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 29 JUNE 2013

SAT 19:00 Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past (p014fycm)
From Old Bones to Precious Stones

Charting the birth of the heritage movement and the first arguments of radical thought, from figures including John Lubbock MP, Lieutenant General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers, Charles Darwin and John Ruskin. These remarkable individuals asked important questions and came up with the building blocks of a new world that valued the past. Their actions led to the first piece of legislation to safeguard prehistoric and ancient structures which until then had often fallen prey to the short-term interests of farmers and landowners.


SAT 20:00 Oceans (b00fvf4d)
Atlantic Ocean

The team explores a corner of the Atlantic Ocean. This ocean is the youngest of the great oceans and critical in influencing our climate.

Expedition leader Paul Rose, environmentalist Philippe Cousteau Jr, maritime archaeologist Dr Lucy Blue and marine biologist and oceanographer Tooni Mahto make a dangerous dive into a 'black hole' to discover how different our planet's earliest oceans were 3.5 billion years ago. They dive one of only two places on the planet where the oldest life form on Earth still survives: stromatolites, the creatures responsible for transforming our ancient oceans by producing oxygen.

They brave waters teeming with sharks to act as human bait in an experiment to test a shark repellent. They also investigate how the Atlantic has been invaded by the poisonous lionfish, which is decimating local fish stocks and spreading fast. And they try to identify a lost British warship, the HMS Southampton, which was shipwrecked after winning a battle against an American vessel in the war of 1812.


SAT 21:00 Wallander (b01m2fr3)
The Fifth Woman

Part 1

Kurt Wallander returns home from a holiday in Rome with his father, who is dismayed to see him remain as obsessed with his job as usual at the expense of his family relationships. But a brutal crime consumes all of Wallander's attention - an elderly poet with no family is found impaled on spikes under a bridge. Wallander, Svedberg and Maja begin investigating. When a flower collector goes looking for a rare orchid and is then reported missing, the two crimes appear unconnected.

In Swedish with English subtitles.


SAT 21:55 Wallander (b01m2fr5)
The Fifth Woman

Part 2

When Wallander holds a press conference about the two recent murders he is challenged by a civilian who thinks the police are incompetent. Men are soon forming themselves into vigilante groups and taking the law into their own hands. Pressure is mounting on Wallander to come up with results, but it's still proving hard to find a link between the murders so he begins to delve into their pasts. Meanwhile, an unknown nurse assaults another nurse on a maternity ward.

In Swedish with English subtitles.


SAT 22:55 Glastonbury (b036f5cf)
2013

Public Enemy

Craig Charles introduces Public Enemy from the West Holts Stage at the world-famous festival.


SAT 00:00 New Power Generation: Black Music Legends of the 1980s (b01805m3)
Public Enemy: Prophets of Rage

In the late 1980s Public Enemy were the biggest rap group on the planet. Their mission: to raise the consciousness of a generation. With a rebellious attitude to match their militant image they sold millions of records preaching pro-black politics to fans of all races, all done through a groundbreaking wall of noise that changed the sound of hip hop. White, middle Americans were outraged, but their kids loved it.

Not surprisingly, this confrontational approach attracted controversy. Critics claimed the group themselves were racist, exposing racial divides rather than promoting equality. They were banned from some TV and radio stations and when one member reportedly made anti-Semitic remarks in a newspaper interview the resulting media-storm threatened to end their career. Tensions were running high and arguments within the band ended in violence. Could they keep it together long enough to get their message across?

Includes exclusive new interviews with Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Hank and Keith Shocklee and the S1Ws. Plus contributions from Run DMC, Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan), Anthrax's Scott Ian, Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, Bahamadia, writer and activist Kevin Powell and DJ Dave Pearce.


SAT 01:00 Word Up! Black American Pop at the BBC (b017gss8)
A selection of some of the best performances by African-American artists of the 1980s from the BBC archives, featuring Cameo, Shalamar, Salt-n-Pepa, Chaka Khan, Kid Creole, Doug E Fresh, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross.


SAT 02:00 Top of the Pops (b0337wc3)
Peter Powell introduces the weekly pop charts featuring performances from the Buzzcocks, Marshall Hain, ELO, Clout, Steel Pulse, City Boy, Justin Hayward and a dance routine by Legs & Co.


