The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
David Heathcote goes to spend the weekend at Casa Del Rio - a remarkable Art Deco fantasy house hidden away in rural Devon. He uncovers the story of Walter Price, a baker from Devon who went to visit California in the 1930s and who was so impressed by Pickfair - the glamorous residence of Hollywood stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford - that he decided to create his own Deco mansion back in the Devon countryside, complete with marble staircase built to look like a piano keyboard.
Heathcote explores the house that was the perfect glamorous weekend retreat for Price and his friends and plays with some of the many Deco gadgets that brought glamour into so many people's lives in the 1930s - a perfect toaster, a Bakelite radio and even a cocktail shaker.
The original Pickfair mansion in California was demolished, so Casa Del Rio remains as a rare British example of a Deco fantasy house, built at time when Britain was in love with Hollywood, Art Deco and its glamour.
The final episode offers a raw and revealing insight into English National Ballet, one of the world's premier ballet companies, at the climax of one of its most demanding years. From injury and pain to success and elation, the series exposes the storm behind the calm of big ballet productions.
Wayne Eagling has a highly demanding job as the artistic director of English National Ballet, looking after the 64 dancers that produce eight ballets a year. He has also decided to put his neck on the line by creating his first full length ballet for the company - The Nutcracker. As the company's crucial and lucrative Christmas production, there is no room for error and Wayne must complete the two hour ballet on an extremely tight schedule.
The film follows the creative processes of a choreographer under pressure and a new production fighting against time. With an important audience of critics, donors and government officials expected on opening night, the show must be finished. But with rehearsals running late and severe snow disrupting the making of the sets, it seems the dancers, costume-makers and technical staff are all fighting for stage time right up until the curtain rises.
Perfumers are molecular chemists and sensual creatives who seek to trigger pleasurable memories and associations through our most primitive sense. We follow three different types of perfumer - or nose - to find out how they do it and what it takes to become one.
Jean Claude Ellena is in-house nose at French brand Hermes. We spend time with him in his studio in the woods, musing, sniffing and then creating a fragrance inspired by a secret garden. American Christopher Brosius is the Proust of perfume, a punk star with a mission to create scents that that can speak to us of times past - whether through the smell of tomato leaves or musty books. Jean Guichard is the principal of the Parisian school for noses. There are more astronauts than there are perfumers - so how does he spot the right stuff in students who may not be aware they have it?
The story of 1920s London's Bright Young People is a tale of sex, drink, drugs and a gossip-hungry press. Beautiful and Damned traces the growth of 1920s London's bright young party set whose antics were enjoyed and scorned in equal measures by a watching nation. And the more artistic of the merry band - Cecil Beaton, Evelyn Waugh and Nancy Mitford among them - saw their work make the characters and attitudes of the era both legend and fable.
Contributors include Philip Hoare, DJ Taylor, Selina Hastings, Lucy Moore and Adrian Bingham.
Series in which food writer and presenter Stefan Gates immerses himself in some of the most extraordinary feasts and festivals on earth. By joining ordinary people in these strange and wonderful distillations of their culture and beliefs, he hopes to gain a revelatory insight into how the world thinks and feels.
Stefan goes on a wild emotional and spiritual rollercoaster ride, starting with a teenage girl's bizarre coming-of-age ceremony and ending with the Day of the Dead, a cacophonous cross-cultural festival of the senses during which Mexicans truly believe that their loved ones come back from the dead for three days every year to spend the day with them.
In Oaxaca, he is dressed up as a dead woman and made to dance like a lunatic at the head of a procession as it makes its way through town. He is turned into an emotional wreck at the moment the dead return, bursting into tears as Dias de los Muertos makes him experience grief and loss for the first time.
But then in the next breath, the family Stefan is living with teach him to celebrate and laugh at death. They turn his views on their head, allowing him to embrace and conquer his fear of death through an extraordinary sensual onslaught of food, flowers, songs and smells. The sight of the graveyards overflowing with flowers and mescal-drinking revellers is a truly life-changing experience.
WEDNESDAY 06 JULY 2011
WED 19:00 World News Today (b012cnwt)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
WED 19:30 The Beauty of Maps (b00s64f4)
Atlas Maps - Thinking Big
Documentary series charting the visual appeal and historical meaning of maps.
The Dutch Golden Age saw map-making reach a fever pitch of creative and commercial ambition. This was the era of the first ever atlases - elaborate, lavish and beautiful. This was the great age of discovery and marked an unprecedented opportunity for mapmakers, who sought to record and categorise the newly acquired knowledge of the world. Rising above the many mapmakers in this period was Gerard Mercator, inventor of the Mercator projection, who changed mapmaking forever when he published his collection of world maps in 1598 and coined the term 'atlas'.
