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 15 AUGUST 2015

SAT 19:00 Natural World (b00ykxq9)
2010-2011

Chimps of the Lost Gorge

A real life drama about a family of chimps trapped in a lost world. They live in a deep and ancient forested gorge that runs though the African savannah, and for 15 years it has been cut off from the rest of the jungle, leaving the chimps imprisoned. Here they face a daily life or death dilemma, whether to leave the safety of the gorge and venture into the predator-ridden savannah to find food, or face hunger. There's now only 20 of them left and as Brutus the alpha male loses his grip, can the family hold it together or is time running out for the Kyambura chimps?


SAT 20:00 Lost Land of the Volcano (b00mqjx2)
Episode 2

The second part of this exploration series combining stunning wildlife with high energy adventure.

A team of scientists and wildlife film-makers have made base camp on a remote extinct volcano at the heart of the tropical island of New Guinea. Their aim is to search the thick jungle for the weird and endangered animals that hide there. Now they are pushing deeper into the rainforest, and cameraman Gordon Buchanan enlists the help of a tribe to find and film the extraordinary birds of paradise as they perform their bizarre courtship displays.

George McGavin has to manhandle a giant crocodile, and Steve Backshall is living deep underground where he discovers a new cave system never seen by humans.


SAT 21:00 The Young Montalbano (b03bltm0)
Series 1

Back to Basics

Just as he's starting to settle into his new job, Montalbano is surprised, and somewhat irked, by the unexpected arrival of the new deputy inspector Mimi' Augello. The two soon find that their personalities are as alike as chalk and cheese. Together, they investigate the kidnapping of a young child and make the acquaintance of beautiful Genoese architect Livia Burlando. A rivalry immediately ensues for the girl's attentions.

In Italian with English subtitles.


SAT 22:50 Top of the Pops (b01pmbdy)
1978 - Big Hits

A pick 'n' mix of Top of the Pops classics from 1978, when in-yer-face punk and new wave rebellion co-existed with MOR suburban pop, disco fever, soul balladry, reggae and prog rock, and when two mega-successful movie soundtracks in the shape of Grease and Saturday Night Fever squared up on the dancefloor. Featuring shouty Sham 69, the cool rebellion of Ian Dury, Elvis Costello and Blondie, the media-savvy clowning of The Boomtown Rats, Kate Bush's debut with Wuthering Heights, alongside Brotherhood of Man's perky Figaro, Dan Hill's sentimental Sometimes When We Touch and the high camp of Boney M's Rasputin. Bob Marley shares chart space with 10cc's Dreadlock Holiday, and ELO and Manfred Mann's Earth Band keep on rockin'.


SAT 23:50 It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC (b063m6wy)
A celebration of rock 'n' roll in the shape of a compilation of classic artists and songs, featuring the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion and Dick Dale who all featured in the Rock 'n' Roll America series, alongside songs that celebrate rock 'n roll itself from artists such as Tom Petty (Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll), Joan Jett (I Love Rock 'n' Roll) and Oasis (Rock 'n' Roll Star).


SAT 00:50 4,000-Year-Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog (b03js0gf)
A 4,000-year-old body is found preserved in an Irish peat bog, in Cashel, in Ireland's midlands. To scientists and historians, it could offer brand new clues to solve an ancient mystery - the hundreds of bodies found mummified in the boglands of northern Europe.

An international team of experts assemble to investigate this new find, led by Ned Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland. Ned is a veteran archaeologist, and has previously investigated some of Ireland's most famous bog bodies.

Will 'Cashel Man' help prove his theory these Irish victims were ancient kings? And what clues can the bog bodies of Europe offer to explain our ancestors' most macabre tradition, ritual murder?

Meanwhile, that question could be answered by the bog itself. New science has found clues to suggest these deaths may be explained by prehistoric climate change.


SAT 01:50 Lost Land of the Volcano (b00mqjx2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


SAT 02:50 Delphi: The Bellybutton of the Ancient World (b00w4jtx)
What really went on at the ancient Greek oracle at Delphi, how did it get its awesome reputation and why is it still influential today?

Michael Scott of Cambridge University uncovers the secrets of the most famous oracle in the ancient world. A vital force in ancient history for a thousand years, it is now one of Greece's most beautiful tourist sites, but in its time it has been a gateway into the supernatural, a cockpit of political conflict, and a beacon for internationalism. And at its heart was the famous inscription which still inspires visitors today - 'Know Thyself'.



SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2015

SUN 19:00 BBC Proms (b066cv7m)
2015

BBC Proms Sunday Symphony: Mahler's Ninth

Sir Mark Elder conducts the huge forces of the National Youth Orchestra in a performance of Mahler's epic Ninth Symphony. Sir Mark provides an in-depth, movement-by-movement guide to the symphony, written as Mahler was reeling from the death of his young daughter and facing his own mortality in failing health. Sir Mark relishes the challenge of engaging the young players of the NYO with this emotionally vast piece - he says he must "give them the opportunity to let them dig down into themselves, to encourage them, to demand from them, gently, strongly, more and more".

Presented from the Royal Albert Hall by Katie Derham.


SUN 20:30 Sounds of the Sixties (b0074qbw)
Original Series

1967-68: The Pop Boom

By now Top of the Pops was an established part of the pop scene, and a group's appearance on the show was essential to a single's success. With footage of the Bee Gees, the Rolling Stones and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich amongst others.


SUN 21:00 Cilla at the BBC (b067543w)
Much-mourned national treasure Cilla Black commenced her eminent career as a TV host in 1968 on the BBC. Her career as perhaps the nation's favourite female pop singer of the decade had already been established after landing her first Number 1 with Anyone Who Had a Heart, the biggest-selling hit by a female singer in the 1960s.

This tribute compilation celebrates the BBC's coverage of Cilla's 60s pop star years on programmes like Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's Not Only...But Also, The Ken Dodd Show, Top of the Pops and The Royal Variety Performance, before selecting just some of the golden moments from the long-running self-titled series she hosted for the BBC between 1968 and 1976 including the Paul McCartney-penned theme song Step Inside Love and that 1973 famous duet with Marc Bolan on Life's A Gas.


SUN 22:00 Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (b065h3vy)
Series 1

Episode 2

An up-close and personal examination of the life, music and career of the legendary entertainer. In 1971, Frank Sinatra sang his legendary 'retirement concert' in Los Angeles, featuring music which was said to reflect his own life. Told in his own words from hours of archived interviews, along with commentary from those closest to him, this definitive four-part series weaves the legendary songs he chose with comments from friends and family, as well as never-before-seen footage from home movies and concert performances.

An unprecedented tribute to the beloved showman, with the full participation of the Frank Sinatra Estate, the second episode follows Sinatra's growing political profile, his relationship with Ava Gardner and the split from Nancy, his first wife.


SUN 23:00 Eisteddfod (b066vgrq)
2015: with Benjamin Zephaniah

Poet Benjamin Zephaniah makes his first visit to the National Eisteddfod of Wales, exploring language, poetry, tradition and dissent. Zephaniah encounters druidic ceremony, songwriters, poets and people who just live for one of the most unusual festivals of the summer.


SUN 23:30 Elvis: That's Alright Mama 60 Years On (b04c3l7g)
Actor and musician Sam Palladio hosts a musical tribute to Elvis Presley, 60 years to the day from when he recorded his first single, That's All Right, at Sun Studio in Memphis on 5 July 1954. Sam traces Elvis's story from childhood poverty in Mississippi, where he had to make do with a broom for a guitar, to the moment when, by accident, he ended up recording the song that changed the history of popular music. There are performances of the finest Elvis tracks from the likes of soul legend Candi Staton, LA duo The Pierces and country star Laura Bell Bundy.


SUN 00:30 ...Sings Elvis (b00pqcg3)
2011 marked the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley's birth and was celebrated by a host of performances by artists covering the King's classic songs culled from the BBC archives.

Some of Britain's biggest stars were introduced to rock n roll as teenagers via their idol Elvis, and Cliff Richard, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones and John Cale all pay their tribute. The original songwriters of some of Elvis's greatest hits perform their own versions of classic tracks, including Carl Perkins singing Blue Suede Shoes and Mac Davis doing In the Ghetto.

Other artists paying homage from across five decades include The Deep River Boys, the Stylistics, Boy George, Alison Moyet, Pet Shop Boys and Robbie Williams. There will be jumpsuits, pelvic thrusts, brilliant tunes ... and Glen Campbell's Elvis impersonation.


