SATURDAY 19 MAY 2012

SAT 19:00 South Pacific (b00l7q55)
Fragile Paradise

The South Pacific is still relatively healthy and teeming with fish, but it is a fragile paradise. International fishing fleets are taking a serious toll on the sharks, albatross and tuna, and there are other insidious threats to these bountiful seas. This episode looks at what is being done to preserve the ocean and its wildlife.


SAT 20:00 Lost Kingdoms of Africa (b01bs7f7)
Series 2

The Zulu Kingdom

We know less about Africa's distant past than almost anywhere else on Earth. But the scarcity of written records doesn't mean that Africa lacks history - it is found instead in the culture, artefacts and traditions of the people. In this series, art historian Dr Gus Casely-Hayford explores some of the richest and most vibrant histories in the world, revealing fascinating stories of four complex and sophisticated civilisations: the Kingdom of Asante, the Zulu Kingdom, the Berber Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdoms of Bunyoro & Buganda.

In this episode, Dr Casely-Hayford travels to South Africa to explore the history of one of Africa's most famous kingdoms. Visiting some of the most evocative sites in Zulu history, he examines the origins of the Zulu in the 17th century, their expansion under controversial military leader King Shaka and their brutal encounters with the Boers and the British. He also searches for the secrets behind the Zulu's cultural power and legendary military strength, and why Zulu identity continues to endure.


SAT 21:00 The Bridge (b01j0nkg)
Series 1

Episode 9

Gradually all the pieces to the complicated puzzle are put in place. The clues and evidence in the investigation have led the police to a man who could be the murderer. Now they wait tensely for his next move.

In Swedish and Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 22:00 The Bridge (b039s9lc)
Series 1

Episode 10

It now dawns on the police that the final step in the murderer's evil plan has a new direction. Saga does all she can to crack the case and catch the killer - will she succeed before it's too late?

In Swedish and Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 23:00 Tales of Television Centre (b01h266w)
Documentary which recalls the heyday of one of Britain's most iconic buildings, BBC Television Centre, through the memories of stars and staff. A rich variety of archive includes moments from studio recordings of classic programmes and vintage behind-the-scenes footage from the home of many of the most celebrated programmes in British TV history.


SAT 00:30 Top of the Pops (b01hr9rw)
28/04/77

Dave Lee Travis looks at the weekly pop chart from 1977 and introduces Contempt, Detroit Spinners, Rags, Kiki Dee, Uriah Heep, Billy Ocean, Barry Biggs, Joe Tex, Barbra Streisand, 10cc and Abba, with a dance sequence from Legs & Co.


SAT 01:10 Top of the Pops (b01hzglr)
05/05/77

Noel Edmonds looks at the weekly pop chart from 1977 and introduces Bay City Rollers, Delegation, Mac and Katie Kissoon, Joy Sarney, Frankie Valli, Mr Big, Rod Stewart, Leo Sayer, Tavares and Deniece Williams, with a dance sequence from Legs & Co.


SAT 01:50 Lost Kingdoms of Africa (b01bs7f7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


SAT 02:50 South Pacific (b00l7q55)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



SUNDAY 20 MAY 2012

SUN 19:00 Tales of Television Centre (b01h266w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Saturday]


SUN 20:30 Hancock (b00778m5)
The Lift

Hancock is the ninth passenger in a lift designed to carry eight. When the lift sticks between floors and stays there all night, his attempts to cheer everybody up are not appreciated.


SUN 21:00 Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (b018l6wz)
Epic account of the early life of Genghis Khan, from the time he became an orphan at the age of nine through to his triumph as undisputed Mongol leader in 1206. Betrayed by his father's clan when still a child, then sold into slavery and imprisoned by the Chinese, he eventually escapes. Only then, through cunning and a series of fearsome, bloody victories in battle does he begin his campaign to unite the warring Mongol clans into a large and fearsome empire.

In Mongolian and Mandarin with English subtitles.


SUN 23:00 Timewatch (b00790p2)
2005-2006

The Secret History of Genghis Khan

Documentary looking at the Secret History of the Mongols, said to have been written by Genghis Khan's adopted son, which reveals a very different man to the brutal butcher of Western legend. Not just a womaniser, but a devoted husband. Not just a warrior, but a politician. Not just a conqueror, but a legislator. A man who wanted the lessons he had learnt - good and bad - to be passed onto his successors. Within its pages lies the inside story of how an illiterate nomad inspired his successors to conquer the largest land empire the world has ever seen.


