The BBC has announced that it has a sustainable plan for the future of the BBC Singers, in association with The VOCES8 Foundation.
The threat to reduce the staff of the three English orchestras by 20% has not been lifted, but it is being reconsidered.
See the BBC press release here.

Radio-Lists Home Now on BBC 4 Contact

RADIO-LISTS: BBC FOUR
Unofficial Weekly Listings for BBC 4 — supported by bbc.co.uk/programmes/



SATURDAY 19 MARCH 2022

SAT 19:00 The Normans (b00tcgkl)
Men from the North

In the first episode of a three-part series, Professor Robert Bartlett explores how the Normans developed from a band of marauding Vikings into the formidable warriors who conquered England in 1066. He tells how the Normans established their new province of Normandy -'land of the northmen' - in northern France. They went on to build some of the finest churches in Europe and turned into an unstoppable force of Christian knights and warriors, whose legacy is all around us to this day. Under the leadership of Duke William, the Normans expanded into the neighbouring provinces of northern France. But William's greatest achievement was the conquest of England in 1066. The Battle of Hastings marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy and monarchy. The culture and politics of England would now be transformed by the Normans.


SAT 20:00 Arctic with Bruce Parry (b00ydbl9)
Canada

Bruce travels to the far north of Canada to live with the Caribou people and witness their annual spring hunt. The Gwitchin tribe has hunted migrating caribou in the Arctic wilderness for thousands of years, but this tradition is now under threat from oil exploration.

Bruce then heads south to the tar sands of Alberta, home to the second largest oil reserves in the world, to discover how native people cope when the oil industry moves into their territory.


SAT 21:00 Hidden (m0015hvh)
Series 3

Episode 1

When the body of local farmer Ifan Williams is discovered in a remote river in the middle of the North Wales countryside, DCI Cadi John and DS Owen Vaughan are called to investigate. Cadi learns of the call whilst attending an interview for the role of DSI in Liverpool.

Whilst informing the victim's wife of her husband's death, DCI John learns that there was no love lost between husband and wife. There seems to be no motive for the murder of Ifan Williams. Neither his mother nor his wife can think of anyone who may have wanted to hurt him.


SAT 22:00 Burning (m0015nk5)
Critically acclaimed South Korean drama based on a short story by Haruki Murakami. Jong-su, a part-time farm worker, bumps into his former neighbour, Hae-mi. She asks him to look after her cat while she is away in Kenya. When she returns, Hae-mi introduces Jong-su to Ben. One day, Ben visits Jong-su with Hae-mi and confesses to having a strange secret hobby.


SAT 00:20 Wogan: The Best Of (b05n92cw)
Leading Ladies

Sir Terry Wogan casts an eye back on his days fronting Wogan, the nation's biggest chat show. In this episode he presents songs and interviews with an inspiring line-up of leading ladies, including Madonna, Diana Ross, Jodie Foster, Celine Dion, Drew Barrymore, a young Catherine Zeta-Jones and the much-married Zsa Zsa Gabor.


SAT 01:05 Yes, Prime Minister (b0074rw6)
Series 1

One of Us

The papers of a recently deceased head of MI5 show that he was, at one stage, spying for Russia. Worse still, he was investigated and cleared by an internal Civil Service Committee of Enquiry headed by Sir Humphrey Appleby.


SAT 01:35 Keeping Up Appearances (b007brhy)
Series 2

The Toy Store

Sitcom about an irrepressible snob. Hyacinth is forced to intervene when Daddy overspends in a toy department, dresses up as a spaceman and proceeds to go on the rampage. Unless the damage is paid for, the owners threaten to apprehend him as a security risk.


SAT 02:05 Arctic with Bruce Parry (b00ydbl9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]



SUNDAY 20 MARCH 2022

SUN 19:00 James Galway at the BBC (m000c5xp)
Dazzling entertainment from the Man with the Golden Flute as Sir James Galway reflects on a television career spanning over 40 years. Following an extraordinary journey from the Belfast docks to principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Galway went on to cross all musical boundaries in the late 1970s to become a BBC TV superstar.

From Val Doonican to Top of the Pops, Wogan to Celebrity Proms, and Parkinson to Songs of Praise, Galway brought the sound of the flute to audiences of millions. With stunning performances of the great classics and iconic TV moments on piccolo, mouth organ and tin whistle, this is a journey full of fun and surprises.

The Chieftains, Cleo Laine and The Cambridge Buskers are just some of the musicians who feature in a wealth of BBC archive paying tribute to one of the best-loved entertainers of his generation on his eightieth birthday.


