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 28 JUNE 2008

SAT 19:00 Inherit the Wind (b00795rl)
Oscar-nominated screen adaptation of the notorious 1925 Tennessee 'Monkey Trial', in which a young teacher stood accused of violating state law by teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. A celebrated liberal defence lawyer takes on a fundamentalist prosecutor as an intense, compelling drama unfolds in the stifling heat and electric atmosphere of a small-town courtroom.


SAT 21:00 Strictly Courtroom (b00cccl0)
Actor Martin Shaw narrates a documentary which looks at how trials have been portrayed on the silver screen in the past century, from 12 Angry Men and Alfred Hitchcock's Anatomy of A Murder to A Few Good Men and George Clooney's Michael Clayton. Contributors include Geoffrey Robertson QC, OJ Simpson's defence lawyer Alan Dershowitz, author and advocate Scott Turow and death row campaigner Clive Stafford Smith.


SAT 22:30 Glastonbury (b00cccl2)
2008

Buddy Guy/Ethiopiques/Joan Armatrading

Mark Radcliffe introduces three performances from the Jazz World Stage. Legendary blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy is followed by the Ethiopiques and their unique sound of 1960s, and British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading rounds things off with songs from her extensive back catalogue and numbers from her recent album Into The Blues.


SAT 02:00 Strictly Courtroom (b00cccl0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



SUNDAY 29 JUNE 2008

SUN 19:00 The Secret Life of the Motorway (b007xmbm)
The Honeymoon Period

The second episode in this evocative series about Britain's motorways explores how they have transformed where we live, work and play in Britain over the last 50 years. From unbelievably glamorous early service stations to contemporary shopping centres with the infrastructure of a small town, this enthralling film is a journey through the wonderful, and the weird, places motorways have taken us. Contributors include seminal planner Sir Peter Hall, author Will Self, caravanners, hitchhikers and commuters, all on our eagerness to accelerate down the slip road, and the social changes that have followed.


SUN 20:00 Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershoi (b007ccc2)
With a passion for art that is rivalled only by travel, Michael Palin combines both in a European journey to discover more about Vilhelm Hammershoi, an enigmatic Danish artist that has fascinated him for years. Curious to see more of Hammershoi's paintings and discover what kind of life the artist lived, Michael searches for clues in London, Holland and Copenhagen.


SUN 21:00 Glastonbury (b00cccrc)
2008

Eddy Grant

Mark Radcliffe introduces the British reggae-tinged star Eddy Grant and his Frontline Orchestra in one of his first UK shows in over a decade, as they perform on the Jazz World Stage. Grant plays many of his classic hits, including Give Me Hope Joanna, I Don't Want To Dance, Baby Come Back and Electric Avenue.


SUN 22:00 Strictly Courtroom (b00cccl0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]


SUN 23:30 The Boys (b0078z29)
Courtroom drama about four youths accused of murdering a nightwatchman. The defence attempts to persuade the jury that the boys are guilty of a crime of passion and should not be executed.


SUN 01:30 The Secret Life of the Motorway (b007xmbm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


SUN 02:30 Strictly Courtroom (b00cccl0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]



MONDAY 30 JUNE 2008

MON 19:00 World News Today (b00cccy9)
The latest news from around the world.


MON 19:30 Pop Go the Sixties (b0084cjh)
Series 1

The Who

A colourful nugget of pop by The Who, mined from the BBC's archive.


MON 19:35 Batman (b00cfh33)
Series 2

The Zodiac Crimes

Fantasy adventure series. Joker and Penguin collaborate in a series of crimes inspired by the signs of the Zodiac. Can the Dynamic Duo prevail?


MON 20:00 The Life of Mammals (b007c1nk)
Life in the Trees

David Attenborough meets the tree dwellers - those mammals that have adapted to a life at height. Some, like meerkats, might hardly seem to qualify but they do regularly climb small trees to scout for danger. Others, like gibbons, live 100 feet or more above the forest floor and never descend to the ground.

