SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER 2020

SAT 00:00 The Devil in Amber by Mark Gatiss (b00vfjsh)
5. Desperation
Will spy hero Lucifer Box reach cult leader Olympus Mons' Satanic lair, deep beneath the Swiss Alps, in time to prevent the sacrifice of the "perfect victim"?
Mark Gatiss concludes his own fiendishly gripping adventure.
Abridged by David Jackson Young.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron.
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by BBC Scotland and first broadcast in 2010.
SAT 00:30 Off the Page (b00cm9p8)
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Dominic Arkwright, Catherine Townsend, Neil McCormick and Kathy Lette discuss the tricky art of romantic bust-up. From 2008.
SAT 01:00 VI Warshawski (b007jl7g)
Bitter Medicine
6. Public Health
With her murder probe expanding, private detective V.I. Warshawski opts to employ some unusual methods in an attempt to trap the perpetrators.
Sharon Gless stars in the conclusion of Sara Paretsky's thriller.
Dramatised by Michelene Wandor
V.I. Warshawski …. Sharon Gless
Lottie Herschel …. Eleanor Bron
Bobby Mallory …. Bill Hootkins
Peter Burgoyne …. William Dufris
Murray Ryerson …. Kerry Shale
Sal/Nurse …. Alice Arnold
Mrs Rodriguez/Nurse/Woman …. Ann Beach
Alan Humphries …. Christopher Scott
Dick …. John Sharian
Max …. Jonathan Adams
Producer: Janet Whitaker
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1997.
SAT 01:30 Hercule Poirot (b007ytww)
Murder on the Orient Express
Episode 5
Time is against Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot as he battles to unmask the murderer aboard the Orient Express.
John Moffatt stars as Hercule Poirot in the conclusion of Agatha Christie's whodunit.
Hercule Poirot ...... John Moffatt
Monsieur Bouc ...... Andre Maranne
Dr Constantine ...... Peter Polycarpou
Masterman ...... Desmond Llewelyn
Pierre Michel ...... Frank Windsor
Princess Dragmiroff ...... Sian Phillips
Mrs Hubbard ...... Sylvia Syms
Miss Debenham ...... Francesca Annis
Count Andrenyi ...... David Thorpe
Countess Andrenyi ...... Siriol Jenkins
Colonel Arbuthnot ...... Stephen Hodson
Foscarelli ...... Frank Coda
Miss Ohlsson ...... Kate Binchy
MacQueen ...... James Telfer
Fraulein Schmidt ...... Linda Polan
Music composed and played by Michael Haslam
From the book published in 1934 and dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director Enyd Williams.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1993.
SAT 02:00 High Hopes by Ronnie Corbett (b0075y8c)
5. Corporate Hospitality
Ronnie comes up from down under, and gets a second wind.
One of Britain's best loved comedy stars recalls life after the Two Ronnies, with corporate gigs and OBEs.
Written and concluded by Ronnie Corbett.
Producer: Steve Doherty.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2000.
SAT 02:15 EV Crowe - I Confess (b08n4hmc)
Anna
Four important people didn't turn up to Henry and Anna's engagement party, and Henry's been to see them all, as Anna wanted him to. They've blamed the way he's treated them in the past, but he swears he's changed.
However on his return home Anna, filled with misgivings and unnecessarily worried about an important exam, has told Henry that she doesn't want to marry him anymore.
It's time for Henry to choose who he wants to be...
The conclusion of EV Crowe's drama about one man's investigation into himself.
Henry ...... Lee Ross
Anna ...... Kate O'Flynn
Miranda ...... Jill Halfpenny
Gemma ...... Karla Crome
Director: Abigail le Fleming
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2017.
SAT 02:30 Ladybird, Ladybird (b00765nt)
The story of a publishing phenomenon - and the last vestiges of a 1950s childhood.
Ladybird Books summons up ankle socks , sleeveless fair isle pullovers and days of innocence.
But as the Loughborough based company closes down its Midlands operation and is swallowed up by Penguin - it's the end of an era.
Produced at BBC Manchester by Lindsay Leonard.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2001.
SAT 03:00 DH Lawrence - Women in Love (b007k1yl)
Moonlight
Rupert proposes, but this decisive action leads to more questions rather than answers.
