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 FEBRUARY 2014

SAT 19:00 Wild China (b00bz1cf)
Beyond the Great Wall

A look at the dazzling array of mysterious and wonderful creatures that live in China's most beautiful landscapes.

The extreme landscapes north of the Great Wall have shaped some of China's most colourful people and wildlife. From nomadic tribes hunting with eagles to camel trains crossing the Silk Road, from frozen Siberian wastes to baking deserts of central Asia, life in northern China is always on the edge.


SAT 20:00 Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines (p01f53b9)
Poison

Dr Michael Mosley ends the series with a look at poisons, exploring the turning points when scientists went from finding antidotes to poisons to applying poisons as cures, and celebrating the eccentrics and mavericks whose breakthroughs were to pave the way for some of the most striking treatments of modern medicine. Of the medicines explored in this series, those that are derived from poisons are perhaps the most extraordinary. The story of turning poisons into medicines encompasses the planet's most deadly substances, in which we turned killers into cures.


SAT 21:00 Salamander (b01pnpvp)
Series 1

Episode 1

A professional gang break into the vaults of Jonkhere Private Bank in Brussels and target 66 safety deposit boxes, stealing only certain valuables and documents. The owners of the targeted boxes are all prominent figures from the top layer of Belgian society and determined to keep their secrets, but Inspector Paul Gerardi of the Belgian Federal Police gets wind of the robbery and wonders why the crime has not been reported.

In Flemish and French with English subtitles.


SAT 21:45 Salamander (b01psptz)
Series 1

Episode 2

On witnessing the assassination of Urbain and hearing of the death of his informant Strubbe, Geradi now knows his suspicions of a major unreported bank robbery are correct, but he is perturbed to realise that his house is under surveillance and that his official enquiries are being thwarted.

In Flemish and French with English subtitles.


SAT 22:35 Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (b01j0yyv)
John Edginton's documentary explores the making of Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here, which was released in September 1975 and went on to top the album charts both in the UK and the US.

Featuring new interviews with band members Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason alongside contributions from the likes of sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson and photographer Jill Furmanovsky, the film is a forensic study of the making of the follow-up to 1973's Dark Side of the Moon, which was another conceptual piece driven by Roger Waters.

The album wrestles with the legacy of the band's first leader, Syd Barrett, who had dropped out of the band in 1968 and is eulogised in the album's centrepiece, Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Pink Floyd had become one of the biggest bands in the world, but the 60s were over and the band were struggling both to find their purpose and the old camaraderie.


SAT 23:35 Pink Floyd: A Delicate Sound of Thunder (b03fvfcy)
A spectacular concert film from Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour. Filmed at New York's Nassau Coliseum in 1989 using 27 cameras, it sees David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason on fine form, performing classic after classic including Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Time, Comfortably Numb and Wish You Were Here.


SAT 01:10 Top of the Pops (b03td9s9)
Weekly pop chart programme presented by David 'Kid' Jensen, including performances by Mick Jackson, the Jacksons, Darts, Rod Stewart, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Leif Garrett, Judas Priest, Blondie and dance sequences by Legs & Co.


SAT 01:45 Wild China (b00bz1cf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


SAT 02:45 Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines (p01f53b9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]



SUNDAY 09 FEBRUARY 2014

SUN 19:00 Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe (b00791y3)
A British Love Affair

Francesco da Mosto enters Tuscany and Umbria to look at the long love affair that Britain has had with the area. He learns how to be the perfect courtier in Urbino, goes grape harvesting in Chianti, discovers the romantic inspiration at the heart of Puccini's operas, travels to Assisi to find out why he was named after St Francis and takes Dame Maggie Smith on a sightseeing tour of Florence.


SUN 20:00 Wainwright: The Man Who Loved the Lakes (b0074tfq)
Capturing the beauty of the English Lake District, a documentary which traces the life of writer and artist Alfred Wainwright, the eccentric Lancastrian who created a series of iconic fell-walking books which he hand-wrote, illustrated and published himself in the 1950s.

Celebrating the centenary of his birth, the film captures his passionate love affair with the Lakeland landscape and explores how his books have become guide-book classics for millions of fell-walkers.


