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 13 JULY 2013

SAT 19:00 Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past (b01rd37j)
Broken Propylaeums

The final episode follows the changing fortunes of a heritage movement floored by the after-effects of World War II and looks at how people like Sir John Betjeman and Dan Cruickshank gave families access to heritage and architecture on television from the comfort of their living rooms. It looks at the preservation of sometimes ugly, certainly unpleasant parts of our built past such as workhouses and underground mineshafts, and contemplates what the future may hold for heritage in Britain - a nation faced with economic uncertainty, depleting resources and increasing challenges of sustainability.


SAT 20:00 Nelson's Caribbean Hell-hole: An Eighteenth Century Navy Graveyard Uncovered (b01s6gjx)
Human bones found on an idyllic beach in Antigua trigger an investigation by naval historian Sam Willis into one of the darkest chapters of Britain's imperial past. As archaeologists excavate a mass grave of British sailors, Willis explores Antigua's ruins and discovers how the sugar islands of the Caribbean were a kind of hell in the age of Nelson.

Sun, sea, war, tropical diseases and poisoned rum.


SAT 21:00 Wallander (b00wtv8y)
The Man who Smiled

Thriller based on Henning Mankell's novel. Detective Superintendent Kurt Wallander receives a plea for help from an old friend, who suspects that the death of his father might have involved foul play. But Wallander doesn't believe him until it's too late.

Meanwhile, troubled by the escalation of his relationship with Maja, Wallander manages to walk into more trouble on the personal front, and this in turn escalates into a full blown scandal at work. It is the last thing he needs as he tries to solve a tangle of murders related to the international organ trade.


SAT 23:10 Bobby Bland: Two Steps from the Blues (b00k99g4)
Documentary telling the story of the life and music of Bobby 'Blue' Bland, one of America's classic vocalists, listed high in Rolling Stone magazine's Top 100 greatest voices and admired by Elvis Presley, Van Morrison and Mick Hucknall among others.

In 1947, Bland's mother brought her son from the country town of Rosemark to Memphis in search of a better life. A year later, Gladys Presley and her son made a similar journey from neighbouring Tupelo. At that time, Memphis was a musical melting pot and BB King reports that 'everyone who was anyone' turned up there sooner or later. Bland offered his services as a driver, but soon secured a spot singing with King's band, while the young Elvis hung around Beale Street taking it all in.

The film traces Bobby's musical path from its gospel roots, through jazz and into the blues, which he infused with a unique sophistication, becoming a major singing star in black America in the 50s and 60s. His songs were covered by the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead and many others, and drummer Jab'o Starks recalls recording classic tracks like Stormy Monday, with which Bobby achieved great chart success.

Contributors include Van Morrison, Quincy Jones, BB King, Mick Hucknall, Dan Penn and Grammy nominee Susan Tedeschi.


SAT 00:05 Blues at the BBC (b00k36m5)
Collection of performances by British and American blues artists on BBC programmes such as The Beat Room, A Whole Scene Going, The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Late Show.

Includes the seminal slide guitar of Son House, the British R&B of The Kinks, the unmistakeable electric sound of BB King and Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker, as well as less familiar material from the likes of Delaney and Bonnie, Freddie King and Long John Baldry.


SAT 01:05 The Sky at Night (b08spg81)
Solstice

Every year thousands flock to Stonehenge to celebrate the summer solstice. Seeing the rise of the summer sun at Stonehenge is one of the most obvious connections between ancient man and the celestial calendar, but there is still fierce debate about possible links between this ancient site and the moon and stars. The team join in the solstice revelry and also launch the Moore Moon Marathon, with some easy things to look at on the moon over summer.


SAT 01:35 Nelson's Caribbean Hell-hole: An Eighteenth Century Navy Graveyard Uncovered (b01s6gjx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


SAT 02:40 Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past (b01rd37j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



SUNDAY 14 JULY 2013

SUN 19:00 Frost on Interviews (b01dc5ft)
Television interviews seem to have been around forever - but that's not the case. They evolved in confidence and diversity as television gradually came of age. So how did it all begin? With the help of some of its greatest exponents, Sir David Frost looks back over nearly 60 years of the television interview.