SUN 23:50 Barry Manilow at the BBC (b01hrb2y)
A mixture of songs, interviews and rarely seen documentary footage offers a glimpse as to how American crooner Barry Manilow's career has evolved on screen for more than forty years. Classics such as Mandy, Copacabana and Could It Be Magic were played to millions of viewers first time around and are revisited in clips from Top of the Pops, Parkinson and various filmed shows including his pivotal open-air concert at Blenheim Palace in 1983 - it's a miracle!


SUN 00:50 One Night with Barry Manilow (b007c87l)
Over thirty years on from his first TV performances, legendary entertainer Barry Manilow celebrates for one night with a set of renditions of the songs known to generations of popular music lovers, including Mandy, Copacabana, I Write the Songs and Can't Smile Without You. Plus moments of surprise and hilarity, along with testimonials from his fans.


SUN 01:50 Tales of Television Centre (b01h266w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Saturday]


SUN 03:20 Hancock (b00778m5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]



MONDAY 21 MAY 2012

MON 19:00 World News Today (b01hzn8v)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


MON 19:30 Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury (b0110ghh)
The Worcester and Birmingham Canal

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

Julia starts this walk in Birmingham, which surprisingly boasts more miles of canal than Venice. But her mission isn't to seek out gondolas or ice cream - it's to discover how the city, through its canal network, became the centre of the Industrial Revolution. It's also the start of Julia's two-day walk along the historic and picturesque Worcester and Birmingham Canal, which cuts a 30-mile path through to the River Severn. The highlight of the canal is a dramatic two-mile flight of 30 locks which lower the canal by 220 feet. Negotiating this flight of locks is considered to be a rite of passage by boaters, and it's definitely one for the tick list for walkers.


MON 20:00 Timewatch (b00fg9hw)
2008-2009

The Last Day of World War One

Michael Palin tells the story of how the First World War ended on 11th November 1918 and reveals the shocking truth that soldiers continued to be killed in battle for many hours after the armistice had been signed. Recounting the events of the days and hours leading up to that last morning, Palin tells the personal stories of the last soldiers to die as the minutes and seconds ticked away to the 11 o'clock ceasefire.


MON 21:00 Birdsong (b01bmyfj)
Episode 2

As Stephen Wraysford recovers from his injuries and prepares for a major offensive, he is still haunted by the legacy of his affair with Isabelle Azaire. Amidst the horror of the trenches, Stephen unexpectedly finds comfort in his friendship with Jack Firebrace, who shows him that there is a future worth fighting for.


MON 22:20 Roundhead or Cavalier: Which One Are You? (b01hr7k9)
In the middle of the 17th century, Britain was devastated by a civil war that divided the nation into two tribes - the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. In this programme, celebrities and historians reveal that modern Britain is still defined by the battle between the two tribes. The Cavaliers represent a Britain of panache, pleasure and individuality. They are confronted by the Roundheads, who stand for modesty, discipline, equality and state intervention.

The ideas which emerged 350 years ago shaped our democracy, civil liberties and constitution. They also create a cultural divide that influences how we live, what we wear and even what we eat and drink. Individuals usually identify with one tribe or the other, but sometimes they need some elements of the enemy's identity - David Cameron seeks a dash of the down-to-earth Roundhead, while Ed Miliband looks for some Cavalier charisma.

Featuring contributions from Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, AS Byatt, Julian Fellowes, Philippa Gregory, Anne Widdecombe and Clarissa Dickson Wright.

Are you a Roundhead or a Cavalier?


MON 23:20 The Bridge (b01j0nkg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]


MON 00:20 Canal Walks with Julia Bradbury (b0110ghh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


MON 00:50 The Great Estate: The Rise & Fall of the Council House (b0109dvs)
Journalist and author Michael Collins presents a hard-hitting and heartwarming history of one of Britain's greatest social revolutions - council housing.

At its height in the mid-1970s, council housing provided homes for over a third of the British population. From the 'homes for heroes' cottages that were built in the wake of the First World War to the much-maligned, monolithic high rises of the 60s and 70s, Collins embarks on a grand tour of Britain's council estates.

