The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
Comedians Andy Hamilton and Reginald D Hunter host a series in which qualified professionals and experts submit their theories about life, the universe and everything for examination by a panel of Hamilton, Hunter and a guest celebrity, who then make a final decision on whether the theory is worth keeping.
The guest celebrity is broadcaster Clare Balding and the experts are Prof Geoff Beattie and Marcus Chown.
Writer and journalist Irma Kurtz takes a journey around the Mediterranean, following in the path of Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad. This edition finds her in Damascus.
David Drew follows in the footsteps of Jean-Louis Burckhardt, who set out to find the source of the Niger disguised as an Arab to travel more easily, and almost accidentally discovered the fabled city of Petra near the south shores of the Dead Sea.
Five-part series following a year in the life of four schools in Damascus, a high pressure crossroads in the Middle East.
It concentrates on some remarkable characters finding their way in a country that has never before opened ordinary life up to the cameras in this way, challenges the usual cliches of Arab life and charts the highs and lows of the school year.
It's time for the country's nationwide search to find Syria's brightest and best primary school students. Thousands of pupils will battle it out in every conceivable discipline, over three hard-fought rounds of competition to become National Pioneers of the Ba'ath Party - Syria's ruling party.
At Al Muleiha Primary School for Boys, head teacher Soha skilfully steers her boys towards the Pioneer final, guiding her most gifted pupils into some of the less competitive disciplines. 11-year-old Imad has his eyes on the prize, for cardboard modelling.
And at Jeramana Middle School, Ward has his own challenge. He's a gifted boy who has been picked to represent his country in one of the toughest international chess tournaments in the world - in Beirut.
Conrad Hilton wants Don under exclusive contract, but Don doesn't want to sign. Peggy is wooed by Duck. Betty gets involved with local politics and meets a man who will change her life. Don gets an eclipse of the heart at his children's school.
THURSDAY 04 MARCH 2010
THU 19:00 World News Today (b00r5ylp)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 Only Connect (b00r5ww7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 on Monday]
THU 20:00 Chemistry: A Volatile History (b00q2mk5)
Discovering the Elements
The explosive story of chemistry is the story of the building blocks that make up our entire world - the elements. From fiery phosphorous to the pure untarnished lustre of gold and the dazzle of violent, violet potassium, everything is made of elements - the earth we walk on, the air we breathe, even us. Yet for centuries this world was largely unknown, and completely misunderstood.
In this three-part series, professor of theoretical physics Jim Al-Khalili traces the extraordinary story of how the elements were discovered and mapped. He follows in the footsteps of the pioneers who cracked their secrets and created a new science, propelling us into the modern age.
Just 92 elements made up the world, but the belief that there were only four - earth, fire, air and water - persisted until the 19th century. Professor Al-Khalili retraces the footsteps of the alchemists who first began to question the notion of the elements in their search for the secret of everlasting life.
He reveals the red herrings and rivalries which dogged scientific progress, and explores how new approaches to splitting matter brought us both remarkable elements and the new science of chemistry.
THU 21:00 The Man with the Golden Gavel (b00r5ylr)
The stuffy gloom of the auction world is pierced by one bright star - Swiss aristocrat and art entrepreneur Simon de Pury. He has revitalised ancient auction house Phillips and turned the salesroom into a party venue, attracting a hip crowd to sales of the hottest contemporary artworks so new they are called Wet Art. But then the biggest boom in art history turns to bust. Can the man they call the salesroom Mick Jagger find even more cutting edge art to keep his house afloat?
THU 22:00 Paws, Claws and Videotape (b00r0rds)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
THU 23:00 Iron Maiden: Flight 666 (b00r5ylv)
A film that documents the first leg of Iron Maiden's Somewhere Back in Time world tour, which took them 50,000 miles around the planet playing 23 concerts on five continents in just 45 days.
One of the stars of the movie is the customised Boeing 757, Ed Force One, which carried the band, their crew and 12 tons of stage equipment and was piloted by airline captain and Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson.
