The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
In this final part of the series about how the British obsession with our homes began 300 years ago, historian Amanda Vickery uses sources, from intimate diaries to Old Bailey records, to reveal how the 18th-century home was constantly under threat from theft, fire, divorce, poverty, illness, old age and death.
Georgian houses may seem like sanctuaries of calm elegance to us today, but at the time they were noisy chaotic places bursting with extended families, servants and lodgers and threatened by the lawlessness of Georgian streets. How did the Georgians make their houses havens of safety and security? How did the Englishman fight to make his home his castle?
Andrew Graham-Dixon discovers an ingenious approach to caring for crumbling wood carvings, tackles Turner with a vacuum cleaner, sets sail across an 18th-century water feature and meets a world authority on the science of dust.
Lucy Worsley, chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces, focuses on the bedroom - a room which people now think of as one of the most private in the house and yet started for most as a noisy, busy communal space. From spending the night in a Tudor farmhouse to recreating a bedtime 'bundling' courtship ritual, and from being publicly dressed as Queen Caroline in Hampton Court to experiencing the glamour of the 1930s boudoir, Lucy discovers that birth, marriage and death have all played a big part in the story of the bedroom.
THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2011
THU 19:00 World News Today (b010p6bm)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 Top of the Pops (b010p6bp)
We travel back to 1976 to track the year that sculpted pop. Tony Blackburn introduces performances from Slik, E.L.O, Laurie Lingo and the Dipsticks and Brotherhood of Man.
THU 20:00 Queens of Heartache (b007ch35)
Documentary about a group of female singers whose voices make you weep, who sang songs of heartbreak and betrayal, had lives that seemed to mirror their music and deaths that came too soon and made myths of them all. Yet their voices triumph over tragedy and they became icons of the 20th century.
Edith Piaf, the Urchin Queen, stood small but strong and became the voice of her nation and of everyone who ever made mistakes. Billie Holiday, the Jazz Queen, her voice full of pain and yearning. Judy Garland, Showbiz Queen, raised in the film studio that fed her addiction to pills and to fame. Maria Callas, Drama Queen, whose voice brought out the heartache in opera and whose life echoed the roles she played. And Janis Joplin, Wild Queen, who offered up a 'piece of her heart' and died of drug abuse at just 27.
With contributions from Mickey Rooney, Charles Aznavour, Country Joe McDonald, KT Tunstall, Katie Melua and Corinne Bailey-Rae.
THU 21:00 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story (b00sjbw1)
This iconic American story was written in 1900 by L Frank Baum, a Chicago businessman, journalist, chicken breeder, actor, boutique owner, Hollywood movie director and lifelong fan of all things innovative and technological. His life spanned an era of remarkable invention and achievement in America and many of these developments helped to fuel this great storyteller's imagination.
His ambition was to create the first genuine American fairytale and the story continues to fascinate, inspire and engage millions of fans of all ages from all over the world. This documentary explores how The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has come to symbolise the American Dream and includes previously unseen footage from the Baum family archives, still photographs and clips from the early Oz films, as well as interviews with family members, literary experts and American historians as it tells the story of one man's life in parallel to the development of modern America.
THU 22:00 Rubicon (b010p6br)
The Outsider
The outsider Will accompanies Spangler on a business trip to Washington DC, leaving his leaderless team to make an important operational decision with only unsubstantiated information available to them. Katherine receives Tom's possessions from the coroner and finds a voicemail on Tom's cell phone which further implicates his friend James Wheeler.
THU 22:45 The Cell (b00m425d)
The Hidden Kingdom
In a three-part series, Dr Adam Rutherford tells the extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and of life itself. Every living thing is made of cells, microscopic building blocks of almost unimaginable power and complexity.
The first part explores how centuries of scientific and religious dogma were overturned by the earliest discoveries of the existence of cells, and how scientists came to realise that there was, literally, more to life than meets the eye.