He visits Britain's first council estate, built as an antidote to London's disease and crime-ridden Victorian slums, the groundbreaking flats that made inter-war Liverpool the envy of Europe, the high rise estate in Sheffield that has become the largest listed building in the world, and the estate built on the banks of the Thames that was billed as 'the town of the 21st century'.

Along the way he meets the people whose lives were shaped by an extraordinary social experiment that began with a bang at the start of the 20th century and ended with a whimper 80 years later.


MON 01:50 Timewatch (b00fg9hw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


MON 02:50 Birdsong (b01bmyfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



TUESDAY 22 MAY 2012

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b01hzn9l)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


TUE 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b00xbmlv)
Series 2

Dereham to Cromer

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. In a series of five epic journeys, Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

On a journey taking him coast to coast from Brighton to Cromer, Michael gets the rare chance to drive a heritage diesel train, finds out why Norfolk black turkeys appeared on the Christmas menu in Bradshaw's day and samples some classic Cromer crab.


TUE 20:00 The Story of British Pathé (b014bb01)
Around the World

For more than half a century film and newsreel company British Pathe documented almost every aspect of British life, but it also captivated audiences with enthralling stories from overseas.

In the age before mass tourism made international travel affordable and accessible to most of us, their sumptuous travelogues and anthropological documentaries offered British cinemagoers a rare opportunity to glimpse faraway worlds. For decades Pathe dutifully covered royal tours to every corner of the British Empire, but by the 1950s, when the first package holidays were sold, the company also recorded the experiences of the first generations of Britons who were able to indulge in leisure travel around the globe.

This film examines the unique footage captured by the company's cameras across five continents during Pathe's seven decades of international film-making.


TUE 21:00 Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls (b01j2fcq)
Act One: At Court

The years after the Civil War and the Restoration of Charles II marked the end of the medieval and the beginning of the modern age. These were exciting times for women and some rose to prominence like never before. Some had remarkably modern attitudes and ambitions and achieved wealth, celebrity and power that still seems outstanding even by 21st century standards. But, at the same time, they faced a world that was still predominantly male, misogynistic and positively medieval in its outlook.

In the first episode, Dr Lucy Worsley investigates the lives of women at the top - the king's mistresses at the royal court. When Charles and his entourage returned from exile, they came back with a host of continental ideas. Some of the women at court gained unprecedented political influence and independence. Amongst a fascinating cast of female characters, the most astonishing were Charles II's own mistresses - the royalist Barbara Villiers, the French spy Louise de Keroualle and the infamous Cockney actress Nell Gwynn.

Lucy examines the lives of these women, discovering how their fortunes were shaped by the Restoration and how their stories reflect the atmosphere of these extraordinary years. Along her journey, Lucy gets the full mistress make-over, takes to the dance floor and treads the corridors of power. As she discovers, these women were key Restoration players, but, as mistresses, were they truly in charge of their own destinies or were they simply part of the world's oldest profession?


TUE 22:00 10 Things You Didn't Know About... (b008s99l)
Earthquakes

Iain Stewart looks at some of the world's most dramatic earthquakes and reveals the stories and science behind them. In seconds, these powerful forces of nature which cannot be predicted or prevented can shake a town to destruction and shift the landscape forever. We discover why quakes can last 60 times longer on the moon than on Earth, how one particular earthquake fault line can produce hallucinations, and how 1960s Cold War spying gave scientists a crucial clue to understanding them.


TUE 23:00 The Bridge (b039s9lc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Saturday]


TUE 00:00 The Story of British Pathé (b014bb01)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


TUE 01:00 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.


TUE 02:00 10 Things You Didn't Know About... (b008s99l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


TUE 03:00 Great British Railway Journeys (b00xbmlv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 03:30 Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls (b01j2fcq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2012

WED 19:00 World News Today (b01hznbd)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


WED 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b00xhxrv)
Series 2

Ledbury to Shrewsbury

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us and what remains of Bradshaw's Britain, as he follows the route of the Irish mail from Ledbury to Holyhead.

Michael tastes the Victorian drink perry, a kind of pear cider, gets up close and personal with a pedigree Hereford bull and visits the grandfather of all skyscrapers, the world's first iron-framed building in Shrewsbury.