One third of the world's surface is still covered by forest of one kind or another and mammals from a diverse range of groups have exploited them all.

Climbing requires some very specialised adaptations. Hyrax have moist, rubbery feet to help them negotiate slender branches, sun bears rely on sharp claws and strong forearms, coatis go one step further with sharp claws and a long tail for balance. And, when it comes to tails, there's another very effective design. Tamanduas, arboreal anteaters, have gripping tails, which leaves their hands free to break into termite mounds.

But climbing into a tree is just the start. The real challenge is how to move between trees. Grey squirrels cope with small gaps by jumping, a technique favoured by many primates as well as bush babies and lemurs. The latter can leap 30 feet in one go but there are other tree dwellers that can travel further than that. By stretching out a membrane between front and back legs, flying squirrels can glide three times that distance, while fruit bats, along with their insect-eating cousins, are the only mammal to have developed powered flight, and their strong wings enable them to fly as much as 30 miles in a night in their search for fruiting trees.

Life in the Trees is full of strange and unfamiliar animals, such as the Indian slender loris and the fossa, Madagascar's largest arboreal predator, both filmed for the first time in the wild. In this programme, David gets close to many of them, and for some this meant climbing high into the canopy himself.


MON 21:00 Samuel Johnson Prize (b00cccyc)
2008

The Contenders

A look at the candidates for the prestigious non-fiction literary prize.


MON 22:00 The Verdict (b00cccyf)
Gripping courtroom drama in which an ambulance-chasing lawyer attempts to regain some integrity from one final case - a medical malpractice suit for a woman who lies in a coma. With his career fading, he has turned to drink for solace and finds himself in court facing one of the toughest lawyers in the country. An adaptation of Barry Reed's novel, scripted by David Mamet and featuring one of Paul Newman's best performances.


MON 00:05 Strictly Courtroom (b00cccl0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]


MON 01:35 Jews (b00c81yz)
The Next Generation

Documentary series giving an unprecedented insight into Jewish life in Britain today. This edition looks at the psychological inheritance of the Holocaust. It may have taken place over half a century ago, but the children of refugees and survivors still find themselves carrying the inherited trauma from the past in their everyday lives. A reflection on the second generation experience which explores how the past informs the present and how history lives on inside our heads.


MON 02:35 Strictly Courtroom (b00cccl0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]



TUESDAY 01 JULY 2008

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b00ccd6y)
The latest news from around the world.


TUE 19:30 Pop Go the Sixties (b0088nyx)
Series 1

The Kinks

Another mind-bendingly colourful nugget of pop mined from the BBC's archive.


TUE 19:35 Batman (b00cfh4r)
Series 2

The Joker's Hard Times

Fantasy adventure series. The Joker steals 'Justice' and the Dynamic Duo set a trap. But the Duo, and the beautiful Venus, become clam bake.


TUE 20:00 The Wildlife Specials (b0074sw8)
Bears - Spy in the Woods

David Attenborough narrates a documentary about different species of bear. Spy-cams blend into their environment to capture unprecedented footage of wild pandas, grizzly and polar bears, and also the only South American species - spectacled bear cubs. Underwater, we follow grizzlies diving for salmon and, in the woods of Minnesota, we spy on black bears and their tree-climbing cubs.


TUE 21:00 What Happened Next? (b00ccd70)
The Lawyer

Series which finds out what happened to people featured in past BBC documentaries. In 1996 a programme gave a revealing picture of law on the front line when it followed June Venters, a London solicitor who specialised in legal aid work. June's clients had been arrested for a range of alleged crimes from supplying drugs to murder and the film showed her fighting their corner. After a look back at the original film, we catch up with June as she faces up to radical changes to the legal aid system.


TUE 22:00 The Armstrong and Miller Show (b0085c04)
Series 1

Episode 2

Beneath the veneer of po-faced respectability lies a wealth of great characters in Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller's sketch show.