He looks at political interviews, from the earliest examples in the postwar period to the forensic questioning that we now take for granted, and celebrity interviews, from the birth of the chat show in the United States with Jack Paar and Johnny Carson to the emergence of our own peak-time British performers like Sir Michael Parkinson and Sir David himself.

Melvyn Bragg, Joan Bakewell, Tony Benn, Clive Anderson, Ruby Wax, Andrew Neil, Stephen Fry, AA Gill, Alastair Campbell and Michael Parkinson all help trace the development of the television interview. What is its enduring appeal and where does the balance of power actually lie - with the interviewer or the interviewee?


SUN 20:00 The Review Show (b0370c07)
Kirsty Wark and guests Paul Morley, Aminatta Forna and Professor Sarah Churchwell review Kenneth Branagh's performance as Macbeth at the Manchester International Festival; Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney's documentary We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks; the first major London exhibition of paintings by LS Lowry in over 30 years; and new comedy series from Christopher Guest and Graham Linehan. Plus, music from The xx.


SUN 21:00 London: A Tale of Two Cities with Dan Cruickshank (p00r36lv)
Dan Cruickshank follows in the footsteps of John Stow and John Strype, two of London's greatest chroniclers, to explore one of the most dramatic centuries in the history of London.

The 17th century saw London plunged into a series of devastating disasters. The Civil War, a murderous plague and the destruction that was the great fire should have seen the small medieval city all but destroyed. Yet somehow, London not only survived but emerged as one of the wealthiest and most influential cities in Europe.

Using two remarkable surveys written at either end of this momentous century, Dan discovers how a unique combination of innovation, ambition and sheer spirit of enterprise saw Londoners thrive. His journey reveals the twists and turns of a century that laid the foundations of one of the most important cities on the planet.


SUN 22:00 Grand Prix: The Killer Years (b00z8v18)
In the 60s and early 70s it was common for Grand Prix drivers to be killed while racing, often televised for millions to see. Mechanical failure, lethal track design, fire and incompetence snuffed out dozens of young drivers. They had become almost expendable as eager young wannabes queued up at the top teams' gates waiting to take their place.

This is the story of when Grand Prix was out of control.

Featuring many famous drivers, including three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, twice world champion Emerson Fittipaldi and John Surtees OBE, this exciting but shocking film explores how Grand Prix drivers grew sick of their closest friends being killed and finally took control of their destiny.

After much waste of life, the prestigious Belgian and German Grands Prix would be boycotted, with drivers insisting that safety be put first. But it would be a long and painful time before anything would change, and a lot of talented young men would be cut down in their prime.

This is their story.

'Something was terribly wrong. I loved the sport, but it was wrong. I prayed to God whether or not to continue.' - Emerson Fittipaldi

'It made me angry. The sport was way wrong.' - Sir Jackie Stewart OBE.


SUN 23:00 When Albums Ruled the World (b01qhn70)
Between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s, the long-playing record and the albums that graced its grooves changed popular music for ever. For the first time, musicians could escape the confines of the three-minute pop single and express themselves as never before across the expanded artistic canvas of the album. The LP allowed popular music become an art form - from the glorious artwork adorning gatefold sleeves, to the ideas and concepts that bound the songs together, to the unforgettable music itself.

Built on stratospheric sales of albums, these were the years when the music industry exploded to become bigger than Hollywood. From pop to rock, from country to soul, from jazz to punk, all of music embraced what 'the album' could offer. But with the collapse of vinyl sales at the end of the 70s and the arrival of new technologies and formats, the golden era of the album couldn't last forever.

With contributions from Roger Taylor, Ray Manzarek, Noel Gallagher, Guy Garvey, Nile Rodgers, Grace Slick, Mike Oldfield, Slash and a host of others, this is the story of When Albums Ruled the World.


SUN 00:30 The Joy of the Single (b01nzchs)
Do you remember buying your first single? Where you bought it? What it was? The thrill of playing it for the first time? What it sounded like? How it maybe changed your life? Lots of us do. Lots of us still have that single somewhere in a dusty box in the attic, along with other treasured memorabilia of an adolescence lost in music and romance. The attic of our youth.