The programme looks at some of the largest and most elaborate maps ever produced, from the vast maps on the floor of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, to the 24-volume atlas covering just the Netherlands, to the largest atlas in the world, The Klencke Atlas. It was made for Charles II to mark his restoration in 1660. But whilst being one of the British Library's most important items, it is also one of its most fragile, so hardly ever opened. This is a unique opportunity to see inside this enormous and lavish work, and see the world through the eyes of a king.
WED 20:00 Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession (b00s96gn)
Mapping the World
In the last of a three-part series about the extraordinary stories behind maps, Professor Jerry Brotton uncovers how maps are snapshots of a moment in history and offer visions of distant lands, tempting explorers to plunder and conquer.
However, adventurers first had to tackle the great challenge of mapping the globe onto a flat surface. There is no perfect solution, but the father of geography, Claudius Ptolemy, had some clever ideas.
Explorers like Christopher Columbus sailed into the unknown in search of riches and discovered a whole new continent that would become the most powerful on earth, while Amerigo Vespucci gave it his name.
Sir Walter Raleigh's treasure map of El Dorado in South America ultimately lost him his head. But the myth of El Dorado lived on, sending hundreds of men to their death in fruitless attempts to find the golden city.
As navigation became easier, maps enabled nations and enterprises like the Dutch East India Company to plunder far-off territories for spices, natural resources and gold. Even today, a project to map the North Pole is the flashpoint for the so-called 'Cold Rush' - the dash to exploit oil, gas and mineral reserves as the Arctic ice melts.
WED 21:00 The Perfect Suit (b012cnww)
A witty exploration of the evolution of the gentleman's suit. Alastair Sooke only owns one suit, but he is fascinated by how the matching jacket and trousers has become a uniform for men. Over the last 100 years the suit has evolved from working man's Sunday best to the casual wear of royalty.
For many 'the suit' is synonymous with all that is dull. But tailor Charlie Allen, Top Man chief designer Gordon Richardson and Sir Paul Smith show Alastair that the suit can be a cutting-edge fashion item and 'armour' to face the world.
WED 22:00 Nurse Jackie (b00yvtfq)
Series 2
Care Giver
Jackie's hard stance towards Eddie softens after an argument with Kevin. Gloria posts a security guard by the Pill-O-Matix and approaches Coop about being the public face of All Saints. Details about O'Hara's famous girlfriend and Zoe's pregnancy come to light. An elderly patient has been neglected by her care giver.
WED 22:30 Syrian School (b00qpl7w)
Changing Schools
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.
Mrs Amal Hassan is the larger-than-life headteacher of Zaki Al Arsouzi Girls' School, intent on teaching her girls to stick up for themselves and 'be free'. She has a new girl at school, Dua'a, who comes from a devout Muslim family. Until now Dua'a has been educated at a conservative Islamic school, but this term she has moved to the more liberal Zaki Al-Arsouzi School. How will she get on with the big ideas of her new headteacher?
Across town at Jaramana Boys' School, Yusif is football mad. He's an Iraqi refugee who lived through the bombs of Baghdad. Now, in the relative calm of Syria, he must start to overcome his deep-seated fear of loud bangs.
WED 23:30 Wallander (b00scpsw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Saturday]
WED 01:00 Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession (b00s96gn)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
WED 02:00 Syrian School (b00qpl7w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:30 today]
WED 03:00 The Perfect Suit (b012cnww)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
THURSDAY 07 JULY 2011
THU 19:00 World News Today (b012cpvm)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 The Sky at Night (b07mz2xg)
The Stars Indoors
Sir Patrick Moore visits the South Downs Planetarium and discovers how the stars appeared to the ancient Egyptians, whilst Pete Lawrence explains what to look out for in the summer night sky.
THU 20:00 Horizon: 40 Years on the Moon (b00llgs8)
Professor Brian Cox takes a look through nearly 50 years of BBC archive at the story of man's relationship with the moon.
From the BBC's space fanatic James Burke testing out the latest Nasa equipment to 1960s interviews about the bacon-flavoured crystals that astronauts can survive on in space, to the iconic images of man's first steps on the moon and the dramatic story of Apollo 13, Horizon and the BBC have covered it all.
But since President Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s was reached, no-one has succeeded in reigniting the public's enthusiasm for space travel and lunar voyages. Why?
On his journey through the ages, Professor Cox explores the role that international competition played in getting man to the moon and asks if, with America no longer the world's only superpower, we are at the dawn of a bright new space age.