THU 23:45 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story (b00sjbw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
THU 00:45 Queens of Heartache (b007ch35)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
THU 01:45 Top of the Pops (b010p6bp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
THU 02:15 The Cell (b00m425d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:45 today]
THU 03:15 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story (b00sjbw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRIDAY 29 APRIL 2011
FRI 19:00 Elgar: The Man Behind the Mask (b00vv0zx)
The composer of Land of Hope and Glory is often regarded as the quintessential English gentleman, but Edward Elgar's image of hearty nobility was deliberately contrived. In reality, he was the son of a shopkeeper, who was awkward, nervous, self-pitying and often rude, while his marriage to his devoted wife Alice was complicated by romantic entanglements which fired his creative energy.
In this revelatory portrait of a musical genius, John Bridcut explores the secret conflicts in Elgar's nature which produced some of Britain's greatest music.
FRI 20:30 Sacred Music: The Story of Allegri's Miserere (b00g81g7)
Simon Russell Beale tells the story behind Allegri's Miserere, one of the most popular pieces of sacred music ever written. The programme features a full performance of the piece by the award-winning choir the Sixteen, conducted by Harry Christophers.
FRI 21:00 Legends (b00fzv3y)
Roy Orbison - The 'Big O' in Britain
Roy Orbison was the best singer in the world. That's what Elvis Presley said, and he should know.
To mark the 20th anniversary of Orbison's death, this programme celebrates the extraordinary talent of 'The Big O' and his relationship with his most loyal and enduring fans, British musicians and the British public. Through a combination of interview and archive, it charts Orbison's career in Britain, from the sell-out tour with the Beatles that sky-rocketed him to international superstardom, right up to the collaboration with lifelong friend George Harrison on the Travelling Wilburys project in the late 1980s. Effortlessly cool, musically sophisticated, Orbison was a rock and roll legend, whose legacy continues to captivate both the listeners and performers of today.
FRI 22:00 Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert (b010q7qs)
To honour what would have been Roy Orbison's 75th birthday on April 23rd, a celebration of the legend of the quiet Texan with the soaring voice who toured with the Beatles, sang some of the defining hits of the early 60s and brilliantly revived his career as a solo artist and member of the supergroup the Travelling Wilburys in the mid-80s.
Filmed in black and white in Holland in 1965, this short concert features the Big O performing hits from the classic catalogue of songs he recorded for the American independent label Monument in the early 60s. Filmed in what appears to be a gym or school hall in front of an appreciative but respectful audience, Orbison performs Only the Lonely, Running Scared, It's Over, Oh Pretty Woman and more.
FRI 22:25 Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night (b00g6349)
First broadcast in 1988 and filmed in black and white (hence the title!), this TV concert classic features Roy Orbison performing his classic songs with friends like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, kd lang, Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt.
The TCB Band which backs all featured artists was Elvis Presley's band till his death in 1977 and includes James Burton, Glen D Hardin, Jerry Scheff and Ronnie Tutt with musical drector T Bone Burnett.
Filmed at the Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles, the show was first broadcast on HBO in 1988, the year of Roy Orbison's death.
FRI 23:30 Guitar Heroes at the BBC (b00pjk73)
Part IV
Series featuring legendary guitarists treading the boards and trading licks at the BBC studios.
This edition kicks off with big hits from The Rolling Stones and David Bowie before taking things down a notch with the acoustic picking of Michael Chapman and the Irish mysticism of Horslips.
However, it's not long before the likes of Motorhead, Nazareth and straight-up blues rocker George Thorogood turn the volume right back up to 11. A spot of flamenco from Paco De Lucia and a classic track from Strat master Eric Clapton round off the show.
Filmed in the 1970s for shows including Top of the Pops, Parkinson, Rock Goes to College and the Old Grey Whistle Test, these rocking tracks leave viewers wondering why pianos were ever invented.