SUN 21:00 Space Shuttle: The Final Mission (b012x69w)
In the last month of the space shuttle programme, Kevin Fong is granted extraordinary access to the astronauts and ground crew as they prepare for their final mission. He is in mission control as the astronauts go through their final launch simulation, and he flies with the last shuttle commander as he undertakes his last practice landing flight. Kevin also gains privileged access to the shuttle itself, visiting the launchpad in the company of the astronaut who will guide the final flight from mission control.

Kevin's journey takes him to the heart of Nasa when, after 30 years of shuttle missions, they finally draw the curtain. As well as meeting the final astronauts, Kevin follows the specialist teams of men and women whose job it is to make sure the shuttle and its crew are as safe as they can possibly be.

After experiencing the launch and being in mission control during the final mission, Kevin will be there on the tarmac at the Kennedy Space Centre when Atlantis returns from space for the last time, marking the end of an era in manned space flight.


SUN 22:00 The Sky at Night (b03vg99x)
Jupiter: Weather and Moons

New presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock joins Dr Chris Lintott in a revamped line-up that launches the show in its new home on BBC Four.

The main subject is Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system and particularly bright in the night sky during the British winter. What makes Jupiter's extraordinary weather? Its coloured bands and iconic 'eye' are visible manifestations of an extremely violent atmosphere. Chris and Maggie are joined by guest reporter, physicist Dr Helen Czerski, to explain why Jupiter looks so extraordinary.


SUN 22:30 Tomboy (b01jmwgd)
Posing as a boy with the kids in her new community, ten-year-old Laure enjoys playing about as a lad, despite the challenges this sometimes presents. However, the truth cannot remain hidden and the games have to end.

In French with English subtitles.


SUN 23:50 Arena (b03tx91g)
The Everly Brothers: Songs of Innocence and Experience

The Everly Brothers were among the most successful and revered of all the giants of early rock 'n' roll. A determining influence on the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and the Beach Boys, they brought the ethereal harmonies of the Appalachian Mountains to the wild mix of rock 'n' roll.

First broadcast in 1984 as part of their reunion after ten bitter years apart, Arena traces their fabulous career, their split and triumphant reunion. Most of all, Don and Phil wanted to revisit their roots in the coal mining area of Kentucky where their father Ike, a miner, had been a local guitar star. He too had played with his coal mining brothers, in the 30s. In the moody atmosphere of Muhlenberg County, they have an emotional reunion with three generations of Everlys.

With contributions from master musician and producer Chet Atkins, songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and the legendary guitar singer and ex-coal miner, Ike's close friend Mose Rager.


SUN 01:25 Arena (b03txrsz)
The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert

In the autumn of 1983, the Everly Brothers played their legendary reunion concerts in London. Of all the venues in the world, they chose the Royal Albert Hall because they had treasured memories of playing there with their father Ike, a guitar virtuoso in his own right.
All London was there and it was such an event that the filming was fed live into the BBC 9 o'clock News. After their acrimonious split, which had lasted ten years, Arena's cameras proved that they and their unique, beautiful sound were as magical as ever.

First broadcast at Christmas 1983.


SUN 02:45 Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe (b00791y3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2014

MON 19:00 World News Today (b03v0026)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


MON 19:30 The Boats That Built Britain (b00scqsj)
The Reaper

The Reaper is the biggest sailing lugger ever to fish the seas. Seventy feet long and capable of pulling in ten tonnes of herring in a single haul, the Reaper was an awesome beast that fed Britain at a time when she needed it most.

Sailor and writer Tom Cunliffe sails her for himself and finds out just how this giant of the seas came about.


MON 20:00 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.


MON 21:00 Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades (b03v0sv9)
The Seventies

Danny Baker celebrates the 70s from prog to punk to the downright odd with guests Peter Hook from New Order, Viv Albertine of the Slits and gastronome Loyd Grossman, who was once a correspondent for Rolling Stone. A fan's-eye view, the programme mixes humour with archive.


MON 22:00 Brian Pern (b03v0svc)
The Life of Rock with Brian Pern

Birth of Rock

Prog-rock legend and inventor of world music Brian Pern takes us on an imagined journey through the last half-century of rock music. In part one, Pern investigates rock's prehistoric origins, asks who was the smartest band and reminisces about dressing up as a crab.


MON 22:30 Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit (b03v0svf)
The Seventies

In the first of three programmes showcasing the best of British rock, Danny Baker tees up, with characteristic humour, great performances from the 70s by the likes of The Who, Genesis, Kate Bush and The Specials.


