SATURDAY 30 APRIL 2011

SAT 19:00 Tiger - Spy in the Jungle (b009r259)
Episode 1

Elephants carrying Trunkcam, Tuskcam and other spy cameras tell the story of four cubs growing up in the Indian jungle.

From the day their eyes open and they tumble out of the den, Tiger - Spy in the Jungle captures the lives of four tiger cubs as they grow up alongside their devoted mother. The elephants continue to film the young stars as they grow into adult hunters. Over two years, the elephants help capture the most intimate portrayal of tigers ever filmed. They also reveal the secret life of the other extraordinary creatures of the Indian jungle.

In the first programme, the elephants come upon the four 10-day-old tiger cubs. This is their mother's first litter and she has her paws full as they tumble from the den, only to be carried back to safety in her massive jaws.

As they grow they move from her milk onto meat. Fortunately the tigress is a skilled hunter. Charger, their imposing father, keeps his distance but helps to protect his vulnerable offspring from rogue male tigers and leopards. As they grow, they face encounters with sloth bears, pythons and pangolins. Their mother keeps them safe, until one day the cubs are left home alone and their arch rival, an Indian leopard, is about.


SAT 20:00 If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home (b010p5z5)
The Bedroom

Lucy Worsley, chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces, focuses on the bedroom - a room which people now think of as one of the most private in the house and yet started for most as a noisy, busy communal space. From spending the night in a Tudor farmhouse to recreating a bedtime 'bundling' courtship ritual, and from being publicly dressed as Queen Caroline in Hampton Court to experiencing the glamour of the 1930s boudoir, Lucy discovers that birth, marriage and death have all played a big part in the story of the bedroom.


SAT 21:00 Spiral (b010w7m7)
Series 3: The Butcher of La Villette

Episode 9

Police concentrate their efforts on putting Niko's prostitution ring under surveillance, in the hope of tracking down the man who is now an essential link in the investigation. Bremont puts the pressure on Gilou, and Laure jeopardises everything to help her colleague. Roban starts to suspect that someone may have betrayed him. Pierre attempts to distance himself from Dylan, but is in for a nasty surprise.


SAT 21:55 Spiral (b010w7m9)
Series 3: The Butcher of La Villette

Episode 10

When he unwittingly finds himself on the wrong side of the law, former public prosecutor Pierre Clement turns to none other than the best - and most unscrupulous - lawyer he knows. Police tighten their surveillance operation on Niko's prostitution ring, while the Butcher of La Villette prepares to strike again. And Judge Roban finally discovers hard evidence to support his enquiry into municipal corruption.


SAT 22:50 Top of the Pops (b010p6bp)
We travel back to 1976 to track the year that sculpted pop. Tony Blackburn introduces performances from Slik, E.L.O, Laurie Lingo and the Dipsticks and Brotherhood of Man.


SAT 23:20 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story (b00sjbw1)
This iconic American story was written in 1900 by L Frank Baum, a Chicago businessman, journalist, chicken breeder, actor, boutique owner, Hollywood movie director and lifelong fan of all things innovative and technological. His life spanned an era of remarkable invention and achievement in America and many of these developments helped to fuel this great storyteller's imagination.

His ambition was to create the first genuine American fairytale and the story continues to fascinate, inspire and engage millions of fans of all ages from all over the world. This documentary explores how The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has come to symbolise the American Dream and includes previously unseen footage from the Baum family archives, still photographs and clips from the early Oz films, as well as interviews with family members, literary experts and American historians as it tells the story of one man's life in parallel to the development of modern America.


SAT 00:20 Holst: In the Bleak Midwinter (b010p530)
The first ever full-length film about Gustav Holst, composer and revolutionary - a man who taught himself Sanskrit; lived in a street of brothels in Algiers; cycled into the Sahara Desert; allied himself during the First World War with a 'red priest' who pinned on the door of his church 'prayers at noon for the victims of Imperial Aggression'; hated the words used to his most famous tune, I Vow to Thee My Country, because it was the opposite of what he believed; and distributed a newspaper called the Socialist Worker. Holst's music - especially the Planets - owed little or nothing to anyone, least of all the English folk song tradition, but he was a great composer who died of cancer, broken and disillusioned, before he was 60.