Starring Clare Holman, Stella Gonet, Douglas Hodge and Nicholas Farrell.
DH Lawrence's passionate novel was first published in 1920
Ursula …. Clare Holman
Gudrun …. Stella Gonet
Gerald …. Douglas Hodge
Rupert …. Nicholas Farrell
Hermione …. Geraldine Fitzgerald
Mr. Brangwen …. Christopher Scott
Winnie …. Tracy Wiles
Mrs Critch …. Ann Beech
Mr Critch …. Norman Bird
With Shirley Dixon, Rebecca Wright, Robert Harper and Gillian Goodman
Dramatised by Elaine Feinstein.
Music composed by Anthea Gomez.
Director: Sue Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1996.
SAT 04:00 Wordaholics (b04kf5zv)
Series 3
Episode 6
Irish comic Ed Byrne, Tasmanian stand up and art expert Hannah Gadsby, punmaster general Milton Jones and classics boffin Natalie Haynes vie for word supremacy.
Gyles Brandreth is in the chair.
The letter of the week is 'Z'.
The panellists must coin their own topynyms and they also have to guess which foreign words are edible.
There's a chance to add their own new word to the dictionary, before they delve into 'A Dictionary of Americanisms' from 1848.
Writers: Jon Hunter and James Kettle.
Producer: Claire Jones.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2014.
SAT 04:30 Bookcases (b00szhvl)
Series 1
The Prosser Prize
London 1858: Primus is determined that Spavin and Spavin's entry should win this distinguished literary award, even if it means seducing the sponsors.
Martyn Wade's Victorian era comedy stars Michael Cochrane and Maggie Steed.
Primus …. Michael Cochrane
Cordelia …. Maggie Steed
Edith …. Elizabeth Spriggs
Gerald …. David Horovitch
Simeon …. Charles Simpson
Mrs Prosser …. Frances Jeater
Prosser …. Geoffrey Whitehead
Thackeray …. David Antrobus
Director: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1998.
SAT 05:00 Clare in the Community (b063dcgb)
Series 10
Things That Go Bump in the Day
The Sparrowhawk team are forced to work together to overcome a little problem they discover in the office. Lead by Clare, they're thinking outside the box...
Sally Phillips is Clare Barker the social worker who has all the right jargon but never a practical solution.
A control freak, Clare likes nothing better than interfering in other people's lives on both a professional and personal basis. Clare is in her thirties, white, middle class and heterosexual, all of which are occasional causes of discomfort to her.
Clare continually struggles to control both her professional and private life In today's Big Society there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.
Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden.
Clare ...... Sally Phillips
Brian ...... Alex Lowe
Nali/ Megan ...... Nina Conti
Ray ...... Richard Lumsden
Helen ...... Pippa Haywood
Simon ...... Andrew Wincott
Libby ...... Sarah Kendall
Joan/ Sarah Barker ...... Sarah Thom
Scarlett ...... Eleanor Curry
Stine Wetzel ...... Amelia Lowdell
Hunter ...... Neet Mohan
Dylan ...... Elliot Steel
Producer Alexandra Smith.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2015.
SAT 05:30 Dot (b0bfxw6l)
Series 3
Dig for Victory!
The very idea of the 'countryside' fills Dot with horror, so when she finds herself recruited by the Women's Land Army to work the land, she sets about planning a great escape.
Retro comic adventures with Dot and the gals from personnel in the rollicking Cabinet War Rooms comedy by Ed Harris.
Dot ...... Fenella Woolgar
Myrtle ...... Kate O'Flynn
Peg ...... Freya Parker
Peabody ...... David Actonn
Millicent ...... Jane Slavin
Grimribbling ...... Stephen Hogan
Director: Sasha Yevtushenko
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2018.
SAT 06:00 Tony Mulholland - Conan Doyle's Strangest Case (b063jp8z)
Tony Mulholland's play tells the true story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's obsession with a miscarriage of justice.
Starring Peter Jeffrey as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Convinced that George Edalji has been wrongly convicted of a shocking crime, Doyle assumes the mantle of his famous detective Sherlock Holmes and sets out to solve the case...