SAT 02:35 Oceans (b00fvf4d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]



SUNDAY 30 JUNE 2013

SUN 19:00 Wild (b0078ssw)
2004-05 Shorts

Wild Summer River

A leisurely trip down the River Dart, through moor and heath into ancient oak woodland and back out onto open pasture. Dippers, herons, kingfishers, mallards and many other water birds can all be found on its water, along its banks live badgers and foxes, and above it soar buzzards and peregrine falcons.


SUN 19:10 Wild (b0078yx9)
2005-06 Shorts

The Rabbits of Skomer

Documentary about the wild rabbits which live on sea cliffs on the Pembrokeshire coast alongside seabirds like puffins and seagulls. They come in many shades, owing to their intriguing history, and each spring the island of Skomer itself is transformed by wild flowers, creating one of Britain's most beautiful natural spectacles. The green and brown island turns blue and pink for a couple of spectacular weeks under a carpet of bluebells and red campion.


SUN 19:20 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (b007894r)
In the second in John Ford's cavalry trilogy, a US cavalry officer suffers a setback on his last mission and is 'retired' before he can take further action. To avert a full-scale war, he decides to act alone.


SUN 21:00 Rich Hall's You Can Go to Hell, I'm Going to Texas (b036lqsz)
Comedian Rich Hall goes to the Lone Star state in search of the real Texas and asks what it means to be a Texan. From the Alamo to the oil industry and everything in between, Rich explores the landscape, the people and the true heart of this historic state.

With the help of scholars, ranchers and musicians, Rich explores every aspect of what it is to be a Texan. He not only seeks the truth behind so many myths and legends in history and on screen, but gets to the very soul and explores how this land and its people has made such an impact on the rest of the world.

Rich goes from the ranches of Marfa to the music of Austin and the oil fields of Beaumont, and incorporates interviews, archive clips of some of cinema's finest films, historical photographs and footage, all brought together with his customary wit and intelligence.

This is an insight into the Texan psyche through its politics, sports, movies, industries and lifestyle, to find out if everything really is bigger in Texas.


SUN 22:30 Glastonbury (b036f6x8)
2013

Bobby Womack

Craig Charles introduces highlights from the headlining performance by soul legend Bobby Womack.


SUN 00:00 Festivals Britannia (b00wmdqs)
Continuing the critically acclaimed Britannia music series for BBC Four, this documentary tells the story of the emergence and evolution of the British music festival through the mavericks, dreamers and dropouts who have produced, enjoyed and sometimes fought for them over the last 50 years.

The film traces the ebb and flow of British festival culture from jazz beginnings at Beaulieu in the late 50s through to the Isle of Wight festivals at the end of the 60s, early Glastonbury and one-off commercial festivals like 1972's Bickershaw, the free festivals of the 70s and 80s and on through the extended rave at Castlemorton in 1992 to the contemporary resurgence in festivals like Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Reading in the last decade.

Sam Bridger's film explores the central tension between the people's desire to come together, dance to the music and build temporary communities and the desire of the state, the councils and the locals to police these often unruly gatherings.

At the heart of the documentary is an ongoing argument about British freedom and shifts in the political, musical and cultural landscape set to a wonderful soundtrack of 50 years of great popular music which takes in trad jazz, Traffic, Roy Harper, the Grateful Dead, Hawkwind, Orbital and much more.

Featuring rare archive and interviews with Michael Eavis, Richard Thompson, Acker Bilk, Terry Reid, the Levellers, Billy Bragg, John Giddings, Melvin Benn, Roy Harper, Nik Turner, Peter Jenner, Orbital, amongst others.


SUN 01:30 America on a Plate: The Story of the Diner (b017ss8x)
Writer and broadcaster Stephen Smith re-envisions the story of 20th-century American culture through its most iconic institution - the diner. Whether Edward Hopper's Nighthawks or the infamous encounter between Pacino and de Niro in Heat, these gleaming, gaudy shacks are at the absolute heart of the American vision.

Stephen embarks on a girth-busting road journey that takes him to some of America's most iconic diners. He meets the film-makers and singers who have immortalised them, and looks at the role diners have played not only in America's greatest paintings and movies, but also in the fight against racial oppression and the chain restaurants' global takeover.

For Stephen, it is because the diner is the last vestige of a vital part of the American psyche - the frontier. Like the Dodge City saloon it is a place where strangers are thrown together, where normal rules are suspended and anything can happen. And it is this crackle of potentially violent and sexual energy that have drawn so many artists to the diner, and made it not a convenient setting but an engine room of 20th-century American culture.