SUN 01:30 Sound of Cinema: The Music That Made the Movies (b03b45h4)
The Big Score

In a series celebrating the art of the cinema soundtrack, Neil Brand explores the work of the great movie composers and demonstrates their techniques. Neil begins by looking at how the classic orchestral film score emerged and why it's still going strong today.

Neil traces how in the 1930s, European-born composers such as Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold brought their Viennese training to play in stirring, romantic scores for Hollywood masterpieces like King Kong and The Adventures of Robin Hood. But it took a home-grown American talent, Bernard Herrmann, to bring a darker, more modern sound to some of cinema's finest films, with his scores for Citizen Kane, Psycho and Taxi Driver.

Among those Neil meets are leading film-makers and composers who discuss their work, including Martin Scorsese and Hans Zimmer, composer of blockbusters like Gladiator and Inception.


SUN 02:30 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.



MONDAY 17 AUGUST 2015

MON 19:00 World News Today (b06687g4)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


MON 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b03t7v9d)
Series 5

Faversham to Dorking

Michael Portillo continues his journey from Norwich to Chichester beginning in Faversham in Kent, at one of the country's oldest surviving breweries, Shepherd Neame. Michael discovers how the brewery invested heavily in the railways and even ran rolling stock with its own smart livery taking beer to London.

After making his own delivery to the Railway Tavern in one of the brewery's oldest vehicles, Michael heads for the south coast to the defensive town of Dover, little more than 25 miles from the historic enemy, the French. Here he uncovers one of Dover's best-kept secrets, the sunken fortress known as the Western Heights.

In the Weald of Kent, Michael finds out how the railways helped to put Tonbridge School on track for cricketing glory before heading into Surrey where he blow-dries a hen in Dorking!


MON 20:00 A Very British Renaissance (b0406bmk)
Whose Renaissance?

Art historian Dr James Fox continues his exploration of a Renaissance that he believes was as rich and as significant in Britain as it was in Italy and Europe. He tells the story of the painters, poets, playwrights, composers, inventors, craftsmen and scientists who revolutionised the way we saw the world.

In the final episode, he explores how the tension between two cultures - one courtly, classical and European, the other home-grown, innovative and vital - helped bring the country to civil war.


MON 21:00 Andrew Marr on Churchill: Blood, Sweat and Oil Paint (b06714yz)
Andrew Marr discovers the untold story of Winston Churchill's lifelong love for painting and reveals the surprising ways in which his private hobby helped shape his public career as politician and statesman, even playing an unexpected part in his role as wartime leader.

Marr is himself a committed amateur painter and art has played an important role in his recovery from a serious stroke in 2013. His fascination with the healing powers of art fuels a journey that opens a new perspective on one of Britain's most famous men.

Andrew travels to the south of France and Marrakech, where Churchill loved to paint, and discovers how his serious approach to the craft of painting led to friendships with major British artists of the 20th century. He finds out how a single painting in the 1940s may have influenced the course of the Second World War, and meets Churchill's descendants to discover what his family felt about a private hobby that helped keep him sane through his wilderness years. And he discovers how, 50 years after Churchill's death, his art is being taken more seriously than ever before, with one painting being sold for almost £2 million in 2014.


MON 22:00 World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel (b011wh1g)
Marking the 70th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, historian Professor David Reynolds reassesses Stalin's role in the life and death struggle between Germany and Russia in World War Two, which, he argues, was ultimately more critical for British survival than 'Our Finest Hour' in the Battle of Britain itself.

The name Stalin means 'man of steel', but Reynolds's penetrating account reveals how the reality of Stalin's war in 1941 did not live up to that name. Travelling to Russian battlefield locations, he charts how Russia was almost annihilated within a few months as Stalin lurched from crisis to crisis, coming close to a nervous breakdown.

Reynolds shows how Stalin learnt to compromise in order to win, listening to his generals and downplaying communist ideology to appeal instead to the Russian people's nationalist fighting spirit. He also squares up to the terrible moral dilemma at the heart of World War Two. Using original telegrams and official documents, he looks afresh at Winston Churchill's controversial visit to Moscow in 1942 and re-examines how Britain and America were drawn into alliance with Stalin, a dictator almost as murderous as the Nazi enemy.


MON 23:30 Fifties British War Films: Days of Glory (b01pkj2m)
In the 1950s, Britain looked back on its epic war effort in films such as The Dam Busters, The Cruel Sea and The Colditz Story. However, even at the time these productions were criticised for being class-bound and living in the past.