MON 23:00 Storyville (b03td9sc)
K2: The Killer Summit

In August 2008, 25 climbers from several international expeditions converged on high camp of K2, the final stop before the summit of the most dangerous mountain on earth. Just 48 hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished, making it the deadliest day in mountaineering history.

In a century of assaults on K2, only about 300 people have ever seen the view from the planet's second highest peak. More than a quarter of those who made it didn't live long enough to share the glory.

At the heart of this documentary lies a mystery about one extraordinary Irishman, Ger McDonnell. At the very limit of his physical resources, he faced a heartbreaking dilemma. Through recreations, archive and home movie footage, and interviews with survivors and families, the film creates a forensic, vivid version of events that is emotive, engrossing and, at times, deeply shocking.


MON 00:25 Timeshift (b00nnm7k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


MON 01:25 Brian Pern (b03v0svc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


MON 01:55 Sounds of the 70s 2 (b01glwkz)
Arthouse Glam - Get in the Swing

Performances from The Kinks, Roxy Music, Elton John, New York Dolls, Queen, Sparks, Rod Stewart and the rediscovered David Bowie performance of The Jean Genie from January 1973.

Welcome to gender-bending, boys getting in the swing and girls who would be boys and boys who would be girls in this mixed-up, shook-up 70s world.


MON 02:25 Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit (b03v0svf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 today]


MON 02:55 Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades (b03v0sv9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2014

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b03v002g)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


TUE 19:30 The Boats That Built Britain (b00sfshw)
Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter

Many consider the Bristol Channel pilot cutter to be the finest sailing boat design ever. Fast, seaworthy and beautiful to behold, the pilot cutter is the perfect combination of form and function - a thoroughbred perfectly adapted to a life in one of the Britain's most treacherous stretches of water. Sailor and writer Tom Cunliffe explores the life of the pilots and sails a perfectly restored cutter to find out just what drove these men and their wonderful machines.


TUE 20:00 Timeshift (b00nf0nl)
Series 9

The Golden Age of Liners

Paul Atterbury embarks on an alluring journey into the golden age of ocean liners, finding out how these great ships made such a mark on the popular imagination and why they continue to enchant to this day.

Paul's voyage takes him around Britain and reveals a story of design, politics, propaganda, Hollywood glamour and tragedy. Along the way, he uncovers some amazing survivals from the liners of the past - a cinema in Scotland built from the interiors of the SS Homeric, a house in Poole in which cabins from the Mauretania are lovingly preserved - as well as the design inspiration behind the first great liners.


TUE 21:00 Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades (b03v4hsc)
The Eighties

Along with guests Pauline Black of the Selecter, writer and performer Adam Buxton and journalist Mark Ellen, Danny Baker celebrates British rock in the 1980s. With the popularisation of the synthesiser, the arrival of Goths, New Romantics and 2 Tone, the definition of what constituted rock was stretched to the limit.


TUE 22:00 Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit (b03v4hsf)
The Eighties

In the second of three programmes showcasing the best of British rock, performances from the 80s by the likes of The Clash, The Pretenders, Ivor Cutler and Prefab Sprout are saluted by arch-enthusiast Danny Baker.


TUE 22:30 Parks and Recreation (b03vcmvz)
Series 3

Go Big or Go Home

Leslie tries to convince Chris and Ben to give the parks department more money, and when she fails to persuade them she enlists Ann's help. Ron and Andy coach youth basketball, while April returns with surprising news.


TUE 22:50 Parks and Recreation (b03vm9pf)
Series 3

Flu Season

While planning for the local harvest festival, Leslie is struck down with the flu and is forced to go to hospital. Ron and Andy have a day of male bonding, and Tom hits the spa.


TUE 23:15 Wild China (b00bz1cf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


TUE 00:15 Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines (p01f53b9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Saturday]


TUE 01:15 Timeshift (b00nf0nl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


TUE 02:15 Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit (b03v4hsf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


TUE 02:45 Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades (b03v4hsc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2014

WED 19:00 World News Today (b03v002m)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


WED 19:30 The Boats That Built Britain (b00sfsqw)
World War Two Landing Craft

Looking more like a skip than a boat, the LCVP, or Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel, won't win any prizes for beauty. Yet the craft did more to win World War II than any other piece of machinery. There were once over 20,000 of these little boats, but only a handful remain. Sailor and writer Tom Cunliffe puts one of them through its paces and finds out how the boat was developed for one momentous day in 1944.


