SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER 2021

SAT 00:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007jpbx)
5. Search and Destroy
Despite the national emergency, landowners try to profit from the deadly Exon strain.
Starring Paul Copley and Rosalind Adams.
James Follett’s sci-fi thriller.
Howard Rogers …. Paul Copley
Denise Exon …. Rosalind Adams
Max Flinders …. TP McKenna
Nurse …. Joan Matheson
Prime Minister …. Noel Johnson
Blowers …. Michael Shannon
TV Presenter …. Henry Knowles
TV PA …. Mary Elliott Nelson
Climatorium Technician …. Rod Beacham
Helicopter Pilot …. Peter Wickham
Farmer …. Roy Spencer
Corporal …. Gregory de Polnay
Sachs …. Denis Goacher
Producer: David Spencer
First broadcast as two x 90 minute dramas on BBC Radio 4 in March 1978.
SAT 00:30 Off the Page (b016wx2p)
Away with the Fairies
Dominic Arkwright asks why fairies - once threatening and scary meddlers in human affairs - have become innocent, pink and fluffy?
He's joined by Irish storyteller Eddie Lenihan, fairy illustrator and writer Faye Durston, and folklorist Juliette Wood.
We hear how Eddie successfully campaigned to save an ancient hawthorn near Shannon Airport which was threatened by a new bypass. It was, he argued, the portal to the other world of the fairies of Munster. The tree still stands, though surrounded by cars on three sides.
Producer: Mark Smalley.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
SAT 01:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010j1m)
3. Strangers in a Cafe
Elizabeth visits the site of the tomb excavated by her late father in the Valley of the Kings.
Accompanying her is a young Egyptian who she suspects is Fuad Yassif - a former friend of her father's.
Suddenly she's plunged into darkness...
Starring Sheila Grant.
Victor Pemberton's archaeological thriller serial set in Egypt.
Elizabeth Warwick ... Sheila Grant
Mahmoud ... James Thomason
Mr Wilder ... John Humphry
Fuad ... David Spenser
Charles Villiers ... Rolf Lefebvre
Margaret Villiers ... Marion Mathie
Achmed Araby ... Haydn Jones
Abdullah ... Antony Viccars
Bertie Pringle ... Barry Lowe
O'Hara ... Denis McCarthy
Captain Aziz ... John Justin
The stranger ... Christopher Bidmead
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in May 1968.
SAT 01:30 The Dark Island (m000b15z)
5. Escalation
Intelligence offers Jim Nicholson and Bill Grant battle to uncover who's behind the Cold War spy ring....
Starring Edward De Souza.
Robert Barr's espionage serial set in the remote islands of the Outer Hebrides.
Jim Nicholson ...Edward De Souza
Bill Grant ... Geoffrey Frederick
Ian McLeod ... Bryden Murdoch
Mary Somers…Rosemary Miller
Colonel Jamieson / Hotel Manager … Alaric Cotter
Major Williams ... Peter Hawkins
Producer: Peter Titheridge.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1969.
SAT 02:00 A Better Class of Person by John Osborne (b03h84fl)
10. On the Pier at Morecambe
John Osborne recalls the end of another marriage and penury beckons, but so does success...
Highly-acclaimed first volume of the playwright's autobiography - covering 1929 to 1956 when 'Look Back in Anger' was first performed.
Concluded by Peter Egan.
Abridger/ Producer: Glyn Dearman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1994
SAT 02:15 John Reed - Ten Days That Shook the World (b098njdl)
10. The Conquest of Power
The Bolsheviks have defeated the counter-revolution and are getting on with the business of government despite the threat of civil war.
The abolition of all private ownership of land has won over the peasants and, for a moment, the Revolution seems to have accomplished its goals.
The conclusion of John Reed's classic eye-witness account of the Russian Revolution in October 1917.
Stars Richard Laing and Kelly Burke.
John Reed ...... Richard Laing
Louise Bryant ...... Kelly Burke
Trotsky ...... Matthew Gravelle
Lenin ...... Nicholas Murchie
Zinoviev ...... Sion Pritchard
Sverdlov ...... Simon Ludders
Nathanson ...... Philip Fox
With Eiry Thomas, Charlie Clements and Tom Forrister.
The Internationale is sung by Eiry Thomas.
Director: Alison Hindell
A BBC Cymru/Wales production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2017.
SAT 02:30 The Stasi Jigsaw Puzzle (b01mkzgf)
The East German secret service, the Stasi, loved to keep records. It built up a library of hundreds of thousands of files on its own people.
When the order came to destroy those files, in late 1989, there was so much paper to get through that the state's shredders collapsed under the pressure. They then resorted to using chemicals and burning and, finally, to simply tearing them up by hand, until ordinary people themselves stormed the Stasi buildings and rescued what they could. Amongst the files that were rescued, they found 16,000 sackfuls of torn up bits of paper.
A small group of people near Nuremberg has been painstakingly trying to put those bits of paper back together; but the task was going to take 400 years to complete.
Then an expert in image processing, Dr. Bertram Nikolay came forward with his E-puzzler prototype computer, which is being put through its paces. Dr. Nikolay says it will be able to read the scraps of paper and put them back together in just a few years.
Chris Bowlby returns to Berlin, where he spent time as a student in the divided city, and meets the scientists hoping to rescue the destroyed Stasi paper archive.
He also hears some disturbing audio archive which is being catalogued; there are stories from some of the Stasi's victims and we hear how, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall, the search for the truth within the archives is as important as ever.
Producer: John Murphy
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2012.
SAT 03:00 Drama (b08504lg)
Sebastian Baczkiewicz - The Last Submarine Hunter
Sebastian Baczkiewicz's original mystery drama featuring documentary interviews.
In October 2014, reports of a suspected Russian submarine in the Swedish archipelago sparked an international hunt.
Lucas Almquist disappeared at that time.
Now, two years later, Lucas’s sister Lina sets out to find him, and discover the truth about the mystery submarines. Along the way, she meets a retired naval commander and an expert in Unidentified Submerged Objects.
Lina Almquist ...... Ellie Piercy
Inspector Ragnarsson ...... David Menkin
Maya ...... Marion Bailey
Tove ...... Marion Bailey
With thanks to Janne Westerlund, Sven Kviman, Per Andersson, Clas Svahn, Freddie Petersson, Max Bergström, Marie Wennersten, Malcolm Dixelius, Magnus Lindman and Magnus Berg.
Sound Design by Steve Bond
Produced and Directed by Joby Waldman
Executive Producer: Jeremy Mortimer
A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2016.
SAT 03:45 Moya O'Shea - The Chocolate Lovers' Club (b00w6f7p)
5. Mrs Drexl
A huge cake box sits on the table, as the mysterious Mrs Drexl tells a tale which surprisingly concerns them all - as she explains how she came to be invited to join the club...
At the Muchly Bottom village chocolate lovers' club five women take turns in creating a chocolate delight and tell a chocolate-related tale while eating it.
Conclusion of Moya O'Shea’s delicious five-part drama.
Mrs Drexl ...... Sylvia Sims
Clementine ...... Paula Wilcox
Rosie ...... Helena Breck
Sarah ...... Eleanor Bron
Charlotte ...... Carolyn Pickles
Hot Shot ...... Carl Prekopp
Luke ...... Peter Darney
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2001.
SAT 04:00 It's Not What You Know (b0608h7v)
Series 3
Episode 1
What is Sarah Millican's worst habit?
Who is Richard Osman's mum's favourite recording artist?
What would Nathan Caton be doing if he wasn't a comedian?
All these questions, and more, will be answered in the show hosted by Miles Jupp, where panellists are tested on how well they know their nearest and dearest.
In this case, Richard Osman picks his mother, Sarah Millican her mate Lou, and Nathan Caton his brother Mekel to answer questions about each other.
Producer: Matt Stronge.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2015.
SAT 04:30 Clare in the Community (b008h5z7)
Series 1
Last Words
The social worker is wracked with relief when her most detested client passes away.
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 30s, 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.
Starring Sally Phillips and Alex Lowe.
Clare ...... Sally Phillips
Brian ...... Alex Lowe
Megan ...... Nina Conti
Ray ...... Richard Lumsden
Irene ...... Ellen Thomas
Helen ...... Gemma Craven
With Richenda Carey and Andrew Wincott.
Producer: Katie Tyrrell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2004.
SAT 05:00 On the Rocks (b05vwtsk)
Series 2
Sermons
Father Tregarthan enlists the help of an unlikely source to help him with his irreligious parishioners on St. Martin's.
Christopher William Hill's comedy set on a remote island of the Isles of Scilly, just before the Second World War.
Frank Gunwallow ..... Joseph Kloska
Tommy Trenear ..... Stuart Fox
Tregarthan ..... Peter Marinker
Ben Trenear ..... Alex Palmer
Morwenna-May ..... Alex Tregear
Signor Di Bicci ..... Sam Dale
Reggie Pender ..... Christopher William Hill
Director: Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2015.
SAT 05:30 The Confessional (m0010g03)
Series 2
The Confession of Olivia Williams
Following the success of its inaugural series earlier this year and by popular demand, Stephen Mangan is back with the comedy chat show about shame and guilt.
Each week Stephen Mangan invites a different eminent guest into his virtual confessional box to make three 'confessions' to him. This is a cue for some rich and varied storytelling, and surprising insights as their confessions are put under the microscope.
We’re used to hearing celebrity interviews, where stars are persuaded to show off about their achievements and talk about their proudest moments. Stephen is not interested in that. He doesn’t want to know what his guests are proud of, he wants to know what they’re ashamed of. That’s surely the way to find out what really makes a person tick. Settle back for a stimulating journey through the realms of shame, regret, guilt and toe-curling embarrassment.
This week Stephen meets British and Hollywood screen actor Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense, The Crown)
Other guest in the series: Anthony Horowitz, Ed Byrne, Shaparak Khorsandi, Konnie Huq and David Quantick.
Written and presented by Stephen Mangan
With extra material by Nick Doody
Produced by Frank Stirling
A 7digital production
SAT 06:00 Daphne Du Maurier (b007k4b7)
Rebecca
Arriving at Manderley, the young Mrs de Winter finds the beautiful mansion and its occupants haunted by memories of Rebecca - the first wife of her new husband Maxim...
Christopher Cazenove and Janet Maw star in Daphne Du Maurier’s classic 1938 novel.
Dramatised by Brian Miller.
Maxim de Winter …. Christopher Cazenove
Mrs de Winter …. Janet Maw
Mrs Danvers …. Rosalie Crutchley
Jack Favell …. Nickolas Grace
Colonel Julyan …. Frederick Treves
Mrs Van Hopper …. Irene Sutcliffe
Frith …. John Gabriel
Beatrice …. Margaret Courtenay
Ben …. Danny Schiller
Clarice …. Elizabeth Mansfield
Horridge …. Brian Miller
Tabb …. John Bull
Dr Baker …. Geoffrey Whitehead
Director: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1989
SAT 07:30 Great Lives (b08zc6fs)
Series 43
Maxine Peake on Ellen Wilkinson
Actress Maxine Peake nominates her working class hero, Ellen Wilkinson, as a great life.
Ellen is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of British radical left politics. She joined the Communist party, met Lenin and Trotsky in Moscow and then went on to become one of the Labour Party's youngest people entering parliament in 1924.
For Maxine, the tragedy is that Ellen Wilkinson is now virtually a forgotten figure despite her remarkable achievements.
With help from historian Helen Antrobus from the People's History Museum in Manchester, they make the case for Ellen Wilkinson meriting the description of a great life.
Presented by Matthew Parris.
Producer: Perminder Khatkar
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2017.
SAT 08:00 The Motion Show (m0007rns)
Series 5
Episode 4
From the wonder of umbrellas to banning children in pubs
Graeme Garden hosts the comedy debating show.
With Gyles Brandreth, Boothby Graffoe, Hugh Dennis and Lauren Laverne.
Producer: Jane Berthoud
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2002.
SAT 08:30 Smelling of Roses (b00d8yxr)
Series 3
Promises, Promises
Tasked with organising an auction of promises for a posh school, Rosie finds that it’s not the parents who are upper-crust so much as the pupils...
Prunella Scales stars in Simon Brett's sitcom.
The trials and tribulations of Rosie Burns and her event management company, based in Brighton.
Rosie ..... Prunella Scales
Jo ..... Rebecca Callard
Bob ..... Duncan Preston
Tess ..... Annette Badland
Greg ..... Leo Dolan
Trevor ..... Jim North
Producer: Maria Esposito
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2002.
SAT 09:00 Radio Heads (m0010nn4)
Bobby Jaye
After leaving school, Bobby Jaye joined the BBC as a studio manager. He went on to become a BBC radio producer of landmark programmes including The Goon Show, Morecambe and Wise, Steptoe and Son and The Ken Dodd Show.
He became the BBC's Head of Light Entertainment before retiring in 1985.
But Bobby returned in 2003 - as part of a showcase series putting former BBC Radio heads back in charge to make a 3 hour selection from the shows they either produced or commissioned.
Interspersed with his own memories, Bobby selects: .
• THE KEN DODD SHOW
The King of Knotty Ash examines black magic and lands a part in a horror movie. Or does he? With Hugh Paddick and Miriam Margolyes. From August 1972
• STEPTOE AND SON
Series 3 (4/8): TB or not TB
Sixty years of smoking takes its toll on Albert. Adapted from TV, with Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett. From April 1971.
• AFTER HENRY
Series 1 (3/8): The Cowboy
Sarah's mother and daughter gang up on her when she hires a builder. Stars Prunella Scales and Joan Sanderson. From May 1985.
• RADIO ACTIVE
Series 3 (1/6) Euroshow
The UK’s local national radio station goes continental with reporters in Berlin, Paris and Madrid. Stars Geoffrey Perkins and Angus Deayton. From July 1983.
• THE SMALL INTRICATE LIFE OF GERALD C POTTER
Series 2 (6/6) The Day
The author tries to make amends when he upsets his wife Diana. Stars Ian Carmichael and Charlotte Mitchell. From December 1977.
• YES MINISTER
Series 1 (4/8) The Writing on the Wall
MP Jim Hacker's big plans to slim down the Civil Service come home to roost. Stars Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds. From November 1983.
Bobby Jaye died aged 84 in 2010.
Produced by Sarah Wade and Philippa Law
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in November 2003.
