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 24 DECEMBER 2011

SAT 19:00 Timeshift (b017zqw8)
Series 11

The Golden Age of Trams: A Streetcar Named Desire

Move along the car! Timeshift takes a nostalgic trip on the tram car and explores how it liberated overcrowded cities and launched the era of the commuter. The film maps the tram's journey from early horse-drawn carriages on rails, through steam, and to electric power.

Overhead wires hung over Britain's towns and cities for nearly 50 years from the beginning of the 20th century until they were phased out everywhere except Blackpool. Manchester, the last city to lose its trams was, however, among the first to reintroduce them as the solution to modern-day traffic problems.

The film includes a specially recorded reading by Alan Bennett of his short story Leeds Trams, and contributions from Ken Dodd and Roy Hattersley.


SAT 20:00 The Pharaoh Who Conquered the Sea (b00pq9gs)
Over 3,000 years ago legend has it that Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's first female pharaoh, sent a fleet of ships to the wonderful, distant land of Punt. A bas-relief in the temple where she is entombed in Luxor shows them bringing back extraordinary treasures. But did this expedition really happen? And if it did, where exactly is the land of Punt?

Drawing upon recent finds, archaeologist Cheryl Ward sets out to recreate the voyage in a full-size replica of one of these ancient ships, sailing it in the wake of Hatshepsut's fleet in search of the mythical land of Punt. A human adventure as well as a scientific challenge, the expedition proves that, contrary to popular belief, the ancient Egyptians had the necessary tools, science and techniques to sail the seas.


SAT 21:00 Land of the Pharaohs (b00kz6t4)
Lavish, spectacular costume drama which recreates life in ancient Egypt. For decades, the great pharaoh drives his people to construct his tomb, an enormous pyramid that will protect his body and wealth, and guarantee his soul's safe passage into the afterlife. But the pharaoh's earthly court is rife with duplicity and intrigue.


SAT 22:40 Timeshift (b018jp1v)
Series 11

Epic: A Cast of Thousands!

Timeshift reveals the ten commandments of big cinema as it goes behind the scenes of the biggest film genre of them all - the epic. See the biggest sets ever known! Hear the sound of Ancient Rome! Count the spiralling costs as budgets soared!

From Ben-Hur to The Ten Commandments, from El Cid to Cleopatra, these were films that set a new standard in BIG. In the days before computers they recreated ancient worlds on a vast scale, and they did it for real. Epic cinema hired armies, defied the seasons and changed cinema. Even the screen wasn't big enough for the epic, so Hollywood made it bigger - and some cinemagoers experienced vertigo watching these vast productions.

Today, the epic lives on in the Oscar-laden Gladiator and the spectacular sweep of Avatar. As this documentary reveals, the stories behind the films are as spectacular as the films themselves.


SAT 23:40 The Doris Day Special (b014hv2v)
1971 music programme hosted by Doris Day, with guests Perry Como and Rock Hudson. Doris sings her hits It's Magic, Sentimental Journey and Everybody Loves a Lover, along with Both Sides Now, The Gypsy in My Soul and a medley of old favorites with Perry Como, who also performs the Jimmy Webb classic Didn't We.


SAT 00:35 Doris Day - Virgin Territory (b0074rwd)
Doris Day has often been dismissed as an actress and overlooked as a singer, despite career highs such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk. Covering her early years as a band singer, and her troubled private life, this documentary re-evaluates one of the screen's most enduring legends.


SAT 01:35 Doris Day: A Sentimental Journey (b014hv2x)
Ohio-born actress, singer and TV star Doris Day is now 87 and about to release her first album in nearly two decades, My Heart. Day was one of the biggest box-office stars in American movie history, a huge TV star who began her careeer as a big band singer and is now best-known as an animal rights activist. In this 1992 documentary originally aired on PBS in the US and unavailable since, Doris appears in original interview footage to discuss her life and career. Hosted by actress and friend Betty White, the retrospective also includes footage from Doris's films along with comments from James Garner, Kirstie Alley, Doris's late son Terry Melcher, writer John Updike, singer Rosemary Clooney and others.