WED 20:00 Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer? (b00lc71z)
Episode 2

In the 1530s, King Henry VIII was at a crossroads. In his desperation for a new wife and an heir he had broken with Rome, divorced Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn. Isolated and vulnerable, he needed a powerful new image as head of church and state.

In the second of a two-part documentary, architectural historian Jonathan Foyle looks for clues in the king's art to glimpse what was going on inside his head as he faced his darkest days.


WED 21:00 The Story of Variety with Michael Grade (b00z1z0g)
After the War

Fifty years ago every UK town had a variety theatre. Michael Grade tells the story of this lost world.


WED 22:00 Greek Myths: Tales of Travelling Heroes (b00vzxv9)
Eminent classical historian Robin Lane Fox embarks on a journey in search of the origins of the Greek myths. He firmly believes that these fantastical stories lie at the root of western culture, and yet little is known about where the myths of the Greek gods came from, and how they grew. Now, after 35 years of travelling, excavation and interpretation, he is confident he has uncovered answers.

From the ancient lost city of Hattusas in modern Turkey to the smouldering summit of the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna, the documentary takes the viewer on a dazzling voyage through the Mediterranean world of the 8th century BC, as we follow in the slipstream of an intrepid and mysterious group of merchants and adventurers from the Greek island of Euboea. It's in the experiences of these now forgotten people that Lane Fox is able to pinpoint the stories and encounters, the journeys and the landscapes that provided the source material for key Greek myths.

And along the way, he brings to life these exuberant tales - of castration and baby eating, the birth of human sexual love, and the titanic battles with giants and monsters from which the gods of Greek myth were to emerge victorious.


WED 23:30 The Disabled Century (b0077s9w)
Episode 3

The final instalment looks at the problems disabled people faced as they moved out of institutions and into the community. The 1980s and 90s proved to be a turning point as more people were prepared to fight for wider recognition and rights.


WED 00:10 Henry VIII: Patron or Plunderer? (b00lc71z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 01:10 Great British Railway Journeys (b00xhxrv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 01:40 The Story of Variety with Michael Grade (b00z1z0g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


WED 02:40 Greek Myths: Tales of Travelling Heroes (b00vzxv9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]



THURSDAY 24 MAY 2012

THU 19:00 World News Today (b01hznc2)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


THU 19:30 Top of the Pops (b01j0wxj)
12/05/77

Jimmy Savile looks at the weekly pop chart from 1977 and introduces Honky, Blue, Trinidad Oil Company, Simon May, Martyn Ford, Mud, Billy Paul, Dr Feelgood, Barbra Streisand, 10cc, Kenny Rogers and Deniece Williams, with a dance sequence from Legs & Co.


THU 20:00 Munro: Mountain Man (b00mwgyq)
Little more than 100 years ago, Scottish mountains standing at more than 3,000 feet were virtually unknown. Today they are familiar terrain to many thousands of climbers, thanks to Victorian adventurer Hugh Munro's determination to list the high peaks which now define the highlands and islands of Scotland.

This documentary tells the story of the magnificent peaks that bear his name and the people who have been possessed by them.

The birth of this obsession - now known as Munrobagging - is a twisting tale of intrigue, which presenter Nicholas Crane unravels high on the ridges and pinnacles of some of Scotland's most spectacular mountains.


THU 21:00 The Eiger: Wall of Death (b00tlwj3)
A history of one of the world's most challenging mountains, the Eiger, and its infamous north face. The film gets to the heart of one of Europe's most notorious peaks, exploring its character and its impact on the people who climb it and live in its awesome shadow.


THU 22:00 Natural World (b00tj7j4)
2010-2011

The Himalayas

Documentary looking at the wildlife of the most stunning mountain range in the world, home to snow leopards, Himalayan wolves and Tibetan bears.

Snow leopards stalk their prey among the highest peaks. Concealed by snowfall, the chase is watched by golden eagles circling above. On the harsh plains of the Tibetan plateau live extraordinary bears and square-faced foxes hunting small rodents to survive. In the alpine forests, dancing pheasants have even influenced rival border guards in their ritualistic displays. Valleys carved by glacial waters lead to hillsides covered by paddy fields containing the lifeline to the east, rice. In this world of extremes, the Himalayas reveal not only snow-capped mountains and fascinating animals but also a vital lifeline for humanity.


