (b049mt8r)
5. The Legacy
After 18 months in New York, Rachel Fine has been summoned back to Ireland by Patrick O'Neill to oversee the decoration of his new hotel.
Rachel has become a close friend of Kate Ryan, who is now in a wheelchair as a result of an accident on the site of the hotel, over three years ago
Starring David Soul as Patrick O'Neill
Novel by Maeve Binchy dramatised by Jane Cassidy
Kate Ryan ...... Anna Healy
John Ryan ...... Lorcan Cranitch
Rachel ...... Susan Slot
Fergus ...... Dan Gordon
Kerry O'Neill ...... Luke Griffin
Grace O'Neill ...... Melissa Smith
Dr White ...... Denys Hawthorne
Costello ...... John Keegan
Loretta ...... Julia Deardon
Jack Coyne ...... Ray McBride
Brian Doyle ...... Conleth Hill
Dennis Hill ...... Gordon Fulton
Dara ...... Audrey Dempsey
Music Composed by Jane Cassidy and performed by Rod McVey and Kate O'Brien
Director: Pam Brighton
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1996.
SAT 01:30 Miss Marple (b007jpqv)
The Murder at the Vicarage
Episode 5
Amateur sleuth Jane Marple battles to unearth the proof she needs to reveal the murderer's identity - along with a few other surprises.
The conclusion of Agatha Christie's whodunit starring June Whitfield as Miss Marple.
Rev. Leonard Clement.......................................Francis Matthews
Griselda Clement.................................................Imelda Staunton
Lettice Protheroe.................................................Rachel Atkins
Colonel Melchett.................................................Richard Todd
Dr Haydock............................................................Nigel Davenport
Inspector Slack......................................................John Baddeley
Gladys Cram..........................................................Oona Beeson
Mrs Sadler..............................................................Tina Gray
Constable................................................................Dominic Letts
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
SAT 02:00 The Personality Test (b00mf3kk)
Series 2
Roy Hattersley
Former Labour Deputy Leader and writer, Roy Hattersley quizzes a panel about his own career, whims and interests.
With Sue Perkins, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince and Mark Dolan
Series with changing hosts who quiz the panel.
Script by Richard Turner and Simon LIttlefield
Devised and produced by Aled Evans.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2006.
SAT 02:30 Minor Adjustment (b0b4ff7s)
Overture and Beginners Please
Kate's in the school play, while Sarah has a problem with a client - and her husband Richard.
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.
Starring Peter Davison and Samantha Bond.
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
Pat Humphreys …. Penelope Nice
Annie …. Teresa Gallagher
The Headmaster …. Brian Bowles
Robbie …. Robbie Gill
The Policeman …. Sebastian Brennan
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1996.
SAT 03:00 Elena Ferrante - The Neapolitan Novels (m000msl1)
The Story of a Lost Child Part 3/3
Elena Ferrante's story of a life long friendship between Lila and Lena comes to an end in this sad and surprising final chapter.
While deep in conversation with her old lover Nino and holding his child with Lena, Lila loses sight of her own daughter who suddenly disappears. Lila's world will never be the same and, despite Lena's attempts to help her friend try to come to terms with her loss, their past comes back to haunt them and one of them finally decides that there is only one way forward.
Does this free the other or hold her prisoner to her past forever?
Lena ...... Monica Dolan
Lila ...... Anastasia Hille
Nino Sarratore ...... Daniel Flynn
Pietro ...... Ferdinand Kingsley
Adele ...... Sylvestra Le Touzel
Dede ...... Grace Wingate
Dede ...... Ella Dale
Elsa ...... Isobel Tinsley
Elsa ...... Georgia Taft
Mariarosa ...... Claudia Jolly
Carmela ...... Louise Calf
Colombe ...... Louise Calf
Antonio ...... Hugh Kermode
Mother ...... Jane Whittenshaw
Guido ...... David Collings
Franco ...... Simon Scardifield
Augustin ...... Simon Scardifield
Armando ...... Josh Dylan
Marisa ...... Sara Markland
Elisa ...... Nelly Harker
Photographer ...... Nelly Harker
Enzo ...... Carl Prekopp
Marcello ...... Ben Crowe
Guest ...... Ben Crowe
Alfonso ...... Nick Armfield
Tina ...... Sylvie Goodwin
Imma ...... Grace Pearcey
Imma ...... Cosima Pearcey
Michele ...... Daniel Ryan
Guest ...... Daniel Ryan
Gennaro ...... Tom Davies
Pasquale ...... Nicholas Gleaves
Written by Elena Ferrante
Translated by Ann Goldstein
Dramatised for radio by Timberlake Wertenbaker
Director: Celia de Wolff
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in October 2017.