Divorced dad and his young son bond over a cup of tea, and the conversation turns to frank discussions about why Granny died - possibly something to do with an imperial gallon of Tia Maria. A pair of builders decide pretending to be Polish will give them an easier life at work; while a guest at a medieval feast just can't get into the swing of the merry-making thanks to a long list of food intolerances. Russian boss Dimitri and unsuspecting manager Tony snuggle up in front of an episode of Property Ladder; while a busy CEO's loyal aides keep him posted with up-to-the-minute news - Hitler didn't like his nose and crisp packets shrink in the oven. And there's more...


TUE 22:30 Miss Marie Lloyd: Queen of the Music Hall (b007qcxg)
Costume drama inspired by the life and loves of London's East End music hall legend Marie Lloyd.

Spotted by Percy Courtney, her true love and first husband, Marie is soon topping the bill. However, fame takes its toll on the marriage and it ends bitterly. As Marie struggles to juggle her private and public life she falls out with lifelong friend/dresser Freddie and into the arms of fellow performer, the dependable Alec Hurley.

Marie leads a music hall strike and triumphs, but at home she tires of Alec's humdrum ways. Sticking to the principle, as sung, that A Little of What You Fancy Does You Good, Marie chases the champagne lifestyle, taking up with toyboy jockey Bernard Dillon. Respectable society is scandalised and Marie is dropped from the Royal Command Performance, but hits back with an alternative Command Performance.

Riding high professionally but battling failing health and with her personal life in tatters and splashed across the newspapers, she begins to buckle. A faithful but helpless Freddie stands by as Marie is determined that the show must go on.


TUE 23:50 The Twenties in Colour: The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn (b0088zhv)
The Twenties in Colour

Middle East: The Birth of Nations

Series examining Albert Kahn's Archives of the Planet project, in which he sent photographers around the world to document major events. Defeat in WW1 led to the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and its former provinces came under British and French control - though as the occupying troops arrived, the people of present-day Syria, Lebanon and Palestine were already entertaining hopes that they would be able to govern themselves. Kahn's cameras were present as these new nations were born.


TUE 00:50 What Happened Next? (b00ccd70)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


TUE 01:50 Miss Marie Lloyd: Queen of the Music Hall (b007qcxg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 today]


TUE 03:10 What Happened Next? (b00ccd70)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2008

WED 19:00 World News Today (b00ccf39)
The latest news from around the world.


WED 19:30 Pop Go the Sixties (b008791b)
Series 1

Marmalade

A colourful nugget of pop by Marmalade, mined from the BBC's archive.


WED 19:35 Batman (b00cfh6h)
Series 2

The Penguin Declines

Fantasy adventure series. The Penguin and the Joker have hidden in the Batmobile in order to infiltrate the Batcave. Can the Caped Crusader catch the creeps?


WED 20:00 The Wildlife Specials (b0074pkg)
Lions - A Spy in the Den

Edited from more than 3,000 hours of footage, this documentary uses a remote camera disguised as a rock to observe cubs growing up into adult lions. It features their futile attempts to climb trees, the mayhem caused when they surround a hippo, and various encounters with other animals such as cobras, buffalos and elephants. Narrated by David Attenborough.


WED 21:00 Jews (b00ccf3c)
Keeping the Faith

Documentary series giving an unprecedented insight into Jewish life in Britain today tells the story of 52-year-old millionaire philanthropist Jonathan Faith. Former owner of high street chain Faith shoes, he retired from the business to devote himself to trying to reverse the decline in the observant Jewish population, which is currently a mere 270,000 people. He spends his fortune not on yachts, but on a mission to prevent religious Jews in Britain from becoming extinct.


WED 22:00 After the Wedding (b00ccf3f)
Danish drama in which a man who has dedicated his life to helping street children in India finds the orphanage he heads threatened by closure. A Danish businessman offers him a donation of four million dollars under the condition that he return to Denmark and take part in the wedding of the businessman's daughter. The wedding proves to be a critical juncture between past and future and catapults him into the most intense dilemma of his life.