Journalist and historian Simon Heffer argues that these films have real cinematic merit and a genuine cultural importance, that they tell us something significant not only about the 1950s Britain from which they emerged but also about what it means to be British today.

His case is supported by interviews with stars including Virginia McKenna, Sylvia Syms and Sir Donald Sinden, with further contributions from directors Guy Hamilton (The Colditz Story) and Michael Anderson (The Dam Busters).


MON 00:30 Top of the Pops (b01pmbdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:50 on Saturday]


MON 01:30 It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC (b063m6wy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:50 on Saturday]


MON 02:30 Britain on Film (b01qbz9f)
Series 1

This Sceptered Isle

In 1959, Britain's biggest cinema company, the Rank Organisation, decided to replace its newsreels with a series of short, quirky, topical documentaries that examined all aspects of life in Britain. For the next ten years, Look at Life chronicled - on high-grade 35mm colour film - the changing face of British society, industry and culture. Britain on Film draws upon the 500 films in this unique archive to offer illuminating and often surprising insights into what became a pivotal decade.

This episode examines Look at Life's quirky films that documented unusual or eccentric British customs, rituals and traditions. In an era where many Britons embraced change as never before, these revealing and highly entertaining films show that people were determined to preserve the idiosyncratic aspects of our national life.


MON 03:00 Andrew Marr on Churchill: Blood, Sweat and Oil Paint (b06714yz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



TUESDAY 18 AUGUST 2015

TUE 19:00 World News Today (b06687g9)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


TUE 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys (b03t7wht)
Series 5

Brighton to Chichester

On the final leg of his journey between the cathedral cities of Norwich and Chichester, Michael Portillo discovers the history behind the extraordinary Pavilion at Brighton and learns that Queen Victoria was not an admirer of the Prince Regent's flamboyant taste. Michael finds that while above ground the railways brought day trippers to frolic in fashionable Brighton, underground, Victorian engineers built a magnificent network of sewers more than 40 miles in length, which are still functioning today.

At Bramber, he discovers at the time of his guide, tourists flocked to the town in huge numbers due to a Victorian museum of taxidermy. Michael's next stop is the impressive castle at Arundel and he's pleased to find that the Duke of Norfolk was a great supporter of the railways. His rail journey ends in Chichester from where he heads up into the South Downs for a taste of life in the fast lane at Goodwood.


TUE 20:00 Great Continental Railway Journeys (b03ty8dk)
Series 2 - Reversions

Madrid to Gibraltar - Part 1

Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo returns to his native Spain to discover what the intrepid tourists of the Belle Epoque experienced on their travels through the fading Spanish empire. Hard on their heels in Madrid, he visits the scene of a grim assassination attempt at the royal wedding of a British princess and a Spanish king.

Striking south to historic Cordoba, Michael dances with an unusual partner and enjoys all the fun of the feria. Heading further into Andalusia, Michael arrives in Seville, the city he has made his Spanish home and where, in the city's tobacco factory, he learns about a gypsy girl named Carmen.

After sipping sherry in Jerez, he traces Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission to Algeciras on Spain's Costa del Sol and finishes with tales of British espionage on the Rock of Gibraltar.


TUE 20:30 Hive Minds (b066cvwh)
Series 1

Lutrophiles v Misinformed

Fiona Bruce presents the quiz show where players not only have to know the answers, but have to find them hidden in a hive of letters. It tests players' general knowledge and mental agility, as they battle against one another and race against the clock to find the answers.

In a second-round match, Lutrophiles play Misinformed for a chance to stay in the competition.


TUE 21:00 The First Georgians: The German Kings Who Made Britain (p01xtmv7)
Episode 3

Dr Lucy Worsley's story of the first Georgian kings reaches the final years of George II's reign. With extensive access to artworks in the Royal Collection, she shows how Britain's new ruling family fought the French, the Jacobites and each other, all at the same time. But while George very publicly bickered with his troublesome son Frederick, Prince of Wales, he also led from the front on the battlefield - the last British king to do so - and helped turn his adopted nation into a global superpower.

What would have seemed an unlikely outcome when the Georges first arrived from Hanover was achieved on the back of a strong navy, a dubious slave trade and a powerful new entrepreneurial spirit that owed much to the influence of the Scottish Enlightenment.