SAT 12:00 Forests of the Imagination (m0010nn6)
Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough enters the forests of our imagination, looking for stories. Alternative realities, holy quests and fairy tales hidden among the glories of the Autumn forest.
Despite our evolution in the African rainforests, Eleanor wonders whether it is tales from the frozen North that have given us the most potent forests of the imagination, invading our psyche, inhabiting our stories, inspiring our architecture.
Legendary fairy tale guru Jack Zipes introduces us to the darker side of the Black Forest, the central point of European folklore. Eleanor travels to Shakespeare's Forest of Arden, part real, part imagined - a forest full of magic and mystery, where we can become better versions of ourselves.
We hear tales from the vast frozen Taiga forest, encircling the world in the North.
And in the African rainforest we meet early hominids as they flit in and out of the trees, watching the forest biology shaping what we are and the stories we tell.
On the way we see the strange reality of the forest itself communicating. And as darkness falls, our imagination takes over as we spend a moonlit night in the New Forest, high in an oak tree, in the company of ravens, owls and deer.
Producer: Melvin Rickarby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in October 2018.
SAT 12:45 Elegies From a Suburban Garden (b00zt3pr)
Autumn
"If we're lucky", says botanist Phil Gates" we gardeners get to experience the seasonal rollercoaster of gardening emotions about 70 times. Just 70 spring, summer, autumn and winters in a lifetime ... and with each passing cycle those that remain become even more precious".
With the arrival of autumn, the fruits of all the hard work of the previous months are literally ready to pick. Phil doesn't waste any time gathering in the Autumn-fruiting raspberries.
The other great success in the garden has been the raised beds; and for what feels like weeks now, Phil and his wife have been enjoying home-grown courgettes. In fact Phil is so impressed by his raised beds, that he's beginning to think about transforming all the vegetable area to raised beds ... and having bought a new spade after the old finally collapsed, he's ready to begin!
Before that, though, there are plenty of other tasks to do, such as cutting the hedge, now the nesting season is over, With a hatred of noisy electrical garden tools Phil happily clambers up his ladder with a pair of secateurs and sets too, trimming the beech hedge.
Whilst to some, the garden in Autumn may seem at times a sad place; as leaves fall off the trees, but the red, orange and golden colours of the leaves are for Phil a last 'Hoorah!' as the garden explodes with colour; enjoying its very own firework display. Surrounded by such wonderful colours as well fruits and vegetables to harvest, Autumn is surely a time to feel a sense of elation in the garden.
Producer: Sarah Blunt
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2011.
SAT 13:00 Pieces of Britney (p09mw6j1)
7. Groundhog Day
Pandora Sykes revisits the events that led to Britney's conservatorship and the key players around that time.
In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.
Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.
Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.
Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.
Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.
Episode 7 Cast:
Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin
Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow
Jamie . . . . . Elliot Cowan
Sam . . . . . Paul Chahidi
Adnan . . . . . Adam El Hagar
Other parts played by Joseph Ayre and Julianna Jennings
Sound design by Peter Ringrose
Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko and Anne Isger.
SAT 13:55 Inheritance Tracks (b07g75p5)
Leona Lewis
Singer Leona Lewis chooses 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' by Roberta Flack and 'One Love' by Bob Marley.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016.
SAT 14:00 Chain Reaction (b0717cpt)
Series 11
1. Ed Byrne interviews Al Murray
Two heavyweights of stand-up are in conversation as Ed Byrne interviews Al Murray.
Ed tackles Al on a vast array of topics from Thackeray's attitude to the Irish to the thorny issue of offence in comedy via how best to talk to McFly.
Ed Byrne is an Irish comedian and actor. His celebrated observational routines made him a leading light of the UK stand-up circuit in the mid-90s and he went on to tour internationally, playing festivals and theatres across the world.
After an early stand-up foray as a character called 'The Murderer', Al Murray created his famous Pub Landlord character in the mid-90s as part of a touring show with Harry Hill. The Pub Landlord went on to tour venues and festivals worldwide before making his own TV chat shows and sitcom. Al also presents history documentaries and stood against Nigel Farage in the 2015 UK General Election.
Chain Reaction is the long running host-less chat show where this week's interviewee becomes next week's interviewer.
Producer: Richard Morris
A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in February 2016.
SAT 14:30 The Harpoon (b007k4cc)
Series 1
Episode 1
From patent cures to whaling for the under 5s.
The nostalgic spiffing spoof of adventure story papers for boys. Hip hip!
With:
Susie Brann
Alistair McGowan
Mary Elliot-Nelson
Julian Dutton
Peter Baynham
Producer: Sarah Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1991.
SAT 15:00 What's Funny About ... (m0010f7z)
Series 2
4. Pamela Stephenson & John Lloyd on Not The Nine O’Clock News
John Lloyd and Dr Pamela Stephenson talk about their pioneering BBC TV sketch show Not The Nine O’Clock News
The duo share the inside story with TV veterans Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman.
Over 17 million viewers tuned in over 4 series to watch Pamela alongside Rowan Atkinson, Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, and Chris Langham perform scripts written by some of the cream of British comedy talent – Richard Curtis, Andy Hamilton, and even (then undergraduate!) Stephen Fry.
John Lloyd recalls how the NTNON team was put together, and how a chance meeting with Pamela at a party led to her becoming the one of the most recognisable faces on British television.
They talk us through some of their favourite sketches and reveal how they created their vast array of characters, from Gerald the Gorilla to Janet Street-Porter (and in particular, the interview that Pamela’s Janet did with Billy Connolly that would change both of their lives).
And John and Pamela discuss the perks and perils of commercial success in the world of comedy, when the business of books, albums, and movies come calling, and how it eventually led the end of Not The Nine O’Clock News.
With Peter and Jon as our guides, we’ll take the opportunity to ask quite how they went about making a great bit of TV comedy? Who came up with it? How did it get written? We’ll talk about the commissioning, the casting, and the reception the show received when it first aired.
We’ll do our very best to winkle out some backstage secrets straight from the horse’s mouth, as we hear the unvarnished truth from the people who were there, and who put these iconic shows on the telly.
Producer: Owen Braben
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Expectation Entertainment.
SAT 16:00 Daphne Du Maurier (b007k4b7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Great Lives (b08zc6fs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 The Double (m0010nn9)
Jonathan Holloway's reimagining of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's nightmare vision of a lonely civil servant driven to madness when his life is stolen by a doppelganger.
It's relocated it to a steampunk version of 19th Century St Petersburg, substituting the labyrinthine Tsarist bureaucracy of the original with the advanced computer systems office of the Russian Federation's Intelligence Services.
To win his superiors' admiration the story's hero, Golyadkin, starts working on perfecting a new cyber-weapon only to find that a new arrival in the office who looks remarkably like him is taking all the credit for his work.
In this fresh adaptation the 21st century begins to intrude - samovars bubble, dances mix trance with live string quartets, electric taxis whine on the highways while horses clatter by and computers are gas-fuelled.
In Golyadkin's fractured mind he's lost all sense of where he exists in time and what we're experiencing is his dream of the future.
Dostoyevsky's themes of grinding bureaucracy, societal pressures inducing feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness are given a bleakly modern twist.
Golyadkin ...... Joseph Millson
The Double ...... Joseph Millson
Andrei Filippovich Olsufy ...... Sean Murray
Dr Rutenspitz ...... Elizabeth Counsell
Klara Olsufyevna ...... Kerry Gooderson
Needles ...... Kerry Gooderson
Marmeladov ...... Lauren Cornelius
Raskolnikov ...... Joseph Ayre
Fatboy ...... Ryan Whittle
Maitre D' ...... Ryan Early
Director: Gemma Jenkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2018.
SAT 19:00 Radio Heads (m0010nn4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Alex Horne Presents The Horne Section (b01dtmb8)
Series 1
Kevin Eldon
Comedian Alex Horne is joined by his own 5 piece jazz band for music and comedy as they try interactive cookery.
With special guest: comedian Kevin Eldon.
Host .... Alex Horne
Trumpet/banjo .... Joe Auckland
Saxophone/clarinet ....Mark Brown
Double Bass/Bass .... Will Collier
Drums and Percussion .... Ben Reynolds
Piano/keyboard .... Joe Stilgoe
Guest performer ....Kevin Eldon
Producer: Julia McKenzie
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2012..
SAT 22:30 Chain Reaction (b071vkwl)
Series 11
2. Al Murray interviews Ian Hislop
Pub Landlord creator, Al Murray passes the baton to the comedian and satirist Ian Hislop.
Chain Reaction is the long running hostless chat show where this week's interviewee becomes next week's interviewer.
After an early foray into stand-up as a character called 'The Murderer', Al Murray created his famous Pub Landlord character in the mid 90s as part of a touring show with Harry Hill. The Pub Landlord went on to tour venues and festivals worldwide before making his own chat show and sitcom for Sky. Outside of the Pub Landlord, Al presents history documentaries - and in 2015 stood as a candidate for parliament against Nigel Farage in the UK General Election.
Al's guest Ian Hislop is much more used to the cut and thrust of British politics both as a long-standing team captain on BBC TV's 'Have I Got News for You' and as the editor of satirical magazine Private Eye. As a dedicated fan and student of history, he has made several acclaimed documentaries on wide-ranging subjects including conscientious objectors and The Beeching Report.
Al grills Ian on his early days writing for such comedians as Harry Enfield, asks how we should define the role of the satirist and poses the intriguing question, 'what's it like being sued?'
Producer: Richard Morris
A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2016.
SAT 23:00 The Curried Goat Show (b007k4xf)
Episode 5
The results of the 'I Love Fatima Whitbread' competition are announced.
Will has trouble sleeping while two American sports-casters have trouble with pronunciation.
Sketch-bonanza written by and starring Dan Gaster, Will Ing and Ben Silburn.
With special guest: Paula Wilcox.
Music from The Big Buzzard Boogie Band.
Producer: Maria Esposito.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in February 1998.
SAT 23:30 Cowards (b00fm5s8)
Series 2
Episode 3
Meet a cheery bailiff - and an office induction with a twist...
More from inside the strange and happy world of the Cowards.
Sketch comedy with a comic slant on human frailties
Written by and starring:
Tom Basden
Stefan Golaszewski
Tim Key
Lloyd Woolf
Producer: Victoria Lloyd
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2008.


SUNDAY 17 OCTOBER 2021

SUN 00:00 The Double (m0010nn9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 Pieces of Britney (p09mw6j1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:55 Inheritance Tracks (b07g75p5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:55 on Saturday]
SUN 02:00 Chain Reaction (b0717cpt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:30 The Harpoon (b007k4cc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Saturday]
SUN 03:00 What's Funny About ... (m0010f7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 Daphne Du Maurier (b007k4b7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 Great Lives (b08zc6fs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 A Better Class of Person by John Osborne (Omnibus) (m0010pfp)
Episode 2
John Osborne recalls his theatrical aspirations being boosted by a resemblance to Rex Harrison
Concluding the playwright's highly-acclaimed first volume of autobiography - covering the period from 1929 to 1956 when Look Back in Anger was first performed.
Read by Peter Egan.
Omnibus of the last five of ten parts.
Producer: Glyn Dearman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
SUN 07:10 Inheritance Tracks (b07bljwd)
Katie Derham
Broadcaster Katie Derham chooses 'Bachianas Brasileiras No 5' by Heitor Villa-Lobos and 'Fire and Rain' by James Taylor.
SUN 07:20 John Reed - Ten Days That Shook the World (Omnibus) (b09b5723)
Episode 2
Kerensky and the counter-revolutionary Cossacks are making gains and threatening Petrograd.
Reed visits the Revolutionary frontline with the Bolshevik commander-in-chief - who seems less than organised.
John Reed's classic eye-witness account of the Russian Revolution in October 1917.
Stars Richard Laing and Kelly Burke.
Omnibus of the last five of ten parts dramatised by Robin Brooks
John Reed ..... Richard Laing
Comberg ..... Matthew Gravelle
Colonel ..... Nicholas Murchie
Dybenko ..... Richard Nichols
Antonov ..... Sion Pritchard
With Simon Ludders, Tom Forrister and Philip Fox
John Reed's vivid eye-witness account of his time in Petrograd was written in early 1918 and published in the USA the following year. It was an instant best-seller, so much so that in Russia it was some years before Stalin - who is only mentioned twice in the book - felt he could ban it for its portrayal of Trotsky.
Possibly naïve, definitely politically one-sided, nevertheless the veracity and impact of Reed's enthusiastic snapshot-style reportage has become a classic memoir and inspired films including Eisenstein's classic 'October' and 'Reds' which won an Oscar for its director and star, Warren Beatty.
Director: Alison Hindell
A BBC Cymru/Wales production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2017.
SUN 08:30 Doctor at Large (b00b3h85)
Dr Sparrow of Harley Street
Mayhem ensues when Simon Sparrow goes to work at Sir Lancelot Spratt's rather posh practice.
The misadventures of newly qualified doctor, Simon Sparrow.
Starring Richard Briers
Adapted for radio by Ray Cooney from Richard Gordon's 'Doctor at Large' published in 1955.
Simon Sparrow …. Richard Briers
Wendy Swithenbank …. Norma Ronald
Tony Benskin …. Ray Cooney
The Duke …. Howard Marion Crawford
Sir Raymond Beecham …. Richard Caldicot
Kitty Buckingham …. Fenella Fielding
Butler …. Garard Green
Nurse …. Rosalind Adams
Producer: David Hatch
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1969.
SUN 09:00 Not in Front of the Children (b08lxyfx)
Series 2
Home From Home
Jennifer's mission to save the plants back at their old house doesn't take root...
Starring Wendy Craig and Francis Matthew.
The comedy mishaps of the Corner family - Jennifer and Henry and their three kids Trudi, Amanda and Robin.
Jennifer Corner …. Wendy Craig
Henry Corner …. Francis Matthews
Mary ....Charlotte Mitchell
Trudi …. Roberta Tovey
Amanda …. Jill Riddick
Mrs Weston …. Aline Waites
Peter Harrison …. Richard Waring
Marilyn …. June Liversidge
Four series were first shown on BBC TV from 1967 to 1970. Richard Waring adapted his own scripts for this radio version, now fully restored from the original reel-to-reel tapes. Wendy Craig won a Best Actress BAFTA award for the TV version of Not in Front of the Children in 1969.
