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 08 DECEMBER 2012

SAT 19:00 Natural World (b00tj7j4)
2010-2011

The Himalayas

Documentary looking at the wildlife of the most stunning mountain range in the world, home to snow leopards, Himalayan wolves and Tibetan bears.

Snow leopards stalk their prey among the highest peaks. Concealed by snowfall, the chase is watched by golden eagles circling above. On the harsh plains of the Tibetan plateau live extraordinary bears and square-faced foxes hunting small rodents to survive. In the alpine forests, dancing pheasants have even influenced rival border guards in their ritualistic displays. Valleys carved by glacial waters lead to hillsides covered by paddy fields containing the lifeline to the east, rice. In this world of extremes, the Himalayas reveal not only snow-capped mountains and fascinating animals but also a vital lifeline for humanity.


SAT 20:00 David Attenborough's First Life (b00vspkd)
Arrival

In fifty years of broadcasting, Sir David Attenborough has travelled the globe to document the living world in all its wonder. Now, in the landmark series, David Attenborough's First Life, he completes his journey by going back in time to the roots of the tree of life, in search of the very first animals.

Attenborough's journey begins in a forest near his childhood home in Leicester, where a fossil discovery transformed our understanding of the evolution of complex life. Travelling to the fog bound coastline of Newfoundland and the Australian outback, Attenborough unearths the earliest forms of animal life to exist on Earth.

These bizarre and wonderful creatures are brought to life with the help of cutting edge scientific technology and photorealistic visual effects. From the first animal forms that moved to the first mouths that ate, these were creatures that evolved the traits and tools that allow all animals, including ourselves, to survive to this day.


SAT 21:00 The Killing (b01pcpm6)
Series 3

Episode 7

A new element turns out to play a role of great significance in the investigation. Borch and Lund have a hard time shaking off their Jutland experience, and their working relationship suffers as a result. Robert and Maja harbour hopes that Emilie may still be alive and Zeeland throw all their resources into tracking her down, as a secret is revealed from an unlikely source within the family. Police run checks on Ussing's movements over the last couple of years.

In Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 22:00 The Killing (b01p96ft)
Series 3

Episode 8

A suspect is taken in for examination as the police try to find out more about the notebook they discovered, but things go less than smoothly. The prime minister and his close aids become the focus of police attention, as Karen is also found to be hiding a dangerous secret which could prove fatal for the government. Borch and Lund's trip to Jutland begins to have consequences. Robert Zeuthen intensifies the hunt for his daughter, despite coming under heavy pressure from the Zeeland board. Maja takes sides. A witness turns up who may have important information about Emilie.

In Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 23:00 More Old Jews Telling Jokes (b01p65lb)
Episode 2

Yet another slice of senior citizen silliness. Old Jews cracking old gags - what's not to like?


SAT 23:30 Voyager: To the Final Frontier (b01nj48v)
This is the story of the most extraordinary journey in human exploration, the Voyager space mission. In 1977 two unmanned spacecraft were launched by NASA, heading for distant worlds. It would be the first time any man-made object would ever visit the farthest planets of the solar system - Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. On the way the Voyagers would be bombarded by space dust, fried by radiation and discover many of the remarkable wonders of the solar system.

Now, at the end of 2012, 35 years and 11 billion miles later, they are leaving the area of the sun's influence. As they journey out into the galaxy beyond they carry a message from Earth, a golden record bolted to the side of each craft describing our civilisation in case of discovery by another. This is the definitive account of the most intrepid explorers in Earth's history.


SAT 00:30 The Sky at Night (b08slwd9)
Mercury and the Moon

The tiny planet Mercury is in the morning sky and Sir Patrick Moore talks about the latest news from Messenger, the spacecraft which is over Mercury at the moment. Mercury is often compared to the moon, which was last visited by man in December 1972. Forty years on, Dr Chris Lintott looks at the legacy of that mission, Apollo 17, and what it has been able to tell us about the moon.