TUE 22:00 The Genius of Marie Curie - The Woman Who Lit up the World (b01s954d)
Over 80 years after her death, Marie Curie remains by far the best-known female scientist. In her lifetime, she became that rare thing - a celebrity scientist, attracting the attention of the news cameras and tabloid gossip. They were fascinated because she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize and is still the only person to have won two Nobels in two different sciences. But while the bare bones of her scientific life, the obstacles she had to overcome, the years of painstaking research and the penalty she ultimately paid for her discovery of radium have become one of the iconic stories of scientific heroism, there is another side to Marie Curie - her human story.

This multi-layered film reveals the real Marie Curie, an extraordinary woman who fell in love three times, had to survive the pain of loss, and the public humiliation of a doomed love affair. It is a riveting portrait of a tenacious mother and scientist, who opened the door on a whole new realm of physics, which she discovered and named - radioactivity.


TUE 23:00 Precision: The Measure of All Things (b033664m)
Heat, Light and Electricity

From lightning bolts and watt engines to electromagnetic waves and single electrons, Professor Marcus du Sautoy continues his journey into the world of measurement as he reveals how we came to measure and harness the power of heat, light and electricity. It's a journey that has involved the greatest minds in science and, today, is getting down to the very building blocks of atoms.


TUE 00:00 Insect Dissection: How Insects Work (p00zst23)
Insects outnumber us by 200 million to one. They thrive in environments where humans wouldn't last minutes. We mostly perceive them as pests - yet without bugs, entire ecosystems would collapse, crops would disappear and waste would pile high.

The secret of their success? Their incredible alien anatomy.

To reveal this extraordinary hidden world, entomologists Dr James Logan and Brendan Dunphy carry out a complete insect dissection. Cutting-edge imaging technology shows us the beauty and precision of the natural engineering inside even the simplest insects.

Stripping back the layers, they uncover ingenious body systems and finely tuned senses - a bug body plan that is the hidden blueprint behind insects' 'global domination'. They also discover how science is now using the secrets of insect anatomy to inspire technology that could save human lives.


TUE 01:00 Hive Minds (b066cvwh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


TUE 01:30 The First Georgians: The German Kings Who Made Britain (p01xtmv7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


TUE 02:30 World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel (b011wh1g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Monday]



WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST 2015

WED 19:00 World News Today (b06687gg)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


WED 19:30 Great Continental Railway Journeys (b03ty8jf)
Series 2 - Reversions

Madrid to Gibraltar: Part 2

Armed with his 1913 railway guide, Michael Portillo returns to his native Spain to discover what the intrepid tourists of the Belle Epoque experienced on their travels through the fading Spanish empire. Hard on their heels in Madrid, he visits the scene of a grim assassination attempt at the royal wedding of a British princess and a Spanish king.

Striking south to historic Cordoba, Michael dances with an unusual partner and enjoys all the fun of the feria. Heading further into Andalusia, Michael arrives in Seville, the city he has made his Spanish home, and where, in the city's tobacco factory, he learns about a gypsy girl named Carmen.

After sipping sherry in Jerez, he traces Winston Churchill's tense diplomatic mission to Algeciras on Spain's Costa del Sol and finishes with tales of British espionage on the Rock of Gibraltar.


WED 20:00 Natural World (b01q9djl)
2012-2013

Jaguars - Born Free

Three tiny orphaned jaguar cubs are discovered in a Brazilian forest. A family decides to take the place of their mother and trains them to become wild again. Over two years they must learn to climb trees, swim, and hunt for their dinner. If they can be successfully released, it will give new hope to these rare animals.


WED 21:00 Genius of the Ancient World (b066d0v5)
Confucius

In the final episode, Bettany travels to China on the trail of Confucius, a great sage of Chinese history whose ideas have fundamentally shaped the country of his birth for around 2,500 years.


WED 22:00 Natural World (b00wmvl6)
2010-2011

Panda Makers

Giant pandas were on the brink of extinction but now they are coming back, thanks to an extraordinary conservation project. The Chengdu Research Base in central China is at the heart of a project to breed 300 pandas, and then start introducing them back into the wild. It is the most ambitious and controversial conservation effort ever mounted.

Shot over two years, this film follows the pandas and keepers as, through visionary science and round-the-clock care, they edge closer to the magic number of 300.


WED 23:00 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?