Music by Ronnie Hazlehurst
Producer: Trafford Whitelock.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in December 1970.
SUN 09:30 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.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0010pfr)
Musicians
Thom Yorke
From Nina Simone to Talking Heads.
Singer Thom Yorke shares his castaway choices with Lauren Laverne
Thom has been the front man of Radiohead, one of Britain’s most successful British bands, for over 34 years. They've sold over 30 million albums worldwide, and have won three Grammys and four Ivor Novello awards. Their debut studio album, Pablo Honey, was released in 1993, with their debut single, Creep, becoming a big international success.
Thom decided on his career at the age of seven, when he lay on the floor between large speakers at a friend’s house and listened to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. He made his own electric guitar when he was 10, and wrote his first song at 11. At his secondary school he joined up with fellow pupils and they formed a band called On a Friday, as that was the only day they were allowed to rehearse. They all went their separate ways as university students, but then signed to Parlophone in 1991 and renamed themselves Radiohead.
Thom has collaborated with artists including PJ Harvey and Björk and has composed for film and theatre. His first feature film soundtrack, Suspiria, was released last year. His first classical piece, Don’t Fear the Light, was premiered in Paris this year, and he has also been touring his latest solo album Anima. He is an activist on behalf of human rights, animal rights, environmental and anti-war causes.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2019.
SUN 10:45 Siberian Stories (b01kmjg6)
Autumn Migration
Nomadic herding is being revived in Tuva. Cicely Fell joins one family's autumn migration with their horses and cattle over the remote mountains where Russia borders Mongolia.
The Khemchik valley in western Tuva is a wild frontier land of derelict villages, where extreme poverty is driving many families to return to traditional nomadic herding as a way to survive.
Cicely joins the Mongush family as they set out on their autumn migration. The journey takes them over remote mountains along the Russian-Mongolian border, from the taiga forest to the grassland steppe. A nomadic way of life re-emerging from the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Producer: Cicely Fell
An Above the Title production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2012.
SUN 11:00 Radiolab (m0010pfv)
Series 8
Staph and Gamma
Radiolab is a Peabody-award winning show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and the human experience.
Radiolab explores the incredible stories of two seemingly simple scientific discoveries. With Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich.
Jad Abumrad and the Radiolab team investigate a strange world.
From WNYC. First broadcast on public radio in the USA in 2021.
SUN 11:55 Inheritance Tracks (b07bljwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:10 today]
SUN 12:00 Poetry Extra (m0010pfx)
Poetry Please - George Mackay Brown
Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and selects Poetry Please with a programme celebrating 100 years since the birth of George Mackay Brown.
Roger McGough presents a programme dedicated to the Orkney poet and prose writer George Mackay Brown. He wrote poems full of wonderful imagery, capturing the life and characters of those islands. Reader John Mackay.
Producer Sally Heaven.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016.
SUN 12:30 Ability (b087p7m6)
Pilot
Lost Voice Guy (real name Lee Ridley) won the BBC Radio Stand-Up Comedy Award in 2014. He is a funny guy. He also has cerebral palsy and can only speak via a computer. Ability uses Lee's experiences of coping with this disability and weaves them into a sitcom.
It's based around Matt, who's leaving home for the first time to move in with Jess, his best friend from school. Matt's parents are worried, particularly his dad - they have always done everything for him. But Matt is determined even though his new carer, Bob, is not all he should be. Bob is new to the role, and although willing, he somehow manages to spend more time dealing weed and flogging knocked off TVs than cooking Matt's tea. But he treats Matt like an equal, and not all his previous carers have done that, and so the two form a bond.
A bond that could lead Matt into an awful lot of trouble. Especially as Matt has never been above exploiting his circumstances if the situation arises - he's always known he could get away with murder (although he's never actually tried that of course). But who would suspect the disabled guy? Could Matt and Bob become the new Del boy and Rodney? And if so, which is which?
Pilot episode for the following series.
Written by: Lee Ridley and Katherine Jakeways.
Matt..............Lee Ridley
Jess...............Sammy T Dobson
Bob................ Allan Mustafa
Inner Voice.......Andrew Hayden-Smith
Peter................James Lailey
Maureen...........Alison Belbin
Drug User.........Keziah Joseph
Producer: Jane Berthoud
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2017.
SUN 13:00 Between Them by Richard Ford (Omnibus) (b08qfw7s)
Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Ford tells us the stories of his parents, taken from his memoir.
After his parents married they took to the road. Father worked at the Faultless Company, which took them to "Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and a small part of Tennessee, a slice of Florida, a corner of Texas, all of Mississippi."
On the road they stayed at motels and ate in diners.
They had fun.
They 'roistered'.
Omnibus of five parts abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Duncan Minshull
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2017.
SUN 14:10 Inheritance Tracks (b08q8nll)
Ian Hislop
The Private Eye editor and Have I Got News For You panellist chooses 'A Swingin' Safari' played by Bert Kaempfert, an album owned by his parents and Danny Kaye's 'Life Could Not Better Be' from the film 'The Court Jester.'
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
SUN 14:20 The Pillow Book (Omnibus) (b0bfx7s7)
Series 11
The new young Empress has been on the throne for a year, and the iron-fist of her rule is being felt by all within the Imperial Palace.
Meanwhile, the Empress Teishi is in child-bed. While the Emperor waits fretfully outside, only Lady Shonagon is permitted to attend her.
The final mystery in the long-running thriller set in 10th century Japan - and the final ever encounter with Lady Shonagon and her Lieutenant Yukinari.
Robert Forrest's The Pillow Book is inspired by the writings of Sei Shonagon, a poet and lady-in-waiting to the Empress of the 10th Century Japanese court.
Omnibus of five parts.
Shonagon .... Ruth Gemmell
Yukinari .... Cal MacAninch
The Emperor .... Paul Ready
Empress Teishi .... Laura Rees
Empress Shoshi .... Bobby Rainsbury
Director: Lu Kemp
A BBC Scotland production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2018.
SUN 15:30 The Welsh M1 (b03pmdld)
2. Welshness
The A470 runs nearly 200 miles through the heart of Wales from Llandudno to Cardiff Bay.
It was created to connect north and south of the country yet it takes four hours – sometimes more - to make the journey. It's certainly not the fastest road in the UK but to drive the A470 is to truly understand the landscape, history, culture and language of Wales.
Cerys Matthews continues her journey down the A470 in search of a nation's identity and the essence of Welshness.
As she travels south Cerys hears many different definitions and descriptions of the A470: a road to nowhere; the road Wales deserves; a highway of loss; the Welsh M1.
She discovers the crossroads of Wales in Rhayader, a town populated by rebels and red kites, she hears stories of the A470 from historians, poets, bikers and musicians and she finds herself serving customers in a roadside snack bar.
The A470 - and her journey – comes to an end in the re-vitalised Cardiff Bay, once known as Tiger Bay and now home to the Senedd, the seat of Welsh government. Here she meets Hassan Panero, a young poet from Cardiff's Somali community who gives Cerys his own definition of Welshness.
Producer: Jeremy Grange
First broadcast on BBC Radio in January 2014.
SUN 16:00 Victor Pemberton - Looking Back (m0010pg0)
War veteran Arthur Hobbs looks back at his life and remembers the 1914-18 war.
What is the dreadful secret that's been troubling him for so many years?
Arthur English stars in a play for radio by Victor Pemberton.
Arthur Hobbs ....Arthur English
Winnie, his wife ....Katherine Parr
Chris (their son) ....Nigel Anthony
Mick (their son) ....John Rye
Young Arthur ....Nigel Anthony
Rita, Mick's wife ....Rosalind Adams
Jonathan (their child),,,, David Corti
Lizzie (their child) .... Julie Anderson
Charlie Knuckles ....Malcolm Hayes
Tom ....Anthony Smee
Mrs Potter ....Norma Ronald
Mouth organ played by Alfie Kahn.
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1975.
SUN 17:00 Poetry Extra (m0010pfx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 today]
SUN 17:30 Ability (b087p7m6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:30 today]
SUN 18:00 Martin Kiszko - Scramble (b007jwp8)
2. Uncomfortable Truths
The heroine, Mel has always supported the State, but when she uncovers some uncomfortable facts she begins questioning her work as a government scientist.
A tale of love and treachery, in which an individual is pitted against enormous odds. It's a totalitarian world in which music is so subversive that drastic action is taken.
Starring Clare Corbett.
Continuing composer Martin Kizsko's three-part sci-fi thriller.
Mel ...... Clare Corbett
Jason ...... Ben Tinniswood
Commander-in-chief ...... David Collins
Agent Peters ...... Ben Addis
Agent Daniels ...... Simon Winkler
Levant ...... Christian Rodska
Young Mel ...... Femka Whitney
Producer: Mark Smalley
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in March 2006.
SUN 18:30 The Darker Side of the Border (b00cft28)
2. Olalla by Robert Louis Stevenson
During the Peninsular War in Spain a wounded Scottish soldier is sent to stay in a remote house in the hills.
The soldier falls in love with the daughter of the house, but the family harbour a terrible secret...
Series of 3 Scottish 19th century tales of terror and mystery.
Written by Robert Louis Stevenson and dramatised by Marty Ross.
Alec ...... Paul Blair
Olalla ...... Roxanna Pope
Felipe ...... Richard Conlon
Senora ...... Carol Ann Crawford
Carrido ...... Richard Greenwood
The Padre ...... Simon Tait
Producer: Bruce Young
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2003.
SUN 19:00 Radiolab (m0010pfv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 19:55 Inheritance Tracks (b07bljwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:10 today]
SUN 20:00 Victor Pemberton - Looking Back (m0010pg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 today]
SUN 21:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0010pfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 21:45 Siberian Stories (b01kmjg6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]
SUN 22:00 Ability (b087p7m6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:30 today]
SUN 22:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b00jn4fg)
Series 1
Merthyr Tydfil
From the Myfanwy Theatre, Mark Steel performs for the residents of Merthyr Tydfil – the town in South Wales with a love of boxers and revolution.
Mark checks out the town’s history and compares it with Cardiff.
And he investigates the Welsh language – talking to a teacher, who compares it to modern Welsh. He also takes a look at the local pubs – and is surprised to discover that Merthyr Tydfil is the home of the Welsh Mormons.
Mark finds out about the impact of the Merthyr Rising, which was the biggest insurrection in British history since the Civil War. Plus, the history of boxing in Merthyr Tydfil.
Series in which the comedian visits towns across the UK and creates a stand-up show for the locals.
Producer: Julia McKenzie
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.
SUN 23:00 On the Hour (b007m9zs)
Series 2
Episode 6
An outside broadcast goes down and a bluebottle rampages across Essex.
All the news as it happens, if it happens from the BBC's urgent and incisive news overview.
Savagely satirical award-winning comedy starring Chris Morris.
With:
Steve Coogan
David Schneider
Rebecca Front
Patrick Marber
Doon Mackichan
Written by Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, Richard Herring, Steven Wells, David Quantick, Stewart Lee and Patrick Marber.
Producer: Armando lannucci
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1992
SUN 23:30 A Look Back at the Nineties (b007jqpw)
1997
A new breed of dog, the forgotten hostage, and 20 irritating noises of today.
Recorded in 1993 - the comedy team "look back" at 1997 - a year that was yet to happen.
Starring:
Brian Perkins
Kate Robbins
Special guest: Steve Coogan
A satirical review set on New Year's Eve 1999 - the Sony Gold award-winning comedy recalls the events from 1995 to 1999.
Predicted by 'Spitting Image' writers Mark Burton, John O'Farrell and Pete Sinclair.
Producer: Caroline Leddy
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1993.


MONDAY 18 OCTOBER 2021

MON 00:00 Martin Kiszko - Scramble (b007jwp8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 The Darker Side of the Border (b00cft28)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Between Them by Richard Ford (Omnibus) (b08qfw7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:10 Inheritance Tracks (b08q8nll)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:10 on Sunday]
MON 02:20 The Pillow Book (Omnibus) (b0bfx7s7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:20 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 The Welsh M1 (b03pmdld)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:30 on Sunday]
MON 04:00 Victor Pemberton - Looking Back (m0010pg0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Poetry Extra (m0010pfx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Ability (b087p7m6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010pk9)
4. The Hunter
Inspector Mahmoud and Mr. Wilder are increasingly concerned for the safety of Elizabeth Warwick , who is visiting her father's former excavations in Upper Egypt.
Now a mysterious stranger has appeared demanding that Elizabeth be brought to him at all costs-and at once.
Starring Sheila Grant.
Victor Pemberton's archaeological thriller serial set in Egypt.
Elizabeth Warwick ... Sheila Grant
Mahmoud ... James Thomason
Mr Wilder ... John Humphry
Fuaa ... David Spenser
Charles Villiers ... Rolf Lefebvre
Margaret Villiers ... Marion Matiiie
Aciimed Araby ... Haydn Jones
Bertie Pnngle ... Barry Lowe
O'Hara ... Denis McCarthy
Captain Aziz ... John Justin
The stranger ... Christopher Bidmead
Abdullah ... Antony Viccars
Dr Fawzad ... Nigel Anthony
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in May 1968.
MON 06:30 The Dark Island (m000b8bx)
6. Capture
Will intelligence officers Jim Nicholson and Bill Grant be able to finally uncover the identity of the deadly double-agent?
Starring Edward De Souza.
Conclusion of Robert Barr's espionage serial set in the remote islands of the Outer Hebrides.
Jim Nicholson ...Edward De Souza
Bill Grant ... Geoffrey Frederick
Ian McLeod ... Bryden Murdoch
Mary Somers…Rosemary Miller
Colonel Jamieson / Hotel Manager … Alaric Cotter
Major Williams ... Peter Hawkins
Producer: Peter Titheridge.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1969.
MON 07:00 Man at the Helm (b07zzr8t)
Episode 4
In dire financial straits, Elizabeth has to get a job and she is soon having run-ins with her new boss.
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
Mr Holt ….. Nick Underwood
Tannoy ….. Elizabeth Bennett
Deano/Newsreader ….. Sam Rix
Director: Gemma Jenkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2016.
MON 07:30 Just a Minute (m0010ggf)
Series 87
Episode 6
Sue Perkins hosts Radio 4’s longest running panel show, Just a Minute. Sue challenges guests Paul Merton, Anneka Rice, Dane Baptiste and Lucy Porter to talk without hesitation, deviation, or repetition. This episode was produced using remote recording technology, with the audience joining from their homes all over the world.
