The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. In a series of four epic journeys, he travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what remains of Bradshaw's Britain.
His journey takes him from Buxton along one of the first railway routes south to the capital, London. This time, Michael explores one of the grandest railway stations and hotels in the country - St Pancras. He rides the world's first tube line to Smithfield market and climbs up the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament to hear Big Ben chime.
Dame Evelyn Glennie is one of the world's finest virtuoso percussionists. Born and raised in Aberdeenshire, she is the first musician to create and sustain the career of a solo percussionist, performing in over 50 countries, recording 30 solo albums and the winner of three prestigious Grammy awards.
As she approaches 50 she is now involving herself in what she describes as 'legacy' projects - 'ones that make a difference'. These vary from unique collaborations to her plans for a National Centre for Percussion, which will not only display her collection of over 2,000 percussion instruments but also be a space for performances, master classes and lectures.
The programme explores Evelyn's collection of instruments, follows her in rehearsal and reveals the story of how a country girl from Aberdeenshire became a global percussion superstar.
Chris Packham explores what enables birds of prey to rule the aerial roost. Their ability to dominate their fellow birds in terms of strength, manoeuvrability and phenomenal speed is down to a combination of anatomical and physiological adaptations.
Chris explains the internal workings of the bald eagle's ratchet talons and how sharp eyes and a gyroscopic head enable the goshawk to keep its sight firmly fixed on both its prey and its surroundings as it tears through the undergrowth. New research reveals how pop-up feathers on the peregrine falcon's back act like pits on a golf ball to reduce drag - allowing it to reach 220mph.
Ever wondered what spiders really get up to in your home? In this Halloween special Alice Roberts overcomes her arachnophobia to enter a spider-filled house where an astonishing drama unfolds within its walls.
Inside she meets entomologist Tim Cockerill, who loves spiders and quickly immerses Alice in the wonders of web-building, the secrets of fly-catching and the dangerous spider-eat-spider world they inhabit.
Tim wants us to welcome spiders into our homes. He takes Alice on a macro mystery tour of the rooms of the Spider House, revealing what goes on in the cracks and crannies of our homes.
Why do we always find spiders in the bathroom? And what happens if we flush them down the plughole? Using powerful macrophotography, Tim and Alice find out.
In the dining room, they uncover the complex engineering behind the most beautifully constructed 'dinner plate' in the home - a spider's web. In the kitchen Alice witnesses the extraordinary hunting ability of the keen-eyed jumping spider, while Tim finds out how spiders kill their prey using venom.
In the bedroom, the secrets of spider courtship are revealed. For spiders, mating is a high-stakes life-or-death game, where males risk being eaten by females. In the nursery, we enter an enchanting cocoon where tiny spiderlings struggle out of their exoskeletons - the first of many moults on the road to becoming adult spiders. Meanwhile, down in the cellar, we meet an unexpectedly voracious killer - the daddy longlegs.
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with spiders. The rational side of Alice Roberts understands their benefits, but can she overcome her irrational fears? She faces the ultimate challenge: to spend the night alone... with the spiders... in Spider House.
Terrifying swarms of killer bees are coming together and attacking people. As the deadly swarms approach Houston, it's up to entomologist Brad Crane to discover the cause and prevent General Slater using military tactics that will devastate the balance of nature.
A compilation of BBC performances by artists who lived and worked in California in the 1970s. Featuring Jackson Browne, Little Feat, Ry Cooder, Judee Sill, Bonnie Raitt and a rare duet between James Taylor and Carly Simon.
THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER 2014
THU 19:00 World News Today (b04mqbd8)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 Top of the Pops (b04n1pln)
Peter Powell presents another edition of the weekly pop chart with performances by the Specials, Viola Wills, Queen, Dr Hook, Iris Williams, the Dooleys, Janet Brown, Lena Martell and Errol Dunkley and dance sequences by Legs & Co.
THU 20:00 The Horizon Guide to Mars (b00p1crx)
The intriguing possibility of life on Mars has fuelled man's quest to visit the Red Planet. Drawing on 45 years of Horizon archive, space expert Dr Kevin Fong presents a documentary on Earth's near neighbour.
Man's extraordinary attempts to reach Mars have pushed technological boundaries past their limit and raised the tantalising prospect of establishing human colonies beyond our own planet.