SUN 20:00 BBC Proms (b08ympvh)
2017

John Williams Film Prom

The BBC Proms celebrates the 85th birthday of the world's favourite film composer, John Williams. The BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Keith Lockhart perform some of the best-loved music in cinema history, including movie magic from Star Wars, Harry Potter, ET and Indiana Jones as well as lesser-known gems from John Williams's extraordinary back catalogue. Presented by Katie Derham.


SUN 22:00 Skint (p0bmv8zc)
Series 1

I'd Like to Speak to the Manager

An evening out takes a dark turn in this exploration of misunderstanding across the class divide. Set in Northern Ireland, and starring Saoirse- Monica Jackson, writer Lisa McGee’s tensely comedic monologue asks us to confront prejudice and a lack of empathy, instead recognising a shared humanity no matter what our life experiences.


SUN 22:15 Skint (p0bmv926)
Series 1

No Grasses No Nonces

A birthday pint in his local reminds Jambo how it felt to be a vulnerable teenager 20 years previously. Set in Derby, and starring Michael Socha, writer Byron Vincent’s emotionally affecting monologue shows in stark detail the dangers facing teenagers growing up in poverty with no support systems and the impact this can have on their mental health.


SUN 22:30 Skint (p0bmv900)
Series 1

Hannah

An incident in her bedsit over a cake leaves Hannah and her baby temporarily homeless. Set in Great Yarmouth, and starring Emma Fryer, writer Kerry Hudson’s monologue highlights the plight of the working poor and how, despite doing everything right, it’s still possible to find yourself in a desperate situation.


SUN 22:45 Skint (p0bmv91h)
Series 1

Regeneration

As the developers close in, mushroom seller Gary remembers being cleared out of a slum when he was a child. Set in a London market, and starring Gary Beadle, writer Gabriel Gbadamosi’s monologue packs an emotional punch as new developments spread like fungus across the city, and some people get left behind.


SUN 23:05 The Sound of TV with Neil Brand (m000pz1b)
Series 1

Episode 1

In the opening episode, Neil Brand looks at the enduring power of the television theme tune and the way in which it has acted as the ‘nation’s jukebox’ for over 60 years. On the streets of an iconic television landmark, Coronation Street, he encounters a brass band playing the music that has announced the start of each episode of the show since it began.

Following the trail of the soap opera world, he meets composer Simon May, creator of the EastEnders theme tune. Neil shows how our deep connection with TV music starts in childhood by revisiting some of his own bygone favourites and listening to the folk tunes of Bagpuss composers Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner.

He then travels to the streets of Merseyside to celebrate the endurance of the theme from Z Cars, and traces the cop/detective genre through the music of 60s legend John Astley. We discover the little-known world of library music with obsessive collector Jonny Trunk, seeing how tunes from library records went on to brand long-loved staples such as Mastermind and Grandstand.

Finally, Neil travels to the US to talk with Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, to uncover how its orchestrated theme music is a homage to classic TV of the past. Neil also visits the studio of Ramin Djawadi, the composer behind the epic sound of one of today’s biggest blockbuster series, Game of Thrones.


SUN 00:05 The Sound of TV with Neil Brand (m000q5lf)
Series 1

Episode 2

Neil Brand looks at the impact of television music, this time not what was composed for the programmes themselves, but the music that surrounds them – jingles, idents and advertising, all of which play a huge part in our television memories.

Neil revisits the earliest days of BBC television, when the first-ever musical ident for Auntie was created in the 1950s, and when the spaces between programmes were filled with musical interludes such as the infamous potter’s wheel and, of course, the test card. Bob Stanley of cult band Saint Etienne explains the significance of this music to generations, surprisingly showing how long-forgotten test card tunes are sampled in huge-selling American hip-hop records.

With the advent of commercial television in the UK, ITV rivalled the BBC for airtime and lured viewers in with the new language of advertisements. But these had not yet reached the impact they had seen in the USA, the home of the TV jingle, where a 30-second tune could make or break a brand, as seen in the competing fortunes of Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Flying west to Las Vegas, Neil meets the most successful jingle singer of all time, Linda November, the unseen voice behind thousands of TV spots and countless hours of high-rating television. He sees how short musical phrases known as stings evolved to brand an increasing range of TV channels in the more competitive world of multi-platform television. And finally, Neil hits the studio with maverick brand composers Jingle Punks to record a jingle that sums up the very heart of the series - Neil Brand himself.


SUN 01:05 The Beauty of Diagrams (b00wbn7y)
Newton's Prism

Series in which mathematician Marcus du Sautoy explores the stories behind some of the world's most familiar scientific diagrams.