Devised by Ian Messiter
Whistle blown by Caroline Barlow
Produced by Hayley Sterling
A BBC Studios Production
MON 08:00 Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead (b00g2gm2)
From 22/02/1971
Trouble at sea, a laughing tax inspector and a right royal surprise.
A sequential entertainment for radio starring Ronnie Barker.
With:
Terence Brady
Pauline Yates
Josephine Gordon
Pianist: Gordon Langford
Written by Terence Brady, John Graham, Allan Scott and Chris Bryant, Gerald Wiley (Ronnie's Barker's pseudonym) and Gordon Langford.
Producer John Fawcett-Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1971.
MON 08:30 Albert and Me (b007jsdl)
Series 1
Holiday
When Bryan and son arrive in Frimlington, their fellow holidaymakers aren't too welcoming.
Stars Richard Beckinsale and Pat Coombs.
The struggles of single parent Bryan Archer to find work while raising his baby son, Albert.
Written by Jim Eldridge.
Bryan Archer …. Richard Beckinsale
Mum/Albert …. Pat Coombs
Dad …. John Comer
Deirdre …. Helen Worth
Mr Wiggins …. Peter Vaughan
Mavis …. Cheryl Hall
Producer: John Fawcett Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in November 1977.
MON 09:00 Jest a Minute (b012rys1)
Series 1
Episode 3
Rhod Gilbert hosts the panel game about the serious business of comedy.
From the Comedy Store.
With:
Justin Moorhouse
Roger Monkhouse
Chris Corcoran
Kirsten O'Brien
Producer: Paul Forde
First broadcast on BBC Radio Wales in September 2006.
MON 09:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b0080r6y)
Series 1
Episode 3
Pam discovers the joy of online dating with Duvet Derek from Luton.
Meanwhile Merv launches The Cyber Pass's very own 'Love Byte Night'.
Sitcom written by and starring Mervyn Stutter.
Merv ...... Mervyn Stutter
Pam ...... Lil Roughley
Dibden ...... John Challis
PC Dilkes ...... Christopher Etteridge
Chantal ...... Tracy-Ann Oberman
Nev ...... Geoffrey Joseph
Producer: Mario Stylianides
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2001.
MON 10:00 DH Lawrence - Love Among the Haystacks (m0009rkm)
The story of two young farm-working brothers, the heat of harvest time and the arrival of a young German governess in the vicarage next door.
Philip Jackson stars as the narrator in DH Lawrence's novella.
Dramatised by Nick McCarty.
DH Lawrence .... Philip Jackson
Maurice .... Benedict Sandiford
Geoffrey .... Tony Bell
Paula ... Sasha Pick
Lydia ....Sara Poyzer
Father .... John Turner
Tramp ... Stephen Critchlow
Henry .... Ian Peck
Director Hazel Castell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1999.
MON 10:45 A Birdsong Garden - Autumn Passage (m0010pkc)
From the young chiffchaff taking its first words, to the cacophony of pheasants and mallards over the river, in autumn Geoff and his family begin to appreciate the annual visitors on their doorstep as the swallows come...and go once again.
The lockdown through the spring of 2020 gave much space for reflection about life; and for wildlife sound recordist Geoff Sample an opportunity to review the five-year period spent in the remote and quiet Northumbrian home he sought out, to record and study the birdsong of a typical rural garden.
Part of a five-part series, ‘A Birdsong Garden’ is a mix of memoir, natural history, folklore, birdsong and spacious soundscapes.
Geoff takes us through Autumn and considers how living close to and listening intently to nature can enrich our lives.
Presenter and Producer: Geoff Sample
Executive Producer: Clare Freeman
Commissioned for Culture in Quarantine, funded and supported by The Space Arts, BBC Arts and Arts Council England.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in August 2020.
MON 11:00 TED Radio Hour (m0010pkf)
Series 8
Growing Up
A journey through fascinating ideas based on talks by riveting speakers on the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) stage.
Guy Raz explores what makes us who we are? How do parents mold children into who they are? With Lemn Sissay.
First broadcast in the USA on National Public Radio in 2014.
MON 11:50 Inheritance Tracks (m0010pkh)
Lynda la Plante
Author Lynda la Plante chooses 'The Great Pretender', performed by The Platters and Puccini's 'Nessun Dorma', from the opera Turandot. .
MON 12:00 Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead (b00g2gm2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 Albert and Me (b007jsdl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010pk9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:30 The Dark Island (m000b8bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 14:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01pzqxf)
1. The Creme de la Creme
There's a plot afoot - again - to unseat Miss Brodie at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh.
Read by Gerda Stevenson
Muriel Spark's best-known and best-loved novel tells the justly enduring story of Jean Brodie - a school teacher who eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and with stories of her own love life.
As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls 'of an impressionable age', into the 'crème de la crème', and as her love life becomes complicated by affections for, and from, the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority and her purpose.
A writer with a keen eye, a biting wit and a pithy sense of the comic, Muriel Spark created in Jean Brodie a character who remains as vivid and recognisable as she was in 1963, the year the book was published. Charismatic, unfettered by school boundaries, literal or metaphorical, she is the teacher who steps beyond the bounds of prescriptive education to the true sense of the word - opening the eyes of her girls to a wider world.
Spark also captures the city of Edinburgh, a character in itself, and of a time - those years in the 1930s when, denied conventional marriage, war-bereaved women sought other paths to fulfilment.
Sparkling, funny, fresh and tragic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie fully deserves its place in the canon of 20th century literature.
Abridged in five parts by Sally Marmion.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2013.
MON 14:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6ft2)
1. On the Eve
Autumn 1913. Sir Randolph Nettleby has invited guests to the biggest shoot of the season on his Oxfordshire country estate.
It's the eve of the shooting party...
An army of servants and gamekeepers has rehearsed the intricate age-old ritual of the hunt. Everything about it would seem a perfect affirmation of the certainties of Edwardian country life. Yet, their social and moral code is under siege from within and without.
Follow the action from one evening to the next, a dinner, a morning's shoot, a lunch, the fatal afternoon, and the fallout.
It was an error of judgement that resulted in tragedy. It took place before the outbreak of what used to be known as the Great War.
Isabel Colegate's novel dramatised by DJ Britton.
A whole English society is under the microscope - soon to be destroyed in the trenches of the Western Front.
Funny, compassionate, sobering and dispassionate, the last throes of feudal England are recorded in perfect detail, together with the germ of its destruction. The book is an exquisitely written hymn to the passing of an age.
Narrator ..... Olivia Colman
Cicely Nettleby ..... Ellie Kendrick
Sir Randolph Nettleby ..... Sam Dale
Olivia Lilburn ..... Jaimi Barbakoff
Lionel Stephens ..... Michael Shelford
Minnie Nettleby ..... Christine Kavanagh
Osbert Nettleby ..... Joshua Swinney
Lord Gilbert Hartlip ..... Sean Baker
Aline Hartlip ..... Sally Orrock
Director: Jessica Dromgoole
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2010.
MON 14:30 Living World (b04mh74x)
Nightjars
Chris Sperring is in Somerset during the last days of summer to find a bird that is one of the first to leave before the autumn.
As the light fades a strange whirring sound fills the air and silent masters of flight hawk for moths and other airborne insects.
Producer: Ellie Sans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2014.
MON 14:50 Tweet of the Day (m000vgdw)
Tweet Take 5 : Swallow
For many the arrival of swallows in April heralds the first thought of those longer and warmer days to come in Summer.
Yet in a few brief months these long distant migrants will congregate on telephone wires ahead of their long journey south, leaving us bereft of their communal, joyous chattering in the air.
As we'll hear in this extended version of Tweet of the Day featuring presenter Kate Humble, Gardener's World presenter Monty Don and presenter and wildlife expert Brett Westwood.
Producer for BBC Audio in Bristol : Andrew Dawes
MON 15:00 DH Lawrence - Love Among the Haystacks (m0009rkm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 15:45 A Birdsong Garden - Autumn Passage (m0010pkc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]
MON 16:00 Jest a Minute (b012rys1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 16:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b0080r6y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
MON 17:00 Man at the Helm (b07zzr8t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 17:30 Just a Minute (m0010ggf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 18:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4t9)
6. World Without Fire
After sparking a plane crash, the deadly Exon plant strain's advancement continues.
Starring Paul Copley and Rosalind Adams.
Conclusion of James Follett’s sci-fi thriller.
Howard Rogers …. Paul Copley
Denise Exon …. Rosalind Adams
Max Flinders …. TP McKenna
Nurse …. Joan Matheson
Craig …. Noel Johnson
Blowers …. Michael Shannon
Miss Anderson …. Diana Olson
Scott …. Diana Olsson
Helicopter Pilot …. Peter Wickham
Farmer …. Roy Spencer
Corporal …. Gregory de Polnay
Sachs …. Denis Goacher
Producer: David Spencer
First broadcast as two x 90 minute dramas on BBC Radio 4 in March 1978.
MON 18:30 A Tale of Harvest Festival (b00769v4)
Paul Heiney ventures to the north Cornish Morwenstow coast to trace the origins of the Harvest Festival celebration as we know it today.
Evidence of similar festivals date way back as far as Moses and Roman Times.
However, in 1843, Reverend Hawker wrote letter to his parishioners. He suggests having what is seen as new tradition celebrating the harvest.
Paul examines the history right up to the modern day in which so many different crops are grown that the harvest never truly ends.
Producer: Sally Flatman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2002.
MON 19:00 Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead (b00g2gm2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 Albert and Me (b007jsdl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010pk9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:30 The Dark Island (m000b8bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 21:00 TED Radio Hour (m0010pkf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:50 Inheritance Tracks (m0010pkh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:50 today]
MON 22:00 Just a Minute (m0010ggf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 The Sofa of Time (b00hxzc8)
Captain Chapel and the Crabs
From lazing around on a beach explaining what Mivvy's are to Marmite being arrested by the Crab Queen. Things are starting to take on an altogether more serious nature for Milford and Parker.
They find themselves bound for the Golga in order to rescue the Crab Prince.
And it is here that a dramatic event takes place that will change Milford forever...
Continuing the epic and timeless tale of two men and their quest to find "The Sofa of Time", the most magical and powerful item of furniture in the entire universe.
It is said that those who sit on the sofa can be transported to anywhere and anytime.
Fantasy sitcom written by Nick Frost and Matt King.
Milford ...... Matt King
Parker ...... Nick Frost
Marmite ...... Mark Heap
Raamen Bod ...... Peter Serafinowcz
With Kevin Eldon, Julia Deakin, Daisy Jones, Joseph Marcell and Simon Pegg.
Producer: Mario Stylianides
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2002.
MON 23:00 The News Quiz (m0010hq6)
Series 106
Episode 7
Catherine Bohart, Michael Deacon, Chris McCausland and Eshaan Akbar join host Andy Zaltzman to look back over the week's news. This week, they look at the COVID report's findings, Boris Johnson's holiday hobby, the Northern Ireland Protocol and a sacked wizard.
The chair's script is written by Andy Zaltzman, with additional material by Alice Fraser, Catherine Brinkworth, Rhiannon Shaw and Rajiv Karia.
Producer: Gwyn Rhys Davies
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Baum
Sound Editor: Mike Smith
A BBC Studios Production.
MON 23:30 The Harri-Parris' Radio Show (b06847tt)
Series 1
The Leaving Do
Mami assumes Ani and Ben will wed and stay in West Wales - but they have other plans...
Sitcom with songs by Llinos Mai about the latest goings on from West Wales' most dysfunctional farming family.
Starring:
Llinos Mai
Daniel Rochford
Rhys ap Trefor
Oli Wood
Rhian Morgan
Producer: Mark Harrison
First broadcast on BBC Radio Wales in August 2015.


TUESDAY 19 OCTOBER 2021

TUE 00:00 James Follett - The Destruction Factor (b007k4t9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 A Tale of Harvest Festival (b00769v4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010pk9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 The Dark Island (m000b8bx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01pzqxf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6ft2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 Living World (b04mh74x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:50 Tweet of the Day (m000vgdw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:50 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 DH Lawrence - Love Among the Haystacks (m0009rkm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 03:45 A Birdsong Garden - Autumn Passage (m0010pkc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 Jest a Minute (b012rys1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b0080r6y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 Man at the Helm (b07zzr8t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 Just a Minute (m0010ggf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010ppx)
5. A Face in the Crowd
Inspector Mahmoud's warned Elizabeth that whatever secret she knows about the Harshak Tomb excavated by her father is placing her life in danger.
The danger is all too real.
She was last seen at a local cinema, but now has disappeared without trace.
Starring Sheila Grant.
Victor Pemberton's archaeological thriller serial set in Egypt.
Elizabeth Warwick:....Sheila Grant
Mahmoud:....James Thomason
Mr Wilder:....John Humphry
Fuad:....David Spenser
Charles Villiers ....Rolf Lefebvre
Margaret Villiers:....Marion Mathie
Abdullah:....Antony Viccars
Bertie Pringle:....Barry Lowe
Captain Aziz:....John Justin
Michael Warwick ....Christopher Bidmead
O'Hara:....Denis McCarthy
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in May 1968.
TUE 06:30 Agatha Christie (b00pr3vn)
Towards Zero
1. Tensions
Against her better judgment, Lady Tresselian permits dashing Nevile Strange and his wife to come to her house party at the same time as his ex-wife.
And sure enough, as soon as everyone arrives, the tensions are evident...
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars Hugh Bonneville.
Dramatised in four parts by Joy Wilkinson.
Nevile............Hugh Bonneville
Lady Tresselian.......Marcia Warren
MacWhirter.........Tom Mannion
Audrey............Claire Rushbrook
Mary.............Julia Ford
Kay............Lizzy Watts
Latimer...........Joseph Kloska
Royde............Stephen Hogan
Treves...........David Hargreaves
Umpire/Butler........Philip Fox
Receptionist...........Annabelle Dowler
Porter............Benjamin Askew
Director: Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2010.
TUE 07:00 Polyoaks (b08v8ssd)
Series 5
The Consultants Cometh
Enter the murky world of Management Consultancy and Private Funding Initiatives.
Polyoaks surgery is broke and the team contemplate taking drastic measures.