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ... Peter Jeffrey
Kathleen Moriarty ... Frances Jeater
George Edalji ... Kim Wall
Shapurji ... Kaleem Janjua
Anson ... Richard Avery
Campbell ... Terry Pearson
Disturnal ... Terry Molloy
Vachell ... Gerry Hinks
Other parts played by Roger Hume, Tina Gray, Simon Carter, Daphne Neville, Alex Jones, Pat Quayle and Sheila Kelley.
Producer: Rosemary Watts
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1995.
SAT 07:30 Great Lives (b06s9d1w)
Series 38
Alvin Hall chooses James Baldwin
Alvin Hall is the friendly face of financial reality, lecturing, writing and broadcasting on the subject of managing money. But he is also passionately interested in fine art, music and literature, and his nomination for a Great Life is that of writer and Civil Rights activist, James Baldwin.
Baldwin was born in 1924 in Harlem and his achievements in overcoming a difficult start in life were prodigious. For much of his life he lived outside the United States, returning in the late 1950s to support the nascent Civil Rights movement, though the Movement itself had some problems with his homosexuality. Throughout his life he continued to write about the experiences of being black in 20th century America and is now widely regarded as the pre-eminent African-American writer of the century.
Dr Douglas Field of the University of Manchester, who has written several books on James Baldwin, discusses Baldwin's life and achievements with Alvin and with Matthew Parris.
Producer Christine Hall
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
SAT 08:00 All the Way from Memphis (b00m0mb4)
Series 2
Episode 1
James Walton tests and tickles the knowledge of industry pundits and people passionate about pop music.
Regulars Tracey MacLeod and Andrew Collins are joined by Mary Anne Hobbs and Dave Gorman, who also reveal their favourite most bizarre musical moment.
Reader: Beth Chalmers
Written and researched by James Walton
Producer: Dawn Ellis
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2006.
SAT 08:30 Life in London (b011q9fw)
High and Low Life
Pierce Egan is reduced to pawning himself.
He talks his way out of this bind by relating the adventures of Tom, Bob and Jerry as they drink with the lower orders in the East End, dance with high society up West and attend a masquerade, where Jerry is smitten by a serial seductress...
Starring Greg Wise and Mark Gatiss.
Pierce Egan’s 19th-century comic novel adapted by Dan Tetsell.
Pierce Egan .... Geoffrey McGivern
Corinthian Tom .... Greg Wise
Pickpocket .... Neil Edmond
Jerry Hawthorn .... Mark Gatiss
With James Bachman, Neil Edmond, Morwenna Banks, Giles Taylor and Alys Torrance.
Original music by Ben Walker
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2006.
SAT 09:00 Floating In Space (b073bhqc)
Grab your space suit, climb on board and get ready for take-off, as BBC Radio 4 Extra blasts off for an adventure into space!
With a three hour flight time - from launch, to spacewalk, touchdown on the Moon and Mars, before crashing back to earth.
Samira Ahmed (Radio and TV presenter, childhood space obsessive) is our captain, navigating the course through a rich mix of space themed radio dramas, readings and comedies.
Along the way, we explore the cultural influence of the space race, examine the highs and lows of life as an astronaut, and see just why the limitless possibilities of radio makes it the perfect medium to capture the vastness of space.
Samira opens her communication channels to sci-fi writer Simon Guerrier – and producer Dirk Maggs, who reveals why Space makes for such good radio.
Samira also takes some giant leaps of her own in an astronaut’s space suit.
Our flight plan includes:
* The opening episode of Charles Chilton's ground breaking 'Journey In To Space’
* Alexey Leonov’s first ever space walk in 'Two Sides Of The Moon'
* Astronaut Kathryn Thornton on the solitude of space in the documentary 'Alone'
* A reimagining of man landing the moon in 'One Small Step'.
* Helen Keen looks at our obsession with travelling to Mars in 'It Is Rocket Science',
* Stephen Baxter heads to Mars in Dirk Maggs produced 'Voyage'
* Chris Hadfield’s nail-biting return from his biography 'An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth'.
Along the way - extra insight with selected moments from 'Soul Music', 'Just A Minute', Nick Mohammed's 'Apollo 21', 'Saturday Live' and 'A Night With Helen Sharman'.
So assume your launch position, this mission is set to take off in 5...4...3...2...1......
SAT 12:00 Genius (b0076vc0)
Series 2
Johnny Vegas
From a robotic dog to friendly car horns.