The Joy of the Single is a documentary packed with startling memories, vivid images and penetrating insights into the power of pop and rock's first and most abiding artefact - the seven-inch, vinyl 45-rpm record, a small, perfectly formed object that seems to miraculously contain the hopes, fears, sounds and experiences of our different generations - all within the spiralling groove etched on its shiny black surface, labelled and gift-wrapped by an industry also in its thrall.

In the confident hands of a star-studded cast, the film spins a tale of obsession, addiction, dedication and desire. The viewer is invited on a journey of celebration from the 1950s rock 'n' roll generation to the download kids of today, taking in classic singles from all manner of artists in each decade - from the smell of vinyl to the delights of the record label, from the importance of the record shop to the bittersweet brevity of the song itself, from stacking singles on a Dansette spindle to dropping the needle and thrilling to the intro.

Featuring contributions from Noddy Holder, Jack White, Richard Hawley, Suzi Quatro, Holly Johnson, Jimmy Webb, Pete Waterman, Norah Jones, Mike Batt, Graham Gouldman, Miranda Sawyer, Norman Cook, Trevor Horn, Neil Sedaka, Paul Morley, Rob Davies, Lavinia Greenlaw, Brian Wilson and Mike Love.


SUN 01:30 The Richest Songs in the World (b01pjrt5)
Mark Radcliffe presents a countdown of the ten songs which have earned the most money of all time - ten classic songs each with an extraordinary story behind them. Radcliffe lifts the lid on how music royalties work and reveals the biggest winners and losers in the history of popular music.


SUN 03:00 London: A Tale of Two Cities with Dan Cruickshank (p00r36lv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



MONDAY 15 JULY 2013

MON 19:00 World News Today (b036z8yk)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


MON 19:30 Wainwright Walks (b007y8bp)
Series 2

Pillar

Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the Lake District landscape that inspired the great British fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guidebooks.

Julia faces more climbing than walking as she sets out on one of the most dramatic Lakeland routes. From the remote valley of Ennerdale, she starts the ascent to one of Wainwright's favourite fells - Pillar. The route takes her past cliffs, along ledges and over the Lake District's most famous crag, Pillar Rock.


MON 20:00 Secret Knowledge (b0376h9w)
Stradivarius and Me

The name of 17th-century violin maker Antonio Stradivari - or Stradivarius as he is usually known - is one that sends shivers down the spine of music lovers the world over. During his lifetime Stradivari made over 1,000 instruments, about 650 of which still survive. Their sound is legendary and for any violinist the opportunity to play one is a great privilege.

Clemency Burton-Hill indulges in her lifelong passion for the instrument as she explores the mysterious life and lasting influence of Stradivari - through four special violins on display at this summer's Stradivarius exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. She is joined by 2002 Young Musician of the Year winner Jennifer Pike to put some of the violins in the exhibition through their paces.


MON 20:30 Only Connect (b0370cyd)
Series 7

Cartophiles v Fell Walkers

Three map lovers and a trio of fell walkers return to try to make it to 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 orphans in Oliver Twist, tropical storms, Sue Grafton detective novel series and series of QI.


MON 21:00 Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (b037266j)
Episode 2

Two-part fact-based drama centred around Australian media mogul Kerry Packer, who fought a cricket war by signing up 50 of the world's greatest players to form a breakaway tournament.

Players and administrators nervously await their future as the battle for the World Series Cricket tournament reaches the High Court in London.


MON 22:30 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.


MON 23:30 Some People with Jokes (p00w07vc)
Series 1

Some Vicars with Jokes Part 1

Sing hosanna! Clergy folk from around the UK swap the good book for the joke book and share their favourite gags. Old, new, clean, not so clean, these vicars are hell bent on getting us laughing - and that's gospel!


MON 00:00 Rome: A History of the Eternal City (b01pdt0s)
The Rebirth of God's City

Simon Sebag Montefiore charts Rome's rise from the abandonment and neglect of the 14th century into the everlasting seat of the papacy recognised today. His story takes us through the debauchery and decadence of the Renaissance, the horrors of the Sack of Rome and the Catholic Reformation, through to the arrival of fascism and the creation of the Vatican State. By taking us inside Rome's most sensational palaces and churches and telling the stories behind some of the world's most beloved art, Sebag Montefiore's final instalment is a visual feast.