FRI 00:30 Legends (b00fzv3y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRI 01:30 Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night (b00g6349)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:25 today]
FRI 02:35 Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert (b010q7qs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
FRI 03:00 Guitar Heroes at the BBC (b00pjk73)
[Repeat of broadcast at
23:30 today]
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
A History of Christianity
19:00 SUN (b00nrtr8)
A History of Christianity
03:20 SUN (b00nrtr8)
At Home with the Georgians
19:30 WED (b00wtwkf)
At Home with the Georgians
03:20 WED (b00wtwkf)
BBC Four Sessions
00:50 SAT (b008yw99)
Birds Britannia
19:30 TUE (b00vzz1j)
Birds Britannia
02:50 TUE (b00vzz1j)
Chemistry: A Volatile History
22:00 MON (b00q2mk5)
Chemistry: A Volatile History
02:15 MON (b00q2mk5)
Clarissa and the King's Cookbook
19:00 MON (b00b6vl6)
Darwin's Struggle: The Evolution of the Origin of Species
23:45 MON (b00hd1mr)
Delphi: The Bellybutton of the Ancient World
23:20 TUE (b00w4jtx)
Elgar: The Man Behind the Mask
19:00 FRI (b00vv0zx)
Gods and Monsters: Homer's Odyssey
00:20 TUE (b00vtwnz)
Greek Myths: Tales of Travelling Heroes
01:20 TUE (b00vzxv9)
Guitar Heroes at the BBC
23:30 FRI (b00pjk73)
Guitar Heroes at the BBC
03:00 FRI (b00pjk73)
Holst: In the Bleak Midwinter
21:00 SUN (b010p530)
If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home
20:00 SAT (b010jslz)
If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home
02:50 SAT (b010jslz)
If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home
21:00 WED (b010p5z5)
If Walls Could Talk: The History of the Home
01:50 WED (b010p5z5)
Johnny Kingdom's Year with the Birds
20:30 TUE (b00vtz42)
Johnny Kingdom's Year with the Birds
03:50 TUE (b00vtz42)
Legends
21:00 FRI (b00fzv3y)
Legends
00:30 FRI (b00fzv3y)
Petworth House: The Big Spring Clean
20:30 WED (b010p5z3)
Petworth House: The Big Spring Clean
02:50 WED (b010p5z3)
Queens of Heartache
20:00 THU (b007ch35)
Queens of Heartache
00:45 THU (b007ch35)
Rosslyn Chapel: A Treasure in Stone
00:20 SUN (b00v3y5s)
Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert
22:00 FRI (b010q7qs)
Roy Orbison Live in 1965: The Monument Concert
02:35 FRI (b010q7qs)
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
22:25 FRI (b00g6349)
Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night
01:30 FRI (b00g6349)
Royal Wedding
21:00 TUE (b00shk6q)
Rubicon
23:00 MON (b010jt2l)
Rubicon
22:00 THU (b010p6br)
Sacred Music: The Story of Allegri's Miserere
20:30 FRI (b00g81g7)
Secrets of the Arabian Nights
23:50 SAT (b010jt2h)
Secrets of the Arabian Nights
22:00 WED (b010jt2h)
Spiral
21:00 SAT (b010p4x2)
Spiral
21:55 SAT (b010p4x4)
Spiral
23:00 WED (b010p4x2)
Spiral
23:55 WED (b010p4x4)
The Beauty of Diagrams
20:30 MON (b00wvd9x)
The Beauty of Diagrams
01:45 MON (b00wvd9x)
The Cell
22:45 THU (b00m425d)
The Cell
02:15 THU (b00m425d)
The Gene Code
21:00 MON (b010p5ng)
The Gene Code
03:15 MON (b010p5ng)
The Gene Code
00:50 WED (b010p5ng)
The Great British Wedding
22:20 TUE (b00kk4qr)
The Pharaoh Who Conquered the Sea
01:20 SUN (b00pq9gs)
The Weather
19:30 MON (b00jw9z6)
The Weather
00:45 MON (b00jw9z6)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story
21:00 THU (b00sjbw1)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story
23:45 THU (b00sjbw1)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The True Story
03:15 THU (b00sjbw1)
Timeshift
23:20 SUN (b00x7c3z)
Top of the Pops
23:20 SAT (b010jsrm)
Top of the Pops
19:30 THU (b010p6bp)
Top of the Pops
01:45 THU (b010p6bp)
Twenty Twelve
22:50 SAT (b010j64y)
Vatican: The Hidden World
20:00 SUN (b00tr2p3)
Vatican: The Hidden World
02:20 SUN (b00tr2p3)
World News Today
19:00 TUE (b010jth0)
World News Today
19:00 WED (b010p5z1)
World News Today
19:00 THU (b010p6bm)
Yellowstone
19:00 SAT (b00jmqk1)
Yellowstone
01:50 SAT (b00jmqk1)