SUN 02:30 Rich Hall's You Can Go to Hell, I'm Going to Texas (b036lqsz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



MONDAY 01 JULY 2013

MON 19:00 World News Today (b036czd0)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


MON 19:30 Wainwright Walks (b0074tkq)
Series 1

Scafell Pike

Julia Bradbury faces the ultimate Wainwright challenge of Scafell Pike. England's highest peak marks the climax of Julia's journey to explore the work, passion and the legacy of Alfred Wainwright, a man who has inspired millions with his illustrated guides to the Lake District. Before tackling the 3,000ft ascent, Julia seeks advice from celebrated fell runner and local sheep farmer, Jos Naylor. Then it's just a case of getting herself and her film crew to the roof of England before darkness falls.


MON 20:00 London on Film (b01kf64g)
The Suburbs

From the start, suburban London has been captured on film. For some it is a gracious retreat while for others an unwelcome exile. This is a confusing world of tidy semis, old villages and sprawling estates, of commuters, hidden lives and conflict - revealed entirely through archive images.


MON 20:30 Only Connect (b036f8ny)
Series 7

Francophiles v Fell Walkers

The Francophiles and the Fell Walkers, both first-round winners, return in the hopes of securing a place in the semi-finals, competing to draw together the connections between things which, at first glance, seem utterly random. So join Victoria Coren Mitchell if you want to know what connects Mali, Guinea to Ireland, Ivory Coast to Netherlands, Serbia & Montenegro to Poland, Monaco.


MON 21:00 The Man who Discovered Egypt (b01f13f4)
Documentary about English Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, the pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology. Ancient Egypt was vandalised by tomb raiders and treasure hunters until this Victorian adventurer took them on. Most people have never heard of him, but this maverick undertook a scientific survey of the pyramids, discovered the oldest portraits in the world, unearthed Egypt's prehistoric roots - and in the process invented modern field archaeology, giving meaning to a whole civilisation.


MON 22:00 Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer (b00jhv9g)
Cleopatra - the most famous woman in history. We know her as a great queen, a beautiful lover and a political schemer. For 2,000 years almost all evidence of her has disappeared - until now.

In one of the world's most exciting finds, archaeologists believe they have discovered the skeleton of her sister, murdered by Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

From Egypt to Turkey, Neil Oliver investigates the story of a ruthless queen who would kill her own siblings for power. This is the portrait of a killer.


MON 23:00 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!


MON 00:00 Treasures of the Louvre (b01r3n6r)
Paris-based writer Andrew Hussey travels through the glorious art and surprising history of an extraordinary French institution to show that the story of the Louvre is the story of France. As well as exploring the masterpieces of painters such as Veronese, Rubens, David, Chardin, Gericault and Delacroix, he examines the changing face of the Louvre itself through its architecture and design. Medieval fortress, Renaissance palace, luxurious home to kings, emperors and more recently civil servants, today it attracts eight million visitors a year. The documentary also reflects the latest transformation of the Louvre - the museum's recently-opened Islamic Gallery.


MON 01:30 Only Connect (b036f8ny)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


MON 02:00 Wainwright Walks (b0074tkq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


MON 02:30 London on Film (b01kf64g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


MON 03:00 Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer (b00jhv9g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]



TUESDAY 02 JULY 2013

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b036czd7)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


TUE 19:30 Wainwright Walks (b007vlhx)
Series 2

Helvellyn

Julia Bradbury presents a series of classic walks and climbs in the Lake District. Armed with Wainwright's famous Pictorial Guides, Julia is setting out on some of the biggest and most popular fell walks in the country. Through sunshine and rain, Julia explores the stunning landscape that inspired the late Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guide books.

Nobody can call themselves a true fell walker until England's most popular mountain has been conquered. Julia Bradbury sets off to reach the summit of Helvellyn via the Lake District's most talked-about ridge - Striding Edge. And just like legendary fell walker Alfred Wainwright, Julia discovers herself reaching the Edge for the very first time, just as the cloud and the rain descend.


TUE 20:00 Crossing England in a Punt: River of Dreams (p00y6r6q)
From the Staffordshire hills to the Humber estuary, spirited explorer Tom Fort embarks on a 170-mile journey down Britain's third-longest river, the Trent. Beginning on foot, he soon transfers to his own custom-built punt, the Trent Otter, and rows many miles downstream. Along the way he encounters the power stations that generate much of the nation's electricity, veterans of the catastrophic floods of 1947, the 19th-century brewers of Burton and a Bronze Age boatman who once made a life along the river.