SAT 02:35 The Andy Williams Christmas Show (b00phmjh)
It being the season of goodwill and bad jumpers, it is time to relive the best moments from a number of snowy Christmases that came to the NBC Studios in California between 1962 and 1974 for Andy Williams's annual yuletide songfest. With guest appearances from the Osmond Brothers and the Williams Family.


SAT 03:05 A Christmas History of Sacred Music (b00wvdcj)
Simon Russell Beale takes a journey through Italy, Britain, Germany and Austria as he explores how the sound of Christmas has evolved in response to changing ideas about the Nativity. His story takes us through two millennia of music, from a fragment of papyrus preserving the earliest known piece of Christian music to the stories behind Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night and In the Bleak Midwinter, and the work of popular Christmas composer, John Rutter. Music is performed by Harry Christophers and his choir, The Sixteen.



SUNDAY 25 DECEMBER 2011

SUN 19:00 El Cid (b0077tfh)
The epic story of the 11th-century Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, better known as El Cid. Involved in a tempestuous marriage to the beautiful Chimene, Rodrigo plots against various royal factions to gain power after the death of King Ferdinand, but his greatest campaign is to rid Spain of its Moorish invaders. He drives the Moors to their last outpost - Valencia - for a tumultuous and decisive battle.


SUN 21:50 Johnny Cash at Christmas (b018snk4)
A classic archive country concert special from Nashville in 1970, as the Man in Black is joined by his nearest and dearest including his mum and dad, the Carter Family, old friends from the Sun Records days like Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins, the Statler Brothers and the Everly Brothers. Country TV gold.


SUN 22:45 Top of the Pops (b018l6cb)
25/12/76 - Christmas Day Special

Special Christmas 1976 edition of the pop chart show. Noel Edmonds and Dave Lee Travis introduce Slik, JJ Barrie, Tina Charles, the Wurzels, Demis Roussos, Cliff Richard, ABBA, Elton John & Kiki Dee, Pussycat and Queen, plus a Legs & Co dance sequence.


SUN 23:35 Top of the Pops (b018m5q3)
26/12/76 - Christmas Special

Second Xmas 1976 special of chart pop in which Tony Blackburn and Jimmy Savile introduce Brotherhood of Man, Billy Ocean, Sailor, the Real Thing, Showaddywaddy, Rod Stewart, Our Kid, Johnny Mathis and Chicago. Plus, another Legs & Co dance sequence.


SUN 00:25 Cardigans at Christmas (b0077dwr)
A feast of old chestnuts from the glory days of Christmases past with this look at the rise and demise of the Christmas light-entertainment spectacular. From Christmas Night with the Stars to Val Doonican and Christmas Snowtime special, the programme revisits a world of snow made from soapflakes, chorus lines sweating in winter woolies and recycled sleighs.


SUN 01:15 Carole King and Friends at Christmas (b018p1hq)
Recapture the mellow vibe of your favourite easy listening shows from the 60s and 70s with this festive feast of classics old and new. All-time great Carole King plays songs from her recent seasonal album, including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and Sheffield crooner Richard Hawley mixes self-penned songs with his own take on Silent Night.

An imaginative bill is completed by the perky vocal harmonies of the Puppini Sisters doing Let It Snow, the dreamy widescreen sound of Brighton outfit the Mummers performing White Christmas and the velvet tones of latter day Nat King Cole, Brooklyn-based jazz vocalist Gregory Porter, crooning the Christmas Song.

Choose between your best cardigan or Rat Pack tuxedo, pour yourself an eggnog, get the chestnuts roasting, put your feet up and join the party!


SUN 02:15 Night Music: Songs After Dark (b018jl9k)
A show dedicated to the night-time and its lyrical inspiration for many artists takes a nostalgic delve into the BBC archive, with musical luminaries such as Patti Smith, Mercury Rev, Gregory Isaacs, REM and the XX paying homage to the power of the dark.


SUN 03:15 Johnny Cash at Christmas (b018snk4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:50 today]



MONDAY 26 DECEMBER 2011

MON 19:00 Wonders of the Universe (b00zf9dh)
Destiny

Having explored the wonders of the solar system, Professor Brian Cox steps boldly on to an even bigger stage - the universe.