SAT 02:40 If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home (b010p5z5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]



SUNDAY 01 MAY 2011

SUN 19:00 A History of Christianity (b00ntrs7)
Catholicism: The Unpredictable Rise of Rome

Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch's grandfather was a devout pillar of the local Anglican church and felt that any dabbling in Catholicism was liable to pollute the English way of life. But now his grandfather isn't around to stop him exploring the extraordinary and unpredictable rise of the Roman Catholic church.

Over one billion Christians look to Rome, more than half of all Christians on the planet. But how did a small Jewish sect from the backwoods of 1st-century Palestine, which preached humility and the virtue of poverty, become the established religion of western Europe - wealthy, powerful and expecting unfailing obedience from the faithful?

Amongst the surprising revelations, MacCulloch tells how confession was invented by monks on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, and how the Crusades gave Britain the university system.

Above all, it is a story of what can be achieved when you have friends in high places.


SUN 20:00 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story (b00sjbw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:20 on Saturday]


SUN 21:00 The Secret Life of Bob Monkhouse (b00x9b7w)
The extraordinary story of comedian Bob Monkhouse's life and career, told through the vast private archive of films, TV shows, letters and memorabilia that he left behind.


SUN 22:30 Story of Light Entertainment (b00792f0)
All Round Entertainers

Straight from the Victorian music halls with their traditional mix of song, dance and comic skit came the tradition of the all round entertainer - an artiste who could 'do it all'. But despite this incredible mix of skills and after ruling the world of light entertainment for years, their chief mode of employment was to become hosts of variety shows, game shows, quizzes and competitions. And whilst an obvious waste of their talents, it did provide huge fame and money, as game shows quickly became the biggest hits on TV.

But the all round entertainers are the masters of reinvention - from Bruce Forsyth to Michael Barrymore and Bob Monkhouse to Cilla Black, they adapted their skills to keep their place at the top of the slippery showbiz ladder, even as reality TV took hold of the schedules and fame rather than talent became a passport to TV stardom.

But becoming a jack of all trades brings its own problems, and unappreciated talents, fragile egos and a craving for attention have forever blighted the world of the all rounder.

Stars featured include Bruce Forsyth, Jimmy Tarbuck, Cilla Black, Brian Conley, Joe Pasquale, Lionel Blair, Una Stubbs, Michael Grade and many more.


SUN 00:00 Legends (b00fzv3y)
Roy Orbison - The 'Big O' in Britain

Roy Orbison was the best singer in the world. That's what Elvis Presley said, and he should know.

To mark the 20th anniversary of Orbison's death, this programme celebrates the extraordinary talent of 'The Big O' and his relationship with his most loyal and enduring fans, British musicians and the British public. Through a combination of interview and archive, it charts Orbison's career in Britain, from the sell-out tour with the Beatles that sky-rocketed him to international superstardom, right up to the collaboration with lifelong friend George Harrison on the Travelling Wilburys project in the late 1980s. Effortlessly cool, musically sophisticated, Orbison was a rock and roll legend, whose legacy continues to captivate both the listeners and performers of today.


SUN 01:00 Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert (b010q7qs)
To honour what would have been Roy Orbison's 75th birthday on April 23rd, a celebration of the legend of the quiet Texan with the soaring voice who toured with the Beatles, sang some of the defining hits of the early 60s and brilliantly revived his career as a solo artist and member of the supergroup the Travelling Wilburys in the mid-80s.

Filmed in black and white in Holland in 1965, this short concert features the Big O performing hits from the classic catalogue of songs he recorded for the American independent label Monument in the early 60s. Filmed in what appears to be a gym or school hall in front of an appreciative but respectful audience, Orbison performs Only the Lonely, Running Scared, It's Over, Oh Pretty Woman and more.


SUN 01:25 Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night (b00g6349)
First broadcast in 1988 and filmed in black and white (hence the title!), this TV concert classic features Roy Orbison performing his classic songs with friends like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, kd lang, Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt.

The TCB Band which backs all featured artists was Elvis Presley's band till his death in 1977 and includes James Burton, Glen D Hardin, Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt with musical drector T Bone Burnett.

Filmed at the Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles, the show was first broadcast on HBO in 1988, the year of Roy Orbison's death.