THU 21:00 High Flyers: How Britain Took to the Air (b00nnlz3)
Documentary which tells the story of the golden age of British aviation and of how the original 'jet set' shaped air travel for generations to come. In Britain in the 1920s and '30s a revolution took place that would change forever our perspective on the world. While the country was in the grip of recession, dashing pilots and daring socialites took to the air, pushed back boundaries and forged new links across the globe. The era of commercial air travel was born.
THU 22:00 Storyville (b00spgkb)
Valentino - The Last Emperor
Film which travels inside the singular world of one of Italy's most famous fashion designers, Valentino Garavani, documenting the colourful and dramatic closing act of his celebrated career and capturing the end of an era in global fashion.
However, at the heart of the film is a love story - the unique relationship between Valentino and his business partner and companion of 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti. Capturing intimate moments in the lives of two of Italy's richest and most famous men, the film lifts the curtain on the final act of a nearly 50-year reign at the top of the glamorous and fiercely competitive world of fashion.
THU 23:30 Guilty Pleasures: Luxury in... (b012cnkx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Monday]
THU 00:30 Ford's Dagenham Dream (b00j0gnm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Monday]
THU 01:30 Horizon: 40 Years on the Moon (b00llgs8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
THU 02:30 The Sky at Night (b07mz2xg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
THU 03:00 High Flyers: How Britain Took to the Air (b00nnlz3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRIDAY 08 JULY 2011
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b012cr33)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
FRI 19:25 DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal (b012rydz)
Lenny Henry presents an appeal on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee for the crisis in East Africa.
FRI 19:30 Summer Night Concert from Vienna (b012cr35)
2011
Katie Derham introduces the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performing its Summer Evening Concert in the uniquely magnificent gardens of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. The celebrated conductor Valery Gergiev presents music by Mussorgsky, Liszt, Sibelius and Paganini, with virtuoso violin soloist Benjamin Schmid. Dancers from the Vienna State Opera Ballet illustrate colourful scenes from Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The concert finishes in rousing fashion with music by the waltz king Johann Strauss.
FRI 21:00 Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter (b012cr37)
Morgan Neville's full-length documentary is James Taylor and Carole King's first-hand account of the genesis and blossoming of the 1970s singer-songwriter culture in LA, focusing on the backgrounds and emerging collaboration between Taylor, King and the Troubadour, the famed West Hollywood club that nurtured a community of gifted young artists and singer-songwriters.
Taylor and King first performed together at the Troubadour in November 1970, and the film explores their coming together and the growth of a new, personal voice in songwriting pioneered by a small group of fledgling artists around the club. Contributors include Taylor, King, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, JD Souther, Peter Asher, Cheech & Chong, Steve Martin and Elton John.
FRI 22:25 Carole King and James Taylor: Live at the Troubadour (b00sftvw)
Carole King and James Taylor reunited at the intimate Hollywood venue in concert in 2007 to play their era-defining hits, nearly four decades after they first performed at the Troubadour in November 1970, a year before their Tapestry and Sweet Baby James' albums stormed the American charts. King and Taylor are backed by the Section, the same band that propelled those albums into homes around the world.
James Taylor had released his first album on the Beatles' Apple label, Carole King was struggling to forge a new solo career after being one half of Goffin-King, one of the great Brill Building songwriting partnerships of the early 60s. Their musical friendship blossomed with Taylor's support for King and his cover of her song You've Got a Friend. The Troubadour became the centre of a new singer-songwriter culture that also featured the likes of Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and many more.
FRI 23:20 Hotel California: LA from the Byrds to the Eagles (b0074t87)
Documentary looking at the music and mythology of a golden era in Californian culture, and telling the story of how Los Angeles changed from a kooky backwater in the early 1960s to become the artistic and industrial hub of the American music industry by the end of the 1970s.
Alongside extensive and never before seen archive footage, the programme features comprehensive first-hand accounts of the key figures including musicians (David Crosby, Graham Nash, J. D. Souther, Bernie Leadon and Bonnie Raitt, music industry bosses (David Geffen, Jac Holzman, Ron Stone and Peter Asher) and legendary LA scenesters including Henry Diltz, Pamela Des Barres and Ned Doheny.
The film explores how the socially-conscious folk rock of young hippies with acoustic guitars was transformed into the coked-out stadium excess of the late 1970s and the biggest selling album of all time.
FRI 00:50 The Old Grey Whistle Test (b0074t8q)
California Comes to the Whistle Test
A compilation of BBC performances by artists who lived and worked in California in the 1970s. Featuring Jackson Browne, Little Feat, Ry Cooder, Judee Sill, Bonnie Raitt and a rare duet between James Taylor and Carly Simon.