MON 01:00 China in Six Easy Pieces (b036r5cx)
For centuries the west has been enthralled by flamboyant blue-and-white ceramics from China but unaware that all the time the Chinese were making porcelains for themselves that were completely different - subtle monochromes for the Imperial court, beautiful objects for the scholar's table and delicate domestic wares.

Ceramics expert Lars Tharp, Antiques Roadshow resident and presenter of Treasures of Chinese Porcelain, has picked his six favourite pieces representing Chinese taste. He goes on a journey through a thousand years of Chinese history, travelling from the ancient capital of Huangzhou in the south to Beijing's Forbidden City in the north, to uncover what these six pieces tell us about Chinese emperors, scholars, workers, merchants and artists.

To him, they are China in ceramic form. But can they help us to understand China today?


MON 02:00 Secret Knowledge (b0376h9w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


MON 02:30 Only Connect (b0370cyd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


MON 03:00 Timeshift (b01p96ly)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 today]



TUESDAY 16 JULY 2013

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b036z8yq)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


TUE 19:30 South Africa Walks (b00s6b6l)
The Garden Route

Having tackled treks across the UK, Julia Bradbury embarks on a grand adventure in South Africa, setting out on four different walks that explore its claim to be 'a world in one country'.

Julia is a regular visitor to the Rainbow Nation, but this is her chance to go beyond the normal tourist destinations to a series of increasingly remote locations. However, these are walks that any reasonably adventurous walker could embark on, and they offer a fresh and personal perspective on a friendly and fascinating country that is often misunderstood.

The southern coastline of Africa is home to the sun-drenched Garden Route. With fabulous beaches and immense flora and fauna, this is an increasingly popular holiday spot, but Julia's walk reveals secrets of the history of the Rainbow Nation. She even encounters research suggesting that this abundant spot gave rise to the modern human race.

With her Xhosa guide Willie bringing every feature to life, Julia finds her first walk an absolute delight. Here is proof of South Africa's warm and friendly welcome and of the constant surprises it has to offer.


TUE 20:00 Horizon (b01f893x)
2011-2012

Global Weirding

Something weird seems to be happening to our weather - it appears to be getting more extreme.

In the past few years we have shivered through two record-breaking cold winters and parts of the country have experienced intense droughts and torrential floods. It is a pattern that appears to be playing out across the globe. Hurricane chasers are recording bigger storms and in Texas, record-breaking rain has been followed by record-breaking drought.

Horizon follows the scientists who are trying to understand what's been happening to our weather and investigates if these extremes are a taste of what is to come.


TUE 21:00 Hidden Killers (b01rp5hh)
The Victorian Home

While the Victorians confronted the challenges of ruling an empire, perhaps the most dangerous environment they faced was in their own homes. Householders lapped up the latest products, gadgets and conveniences, but in an era with no health and safety standards they were unwittingly turning their homes into hazardous death traps.

In a genuine horror story, Dr Suzannah Lipscomb reveals the killers that lurked in every room of the Victorian home and shows how they were unmasked. What new innovation killed thousands of babies? And what turned the domestic haven into a ticking time bomb?


TUE 22:00 Timeshift (b01n8hl9)
Series 12

Magnificent Machines: The Golden Age of the British Sports Car

Timeshift sets its rear-view mirror to look back at the golden age of the British sports car. It's the story of how - in the grey austerity of the postwar years - iconic marques like Jaguar, Austin-Healey, MG and Triumph sparked a manufacturing frenzy that helped to democratise speed and glamour.

From the MG Midget, much loved by American GIs, through to the more affordable Austin Healey 'frog-eye' Sprite and the E-Type Jaguar, seen by many as the ultimate sports car, this is a tale of how, for a brief time, Britain was home to two-seater heaven.


TUE 23:00 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.