SUN 02:30 Sacred Music: The Story of Allegri's Miserere (b00g81g7)
Simon Russell Beale tells the story behind Allegri's Miserere, one of the most popular pieces of sacred music ever written. The programme features a full performance of the piece by the award-winning choir the Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers.


SUN 03:00 A History of Christianity (b00ntrs7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



MONDAY 02 MAY 2011

MON 19:00 On Hannibal's Trail (b00tjqgy)
Hannibal at the Gates

History and travel series in which three Australian brothers - Danny, Ben and Sam Wood - set out cycling on the trail of Hannibal, the Carthaginian warrior who marched from Spain to Rome at the head of an invading army accompanied by elephants.

As they come towards the end of their epic journey, the Wood brothers make a sacrifice to the gods at Lake Averno, come face to face with Hannibal in Rome and cross the Mediterranean Sea to Tunisia, once the centre of the Carthaginian Empire, where they visit the site where the fate of an entire civilisation was decided in one final battle. On the way, they meet a Roman centurion and discuss Hannibal's legacy with the souk merchants of Tunis.


MON 19:30 The Weather (b00jzjhx)
Winds

Documentary series about the weather. This episode looks at wind - a phenomenon caused by the interaction of temperature, pressure and the earth's rotation, which took scientists over a thousand years to fully explain.

We witness some remarkable wind-related stories, such as the tornado that flung Dorothy Allwright and her caravan into the air, and how Scottish engineer James Blyth invented the first electricity-producing wind turbine in 1887.

Once we looked to the gods to explain the wind, until science unlocked its mysteries. Today, we may have come to understand the wind, but we have also realised that we will never master it, and that this elemental force cannot be ignored.


MON 20:30 Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury (b010v7kx)
The Caledonian Canal

Seasoned stomper Julia Bradbury dons her walking boots once again and this time she is exploring her own British backyard, travelling along the country's network of canals and their accompanying towpath trails. This sees her navigating Highland glens, rolling countryside and river valleys, as well as our industrial heartlands, following these magical waterways as they cut a sedate path through some of the country's finest scenery.

Julia kicks off her tour with a visit to the Scottish Highlands. Against the stunning backdrop of Ben Nevis, her walk starts near Fort William where she embarks on her eight-mile trip along the Caledonian Canal, the majestic waterway that cuts through beautiful mountain country and is regarded as one of the most ambitious canals of its time. Julia's journey tells the story of one of the greatest canal engineers, Thomas Telford, whose ambition was to create not only an engineering marvel, but also badly needed jobs and wealth for the Highlands. Two hundred years on, it is now one of the most popular walking trails in the country.


MON 21:00 The Vera Lynn Story (b00tkxpx)
Dame Vera Lynn has been in show business for eight decades and her and her songs are part of our national heritage.

Sir David Frost interviews Dame Vera at her home in Sussex and hears about her extraordinary career. She talks revealingly about her childhood in London's East Ham; her days singing with the big bands of the 30s; her role as WW2's Forces Sweetheart and her successful post-war career.

With engaging tales about her personal life and career, the programme also features rare archive including recordings from the 30s and hitherto unseen home movies. Sir Cliff Richard, Alan Titchmarsh, Hayley Westenra, Vera's brother Roger and only daughter Virginia all contribute to this warm and engrossing portrait of one of Britain's greatest popular singers.


MON 22:00 Chemistry: A Volatile History (b00qck1t)
The Order of the Elements

The explosive story of chemistry is the story of the building blocks that make up our entire world - the elements. From fiery phosphorus to the pure untarnished lustre of gold and the dazzle of violent, violet potassium, everything is made of elements - the earth we walk on, the air we breathe, even us. Yet for centuries this world was largely unknown, and completely misunderstood.

In this three-part series, professor of theoretical physics Jim Al-Khalili traces the extraordinary story of how the elements were discovered and mapped. He follows in the footsteps of the pioneers who cracked their secrets and created a new science, propelling us into the modern age.

In part two, Professor Al-Khalili looks at the 19th-century chemists who struggled to impose an order on the apparently random world of the elements. From working out how many there were to discovering their unique relationships with each other, the early scientists' bid to decode the hidden order of the elements was driven by false starts and bitter disputes. But ultimately the quest would lead to one of chemistry's most beautiful intellectual creations - the periodic table.