What exactly is light? What is colour? In the mid-1660s, Isaac Newton bought a pair of prisms at a fair near Cambridge, which were to be the basis of a series of experiments that would unlock a secret that had occupied scientists for centuries - the nature of light itself.

To explain what he had done, Newton created a diagram. It is called The Crucial Experiment and is a pivotal image in scientific history, a graphic moment when the ancient world was overturned by modern science. Newton demonstrated that white light is not pure, but made up of a number of different colours, the colours of the rainbow.

Newton's ideas transformed our knowledge of what we see and how we see, and the prism and its refracted colours became a captivating image. From fibre optics to the cover of Pink Floyd's album Dark Side of the Moon, Newton's work went on to influence centuries of science and art.


SUN 01:35 James Galway at the BBC (m000c5xp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


SUN 02:35 The Normans (b00tcgkl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]



MONDAY 21 MARCH 2022

MON 19:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b00792rn)
Riches beneath the Earth

Series examining the many sides of Fred Dibnah - engineer, steeplejack, artist, craftsman, steam enthusiast and inventor - and celebrating his contribution to our knowledge and appreciation of Britain's architectural, industrial and engineering heritage. Fred's fascination with mining led him not just to dig his own coal mine in his back garden but was also used to make viewers aware of the skills of miners and engineers, and the dangers and hardships faced by miners throughout history.


MON 19:30 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9v8)
Series 2

Ellesmere Port to Audlem

Life on board a narrowboat with Robbie Cumming. Robbie battles his way through blanket weed on the Shropshire Union Canal and discovers industrial secrets in Audlem, Cheshire.


MON 20:00 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000s4q2)
Series 5

Tatton Park

Bendor Grosvenor and Emma Dabiri travel to the grand Georgian mansion of Tatton Park in Cheshire, where Bendor has spotted a mysterious portrait of a 16th-century physician in its collection. Initially he wonders if the work might be by mannerist painter Parmigianino, but once the restoration is underway, and after examining other works by the Renaissance master, he is forced to abandon this idea and start again.

Emma explores the story of the man who bought the portrait, Wilbraham, the first Earl Egerton of Tatton, whose social climbing saw him turn the mansion into a marvel of luxury and won him an aristocratic title. Meanwhile Bendor, who is still confused by who the artist might be, is inspired by a chance remark from restorer Simon Gillespie. This new lead prompts a trip to Rome and Florence, which finally confirms an attribution for the painting and ultimately reveals the subject to be a well-known Renaissance anatomist. This prompts Emma to investigate the symbiotic relationship between art and anatomy.


MON 21:00 The Golden Age of Steam Railways (b01p8w38)
Small Is Beautiful

Two-part documentary telling the remarkable story of a band of visionaries who rescued some of the little narrow gauge railways that once served Britain's industries. These small railways and the steam engines that ran on them were once the driving force of Britain's mines, quarries, factories and docks. Then, as they disappeared after 1945, volunteers set to work to bring the lines and the steam engines back to life and started a movement which spread throughout the world. Their home movies tell the story of how they helped millions reconnect with a past they thought had gone forever.


MON 22:00 Ian Hislop's Stiff Upper Lip - An Emotional History of Britain (b01nd1ly)
Heyday

In the second part of his series about British emotion and identity, Ian Hislop argues that we have the Victorians to thank for making the stiff upper lip a genuinely national characteristic. He also shows how the belief became pervasive that suffering in silence was a service to society. And along the way he resurrects the stories of some remarkable - some might say bonkers - national heroes, like Captain Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the Channel.

Ian begins by returning to his own boarding school, Ardingly College in Sussex, which he admits forged his own character. In a classics lesson, on the playing fields and in chapel, Ian explores how the English public school system instilled a powerful ideology not only into upper- but middle-class boys, preparing them to run both the country and the fast expanding empire. He shows how, later in the century, these ideas were successfully rolled out to the roughest parts of Glasgow and beyond through the Boys' Brigade, founded 25 years before the Scouts, as a panacea for 'degenerate' working-class youth.

Ian also suggests that it was the Crimean War which heralded the democratisation of the stiff upper lip. The valour of ordinary privates was admired by all and for the first time they became national heroes - the new Victoria Cross was the first honour for which all ranks were eligible. Ian also discovers how even for today's Rifles Regiment holding it together unflappably remains essential.

Victorians tended to believe that a good dose of emotional restraint could even fortify women, and that by being uncomplaining and endlessly supportive - 'the angel in the house' - women could aspire towards their own version of the stiff upper lip.