Dave Gorman asks comedian and actor Johnny Vegas to select the public's best loopy idea
Series in which award-winning comedian Dave Gorman and a celebrity guest chew over the ridiculous, unworkable but sometimes genius inventions, schemes and policies of the public.
Producer: Simon Nicholls
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
SAT 12:30 Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful (b007jv61)
Series 3
Episode 1
Ad man Ken Handley snags a leggy model to spy on the work of a rival agency.
Martin Jarvis stars in Guy Jenkin and Jon Canter’s satire set in the competitive world of advertising
Ken Handley ...... Martin Jarvis
Sandy ...... Christopher Godwin
Freddie ...... Lockwood West
Ambrose ...... Paul Jesson
April Shelley Thompson
Hedley Robert Longden
Mr Cheater James Griffiths
With Miriam Margolyes, John Shrapnel, David Tate, Sally Grace, Enn Reitel and Anton Rogers.
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1986.
SAT 13:00 Hercule Poirot (b007yn6z)
Murder on the Orient Express
Episode 1
A train departs, but one person aboard the Orient Express is destined never to arrive.
Speeding through the snowy European landscape, a bizarre and terrible murder brings the train to an abrupt halt.
The high-class carriages are packed with passengers and one of them - Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot - soon realises the challenge that awaits him...
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot.
From the book published in 1934 and dramatised in five parts by Michael Bakewell
Hercule Poirot ...... John Moffatt
Princess Dragmiroff ...... Sian Phillips
Miss Debenham ...... Francesca Annis
Mr Ratchett ...... Joss Ackland
Pierre Michel ...... Frank Windsor
Mrs Hubbard ...... Sylvia Syms
Masterman ...... Desmond Llewelyn
Monsieur Bouc ...... Andre Maranne
Colonel Arbuthnot ...... Stephen Hodson
MacQueen ...... James Telfer
Miss Ohlsson ...... Kate Binchy
Foscarelli ...... Frank Coda
Hardman ...... John Church
Count Andrenyi ...... David Thorpe
Countess Andrenyi ...... Siriol Jenkins
Dr Constantine ...... Peter Polycarpou
The Taurus Express Guard ...... Vic Tablian
The Hotel Clerk ...... Kevork Malikyan
Pianist: Michael Haslam
Director Enyd Williams.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1992.
SAT 13:30 Hercule Poirot (b007yp1g)
Murder on the Orient Express
Episode 2
The Orient Express is trapped in a snowdrift and in one compartment, a man lies murdered. Fortunately Hercule Poirot is aboard the train.
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot.
Hercule Poirot ...... John Moffatt
Monsieur Bouc ...... Andre Maranne
MacQueen ...... James Telfer
Pierre Michel ...... Frank Windsor
Dr Constantine ...... Peter Polycarpou
Masterman ...... Desmond Llewelyn
Mrs Hubbard ...... Sylvia Syms
Pianist: Michael Haslam
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director Enyd Williams.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1992.
SAT 14:00 Hercule Poirot (b007yrng)
Murder on the Orient Express
Episode 3
Hercule Poirot has discovered the murder victim has a "past" - and is convinced that the murderer is still aboard the train.
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot.
Hercule Poirot ...... John Moffatt
Monsieur Bouc ...... Andre Maranne
Pierre Michel ...... Frank Windsor
Princess Dragmiroff ...... Sian Phillips
Miss Ohlsson ...... Kate Binchy
Count Andrenyi ...... David Thorpe
Countess Andrenyi ...... Siriol Jenkins
Colonel Arbuthnot ...... Stephen Hodson
Hardman ...... John Church
Pianist: Michael Haslam
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director Enyd Williams.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1992.
SAT 14:30 Hercule Poirot (b007ys7n)
Murder on the Orient Express
Episode 4
Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot discovers that someone aboard the train is lying to him.
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot.
Hercule Poirot ...... John Moffatt
Monsieur Bouc ...... Andre Maranne
Dr Constantine ...... Peter Polycarpou
Mrs Hubbard ...... Sylvia Syms
Miss Debenham ...... Francesca Annis
Foscarelli ...... Frank Coda
Fraulein Schmidt ...... Linda Polan
Count Andrenyi ...... David Thorpe
Countess Andrenyi ...... Siriol Jenkins
Miss Ohlsson ...... Kate Binchy
Pianist: Michael Haslam
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell
Director Enyd Williams.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1992.