MON 23:00 Rubicon (b010p6br)
The Outsider

The outsider Will accompanies Spangler on a business trip to Washington DC, leaving his leaderless team to make an important operational decision with only unsubstantiated information available to them. Katherine receives Tom's possessions from the coroner and finds a voicemail on Tom's cell phone which further implicates his friend James Wheeler.


MON 23:45 Horizon (b00x7cb3)
What Makes Us Clever? A Horizon Guide to Intelligence

Dallas Campbell delves into the Horizon archive to discover how our understanding of intelligence has transformed over the last century. From early caveman thinkers to computers doing the thinking for us, he discovers the best ways of testing how clever we are - and enhancing it.


MON 00:45 Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury (b010v7kx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


MON 01:15 The Vera Lynn Story (b00tkxpx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


MON 02:15 Chemistry: A Volatile History (b00qck1t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


MON 03:15 Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury (b010v7kx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]



TUESDAY 03 MAY 2011

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b010v7x8)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


TUE 19:30 Birds Britannia (b00w4k7j)
Countryside Birds

Countryside birds like the skylark, pheasant and nightingale are amongst the most iconic of all Britain's birds. For centuries, they have been celebrated in music and poetry, used to forecast the weather and hunted for food. They have not just shaped the British countryside, but also defined its nature.


TUE 20:30 Johnny Kingdom's Year with the Birds (b00vzz1g)
Episode 3

Johnny Kingdom, gravedigger-turned-amateur filmmaker spends a year recording the bird life in and around his home on his beloved Exmoor.

Johnny has spent three years creating a wildlife habitat on his 52-acre patch of land on the edge of Exmoor. He's been busy nailing nest boxes on tree trunks, planting a wildflower meadow, dredging his pond, putting up remote cameras and wiring them up to a viewing station in his cabin on the land - all the time hoping against hope that not only will he attract new wildlife but also that he will be able to film it.

He is turning his attention to the bird life, hoping to follow some of the species he finds near his home and on his land, across the seasons. We see the transitions from the lovely autumn mists of the oak wood, through the sparkling snow-clad landscape of a north Devon winter, into spring's woodland carpet of bluebells and finally the golden glow of early summer.

The bulk of the series is from Johnny's own camera. Don't expect the Natural History Unit - instead expect passion, enthusiasm, humour and an exuberant love of the landscape and its wildlife.

As spring moves into summer, Johnny is relieved to find a healthy brood of wren chicks and heartened to see that some adults did survive the cold winter. He is thrilled with his footage of swallow chicks, but now faces the challenges of getting close-up shots of the woodpecker chicks and finding a pair of barn owls to film.

Johnny's old friend Bob tries to help out with the woodpecker chicks by fixing a camera on a long pole and Johnny returns to one of his old hides in an attempt to film owl chicks. While Bob's camera brings mixed results, the owl footage is an overwhelming success.


TUE 21:00 Citizen Kane (b0074n82)
Frequently voted one of the best films ever made, Orson Welles's masterpiece tells the story of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane in a series of flashbacks. A reporter is intrigued by the dying Kane's last word - rosebud - and sets out to find a new angle on the life of one of the most powerful men in America. Nine Oscar nominations resulted in only one award for the outspoken Welles - Best Screenplay.


TUE 23:00 Orson Welles over Europe (b00phtpq)
When Orson Welles went into self-imposed exile in Europe, he first found stardom with The Third Man and then immersed himself in challenging films, television, theatre and bullfighting. Simon Callow trails the complex actor-director.


TUE 00:00 Arena (b00plc51)
The Orson Welles Story

The Orson Welles Story - Part 1

First of a two-part film profile of Orson Welles, looking at his life and career in theatre, radio and particularly film. With Jeanne Moreau, John Huston, Peter Bogdanovitch, Robert Wise, Charlton Heston, and a detailed interview with Welles himself. This part deals with his work up to Touch of Evil.


TUE 01:50 Arena (b00plc6x)
The Orson Welles Story

The Orson Welles Story - Part 2

Second of a two-part profile of Orson Welles, looking at films including The Trial, Chimes at Midnight, The Immortal Story and F for Fake and discussing his many unfinished projects, including The Other Side of the Wind and Don Quixote.