TUE 21:00 The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank (b036f9vc)
Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known by his nicknames the Swan King or the Dream King, is a legendary figure - the handsome boy-king, loved by his people, betrayed by his cabinet and found dead in tragic and mysterious circumstances. He spent his life in pursuit of the ideal of beauty, an ideal that found expression in three of the most extraordinary, ornate architectural schemes imaginable - the castle of Neuschwanstein and the palaces of Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee. Today, these three buildings are among Germany's biggest tourist attractions.

In this documentary, Dan Cruickshank explores the rich aesthetic of Ludwig II - from the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein, the iconic fairytale castle that became the inspiration for the one in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty, to the rich Baroque splendour of Herrenchiemsee, Ludwig's answer to Versailles. Dan argues that Ludwig's castles are more than flamboyant kitsch and are, in fact, the key to unravelling the eternal enigma of Ludwig II.


TUE 22:00 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.


TUE 23:00 Rich Hall's You Can Go to Hell, I'm Going to Texas (b036lqsz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Sunday]


TUE 00:30 Wainwright Walks (b007vlhx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 01:00 Crossing England in a Punt: River of Dreams (p00y6r6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


TUE 02:00 Timeshift (b017zqw8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


TUE 03:00 The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank (b036f9vc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



WEDNESDAY 03 JULY 2013

WED 19:00 World News Today (b036czdf)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


WED 19:30 Wainwright Walks (b007vyqb)
Series 2

Catbells

Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the work of the great British fell walker and author, Alfred Wainwright. The beautiful outline of Catbells is familiar to all who visit Derwent Water and the Lakeland town of Keswick.

By boat and by foot, Julia sets out to discover the secrets of a classic fell climb for all the family. The famous views are rich in history; where visitors walk today, miners once trod, when Catbells produced minerals more valuable than gold.


WED 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.


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 Quick Cuts (b036fbsv)
Episode 3

Sue and Trevor are due to get married, but the ring is still on someone else's finger. Becky gets taken hostage in a tanning salon, Gavin and Tiny find themselves at the mercy of Meatball and Marianne's dad makes a surprise visit. Sue's mums meet each other and it doesn't go well. The wedding does go ahead, but not without one final surprise.


WED 22:30 Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (b0077k5h)
Series 1

The Old Magic

Terry is disappointed that Bob has asked someone else to be his best man at the wedding, but eventually agrees to go out for a meal with his friend before he gets hitched. After a few drinks at the restaurant, they start to chat up a couple of pretty girls who are also eating there.


WED 23:00 Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer (b00jhv9g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Monday]


WED 00:00 The Pharaoh Who Conquered the Sea (b00pq9gs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 01:00 Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past (p014fycm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


WED 02:00 Wainwright Walks (b007vyqb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 02:30 Quick Cuts (b036fbsv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


WED 03:00 Rome: A History of the Eternal City (b01p96g4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 04 JULY 2013

THU 19:00 World News Today (b036czdl)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


THU 19:30 Top of the Pops (b036fc2k)
Tony Blackburn introduces the weekly pop charts featuring performances from the Boomtown Rats, Suzi Quatro, Andrew Gold, Steve Voice, Racey, Renaissance, Voyage and a dance routine by Legs & Co.


THU 20:00 Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (b0077kf3)
Series 1

Countdown

Classic 1970s sitcom. Mrs Chambers has grandiose plans for Thelma's wedding to Bob that leaves the men feeling overwhelmed, so they decide to rebel.


THU 20:30 London on Film (b01k7m4h)
The East End

The intensity of life in London's East End has attracted film-makers since the camera was first invented. The vast changes in East End life - from the docks and the rag trade to market traders, migrants and wartime upheavals - are revealed entirely through the images they captured on film.


THU 21:00 Holy Flying Circus (b0162zbx)
In 1979, Monty Python made Life of Brian and the debate about what is an acceptable subject for comedy was blown wide open. This is a fantastical re-imagining of the build-up to the release of the film and the controversy it caused.