Yet by the early 20th century some intellectuals, radicals and aesthetes were beginning to question the homogenised, quasi-industrial approach to character building - and were equating the stiff upper lip with hypocrisy and repression. And ultimately, the Victorian ideal of reticent stoicism shot through with imperial swagger could not survive the mud of Flanders. Yet it was precisely these values which fed the front line and persuaded so many officers and men to endure the First World War's unspeakable horrors. Ian goes to the battlefields of the Somme to tell the remarkable story of how one officer literally treated war as a game, using football to motivate his men to go over the top.

Ian also introduces the weeping policeman 'Robert Emotional', explains the dark context to Charles Darwin's observation 'Englishmen rarely cry' and talks to MP Rory Stewart about how the stiff upper lip helped see him through his time as a deputy governor in Iraq.


MON 23:00 imagine... (b08h542v)
Winter 2017

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise

Documentary portrait of the trail-blazing activist, poet and writer Maya Angelou. Born in 1928, she enthused generations with her bold and inspirational championing of the African American experience that pushed boundaries and redefined the way people think about race and culture.

Maya Angelou was captured on film just before she died in 2014, and this documentary celebrates her life and work, weaving her words with rare and intimate archival photographs and videos. It reveals hidden episodes of her exuberant life during some of America's defining moments, from her upbringing in the Depression-era south to her work with Malcolm X in Ghana and her inaugural speech for President Bill Clinton, the film takes us on an incredible journey through the life of a true American icon.

Contributors include Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Hillary Clinton and Maya Angelou's son Guy Johnson.


MON 00:35 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9v8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


MON 01:05 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b00792rn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


MON 01:35 The Golden Age of Steam Railways (b01p8w38)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


MON 02:35 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000s4q2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]



TUESDAY 22 MARCH 2022

TUE 19:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b00792vh)
Changing the Landscape

As Fred was growing up in Bolton, his house was surrounded by canals, railway lines, bridges and tunnels and he was always fascinated by the skills of the men who built them. The passion and enthusiasm he showed for great engineering projects throughout the ages, has helped to appreciate more fully the way in which so much of our landscape has been influenced by human activity.


TUE 19:30 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9z0)
Series 2

Market Drayton to Stourport-on-Severn

Life on England’s waterways with Robbie Cumming. Robbie gets stuck in the mud in Woodseaves Cutting and explores the charming canal-side village of Kinver in Staffordshire.


TUE 20:00 Keeping Up Appearances (b007b81t)
Series 2

The Three Piece Suite

Hyacinth is anxious that her neighbours view the arrival of her new suite, proudly boasting that it's an exact replica of one at Sandringham House. But the rest of the family conduct themselves less than regally.


TUE 20:30 Yes, Prime Minister (b0074rwy)
Series 2

Man Overboard

Sir Humphrey must stop Jim supporting a plan to move armed service jobs from the south to the north east to ease unemployment.


TUE 21:00 Mysteries of the Bayeux Tapestry (m0015nnc)
The Bayeux Tapestry is a remarkable and unique work of art that has survived for almost 1,000 years. Made in the 11th century, it tells the story of William of Normandy’s claim to the English throne, culminating in the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings.

Surprisingly for an object of its size, the Bayeux Tapestry is not mentioned in any contemporary records. So where does it come from? Who made it and why? Archaeologists, historians, biologists, anthropologists and even astrophysicists are unlocking some of the tapestry’s mysteries to understand better the story it tells us about England and France at that time.

At nearly 70 metres in length, the Bayeux Tapestry includes 623 characters, hundreds of animals and a wide diversity of scenes depicting everyday life and epic events. It is a treasure trove of information, offering an extraordinary insight into a pivotal moment in history.


TUE 22:00 Battlefield Britain (b0078rp6)
Hastings

Peter and Dan Snow tell the story of the turbulent events of 1066. Peter gives a blow-by-blow account of how the Saxons led by King Harold were pitted against the Norman army, led by their duke, William. Dan tells the soldiers' stories, faces a cavalry charge head-on and joins the Metropolitan Police Public Order Unit to experience the crush of a shield wall, the Saxons' favoured tactic.


TUE 23:00 Dog Tales and Cat Tales (m000mmk3)
Series 1

Cat Tales: In from the Wild

In this episode, we take a close-up look at the world’s most popular furry pet, the cat. Detailed real-time brain scans reveal a possible explanation for why owners are besotted with their cats. A cat’s meow plugs straight into the emotional centres of our brains in exactly the same way as a baby’s cry. And adult cats only meow to humans. So they may not intend to manipulate us, but they do. It turns out owners literally can’t help loving their cats.