THU 23:00 Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls (b01j2fcq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


THU 00:00 Top of the Pops (b01j0wxj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 00:40 Birdsong (b01bmyfj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Monday]


THU 02:00 Munro: Mountain Man (b00mwgyq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 03:00 The Eiger: Wall of Death (b00tlwj3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



FRIDAY 25 MAY 2012

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b01hznd6)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


FRI 19:30 Delius: Composer, Lover, Enigma (b01j0yys)
The composer Frederick Delius is often pictured as the blind, paralysed and caustic old man he eventually became, but in his youth he was tall, handsome, charming and energetic - not Frederick at all for most of his life, but Fritz. He was a contemporary of Elgar and Mahler, yet forged his own musical language, with which he always tried to capture the pleasure of the moment.

Using evidence from his friend, the Australian composer Percy Grainger, who reported that Delius 'practised immorality with puritanical stubbornness', this film by John Bridcut explores the multiple contradictions of his colourful life. Delius has long been renowned for his depiction of the natural environment, with pieces such as On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, yet his music is usually steeped in the sensuality and eroticism that he himself experienced.

The documentary features specially-filmed performances by the widely-acclaimed Danish interpreters of Delius, the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bo Holten, as well as the chamber choir, Schola Cantorum of Oxford.


FRI 21:00 Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (b01j0yyv)
John Edginton's documentary explores the making of Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here, which was released in September 1975 and went on to top the album charts both in the UK and the US.

Featuring new interviews with band members Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason alongside contributions from the likes of sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson and photographer Jill Furmanovsky, the film is a forensic study of the making of the follow-up to 1973's Dark Side of the Moon, which was another conceptual piece driven by Roger Waters.

The album wrestles with the legacy of the band's first leader, Syd Barrett, who had dropped out of the band in 1968 and is eulogised in the album's centrepiece, Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Pink Floyd had become one of the biggest bands in the world, but the 60s were over and the band were struggling both to find their purpose and the old camaraderie.


FRI 22:00 A Pink Floyd Miscellany 1967-2005 (b014grts)
A compilation of rarely screened Pink Floyd videos and performances, beginning with the Arnold Layne promo from 1967 and culminating with the reunited band's performance at Live 8 in 2005. Also including a newly restored Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) and performances of Grantchester Meadows, Cymbeline and others.


FRI 23:00 Guitar Heroes at the BBC (b00llh2f)
Part III

Compilation of classic archive performances from the guitar gods of the late 60s and 70s. Status Quo appear playing Pictures of Matchstick Men on Top of the Pops in 1968, The Who perform Long Live Rock in the Old Grey Whistle Test studio, Dire Straits play Tunnel of Love and Lynyrd Skynyrd bring a taste of the Deep South with Sweet Home Alabama. The show also features rare performances from George Benson, Leo Kottke, Link Wray and Tom Petty.


FRI 00:00 Toots and the Maytals: Reggae Got Soul (b00ymljb)
The untold story of one of the most influential artists ever to come out of Jamaica, Toots Hibbert, featuring intimate new performances and interviews with Toots, rare archive from throughout his career and interviews with contemporaries and admirers including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Marcia Griffiths and Paolo Nutini.

From his beginnings as a singer in a Jamaican church to the universally-praised, Grammy award-winning artist of today, the film tells the story of one of the true greats of music.

Toots was the first to use the word reggae on tape in his 1968 song Do the Reggay and his music has defined, popularised and refined it across six decades, with hit after hit including Pressure Drop, Sweet and Dandy, Monkey Man, Funky Kingston, Bam Bam, True Love Is Hard To Find and Reggae Got Soul.

As Island records founder Chris Blackwell says, 'The Maytals were unlike anything else... sensational, raw and dynamic'. Always instantly recognisable is Toots's powerful, soulful voice which seems to speak viscerally to the listener - 'one of the great musical gifts of our time'. His songs are at the same time stories of everyday life in Jamaica and postcards from another world.


FRI 01:00 Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (b01j0yyv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


FRI 02:00 A Pink Floyd Miscellany 1967-2005 (b014grts)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


FRI 03:00 Delius: Composer, Lover, Enigma (b01j0yys)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]