While the moon lies 240,000 miles away, Mars is at a distance of 50 million miles. Reaching the moon takes three days, but to land on Mars would take nearly eight months, and only two thirds of the missions to Mars have made it. The BBC has been analysing the highs and lows throughout - including the ill-fated British attempt, the Beagle.
Horizon has explored how scientists believe the only way to truly understand Mars is to send people there. If and when we do, it will be the most challenging trip humanity has ever undertaken.
THU 21:00 Operation Jericho (b016n2zz)
Actor and aviator Martin Shaw takes to the skies to rediscover one of the most audacious and daring raids of World War II.
On the morning of 18th February 1944, a squadron of RAF Mosquito bombers, flying as low as three metres over occupied France, demolished the walls of Amiens Jail in what became known as Operation Jericho. The reasons behind the controversial raid remain a mystery to this day.
This dramatic documentary investigates the missing pieces of the story, with interviews from survivors and aircrew, and tries to find out why the raid was ordered and by whom.
THU 22:00 Detectorists (b04n1plq)
Series 1
Episode 5
Even though Andy, Lance, Becky and Sophie are barely talking to each other, their secrets are on the verge of being revealed. Are they all just victims of a smear campaign? And why does everyone else want to move in on Bishop's Farm?
THU 22:30 The Art of Gothic: Britain's Midnight Hour (b04n1mrb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Monday]
THU 23:30 Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies (b01m9vjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
THU 00:30 Top of the Pops (b04n1pln)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
THU 01:10 Sounds of the Eighties (b0074sk2)
Episode 3
Musical memories from the BBC archives. This edition concentrates on the soul and funk artists who found success in the British charts of the 1980s, with performances from Kool and the Gang, The Pointer Sisters, Grace Jones, Cameo, Bobby Womack, Sade, Alexander O'Neal and Whitney Houston.
THU 01:40 Detectorists (b04n1plq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
THU 02:10 World War I at Home (b045gjnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 on Tuesday]
THU 02:40 Tubular Bells: The Mike Oldfield Story (b03cw8g0)
In 1973, an album was released that against all odds and expectations went to the top of the UK charts. The fact the album launched a record label that became one of the most recognisable brand names in the world (Virgin), formed the soundtrack to one of the biggest movies of the decade (The Exorcist), became the biggest selling instrumental album of all time, would eventually go on to sell over 16 million copies and was performed almost single-handedly by a 19-year-old makes the story all the more incredible. That album was Tubular Bells, and the young and painfully shy musician was Mike Oldfield.
This documentary features contributions from Sir Richard Branson, Danny Boyle, Mike's family and the original engineers of the Tubular Bells album among others. The spine of the film is an extended interview with Mike himself, where he takes us through the events that led to him writing Tubular Bells - growing up with a mother with severe mental health problems; the refuge he sought in music as a child, with talent that led to him playing in folk clubs aged 12 and signing with his sister's folk group at only 15; his frightening experience of taking LSD at 16; and finally arriving at the Manor Recording Studios as a young session musician where he gave a demo tape to a recording engineer who passed it along to young entrepreneur Richard Branson.
After the album's huge success, Mike retreated to a Hereford hilltop, shunned public life and became a recluse until he took part in a controversial therapy which changed his life.
In 2012 Mike captured the public's imagination once again when he was asked to perform at the London Olympic Opening Ceremony, where Tubular Bells was the soundtrack to 20 minutes of the one-hour ceremony.
Filmed on location at his home recording studio in Nassau, Mike also plays the multiple instruments of Tubular Bells and shows how the groundbreaking piece of music was put together.
THU 03:40 Pop Go the Sixties (b00rgd4h)
Series 1
The Kinks, the Shadows, the Tremeloes, the Who
More pop moments from the BBC's 60s archive, featuring the Who, the Kinks, the Shadows and the Tremeloes.
FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER 2014
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b04mqbdf)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
FRI 19:30 Concerto at the BBC Proms (b01k83bg)
Mozart Piano
Another chance to hear a live performance from the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23, one of his most exuberant piano works, recorded in 2006. The American pianist Richard Goode, one of today's leading interpreters of classical and Romantic music, performs with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Jirí Behlohlávek.
