SATURDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2022

SAT 00:00 Fantastic Tales (b0084sqq)
Delhi by Vandana Singh
A man living in present-day Delhi is haunted by visions of the city.
Not just as it was in the past - but how it will be in the future...
Vandana Singh’s story is read by Shiv Grewal.
Fantastic Tales is a collection of weird and wonderful stories from around the world.
Director: Gemma Jenkins
Made for BBC 7 and first broadcast in March 2007.
SAT 00:30 And the Academy Award Goes To... (b008wtbx)
Series 1
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Paul Gambaccini continues his history of the Oscars, as he examines the first post-war film to win all five of the major Academy Awards.
Milos Foreman (Best Director) reveals how 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (Best Picture) reflected his views on the Iron Curtain and how the script (Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material) came to influence mental health care in America.
Meanwhile, Louise Fletcher (Best Actress in a Leading Role) recalls the experience of working alongside the mixed cast of amateurs and professionals like Jack Nicholson (Best Actor in a Leading Role).
Producers: Paul Kobrak and Sara Jane Hall
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2008.
SAT 01:00 Secret Agent X-9 by Dashiell Hammett (b007jpzt)
2. Carnage at Sea
Heroic agent X-9 takes on the law to pursue his arch enemy in the heart of 1930s New York.
Starring Stuart Milligan and Connie Booth.
Adapted by Mark Brisenden, from the comic strip created by Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond. Syndicated by King Features.
X-9 ...... Stuart Milligan
Grace Powers ...... Connie Booth
The Top ...... William Hootkins
Evelyn Powers ...... Rachel Power
Deacon ...... Peter Marinker
Steward ...... Michael John Paliotti
Bartholomew ...... John Guerrasio
Jude ...... Bruce McGregor
All other parts played by the cast.
Producer: Chris Wallis.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 5 in January 1994.
SAT 01:30 The Same River Twice (m000dghk)
5. Discovery
With his estranged wife missing for three months, Johnny Maxen's search seems to be getting nowhere.
But then Detective-Inspector Wardlaw makes a shocking discovery...
Starring Gordon Jackson.
Edward Boyd's thriller serial about the deepening mystery over missing Julia Maxen.
Johnny Maxen ...... Gordon Jackson
Detective Inspector Wardlaw ...... Roddy McMillan
Bob Smith ...... Moultrie R Kelsall
Helen Duncan ...... Lennox Milne
Dorothy Havergal ...... Anne Kristen
Producer: Eddie Fraser
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1966.
SAT 02:00 The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw by Sheila Hancock (b0076nr6)
5. Clarity
In the past, John has given up alcohol for good.
In the present, Sheila confronts her grief over her husband's death and learns something new about his life
Actress Sheila Hancock concludes her book about her deep and passionate partnership with John Thaw.
Producer: Ned Chaillet
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2004
SAT 02:15 Maya Angelou's Autobiographies (b0b712dt)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Episode 5
Aged just 15, Maya is the first Afro-American to work as conductor on the trams in San Francisco.
When she turns 16, her life changes forever.
Maya Angelou's iconic debut autobiography powerfully evokes her early life growing up in America.
Narrator (Older Maya) ...... Adjoa Andoh
Maya ...... Pippa Bennett-Warner
Mother ...... Ellen Thomas
Receptionist ...... Lauren Cornelius
Dramatised by Patricia Cumper.
Director: Pauline Harris.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2018.
SAT 02:30 The Whistling Woman (b053721k)
Soprano and broadcaster Catherine Bott explores the art of whistling.
It was once thought to be bad luck or unsuitable for a woman but Catherine herself is an inveterate whistler, often finding herself doing so unconsciously when she is doing her shopping.
Catherine considers the myths surrounding whistling women. She meets Sheila Harrod, a former champion whistler and celebrates the remarkable career of Ronnie Ronalde who was a huge whistling star in the 1940s and 50s.
Catherine speaks to Tamas Hacki, a former professional whistler and doctor who has studied the physiology of whistling compared with singing. And she learns about whistling as a means of communication in places like the Spanish island of La Gomera.
With contributions from John Lucas who has co-authored a history of whistling, Julien Meyer who has researched whistled speech and has written a book about it, and Simon and Eleanor Grant.
Producer: Nick Holmes
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.
SAT 03:00 Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust (m000h6q1)
2. Consequences
Tony's life is shattered by Brenda's revelation of adultery.
Starring Tara Fitzgerald and Jonathan Cullen.