Who are we? Where do we come from? For thousands of years humanity has turned to religion and myth for answers to these enduring questions. But in this series, Brian presents a different set of answers - answers provided by science.

In this episode, Brian seeks to understand the nature of time and its role in creating both the universe and ourselves. From an extraordinary calendar built into the landscape of Peru to the beaches of Costa Rica, Brian explores the cycles of time which define our experience of life on Earth. But even the most epic cycles of life can't begin to compare to the vast expanse of cosmic time.

For instance, just as the Earth orbits the Sun, the solar system orbits the entire Milky Way galaxy. This orbit takes a staggering 250 million years to complete.

Ultimately, Brian discovers that time is not characterised by repetition but by irreversible change. From the relentless march of a glacier, to the decay of an old mining town, the ravaging effects of time are all around us. The vast universe is subject to these same laws of change. As we look out to the cosmos, we can see the story of its evolution unfold, from the death of the first stars to the birth of the youngest. This journey from birth to death will ultimately lead to the destruction not just of our planet, but also the entire universe, and with it the end of time itself.

Yet without this inevitable destruction, the universe would be without what is perhaps the greatest wonder of all - the brief moment in time in which life can exist.


MON 20:00 The Fall of the Roman Empire (b0078gjh)
Star-studded recreation of the death throes of the greatest empire in world history. After Marcus Aurelius is poisoned, the role of emperor goes not to his adopted son as he had wished, but to his cruel son Commodus - who soon displays a tyrannical streak.


MON 22:55 Dolly Parton: Live from London (b00qmdzy)
Dolly Parton filmed in concert at the O2 in London in summer 2008, playing the hits and more, including Jolene, 9 to 5, Islands in the Stream and I Will Always Love You.


MON 00:05 Johnny Cash at Christmas (b018snk4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:50 on Sunday]


MON 00:55 Originals (b0074rrd)
Tammy Wynette - 'Til I Can Make it on my Own

Profile of the late country legend, including performances of many of Tammy's greatest songs. Contributors include husbands George Jones and George Richey, Elvis Costello, Allison Moorer, Bill Drummond of the KLF and actress Anna Chancellor.


MON 01:55 The Christmas Session (b00pcnsp)
BBC Four celebrates merry midwinter in unique style, with an exhilarating blend of folk tradition and burlesque fun. Energetic 11-piece Bellowhead and Mercury-nominated alternative folkies The Unthanks get together with the impressive young singers Thea Gilmore and Lisa Knapp, plus other special guests.

Steered by genial host Paul Sartin, the assembled artists perform seasonal songs of their own alongside yuletide favourites, ranging from folk ballads and carols to parlour songs and carousing dance numbers, with everyone coming together for a final knees-up.

Filmed at the atmospheric Shoreditch Town Hall, the setting evokes an old music hall combined with a festive Victorian family parlour, bedecked with garlands, period lamps and fireplace. Even the audience are dressed up in old-fashioned finery and prove themselves ready to kick up their heels.


MON 02:55 Wonders of the Universe (b00zf9dh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



TUESDAY 27 DECEMBER 2011

TUE 19:00 Wonders of the Universe (b00zm833)
Stardust

In the second stop in his exploration of the wonders of the universe, Professor Brian Cox goes in search of humanity's very essence to answer the biggest questions of all: what are we? And where do we come from? This film is the story of matter - the stuff of which we are all made.

Brian reveals how our origins are entwined with the life cycle of the stars. But he begins his journey here on Earth. In Nepal, he observes a Hindu cremation. Hindu philosophy is based on an eternal cycle of creation and destruction, where the physical elements of the body are recycled on to the next stage. Brian draws a parallel with the life cycle of the stars that led to our own creation.

Next, he explains how the Earth's resources have been recycled through the ages. How every atom that makes up everything we see was at some time a part of something else. Our world is made up of just 92 elements, and these same 92 elements are found throughout the entire universe. We are part of the universe because we are made of the same stuff as the universe.


TUE 20:00 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b018l6vy)
2011

What's in Your Head?