SAT 01:00 David Attenborough's First Life (b00vspkd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


SAT 02:00 Natural World (b00tj7j4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



SUNDAY 09 DECEMBER 2012

SUN 19:00 Hidcote: A Garden for All Seasons (b011s3pw)
Documentary telling the story of Hidcote - the most influential English garden of the 20th century - and Lawrence Johnston, the enigmatic genius behind it. Hidcote was the first garden ever taken on by the National Trust, who spent 3.5 million pounds in a major programme of restoration. This included researching Johnston's original vision, which in turn uncovered the compelling story of how Johnston created such an iconic garden.

Until recently, little was known about the secretive and self-taught Johnston. He kept few, if any, records on Hidcote's construction, but current head gardener Glyn Jones made it a personal mission to discover as much about the man as possible to reveal how, in the early 20th century, Johnston set about creating a garden that has inspired designers all over the world.


SUN 20:00 African Railway (b00s6bgw)
In a moving and often funny documentary, award-winning film-maker Sean Langan is off to east Africa to ride the rails of the Tazara railroad, whose passenger and goods trains travel through spectacular scenery and a game park teeming with wild animals.

The railway was built by the Chinese just after independence to link Zambia's copper belt to the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam, and once carried the region's hopes and dreams. But now it is in crisis. Every day there are derailments, trains running out of fuel and mechanical breakdowns.

Langan meets the train crews, controllers and maintenance crews who battle to keep it going - and at Tazara HQ he is on the track of Tazara's elusive Chinese railway advisors to find out why it is in such a parlous state.


SUN 21:00 The Trouble with Aid (b01p8tkm)
45 years ago a group of young men and women set out to make the world a better place. They wanted to bring aid to those in dire need. These idealists would help create a new mass movement - humanitarianism. Its core belief is a simple one - that it is our duty to help those in desperate need, wherever they are. But trying to do good in the world's worst conflict zones is filled with danger and compromise.

The Trouble with Aid tells the story of what really happened during the major humanitarian disasters of the last 50 years: from the Biafran War, through to the Ethiopian famine and Live Aid, to the military intervention in Somalia and to present-day Afghanistan. Despite the best intentions, aid can have some unintended and terrible consequences.

Using the testimony of key players from the world's largest aid agencies, the film looks at what happens when good people try to help in a bad world.

Today, any humanitarian crisis leads to cries that we must 'do something'. The Trouble with Aid challenges this fundamental assumption by asking the question few us are prepared to face: can aid sometimes do more harm than good?


SUN 23:00 The Trouble with Aid: The Debate (b01p8tkp)
Saving lives in dangerous and complex humanitarian crises is fraught with moral dilemmas. Further exploring the emergencies highlighted in Ricardo Pollack's film The Trouble with Aid, aid professionals and critics debate whether there are occasions when humanitarian aid might do more harm than good, and what emergency aid means in the 21st century.


SUN 23:45 Hidcote: A Garden for All Seasons (b011s3pw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


SUN 00:45 African Railway (b00s6bgw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


SUN 01:45 Legends (b01lcz64)
Iron Maiden: Behind the Beast

A fascinating, high-quality 'home movie', produced entirely in-house by Iron Maiden's own crew led by Andy Matthews, it reveals how to put on an Iron Maiden tour and what goes on behind the scenes at a show. It describes the extraordinary story of one of the most acclaimed and ambitious touring shows in the world, illustrating the day-to-day life and complex tasks of the crew and the other characters behind the scenes.

As well as interviews with the Iron Maiden crew, it interweaves anecdotes from the band and their fans, and includes footage of the live show in this comprehensive guide to the intricacies of staging massive, live stadium shows around the world out of the belly of a Boeing 757.

Starting in Moscow and performing across the globe from Asia to Australia to South America and finishing up in Florida, the band travel over 60,000 miles with lead singer Bruce Dickinson once again at the wheel of their customised Boeing 757- Ed Force One.