WED 23:55 Jews (b00ccf3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


WED 00:55 The Flapping Track (b00c5143)
The story of South Yorkshire's Highgate Greyhound Stadium, which each week attracts a motley crowd of characters to the world of flapping - independent, unregulated greyhound racing.

In the days when the mines dominated South Yorkshire, flapping was a way of life. But as the mines have closed, so have the tracks. In 1948, there were over 130 flapping tracks in the UK. By 1984, the year of the miners' strike, there were less than 60. Today there are just 11. The tracks may be dwindling, but to those involved flapping remains an obsession and Highgate is at the centre of these dogmen's lives.

At Highgate, 'Tricky' Russ is in charge and as proprietor is all powerful in this unregulated world. But financially, the track is in trouble and his son shows no interest in entering the family business. In step the track's landlords who have regretted their decision to lease the track and are now determined to restore it to its former glory.


WED 02:05 Can Dogs Smell Cancer? (b0074rtr)
Documentary concerning the first in-depth look at dogs' ability to detect cancer in humans. The programme reveals the results of three astonishing scientific trials exploring dogs' sniffing abilities and includes the first-ever footage of a pet dog spontaneously alerting its owner to a potential cancer.


WED 03:05 Jews (b00ccf3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 03 JULY 2008

THU 19:00 World News Today (b00ccffr)
The latest news from around the world.


THU 19:30 Born to Be Wild (b00ccfft)
Mammals

All over Britain, there is a secret army of dedicated people. They spend millions of hours watching over our wildlife. In the first of this six-part series, mammal watchers come under the spotlight. Mammal enthusiasts have to be truly dedicated, because most of our furry creatures are extremely difficult to see. Many are elusive and fast moving, so it takes real skill just to find them. We go into the rafters of a haunted mansion to spot bats, into the depths of a wood to discover a sleepy dormouse, stand out in the pouring rain to catch a glimpse of a brown hare - and for the elusive otter, our poor naturalist has to be content with its poo.

Britain has a long tradition of amateur naturalists taking to the wilds to pursue their passions. Due to them, we have the best-known wildlife of any country on Earth. Our mammal watchers are playing their part, each providing unique information about their beloved animal.


THU 20:00 The Great British Sunday (b008x370)
Comedian Sean Lock looks at what Sundays always meant to him - from hangovers to Jack Hargreaves, from Sunday school and stately homes to utter boredom.


THU 21:00 Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption (b00ccffw)
Documentary investigating the radical impact Sunday schools have had on British society. Their early pioneers upset local bigwigs and the state by teaching the lower orders to read. By Victorian times, huge numbers attended the schools and they even gave birth to major football clubs. In the twentieth century they still had a rich influence on the personal lives of people like Patricia Routledge, Roy Hattersley and Anne Widdecombe. Huw Edwards discovers their forgotten history.


THU 22:00 Ian Hislop's Scouting for Boys (b007hfx3)
Robert Baden-Powell's handbook Scouting for Boys, written in 1908, may be largely forgotten today, but it is one of the most influential and best-selling books of all time. In the 20th century, only the Bible, the Koran and the Thoughts of Chairman Mao sold more. But they had fewer jokes, no pictures and were useless at important stuff like tying knots.

In this entertaining and affectionate film, Ian Hislop uncovers the story behind the book which kick-started the Scout Movement - a work which is very eccentric, very Edwardian and very British.

Ian discovers that the book is actually very radical and addresses all sorts of issues that we think of as modern, such as citizenship, disaffected youth and social responsibility. He explores the maverick brilliance of Baden-Powell, a national celebrity after his heroism in the Boer War, and considers the book's candid focus on health and wellbeing - from the importance of what Baden-Powell called a 'daily rear' to his infamous warning on the dangers of masturbation.