The film gives a close-up, behind-the-scenes look at what happened on and off stage, when Maiden gave full access to a camera crew for the first time, and contains some of the most spectacular live footage yet seen of the band.
Taking the viewer from Mumbai to Santiago, LA to Sydney, Tokyo to San Paolo and all points between, through exhaustion and fan pandemonium, travelling with band and crew on the plane, to and from shows, in the bar and during leisure time, this really is Access All Areas.
THU 00:55 The Man with the Golden Gavel (b00r5ylr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
THU 01:55 Paws, Claws and Videotape (b00r0rds)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
THU 02:55 Chemistry: A Volatile History (b00q2mk5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
FRIDAY 05 MARCH 2010
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b00r600h)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
FRI 19:30 Franz Peter Schubert: The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow (b00r600k)
Franz Schubert was undervalued in his own lifetime and for at least the next century because he died young and, for all the appreciation of his intimate circle of friends, he failed to achieve public recognition and financial success. He was the first great composer in western music to live by his art alone, without patronage, but he enjoyed only one public concert of his music in his lifetime.
Christopher Nupen's documentary uses Schubert's words and music to help us feel closer to what the composer himself was trying to say. The film begins with the funeral of Beethoven, at which Schubert was a torch bearer, and the story is told almost entirely in music that Schubert wrote between then and his death.
It includes quotations from his letters and diaries and the words that he chose to set in some of his songs. The title, The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow, is taken from a dream which Schubert wrote down on July 3rd 1822 and which is quoted in full in the film.
There are no actors, just words, music, musicians and an anonymous storyteller predominantly using Schubert's own words. It features Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano), Andreas Schmidt (baritone), Michael Sanderling (cello), Antje Weithaas (violin), the Petersen Quartet and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch.
FRI 21:00 Metal Britannia (b00r600m)
Nigel Planer narrates a documentary which traces the origins and development of British heavy metal from its humble beginnings in the industrialised Midlands to its proud international triumph.
In the late 60s a number of British bands were forging a new kind of sound. Known as hard rock, it was loud, tough, energetic and sometimes dark in outlook. They didn't know it, but Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and, most significantly, Black Sabbath were defining what first became heavy rock and then eventually heavy metal.
Inspired by blues rock, progressive rock, classical music and high energy American rock, they synthesised the sound that would inspire bands like Judas Priest to take metal even further during the 70s.
By the 80s its originators had fallen foul of punk rock, creative stasis or drug and alcohol abuse. But a new wave of British heavy metal was ready to take up the crusade. With the success of bands like Iron Maiden, it went global.
Contributors include Lemmy from Motorhead, Sabbath's Tony Iommi, Ian Gillan from Deep Purple, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden and Saxon's Biff Byford.
FRI 22:30 Metal at the BBC (b00r600p)
Compilation of memorable heavy metal performances from BBC TV shows, including Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Motorhead.
FRI 23:00 Iron Maiden: Live in Concert (b00r8z1n)
A 60-minute concert filmed in different cities around the world in early 2008 in which this British rock and roll export demonstrate why they are perhaps the global force in metal with songs like Fear of the Dark, Wasted Years, Number of the Beast and Hallowed Be Thy Name. Taken from the concert film Somewhere Back In Time Live.
FRI 00:00 Rock Family Trees (b0077lp7)
Series 2
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Formed in the late 60s, Black Sabbath's lyrics, looks and lifestyle got them into trouble with moral guardians on both sides of the Atlantic. This programme charts the band's career, showing how friendships forged between the four original members 40 years ago have survived to the present.