SUN 02:45 Guitar Heroes at the BBC (b00plj0l)
Part VI

In this sixth and final show to round out the Guitar Heroes series, axe fans get classic riffs from Pete Townshend as The Who play Won't Get Fooled Again, Rod and Ronnie with The Faces doing Miss Judy's Farm at the old BBC TV Theatre, some weird yodel-rock from Dutch prog rockers Focus, folky acoustic numbers from Davey Graham and Ralph McTell, and some flamboyant fretwork from Americans Nils Lofgren and Ted Nugent.

Filmed in the 1970s for shows including Top of the Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test, these tracks pay tribute to a golden era in rock and to the last of the 70s Guitar Heroes.

Complete line-up:

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
The Faces - Miss Judy's Farm
Focus - Hocus Pocus
Man - Day and Night
Chris Spedding - Motor Bikin'
Nils Lofgren - Back It Up
The Cate Brothers - In One Eye and Out the Other
Ralph McTell - Dry Bone Rag
The Runaways - Wasted
The Motors - Dancing the Night Away
Ted Nugent - Free For All
The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love
Gary Moore - Back on the Streets
Judas Priest - Take on the World
Davey Graham - City and Suburban Blues
ZZ Top - Cheap Sunglasses.



MONDAY 10 DECEMBER 2012

MON 19:00 World News Today (b01p8t64)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


MON 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b00q2q87)
Series 1

Carlisle to Glasgow

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. In a series of four epic journeys, he travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

Michael's second epic journey takes him north, from Preston to Scotland, on one of the first railways to cross the border. On this fourth leg, he meets the wild clansmen of Carlisle, the Border Reivers, witnesses a wedding in Gretna Green and visits a secret World War I munitions factory.


MON 20:00 Nature's Microworlds (b01m42rx)
Svalbard

In a revelatory look at Svalbard, the most northerly region in the series, Steve Backshall leaves no stone unturned as he unravels the secrets that lie covered in ice for most of each year. Svalbard is cold, dark and foreboding, yet it is home to the world's largest land predator and the most northerly population of large herbivore. But Steve discovers that the real secret to this place comes from a very different world.


MON 20:30 Only Connect (b01p8w36)
Series 6

Footballers vs Wordsmiths

In the play-off for third place, a trio of football fans and three writers compete to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random. So join Victoria Coren if you want to know what connects Jed Clampett: 9.5, Artemis Fowl II: 13.5, Scrooge McDuck: 44.1 and Rich Uncle Pennybags: 2.6.


MON 21:00 The Golden Age of Steam Railways (b01p8w38)
Small Is Beautiful

Two-part documentary telling the remarkable story of a band of visionaries who rescued some of the little narrow gauge railways that once served Britain's industries. These small railways and the steam engines that ran on them were once the driving force of Britain's mines, quarries, factories and docks. Then, as they disappeared after 1945, volunteers set to work to bring the lines and the steam engines back to life and started a movement which spread throughout the world. Their home movies tell the story of how they helped millions reconnect with a past they thought had gone forever.


MON 22:00 Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years (b01fcncc)
In the 1980s rallying was more popular than Formula 1. 'Group B' machines had taken the world by storm. Deregulation opened the way for the most exciting cars ever to hit the motorsport scene. Nothing like it has ever happened since. 'This is the fastest rallying there has ever been' - Peter Foubister.

For four wild and crazy years manufacturers scrambled to build ever more powerful cars to be driven by fearless mavericks who could handle the extreme power. The sport was heading out of control and the unregulated mayhem ended abruptly in 1986 after a series of horrific tragedies. This is the story of when fans, ambition, politics and cars collided.

'The fans were crazy. As the cars sped by the spectators ran into the road!' - Ari Vatanen. 'They were playing with their lives'.

'To go rallying is madness. This was refined madness' - John Davenport

Featuring world champaions Ari Vatanen, Walter Rohrl, Stig Blomqvist, plus Michel Mouton, Cesar Fiorio, Jean Todt and many many more.

From the producer of Grand Prix: The Killer Years and the Grierson-nominated Deadliest Crash: The 1955 Le Mans Disaster.