Why does the brain look like a giant walnut, how does it fit in enough wiring to stretch four times around the equator, and why could a magnet on the head stop someone mid-sentence? In the first of this year's Christmas Lectures, Professor Bruce Hood gets inside the human head to explore how the brain works. He measures the brain's nerve cells in action, reads someone's mind from 100 miles away, and reveals how the brain ultimately creates its own version of reality.


TUE 21:00 Waterloo (b00f60kf)
Epic historical drama. After defeating France and imprisoning Napoleon on Elba, ending two decades of war, Europe is shocked to find Napoleon has escaped and has caused the French Army to defect from the king back to him. The best of the British generals, the Duke of Wellington, beat Napolean's best generals in Spain and Portugal, but has never faced Napoleon, until now...


TUE 23:05 Night on Film: An A-Z of the Dark (b018jl97)
An alphabetical look at the dark, featuring everything from bats to vampires. The night comes alive in this unusual mixture of music and archive.


TUE 00:05 Jerusalem: The Making of a Holy City (b018jlj0)
Judgement Day

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world. For the Jewish faith, it is the site of the western wall, the last remnant of the second Jewish temple. For Christians, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the site of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Muslims, the Al-Aqsa mosque is the third holiest sanctuary of Islam.

In the final part of his series, Simon explores how this unique city rose from a crumbling ruin after the crusades to be rebuilt as a world centre of Islamic pilgrimage. He explains how Jerusalem became the object of rivalry between the Christian nations of Europe, the focus of the longing of Jews from all over the world and, ultimately, the site of one of the world's most intractable conflicts.

Starting in the Middle Ages, Simon goes on a chronological journey to trace the revival of the city under the Mamluks and its conquest by the biggest of all the Islamic empires - the Ottomans. He examines how the distinctive national identity of the Arab population evolved under centuries of Turkish Ottoman rule and how the city came to be prized by the great powers of 19th-century Europe. The programme explores the emergence of Zionism and the growing Jewish population of the city and traces the origins of today's nationalist struggle.


TUE 01:05 Wonders of the Universe (b00zm833)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


TUE 02:05 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b018l6vy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


TUE 03:05 Jerusalem on a Plate (b017znj9)
Internationally-renowned chef Yotam Ottolenghi returns to his home town of Jerusalem to discover the hidden treasures of its extraordinarily rich and diverse food culture. He meets and cooks with both Arabs and Jews in restaurants and at home who draw on hundreds of years of tradition to create the dishes that define the city, and explores the flavours and recipes that have influenced his palate. From the humble street foods of hummus and falafel to the cutting edge of Jerusalem cuisine, Yotam uncovers the essence of what makes the food of Jerusalem so great.

Starting in the Old City, Yotam samples the Palestinian fast foods like falafel and hummus that he remembers from his childhood. This is the food that has been feeding the throngs of pilgrims who have visited the city for centuries - loved alike by Jew, Arab and Christian. In the west of the city, Yotam discovers how waves of immigration from the Jewish diaspora from such varying origns as Poland, Hungary, Morocco and Turkey have each brought with them a different flavour, ingredient or technique that adds to the ever-evolving Jerusalem cuisine, keeping it fresh, varied and exciting. Here he eats stuffed aubergine with cinnamon, tries fiery zhoug from Yemen and learns how to make kibbeh soup, a staple of the Sephardic Jewish kitchen.

In both Arab and Jewish homes he discovers the family recipes that have been passed down through generations - recipes such as kollage, a sweet sheep's cheese pastry, or swiss chard with cracked wheat and pomegranate molasses. Finally, he visits some of Jerusalem's trailblazing chefs, discovering how modern Jerusalem cuisine is drawing from all of these influences to create food that is both locally sourced and true to its culinary roots, and at the same time truly innovative. Collaborating with these chefs in the kitchens, Yotam adds his own distinctive flair to the dishes they create.

Through Yotam's eyes we are given an insight into the depth and breadth of the food of Jerusalem and how it is still changing and evolving. Much has changed since his childhood in Jerusalem, and politics is never far away, but Yotam finds that food is sometimes the one area where the different communities can come together.



WEDNESDAY 28 DECEMBER 2011

WED 19:00 Wonders of the Universe (b00zv39p)
Falling

In the third episode, Professor Brian Cox takes on the story of the force that sculpts the entire universe - gravity.