Should they sell up? Close? Or merge with someone else to become a Super Practice?
Nigel Planer, Simon Greenall, Polly Frame and David Westhead star as the staff of Bristol's most dysfunctional General Practice.
Written by Dr Phil Hammond and Mr David Spicer.
Dr Roy Thornton ...... Nigel Planer
Dr Hugh Thornton ...... Simon Greenall
TV's Dr Jeremy ...... David Westhead
Nurse Monica ...... Polly Frame
Stephanie Simons ...... Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Mrs Parriss ...... Sheila Reid
Seb / Mr. Probert ...... Duncan Wisbey
Director: Frank Stirling
A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2017.
TUE 07:30 Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere (m0010gkc)
Series 3
Blame
Episode 1 ‘Blame’
Malawian comedian Daliso Chaponda is back with a third series of his Rose D’Or nominated show where he examines divisive global issues.
Over the course the two previous series Daliso has covered colonialism, slavery, political corruption, charity, immigration, cultural relativism, dictators, and how different countries deal with the sins of their past.
In this first episode of the new series, through comedy routines and guest interviews, Daliso will be tackling the subject of ‘Blame’.
Performer… Daliso Chaponda
Writer… Daliso Chaponda
Guest… Tony Vino
Additional Material… Scott Bennett
Production Coordinator... Mabel Wright
Producer… Carl Cooper
This is a BBC Studios Production.
TUE 08:00 Round the Horne (b007jrlz)
Series 2
Episode 5
Master Spy Kenneth Horne's on the case of a remote-control guided nuclear banana - and Kenneth Williams throws a tantrum over the script.
Starring:
Kenneth Horne
Kenneth Williams
Hugh Paddick
Betty Marsden
Bill Pertwee
Announcer: Douglas Smith
Parodies, recurring characters, catchphrases and double-entendres galore!
Classic ground-breaking comedy series written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman
Recorded at the BBC's Paris Studio in Lower Regent Street, London.
Music by Edwin Braden and the Hornblowers and The Fraser Hayes Four.
Producer: John Simmonds
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in April 1966.
TUE 08:30 Our Man at Wembley (b00759r3)
Episode 3
Eric Halliday's increasing popularity makes a dangerous enemy of his colleague Gordon McKay.
Starring Alistair McGowan.
Bill Matthews' four-part comedy series set in 1947.
Eric Halliday …… Alistair McGowan
Gordon McKay …… Jon Glover
Major Shaw Jones …… Jeremy Child
MichaeL …… John Salthouse
Dora …… Jane Whittenshaw
Alf …… Dax O'Callaghan
Chantal …… Melanie Hudson
Producer: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1998.
TUE 09:00 The News Quiz (m0010hq6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:30 Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me (b0076h4q)
Series 1
Body and Soul
Roy, a 70-year-old jazz trombonist, and George, his best friend and pianist, face up to their own mortality at the funeral of a member of their old band.
Meanwhile, Roy's wife Vi is full of life as her evening class tutor begins to show more than an academic interest in her
Starring Ram John Holder and Sam Kelly.
Sitcom written by Marcus Powell and John Byrne.
Roy ... Ram John Holder
Vi ... Yvonne Brewster
George ... Sam Kelly
Bernadette ... Caroline Lee Johnson
Barry ... George Layton
Victor ... Marcus Powell
Daphne ... Liza Sadovy
Alastair ... Gerald Harper
Producer: Carol Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2003.
TUE 10:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00sr4hr)
Episode 1
In one of his most famous and personal novels, Dostoyevsky portrays the vivid inner life of Prince Myshkin, who has returned from years abroad spent trying to treat his epilepsy.
It takes courage for him to reintroduce himself into Russian society. On the long train journey home, he firsts learns the story of a woman who will dominate his life from now on.
Starring Paul Rhys
Dramatised in four parts by Melissa Murray.
Prince Myshkin ...... Paul Rhys
Ganya ...... Alex Jennings
Rogazhin ...... Roger Allam
Nastasya ...... Lia Williams
General Yepanchin ...... David Swift
Mrs Yepanchin ...... Paula Jacobs
Producer: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2002.
TUE 11:00 Pieces of Britney (p09mw6rh)
8. #FreeBritney
Pandora Sykes explores the movement to liberate Britney from her conservatorship - and considers the future of fame
In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.
Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.
Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, that she remains in to this day, and in which she has lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Today, as Britney fights to remove her father from his role as her conservator, we will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.
Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.
Pieces of Britney will be a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.
Episode 8 Cast:
Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin
Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow
Young Britney . . . . . Maddie Evans
Other parts were played by Joseph Ayre, Elinor Coleman, Tony Turner and Simon Ludders.
Sound design by Peter Ringrose
Produced by Anne Isger and Sasha Yevtushenko.
TUE 12:00 Round the Horne (b007jrlz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 Our Man at Wembley (b00759r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010ppx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:30 Agatha Christie (b00pr3vn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 14:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01pzs7n)
2. The Walk
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is Muriel Spark's best known and best loved novel - the justly enduring story of an Edinburgh school teacher who eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and stories of her own love life. As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls of an impressionable age, into the 'crème de la crème', and as her love becomes complicated by affections for and from the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority.
A writer with a keen eye, a biting wit and a pithy sense of comedy, Muriel Spark created in Jean Brodie, a character who remains as vivid as she was in 1963, the year the book was published. Charismatic, unfettered by school boundaries, literal or metaphorical, she is the teacher who steps beyond the bounds of prescriptive education to the true sense of the word, opening the eyes of little girls to a wider world. Spark also captures the essence of the city of Edinburgh, a character in itself, and of a time - those years in the thirties when, denied conventional marriage, war-bereaved women sought other paths to fulfilment.
Sparkling, funny, fresh and tragic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie fully deserves its place in the canon of twentieth century literature. Today a walk through the Old Town reveals another side of the City and another facet of Miss Brodie.
Gerda Stevenson is an actor, writer and director, winner of the Vanbrugh Award at RADA.
The abridger is Sally Marmion
The producer is Di Speirs.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
TUE 14:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6g9r)
2. Preparations
The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate, dramatised by DJ Britton. Preparations for the shoot, below stairs and in the village.
2. Preparations take place for the shoot, below stairs and in the Oxfordshire country village.
Narrator ..... Olivia Colman
Sir Randolph Nettleby..... Sam Dale
Cornelius Cardew ..... Jude Akuwudike
Gamekeeper Glass ..... David Seddon
Ellen ..... Sally Orrock
Gilbert Hartlip ..... Sean Baker
John ..... Michael Shelford
Osbert ..... Joshua Swinney
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.
TUE 14:30 Living World (b01nsz7b)
The Harvestman's Garden
In the autumn harvestmen, with their exceptionally long thin legs and small central body, are some of the most visible and numerous invertebrates to be found in our gardens and countryside. For most observers harvestmen are just long legged spiders; however this is not the case. Autumn is the best time of the year to look for harvestmen and so for this Living World Trai Anfield travels to Sheffield where with entomologist Paul Richards she goes on a harvestman safari unraveling the many differences between harvestmen and spiders.
One of the joys of studying harvestmen is that most of the 27 species can be seen in and around people gardens and to illustrate this Paul leads the way into his suburban garden to explore. As they rummage amongst his garden borders Paul explains that harvestmen are more closely related to scorpions than to spiders and that their scientific name Opiliones is Latin for "shepherd" referring to the ancient use of stilts by shepherds to watch over their flocks. Harvestmen do not spin webs, and although they do feed on other invertebrates, unlike spiders they will eat berries and fruits.
After a thorough search of his garden, Paul reveals that although there are 27 recognised British species of harvestman, earlier that week he found what is believed to be a newly discovered harvestman in Britain; so newly discovered that this species 28 doesn't even have a name yet.
Produced by Andrew Dawes.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.
TUE 14:50 Tweet of the Day (m000s84p)
Tweet Take 5 : Chaffinch and Brambling
The cheery song of the chaffinch is a familiar sound in the landscape, especially welcome as one of the first birds to sing at the end of winter. Their northern equivelent the brambling breeds across northern Europe and are regular winter visitors to Britain. In this extended version of Tweet of the Day featuring the chaffinch and the brambling with we discover more from ecologist Brian Briggs, wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson and wildlife cameraman John Aitcheson.
Producer : Andrew Dawes
TUE 15:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00sr4hr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:00 Elephant in the Room (m000671w)
Elephant in the Room
Episode 1
Sarah Millican uses surveys to discover who on the panel is the most Average Jolene, and who is the most Maverick Matilda. This week's sparkling panel features Kathy Burke, Liz Carr, Desiree Burch and Tom Allen.
Surveys on subjects including childhood, daily rituals and favourite cheese are the basis for Sarah's questions to the panellists, discovering who is the closest to, and furthest from, the average. Surprising quirks, hilarious insights and unexpected anecdotes are revealed along the way.
The winner will be the most average. But joint winner will be the most different, the furthest from the norm.
A little bit like a dinner party, but one where you know all of the spoons.
A Chopsy production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2019.
TUE 16:30 Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me (b0076h4q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
TUE 17:00 Polyoaks (b08v8ssd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 17:30 Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere (m0010gkc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 18:00 Oscar Wilde (b008hvvx)
The Canterville Ghost
1. Warnings
When American Minister, Hiram B Otis signs the deeds for Canterville Chase, he not only buys a piece of English history, but he also inherits a troublesome ghost.
No sooner have Mr Otis and his family moved into their new home than they come up against this unruly spirit and a battle of wills ensues...
First published in 1887, Oscar Wilde's novella is read by Alistair McGowan.
Producer: Gemma Jenkins.
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in December 2007.
TUE 18:30 Something Understood (m000197l)
Autumn Colours
As Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand watches the autumn leaves fall slowly from the trees she reflects on the vibrant colours of autumn and the season's spiritual resonance.
Shoshana explains that she has always been fascinated by the paradox at the heart of our relationship with the autumn. A celebration of the harvest is accompanied by the realisation that this joy is ephemeral. We know that winter is coming. Robert Frost's autumnal poem "After Apple Picking" refers to a post-harvest sleep which is suggestive both of winter and of death itself.
The Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot features a ritual in which dry willow branches are struck, causing their leaves to flutter to the ground mirroring the falling leaves of autumn which are celebrated as a vital part of the circle of life.
Chemistry reveals that the bright colours of autumn leaves are not the product of death and decay. In fact they exist dormant within the leaf throughout its entire life, but are only revealed towards the end when the leaf’s “work” is done. Shoshana likens this fact to adults who discover their true inner colours as they age.
Whilst for some the process of aging might lead to feelings of melancholy, as Shoshana approaches the autumn of her life, she's filled with a deep sense of release. She explains, "at a certain age, we can start to no longer care so much what others think of us. We can allow the true colours of our leaves to shine through a bit more because we have grown into our skin and have discovered what those colours are. And because, of course, we realise that if we don’t allow our colours to show now, there may not be a chance in the future."
Presenter: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand
Producer: Max O'Brien
A TBI production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2018.
TUE 19:00 Round the Horne (b007jrlz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 Our Man at Wembley (b00759r3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010ppx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:30 Agatha Christie (b00pr3vn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 21:00 Pieces of Britney (p09mw6rh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 22:00 Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere (m0010gkc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 Revolting People (b00wlrp5)
Series 4
Pirates
4. Samuel, McGurk and the others flee to England but their escape is hindered when they are captured by pirates with very poor people skills.
Comedy written by and starring Andy Hamilton and Jay Tarses.
Sgt McGurk ... Andy Hamilton
Svensson ... Hugh Dennis
Samuel ... Jay Tarses
Captain Bloodbath ... Michael Fenton Stevens
Capt Brimshaw ... James Fleet
Mary ... Julia Hills
Frank ... Philip Pope
Joshua ... Tony Maudsley
Producer/Director Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2006.
TUE 23:00 Small Scenes (b04n33th)
Series 2
Episode 4
A visit to the Golden Woofers, Grimsby's number one dog show and a farmer genetically engineers some living sausages.
Symphonious sketch show, starring Daniel Rigby, Sara Pascoe, Mike Wozniak, Cariad Lloyd and Henry Paker.
Written by Benjamin Partridge, Henry Paker and Mike Wozniak.
Producer: Simon Mayhew-Archer.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.
TUE 23:30 The Guns of Adam Riches (b04f9rz9)
Series 2
Mastermind in Love
Adam Riches' series of comic adventure stories continues with the tale of Mastermind, a blind megalomaniac who is taking a break from world domination to look for love. Aided by a host of absurd henchmen, including some plucked straight from the audience, will Mastermind find what he's looking for or will he end up heartbroken?
Starring Adam Riches, Cariad Lloyd, Jim Johnson and Katharine Bennett-Fox.
Written by Adam Riches
Produced by Simon Mayhew-Archer.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.


WEDNESDAY 20 OCTOBER 2021

WED 00:00 Oscar Wilde (b008hvvx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 Something Understood (m000197l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010ppx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 Agatha Christie (b00pr3vn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01pzs7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6g9r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 Living World (b01nsz7b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:50 Tweet of the Day (m000s84p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:50 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00sr4hr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Elephant in the Room (m000671w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:30 Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me (b0076h4q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 Polyoaks (b08v8ssd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere (m0010gkc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qd9)
6. At the Point of a Triangle
A thriller serial in eight parts by Victor Pemberton with Sheila Grant first broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1968.
Elizabeth Warwick has been kidnapped by her brother Michael whom she had thought to be dead. He insists that she knows the secret of the Harshak Tomb at Luxor, but this she denies. Meanwhile Mahmoud and Wilder, in their search for her, learn that she will be at a village where the whirling Dervishes will dance.
Elizabeth Warwick: ....Sheila Grant
Mahmoud:....James Thomason
Mr Wilder:....John Humphry
Fuad:....David Spenser
Charles Villiers ....Rolf Lefebvre
Margaret Villiers:....Marion Mathie
Achmed Araby:....Haydn Jones
Bertie Pringle:....Barry Lowe
Michael Warwick ....Christopher Bidmead
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1968.
WED 06:30 Agatha Christie (b00pxqz1)
Towards Zero
2. Sudden Death
Lady Tresselian's house party is thrown into disarray by the death of her old friend Justice Treves.
Meanwhile Nevile is feeling the strain of a house party with both his wife and his ex-wife in attendance.
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars Hugh Bonneville.