TUE 00:00 Nelson's Caribbean Hell-hole: An Eighteenth Century Navy Graveyard Uncovered (b01s6gjx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Saturday]


TUE 01:00 Horizon (b01f893x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


TUE 02:00 Timeshift (b01n8hl9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


TUE 03:00 Hidden Killers (b01rp5hh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



WEDNESDAY 17 JULY 2013

WED 19:00 World News Today (b036z8yw)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


WED 19:30 Top of the Pops (b03727gw)
David 'Kid' Jensen introduces the weekly pop charts featuring performances from Sham 69, A Taste of Honey, Justin Hayward, the New Seekers, Raydio, Child and a dance routine by Legs & Co.


WED 20:00 Chivalry and Betrayal: The Hundred Years War (p00yjy5r)
Trouble in the Family: 1337-1360

Dr Janina Ramirez explores the fallout of the longest and bloodiest divorce in history, when little England dared to take on the superpower France.

Edward III rips up the medieval rule book and crushes the flower of French knighthood at the Battle of Crecy with his low-born archers. His son, the Black Prince, conducts a campaign of terror, helping to bring France to her knees.


WED 21:00 Bought with Love: The Secret History of British Art Collections (b0376y1l)
The Pioneers

Britain's country houses are home to astonishing world-class art collections full of priceless old masters and more. In this three-part series art historian Helen Rosslyn opens the doors of some of our most impressive country houses to tell the story of how so many great paintings came to Britain and of the adventurous men and women who brought them here.

In the first episode she reveals the immense influence of the 17th-century pioneer collectors such as Thomas Howard, the 'Collector' Earl of Arundel, King Charles I and his entourage known as the Whitehall Group. Rosslyn explores how this group also brought a taste for the Baroque to Britain, commissioning continental artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck and later Antonio Verrio.

Featuring Verrio's extraordinary Hell Staircase at Burghley House in Cambridgeshire, as well as highlights from the collections at Arundel Castle in Sussex and Wilton House in Wiltshire, the series offers not only a visual treat but a surprising narrative to our national treasures.


WED 22:00 Some People with Jokes (p00w080m)
Series 1

Some Vicars with Jokes Part 2

More laughs from the pulpit, as vicars from around the UK crack their favourite jokes. Old, new, clean and blue, it's a side-splitting sermon for saints and sinners alike. Hallelujah!


WED 22:30 The Crow Road (b0074t1r)
Original

Kenneth

Second of a four-part adaptation of Iain Banks's blackly humorous novel.

Prentice McHoan is looking for his long lost Uncle Rory. He uses his uncle's unfinished novel to put together a picture of his extraordinary family.

He also continues to pursue the gorgeous Verity, but makes a devastating discovery about the object of his affections.


WED 23:30 Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past (b01rd37j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


WED 00:30 Chivalry and Betrayal: The Hundred Years War (p00yjy5r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 01:30 Top of the Pops (b03727gw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 02:15 Some People with Jokes (p00w080m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


WED 02:45 Bought with Love: The Secret History of British Art Collections (b0376y1l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 18 JULY 2013

THU 19:00 World News Today (b036z8z1)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


THU 19:30 The Chopin Etudes (b0074qgh)
Opus 25, No 10

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


THU 19:35 BBC Proms (b0374z74)
2013

Proms on Four: Orchestras of the World - Bamberg Symphony Orchestra

From the Royal Albert Hall, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jonathan Nott perform Mahler's Fifth Symphony, opening a Thursday night season featuring Orchestras of the World at the BBC Proms.

Katie Derham introduces this popular work by Mahler with its intensely lyrical fourth movement, the Adagietto, written as a love letter to the composer's young wife Alma and later made famous when featured in the film Death in Venice.


THU 21:00 Timeshift (b00nnm7k)
Series 9

The Men Who Built the Liners

Many of the most famous passenger liners in history were built in the British Isles, several in the shipyards along the banks of the Clyde. Timeshift combines personal accounts and archive footage to evoke a vivid picture of the unique culture that grew up in the Clyde shipyards. Despite some of the harshest working conditions in industrial history and dire industrial relations, it was here that the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth and the QE2 were built. Such was the Clyde shipbuilders' pride in their work, and the strength of public support, that in 1971 they were able to defy a government attempt to close them down and win the right to carry on shipbuilding.