FRI 00:50 Metal Britannia (b00r600m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRI 02:20 Metal at the BBC (b00r600p)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:30 today]
FRI 02:50 Franz Peter Schubert: The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow (b00r600k)
[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)
BBC Proms
01:00 SAT (b00lszzc)
Chemistry: A Volatile History
20:00 THU (b00q2mk5)
Chemistry: A Volatile History
02:55 THU (b00q2mk5)
Footsteps: The Rose-Red City
20:10 WED (b00r5xy0)
Franz Peter Schubert: The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow
19:30 FRI (b00r600k)
Franz Peter Schubert: The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow
02:50 FRI (b00r600k)
Getting Our Way
23:30 MON (b00r06j3)
Getting Our Way
02:30 MON (b00r06j3)
Hidden Histories
19:30 TUE (b00fgh94)
Indian Hill Railways
20:00 SAT (b00qzzlm)
Indian Hill Railways
03:35 SAT (b00qzzlm)
Indian Hill Railways
20:00 SUN (b00r5wk7)
Iron Maiden: Flight 666
23:00 THU (b00r5ylv)
Iron Maiden: Live in Concert
23:00 FRI (b00r8z1n)
It's Only a Theory
19:30 WED (b00nk9yy)
It's Only a Theory
00:15 WED (b00nk9yy)
Leeds International Piano Competition
00:00 SAT (b00nb5t7)
Life
19:00 SAT (b00nqbkb)
Mad Men
23:00 SUN (b00r0rnm)
Mad Men
03:15 SUN (b00r0rnm)
Mad Men
22:00 WED (b00r5xy4)
Mark Lawson Talks To...
22:00 SUN (b00r3qf8)
Mark Lawson Talks To...
02:15 SUN (b00r3qf8)
Mediterranean Tales
20:00 WED (b0074q1n)
Metal Britannia
21:00 FRI (b00r600m)
Metal Britannia
00:50 FRI (b00r600m)
Metal at the BBC
22:30 FRI (b00r600p)
Metal at the BBC
02:20 FRI (b00r600p)
Nurse Jackie
22:30 SAT (b00r3sb2)
On Expenses
21:00 SUN (b00r3qf4)
On Expenses
01:15 SUN (b00r3qf4)
Only Connect
20:30 MON (b00r5ww7)
Only Connect
00:30 MON (b00r5ww7)
Only Connect
19:30 THU (b00r5ww7)
Paws, Claws and Videotape
21:00 TUE (b00r0rds)
Paws, Claws and Videotape
01:10 TUE (b00r0rds)
Paws, Claws and Videotape
03:10 TUE (b00r0rds)
Paws, Claws and Videotape
22:00 THU (b00r0rds)
Paws, Claws and Videotape
01:55 THU (b00r0rds)
Rock Family Trees
00:00 FRI (b0077lp7)
Skippy: Australia's First Superstar
20:00 TUE (b00qvl9g)
Skippy: Australia's First Superstar
00:10 TUE (b00qvl9g)
Storyville
23:45 SUN (b00r06j5)
Storyville
22:30 MON (b00r5wwc)
Storyville
03:30 MON (b00r5wwc)
Storyville
02:10 TUE (b00r5wwc)
Syrian School
19:30 MON (b00r0rnk)
Syrian School
21:00 WED (b00r5xy2)
Syrian School
00:45 WED (b00r5xy2)
The Armstrong and Miller Show
23:00 SAT (b00ndsgv)
The Great Offices of State
19:00 SUN (b00r0sf5)
The Lives of Others
22:00 TUE (b00r0sf7)
The Lives of Others
01:45 WED (b00r0sf7)
The Man with the Golden Gavel
21:00 THU (b00r5ylr)
The Man with the Golden Gavel
00:55 THU (b00r5ylr)
The Thick of It
23:30 SAT (b00p90kr)
Wallander
21:00 SAT (b00g42sm)
World News Today
19:00 MON (b00r5wmp)
World News Today
19:00 TUE (b00r5x0t)
World News Today
19:00 WED (b00r5xxy)
World News Today
19:00 THU (b00r5ylp)
World News Today
19:00 FRI (b00r600h)
Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children
21:00 MON (b00r5ww9)
Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children
01:00 MON (b00r5ww9)
Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children
22:45 WED (b00r5ww9)