Dramatised by Joy Wilkinson.
Nevile............Hugh Bonneville
Lady Tresselian.......Marcia Warren
MacWhirter.........Tom Mannion
Audrey............Claire Rushbrook
Mary.............Julia Ford
Kay............Lizzy Watts
Latimer...........Joseph Kloska
Inspector Leach .......Philip Fox
Royde............Stephen Hogan
Receptionist...........Annabelle Dowler
Sergeant...........Matt Addis
Doctor Lazenby........Benjamin Askew
Treves...........David Hargreaves
Director: Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2010.
WED 07:00 Can't Tell Nathan Caton Nothing (b04gwlw4)
Series 3
About Intelligence
In a mix of stand-up and re-enacted family life - Nathan Caton illustrates what can happen when you try to prove to your family how clever you are.
Written by Nathan Caton and James Kettle
Young, up-and-coming comedian Nathan Caton, who after becoming the first in his family to graduate from University, opted not to use his architecture degree but instead to try his hand at being a full-time stand-up comedian, much to his family's horror and disgust. They desperately want him to get a 'proper job.'
Janet a.k.a. Mum is probably the kindest and most lenient of the disappointed family members. At the end of the day she just wants the best for her son. However, she'd also love to brag and show her son off to her friends, but with Nathan only telling jokes for a living that's kind of hard to do.
Martin a.k.a. Dad works in the construction industry and was looking forward to his son getting a degree so the two of them could work together in the same field. But now Nathan has blown that dream out of the window. Martin is clumsy and hard-headed and leaves running the house to his wife (she wouldn't allow it to be any other way).
Shirley a.k.a. Grandma cannot believe Nathan turned down architecture for comedy. She can't believe she left the paradise in the West Indies and came to the freezing United Kingdom for a better life so that years later her grandson could 'tell jokes!' How can her grandson go on stage and use foul language and filthy material... it's not the good Christian way!
So with all this going on in the household what will Nathan do? Will he persevere and follow his dreams? Or will he give in to his family's interference? Or will he finally leave home?!
Producer: Katie Tyrrell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2014.
WED 07:30 The Cold Swedish Winter (b092r9j2)
Series 3
Autumn: Wedding
Edinburgh Comedy award winner Adam Riches stars as the bemused and culturally challenged comedian abroad - recorded in Sweden with a cast of the country's most popular comedy actors, and written by Danny Robins.
Geoff Scott and Linda Andersson have settled together in the Northern Swedish town of Yxsjö to be near Linda's family. Three years after his arrival, Geoff finds the culture shock still shocking. Many things have happened - Geoff has come face to face with a moose, a bear and his in-laws naked. There has been a new addition to the family, a marriage proposal and a hot air balloon race. In this third series, Geoff's new challenges include a renewed struggle with the language, Swedish citizenship, the impact of Brexit and the vagaries of benefit system.
In this third episode, Linda (Sissela Benn in The Office) and Geoff make the final preparations for their wedding. There's lots to be done - the choice of best men and who's allowed to kiss the groom, preys on Geoff's mind. Then there's the questionable assistance of the juggling Danish Kurd, Soran (Farshad Kolghi from The Killing), accident prone Ian (Danny Robins) and the Gothic brother-in-law Anders (stand-up comedian Fredrik Andersson) as they prepare Geoff's Svensexa (or stag do).
Will Geoff survive the celebrations? Will he understand a word of his own marriage ceremony? And will his parents in law (comedians Thomas Oredsson and Anna-Lena Bergelin) stop laughing at him?
Written by Danny Robins
Directed by Frank Stirling
A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k4m9)
Series 4
The Bolshoi Ballet
The Lad's hopes for a night of dance at London's Covent Garden don't quite go to plan.
Starring Tony Hancock.
With Sidney James, Bill Kerr and 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 October 1956.
WED 08:30 Give Or Take (m0010qdf)
Episode 7
Wally K Daly's sitcom about a bank clerk who wins the pools.
Sam and Annabel are disturbed by an intruder. Is a burglar trying to steal their money?
Stars David Roper as Sam Baker and Sharon Duce as his wife, Annabel.
With special guests George A. Cooper as Bolton Bill and David Tate as the Desk Sergeant.
Theme music by Jim Parker.
Produced by John Fawcett Wilson.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1980.
WED 09:00 The Motion Show (m0007xb8)
Series 5
Episode 5
From the existence of the monarchy to a man’s world.
Graeme Garden hosts the comedy debating show.
With Gyles Brandreth, Steve Punt, Arthur Smith and Lauren Laverne.
Producer: Jane Berthoud
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2002.
WED 09:30 Smelling of Roses (b00dbwtv)
Series 3
A Closed Book
Rosie is contracted to organise a literary prize, but finds that not everything goes by the book...
More challenges for Rosie Burns running her family's event management company, where the clients are only part of the problem...
Written by Simon Brett.
Rosie ..... Prunella Scales
Jo ..... Rebecca Callard
Bob ..... Duncan Preston
Tess ..... Annette Badland
Pomme Grantley ..... Joanna Monro
Lancelot Crotty ..... Timothy Alcock
Sioned Pugh-Craven ..... Sheila Mitchell
Producer: Maria Esposito
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2002.
WED 10:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srkfz)
Episode 2
In one of his most famous and personal novels, Dostoyevsky portrays the vivid inner life of Prince Myshkin, who has returned from years abroad spent trying to treat his epilepsy. It takes courage for him to reintroduce himself into Russian society.
Prince Myshkin arrives at Nastasya's birthday party full of eager anticipation and yet fear that the excitement will provoke an epileptic fit. He feels an empathy with her, possibly because they have both suffered in the past and discovers that despite the terrible stories he has heard of her behaviour, she is a captivating and fascinating woman who he falls in love with.
Adapted by Melissa Murray.
Starring
Paul Rhys …. Prince Myshkin
Roger Allam …. Rogazhin
Alex Jennings …. Ganya
Lia Williams …. Nastasya
David Swift …. General Yepanchin
Stephen Moore …. General Ivolgin
Gerard McDermott …. Lebedev
Paula Jacobs …. Mrs Yepanchin
Tracy-Ann Oberman …. Aglaya
Carl Prekopp …. Kolya
Jemma Churchill …. Alexandra
Martin Hyder …. Totsky
Producer: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002.
WED 11:00 Great Lives - Four Hundred and Counting (m0010qdj)
2. Dutch to Doddy
From Ronald ‘Dutch’ Reagan to Stan Laurel, chosen by Ken Dodd - Matthew Parris on the rows, revelations and rank incompetence behind 400 editions of Great Lives.
Deep in the summer of 2001, a new programme tiptoed out onto Radio 4. The concept was simple – book someone famous to talk about someone dead. Except there was a problem; famous people don’t talk much about someone else. In a world of the celebrity plug, getting voices to commit to a radio programme where they couldn’t talk about themselves was proving tough. Twelve slots to fill, and nobody signed up.
400 episodes later… Barbara Castle, Beryl Bainbridge, Bernard Manning, eventually everyone says yes. In this episode, Christopher Hitchens was so incensed by the presenter that he walked out. “You’re a bleeding Tory,” he said, “and always have been. Have you done? I have to be somewhere at one.”
Matthew Parris and original series producer Miles Warde go behind the scenes to find out how Great Lives was born. Featuring material never previously played - nominators and experts about their hopes and fears; archive of original presenters Joan Bakewell and Humphrey Carpenter; plus a special selection of the very best of Great Lives.
“There’s a joy in judging people by their choice of hero. It’s one reason Matthew Parris’s Great Lives series has run for 40 series.” Ben Preston, Radio Times editor, 2016.
Programme extracts also include: Michael Sheen on Philip K. Dick; Sir David Attenborough on Robert Hook; Ian Lee on Andy Kaufman; Cerys Matthews on Hildegard of Bingen; Maureen Lipman on Cicely Saunders and Ken Dodd on Stan Laurel.
Produced at BBC Bristol by Miles Warde.
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in December 2017.
WED 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k4m9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 Give Or Take (m0010qdf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 13:30 Agatha Christie (b00pxqz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 14:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01pzvsb)
3. Art and Music
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is Muriel Spark's best known and best loved novel - the justly enduring story of an Edinburgh school teacher who eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and stories of her own love life. As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls of 'an impressionable age', into the 'crème de la crème', and as her love life becomes complicated by affections for, and from, the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority and purpose.
A writer with a keen eye, a biting wit and a pithy sense of the comic, Muriel Spark created in Jean Brodie a character who remains as vivid as she was in 1963, the year the book was published. Charismatic, unfettered by school boundaries, literal or metaphorical, she is the teacher who steps beyond the bounds of prescriptive education to the true sense of the word, opening the eyes of her girls to a wider world. Spark also captures the city of Edinburgh, a character in itself, and of a time - those years in the thirties when, denied conventional marriage, war-bereaved women sought other paths to fulfilment.
Sparkling, funny, fresh and tragic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie fully deserves its place in the canon of twentieth century literature. Today the competing charms of Art and Music vie for Miss Brodie's favours.
Gerda Stevenson is an actor, writer and director, winner of the Vanbrugh Award at RADA.
The abridger is Sally Marmion
The producer is Di Speirs.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
WED 14:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6g82)
3. Rivalry
The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate, dramatised by DJ Britton.
3. As a frisson of romance ruffles the women, a fierce rivalry between Lord Hartlip and Lionel Stephens unsettles their host.
Narrator..... Olivia Colman
Sir Randolph ..... Sam Dale
Glass ..... David Seddon
Olivia ..... Jaimi Barbakoff
Cicely Nettleby ..... Ellie Kendrick
Aline ..... Sally Orrock
Gilbert Hartlip ..... Sean Baker
Count Tibor ..... David Seddon
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.
WED 14:30 Living World (b03g8d60)
The Ivy Bee
Chris Sperring accompanies entomologist Richard Comont to Dry Sandford Pitts in Oxfordshire in search of a relative newcomer to the UK. Only named as a new species in 1993 and first recorded on British shores in 2001 the ivy bee (Colletes hederae) has been working its way north ever since.
A real autumnal species the ivy bee is only active between September and November so its short year begins and ends within the space of a few weeks. As the name suggests its primary food source is the pollen from ivy blossom – the last of the year's flowers. Male ivy bees emerge first in order to be ready for the first females. Unmated females are pounced on my several males all attempting to be the first to mate with her. Unlike honeybees or bumble bees the ivy bee is solitary – the female prepares a nest-hole on her own in which to lay her eggs which she will provision with ivy pollen. Whilst the ivy bee is solitary they tend to dig their nest holes in large aggregations, sometimes in the thousands, in suitable sloping sandy banks.
The ivy bee seems to be bucking the trend of general decline in bee populations and spreading northwards as its range expands. Dry Sandford Pits is one of the most northerly of its known locations. Where will it be spotted next?
Produced by Ellie Sans.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2013.
WED 14:50 Tweet of the Day (m000q3fr)
Tweet Take 5 : Coot and Moorhen
Coots are one of those birds easy to ignore, yet they are worth a second glance. These all-black birds are somewhat larger than its cousin, the moorhen, and easily identified on open water by a distinctive white beak and 'shield' above the beak, which gave rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot". Moorhens while looking similar have more colour about them, with a red and yellow beak and long, green legs, they prefer smaller bodies of water and wet areas too. As we'll find out in this extended Tweet of the Day, featuring wildlife presenter Chris Packham, ornithologist Dominic Couzens and nature writer Stephen Moss.
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Andrew Dawes
WED 15:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srkfz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 16:00 The Motion Show (m0007xb8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 16:30 Smelling of Roses (b00dbwtv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
WED 17:00 Can't Tell Nathan Caton Nothing (b04gwlw4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 17:30 The Cold Swedish Winter (b092r9j2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 18:00 Oscar Wilde (b008jw9k)
The Canterville Ghost
2. Haunting
Troublesome ghost of a dead nobleman, Sir Simon is determined to oust the Otis family from his ancestral home. So his hauntings are becoming more and more elaborate...
First published in 1887, Oscar Wilde's novella is read by Alistair McGowan.
Producer: Gemma Jenkins.
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in December 2007.
WED 18:30 Short Cuts (m000gtn9)
Series 22
Storytellers
Short documentaries about telling stories with Josie Long. A subject feedbacks back to her documentarian, a voicemail tells a story and the writer Ross Sutherland wonders how storytelling advice could save a relationship in trouble.
Nicola Talkback
Produced by Jess Shane
Music by Abby Swidler
Easiness
Featuring Ben Seretan
Produced by Alex Lewis
Originally produced for Audio Playground
Marriage Story
Featuring Ross Sutherland and Peter Saddington
Production Team: Eleanor McDowall and Alia Cassam
Produced by Andrea Rangecroft
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2020.
WED 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k4m9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 Give Or Take (m0010qdf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 20:30 Agatha Christie (b00pxqz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 21:00 Great Lives - Four Hundred and Counting (m0010qdj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 22:00 The Cold Swedish Winter (b092r9j2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 The Harpoon (b007k4lf)
Series 1
Episode 2
A special 'Looking Ahead to Autumn' issue of your nostalgic favourite weekly paper.
With Julian Dutton, Peter Baynham, Alistair McGowan, Mary Elliot-Nelson and Bryonie Pritchard.
Producer: Sarah Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1991.
WED 23:00 Radio Active (b007k39v)
Series 5
Did You Catch It?
Sir Norman Tonsil attempts to review his radio station's output, including a novel way of choosing the Choir of the Year.
Starring Helen Atkinson-Wood, Angus Deayton, Geoffrey Perkins, Philip Pope and Michael Fenton-Stevens.
Music by Philip Pope and Richard Curtis.
Written by Angus Deayton and Geoffrey Perkins with Jeremy Pascall.
Producer: Jamie Rix
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1985.
WED 23:30 And Now in Colour (b007jmql)
Series 1
Back to the Studio
The sketch show team take their audience on a trip to the cinema – but where are the all-star special guests?
Precision comedy written and performed by Tim Firth, Tim de Jongh, Michael Rutger and William Vandyck.
Producer: Lissa Evans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1990.