Conclusion of Evelyn Waugh's 1934 novel dramatised by Bill Matthews
Brenda Last ...... Tara Fitzgerald
Tony Last ...... Jonathan Cullen
Beaver ..... Ronan Vibert
Jock .... James Simmons
Milly ..... Dariel Pertwee
Mrs Beaver .... Sally Grace
Dr Messinger .... Robert Glenister
Rosa .... Vivienne Rochester
Mr Todd .... Jack Klaff
Teddy Last .... Daniel Philpott
Reggie .... David Timson
Ambrose ... Kim Wall
Babs .... Jane Whittenshaw
Polly .... Colleen Prendergast
Tony's Solicitor .... Denys Hawthorne
Senior Detective .... Geoffrey Whitehead
Winnie .... Jade Williams
Jenny .... Alice Arnold
Director Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1996.
SAT 04:00 Whispers (b007k358)
Series 3
Episode 4
Gyles Brandreth hosts the quiz show with scandal on its mind and slander at its heart.
Julian Fellowes and Penny Junor join team captains Lucy Moore and Anthony Holden to run the gauntlet of gossip.
Producer: Victoria Lloyd
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2005.
SAT 04:30 Girlies (b08hypz0)
Series 1
Episode 1
Five 30-something Asian women get together for "girlie" evenings
Friendships are tested, marriages analysed, and secrets exposed...
Series 1 of the four-part comedy serial.
Written by Sudha Bhuchar and Shaheen Khan.
Tula …. Zita Sattar
Vinny …. Bharti Patel
Jabeen …. Shaheen Khan
Sonal …. Sudha Bhuchar
Samina …. Sakuntala Ramanee
Masi …. Charubala Chokshi
Karan …. Susan Sheridan
Ramesh …. Ameet Chaana
Dan …. Roger Liddle
The Agent …. Alice Arnold
Alia …. Sophie Levy
Sara …. Nyla Levy
Directed at BBC Pebble Mill by Kristine Landon-Smith.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1997.
SAT 05:00 Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully (b04md4nr)
Series 2
Questioning Loyalties
Field Commander Uljabaan's loyalty cards, rewarding villagers for their collaboration, are not only ruining Katrina's plans but also Richard's chances in the weekly pub quiz.
They turn to Ron, the landlord of the Rose & Crown for help in scuppering the scheme.
Eddie Robson's sitcom about aliens invading the village of Cresdon Green.
Starring Hattie Morahan and Peter Davison.
Noticing all-at-once invasions of Earth never work out too well, these aliens have locked villagers behind an impenetrable force-field in order to study human behaviour and to decide if Earth is worth invading.
The only inhabitant who seems to be bothered by their new alien overlord is Katrina Lyons, who was only home for a weekend to borrow the deposit for a flat.
So along with Lucy Alexander (the only teenager in the village, willing to rebel against whatever you've got) she formed The Resistance - slightly to the annoyance of her parents Margaret and Richard.
This is also much to the annoyance of Field Commander Uljabaan who, alongside his unintelligible minions and The Computer (his hyper-intelligent supercomputer), is trying to actually run the alien invasion.
Katrina Lyons ...... Hattie Morahan
Richard Lyons ...... Peter Davison
Margaret Lyons ...... Jan Francis
Lucy Alexander ...... Hannah Murray
Field Commander Uljabaan ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Computer ...... John-Luke Roberts
Ron ...... Dave Lamb
Lawrence ...... Michael Bertenshaw
Script-edited by Arthur Mathews.
Original music written and performed by Grace Petrie.
Producer: Ed Morrish.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2014.
SAT 05:30 Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn (m0014p48)
The Cardboard Walls Problem
Marian and Tara tackle listeners’ issues with noisy neighbours, an estranged sister and advise on the merits of wedding extravagance with trademark kindness and good humour.
Marian Keyes is a multi award-winning writer, with a total of over 30 million of her books sold to date in 33 languages. Her close friend Tara Flynn is an actress, comedian and writer. Together, these two friends have been through a lot, and now want to use their considerable life experience to help solve your biggest - and smallest - problems.
From dilemmas about life, love and grief, to the perils of laundry or knowing what to say at a boring dinner, we’ll find out what Marian and Tara would recommend - which might not solve the problem exactly, but will make us all feel a bit better.
Recorded in Dublin with emails received from listeners around the world, the hosts invite you to pull up a chair at their virtual kitchen table as they read and digest their inbox.
Got a problem you want Marian and Tara to solve? Email: marianandtara@bbc.co.uk.