FRI 20:00 Rule Britannia! Music, Mischief and Morals in the 18th Century (b040w7xx)
Episode 2
Broadcaster and writer Suzy Klein explores the remarkable music that became the soundtrack to the roaring 18th century.
As money poured in from a flourishing trade empire, the British rediscovered a taste for pleasure and fun, and music was at the very centre of it. Aspiring young girls played the keyboard to attract a good husband and nothing beat dancing a minuet if you wanted a place in the best society.
Europe's best composers and performers descended upon Britain, certain that the 'rage for music' would make them rich. Music had become a tool for social mobility, but it was also starting to shape the physical fabric of Britain - concert halls, assembly rooms and pleasure gardens sprang up across the country as the thirst for entertainment grew.
FRI 21:00 Classic Albums (b00vlq0y)
Black Sabbath: Paranoid
The second album by Black Sabbath, released in 1970, has long attained classic status. Paranoid not only changed the face of rock music, but also defined the sound and style of heavy metal more than any other record in rock history. The result of a magic chemistry which had been discovered between four English musicians, it put Black Sabbath firmly on the road to world domination.
This programme tells the story behind the writing, recording and success of the album. Despite vilification from the Christian and moral right and all the harsh criticism that the music press could hurl at them, Paranoid catapulted Sabbath into the rock stratosphere.
Using exclusive interviews, musical demonstration, archive footage and a return to the multi-tracks with engineer Tom Allom, the film reveals how Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward created their frighteningly dark, heavy and ear-shatteringly loud sound.
Additional comments from Phil Alexander (MOJO & Kerrang! editor), Geoff Barton (Classic Rock editor), Henry Rollins (writer/musician) and Jim Simpson (original manager) add insight to the creation of this all-time classic.
FRI 22:00 Goth at the BBC (b04mqfl1)
A 60-minute showcase of beastly basslines, scything guitars, tormented lyrics, piercing synths, leather, lace and fashion on the edge! This programme celebrates the Goth aesthetic that began in early 80s British clubland and traces its evolution in music throughout that decade and beyond. Featuring classic BBC TV performances from Siouxsie and The Banshees, Bauhaus, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Killing Joke, The Sisters of Mercy, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey and many more.
FRI 23:00 Brothers in Arms (b007cblj)
They say that blood is thicker than water and this documentary puts that to the test by examining the brothers who have formed and fronted rock bands. From the Everlys to the Gallaghers via the Kinks and Spandau Ballet, it tells the stories of the bands of brothers who went from their bedrooms to become household names - often with a price to pay.
With contributions from Martin Kemp, Matt Goss, Dave Davies, Phil Everly, David Knopfler and the Campbell brothers of UB40.
FRI 00:00 Alice Cooper: Brutally Live (b03q9tvk)
The king of shock rock's inimitable stage show Brutally Live, filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo, London in July 2000, in support of his album Brutal Planet. Alice Cooper combines his distinct brand of rock and theatre with the use of elaborate props to unsettle and shock his audience. His famous costumes, a guillotine, a werewolf baby, pools of fake blood and the thick black eye make-up dripping down his face work together to create his trademark demonic style.
FRI 01:30 Classic Albums (b00vlq0y)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRI 02:25 Goth at the BBC (b04mqfl1)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
FRI 03:25 Sounds of the Eighties (b0074sll)
Episode 4
Another in the series of 1980s pop archive shows highlights those bands that swayed on the spot, compulsory for the synthesiser bands that dominated the decade. Doing the standing still are Depeche Mode (featuring Vince Clarke), The Human League, Yazoo (featuring Vince Clarke), Soft Cell, New Order, Bronski Beat, Pet Shop Boys and Erasure (featuring Vince Clarke).