SAT 15:00 Hercule Poirot (b007ytww)
[Repeat of broadcast at 01:30 today]
SAT 15:30 A Good Read (b00zshnn)
Rageh Omaar and Stephanie Calman
Journalist and writer Rageh Omaar, author and founder of the badmothersclub.com Stephanie Calman and presenter Sian Williams discuss three very different books by JRR Tolkien, Elisabeth Sanxay Holding and Emma Donoghue.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: Harper Collins Childrens
The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding
Publisher: Persephone Books
Room by Emma Donoghue
Publisher: Picador
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
SAT 16:00 Tony Mulholland - Conan Doyle's Strangest Case (b063jp8z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Great Lives (b06s9d1w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 Bram Stoker - Dracula (b04y9dlb)
1. No One
Bram Stoker's disturbing vampire tale of horror, re-imagined by Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
Nicky Henson stars as Count Dracula.
An all action adventure story, with ghosts, ghouls, lunatics, and seriously gripping chase sequences.
Narrated by various characters with different 'takes' on the progress of the story
A thrilling ride through the dark psyche of Victorian England dramatised in two parts.
Count Dracula ..... Nicky Henson
Dr Seward ..... Charles Edwards
Renfield ..... Don Gilet
Jonathan Harker ..... Michael Shelford
Mina Murray ..... Ellie Kendrick
Lucy Westenra ..... Scarlett Brookes
Dr Van Helsing ..... John Dougall
Arthur ..... Joe Sims
Landlord's Wife ..... Christine Absalom
Driver ..... Robert Blythe
Simmons ..... Patrick Brennan
Vampiresses ..... Sarah Thom, Ellie Crook & Stephanie Racine
Child ..... Harper Bone
Singer ..... Adriana Festeu
Director: Jessica Dromgoole.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2012.
SAT 19:00 Floating In Space (b073bhqc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Saturday Night Fry (b00936hz)
Episode 5
Stephen Fry shares some fishy thoughts as he serves up more witty banter and sketches.
With Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson and her mother Phyllida Law.
Written by Stephen Fry with additional material by Ian Brown and James Hendrie.
Producer: Dan Patterson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1988.
SAT 22:30 The Maltby Collection (b00mjrxp)
Series 3
Episode 4
Interviewed 'in depth' by Cleaners' Weekly (incorporating The Scrubbers' Gazette), cleaner Eva Tattle manages to offend the entire museum in the process...
Geoffrey Palmer and Julian Rhind-Tutt star in series 3 of David Nobbs’s sitcom about a small museum of paintings and sculpture.
Rod Millet ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Walter Brindle ...... Geoffrey Palmer
Prunella Edgecumbe ...... Rachel Atkins
Susie Maltby ...... Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Julian Crumb-Loosely ...... Ben Willbond
Wilf Arbuthnot ...... Geoff McGivern
Eva Tattle ...... Juklia Deakin
Des Wainwright ...... Michael Smiley
Stelios Constantinopoulis ...... Chris Pavlo
Producer: Colin Anderson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2009.
SAT 23:00 Elis James's Pantheon of Heroes (b01pgjbt)
Series 2
Outlaws
Twm Sion Cati, Jesse James and Bartholomew Roberts.
Comedian Elis James compares key figures in Welsh history to determine the ultimate heroes of Wales.
With Ben Partridge and Nadia Kamil.
Written by Elis James, Gareth Gwyn and Benjamin Partridge.
Producer: Sharif Shahwan
First broadcast on BBC Radio Wales in December 2012.
SAT 23:30 The Ape That Got Lucky (b0081cbz)
Science and Progress
Humans like to think that even if evolution has dealt them a neat hand, they have made their own luck through their mastery of science and technology.
But many things, including penicillin and the light bulb, have been discovered accidentally.
A spoof exploration of the fascinating subject of human evolution.
Starring Chris Addison.
With Professor Austin Herring (aka Geoffrey McGivern), Jo Enright and Dan Tetsell.
Written by Chris Addison and Carl Cooper.
Producer: Simon Nicholls
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2005.