MON 23:00 The Killing (b01pcpm6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]


MON 00:00 Nature's Microworlds (b01m42rx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


MON 00:30 Only Connect (b01p8w36)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


MON 01:00 Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years (b01fcncc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


MON 02:00 The Golden Age of Steam Railways (b01p8w38)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



TUESDAY 11 DECEMBER 2012

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b01p8t74)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


TUE 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b00q2qt0)
Series 1

Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. In a series of four epic journeys, he travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

Michael's second epic journey takes him north, from Preston to Scotland, on one of the first railways to cross the border. On this fifth leg, he makes apple juice in the Clyde Valley orchards, pays a thrilling visit to the top of the Forth Rail Bridge and relives his childhood memories in his grandparents' home town of Kirkcaldy.


TUE 20:00 Timeshift (b00x7c3z)
Series 10

The Golden Age of Coach Travel

Documentary which takes a glorious journey back to the 1950s, when the coach was king. From its early origins in the charabanc, the coach had always been the people's form of transport. Cheaper and more flexible than the train, it allowed those who had travelled little further than their own villages and towns a first heady taste of exploration and freedom. It was a safe capsule on wheels from which to venture out into a wider world.

The distinctive livery of the different coach companies was part of a now-lost world, when whole communities crammed into coach after coach en route to pleasure spots like Blackpool, Margate and Torquay. With singsongs, toilet stops and the obligatory pub halt, it didn't matter how long it took to get there because the journey was all part of the adventure.


TUE 21:00 The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (b01p96fr)
The Wonder of Islam

The Dark Ages have been misunderstood. History has identified the period following the fall of the Roman Empire with a descent into barbarism - a terrible time when civilisation stopped.

Waldemar Januszczak disagrees. In this four-part series he argues that the Dark Ages were a time of great artistic achievement, with new ideas and religions provoking new artistic adventures. He embarks on a fascinating trip across Europe, Africa and Asia, visits the world's most famous collections and discovers hidden artistic gems, all to prove that the Dark Ages were actually an 'Age of Light'.

Along with Christianity, the Dark Ages saw the emergence of another vital religion - Islam. After emerging in the near East it spread across North Africa and into Europe, bringing its unique artistic style with it. In the third episode, Waldemar examines the early artistic explorations of the first Muslims, the development of their mosques and their scientific achievements.


TUE 22:00 Rome: A History of the Eternal City (b01p65l8)
City of the Sacred

Simon Sebag Montefiore looks at how every event in ancient Rome revolved around religion. From the foundation myth through to the deification of emperors, nothing could happen without calling upon the pantheon of Roman gods. Simon investigates how the Romans worshipped and sacrificed to the gods. He discovers that sacredness defined what was Roman and it was the responsibility of every Roman to play their part in the cult. Even the ancient Roman sewer was holy ground!


TUE 23:00 The Killing (b01p96ft)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Saturday]


TUE 00:00 Natural World (b00tj7j4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


TUE 01:00 Timeshift (b00x7c3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


TUE 02:00 The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (b01p96fr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



WEDNESDAY 12 DECEMBER 2012

WED 19:00 World News Today (b01p8t86)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


WED 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b00qbnbw)
Series 1

Swindon to Bristol

Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. In a series of four epic journeys, he travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

Michael's journey takes him along the Brunel's Great Western Railway from Swindon to Penzance. He finds out about free holiday trains for the GWR workers in Swindon, samples the spa in Bath and tries his hand at glass blowing in Bristol.


WED 20:00 Timewatch (b00sl29f)
Atlantis: The Evidence

Historian Bettany Hughes unravels one of the most intriguing mysteries of all time. She presents a series of geological, archaeological and historical clues to show that the legend of Atlantis was inspired by a real historical event, the greatest natural disaster of the ancient world.


WED 21:00 Rome: A History of the Eternal City (b01p96g4)
Divine Gamble

Simon Sebag Montefiore charts the rocky course of Rome's rise to become the capital of western Christendom and its impact on the lives of its citizens, elites and high priests.