FRI 01:50 Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter (b012cr37)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRI 03:15 Carole King and James Taylor: Live at the Troubadour (b00sftvw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:25 today]
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
Agony & Ecstasy: A Year with English National Ballet
20:00 TUE (b00zs817)
Agony & Ecstasy: A Year with English National Ballet
01:00 TUE (b00zs817)
Art Deco Icons
19:30 TUE (b00nqc3l)
Born to Be Wild
19:30 MON (b00cl5v0)
Carole King and James Taylor: Live at the Troubadour
22:25 FRI (b00sftvw)
Carole King and James Taylor: Live at the Troubadour
03:15 FRI (b00sftvw)
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal
19:25 FRI (b012rydz)
Dance! The Most Incredible Thing about Contemporary Dance
01:10 SAT (b0126w6n)
Feasts
23:00 TUE (b00kv0k6)
For Art's Sake - The Story of Ballets Russes
23:30 SUN (b00p90nl)
Ford's Dagenham Dream
22:00 MON (b00j0gnm)
Ford's Dagenham Dream
00:45 MON (b00j0gnm)
Ford's Dagenham Dream
00:30 THU (b00j0gnm)
Glamour's Golden Age
22:00 TUE (b00nk9m5)
Glamour's Golden Age
02:00 TUE (b00nk9m5)
Guilty Pleasures: Luxury in...
21:00 MON (b012cnkx)
Guilty Pleasures: Luxury in...
02:45 MON (b012cnkx)
Guilty Pleasures: Luxury in...
23:30 THU (b012cnkx)
High Flyers: How Britain Took to the Air
21:00 THU (b00nnlz3)
High Flyers: How Britain Took to the Air
03:00 THU (b00nnlz3)
Horizon: 40 Years on the Moon
20:00 THU (b00llgs8)
Horizon: 40 Years on the Moon
01:30 THU (b00llgs8)
Hotel California: LA from the Byrds to the Eagles
23:20 FRI (b0074t87)
Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession
20:00 WED (b00s96gn)
Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession
01:00 WED (b00s96gn)
Margot
21:00 SUN (b00p510x)
Margot
00:30 SUN (b00p510x)
Marguerite and Armand
19:00 SUN (b00p510z)
Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance
19:30 SUN (b012c6fx)
Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance
02:40 SUN (b012c6fx)
NY Export: Opus Jazz
22:30 SUN (b012c79g)
NY Export: Opus Jazz
01:55 SUN (b012c79g)
Nurse Jackie
22:00 WED (b00yvtfq)
Perfume
21:00 TUE (b012cnns)
Perfume
00:00 TUE (b012cnns)
Perfume
03:00 TUE (b012cnns)
Rubicon
00:00 MON (b0126w6q)
Storyville
22:00 THU (b00spgkb)
Summer Night Concert from Vienna
19:30 FRI (b012cr35)
Syrian School
22:30 WED (b00qpl7w)
Syrian School
02:00 WED (b00qpl7w)
Tales of Beatrix Potter
19:00 SAT (b008l1xb)
The Bear Family and Me
20:00 MON (b00x9zhc)
The Bear Family and Me
01:45 MON (b00x9zhc)
The Beauty of Maps
19:30 WED (b00s64f4)
The Most Incredible Thing
22:50 SAT (b0126wdn)
The Most Incredible Thing
02:30 SAT (b0126wdn)
The Neighbour
22:30 SAT (b012c6fv)
The Neighbour
02:10 SAT (b012c6fv)
The Neighbour
23:10 SUN (b012c6fv)
The Old Grey Whistle Test
00:50 FRI (b0074t8q)
The Perfect Suit
21:00 WED (b012cnww)
The Perfect Suit
03:00 WED (b012cnww)
The Sky at Night
19:30 THU (b07mz2xg)
The Sky at Night
02:30 THU (b07mz2xg)
Timeshift
23:00 MON (b0126vfd)
Top of the Pops
00:30 SAT (b0126w6l)
Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter
21:00 FRI (b012cr37)
Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter
01:50 FRI (b012cr37)
Wallander
21:00 SAT (b00scpsw)
Wallander
23:30 WED (b00scpsw)
World News Today
19:00 MON (b012cnkv)
World News Today
19:00 TUE (b012cnnq)
World News Today
19:00 WED (b012cnwt)
World News Today
19:00 THU (b012cpvm)
World News Today
19:00 FRI (b012cr33)
imagine...
20:10 SAT (b00lg89w)