Contributors include his grandson Lord Baden-Powell, minister for culture and former cub scout David Lammy, biographer Tim Jeal and Elleke Boehmer, editor of the re-issue of the original Scouting for Boys.


THU 23:00 BBC Four Sessions (b008yw99)
k.d. lang

Series of unique concerts featuring musicians from around the world at St Luke's in London. Canadian country singer and four-times Grammy Award winner k.d. lang performs together with a 30-strong strings section from the BBC Concert Orchestra. The set features songs from across her 25-year career, including her biggest hit Constant Craving, covers of Neil Young and Leonard Cohen songs, and material from her 2008 album Watershed.


THU 00:00 Born to Be Wild (b00ccfft)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 00:30 Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption (b00ccffw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


THU 01:30 Ian Hislop's Scouting for Boys (b007hfx3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


THU 02:30 Born to Be Wild (b00ccfft)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 03:00 Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption (b00ccffw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



FRIDAY 04 JULY 2008

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b00ccfzp)
The latest news from around the world.


FRI 19:30 A Seaside Parish (b0078pjg)
Series 1

Episode 6

Documentary series following Rev Christine Musser in her new Cornish parish. Christmas comes to Boscastle and a group of parishioners try to use the power of prayer to help an ill friend. Meanwhile, the death of a much-loved family pet casts a shadow over the Christmas festivities at the rectory, and Chris's daughter Sarah begins the almost impossible task of trying to find work in the village.


FRI 20:00 Meetings with Remarkable Trees (b0074tn8)
Series 2

Milton's Mulberry

A history of the great mulberry tree which stands in the grounds of Christ's College, Cambridge, which historians believe to have been planted during an attempt to establish a silk trade in Britain during the reign of Charles I. But the programme reveals how the tree has proved more successful at supplying the college with mulberry jam and ice cream.


FRI 20:10 Storyville (b00cg6zv)
Wheel of Time

Documentary by Werner Herzog exploring the Buddhist Kalachakra movement for world peace. As pilgrims gather at the holy Mount Kailash in Tibet and later in Austria, the Dalai Lama is seen praying with the faithful.


FRI 21:30 BBC Four Sessions (b00byjjd)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Series of unique concerts featuring musicians from around the world at St Luke's in London. Nick Cave and his band perform a set drawn from their latest album Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! and a 20-year repertoire including The Mercy Seat, Red Righ Hand and Deanna.

By turns menacing and hilarious, Cave comes on stage like a Southern preacher in the festooned, converted church and soon has the appreciative crowd hanging off his every word, while the Bad Seeds are at the top of their game behind him.


FRI 22:30 Songwriters' Circle (b0077srw)
Episode 2

Hit songwriters share the stage for an acoustic concert at the Subterania Club in London. This programme features Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground, and Nick Cave. Songs include Back on The Chain Gang, Fear, Into My Arms, Kid, Mercy Seat and Ship of Fools.


FRI 23:20 Later... with Jools Holland (b00ccfzt)
Nick Cave

Compilation of performances from Jools Holland's TV show by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave, who has appeared more times than any other artist between 1992 and 2008. Featuring There She Goes (My Beautiful World), He Wants You, Nobody's Baby Now, Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow and a duet with Shane MacGowan on Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World. Also included is a 1989 performance of The Weeping Song from The Late Show and his duet with Kylie Minogue from 1995, Where The Wild Roses Grow.


FRI 00:20 The Avengers (b0074sbv)
Series 5

The 50,000 Pound Breakfast

1960s crime drama series. Steed dabbles in tycoonery and Emma in foul play. A reclusive industrialist is hounded by diamond thieves.