THU 22:00 Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (b037266j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Monday]


THU 23:25 Hidden Killers (b01rp5hh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Tuesday]


THU 00:25 Timeshift (b01n8hl9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Tuesday]


THU 01:25 Timeshift (b01p96ly)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 on Monday]


THU 02:25 Timeshift (b00nnm7k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



FRIDAY 19 JULY 2013

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b036z8zb)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


FRI 19:30 BBC Proms (b03751km)
2013

Proms on Four: Friday Night at the Proms - BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

From the Royal Albert Hall, Samira Ahmed introduces the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Juanjo Mena, who perform Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2 and Nielsen's Fourth Symphony. The piano soloist is the extraordinary young Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, whose blindness is no barrier to his musical talent. Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, 'The Inextinguishable', features a battle between two sets of timpani.


FRI 21:00 Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender - Director's Cut (b01pkbc7)
Film-maker Rhys Thomas's full-length director's cut of his film exploring the solo career and private life of one of British rock and roll's great frontmen, Freddie Mercury.

Renowned as the bravura frontman of one of Britain's greatest rock bands, Freddie Mercury's life outside Queen is rarely celebrated or explored. In a touching portrait, this film explores Mercury's solo projects and interests, including a previously unheard collaboration with Michael Jackson and the triumphant Barcelona project with Dame Montserrat Caballe, as well as the life of a gay man who was not yet publicly out. Rare interviews reveal a shy man in search of love, and a driven artist living behind the protection of his stage persona.


FRI 22:25 Queen Live In Budapest: Hungarian Rhapsody (b01pp0zp)
In July 1986, as part of the Magic tour which, poignantly, was the last to feature Freddie Mercury, Queen played Hungary for the first time. With three years to go before the fall of the Berlin Wall, this was the largest concert ever staged at the Népstadion, Budapest, and the first western rock concert staged in a stadium behind the Iron Curtain.

The concert held such significance to the Hungarian authorities that an unprecedented collaboration of Hungary's top film cameraman and technicians were formed to record it. Aside from depicting Queen's live performance, the film includes montages of highlights of the band's legendary visit and a unique insight into the Hungarian film-making style adapted to western rock music.

Staged for 80,000 ecstatic fans, the concert set includes favourite hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and I Want To Break Free.


FRI 00:00 How the Brits Rocked America: Go West (b01bgqlc)
Stairway to Heaven

The second part of a series celebrating the success of British rock in America looks at how Led Zeppelin spearheaded a British stadium rock assault on the States in the 70s. The Beatles gave the world a glimpse of the future of rock at Shea Stadium in 1965, but it would be Page, Plant and co who would take it to the bank.

With contributions from Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page.


FRI 00:55 Later... with Jools Holland (b00dwfyy)
Guitar Heroes

Guitar heroes from as far away as Mexico and as close to home as Chiswick have all come to rock the Later studio since 1995. This collection of performances brings together the best of them, from the legendary Buddy Guy to the homegrown guitar superstars he inspired, such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend. Joining them on the bill are Santana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The White Stripes, Radiohead and more.


FRI 01:55 Sounds of the 70s 2 (b01kcq0k)
New Wave - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

By the end of the 70s the world had changed and so had music. In America, it was all about memorable melodies, great guitar rhythms, a little bit of post-punk angst and looking really cool. In the UK it was about Brit style cheekiness, social commentary, a melody and a hook, a lot of attitude - and looking really cool. This episode goes beyond punk and looks into the dawning of a new decade and the phenomenon of New Wave, including performances from Elvis Costello, the Police, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Squeeze, Blondie, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Cars, Patti Smith and Iggy Pop.