Can we tell what a cat is thinking and feeling? In a way, we can. Dr Lauren Finka has been studying cats’ enigmatic faces to try and read their thoughts and emotions. ‘Whilst cats definitely change their expressions, it's very, very subtle. For the average cat owner trying to look at the cat's face, it remains problematic.' So, unless you’re a scientist, cats remain hard to read.

By contrast, according to new research, it turns out that cats can read our emotions like a book.

We discover that the gap between our lovable pets and wildcats is paper-thin. So how did we end up with a wild animal living in our homes?

We meet vet Dr Ashlie Randal, who is working with domestic cats that have turned wild – feral cats. 'Feral cats are very different from domestic cats. They typically will fight or resort to flight when people come into play.' And yet, genetically, they are identical to your furry pet.

So what’s the origin of our nearly wild pets? Geneticist Carlos Driscoll explains how his research found their wildcat ancestors are Felix Silvestris Lybica, the North African wildcat. 'People have been speculating about it for hundreds of years. Now with the advent of molecular genetic techniques, we can really drill down and say definitively where domestic cats come from.'

Archaeology has pinpointed one of the earliest ever pet cats - the moment when human met cat 9,500 years ago. It was found in an ancient Cypriot burial by archaeologist Jean-Denis Vigne. 'They were facing each other in death. In the afterlife. And this is a scene that has been arranged by people.'

Using graphics and interviews, we reveal that what drew cats and humans together was a change in human behaviour - the beginning of agriculture. It attracted cats out of the wild and into human settlements.

The story of the pet cat takes an unexpected twist, one thousand miles and several thousand years away in Egypt. Things seemed to look up for cats as the ancient Egyptians turned them into gods. But Egyptologist Salima Ikram uncovers a trove of cat mummies to reveal the unpleasant downside of the Egyptian obsession with cats. 'Pilgrims would buy these cats to give a blood sacrifice.'

Things didn’t improve for Egyptian cats in Europe during the Middle Ages. It was all the fault of Pope Gregory IX, who said that cats were in league with Satan. Medieval expert Ronald Hutton paints a ghastly picture. 'In late medieval Europe, there were festivals formed around the torturing and killing of cats, regarding cats as essentially, nosy, menacing, intrusive, potentially satanic beings.'

But in the 21st century, the life of a cat has really turned around. They are now the most popular furry pet in the world. We visit Las Vegas’s largest cat show to see just how far the cat has come.

We also find out if it’s really true that you can’t train a cat. According to Samantha Martin of Acro-Cats, you actually can: 'Cats are brilliant. People really underestimate the brilliance of cats. By training them, they get to use their brain.'

So what’s next for the cat? We meet owners who are cross breeding other wildcats with domestic cats to create completely new species. Ironically, they’re trying to make domestic cats look wild, which under the skin of course, they still are.

What do cats make of all this? As usual, they’re not saying.


TUE 00:00 Twin Sisters: A World Apart (b053pxdt)
Documentary telling the poignant true story of twin sisters from China, found as babies in a cardboard box in 2003 and adopted by two separate sets of parents - one from California, the other from a remote fishing village in Norway.

In the US, Mia is raised a typical all-American girl, with a bustling life filled with violin lessons, girl scouts and soccer, while Alexandra grows up in the quietude of the breathtakingly beautiful but isolated village of Fresvik, Norway.

Neither of the adoptive parents were told their daughters were twins, but a chance sighting at the orphanage enabled them to keep in touch, until a DNA test proved their hunch had been right. Both girls grew up knowing they had an identical twin living on the other side of the world.

The film tells the remarkable story of their parallel journey, punctuated by only the odd visit, videos and photographs - until they meet for a longer visit in Norway when they are eight years old. Despite living completely different lives and speaking different languages, they are mirrors of each other - the magical bond between them is extraordinary.

This is the story of our notions of family - the genetic ones we inherit and the ones we create.


TUE 01:00 Skint (p0bmv8zc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Sunday]


TUE 01:15 Skint (p0bmv926)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:15 on Sunday]


TUE 01:30 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9z0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 02:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b00792vh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


TUE 02:30 Ian Hislop's Stiff Upper Lip - An Emotional History of Britain (b01nd1ly)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Monday]



WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH 2022

WED 19:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b00792y7)
Great British Builders

Fred, who served his apprenticeship as a joiner, shows a great appreciation for the skills of the men who built Britain's great castles, palaces and country houses, and offers real insights into the building techniques of the past. In this episode, we see Fred giving a number of demonstrations, including the hilarious falling down arch.