WED 20:00 Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth (b039kr77)
Kings

Classicist Dr Michael Scott looks at the dramatic decline of Athens and the remarkable triumph and transformation of theatre. During the 4th century BC Athens would lose its Empire, its influence and even its democracy. But theatre, that most Athenian of inventions, would thrive, spreading throughout the Greek world and beyond and giving rise to a new kind of comedy, one so popular and prevalent that it is still at the heart of comedy today.


WED 21:00 Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades (b03v4jsv)
The Nineties

In the last of the series, Danny Baker celebrates British rock as it enters the dance decade of the 90s. Along with author and musician Louise Wener, comedian Josie Long, journalist Alexis Petridis and a slew of great archive, the era of Britpop and Madchester is brought to life.


WED 22:00 Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit (b03v4jsx)
The Nineties

With the help of a couple of morris dancers, Danny Baker showcases performances by rockin' Brits such as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, Radiohead, Happy Mondays and Portishead.


WED 22:30 My Son the Fanatic (b00745nk)
Comedy drama about Parvez, a gentle, secular Pakistani cab driver living in Britain who forms a close bond with a young prostitute Bettina. As Parvez's son Farid drifts towards fundamentalist Islam and rejects his father, Parvez seeks solace and advice from Bettina. Soon their friendhsip itself is threatened when Farid's group decide they need to clean up the town.


WED 23:55 Mechanical Marvels: Clockwork Dreams (b0229pbp)
Documentary presented by Professor Simon Schaffer which charts the amazing and untold story of automata - extraordinary clockwork machines designed hundreds of years ago to mimic and recreate life.

The film brings the past to life in vivid detail as we see how and why these masterpieces were built. Travelling around Europe, Simon uncovers the history of these machines and shows us some of the most spectacular examples, from an entire working automaton city to a small boy who can be programmed to write and even a device that can play chess. All the machines Simon visits show a level of technical sophistication and ambition that still amazes today.

As well as the automata, Simon explains in great detail the world in which they were made - the hardship of the workers who built them, their role in global trade and the industrial revolution and the eccentric designers who dreamt them up. Finally, Simon reveals that these long-forgotten marriages of art and engineering are actually the ancestors of many of our most-loved modern technologies, from recorded music to the cinema and much of the digital world.


WED 00:55 Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth (b039kr77)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 01:55 Sounds of the 70s 2 (b01gymg9)
Reggae - Stir it Up

By the start of the 70s, the Windrush generation of immigrants who came to the UK from the Caribbean and West Indies were an established part of the British population and their influence and culture permeated UK society.

This second programme rejoices and revels in the reggae music exported from Jamaica and the home-grown reggae-influenced sounds that sprouted from the cities of England. Reggae's dominance of the UK charts is celebrated with performances from Ken Boothe, Dave and Ansel Collins, Steel Pulse, Althea and Donna, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Janet Kay, Susan Cadogan and The Specials.


WED 02:25 Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit (b03v4jsx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


WED 02:55 Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades (b03v4jsv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY 2014

THU 19:00 World News Today (b03v002s)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


THU 19:30 The Sky at Night (b03vg99x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Sunday]


THU 20:00 Ever Decreasing Circles (b036d6fw)
Series 2

The Tea Party

The residents of a retirement home pay a visit to Martin and Ann. How will they keep their guests entertained?


THU 20:30 Britain on Film (b01qsqcy)
Series 1

End of Empire

This episode focuses on films examining the changing shape of the British Empire. At a time when many of its former colonies were achieving independence, Look at Life sent its film crews as far afield as Aden, Malaysia and Ascension Island to record the efforts made by Britain to manage the transition from imperial rule to the leadership of an emerging Commonwealth.


THU 21:00 The Brits Who Built the Modern World (b03vrz4f)
The Freedom of the Future

How an exceptional generation of British architects, led by Norman Foster and Richard Rogers, conquered the globe with their high-tech vision.

The first episode includes glimpses of some of their most stunning recent work, such as London's new 'Cheesegrater' skyscraper, Spaceport America and the KK100 skyscraper in China (the tallest tower ever built by a British architect), before looking in detail at some of their revolutionary projects from the 1960s and 70s.