Rome casts aside its pantheon of pagan gods and a radical new religion takes hold. Christianity was just a persecuted sect until Emperor Constantine took a huge leap of faith, promoting it as the religion of Empire. But would this divine gamble pay off?


WED 22:00 The Golden Age of Steam Railways (b01p8w38)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Monday]


WED 23:00 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.


WED 23:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b00qbnbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 00:00 Timewatch (b00sl29f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 01:00 Timeshift (b00dwflh)
Series 8

Between the Lines - Railways in Fiction and Film

Novelist Andrew Martin presents a documentary examining how the train and the railways came to shape the work of writers and film-makers.

Lovers parting at the station, runaway carriages and secret assignations in confined compartments - railways have long been a staple of romance, mystery and period drama. But at the beginning of the railway age, locomotives were seen as frightening and unnatural. Wordsworth decried the destruction of the countryside, while Dickens wrote about locomotives as murderous brutes, bent on the destruction of mere humans. Hardly surprising, as he had been involved in a horrific railway accident himself.

Martin traces how trains gradually began to be accepted - Holmes and Watson were frequent passengers - until by the time of The Railway Children they were something to be loved, a symbol of innocence and Englishness. He shows how trains made for unforgettable cinema in The 39 Steps and Brief Encounter, and how when the railways fell out of favour after the 1950s, their plight was highlighted in the films of John Betjeman.

Finally, Martin asks whether, in the 21st century, Britain's railways can still stir and inspire artists.


WED 02:00 Rome: A History of the Eternal City (b01p96g4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER 2012

THU 19:00 World News Today (b01p8t8f)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


THU 19:30 Top of the Pops (b01pcpl9)
24/11/77

David 'Kid' Jensen looks at the weekly pop chart from 1977 and introduces the Carvells, Bonnie Tyler, Hot Chocolate, Darts, Leo Sayer, Santa Esmerelda, Abba, Wings, the Bee Gees and a Legs & Co dance sequence to Jonathan Richman.


THU 20:00 David Attenborough's First Life (b00w14gy)
Conquest

In fifty years of broadcasting, Sir David Attenborough has travelled the globe to document the living world in all its wonder. Now, in a landmark series, he completes his journey by going back in time to the very roots of the tree of life, in search of the very first animals.

Attenborough's journey continues in Canada's Rocky Mountains, where fossils document an explosion in animal diversity never seen before or since. Travelling from there to North Africa, the rainforests of Australia and the east coast of Scotland, Attenborough discovers how animals evolved to conquer not only the oceans but also the land and air.

These remote and fascinating creatures are brought to life as never before with the help of cutting-edge scientific technology and photorealistic visual effects. From the first large predators to the first legs on land, these were creatures that evolved the traits and tools that allow all animals, including ourselves, to survive to this day.


THU 21:00 Timeshift (b01p96ly)
Series 12

When Wrestling was Golden: Grapples, Grunts and Grannies

Timeshift turns back the clock to a time when villains wore silver capes, grannies swooned at the sight of bulky men in latex and the most masculine man in the country was called Shirley. In its heyday, British professional wrestling attracted huge TV audiences and made household names of generations of wrestlers from Mick McManus and Jackie 'Mr TV' Pallo to Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy. With contributions from inside the world of wrestling and surprising fans such as artist Peter Blake, this is an affectionate and lively portrait of a lost era of simpler pleasures, both in and out of the ring.


THU 22:00 The Dark Ages: An Age of Light (b01p96fr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


THU 23:00 Balmoral (b00mqg2c)
Documentary telling the story of Balmoral, the royal family's most private residence. For over 150 years this Scottish castle has been home to royal traditions of picnics, stag hunting and kilts. From prime ministers to Princess Diana, life at this tartan-bound holiday home has not appealed to everyone.

But there is another story of Balmoral, of how the royal family has played a role in shaping modern Scotland and how Scotland has shaped the royal family. Queen Victoria's adoption of Highland symbols, from tartan to bagpipes, helped create a new image for Scotland. Her values, too, helped strengthen the union between Scotland and England. Ever since, Balmoral has been a place that reflects the very essence of the royal family.