WED 19:30 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9sv)
Series 2

Stourport Basins to Kingswood Junction

The real side of boat life with Robbie Cumming. Robbie navigates the mighty River Severn and takes an unexpected bath as he takes a tumble at the Tardebigge lock flight in Worcestershire.


WED 20:00 Secret Life of Farm Animals (m0001jgg)
Series 1

Cows

It's summer and we follow the first 12 weeks of a Hereford calf's life as he makes friends and settles into the herd. We discover that cows are much more than mother nature's muck-spreaders, rather they are highly social animals with complex personalities. They are also brilliant problem solvers with a love of music and given freedom to roam, thanks to the matriarch, they can thrive in the wild just as their ancient ancestors did. Is it any surprise that Hamish the ram wants to be one? But it's not just about cows. We also discover that chickens use 24 different vocalisations to communicate.


WED 21:00 Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal (b0bkz5wv)
Series 1

Castaway

The second film in this intimate portrait finds Princess Margaret and her husband Anthony Armstrong-Jones at the start of their married life in the early 1960s. At home with celebrities and artists, they are riding the wave of a cultural and sexual revolution that is transforming Britain.

In 1965, they set off on an official royal tour of the United States. From California to small-town Arizona, the royal couple promote Britain by day and party by night. They attend a dinner with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in a world where Hollywood royalty increasingly competes with the real thing. In Britain, the press starts to ask if the extravagant royal tour is a good way to spend public money. The mystique of monarchy is being increasingly undermined by the emergence of a more open and egalitarian society.

In the years that follow, Anthony Armstrong-Jones begins to withdraw from royal duties and the couple lead increasingly separate lives. Press speculation about the state of their marriage intensifies. In the 1970s Margaret retreats more and more to the Caribbean island of Mustique in an attempt to secure a private life. In an era of celebrity gossip and the telephoto lens, her relationship with a younger man and beach parties with rock stars like Mick Jagger lead to ever more press interest. As Britain lurches from one economic crisis to the next, Margaret's Caribbean lifestyle becomes the lightning rod for republican attacks on the monarchy.

In 1978, Margaret reflects changing attitudes sweeping the country and gets a divorce. The rebel royal is now increasingly eclipsed by a new generation of princesses. But in her own way, Princess Margaret helped pave the way for them and for the monarchy of the 21st century.

Contributors include Lady Anne Glenconner, a childhood friend who became her lady-in-waiting, Jane Stevens, one of her closest friends, Basil Charles, the owner of a bar on the Caribbean island of Mustique, David Griffin, Princess Margaret's chauffeur, and Craig Brown, her unofficial biographer.


WED 22:00 Storyville (m0015nnw)
The Distant Barking of Dogs

Ten-year-old Oleg lives with his grandma in eastern Ukraine, close to the front line of the war between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces. His village, Hnutove, is just a mile from the war zone. Whilst friends and family have been able to flee, Oleg has no other place to go.

This Storyville documentary follows him over the course of a year, from 2016 to 2017, examining what it is like to grow up in the midst of armed conflict.


WED 23:30 Natural World (b054fn09)
2015-2016

Super-Powered Owls

With their charismatic faces and extraordinary head-turning ability, owls are one of our best-loved birds. And yet it's rare to catch more than a glimpse of one in the wild. These mysterious birds haunt our night, floating through the darkness with an eerie silence. But how do they see in the dark? And how do they fly so silently?

Through the eyes of two special barn owl chicks, and with the help of leading scientists, Natural World reveals the magic behind owls' superpowers.


WED 00:30 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9sv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 01:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b00792y7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


WED 01:30 Secret Life of Farm Animals (m0001jgg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 02:30 Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal (b0bkz5wv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 24 MARCH 2022

THU 19:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b007931m)
Masters of Their Trade

Series which looks at the many sides of Fred Dibnah - engineer, steeplejack, artist, craftsman, steam enthusiast and inventor - and celebrates his contribution to our knowledge of Britain's architectural, industrial and engineering heritage. This edition focuses on his appreciation for the skills of craftsmen and women of the past.


THU 19:30 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9sg)
Series 2

Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham

The reality of life afloat with Robbie Cumming. On the last leg of his journey across England, Robbie crosses an epic aqueduct near Stratford-upon-Avon and gets stuck in a lock in central Birmingham.


THU 20:00 Michael Wood's Story of England (b00v9kb5)
Peasants' Revolt to Tudors

Groundbreaking series in which Michael Wood tells the story of one place throughout the whole of English history. The village is Kibworth in Leicestershire in the heart of England - a place that lived through the Black Death, the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution and was even bombed in World War Two.

Wood's gripping tale moves on to dramatic battles of conscience in the time of the Hundred Years' War. Amazing finds in the school archive help trace peasant education back to the 14th century and we see how the people themselves set up the first school for their children.