THURSDAY 21 OCTOBER 2021

THU 00:00 Oscar Wilde (b008jw9k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 Short Cuts (m000gtn9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 Agatha Christie (b00pxqz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01pzvsb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6g82)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Living World (b03g8d60)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:50 Tweet of the Day (m000q3fr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:50 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srkfz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 The Motion Show (m0007xb8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 Smelling of Roses (b00dbwtv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 Can't Tell Nathan Caton Nothing (b04gwlw4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 The Cold Swedish Winter (b092r9j2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qhz)
7. When the Dervish Begins to Dance
A thriller serial in eight parts by Victor Pemberton with Sheila Grant first broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1968.
Released by her brother, Elizabeth Warwick returns to Inspector Mahmoud and tells him the secret of the Harshak Tomb.
Her father believed it to contain the burial chamber of a Pharaoh.
Together Mahmoud and Elizabeth enter the tomb and in it they find a body -but it is not the mummified corpse of the dead Pharaoh.
Elizabeth Warwick:....Sheila Grant
Mahmoud:....James Thomason
Mr Wilder:....John Humpiiry
Fuad:....David Spenser
Charles Villiers ....Rolf Lefebvre
Margaret Villiers:....Marion Mathie
Achmed Araby:....Haydn Jones
Q'Hara:....Denis McCarthy
Dr Fawzad:....Nigel Anthony
Michael Warwick:....Christopher Bidmead
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1968.
THU 06:30 Agatha Christie (b00q3kvy)
Towards Zero
3. Murder
Lady Tresselian is discovered murdered in her bed, leaving everyone in the house party very distressed. Inspector Leach leads the investigation.
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars Hugh Bonneville.
Dramatised by Joy Wilkinson.
Nevile............Hugh Bonneville
MacWhirter.........Tom Mannion
Audrey............Claire Rushbrook
Kay............Lizzy Watts
Royde............Stephen Hogan
Inspector Leach.......Philip Fox
Latimer...........Joseph Kloska
Sergeant...........Matt Addis
Doctor Lazenby........Benjamin Askew
Constable..........David Hargreaves
Director: Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2010.
THU 07:00 Ankle Tag (b092pdwn)
Series 1
The Plumber
The bath has sprung a leak. Gruff wants to book an ethical plumber, much to Bob's disgust. His mate Terry would do it for clubcard vouchers. Meanwhile Alice and Bob have both developed an unhealthy affection for ape-based reality show Monkey World.
Written by Gareth Gwynn and Benjamin Partridge
Produced by Victoria Lloyd
A BBC Studios Production.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2017.
THU 07:30 The Break (m000k908)
Series 3
3. The Haunting of Jeffrey Whittaker
Jeff (Philip Jackson) is having one of his occasional dark afternoons of the soul. Andy (James Northcote) decides he needs a project. As luck would have it, the local pub landlord Phil Loynes (Rasmus Hardiker) needs a gimmick to boost his flagging sales.
Jeff wonders if a ghost would help: “Every pub needs a ghost” and he tells the story of the mysterious Grey Lady of Sharpwater Green. Even though the story is completely invented by Jeff, he and Andy go out of their way to make it real, with the help of veteran ghost-faker Fish Shop Frank Bridgwater (Mark Benton).
While our heroes are grappling with forces they do not comprehend, their friend Joyce (Alison Steadman) is struggling with a creature she cannot control - a large dog called Goliath.
Will the Flamford False Phantom Fakers fall victim to the most inexorable power of all - social media?
Starring:
Philip Jackson
Alison Steadman
Mark Benton
Shobna Gulati
Rasmus Hardiker
James Northcote
Created and Written by Ian Brown and James Hendrie
Studio Engineered and Edited by Leon Chambers
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling
Produced and Directed by Gordon Kennedy
Recorded at The Soundhouse Studios, London
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4
THU 08:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b01321dr)
Series 8
Episode 6
The team sets out to cause full frontal offence, plus high drama on the railway.
Starring Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie.
Sketches written by Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie - and Tim Brooke-Taylor.
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 Bill Oddie, Liam Cohen and Dave Lee.
Producer: David Hatch/Peter Titheradge
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 in March 1970.
THU 08:30 King Street Junior (b007jm7n)
Series 4
1. It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
The King Street's headmaster Mr Beeston wouldn't disagree, in what is a hectic start to the Spring term.
Created and written by Jim Eldridge.
Ten series of this comedy about King Street Junior School ran between 1985 and 1998. King Street Junior Revisited ran from 2002 to 2005.
Karl Howman …. Philip Sims
James Grout ….. Mr Beeston, the Headmaster
Tom Watson …. Mr Holliday, the Deputy Head
Vivienne Martin …. Mrs Rudd
Paul Copley … Mr Long
Marlene Sidaway … Miss Lewis
Deirdre Costello … Mrs Patterson
Margaret John …. Mrs Stone, school secretary
Natalie Brown …. Samantha
Nicholas Gatt …..Sundar
Marc Murphy …. Andy
Vic Flick - Musician
Producer: John Fawcett Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1989.
THU 09:00 The Write Stuff (b05zyydp)
Series 9
Sylvia Plath
James Walton quizzes the panel in the literary quiz show.
Team captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh with guests Michèle Roberts and Harry Ritchie.
The Author of the Week and subject for pastiche is Sylvia Plath.
Reader: Beth Chalmers.
Producer Katie Marsden
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2006.
THU 09:30 Beaumarchais (m0010qj4)
6. Le Mot Juste
Craig Warner's six-part comedy set in 18th-century France. Beaumarchais is anxious to climb the ladder of nobility...
6: Le Mot Juste.
Will the storming of the Bastille finally dampen Beaumarchais' spirits?
With Alex Lowe. Kim Wall and Christopher Scott
Beaumarchais: ....Henry Goodman
Marie Antoinette:....Siobhan Redmond
Barber and Figaro:....Sean Baker
Beaumarchais' Father ....Stephen Thorne
Market women .... Joanna Monro / Elaine Pyke
Soldier ....Alex Lowe.
Marat ....Kim Wall
President ....Christopher Scott
Director: Marion Nancarrow
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1996.
THU 10:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srqfj)
Episode 3
In one of his most famous and personal novels, Dostoyevsky portrays the vivid inner life of Prince Myshkin, who has returned from years abroad spent trying to treat his epilepsy. It takes courage for him to reintroduce himself into Russian society.
While recovering from an epileptic fit, the Prince analyses his feelings for the two very different women he has met - the spoilt but captivating Nastasya Filipovna, who is fatally attracted to the evil Rogozhin, and the more timid Aglaya, who is secretly in love with him. She and the Prince meet but the outcome is not what she had hoped for.
Adapted by Melissa Murray.
Starring
Paul Rhys …. Prince Myshkin
Roger Allam …. Rogazhin
Alex Jennings …. Ganya
Lia Williams …. Nastasya
Stephen Moore …. General Ivolgin
Gerard McDermott …. Lebedev
Paula Jacobs …. Mrs Yepanchin
Tracy-Ann Oberman …. Aglaya
Carl Prekopp …. Kolya
Jemma Churchill …. Varya
Jonathan Keeble …. Man
Producer: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002.
THU 11:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0010pfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]
THU 11:45 Siberian Stories (b01kmjg6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Sunday]
THU 12:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b01321dr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 King Street Junior (b007jm7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qhz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 13:30 Agatha Christie (b00q3kvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 14:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01q03s8)
4. Painting
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is Muriel Spark's best known and best loved novel - the justly enduring story of an Edinburgh school teacher who eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and stories of her own love life. As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls of an impressionable age, into the 'crème de la crème', and as her love becomes complicated by affections for and from the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority and her purpose.
A writer with a keen eye, a biting wit and a pithy sense of comedy, Muriel Spark created in Jean Brodie, a character who remains as vivid and recognisable as she was in 1963, the year the book was published. Charismatic, unfettered by school boundaries, literal or metaphorical, she is the teacher who steps beyond the bounds of prescriptive education to the true sense of the word - opening the eyes of her girls to a wider world where the undercurrents run deep. Spark also captures the city of Edinburgh, a character in itself, and of a time - those years in the thirties when, denied conventional marriage, war-bereaved women sought other paths to fulfilment.
Sparkling, funny, fresh and tragic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie fully deserves its place in the canon of twentieth century literature. Today Mr Teddy Lloyd begins to paint the Brodie Set.
The reader is Gerda Stevenson, an award-winning actor, writer and director.
The abridger is Sally Marmion
The producer is Di Speirs.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
THU 14:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6g84)
4. Protestor
The Shooing Party by Isabel Colegate, dramatised by DJ Britton.
4. As the path of Lionel and Olivia's true love runs surprisingly smoothly, an animal rights protestor interrupts the shoot, and barely notices how efficiently he is despatched.
Narrator ..... Olivia Colman
Sir Randolph ..... Sam Dale
Cardew ..... Jude Akuwudike
Glass ..... David Seddon
Olivia ..... Jaimi Barbakoff
Lionel ..... Michael Shelford
Cicely ..... Ellie Kendrick
Aline ..... Sally Orrock
Gilbert ..... Sean Baker
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.
THU 14:30 Living World (b01p03r0)
Brambles
Brambles are amazing plants, once introduced into New Zealand they began to spread at a rate of 30 feet each year to colonise vast stretches of the country and must come a close second to oaks for their importance. It not only provides the most accessible 'food for free' for us, it must rank as one of the most important plants in Britain for wildlife, providing nesting sites for at least 26 species of bird and around 100 insect species that depend upon brambles, and are a major component in a good habitat mosaic, which is often the best invertebrate habitat and is relatively resistant to rabbits which make it good in creating shelter.
James Brickell travel to mid Wales to join botanist Ray Woods on a personal exploration of the humble blackberry bush in an attempt to learn more about the importance of brambles in supporting a myriad of nature. With over 300 species of bramble in the British Isles, some inhabiting small areas and highly adapted to soil type or aspect such as the sub-erecta group living at over 1000 feet above sea level. Ray explains the role of the blackberry in the wider landscape and how its complex ecology is a boon to the wildlife that inhabits, utilises and finds shelter from its structure.
Brambles are a very good nectar source, food plant mainly for many species; the fruits are a wonderful reservoir for raspberry beetles and feed wasps in late autumn! Humans have been eating blackberry fruits, known as drupes, for millennia and historically man may be one of the main vectors of spreading the seeds across the British Isles. Recent research though has uncovered a possible link to bramble growth and climate change, which once again illustrates the complexity surrounding brambles.
Produced by Andrew Dawes.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.
THU 14:50 Tweet of the Day (m000ml9x)
Tweet Take 5: Raven
The largest of Britain's corvids, the raven has for centuries inspired folklaw, superstition and admiration. Even the scientific name Corvus corax brings authority to this member of the crow family with an advanced intellect. Possessing an extraordinary vocabulary ravens were once widespread scavengers across Britain but centuries of persecution drove them to near extinction in the wild-lands to the far west of the British Isles. Today their presence is spreading back into their home range bringing their sonorous calls to the cities once again. In this extended version of Tweet of the Day we head from Sir David Attenborough, from nature writer Paul Evans and Chris Jones on his rescued raven, Ringo.
Produced by Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio in Bristol
THU 15:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srqfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:00 The Write Stuff (b05zyydp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 16:30 Beaumarchais (m0010qj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
THU 17:00 Ankle Tag (b092pdwn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 17:30 The Break (m000k908)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 18:00 Oscar Wilde (b008lz2g)
The Canterville Ghost
3. Pity
Troublesome ghost of a dead nobleman, Sir Simon is determined to oust the Otis family from his ancestral home. So his hauntings are becoming more and more elaborate...
First published in 1887, Oscar Wilde's novella is concluded by Alistair McGowan.
Producer: Gemma Jenkins.
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in December 2007.
THU 18:30 The Rite of Autumn (m0010qj6)
The Orchestre National de France is about to perform 'The Rite of Spring', but spring is long past, the long summer of concerts is coming to an end as Autumn unfolds and the nights draw in.
Doc Rowe, who since the 1960s has been recording and filming the traditions, vernacular arts, folklore, song and dance of Britain and Ireland, explores the rites of autumn. With recordings of such events and customs as the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, Punkie Night in Hinton St George, and the wild bonfires of Kent and Sussex, and talking to those involved, he reveals how people here mark the gathering dark.
Producer: Julian May
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2010.
THU 18:50 Tweet of the Day (m000ndhl)
Tweet Take 5: Pink Footed Geese
The arrival of thousands of pink footed geese to the British coastline in autumn is for many as important as the first summer migrants from Africa. These noisy geese arrive from their breeding grounds in Iceland to spend the winter on British farmland in internationally important numbers. It's thought over 200,000 geese overwinter here taking advantage of changes in agricultural crops and the mild winter.
Pink footed geese also stir something in our imagination, a call of the wild maybe? They inspire creativity and memories. In this extended version of Tweet of the Day we hear from audio-visual artist Kathy Hind and Val Thompson, alongside the music of Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy.
Produced by Andrew Dawes for BBC Audio in Bristol
THU 19:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b01321dr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 King Street Junior (b007jm7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qhz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 20:30 Agatha Christie (b00q3kvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 21:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0010pfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]
THU 21:45 Siberian Stories (b01kmjg6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Sunday]
THU 22:00 The Break (m000k908)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 What's Funny About ... (m0010p13)
Series 2
5. John Cleese on Fawlty Towers
TV veterans Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman are joined by comedy legend John Cleese to discuss his sitcom masterpiece, Fawlty Towers.
John traces the beginnings of Basil Fawlty all the way back to his work on Monty Python (“nice though the abattoir is…”), and talks about the real hotelier who inspired the character.
He tells us about the writing and casting of the show, and discusses some of the challenges of bringing a character like Fawlty to the screen.
And John talks about the doomed American effort to remake Fawlty , but with one tiny change – writing Basil out!
THU 23:30 The Secret World (b011kqsj)
Series 1
Episode 3
From Jools Holland to Ross Kemp, Jon Culshaw explores the bizarre private lives of famous folk. From April 2009.


FRIDAY 22 OCTOBER 2021

FRI 00:00 Oscar Wilde (b008lz2g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 The Rite of Autumn (m0010qj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 00:50 Tweet of the Day (m000ndhl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:50 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010qhz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 Agatha Christie (b00q3kvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01q03s8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6g84)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 Living World (b01p03r0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:50 Tweet of the Day (m000ml9x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:50 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srqfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 The Write Stuff (b05zyydp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 Beaumarchais (m0010qj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 Ankle Tag (b092pdwn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 The Break (m000k908)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010q16)
8: The Call of the Muezzin
A thriller serial in eight parts by Victor Pemberton with Sheila Grant first broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1968.