Producer: Steve Doherty.
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
SAT 06:00 Drama on 3 (m0000nkq)
I Told You I Was Ill
A tribute to the actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright Spike Milligan, KBE.
Hosted by John Hegley.
Made to mark the centenary of his birth in 2018, 'I Told You I Was Ill' is a special homage to the chief creator and main writer of The Goon Show.
Three writers respond to Milligan’s style, work, and legacy.
* Going, Going, Goon by Toby Hadoke - Spike is called to a Heaven he doesn't believe in, in a synthesis of fact, fantasy and supposition.
* Clowns, 1 Trumpet by Lee Mattinson - combines clownery and childhood in a bizarre birthday party.
* Deadline by Jessica Hynes. Hynes stars as a writer on the edge of a nervous breakdown as she attempts to reach her deadline.
Performed at the University of Hull’s Middleton Hall in 2018 as part of 'Contains Strong Language', a season of poetry and performance from Hull.
With:
Jessica Hynes
Mark Heap
Pippa Haywood
Stephen Wight
Jonathan Keeble
Toby Hadoke
Connor Elliott
Fiona Clarke
Trumpeter: Simon Desbruslais
Producer: Pauline Harris
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in October 2018.
SAT 07:30 Great Lives (b09xjx30)
Series 45
Jim Moir on Captain Beefheart
Comedian, actor and artist Jim Moir aka Vic Reeves chooses the life of Don van Vliet - the Dadesque musician and painter Captain Beefheart who has influenced many musicians since the 1960s.
Jim joins Matthew Parris to discuss the bizarre and complex persona developed by the Californian eccentric who died from MS in 2010.
With Beefheart's biographer, Mike Barnes.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2018.
SAT 08:00 Booked (b00753mr)
Series 1
Episode 2
Mrs Malaprop shares a Jacuzzi with Eliza Doolittle, and the She Devil flirts with Frankenstein at a rave.
Outrageous parody, biting wit and bizarre couplings from:
Miles Kington
Dillie Keane
Roger McGough
Mark Thomas
Ian McMillan chairs the irreverent literary game.
Producer: Marc Jobst
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1995.
SAT 08:30 All the Young Dudes (b01bmq92)
Series 2
Monday Monday
Patrick rashly agrees to babysit, and Billy actually gets some work.
The lives of Patrick and Helen back in the town where he was born.
Comedy drama written by and starring Jim Sweeney
Patrick …. Jim Sweeney
Helen …. Catheryn Harrison
Billy …. Steve Steen
Moira …. Sadie Shimmin
Joe …. Stephen Frost
Maria …. Flaminia Cinque
Charlie …. Izzy de Rosario
Mr Ward …. Chris Emmett
Producer: Steve Doherty
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2002.
SAT 09:00 The Spike Show: Milligan Remembered (b01chydc)
Spike Milligan's agent and friend, Norma Farnes remembers the life and work of the comic genius.
Recorded at the office where they worked together.
With featured BBC archive:
* Vivat Milligna: A Twenty-One Goon Salute (2002)
Denis Norden trawls through the archives to tell the story of his friend Spike Milligan's career, and sometimes uneasy relationship with the BBC.
* In the Psychiatrist's Chair: Spike Milligan (1982)
The writer and comedian tells Professor Anthony Clare about the profound impact of shell shock on his mental health.
* Spike's Fleas Knees and Hidden Elephants (1995)
Spike Milligan reads some of his magical poems, in his own inimitable style.
* The Goon Show - Fear of Wages (1956)
Ignoring a telegram about Japan's surrender, Neddie Seagoon and company are still at war. Stars Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe.
Producer: Sarah Wade
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in February 2012.
SAT 11:30 Daddy's Girls: Jane Milligan (m0014xfj)
Jane Milligan talks to Ruth Wishart about the highs and lows of life with her high-profile father, Spike.
Recorded shortly after the death of the legendary comedian, performer and writer.
First broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in April 2002
SAT 12:00 Arrested Development (b0075vh3)
Episode 1
Penny and Dave are getting married, but there are a few hiccups - Penny's hair being just one of them.
She wanted the Julia Roberts look but has ended up with a Mrs Merton instead.
Starring Letitia Dean, Phil Cornwell and Julian Rhind-Tutt.
Simon Warne's four-part comedy serial.