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
ABBA at the BBC
01:00 SUN (b03lyzpr)
Agnetha: ABBA and After
02:00 SUN (b02x9zwc)
Alice Cooper: Brutally Live
00:00 FRI (b03q9tvk)
Ancient Apocalypse
00:50 MON (b0074m7j)
Architects of the Divine: The First Gothic Age
21:00 TUE (b04mq9x6)
Architects of the Divine: The First Gothic Age
02:45 TUE (b04mq9x6)
Brothers in Arms
23:00 FRI (b007cblj)
Classic Albums
21:00 FRI (b00vlq0y)
Classic Albums
01:30 FRI (b00vlq0y)
Concerto at the BBC Proms
19:30 FRI (b01k83bg)
Dan Cruickshank and the Family that Built Gothic Britain
23:20 MON (b04m3ljr)
Detectorists
00:20 MON (b04m9rh2)
Detectorists
22:00 THU (b04n1plq)
Detectorists
01:40 THU (b04n1plq)
Easter Island: Mysteries of a Lost World
00:45 TUE (b03srmm6)
Elvis: That's Alright Mama 60 Years On
22:50 SAT (b04c3l7g)
Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways
22:00 SUN (b04n60j3)
Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways
23:00 SUN (b04n8wl5)
Goth at the BBC
22:00 FRI (b04mqfl1)
Goth at the BBC
02:25 FRI (b04mqfl1)
Great British Railway Journeys
19:30 MON (b00qgyv4)
Great British Railway Journeys
19:30 TUE (b00qgz23)
Great British Railway Journeys
20:00 TUE (b00qgzdd)
Great British Railway Journeys
19:30 WED (b00qgzr9)
Guitar Heroes at the BBC
01:00 SAT (b00llh2f)
Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
20:00 MON (b01m9vjl)
Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies
23:30 THU (b01m9vjl)
Land of the Lost Wolves
19:00 SAT (b01fnfrc)
Land of the Lost Wolves
00:30 SAT (b01fnfrc)
Land of the Lost Wolves
23:45 TUE (b01fnfrc)
Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession
20:00 SAT (b00s2wvh)
Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession
02:00 SAT (b00s2wvh)
Operation Jericho
21:00 THU (b016n2zz)
Pop Go the Sixties
03:40 THU (b00rgd4h)
Rome: A History of the Eternal City
20:00 SUN (b01p96g4)
Rule Britannia! Music, Mischief and Morals in the 18th Century
20:00 FRI (b040w7xx)
Sounds of the Eighties
01:10 THU (b0074sk2)
Sounds of the Eighties
03:25 FRI (b0074sll)
Sounds of the Sixties
01:30 SAT (b0074q9l)
Spider House
21:00 WED (b04mqc4z)
Spider House
02:30 WED (b04mqc4z)
Storyville
21:00 SUN (b04n1hfy)
Supernatural
22:55 TUE (b04n1mx9)
The Art of Gothic: Britain's Midnight Hour
21:00 MON (b04n1mrb)
The Art of Gothic: Britain's Midnight Hour
02:40 MON (b04n1mrb)
The Art of Gothic: Britain's Midnight Hour
22:30 THU (b04n1mrb)
The Code
21:00 SAT (b04n1g1l)
The Code
21:55 SAT (b04n1g1n)
The Curse of Frankenstein
22:00 MON (b03n2wt1)
The Horizon Guide to Mars
20:00 THU (b00p1crx)
The Joy of ABBA
00:00 SUN (b03lyzpp)
The Joy of ABBA
03:00 SUN (b03lyzpp)
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil
22:00 TUE (b04n1mx7)
The Old Grey Whistle Test
01:00 WED (b0074t8q)
The Swarm
22:30 WED (b012fzzq)
The Viking Sagas
01:40 MON (b0110gnv)
The Wonder of Animals
20:30 WED (b04n1npr)
Top of the Pops
23:50 SAT (b04m9r6z)
Top of the Pops
19:30 THU (b04n1pln)
Top of the Pops
00:30 THU (b04n1pln)
Tubular Bells: The Mike Oldfield Story
02:40 THU (b03cw8g0)
Under Milk Wood
19:00 SUN (p01x5k4n)
What Do Artists Do All Day?
20:00 WED (b04m0n7g)
What Do Artists Do All Day?
02:00 WED (b04m0n7g)
World News Today
19:00 MON (b04mqbh8)
World News Today
19:00 TUE (b04mqbjn)
World News Today
19:00 WED (b04mqbd3)
World News Today
19:00 THU (b04mqbd8)
World News Today
19:00 FRI (b04mqbdf)
World War I at Home
20:30 TUE (b045gjnp)
World War I at Home
02:15 TUE (b045gjnp)
World War I at Home
02:10 THU (b045gjnp)