SAT 04:00 Podcast Radio Hour (m000msl3)
US Politics Special - featuring Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel
Amanda Litherland is joined by the podcaster and journalist Greg Cochrane to recommend podcasts to keep up to date with the US Election and understand some of the history that's made the country what it is today.
Also Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis discuss making the BBC's Americast - how is reporting for the podcast different to radio or TV broadcasting? And are there fans of the podcast on both sides of the Atlantic?
Podcasts mentioned this week:
Slate's Political Gabfest
FiveThirtyEight Politics
KCRW's Left Right and Center
Pod Save America
Joe Rogan Experience
Americast
CBC's Party Lines (Party In The USA mini series)
Women Belong In The House
The Brown Girls Guide To Politics
Presidential
More Perfect
1619
SAT 05:00 Alone (b0b2mgj6)
Series 1
The Reunion
Mitch's get together with an old university chum is not at all the reunion he expects - while the rest of the gang are disappointed to have to attempt the local pub quiz without their main man, Mitch.
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.
Guest stars: Frances Barber and Clive Mantle.
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.
Mitch ...... Angus Deayton
Ellie ...... Abigail Cruttenden
Will ...... Pearce Quigley
Louisa ...... Kate Isitt
Morris ...... Bennett Arron
Chris ...... Frances Barber
Laurence ...... Clive Mantle
Quiz Master ...... Clive Mantle
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2018.
SAT 05:30 Dot (b08q3yjs)
Series 2
Psychology
by Ed Harris
Comic adventures with Dot and the gals from personnel. Peabody's not been the full shilling recently and now Dr Pinkly has arrived to test who is the psychological 'weak link' and everyone's a suspect. Who will be deemed sane and who will be sent to Sunnyside Sanatorium? Ed Harris' rollicking comedy starring Fenella Woolgar.
SAT 06:00 Ken Whitmore - A Decent British Murder (m000mybr)
Colonel Grace's house-guests include a number of people who are experienced at breaking and entering.
He decides to offer a prize of £1,000 to the one who can get into his intruder-proof library, which is protected with a deafening alarm, heavy security locks and a guillotine device that would slice in half anybody attempting to enter un-announced...
Murder mystery written by Ken Whitmore.
Vanessa Grace ........... Kathleen Helmi
Colonel Grace ............ Graham Roberts
Marina Grace .............. Linda Gardner
Fred Gingrich .............. Christopher Godwin
Lionel Monro .............. David Calder
Ella Chatto ................... Annette Robertson
Albert Congleton ...... John Hollis
Director: Alfred Bradley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 February 1980.
SAT 07:30 Great Lives (b065vrl8)
Series 37
Michael Howard on Elizabeth I
Matthew Parris meets the former leader of the Conservative Party Michael Howard to discuss the life of Elizabeth I of England.
They're joined by Professor Paulina Kewes of Jesus College Oxford.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
SAT 08:00 Dilemma (b01qmb08)
Series 2
Episode 1
Sue Perkins puts Paul Sinha, Lemn Sissay, Margaret Cabourn-Smith and Graeme Garden through the moral and ethical wringer.
The return of the panel show posing finely-balanced dilemmas as Sue cross-examines their answers.
Comic Paul struggles with his sporting loyalties; poet Lemn experiences something new, actor and comic Margaret faces up to some poor parenting; and Graeme contemplates life without one of his favourite Aunties.
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 February 2013.
SAT 08:30 Kathmandu or Bust (b07rhlzg)
A Sticky Wicket
Nepal is almost in sight and the travellers are in a mellow mood - until their truck is stolen by bandits.
Series written by Mike Yeaman and David Napthine.
Simon …. David Haig
Petra …. Michelle Chadwick
Callum …. Forbes Masson
Trigger …. Richard Ridings
Joan …. Sarah Crowden
Ellie …. Lolly Susi
Bandit …. Lyndam Gregory
Bandit …. Shiv Grewal
Producer: Lissa Evans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1996.
SAT 09:00 Last Post for the Men of Letters (b097lpnp)
Russell Davies unearths from the radio and TV archives the voices of men and women who were, for many years, a staple of the broadcasting diet.
Some, but by no means all, have university pedigree but all have a breath-taking breadth of learning and the facility to deliver it, albeit to an audience who were prepared to give them time and were, it would appear, happy to be dazzled by learning.
Russell's examples from the Men and Women of letters trove is gathered round his very personal association with John Gross, of whom he writes:
'In 1969 an author in his early thirties published his first book. The Rise and Fall of the Man of Letters won the Duff Cooper prize, delighted the reading public, introduced them to the name of John Gross, and marked the beginning of what would be an illustrious and fascinating literary career. It ended with his death on 10 January 2011, a great sorrow for the many people who loved and admired John.