Some villagers join in a rebellion against King Henry V, while others rise to become middle class merchants in the textile town of Coventry. On the horizon is the Protestant Reformation, but the rise of capitalism and individualism sow the seeds of England's future greatness.


THU 21:00 Green Book (m000yxc4)
New York, 1962: Italian-American nightclub bouncer Tony Lip gets taken on as a driver for acclaimed African American pianist Donald Shirley on a tour of the Deep South, where racism and segregation are still commonplace.


THU 23:00 Manchester by the Sea (b088fl1q)
A troubled man suddenly finds himself laden with responsibility following the sudden death of his older brother. Drinking heavily to repress painful memories, he is shocked to discover after the passing of his sibling that he has been named his teenage nephew's legal guardian.


THU 01:15 Skint (p0bmv900)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 on Sunday]


THU 01:30 Skint (p0bmv91h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:45 on Sunday]


THU 01:45 Canal Boat Diaries (m000q9sg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 02:15 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone (b007931m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


THU 02:45 Michael Wood's Story of England (b00v9kb5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]



FRIDAY 25 MARCH 2022

FRI 19:00 Dusty (m0015npw)
Series 2

Episode 1

Dusty Springfield's 1960s variety show, first broadcast on 15 August 1967, with the voices of Madeline Bell, Leslie Duncan and Maggie Stredder. Her special guests are Alf Garnett aka actor Warren Mitchell and actor and writer Ken Campbell.


FRI 19:30 Dusty (m0015npy)
Series 2

Episode 2

Dusty Springfield's 1960s variety show, first broadcast on 22 August 1967, with the voices of Madeline Bell, Leslie Duncan and Maggie Stredder. Her special guest is singer Mel Tormé.


FRI 19:55 Pop Go the Sixties (b00cvzhf)
Series 2

Dusty Springfield

A colourful nugget of pop mined from the BBC's archive. From her own series recorded in 1967, Dusty Springfield performs the Bobby Hebb classic, Sunny, which had been a hit in the UK for Cher and Georgie Fame.


FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (m0015nq0)
Femi Oke and Mark Franklin present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 3 September 1992 and featuring Bananarama, The Shamen, Sonia, Dr. Alban, Lionel Richie, U96, Sinéad O'Connor and Snap!


FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m0015nq2)
Tony Dortie presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 10 September 1992 and featuring East 17, The Christians, Undercover, Freddie Jackson, INXS, Del Amitri, Boy George and Snap!


FRI 21:00 Elton John: Uncensored (m000bql0)
Sir Elton and Graham Norton sit down for a world-exclusive intimate chat, which sees the legendary 'Rocket Man' look back at his extraordinary life and a career spanning more than 50 years.

Shot at his home in the south of France while on a break from his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, this exclusive and revealing 60-minute film sees Elton share many candid, personal and laugh-out-loud stories. including previously unseen footage from the 1970s of Elton performing Rocket Man on Top of the Pops. The pair also revisit many of Elton's interviews, accolades and classic performances, including previously unseen footage from the 1970s of Elton singing Rocket Man on Top of the Pops.

Elton tells Graham about his childhood growing up in Pinner as Reg Dwight and reflects on his rise to global super stardom in the 70s. He also shares musical memories from the 80s and 90s and describes the highs and lows that superstardom brought him. Elton also talks about the important friendships in his life, including how he and Rod Stewart have been laughing both with and at each other for over 40 years. Speaking openly about both his battles with addiction and, more recently, prostate cancer, Elton also talks about the positive effect that fatherhood has had on his life and how he’d like to spend his time in the future, both on and off stage.


FRI 22:00 Amazing Grace (m000qzvh)
The never-before-seen movie featuring Aretha Franklin recording the most successful gospel album of all time, Amazing Grace. Crafted from footage originally captured in 1972.


FRI 23:25 Electric Proms (b00vt2yz)
2010

Elton John

Elton John in concert at the Roundhouse with friend and mentor Leon Russell, and special guests Plan B and Rumer, performing both classic hits and tracks from his and Leon's album The Union.


FRI 00:25 Classic Soul at the BBC (b0074pvv)
A collection of some of the greatest soul performances from the BBC's archive, featuring Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Dusty Springfield, Isaac Hayes, Solomon Burke and Percy Sledge.