Gravity seems so familiar, and yet it is one of the strangest and most surprising forces in the universe. Starting with a zero-gravity flight, Brian experiences the feeling of total weightlessness, and considers how much of an effect gravity has had on the world around us.

But gravity also acts over much greater distances. It is the great orchestrator of the cosmos. It dictates our orbit around the sun, our relationship with the other planets in our solar system, and even the way in which our solar system orbits our galaxy.

Yet the paradox of gravity is that it is actually a relatively weak force. Brian takes a face distorting trip in a centrifuge to explain how it is that gravity achieves its great power, before looking at the role it plays in one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the universe - a neutron star. Although it is just a few kilometres across, it is so dense that its gravity is 100,000 million times as strong as on Earth.

Over the centuries our quest to understand gravity has allowed us to understand some of the true wonders of the universe, and Brian reveals that it is scientists' continuing search for answers that inspires his own sense of wonder.


WED 20:00 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b018l6wx)
2011

Who's in Charge Here Anyway?

The brain is constantly being bombarded with information, so how does it decide what to trust and what to ignore, without the person even being aware of it? Professor Bruce Hood gives the second of this year's Christmas Lectures - testing the limits of the memory, finding out how humans learn, how the brain takes shortcuts and why multitasking can be dangerous. Bruce makes people say the wrong thing and fail to see what is right in front of them. Can one really believe one's eyes? Possibly not.


WED 21:00 Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (b018l6wz)
Epic account of the early life of Genghis Khan, from the time he became an orphan at the age of nine through to his triumph as undisputed Mongol leader in 1206. Betrayed by his father's clan when still a child, then sold into slavery and imprisoned by the Chinese, he eventually escapes. Only then, through cunning and a series of fearsome, bloody victories in battle does he begin his campaign to unite the warring Mongol clans into a large and fearsome empire.

In Mongolian and Mandarin with English subtitles.


WED 23:00 Timewatch (b00790p2)
2005-2006

The Secret History of Genghis Khan

Documentary looking at the Secret History of the Mongols, said to have been written by Genghis Khan's adopted son, which reveals a very different man to the brutal butcher of Western legend. Not just a womaniser, but a devoted husband. Not just a warrior, but a politician. Not just a conqueror, but a legislator. A man who wanted the lessons he had learnt - good and bad - to be passed onto his successors. Within its pages lies the inside story of how an illiterate nomad inspired his successors to conquer the largest land empire the world has ever seen.


WED 23:50 Timeshift (b018jp1v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:40 on Saturday]


WED 00:50 Wonders of the Universe (b00zv39p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


WED 01:50 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b018l6wx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 02:50 The Search for Life: The Drake Equation (b00wltbk)
For many years our place in the universe was the subject of theologians and philosophers, not scientists, but in 1960 one man changed all that.

Dr Frank Drake was one of the leading lights in the new science of radio astronomy when he did something that was not only revolutionary, but could have cost him his career. Working at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Greenback in Virginia, he pointed one of their new 25-metre radio telescopes at a star called Tau Ceti twelve light years from earth, hoping for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Although project Ozma resulted in silence, it did result in one of the most seminal equations in the history of science - the Drake Equation - which examined seven key elements necessary for extraterrestrial intelligence to exist, from the formation of stars to the likely length a given intelligent civilisation may survive. When Frank and his colleagues entered the figures, the equation suggested there were a staggering 50,000 civilisations capable of communicating across the galaxy.

However, in the 50 years of listening that has followed, not one single bleep has been heard from extraterrestrials. So were Drake and his followers wrong and is there no life form out there capable of communicating? Drake's own calculations suggest that we would have to scan the entire radio spectrum of ten million stars to be sure of contact.

The answers to those questions suggest that, far from being a one-off, life may not only be common in the universe but once started will lead inevitably towards intelligent life.

To find out about the equation's influence, Dallas Campbell goes on a worldwide journey to meet the scientists who have dedicated their lives to focusing on its different aspects.