FRI 01:10 BBC Four Sessions (b00byjjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:30 today]


FRI 02:10 Later... with Jools Holland (b00ccfzt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:20 today]


FRI 03:10 Storyville (b00cg6zv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:10 today]




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

A Seaside Parish 19:30 FRI (b0078pjg)

After the Wedding 22:00 WED (b00ccf3f)

BBC Four Sessions 23:00 THU (b008yw99)

BBC Four Sessions 21:30 FRI (b00byjjd)

BBC Four Sessions 01:10 FRI (b00byjjd)

Batman 19:35 MON (b00cfh33)

Batman 19:35 TUE (b00cfh4r)

Batman 19:35 WED (b00cfh6h)

Born to Be Wild 19:30 THU (b00ccfft)

Born to Be Wild 00:00 THU (b00ccfft)

Born to Be Wild 02:30 THU (b00ccfft)

Can Dogs Smell Cancer? 02:05 WED (b0074rtr)

Glastonbury 22:30 SAT (b00cccl2)

Glastonbury 21:00 SUN (b00cccrc)

Ian Hislop's Scouting for Boys 22:00 THU (b007hfx3)

Ian Hislop's Scouting for Boys 01:30 THU (b007hfx3)

Inherit the Wind 19:00 SAT (b00795rl)

Jews 01:35 MON (b00c81yz)

Jews 21:00 WED (b00ccf3c)

Jews 23:55 WED (b00ccf3c)

Jews 03:05 WED (b00ccf3c)

Later... with Jools Holland 23:20 FRI (b00ccfzt)

Later... with Jools Holland 02:10 FRI (b00ccfzt)

Meetings with Remarkable Trees 20:00 FRI (b0074tn8)

Michael Palin and the Mystery of Hammershoi 20:00 SUN (b007ccc2)

Miss Marie Lloyd: Queen of the Music Hall 22:30 TUE (b007qcxg)

Miss Marie Lloyd: Queen of the Music Hall 01:50 TUE (b007qcxg)

Pop Go the Sixties 19:30 MON (b0084cjh)

Pop Go the Sixties 19:30 TUE (b0088nyx)

Pop Go the Sixties 19:30 WED (b008791b)

Samuel Johnson Prize 21:00 MON (b00cccyc)

Songwriters' Circle 22:30 FRI (b0077srw)

Storyville 20:10 FRI (b00cg6zv)

Storyville 03:10 FRI (b00cg6zv)

Strictly Courtroom 21:00 SAT (b00cccl0)

Strictly Courtroom 02:00 SAT (b00cccl0)

Strictly Courtroom 22:00 SUN (b00cccl0)

Strictly Courtroom 02:30 SUN (b00cccl0)

Strictly Courtroom 00:05 MON (b00cccl0)

Strictly Courtroom 02:35 MON (b00cccl0)

Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption 21:00 THU (b00ccffw)

Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption 00:30 THU (b00ccffw)

Sunday Schools: Reading, Writing and Redemption 03:00 THU (b00ccffw)

The Armstrong and Miller Show 22:00 TUE (b0085c04)

The Avengers 00:20 FRI (b0074sbv)

The Boys 23:30 SUN (b0078z29)

The Flapping Track 00:55 WED (b00c5143)

The Great British Sunday 20:00 THU (b008x370)

The Life of Mammals 20:00 MON (b007c1nk)

The Secret Life of the Motorway 19:00 SUN (b007xmbm)

The Secret Life of the Motorway 01:30 SUN (b007xmbm)

The Twenties in Colour: The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn 23:50 TUE (b0088zhv)

The Verdict 22:00 MON (b00cccyf)

The Wildlife Specials 20:00 TUE (b0074sw8)

The Wildlife Specials 20:00 WED (b0074pkg)

What Happened Next? 21:00 TUE (b00ccd70)

What Happened Next? 00:50 TUE (b00ccd70)

What Happened Next? 03:10 TUE (b00ccd70)

World News Today 19:00 MON (b00cccy9)

World News Today 19:00 TUE (b00ccd6y)

World News Today 19:00 WED (b00ccf39)

World News Today 19:00 THU (b00ccffr)

World News Today 19:00 FRI (b00ccfzp)