Foster, Rogers, Nicholas Grimshaw, Michael Hopkins and Terry Farrell were born within six years of each other in the 1930s; shaped by both the optimism of the postwar years and the sixties counterculture, these pillars of today's establishment began their careers as outsiders and radicals. Rogers and his collaborators tell the story of one of the most influential buildings of the 20th century - the Pompidou Centre in Paris - the result of a contest he didn't want to enter and no-one ever thought they would win.

Other early projects featured include Norman Foster's glassy Willis Faber & Dumas Headquarters in Ipswich, Farrell & Grimshaw's corrugated aluminium tower block next to Regent's Park in London and the industrial-style Hopkins House in Hampstead.


THU 22:00 Horizon (b00vv0w8)
2010-2011

Asteroids - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Famed for their ability to inflict Armageddon from outer space, asteroids are now revealing the secrets of how they are responsible for both life and death on our planet.

Armed with an array of powerful telescopes, scientists are finding up to 3,000 new asteroids every night. And some are heading our way.

But astronomers have discovered that it's not the giant rocks that are the greatest danger - it's the small asteroids that pose a more immediate threat to Earth.

Researchers have explained the photon propulsion that send these rocks across space, and have discovered that some asteroids are carrying a mysterious cargo of frost and ice across the solar system that could have helped start life on Earth.


THU 23:00 Dreaming the Impossible: Unbuilt Britain (p01cyrf9)
Glass Houses

Using her investigative skills to uncover long-forgotten and abandoned plans, architectural investigator Dr Olivia Horsfall Turner explores the fascinating and dramatic stories behind some of the grandest designs that were never built.

Technology has always been a driving force behind new ideas. Olivia explores how architects and designers have been inspired by the exciting possibilities presented by new technology to produce groundbreaking and controversial urban plans.

In 1855, visionary designer Sir Joseph Paxton proposed an ambitious plan to build a fantastic, futuristic ten-mile glass girdle circling the centre of London. It had only recently become possible to produce large sheets of cheap but strong plate glass and Paxton was inspired by its potential. With this exciting new technology at his fingertips, Paxton believed he could create a bright and pollution-free environment for Londoners as well as solve the capital's terrible congestion problems.

His spectacular glass 'Great Victorian Way' would connect the city to the West End, link rich and poor areas and cross the Thames three times. Contained in this magnificent glass structure were shops, houses, hotels, a pedestrian walkway, a road for carriages and eight lines of elevated pneumatic railway.

There was huge support for Paxton's scheme and Parliament passed a bill sanctioning construction, but the Great Victorian Way was never built. The 'Great Stink' took hold of London in 1858, spreading a cholera epidemic and so sanitation became the city's most pressing priority. Instead of creating a spectacular crystal boulevard the money was spent on a very different type of technology - the building of London's sewerage system.

A century later, London's congestion problems remained unsolved with the motor car having taken over roads designed for horse and carriage. In 1961, the architect Geoffrey Jellicoe proposed a solution directly inspired by Joseph Paxton's use of glass, in his radical new urban scheme for the green belt around London. Jellicoe took Paxton's idea of transforming the transport infrastructure even further, proposing a 'glass city' in which all cars would drive along rooftops, freeing the ground below for pedestrians.

With both these groundbreaking designs, Paxton and Jellicoe were seeking to harness technology to create bright and light cities, free of pollution and congestion, and utilising the most progressive forms of transport of the day.

Contributors include: Brett Steele, Eric Kuhne, Kate Colquhoun, Isobel Armstrong, Theodora Wayte, Lord Norman Foster, Charlie Burke, David Martlew, John Minnis, Hal Moggridge, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and Kathryn Moore.


THU 00:00 Brian Pern (b03v0svc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Monday]


THU 00:30 The Sky at Night (b03vg99x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Sunday]


THU 01:00 Ever Decreasing Circles (b036d6fw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


THU 01:30 Britain on Film (b01qsqcy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


THU 02:00 Horizon (b00vv0w8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


THU 03:00 The Brits Who Built the Modern World (b03vrz4f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2014

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b03v002y)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


FRI 19:30 Transatlantic Sessions (b03bv1bv)
Series 6

Episode 2

Music co-directors, Shetland fiddle virtuoso Aly Bain, dobro ace Jerry Douglas and their all-star house band, host a gathering of the cream of Nashville, Irish and Scottish talent in a spectacular new location overlooking the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.

This programme features Virginian Mary Chapin Carpenter, Maura O'Connell from County Clare in Ireland and Hebridean Julie Fowlis. Tim O'Brien adds some Appalachian bitter-sweet.