WED 03:50 Timewatch (b00790p2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 today]



THURSDAY 29 DECEMBER 2011

THU 19:00 Wonders of the Universe (b0101h6w)
Messengers

In the last episode of Professor Brian Cox's epic journey across the universe, he travels from the fossils of the Burgess Shale to the sands of the oldest desert in the world to show how light holds the key to our understanding of the whole universe, including our own deepest origins.

To understand how light holds the key to the story of the universe, you first have to understand its peculiar properties. Brian considers how the properties of light that lend colour to desert sands and the spectrum of a rainbow can lead to profound insights into the history and evolution of our universe.

Finally, with some of the world's most fascinating fossils in hand Brian considers how, but for an apparently obscure moment in the early evolutionary history of life, all the secrets of light may have remained hidden. Because although the universe is bathed in light that carries extraordinary amounts of information about where we come from, it would have remained invisible without a crucial evolutionary development that allowed us to see. Only because of that development can we now observe, capture and contemplate the incredible wonders of the universe that we inhabit.


THU 20:00 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b018l71s)
2011

Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?

Have you ever seen a face in a piece of burnt toast, or given your car a name? Why do you feel pain when someone else is hurt? Why are people so obsessed with other people? In the last of this year's Christmas Lectures, Professor Bruce Hood investigates how our brains are built to read other people's minds. With a little help from a baby, a robot and a magician, Bruce uncovers what makes us truly human.


THU 21:00 After Life: The Strange Science of Decay (b012w66t)
Ever wondered what would happen in your own home if you were taken away, and everything inside was left to rot? The answer is revealed in this fascinating programme, which explores the strange and surprising science of decay.

For two months in summer 2011, a glass box containing a typical kitchen and garden was left to rot in full public view within Edinburgh Zoo. In this resulting documentary, presenter Dr George McGavin and his team use time-lapse cameras and specialist photography to capture the extraordinary way in which moulds, microbes and insects are able to break down our everyday things and allow new life to emerge from old.

Decay is something that many of us are repulsed by. But as the programme shows, it's a process that's vital in nature. And seen in close-up, it has an unexpected and sometimes mesmerising beauty.


THU 22:30 North Korea: A State of Mind (b0074q9w)
Documentary following two young North Korean gymnasts and their families for over eight months in the preparations for the Mass Games, a choreographed socialist realism spectacular involving a cast of thousands in the biggest and most elaborate human performance on earth.

The film provides a rare glimpse into one of the world's least known societies. North Korea is sealed off from outside influences. It borders China and Russia to the north, and to the south there is a 4km wide impenetrable border with South Korea. The country follows its own communist ideals, a strict philosophy known as the Juche Idea wrapped around the worship of the Kim dynasty - Kim Il Sung, their Eternal President who died in 1994 but remains Head of State, and his son and successor, Kim Jong Il, known as the General.

The crew began filming in February 2003 and had unique access to the families' day-to-day life, and have created a remarkable insight into a part of North Korean society never before seen by Western eyes.


THU 00:00 Old Jews Telling Jokes (b01777fr)
Episode 1

In the fine tradition of American Jewish humour, a group of pensioners from all walks of life gather together to tell their favourite jokes. Remember, laugh loud - they don't hear so good.


THU 00:30 Old Jews Telling Jokes (b017j5jw)
Episode 2

In the fine tradition of American Jewish humour, a group of pensioners from all walks of life gather together to tell their favourite jokes. Remember, laugh loud. They don't hear so good.


THU 01:00 Only Connect (b00xjrr9)
Specials

University Challenge Special

Victoria Coren presents a special edition of the quiz show in which knowledge will only take you so far, as patience and lateral thinking are also vital. Undefeated champions of champions, the Crossworders, risk their reputation by confronting the awesome brainpower of the University Challengers, captained by the illustrious Alex Guttenplan.

It isn't going to be an easy ride for either team, as they try to connect Fortis shareholders with Muntadar al-Zaidi, sabateurs and Nikita Kruschchev.


THU 01:30 Wonders of the Universe (b0101h6w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


THU 02:30 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b018l71s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 03:30 Old Jews Telling Jokes (b01777fr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:00 today]


THU 04:00 Old Jews Telling Jokes (b017j5jw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:30 today]



FRIDAY 30 DECEMBER 2011

FRI 19:00 Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood (b018nwbx)
Darcey Bussell steps into the shoes of her Hollywood heroes to celebrate the enduring legacy of classic dance musicals.