THU 22:30 The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank (b036f9vc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


THU 23:30 Crossing England in a Punt: River of Dreams (p00y6r6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


THU 00:30 Timeshift (b017zqw8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Tuesday]


THU 01:30 Top of the Pops (b036fc2k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 02:10 Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (b0077kf3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 02:40 London on Film (b01k7m4h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


THU 03:15 Britain by Bike (b00t6yhb)
The Welsh Borders

Clare Balding sets out on a two-wheel odyssey to rediscover Britain from the saddle of a touring cycle. In a six-part series, she follows in the wheeltracks of compulsive cyclist and author Harold Briercliffe whose evocative guidebooks of the late 1940s lovingly describe bypassed Britain - a world of unspoiled villages, cycle touring clubs and sunny B roads.

Carrying a set of Harold's Cycling Touring Guides for company and riding his very own Dawes Super Galaxy bicycle, Clare goes in search of the world he described. Is it lost for ever? Or still there, waiting to be found?

Clare's journey into Wales is rich in literary connections to both Bruce Chatwin and AE Housman. She reveals how a cycle factory went to war and finds out about the Bride's Tree - a bizarre village ceremony with a dark secret.



FRIDAY 05 JULY 2013

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b036czdr)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


FRI 19:30 Summer Night Concert from Vienna (b036fdwp)
2013

Katie Derham introduces the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performing its Summer Evening Concert in the grounds of Vienna's Schonbrunn Palace. Lorin Maazel is the conductor at this year's open-air event which features music by the geniuses of Italian and German opera, Verdi and Wagner, marking the 200th anniversary of both composers' birth. There are overtures and arias from Aida, The Force of Destiny and Luisa Miller by Verdi, while music by Wagner includes Lohengrin, Meistersinger and Tristan and Isolde. This being Vienna however, there is an exciting encore of music by Johann Strauss.


FRI 21:00 Paul McCartney & Wings: Rockshow (b036fdwr)
In 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings undertook an epic world tour which brought their music to a live audience of two million people in ten countries, an experience captured on the Wings over America triple album. The climax of that tour was an incredible performance at the mammoth Kingdome in Seattle, Washington, where a staggering 67,000 fans listened to Wings perform their greatest songs.

Fully restored and remastered from the original film and audio masters, this is Wings at their best - live on stage in a concert that was destined to live forever.


FRI 22:00 Wings over the World (b01sjt78)
TV special featuring footage filmed throughout Wings' tour of 1975/1976, following the band in England, Australia and America. It contains live concert performances featuring fifteen of Wings' greatest songs and home movies of Paul McCartney and his family, providing a fascinating profile of the McCartneys' life off-stage.

The tour itself was a major triumph for Wings - the first time the group had appeared in Australia and America, and Paul's first performance in the States for ten years. Three million people saw the shows and a then-world record attendance for an indoor concert of 67,053 was set at the Kingdome, Seattle.

Starting with Paul and Linda in Scotland, the special features the gradual build-up of the band and follows Wings on tour with hit songs such as Jet, Maybe I'm Amazed, Yesterday, Silly Love Songs and Band on the Run. The Wings line-up for the tour was Paul and Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English.


FRI 23:15 The Beatles' Please Please Me: Remaking a Classic (b01qnrb8)
In 2013, on the 50th anniversary of the famous 12-hour session at Abbey Road which resulted in the Beatles' iconic album Please Please Me, leading artists such as Stereophonics, Graham Coxon, Gabrielle Aplin, Joss Stone, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze, Paul Carrack, Mick Hucknall and I Am Kloot attempted to record the same songs, in the same timescale, in the same studio.

The results are captured in this programme, presented by Stuart Maconie.

Amongst those paying their own tribute to the album's success are Burt Bacharach and Guy Chambers, as well as people lucky enough to have been there 50 years ago telling the remarkable story of what happened that day, including engineer Richard Langham and the Beatles' press officer Tony Barrow.


FRI 00:10 ... Sings The Beatles (b00ml7p5)
Recorded for the 40th anniversary of Abbey Road, The Beatles' final album, a journey through the classic and curious covers in the BBC archives.

Featuring Sandie Shaw singing a sassy Day Tripper, Shirley Bassey belting out Something, a close-harmony Carpenters cover of Help!, Joe Cocker's chart-topping With a Little Help from My Friends, Oasis reinventing the Walrus and a little Lady Madonna from Macca himself.

Plus a few 'magical' moments from Candy Flip, The Korean Kittens and Su Pollard.