No doubt I read at the time, but had forgotten until coming across it again, since I quite lack his total recall, something he wrote here in 1983, an entertaining review of a biography of Sir George Lewis, the famous and immensely influential Victorian solicitor whose clients included the Prince of Wales. In an aside, Gross gently wondered why the biographer hadn't mentioned that Lewis 'appears by name in Conan Doyle's "The Illustrious Client" — a pretty broad clue to the client's identity'. Yes, he had read everything, high and low.
Since his death, I've thought often about John, and reread him. The breadth of his reading and his memory made him the perfect anthologist, and he edited half a dozen Oxford Books of ..., from Aphorisms to Parodies. He also wrote three books of his own, and I wish he had written more. Shylock is a learned and highly original study of that singularly problematic character and his play, while A Double Thread is a beautiful short memoir of Gross's London childhood, 'double' because both English and Jewish. But I now see that the defining point came with his brilliant first book.
Although he and Kingsley Amis were disparate personalities, to say the least, Gross would have shared Amis's contempt for anything which 'makes a statement', and his disdain for the idea of 'importance'. But I believe that The Rise and Fall is a truly important book. It wasn't just an item on Gross's list of publications, it was part of his own story, and it made a statement of its own: a repudiation of the attempted monopoly of literary criticism by 'the university' and the larger academic appropriation of our common culture.
Producer: Tom Alban
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in October 2017.
SAT 12:00 Foul Play (b00yy8yz)
Series 4
Deadline News
Crime writers Ruth Dudley Edwards and Robert Richardson try to solve the murder of a model.
With the help of witnesses played by Maria McErlane and Lee Simpson.
Murder mystery panel game chaired by Simon Brett.
Producer: Liz Anstee
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1998.
SAT 12:30 Ed Reardon's Week (b007wlpq)
Series 1
The Old Lock-keeper
Writer Ed's week is marred by a death, deceptive junk mail and some huge egos.
Welcome to the world of Ed Reardon, author, pipe smoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive e-mail.
He may have only one pair of trousers and a seven-figure Amazon sales ranking, but no writer knows more about freeloading than Ed Reardon.
Christopher Douglas stars as Ed Reardon.
Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds.
Featuring:
Philip Jackson
Alice Lowe
Geoffrey Whitehead
Emma Kennedy
Geoffrey McGivern
Stephanie Cole
Ronnie Golden
John Fortune
Dan Tetsell
Rita May
Producer: Simon Nicholls
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2005
SAT 13:00 Miss Marple (b007jpp2)
The Murder at the Vicarage
Episode 1
Even the vicar of St Mary Mead detests a certain member of his flock. But murder seems to be carrying things a bit far?
First published in 1930, Agatha Christie's whodunit stars June Whitfield as Miss Marple.
Rev Leonard Clement...........................Francis Matthews
Griselda Clement....................................Imelda Staunton
Dr Haydock...............................................Nigel Davenport
Dennis........................................................Nicholas Boulton
Lettice Protheroe...................................Rachel Atkins
Miss Wetherby.......................................Joan Matheson
Mrs Price-Ridley....................................Margot Boyd
Mrs Lestrange........................................Jilly Meers
Lawrence Redding...............................James Telfer
Anne Protheroe................................... Frances Jeater
Colonel Protheroe...............................James Greene
Mary.........................................................Alice Arnold
Inspector Slack.....................................John Baddeley
Dramatised in five parts by Michael Bakewell
Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
SAT 13:30 Miss Marple (b007jppk)
The Murder at the Vicarage
Episode 2
Much to the Vicar's embarrassment, a murder has been committed in his study. But who killed Colonel Protheroe?
Miss Jane Marple is on the case.
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars June Whitfield as Miss Marple
Rev Leonard Clement..................................Francis Matthews
Griselda Clement..........................................Imelda Staunton
Dr Haydock.....................................................Nigel Davenport
Lettice Protheroe..........................................Rachel Atkins
Mary..................................................................Alice Arnold
Colonel Melchett.........................................Richard Todd
Constable.......................................................Malcolm Ward
Butler...............................................................Lewis Jones
Anne Protheroe...........................................Frances Jeater
Lawrence Redding......................................James Telfer
Inspector Slack.............................................John Baddeley
Gladys Cram.................................................Oona Beeson
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
SAT 14:00 Miss Marple (b007jpq1)
The Murder at the Vicarage
Episode 3
Multiple confessions to the murder of Colonel Protheroe mount up in the village of St. Mary Mead.
But who does amateur sleuth Jane Marple believe?