TUE 02:50 Birds Britannia (b00w4k7j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 03:50 Johnny Kingdom's Year with the Birds (b00vzz1g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]



WEDNESDAY 04 MAY 2011

WED 19:00 World News Today (b010v8ds)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


WED 19:30 Indian Hill Railways (b00qvk99)
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

From the Himalayas in the north to the Nilgiris in the south - for a hundred years these little trains have climbed through the clouds and into the wonderful world of Indian hill railways.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a line so close to the people that it flows like a river through their lives. The relationship between the train and the people is changing, however, as a new generation of Gurkhas populates these hills, demanding an independent state and fighting for a new identity as they journey into the modern Indian world.


WED 20:30 Petworth House: The Big Spring Clean (b010v8dv)
Below Stairs

Andrew and the team leave the grandeur of the main house behind in order to tackle the servants' block. He dons a boiler suit to take on the filthiest task of the winter and polishes some of the 1,000-piece copper cookware range. Also, a horologist visits to make sure Petworth's antique clocks are keeping time.


WED 21:00 If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home (b010v8dx)
The Kitchen

Lucy Worsley, chief curator of the historic royal palaces, ends the series by looking at the room we now spend the most money on, but was once thought of as the most dirty, dangerous and undesirable room in the house - the kitchen. From baking bread in a Tudor kitchen to spit-roasting mutton with a dog to doing a week's Victorian re-cycling to trying out 1950s labour-saving gadgets, Lucy tracks the changes that have turned the kitchen from a room of hard work into the appliance-packed room we know today.


WED 22:00 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story (b00sjbw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:20 on Saturday]


WED 23:00 Spiral (b010w7m7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]


WED 23:55 Spiral (b010w7m9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:55 on Saturday]


WED 00:50 If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home (b010v8dx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


WED 01:50 Petworth House: The Big Spring Clean (b010v8dv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


WED 02:20 Indian Hill Railways (b00qvk99)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 03:20 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story (b00sjbw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:20 on Saturday]



THURSDAY 05 MAY 2011

THU 19:00 World News Today (b010v8ht)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


THU 19:30 The Sky at Night (b07m7qgk)
Storm Chasing

In the atmosphere of Saturn there is a gigantic storm, which is bigger than Earth itself. This month Sir Patrick Moore looks at the ringed planet, which can be seen in our night sky now. He talks to Paul Abel and Dr Chris North about these violent eruptions in the atmospheres of other worlds.

And Jon Culshaw, Dr Lucie Green and Pete Lawrence travel to north Norway in search of the aurora borealis.


THU 20:00 The Horizon Guide to Space Shuttles (b0109cc7)
In 2011, after more than 30 years of service, America's space shuttle took to the skies for the last time. Its story has been characterised by incredible triumphs, but blighted by devastating tragedies - and the BBC and Horizon have chronicled every step of its career. This unique and poignant Horizon Guide brings together coverage from three decades of programmes to present a biography of the shuttle and to ask what its legacy will be. Will it be remembered as an impressive chapter in human space exploration, or as a fatally flawed white elephant?


THU 21:00 The Lighthouse Stevensons (b00y6hym)
The story of the remarkable family who tamed the wild Scottish coastline, told 200 years after the building of their first iconic lighthouse, the Bell Rock.


THU 22:00 Rubicon (b010v8hy)
Connect the Dots

Worried about Ed's mental health, Will attempts to divert him from his search into the background of the mysterious Donald Bloom. Tanya is convinced that her hunch about George is worth pursuing and is encouraged to present her theory to Truxton Spangler. Katherine is following her own investigation into the unexplained suicide of her husband.


THU 22:45 The Cell (b00m6nhq)
The Chemistry of Life

In a three-part series, Dr Adam Rutherford tells the extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and of life itself. Every living thing is made of cells, microscopic building blocks of almost unimaginable power and complexity.

This episode explores how scientists delved ever deeper into the world of the cell, seeking to reveal the magic ingredient that can spark a bundle of chemicals into life. Their discoveries have brought us to the brink of being able to create life for ourselves.


THU 23:45 Everything and Nothing (b00yb59m)
Everything

Two-part documentary which deals with two of the deepest questions there are - what is everything, and what is nothing?