THU 00:00 Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years (b01fcncc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Monday]


THU 01:00 Top of the Pops (b01pcpl9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 01:30 David Attenborough's First Life (b00w14gy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 02:30 Timeshift (b01p96ly)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



FRIDAY 14 DECEMBER 2012

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b01p8t8l)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


FRI 19:30 Sacred Music at Christmas (b00x21sc)
A Choral Christmas

Simon Russell Beale introduces a programme of choral music for Christmas from across the centuries, featuring full performances of some of the works featured in the accompanying documentary. Harry Christophers and his choir, The Sixteen, perform music including JS Bach's harmonisation of the medieval carol In dulci jubilo, A Spotless Rose by Herbert Howells and the Christmas text O magnum mysterium, set as a motet by Tomas Luis de Victoria.


FRI 20:00 The Chopin Etudes (b0074qm4)
Opus 10, No 11

Pianist Freddy Kempf plays Chopin's Etude in E flat, Op 10 No 11.


FRI 20:05 The Chopin Etudes (b0074qgh)
Opus 25, No 10

Pianist Freddy Kempf plays Chopin's Etude in B minor, Op 25 no 10.


FRI 20:10 Omnibus (b007brkx)
John Barry: Licence to Thrill

John Barry is the most successful film score composer of the 20th century. From his work on the Bond movies, Born Free, Out of Africa, Dances With Wolves and many more he has produced cinema's most memorable music, winning five Oscars in the process.

But behind all the Hollywood glitz and glamour, Yorkshire born Barry is a private and self-effacing man who talks emotionally about his early childhood, his relationship with his father and the impact of World War II.

This is the first film ever to profile Barry and joining him are Michael Caine, Kevin Costner, and Adam Faith.


FRI 21:00 James Bond 50th Anniversary Gala Concert (b01p97hp)
A night dedicated to the music of 007. Conductor Carl Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra create a concert bringing together the iconic theme tunes from the James Bond films, including Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, From Russia with Love, GoldenEye and many more. Honor Blackman, who played the legendary Pussy Galore, leads us on the journey through the world of Bond across the 50 years and 23 films. Featuring Strictly Come Dancing vocalist Lance Ellington and Mary Carewe as the soloists in a concert performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London.


FRI 22:30 ... Sings Bond (b01p97hr)
The BBC archive uncovers performances of some of the finest Bond theme tunes from its top secret vaults and pays a TV tribute to a classic British icon.

Prepare to be shaken and stirred by Tina Turner and her GoldenEye, Dame Shirley Bassey with her Diamonds, Tom Jones rampaging with Thunderball, Matt Monro romancing in Russia, The Fun Lovin' Criminals taking all the time in the world, Adele's sky-high contribution to 007 and much more from Sheena Easton, Garbage, A-ha and others, from all manner of BBC shows.

Sit back and marvel at our selection of the greatest Bond songs in history - a tuxedo and a dry vodka martini is optional.


FRI 23:30 Omnibus (b007brkx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:10 today]


FRI 00:25 ... Sings Musicals (b019jshd)
A delve into the BBC archives for an eclectic mix of performances from musicals from the 60s to the present. Featuring the likes of Ella Fitzgerald singing Mack the Knife from the Threepenny Opera, Captain Sensible performing a classic from South Pacific, Jeff Beck going down the yellow brick road of Oz, Jay Z taking on Annie, and all points in between.