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars June Whitfield as Miss Marple
Rev. Leonard Clement....................................Francis Matthews
Griselda Clement.............................................Imelda Staunton
Mrs Lestrange..................................................Jillie Meers
Mary....................................................................Alice Arnold
Hilda...................................................................Lisa Howard
Dr Haydock......................................................Nigel Davenport
Lawrence Redding........................................James Telfer
Dennis................................................................Nicholas Boulton
Hawes................................................................David Thorpe
Dr Stone...........................................................Timothy Alcock
Raymond West..............................................Ian Masters
Inspector Slack..............................................John Baddeley
Gladys Cram...................................................Oona Beeson
Nancy...............................................................Vivienne Rochester
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
SAT 14:30 Miss Marple (b007jpqf)
The Murder at the Vicarage
Episode 4
Investigations into the murder of Colonel Protheroe don't go at all to plan. Who is the killer?
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars June Whitfield as Miss Marple.
Rev. Leonard Clement.............................................Francis Matthews
Griselda Clement.......................................................Imelda Staunton
Lettice Protheroe......................................................Rachel Atkins
Dr Haydock................................................................Nigel Davenport
Anne Protheroe.......................................................Frances Jeater
Inspector Slack........................................................John Baddeley
Gladys Cram.............................................................Oona Beeson
Hawes........................................................................David Thorpe
Mrs Price-Ridley.....................................................Margot Boyd
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
SAT 15:00 Miss Marple (b007jpqv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:30 today]
SAT 15:30 A Good Read (b00vkxhc)
Mike Brearley and Julie Welch
Sue MacGregor is joined by the former England cricket captain Mike Brearley, now a psychoanalyst, and sports writer, Julie Welch, to discuss their chosen paperbacks.
There's a sporting tie that links this week's guests on A Good Read. Mike Brearley captained the England cricket team in the early 1980s, later retraining as a psychoanalyst. He discusses a Graham Greene novel set in the Congo, while sports writer Julie Welch chooses a book by the other Elizabeth Taylor - the novelist, not the film star.
A Burnt Out Case by Graham Greene
Publisher: Vintage Classics
In A Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor
Publisher: Virago Modern Classics
The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer
Publisher: Harper Perennial
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.
SAT 16:00 Ken Whitmore - A Decent British Murder (m000mybr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Great Lives (b065vrl8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 Drama (b086kjgq)
The Mysteries of Udolpho
Emily St Aubert is forced to leave France and go and live with her Aunt and her new husband, Count Montoni, in his isolated castle in Italy.
Before long Emily discovers that the castle is a place of nightmares and Montoni a desperate man who will stop at nothing to terrorise both his wife and his niece.
Ann Radcliffe's Gothic romance revelled in both terrorising and titillating its readers. This was the sensational novel of its era, filled with dark deeds, dastardly villains and supposedly supernatural events.
As with many other Gothic novels, The Mysteries of Udolpho has at its centre a powerless young heroine often trapped in a mysterious location and pitted against an evil villain; the book revels in exploring the politics of power, pleasure and pain and sexual desire. Ann Radcliffe felt that terror was superior to horror, which nullified the senses, whereas she preferred to write about the psychological experience of being full of fear and dread manifested through the art of suggestion. Radcliffe was also unusual in always giving a rational explanation for the strange goings on in her novels.
Hattie Naylor's dramatisation takes the core of the four volumes of the novel to explore those edicts most at the heart of the Gothic Novel.
Emily ...... Georgia Groome
Madame Cheron ...... Tracy Wiles
Count Montoni ...... John Dougall
Cavigni ...... Finlay Robertson
Verizzi ...... Luke Thompson
Annette ...... Natasha Cowley
Ludovicio ...... Stephen Wight
Count Morano ...... John Bowler
Sister Agnes ...... Karen Bartke
Abbess ...... Alison Belbin
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2016.
SAT 19:00 Last Post for the Men of Letters (b097lpnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting (b007jsf7)
Series 1
A Day Trip to Romney Marsh
Linda and her chums head to the coast, letting the train increase the strain.
Comedy series written by and starring Linda Smith.
With Femi Elufowoju Jr, Jeremy Hardy, Martin Hyder, Margaret John, Chris Neill and Mark Steel.
Producer: Lucy Armitage
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2001.
SAT 22:30 Rhod Gilbert's Bulging Barrel of Laughs (b00tw32q)
Episode 4
Welsh comic Rhod Gilbert introduces regulars Lloyd Langford and Greg Davies, plus Sarah Millican who takes a weekly look at The Six Stages of Woman.
With live music from Goldheart Assembly, including hits King of Rome and Engravers Daughter.
Guest comedian is Edinburgh Comedy Award winner, Milton Jones.
Join Rhod for his Rant on misguided advertising, see what punch lines Lloyd Langford offers up in It's a Set Up and see if Greg Davies can tempt you with a life time supply of chocolate if you accept his Indecent Proposal.
Producers: Julia Mckenzie and Lianne Coop.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in September 2010.
SAT 23:30 The Mary Whitehouse Experience (b048w5gl)
Series 4
Episode 5
Plumbers, eh, what are they like? Satire starring Hugh Dennis, Steve Punt, Robert Newman and David Baddiel. From November 1990.