Penny ...... Letitia Dean
Bob ...... Phil Cornwell
Andy ...... Julian Rhind-Tutt
Joy ...... Maggie McCarthy
Kate ...... Susannah Doyle
Frank ...... Roger Walker
Producer: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2000.
SAT 12:30 Girlies (b08hypz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 04:30 today]
SAT 13:00 Archive on 4 (b0bbmthw)
That's Edutainment!
Are the values of education and entertainment truly compatible?
Matthew Sweet asks if learning can or should be fun.
When we watch a high-end TV documentary do we learn anything? Or do we simply think we have? With lessons from the archive, this is an hour long look at the links between education and fun.
BBC Radio 4 Extra's ‘King Street Junior’ provides a historical re-enactment, while TV’s Sesame Street is an early example of edutainment that worked.
1970's adult education TV series ‘On the Move’, with a young Bob Hoskins playing a removal man who has trouble reading and writing, helped enormous numbers of people with literacy problems. It accidentally became cult viewing in the process.
The same cult status was accorded to the first late night Open University broadcasts, although the values of good TV and undergraduate teaching initially clashed, sometimes about the appropriate colour of shirts.
In his capacity as academic, Matthew talks to Dr Fern Riddell, whose PhD he supervised. Fern chose broadcasting and writing rather than lecturing or teaching as a career and she explains how injecting historical authenticity into TV dramas like Ripper Street might help us see past eras more clearly, if backed by the right research.
And, with the help of Harvard Professor of Education Meira Levinson, Matthew wonders whether Homer Simpson is an appropriate vehicle for the study of philosophy.
Meanwhile, are some of the ideals of Public Service Broadcasting changing in the digital age?
Nowadays the strictly educational programmes like OU material and schools broadcasting are no longer part of the general broadcasting landscape, meaning we're less likely to stumble upon them. Put Public Service Broadcasting into a popular search engine and you might not end up learning about the BBC mission statement, but something completely different.
A Testbed production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018.
SAT 14:00 Radio Shuttleworth (b007qs2x)
Series 1
Leo Sayer
Sheffield's aspiring singer-songwriter takes to the airwaves from his very own his front room!
The inimitable John Shuttleworth presents celebrity interviews, dodgy keyboard music, and even dodgier jingles.
Aided by his producer (and sole agent) Ken Worthington, and his hard-to-please wife, Mary.
Special guests:
Leo Sayer
John Hegley
Jenny Eclair.
Written and performed by Graham Fellows.
Producers: Paul Schlesinger and Martin Willis.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1998.
SAT 14:30 Hut 33 (b00vs38k)
Series 2
Royal Visit
It's panic stations at Hut 33!
A member of the royal family is paying a visit but the top brass suspect he might be a Nazi sympathiser.
The team has to delay him and make sure he doesn't see any of the codebreaking machines.
James Cary's sitcom set at Bletchley Park - the top-secret home of the Second World War codebreakers,
Archie …. Tom Goodman-Hill
Charles …. Robert Bathurst
Gordon …. Fergus Craig
Joshua … Alex McQueen
Minka …. Olivia Colman
Mrs Best …. Lill Roughley
Duke of Kent .... Michael Fenton Stevens
Producer: Adam Bromley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2008.
SAT 15:00 Phil Wang: Wangsplaining (m00057qs)
The UK is more divided than ever, and no one seems able to agree on anything.
What does it mean to be British? To be a man? To be white or “of colour”, gay or straight, young or old, or none of the above? It seems we can’t see the woods for the trees.
What’s needed is a little outside perspective.
Enter: Phil Wang – a caustic British-Malaysian comedian who grew up on the island of Borneo. A centrist with a heart; an artist with an engineering degree.
In this pilot episode, Phil turns his attention to the British Empire - was British colonialism really one big crime?
Modern liberalism would say so, but Phil’s Dad sure misses those prompt British buses – “I wish they’d come take us over again. Maybe I’d get to work on time!”
Written by and starring Phil Wang
Original music by Fauxe
Produced and edited by Matt Stronge
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2019.
SAT 15:30 On the Town with the League of Gentlemen (b007k1z7)
A Guest at the Dentons
Pauline the Restart Officer, Matthew Chinnery the Vet and Barbara the Cabbie - just some of the resident misfits of a remote Northern town.
The first incarnation of the award-winning black comedy, about the "local people" of Spent - before it hit TV.
Starring:
Mark Gatiss
Reece Shearsmith
Steve Pemberton
Written by the cast and Jeremy Dyson.
The League of Gentlemen won a Perrier Edinburgh Festival award in 1997 and this radio series debuted in the same year. They also won a Sony Radio Award.