FRI 01:25 James Bond 50th Anniversary Gala Concert (b01p97hp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


FRI 02:55 ... Sings Bond (b01p97hr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 today]




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

... Sings Bond 22:30 FRI (b01p97hr)

... Sings Bond 02:55 FRI (b01p97hr)

... Sings Musicals 00:25 FRI (b019jshd)

African Railway 20:00 SUN (b00s6bgw)

African Railway 00:45 SUN (b00s6bgw)

Balmoral 23:00 THU (b00mqg2c)

David Attenborough's First Life 20:00 SAT (b00vspkd)

David Attenborough's First Life 01:00 SAT (b00vspkd)

David Attenborough's First Life 20:00 THU (b00w14gy)

David Attenborough's First Life 01:30 THU (b00w14gy)

Great British Railway Journeys 19:30 MON (b00q2q87)

Great British Railway Journeys 19:30 TUE (b00q2qt0)

Great British Railway Journeys 19:30 WED (b00qbnbw)

Great British Railway Journeys 23:30 WED (b00qbnbw)

Guitar Heroes at the BBC 02:45 SUN (b00plj0l)

Hidcote: A Garden for All Seasons 19:00 SUN (b011s3pw)

Hidcote: A Garden for All Seasons 23:45 SUN (b011s3pw)

James Bond 50th Anniversary Gala Concert 21:00 FRI (b01p97hp)

James Bond 50th Anniversary Gala Concert 01:25 FRI (b01p97hp)

Legends 01:45 SUN (b01lcz64)

Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years 22:00 MON (b01fcncc)

Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years 01:00 MON (b01fcncc)

Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years 00:00 THU (b01fcncc)

More Old Jews Telling Jokes 23:00 SAT (b01p65lb)

Natural World 19:00 SAT (b00tj7j4)

Natural World 02:00 SAT (b00tj7j4)

Natural World 00:00 TUE (b00tj7j4)

Nature's Microworlds 20:00 MON (b01m42rx)

Nature's Microworlds 00:00 MON (b01m42rx)

Old Jews Telling Jokes 23:00 WED (b01777fr)

Omnibus 20:10 FRI (b007brkx)

Omnibus 23:30 FRI (b007brkx)

Only Connect 20:30 MON (b01p8w36)

Only Connect 00:30 MON (b01p8w36)

Rome: A History of the Eternal City 22:00 TUE (b01p65l8)

Rome: A History of the Eternal City 21:00 WED (b01p96g4)

Rome: A History of the Eternal City 02:00 WED (b01p96g4)

Sacred Music at Christmas 19:30 FRI (b00x21sc)

The Chopin Etudes 20:00 FRI (b0074qm4)

The Chopin Etudes 20:05 FRI (b0074qgh)

The Dark Ages: An Age of Light 21:00 TUE (b01p96fr)

The Dark Ages: An Age of Light 02:00 TUE (b01p96fr)

The Dark Ages: An Age of Light 22:00 THU (b01p96fr)

The Golden Age of Steam Railways 21:00 MON (b01p8w38)

The Golden Age of Steam Railways 02:00 MON (b01p8w38)

The Golden Age of Steam Railways 22:00 WED (b01p8w38)

The Killing 21:00 SAT (b01pcpm6)

The Killing 22:00 SAT (b01p96ft)

The Killing 23:00 MON (b01pcpm6)

The Killing 23:00 TUE (b01p96ft)

The Sky at Night 00:30 SAT (b08slwd9)

The Trouble with Aid: The Debate 23:00 SUN (b01p8tkp)

The Trouble with Aid 21:00 SUN (b01p8tkm)

Timeshift 20:00 TUE (b00x7c3z)

Timeshift 01:00 TUE (b00x7c3z)

Timeshift 01:00 WED (b00dwflh)

Timeshift 21:00 THU (b01p96ly)

Timeshift 02:30 THU (b01p96ly)

Timewatch 20:00 WED (b00sl29f)

Timewatch 00:00 WED (b00sl29f)

Top of the Pops 19:30 THU (b01pcpl9)

Top of the Pops 01:00 THU (b01pcpl9)

Voyager: To the Final Frontier 23:30 SAT (b01nj48v)

World News Today 19:00 MON (b01p8t64)

World News Today 19:00 TUE (b01p8t74)

World News Today 19:00 WED (b01p8t86)

World News Today 19:00 THU (b01p8t8f)

World News Today 19:00 FRI (b01p8t8l)