In the age of Strictly Come Dancing and Streetdance 3D, Darcey, one of Britain's greatest living dancers and Hollywood musical superfan, discovers that the key to understanding where this dance-mad culture comes from lies in classic movie musicals. She takes famous dance routines from her favourite Hollywood musicals and reveals how they cast their spell, paying tribute to the legends of the art form and discovering the legacy they left.

Darcey pays homage to Fred Astaire in an interpretation of Puttin' on the Ritz, plays Ginger Rogers in a rendition of Cheek to Cheek, pays tribute to the exuberant Good Morning from Singin' in the Rain, and stars in a new routine inspired by Girl Hunt Ballet from The Band Wagon.

Darcey works with leading choreographer Kim Gavin and expert conductor John Wilson, who has painstakingly reconstructed the original scores, as she discovers how dance in the movies reached a pinnacle of perfection and reveals how the legacy of the golden age lives on.


FRI 20:30 BBC Proms (b014hsbn)
2011

Hooray for Hollywood

A celebration of the Golden Age of Hollywood film musicals performed by John Wilson who, returning to the Proms for a third season, conducts his hand-picked, high-octane orchestra and a line-up of star soloists.

Hooray for Hollywood takes us from the dawn of the 'talkies' and the birth of the movie musical through to the 1960s. There are excerpts from 42nd Street, Top Hat, Strike Up the Band, Swing Time and Shall We Dance, with a special tribute to the RKO films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.


FRI 22:30 Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe (b018l74r)
Charlie Brooker takes a comedic look back at the hectic events of 2011 - a mad year of royal weddings, Gypsy Weddings, riots, phone-hacking and Desperate Scousewives. With contributions from Doug Stanhope, Adam Curtis and Brian Limond.


FRI 23:30 Lemmy: The Movie (b012p5vv)
Film which celebrates the life and rock 'n' roll philosophy of the late Motorhead frontman and bassist Lemmy. Born Christmas Eve 1945 in Stoke and schooled in part on Anglesey, Ian Fraser Willis acquired the name 'Lemmy' while roadying for Jimi Hendrix and co when he hit London in 1967; it comes from the oft repeated saying 'Len' me a quid'.

Lemmy became the bass player in Hawkwind and sang their biggest hit, Silver Machine, before forming his own hard rockin' metal trio Motorhead in the mid-70s, blending punk and primal rock into a foot-to-the-floor, hard driving rock 'n' roll aesthetic which resulted in monster hits like Ace of Spades and the live album No Sleep Til Hammersmith in the early 80s and to which he has remained constantly steadfast.

Joining Lemmy and members of Motorhead to celebrate his life and times are Hawkwind's Dave Brock, Metallica's James Hetfield, Dave Grohl, Alice Cooper, Peter Hook and Jarvis Cocker.


FRI 01:25 Legends (b00xln7l)
Thin Lizzy: Bad Reputation

Affectionate but honest portrait of Thin Lizzy, arguably the best hard rock band to come out of Ireland.

Starting with the remix of the classic album Jailbreak by Scott Gorham and Brian Downey, the film takes us through the rollercoaster ride that is the story of Thin Lizzy. From early footage of singer Phil Lynott in Ireland in his pre-Lizzy bands the Black Eagles and Orphanage, it follows his progress as he, guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey form the basic three-piece that was to become Thin Lizzy - a name taken from the Beano.

Using original interviews with Bell, Downey, the man who signed them and their first manager, it traces the early years leading to the recruitment of guitarists Brian 'Robbo' Robertson and Scott Gorham - the classic line-up. The film uses a number of stills, some seen on TV for the first time, archive from contemporary TV shows and a range of tracks both well known and not so famous.

There are hilarious self-deprecating anecdotes, from the stories behind the making of the Boys are Back in Town to the hiring of Midge Ure. We hear about the 'revolving door' as guitarist after guitarist was fired and hired, and the recording of Bad Reputation and Live and Dangerous - where producer Tony Visconti pulls no punches in talking about how he recorded the latter - putting the controversy to bed for the final time. Except that Downey and Robertson still disagree with him.