FRI 20:00 Sound of Cinema: The Music That Made the Movies (b03b965y)
Pop Goes the Soundtrack

Composer Neil Brand explores how, in the second half of the 20th century, composers and film-makers embraced jazz, pop and rock to bring fresh energy and relevance to film scores.

He shows how in the 1960s, films as diverse as the James Bond movies, spaghetti westerns and Disney's musicals drew on the talents of pop arrangers and composers like John Barry, Ennio Morricone and the Sherman Brothers to create unforgettable soundtracks. But the role of the film composer would subsequently be challenged by directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, who showed that a soundtrack consisting of carefully chosen pop songs could be as effective as a specially written one.

Neil's journey sees him meet leading film-makers and composers including Martin Scorsese and composers Richard Sherman (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book), Lalo Schifrin (Bullitt) and David Arnold (Casino Royale).


FRI 21:00 Neil Sedaka: King of Song (b03v2yxt)
Neil Sedaka is one of the most successful American singer-songwriters of the last century. A classically trained musician, he won a scholarship to the Juilliard School at the age of nine and four years later he embarked on a writing career that would see him create some of the most perfect pop songs of all time. Throughout his career he wrote, recorded and sang a number of instantly recognisable and memorable tunes, as well as delivering a string of hits as a songwriter for other artists.

This documentary portrait film tells the story of Neil Sedaka's life and career, in which he had two distinct periods of success. Between 1958 and 1963 he sold over 25 million records, but then his career nose-dived after the Beatles and the British Invasion hit the USA. Leaving his homeland, he found success in the UK in the early 1970s and relaunched his career before returning to the US and achieving new stardom with songs like Solitaire and Laughter in the Rain.

Neil gives great insight into how he created catchy classics like Calendar Girl, (Is This the Way to) Amarillo, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and Stupid Cupid, amongst many others.


FRI 22:00 Neil Sedaka Says: All You Need Is the Music (b00pwstt)
During a career which was originally designed to make him a classical pianist, the musical achievements and statistics of singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka have made him a compelling figure in contemporary music, with 600 songs written and 20 million records sold. The hits from his early rock 'n' roll days to his later, more lyrical age are all included in this special one-man show from the 1980s.


FRI 22:45 Kings of Rock and Roll (b007c95q)
A journey back to the 1950s for a look at the wildest pop music of all time in a film that tells the stories of Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly, giants from an era when pop music really was mad, bad and dangerous to know.

The programme features the artists themselves, alongside people like Bill Haley's original Comets, The Crickets, Buddy Holly's widow Maria Elena, Jerry Lee Lewis's former wife Myra Gail and his sister, Chuck Berry's son and many more, including June Juanico, Elvis's first serious girlfriend.

Other contributors include Tom Jones, Jamie Callum, Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard, Joe Brown, Marty Wilde, Green Day, Minnie Driver, Jack White of The White Stripes, The Mavericks, Jools Holland, Hank Marvin, Fontella Bass, John Waters and more.

Elvis's pelvis was just the start. Who had to change the lyrics to their biggest hit because the originals were too obscene? Who married their 13-year-old cousin? Who used lard to get their hair just right? And what happened on the day the music died?


FRI 23:45 Guitar Heroes at the BBC (b00llh2f)
Part III

Compilation of classic archive performances from the guitar gods of the late 60s and 70s. Status Quo appear playing Pictures of Matchstick Men on Top of the Pops in 1968, The Who perform Long Live Rock in the Old Grey Whistle Test studio, Dire Straits play Tunnel of Love and Lynyrd Skynyrd bring a taste of the Deep South with Sweet Home Alabama. The show also features rare performances from George Benson, Leo Kottke, Link Wray and Tom Petty.