FRI 01:25 Top of the Pops (m0015nq0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


FRI 01:55 Top of the Pops (m0015nq2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


FRI 02:25 Dusty (m0015npw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


FRI 02:55 Dusty (m0015npy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]




LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)

Amazing Grace 22:00 FRI (m000qzvh)

Arctic with Bruce Parry 20:00 SAT (b00ydbl9)

Arctic with Bruce Parry 02:05 SAT (b00ydbl9)

BBC Proms 20:00 SUN (b08ympvh)

Battlefield Britain 22:00 TUE (b0078rp6)

Britain's Lost Masterpieces 20:00 MON (m000s4q2)

Britain's Lost Masterpieces 02:35 MON (m000s4q2)

Burning 22:00 SAT (m0015nk5)

Canal Boat Diaries 19:30 MON (m000q9v8)

Canal Boat Diaries 00:35 MON (m000q9v8)

Canal Boat Diaries 19:30 TUE (m000q9z0)

Canal Boat Diaries 01:30 TUE (m000q9z0)

Canal Boat Diaries 19:30 WED (m000q9sv)

Canal Boat Diaries 00:30 WED (m000q9sv)

Canal Boat Diaries 19:30 THU (m000q9sg)

Canal Boat Diaries 01:45 THU (m000q9sg)

Classic Soul at the BBC 00:25 FRI (b0074pvv)

Dog Tales and Cat Tales 23:00 TUE (m000mmk3)

Dusty 19:00 FRI (m0015npw)

Dusty 19:30 FRI (m0015npy)

Dusty 02:25 FRI (m0015npw)

Dusty 02:55 FRI (m0015npy)

Electric Proms 23:25 FRI (b00vt2yz)

Elton John: Uncensored 21:00 FRI (m000bql0)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 19:00 MON (b00792rn)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 01:05 MON (b00792rn)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 19:00 TUE (b00792vh)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 02:00 TUE (b00792vh)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 19:00 WED (b00792y7)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 01:00 WED (b00792y7)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 19:00 THU (b007931m)

Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 02:15 THU (b007931m)

Green Book 21:00 THU (m000yxc4)

Hidden 21:00 SAT (m0015hvh)

Ian Hislop's Stiff Upper Lip - An Emotional History of Britain 22:00 MON (b01nd1ly)

Ian Hislop's Stiff Upper Lip - An Emotional History of Britain 02:30 TUE (b01nd1ly)

James Galway at the BBC 19:00 SUN (m000c5xp)

James Galway at the BBC 01:35 SUN (m000c5xp)

Keeping Up Appearances 01:35 SAT (b007brhy)

Keeping Up Appearances 20:00 TUE (b007b81t)

Manchester by the Sea 23:00 THU (b088fl1q)

Michael Wood's Story of England 20:00 THU (b00v9kb5)

Michael Wood's Story of England 02:45 THU (b00v9kb5)

Mysteries of the Bayeux Tapestry 21:00 TUE (m0015nnc)

Natural World 23:30 WED (b054fn09)

Pop Go the Sixties 19:55 FRI (b00cvzhf)

Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal 21:00 WED (b0bkz5wv)

Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal 02:30 WED (b0bkz5wv)

Secret Life of Farm Animals 20:00 WED (m0001jgg)

Secret Life of Farm Animals 01:30 WED (m0001jgg)

Skint 22:00 SUN (p0bmv8zc)

Skint 22:15 SUN (p0bmv926)

Skint 22:30 SUN (p0bmv900)

Skint 22:45 SUN (p0bmv91h)

Skint 01:00 TUE (p0bmv8zc)

Skint 01:15 TUE (p0bmv926)

Skint 01:15 THU (p0bmv900)

Skint 01:30 THU (p0bmv91h)

Storyville 22:00 WED (m0015nnw)

The Beauty of Diagrams 01:05 SUN (b00wbn7y)

The Golden Age of Steam Railways 21:00 MON (b01p8w38)

The Golden Age of Steam Railways 01:35 MON (b01p8w38)

The Normans 19:00 SAT (b00tcgkl)

The Normans 02:35 SUN (b00tcgkl)

The Sound of TV with Neil Brand 23:05 SUN (m000pz1b)

The Sound of TV with Neil Brand 00:05 SUN (m000q5lf)

Top of the Pops 20:00 FRI (m0015nq0)

Top of the Pops 20:30 FRI (m0015nq2)

Top of the Pops 01:25 FRI (m0015nq0)

Top of the Pops 01:55 FRI (m0015nq2)

Twin Sisters: A World Apart 00:00 TUE (b053pxdt)

Wogan: The Best Of 00:20 SAT (b05n92cw)

Yes, Prime Minister 01:05 SAT (b0074rw6)

Yes, Prime Minister 20:30 TUE (b0074rwy)

imagine... 23:00 MON (b08h542v)