Finally, we hear how drugs and alcohol impacted on the band and how the music suffered, how one member later substituted golf for heroin and how addiction and the related lifestyle led to the death of Phil Lynott.

Contributors include Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson, Midge Ure, Bob Geldof, Tony Visconti, Joe Elliot and many others.


FRI 02:25 Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe (b018l74r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 today]


FRI 03:25 Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood (b018nwbx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 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 Christmas History of Sacred Music 03:05 SAT (b00wvdcj)

After Life: The Strange Science of Decay 21:00 THU (b012w66t)

BBC Proms 20:30 FRI (b014hsbn)

Cardigans at Christmas 00:25 SUN (b0077dwr)

Carole King and Friends at Christmas 01:15 SUN (b018p1hq)

Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe 22:30 FRI (b018l74r)

Charlie Brooker's 2011 Wipe 02:25 FRI (b018l74r)

Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood 19:00 FRI (b018nwbx)

Darcey Bussell Dances Hollywood 03:25 FRI (b018nwbx)

Dolly Parton: Live from London 22:55 MON (b00qmdzy)

Doris Day - Virgin Territory 00:35 SAT (b0074rwd)

Doris Day: A Sentimental Journey 01:35 SAT (b014hv2x)

El Cid 19:00 SUN (b0077tfh)

Jerusalem on a Plate 03:05 TUE (b017znj9)

Jerusalem: The Making of a Holy City 00:05 TUE (b018jlj0)

Johnny Cash at Christmas 21:50 SUN (b018snk4)

Johnny Cash at Christmas 03:15 SUN (b018snk4)

Johnny Cash at Christmas 00:05 MON (b018snk4)

Land of the Pharaohs 21:00 SAT (b00kz6t4)

Legends 01:25 FRI (b00xln7l)

Lemmy: The Movie 23:30 FRI (b012p5vv)

Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan 21:00 WED (b018l6wz)

Night Music: Songs After Dark 02:15 SUN (b018jl9k)

Night on Film: An A-Z of the Dark 23:05 TUE (b018jl97)

North Korea: A State of Mind 22:30 THU (b0074q9w)

Old Jews Telling Jokes 00:00 THU (b01777fr)

Old Jews Telling Jokes 00:30 THU (b017j5jw)

Old Jews Telling Jokes 03:30 THU (b01777fr)

Old Jews Telling Jokes 04:00 THU (b017j5jw)

Only Connect 01:00 THU (b00xjrr9)

Originals 00:55 MON (b0074rrd)

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 20:00 TUE (b018l6vy)

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 02:05 TUE (b018l6vy)

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 20:00 WED (b018l6wx)

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 01:50 WED (b018l6wx)

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 20:00 THU (b018l71s)

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 02:30 THU (b018l71s)

The Andy Williams Christmas Show 02:35 SAT (b00phmjh)

The Christmas Session 01:55 MON (b00pcnsp)

The Doris Day Special 23:40 SAT (b014hv2v)

The Fall of the Roman Empire 20:00 MON (b0078gjh)

The Pharaoh Who Conquered the Sea 20:00 SAT (b00pq9gs)

The Search for Life: The Drake Equation 02:50 WED (b00wltbk)

Timeshift 19:00 SAT (b017zqw8)

Timeshift 22:40 SAT (b018jp1v)

Timeshift 23:50 WED (b018jp1v)

Timewatch 23:00 WED (b00790p2)

Timewatch 03:50 WED (b00790p2)

Top of the Pops 22:45 SUN (b018l6cb)

Top of the Pops 23:35 SUN (b018m5q3)

Waterloo 21:00 TUE (b00f60kf)

Wonders of the Universe 19:00 MON (b00zf9dh)

Wonders of the Universe 02:55 MON (b00zf9dh)

Wonders of the Universe 19:00 TUE (b00zm833)

Wonders of the Universe 01:05 TUE (b00zm833)

Wonders of the Universe 19:00 WED (b00zv39p)

Wonders of the Universe 00:50 WED (b00zv39p)

Wonders of the Universe 19:00 THU (b0101h6w)

Wonders of the Universe 01:30 THU (b0101h6w)