The tomb of Harshak in the Valley of the Kings has been robbed and all its treasure removed. Elizabeth Warwick is also missing. Mahmoud and Wilder discover that she has been taken by her brother and O'Hara to Cairo. So they fly there to find them— in the City of the Dead.
Elizabeth Warwick:....Sheila Grant
Mahmoud:....James Thomason
Mr Wilder:....John Humphry
Fuad:....David Spenser
Bertie Pringle ....Barry Lowe
O'Hara:....Denis McCarthy
Colonel Riza:....Anthony Jackson
Michael Warwick:....Christopher Bidmead
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1968.
FRI 06:30 Agatha Christie (b00qcjl3)
Towards Zero
4. Suspicion
Now Nevile is in the clear, suspicion has turned on Audrey for the murder of Lady Tresselian.
But no-one can find her, and MacWhirter is convinced she's innocent...
Agatha Christie's whodunit stars Hugh Bonneville.
Dramatised by Joy Wilkinson
Nevile............Hugh Bonneville
MacWhirter.........Tom Mannion
Audrey............Claire Rushbrook
Mary............Julia Ford
Latimer...........Joseph Kloska
Kay............Lizzy Watts
Inspector Leach.......Philip Fox
Royde............Stephen Hogan
Sergeant...........Matt Addis
Director: Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2010.
FRI 07:00 On the Rocks (b05wq1bl)
Series 2
Swimming
War is looming and Ben still isn't getting anywhere with Morwenna-May.
Christopher William Hill’s 1930s comedy set on St. Martin's, one of the Isles of Scilly.
Frank Gunwallow ..... Joseph Kloska
Tommy Trenear ..... Stuart Fox
Father Tregarthan ..... Peter Marinker
Ben Trenear ..... Alex Palmer
Len Oliver ..... Ed Gaughan
Morwenna-May ..... Alex Tregear
Pender ..... Christopher William Hill
Director ..... Mary Peate
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
FRI 07:30 The Confessional (m0010pny)
Series 2
The Confession of Anthony Horowitz
Stephen Mangan is back with the comedy chat show about shame and guilt.
Each week Stephen Mangan invites a different eminent guest into his virtual confessional box to make three 'confessions' to him. This is a cue for some rich and varied storytelling, and surprising insights as their confessions are put under the microscope. Settle back for a stimulating journey through the realms of shame, regret, guilt and toe-curling embarrassment
This week Stephen meets the prolific novelist and screen writer Anthony Horowitz, author of The Alex Rider Novels, Foyle’s War, and talks to him about posthumous revenge, family relationships and the delights of making things up at inappropriate moments.
Other guests in the series: Olivia Williams, Ed Byrne, Shaparak Khorsandi, Konnie Huq and David Quantick.
Written and presented by Stephen Mangan
With extra material by Nick Doody
Produced by Frank Stirling
A 7digital production
FRI 08:00 Dad's Army (b007jntl)
Series 2
Getting the Bird
Lance Corporal Jones is short of meat at his butcher's shop, so Private Walker arranges a special off-ration supply.
Adapted for radio from Jimmy Perry and David Croft's TV scripts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.
Captain Mainwaring …. Arthur Lowe
Sergeant Wilson …. John Le Mesurier
Corporal Jones …. Clive Dunn
Private Fraser …. John Laurie
Private Pike …. Ian Lavender
Private Godfrey …. Arnold Ridley
Private Walker …. Larry Martyn
The Vicar ...... Frank Williams
Sergeant Wilson’s Daughter ...... Diana Bishop
Announcer …. John Snagge
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1975.
FRI 08:30 Coming Alive (b007k2bs)
Series 1
Dance On
Ex-convict Terry comes to a realisation after Sandra's troublesome ex-husband appears. Stars Karl Howman. From March 1999.
FRI 09:00 It's Not What You Know (b060ztxq)
Series 3
Episode 2
What was Seann Walsh's worst gig? What was Dane Baptiste's nickname at school? What is Sara Cox's all time favourite food?
All these burning questions, and more, will be answered in the show hosted by Miles Jupp, where panellists are tested on how well they know their nearest and dearest.
In this case, comedians Seann Walsh and Dane Baptiste pick their old school mates, and DJ Sara Cox asks her best friend to answer questions about each other.
Producer: Matt Stronge.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
FRI 09:30 Clare in the Community (b008jwjr)
Series 1
Stage Fright
The social worker's disgruntled husband Brian writes a play based on their marriage. Stars Sally Phillips. From December 2004.
FRI 10:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srvkn)
Episode 4
In one of his most famous and personal novels, Dostoyevsky portrays the vivid inner life of Prince Myshkin, who has returned from years abroad spent trying to treat his epilepsy. It takes courage for him to reintroduce himself into Russian society.
Nastasya and Aglaya meet to talk over their feelings for the Prince. Although still emotionally involved with Rogozhin, Nastasya is determined to marry the Prince which is heartbreaking news for Aglaya who really loves him. The Prince's health is on a knife-edge, and he begins to fear for his life.
Adapted by Melissa Murray.
Starring
Paul Rhys …. Prince Myshkin
Roger Allam …. Rogazhin
Alex Jennings …. Ganya
Lia Williams …. Nastasya
David Swift …. General Yepanchin
Gerard McDermott …. Lebedev
Paula Jacobs …. Mrs Yepanchin
Tracy-Ann Oberman …. Aglaya
Carl Prekopp …. Kolya
Jemma Churchill …. Varya
Martin Hyder …. Footman
Producer: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002.
FRI 11:00 Podcast Radio Hour (m0010qqw)
Audio Drama spinoffs
Chris Pearson and Ella Watts recommend audio fiction podcasts, with a focus this week on spinoffs, adaptations and prequels to other stories.
FRI 12:00 Dad's Army (b007jntl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 Coming Alive (b007k2bs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010q16)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 Agatha Christie (b00qcjl3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (b01q03r1)
5. Betrayal
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is Muriel Spark's best known and best loved novel - the justly enduring story of an Edinburgh school teacher who eschews the normal curriculum in favour of lessons on the Italian Renaissance painters, on Mussolini and stories of her own love life. As she seeks to mould her 'set' of girls of an impressionable age, into the 'crème de la crème', and as her love becomes complicated by affections for and from the art and the singing masters, she identifies two girls, one of 'instinct' and one of 'insight', in whom her ambitions will chiefly lie. But despite her own unassailable convictions, life does not always work out as planned and amongst her own set there will be those who begin to question her authority and purpose.
A writer with a keen eye, a biting wit and a pithy sense of comedy, Muriel Spark created in Jean Brodie a character who remains as vivid as she was in 1963, the year the book was published. Charismatic, unfettered by school boundaries, literal or metaphorical, she is the teacher who steps beyond the bounds of prescriptive education to the true sense of the word, opening the eyes of her girls to a wider world. Spark also captures the city of Edinburgh, a character in itself, and of a time - those years in the thirties when, denied conventional marriage, war-bereaved women sought other paths to fulfilment.
Sparkling, funny, fresh and tragic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie fully deserves its place in the canon of twentieth century literature. Today: Sandy realises that 'you can only betray where loyalty is due'.
Gerda Stevenson is an actor, writer and director, winner of the Vanbrugh Award at RADA.
The abridger is Sally Marmion
The producer is Di Speirs.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2013.
FRI 14:15 Isabel Colegate - The Shooting Party (b00t6g8d)
5. Tragedy
The Shooing Party by Isabel Colegate, dramatised by DJ Britton.
5. Cardew is heading back to the shoot, Ellen and Osbert are looking for their pet duck, Olivia and Aline are watching the guns, Glass has put Dan with Tom at the head of the beaters for a better view. And an error of judgement results in a death.
Narrator ..... Olivia Colman
Sir Randolph ..... Sam Dale
Tom ..... Sean Baker
Cardew ..... Jude Akuwudike
Glass ..... David Seddon
Olivia ..... Jaimi Barbakoff
Lionel ..... Michael Shelford
Cicely ..... Ellie Kendrick
Ellen ..... Sally Orrock
Osbert ..... Joshua Swinney
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2010.
FRI 14:30 Living World (b017c8f0)
Winter Ladybirds
Its autumn, the leaves are falling, the temperature dropping and as the nights lengthen, this is a time when many animals begin to slow down and prepare for the long winter months ahead. The gardener's friend, the ladybird is one such animal which in late autumn begins to move into many houses as a welcome guest.
Joanna Pinnock heads to the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Oxfordshire where on a windy day, she joins Dr Helen Roy and PhD student Richard Comont to investigate what is happening as ladybirds come indoors.
Beginning inside Helen's house, Joanna notices ladybirds all around the windows. Ladybirds like pale walls, a reminder of their natural environment, rocky mountains with light coloured surfaces. But recently our native ladybirds have been joined by the harlequin ladybird, a species that is more likely to be seen in the house this year. Why this is the case remains a mystery.
There are over 40 species of ladybird in Britain, with the 7 spot the most familiar. However when they come into their dormant state, parasites and fungi begin to attack the 7 spot and other ladybirds, with the winter months being the time of greatest mortality. But new research is being carried out to see if this parasite is about to begin attacking the harlequin. Richard takes Joanna to see his experimental plots and explain why the ladybirds need a winter dormant state to survive.
Produced by Andrew Dawes.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
FRI 14:50 Tweet of the Day (m000lmk2)
Tweet Take 5 : Tawny Owl
As evening gathers the hoot and screech from a pair of tawny owls from a nearby tree is for many a sign that winter is upon us, the year turning once again. These silent hunters, more often heard than seen, bring a little bit of mystery to the countryside, a sense of the wild-wood even in our suburban gardens where tawny owls are very much at home. In this extended version of Tweet of the Day, we hear from Mike Toms of the British Trust for Ornithology, Sir David Attenborough, and author of a book on owls, Miriam Darlington.
Producer Andrew Dawes
FRI 15:00 Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Idiot (b00srvkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:00 It's Not What You Know (b060ztxq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 16:30 Clare in the Community (b008jwjr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
FRI 17:00 On the Rocks (b05wq1bl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 17:30 The Confessional (m0010pny)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 18:00 LP Hartley - W.S. (m0010q1d)
A spooky story by L.P. Hartley. Novelist Walter Streeter is unsettled when he receives a series of postcards from a mysterious admirer.
"I am coming nearer. I have got as near as Coventry. Have you ever been sent to Coventry? I have. In fact, you sent me..."
Adapted for radio by Michael and Mollie Hardwick.
Produced by Charles LeFeaux
Cast:
Walter Streeter ... Max Adrian
Dodson ... Simon Lack
Mrs Kendal ... Vivienne Chatterton
Inspector Hatch ... Leslie Perrins
Constable ... John Bryning
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in August 1963.
FRI 18:30 Off the Page (b016wzrl)
Glut
Dominic Arkwright invites his three guests to debate excess and gluttony - what exactly is enough?
Cityboy Geraint Anderson explains why he retired in his mid 30s with £2.5M. That, argues punk poet Attila the Stockbroker, is an obscene amount, as he recalls former East Germany in the late '80s before the introduction of advertising and mass consumerism.
Meanwhile, it's the consumption of her autumn glut of apples and quinces that motivates food writer Xanthe Clay to waste not a single piece of fruit.
Producer: Mark Smalley.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.
FRI 19:00 Dad's Army (b007jntl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 Coming Alive (b007k2bs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Kill The Pharaoh! (m0010q16)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 Agatha Christie (b00qcjl3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Podcast Radio Hour (m0010qqw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
FRI 22:00 The Confessional (m0010pny)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 Mark Watson Talks a Bit About Life (m000gbg8)
Series 3
Autumn
Multi-award winning comedian and author Mark Watson continues his probably doomed quest to make sense of the human experience. He's aided by the sardonic musical brilliance of Flo and Joan, and by a different comedy friend in each programme. This time, it's Jen Brister.
This series examines the four seasons of the year and the seasons of a human life, as Mark - at the halfway point of his expected lifespan - considers what might come next. Mark and his guests take on Autumn - the season of falling leaves and (in some cases) falling expectations of life.
As always, there's a huge number of jokes, some songs, and an awful lot of other stuff crammed into each show as the much-loved comic and his guests make their way through life at dizzying speed.
Produced by Lianne Coop.
An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2020.
FRI 23:00 Brian Appleton's Unofficial Multi-Media Lecture (m0010q1g)
Let's Look at Sound
Rock musicologist Brian Appleton takes a look at sound. But how can we? What is sound? And how do we record it?
From the first audio recordings to the latest digital gadgetry, Brian Appleton examines how the microphone changed music forever, and explains why - if sound travelled at the speed of light - man would have evolved with only one ear on the top of his head!
Written and performed by Graham Fellows
Additional Research by Rex Brough
Produced by Dawn Ellis
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2005.
FRI 23:15 The Jail Diaries of Sir Ralph Stanza (m0010q1j)
Horny on the Inside
The distinguished award-winning poet continues his audio diaries as poet-in-residence at Longmore Grange maximum security jail.
Prisoner Gary is missing his wife and worried about what she might be getting up to. Poet in residence Sir Ralph helps him express his fears through the medium of verse.
Sir Ralph Stanza ... James Quinn
Gary ... Neil Bell
Joe ... Chris Jack
Kev ... Theo Ant Smith
Officer ... Lorraine Cheshire
Written by James Quinn.
Produced in Manchester by Graham Frost.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2004.
FRI 23:30 28 Acts in 28 Minutes (b01nq3p1)
Series 1
Episode 1
John Humphrys gives 28 performers 60 seconds to entertain an audience:
Richie Webb & Vicki Pepperdine
Jason Manford
Steve Punt & Hugh Dennis
Josie Long
Ed Byrne
Matt Holt
Nick Mohammed
Phil Nichol
Matt Kirshen
Lemn Sissay
The Cowards
Jason John Whitehead
Howard Read
Janey Godley
Count Arthur Strong
Al Pitcher
Martin White
Edward Aczel
Marcus Birdman
Tom Price
John Bishop
The Consultants
Sue Vale
Miles Jupp
Stefano Paolini
Rhod Gilbert
Seymour Mace
Nicholas Parsons
Producers: Rohan Acharya and Ed Morrish
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2006