FRI 02:25 Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender - Director's Cut (b01pkbc7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]




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

BBC Proms 19:35 THU (b0374z74)

BBC Proms 19:30 FRI (b03751km)

Blues at the BBC 00:05 SAT (b00k36m5)

Bobby Bland: Two Steps from the Blues 23:10 SAT (b00k99g4)

Bought with Love: The Secret History of British Art Collections 21:00 WED (b0376y1l)

Bought with Love: The Secret History of British Art Collections 02:45 WED (b0376y1l)

China in Six Easy Pieces 01:00 MON (b036r5cx)

Chivalry and Betrayal: The Hundred Years War 20:00 WED (p00yjy5r)

Chivalry and Betrayal: The Hundred Years War 00:30 WED (p00yjy5r)

Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender - Director's Cut 21:00 FRI (b01pkbc7)

Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender - Director's Cut 02:25 FRI (b01pkbc7)

Frost on Interviews 19:00 SUN (b01dc5ft)

Grand Prix: The Killer Years 22:00 SUN (b00z8v18)

Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past 19:00 SAT (b01rd37j)

Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past 02:40 SAT (b01rd37j)

Heritage! The Battle for Britain's Past 23:30 WED (b01rd37j)

Hidden Killers 21:00 TUE (b01rp5hh)

Hidden Killers 03:00 TUE (b01rp5hh)

Hidden Killers 23:25 THU (b01rp5hh)

Horizon 20:00 TUE (b01f893x)

Horizon 01:00 TUE (b01f893x)

How the Brits Rocked America: Go West 00:00 FRI (b01bgqlc)

Howzat! Kerry Packer's War 21:00 MON (b037266j)

Howzat! Kerry Packer's War 22:00 THU (b037266j)

Later... with Jools Holland 00:55 FRI (b00dwfyy)

London: A Tale of Two Cities with Dan Cruickshank 21:00 SUN (p00r36lv)

London: A Tale of Two Cities with Dan Cruickshank 03:00 SUN (p00r36lv)

Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years 23:00 TUE (b01fcncc)

Nelson's Caribbean Hell-hole: An Eighteenth Century Navy Graveyard Uncovered 20:00 SAT (b01s6gjx)

Nelson's Caribbean Hell-hole: An Eighteenth Century Navy Graveyard Uncovered 01:35 SAT (b01s6gjx)

Nelson's Caribbean Hell-hole: An Eighteenth Century Navy Graveyard Uncovered 00:00 TUE (b01s6gjx)

Only Connect 20:30 MON (b0370cyd)

Only Connect 02:30 MON (b0370cyd)

Queen Live In Budapest: Hungarian Rhapsody 22:25 FRI (b01pp0zp)

Rome: A History of the Eternal City 00:00 MON (b01pdt0s)

Secret Knowledge 20:00 MON (b0376h9w)

Secret Knowledge 02:00 MON (b0376h9w)

Some People with Jokes 23:30 MON (p00w07vc)

Some People with Jokes 22:00 WED (p00w080m)

Some People with Jokes 02:15 WED (p00w080m)

Sounds of the 70s 2 01:55 FRI (b01kcq0k)

South Africa Walks 19:30 TUE (b00s6b6l)

The Chopin Etudes 19:30 THU (b0074qgh)

The Crow Road 22:30 WED (b0074t1r)

The Joy of the Single 00:30 SUN (b01nzchs)

The Review Show 20:00 SUN (b0370c07)

The Richest Songs in the World 01:30 SUN (b01pjrt5)

The Sky at Night 01:05 SAT (b08spg81)

Timeshift 22:30 MON (b01p96ly)

Timeshift 03:00 MON (b01p96ly)

Timeshift 22:00 TUE (b01n8hl9)

Timeshift 02:00 TUE (b01n8hl9)

Timeshift 21:00 THU (b00nnm7k)

Timeshift 00:25 THU (b01n8hl9)

Timeshift 01:25 THU (b01p96ly)

Timeshift 02:25 THU (b00nnm7k)

Top of the Pops 19:30 WED (b03727gw)

Top of the Pops 01:30 WED (b03727gw)

Wainwright Walks 19:30 MON (b007y8bp)

Wallander 21:00 SAT (b00wtv8y)

When Albums Ruled the World 23:00 SUN (b01qhn70)

World News Today 19:00 MON (b036z8yk)

World News Today 19:00 TUE (b036z8yq)

World News Today 19:00 WED (b036z8yw)

World News Today 19:00 THU (b036z8z1)

World News Today 19:00 FRI (b036z8zb)