In two epic, surreal and mind-expanding films, Professor Jim Al-Khalili searches for an answer to these questions as he explores the true size and shape of the universe and delves into the amazing science behind apparent nothingness.

The first part, Everything, sees Professor Al-Khalili set out to discover what the universe might actually look like. The journey takes him from the distant past to the boundaries of the known universe. Along the way he charts the remarkable stories of the men and women who discovered the truth about the cosmos and investigates how our understanding of space has been shaped by both mathematics and astronomy.


THU 00:45 The Horizon Guide to Space Shuttles (b0109cc7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 01:45 The Cell (b00m6nhq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:45 today]


THU 02:45 The Lighthouse Stevensons (b00y6hym)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



FRIDAY 06 MAY 2011

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b010v8jj)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


FRI 19:30 Sacred Music (b009phyw)
Series 1

Tallis, Byrd and the Tudors

Four-part documentary series in which Simon Russell Beale explores the flowering of Western sacred music. Beale takes us back to Tudor England, a country in turmoil as monarchs change the national religion and Roman Catholicism is driven underground. In telling the story of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd, two composers at the centre of England's own musical Renaissance, Beale visits parish churches, great cathedrals and a private home where Catholic music would have been performed in secret.


FRI 20:30 Transatlantic Sessions (b00n1k12)
Series 4

Episode 3

Folk musicians come together in what have been called 'the greatest backporch shows ever', as Shetland fiddle virtuoso Aly Bain and dobro ace Jerry Douglas host a Highland gathering of the cream of Nashville, Irish and Scottish talent.

Rosanne Cash, up-and-coming Scottish singer Emily Smith, and Irish pipes and fiddle duo Mike McGoldrick and Dezi Donnelly are among the featured stars.


FRI 21:00 Classic Albums (b010v8kh)
Primal Scream: Screamadelica

Primal Scream's seminal album Screamadelica was released in 1991, and synthesized the band's rock 'n' roll roots with the dance culture of that time; for many, the album's sound and imagery came to be regarded as quintessential symbols of the acid house era, perfectly catching the spirit and mood of the early 90s.

Using rare archive footage and special performances, this film tells the story of Screamadelica and its hit singles and dance anthems Loaded, Movin' On Up, Come Together and Don't Fight It, Feel It. From the formation of the band in Glasgow to winning the first-ever Mercury prize, the band members explain the record's inception with insights from main producer Andrew Weatherall, Creation Records founder Alan McGee and many others involved with or inspired by this joyful record.

Screamadelica both defines a generation and transcends its time, and is a true Classic Album.


FRI 22:00 Movin' on Up: Pop Hits from 1991 (b010w8t0)
BBC archive compilation exploring 1991's fellow travellers from the British indie guitar and dance scenes that accompanied Primal Scream's breakthough Screamadelica album, which went on to win the inaugaural 1992 Mercury Prize.

In the interim between Madchester and Britpop, a new British indie pop flourished that included dance-influenced guitar bands, indie-influenced dance outfits and the gearchanging hits of both the grunge spearhead that was Nirvana and those American alternative rockers REM.

Alongside Primal Scream's Movin' On Up are performances from The Late Show, Top of the Pops and other shows by the likes of Ride, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Pop Will Eat Itself, KLF, Massive Attack, Nirvana and REM, alongside many other intriguing moments from what was once called the 'shoegazing' era.


FRI 23:00 Seven Ages of Rock (b007rtpn)
What the World is Waiting For: Indie Rock

The journey through the history of rock music climaxes with a focus on British indie music.

Although once associated with social misfits seeking refuge from the bright processed pop then dominating the charts, The Smiths' first Top of the Pops appearance in 1983 paved the way for the hugely influential Madchester music scene.

However, it was the iconoclastic influence of Suede and intense media attention in the Blur v Oasis chart battles in the nineties that brought Britpop to a wider audience. Revealing interviews and rarely seen archive offers an insight into the story which ends with the recent reinvention of Indie by bands like The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand and The Arctic Monkeys.


FRI 00:30 Classic Albums (b010v8kh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


FRI 01:30 Movin' on Up: Pop Hits from 1991 (b010w8t0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


FRI 02:30 Seven Ages of Rock (b007rtpn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 today]