The cult series switched to TV for three series on BBC Two from 1999, spawning stage shows and a feature film.
Producer: Sarah Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1997.
SAT 16:00 Drama on 3 (m0000nkq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Great Lives (b09xjx30)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 The Prisoner (m0003cky)
Series 2
2. I Met a Man Today Part 2/2
In London, Number 6 undergoes heavy interrogation. Kate seems to be falling for him - but is she for real?
Starring Mark Elstob.
The original 17 episode television series of The Prisoner created intrigue and controversy in equal measure when it first aired in the UK in 1967.
In a taut psychological spy thriller the main character, dehumanised as ‘Number 6’, has committed no crime, save for having resigned from some unspecified branch of the British Secret Service. His prison was a heavily-guarded ornate coastal village.
Under constant surveillance, Number 6 can trust no-one and relentlessly works to establish the identity of his. As the audio re-imagining continues, we discover more about the enigma of the personal life of Number 6.
Number 6 …. Mark Elstob
Kate Butterworth …. Lucy Briggs-Owen
Brenda …. Susan Earnshaw
Barmaid …. Helen Goldwyn
Control …. Jim Barclay
Danvers …. Barnaby Edwards
Thorpe …. John Heffernan
Original music by Jamie Robertson.
Script Editor: Jamie Anderson.
Written and directed by Nicholas Briggs.
A 2017 Big Finish Production adapted from the cult ITV series.
SAT 18:35 HG Wells (m0003cl0)
In The Abyss
A deep-sea expedition encounters some strange creatures that inhabit the unknown depths.
Elstead designs a sphere capable of exploring the seabed for the first time. What he finds amazes him.
HG Wells’ story was first published in 1896.
Read by Timothy Kightley.
Producer: Pamela Howe
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1978.
SAT 19:00 The Spike Show: Milligan Remembered (b01chydc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 21:30 Daddy's Girls: Jane Milligan (m0014xfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 today]
SAT 22:00 Little Lifetimes by Jenny Eclair (b06qkq9l)
Series 2
Beverley in Shoes
Beverley might have once travelled the world but now she prefers watching programmes about baking. Beverley wants security and safety, but why?
Read by Samantha Spiro.
Jenny Eclair's stories of the secrets of six women read by six leading actresses
Producer, Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.
SAT 22:15 Earls of the Court (b00r7lpz)
Crisis Management
Lloydie and Johnno need money fast to pay the rent, but will the contents of Lloydie's trusty backpack be enough to save the day?
Comedy drama series by Will Adamsdale and Stewart Wright about two Australians down on their luck in London.
Lloydie ...... Stewart Wright
Johnno ...... Will Adamsdale
Director: Sasha Yevtushenko.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.
SAT 22:30 Chain Reaction (b00grv92)
Series 2
Jo Brand Interviews Barry Cryer
Feisty comedienne Jo Brand interviews veteran gagsmith Barry Cryer.
This is the tag talk show series where the guest turns interviewer in the next show.
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2004.
SAT 23:00 Ian D Montfort Is: Unbelievable (b01qw8kh)
Series 1
With Joe Swash
Former BBC EastEnders actor and ITV's King Of The Jungle, Joe Swash has his palm read by Ian.
Ian D Montfort is a celebrity spirit medium and psychic who makes contact with the celebrity 'spirit guides' secretly chosen by audience members and reveals personal stories that make them laugh-out-loud one moment and gasp in surprise the next.
Each episode features a different celebrity guest who gets a 'private' reading from Ian.
Ian D Montfort is a comedy character created Tom Binns.
Written by Tom Binns, Tony Cowards, Simon Littlefield and Richard Turner.
Producer: Julia McKenzie
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in February 2013.
SAT 23:30 Hut 33 (b00vy861)
Series 2
Pigs n Spivs
It's 1941 and supplies are running short in Bletchley Park, centre of the Allies' codebreaking effort.
Archie reluctantly uses the services of Mrs Best's shady contact to get some extra food and Gordon is seduced by the promise of a Superman comic.
James Cary's sitcom set at Bletchley Park - the top-secret home of the Second World War codebreakers.
Charles …. Robert Bathurst
Archie …. Tom Goodman-Hill
Minka …. Olivia Colman
Mrs Best …. Lill Roughley
Gordon …. Fergus Craig
Joshua … Alex McQueen
Spiv ...... Stephen Critchlow
Producer: Adam Bromley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2008.