FRI 01:10 Paul McCartney & Wings: Rockshow (b036fdwr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


FRI 02:10 Wings over the World (b01sjt78)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]




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

... Sings The Beatles 00:10 FRI (b00ml7p5)

America on a Plate: The Story of the Diner 01:30 SUN (b017ss8x)

Britain by Bike 03:15 THU (b00t6yhb)

Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer 22:00 MON (b00jhv9g)

Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer 03:00 MON (b00jhv9g)

Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer 23:00 WED (b00jhv9g)

Crossing England in a Punt: River of Dreams 20:00 TUE (p00y6r6q)

Crossing England in a Punt: River of Dreams 01:00 TUE (p00y6r6q)

Crossing England in a Punt: River of Dreams 23:30 THU (p00y6r6q)

Festivals Britannia 00:00 SUN (b00wmdqs)

Glastonbury 22:55 SAT (b036f5cf)

Glastonbury 22:30 SUN (b036f6x8)

Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past 19:00 SAT (p014fycm)

Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past 01:00 WED (p014fycm)

Holy Flying Circus 21:00 THU (b0162zbx)

London on Film 20:00 MON (b01kf64g)

London on Film 02:30 MON (b01kf64g)

London on Film 20:30 THU (b01k7m4h)

London on Film 02:40 THU (b01k7m4h)

New Power Generation: Black Music Legends of the 1980s 00:00 SAT (b01805m3)

Oceans 20:00 SAT (b00fvf4d)

Oceans 02:35 SAT (b00fvf4d)

Only Connect 20:30 MON (b036f8ny)

Only Connect 01:30 MON (b036f8ny)

Paul McCartney & Wings: Rockshow 21:00 FRI (b036fdwr)

Paul McCartney & Wings: Rockshow 01:10 FRI (b036fdwr)

Quick Cuts 22:00 WED (b036fbsv)

Quick Cuts 02:30 WED (b036fbsv)

Rich Hall's You Can Go to Hell, I'm Going to Texas 21:00 SUN (b036lqsz)

Rich Hall's You Can Go to Hell, I'm Going to Texas 02:30 SUN (b036lqsz)

Rich Hall's You Can Go to Hell, I'm Going to Texas 23:00 TUE (b036lqsz)

Rome: A History of the Eternal City 23:00 MON (b01p65l8)

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

Rome: A History of the Eternal City 03:00 WED (b01p96g4)

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 19:20 SUN (b007894r)

Summer Night Concert from Vienna 19:30 FRI (b036fdwp)

The Beatles' Please Please Me: Remaking a Classic 23:15 FRI (b01qnrb8)

The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank 21:00 TUE (b036f9vc)

The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank 03:00 TUE (b036f9vc)

The Fairytale Castles of King Ludwig II with Dan Cruickshank 22:30 THU (b036f9vc)

The Man who Discovered Egypt 21:00 MON (b01f13f4)

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

The Pharaoh Who Conquered the Sea 00:00 WED (b00pq9gs)

Timeshift 22:00 TUE (b017zqw8)

Timeshift 02:00 TUE (b017zqw8)

Timeshift 00:30 THU (b017zqw8)

Top of the Pops 02:00 SAT (b0337wc3)

Top of the Pops 19:30 THU (b036fc2k)

Top of the Pops 01:30 THU (b036fc2k)

Treasures of the Louvre 00:00 MON (b01r3n6r)

Wainwright Walks 19:30 MON (b0074tkq)

Wainwright Walks 02:00 MON (b0074tkq)

Wainwright Walks 19:30 TUE (b007vlhx)

Wainwright Walks 00:30 TUE (b007vlhx)

Wainwright Walks 19:30 WED (b007vyqb)

Wainwright Walks 02:00 WED (b007vyqb)

Wallander 21:00 SAT (b01m2fr3)

Wallander 21:55 SAT (b01m2fr5)

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? 22:30 WED (b0077k5h)

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? 20:00 THU (b0077kf3)

Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? 02:10 THU (b0077kf3)

Wild 19:00 SUN (b0078ssw)

Wild 19:10 SUN (b0078yx9)

Wings over the World 22:00 FRI (b01sjt78)

Wings over the World 02:10 FRI (b01sjt78)

Word Up! Black American Pop at the BBC 01:00 SAT (b017gss8)

World News Today 19:00 MON (b036czd0)

World News Today 19:00 TUE (b036czd7)

World News Today 19:00 WED (b036czdf)

World News Today 19:00 THU (b036czdl)

World News Today 19:00 FRI (b036czdr)