FRI 00:45 Neil Sedaka: King of Song (b03v2yxt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


FRI 01:45 Neil Sedaka Says: All You Need Is the Music (b00pwstt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


FRI 02:35 Kings of Rock and Roll (b007c95q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:45 today]




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

Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth 20:00 WED (b039kr77)

Ancient Greece: The Greatest Show on Earth 00:55 WED (b039kr77)

Arena 23:50 SUN (b03tx91g)

Arena 01:25 SUN (b03txrsz)

Brian Pern 22:00 MON (b03v0svc)

Brian Pern 01:25 MON (b03v0svc)

Brian Pern 00:00 THU (b03v0svc)

Britain on Film 20:30 THU (b01qsqcy)

Britain on Film 01:30 THU (b01qsqcy)

Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit 22:30 MON (b03v0svf)

Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit 02:25 MON (b03v0svf)

Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit 22:00 TUE (b03v4hsf)

Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit 02:15 TUE (b03v4hsf)

Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit 22:00 WED (b03v4jsx)

Danny Baker Rocks... A Bit 02:25 WED (b03v4jsx)

Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades 21:00 MON (b03v0sv9)

Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades 02:55 MON (b03v0sv9)

Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades 21:00 TUE (b03v4hsc)

Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades 02:45 TUE (b03v4hsc)

Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades 21:00 WED (b03v4jsv)

Danny Baker's Rockin' Decades 02:55 WED (b03v4jsv)

Dreaming the Impossible: Unbuilt Britain 23:00 THU (p01cyrf9)

Ever Decreasing Circles 20:00 THU (b036d6fw)

Ever Decreasing Circles 01:00 THU (b036d6fw)

Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe 19:00 SUN (b00791y3)

Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe 02:45 SUN (b00791y3)

Guitar Heroes at the BBC 23:45 FRI (b00llh2f)

Horizon 22:00 THU (b00vv0w8)

Horizon 02:00 THU (b00vv0w8)

Kings of Rock and Roll 22:45 FRI (b007c95q)

Kings of Rock and Roll 02:35 FRI (b007c95q)

Mechanical Marvels: Clockwork Dreams 23:55 WED (b0229pbp)

My Son the Fanatic 22:30 WED (b00745nk)

Neil Sedaka Says: All You Need Is the Music 22:00 FRI (b00pwstt)

Neil Sedaka Says: All You Need Is the Music 01:45 FRI (b00pwstt)

Neil Sedaka: King of Song 21:00 FRI (b03v2yxt)

Neil Sedaka: King of Song 00:45 FRI (b03v2yxt)

Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines 20:00 SAT (p01f53b9)

Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines 02:45 SAT (p01f53b9)

Pain, Pus and Poison: The Search for Modern Medicines 00:15 TUE (p01f53b9)

Parks and Recreation 22:30 TUE (b03vcmvz)

Parks and Recreation 22:50 TUE (b03vm9pf)

Pink Floyd: A Delicate Sound of Thunder 23:35 SAT (b03fvfcy)

Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here 22:35 SAT (b01j0yyv)

Salamander 21:00 SAT (b01pnpvp)

Salamander 21:45 SAT (b01psptz)

Sound of Cinema: The Music That Made the Movies 20:00 FRI (b03b965y)

Sounds of the 70s 2 01:55 MON (b01glwkz)

Sounds of the 70s 2 01:55 WED (b01gymg9)

Space Shuttle: The Final Mission 21:00 SUN (b012x69w)

Storyville 23:00 MON (b03td9sc)

The Boats That Built Britain 19:30 MON (b00scqsj)

The Boats That Built Britain 19:30 TUE (b00sfshw)

The Boats That Built Britain 19:30 WED (b00sfsqw)

The Brits Who Built the Modern World 21:00 THU (b03vrz4f)

The Brits Who Built the Modern World 03:00 THU (b03vrz4f)

The Sky at Night 22:00 SUN (b03vg99x)

The Sky at Night 19:30 THU (b03vg99x)

The Sky at Night 00:30 THU (b03vg99x)

Timeshift 20:00 MON (b00nnm7k)

Timeshift 00:25 MON (b00nnm7k)

Timeshift 20:00 TUE (b00nf0nl)

Timeshift 01:15 TUE (b00nf0nl)

Tomboy 22:30 SUN (b01jmwgd)

Top of the Pops 01:10 SAT (b03td9s9)

Transatlantic Sessions 19:30 FRI (b03bv1bv)

Wainwright: The Man Who Loved the Lakes 20:00 SUN (b0074tfq)

Wild China 19:00 SAT (b00bz1cf)

Wild China 01:45 SAT (b00bz1cf)

Wild China 23:15 TUE (b00bz1cf)

World News Today 19:00 MON (b03v0026)

World News Today 19:00 TUE (b03v002g)

World News Today 19:00 WED (b03v002m)

World News Today 19:00 THU (b03v002s)

World News Today 19:00 FRI (b03v002y)