WED 00:00 Natural World (b01q9djl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 01:00 Timeshift (b016pwgw)
Series 11

Of Ice and Men

Timeshift reveals the history of the frozen continent, finding out why the most inhospitable place on the planet has exerted such a powerful hold on the imagination of explorers, scientists, writers and photographers.

Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest place on the globe. Only a handful of people have experienced its desolate beauty, with the first explorers setting foot here barely a hundred years ago.

From the logbooks of Captain Cook to the diaries of Scott and Shackleton, from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner to HP Lovecraft, it is a film about real and imaginary tales of adventure, romance and tragedy that have played out against a stark white backdrop.

We relive the race to the Pole and the 'Heroic Age' of Antarctic exploration, and find out what it takes to survive the cold and the perils of 'polar madness'. We see how Herbert Ponting's photographs of the Scott expedition helped define our image of the continent and find out why the continent witnessed a remarkable thaw in Russian and American relations at the height of the Cold War.

We also look at the intriguing story of who actually owns Antarctica and how science is helping us reimagine a frozen wasteland as something far more precious.

Interviewees include Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Francis Spufford, Huw Lewis-Jones, Sara Wheeler, Henry Worsley, Prof David Walton and Martin Hartley.


WED 02:00 The Genius of Marie Curie - The Woman Who Lit up the World (b01s954d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Tuesday]


WED 03:00 Genius of the Ancient World (b066d0v5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 20 AUGUST 2015

THU 19:00 World News Today (b06687gt)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


THU 19:30 BBC Proms (b066d1kd)
2015

The Bach Recitals: Alina Ibragimova Plays Violin Sonatas and Partitas - Part One

Series of unaccompanied solo performances of Bach at the Proms. Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova, known for her historically-informed interpretation of Bach, performs the first three of the notoriously demanding Sonatas and Partitas. She begins with the harmonically-varied Sonata No 1 in G Minor, followed by Partita No 1 in B minor and closing with Sonata No 2 in A minor. Presented by Samira Ahmed.


THU 21:00 The Secrets of Quantum Physics (b04tr9x9)
Einstein's Nightmare

Professor Jim Al-Khalili traces the story of arguably the most important, accurate and yet perplexing scientific theory ever - quantum physics.

The story starts at the beginning of the 20th century with scientists trying to better understand how light bulbs work. This simple question led them deep into the hidden workings of matter, into the sub-atomic building blocks of the world around us. Here they discovered phenomena unlike any encountered before - a realm where things can be in many places at once, where chance and probability call the shots and where reality appears to only truly exist when we observe it.

Albert Einstein hated the idea that nature, at its most fundamental level, is governed by chance. Jim reveals how, in the 1930s, Einstein thought he had found a fatal flaw in quantum physics, because it implies that sub-atomic particles can communicate faster than light in defiance of the theory of relativity.

For 30 years, his ideas were ignored. Then, in the 1960s, a brilliant scientist from Northern Ireland called John Bell showed there was a way to test if Einstein was right and quantum mechanics was actually mistaken. In a laboratory in Oxford, Jim repeats this critical experiment. Does reality really exist or do we conjure it into existence by the act of observation?

The results are shocking!


THU 22:00 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 23:00 Lost Land of the Volcano (b00mqjx2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Saturday]


THU 00:00 A Very British Renaissance (b0406bmk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Monday]


THU 01:00 The Secrets of Quantum Physics (b04tr9x9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]


THU 02:00 The Horizon Guide to Mars (b00p1crx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


THU 03:00 Treasures of the Anglo Saxons (b00t6xzx)
Art historian Dr Nina Ramirez reveals the codes and messages hidden in Anglo-Saxon art. From the beautiful jewellery that adorned the first violent pagan invaders through to the stunning Christian manuscripts they would become famous for, she explores the beliefs and ideas that shaped Anglo-Saxon art.

Examining many of the greatest Anglo Saxon treasures - such as the Sutton Hoo Treasures, the Staffordshire Hoard, the Franks Casket and the Lindisfarne Gospels - Dr Ramirez charts 600 years of artistic development which was stopped dead in its tracks by the Norman Conquest.



FRIDAY 21 AUGUST 2015

FRI 19:00 World News Today (b06687gz)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.


FRI 19:30 BBC Proms (b066d735)
2015

Friday Night at the Proms: Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

Something incredibly special happens every time Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra come to the Proms, and this should be no exception as Friday Night at the Proms presents a rare chance to see the maestro playing the piano alongside violinist Guy Braunstein and cellist Kian Soltani in Beethoven's fabulous Triple Concerto.

Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony and Schoenberg's 1st Chamber Symphony are also performed by what is one of the most significant musical alliances of our age. World-class music making is a given, augmented by Barenboim's own performance, meaning you never quite know what will happen next.

Presented by Suzy Klein and Razia Iqbal.


FRI 22:00 Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (b066d737)
Series 1

Episode 3

An up-close and personal examination of the life, music and career of the legendary entertainer. In 1971, Frank Sinatra sang his legendary 'retirement concert' in Los Angeles, featuring music which was said to reflect his own life. Told in his own words from hours of archived interviews, along with commentary from those closest to him, this definitive four-part series weaves the legendary songs he chose with comments from friends and family, as well as never-before-seen footage from home movies and concert performances.

An unprecedented tribute to the beloved showman, with the full participation of the Frank Sinatra Estate, the third episode sees Sinatra turn his career around, the birth of the Rat Pack, his connection with the mob and the unravelling of his high-profile relationship with the Kennedys.


FRI 23:00 Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (b066d739)
Series 1

Episode 4

An up-close and personal examination of the life, music and career of the legendary entertainer. In 1971, Frank Sinatra sang his legendary 'retirement concert' in Los Angeles, featuring music which was said to reflect his own life. Told in his own words from hours of archived interviews, along with commentary from those closest to him, this definitive four-part series weaves the legendary songs he chose with comments from friends and family, as well as never-before-seen footage from home movies and concert performances.

An unprecedented tribute to the beloved showman, with the full participation of the Frank Sinatra Estate, the final episode recounts the kidnap of his son, Frank Jr, his marriage to Mia Farrow and his successful return from retirement.


FRI 00:00 On the Town (b00789db)
Oscar-winning musical following three sailors on shore leave. Determined to enjoy their freedom, the young men embark on whirlwind romances. Starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.


FRI 01:35 The Andy Williams Show (b00n5bt9)
Duets

Compilation of the best duets selected from crooner Andy Williams's private archive of his weekly 1960s variety show on NBC. The show attracted the cream of the crop from the world of showbiz, from Bing Crosby and Ray Charles to Johnny Mathis and Ella Fitzgerald, who were more than happy to share the microphone with the king of easy listening.

Including Over the Rainbow with Judy Garland, and Andy at the piano with Ray Charles for What'd I Say.


FRI 02:35 Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (b066d737)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


FRI 03:15 Sounds of the Sixties (b0074qd8)
Original Series

In Living Colour

More from the BBC archive music programme. 1968 brought colour transmission to the BBC and artists such as The Kinks, The Moody Blues and The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band appear in all their polychrome glory.




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

...Sings Elvis 00:30 SUN (b00pqcg3)

4,000-Year-Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog 00:50 SAT (b03js0gf)

A Very British Renaissance 20:00 MON (b0406bmk)

A Very British Renaissance 00:00 THU (b0406bmk)

Andrew Marr on Churchill: Blood, Sweat and Oil Paint 21:00 MON (b06714yz)

Andrew Marr on Churchill: Blood, Sweat and Oil Paint 03:00 MON (b06714yz)

BBC Proms 19:00 SUN (b066cv7m)

BBC Proms 19:30 THU (b066d1kd)

BBC Proms 19:30 FRI (b066d735)

Britain on Film 02:30 MON (b01qbz9f)

China in Six Easy Pieces 23:00 WED (b036r5cx)

Cilla at the BBC 21:00 SUN (b067543w)

Delphi: The Bellybutton of the Ancient World 02:50 SAT (b00w4jtx)

Eisteddfod 23:00 SUN (b066vgrq)

Elvis: That's Alright Mama 60 Years On 23:30 SUN (b04c3l7g)

Fifties British War Films: Days of Glory 23:30 MON (b01pkj2m)

Genius of the Ancient World 21:00 WED (b066d0v5)

Genius of the Ancient World 03:00 WED (b066d0v5)

Great British Railway Journeys 19:30 MON (b03t7v9d)

Great British Railway Journeys 19:30 TUE (b03t7wht)

Great Continental Railway Journeys 20:00 TUE (b03ty8dk)

Great Continental Railway Journeys 19:30 WED (b03ty8jf)

Hive Minds 20:30 TUE (b066cvwh)

Hive Minds 01:00 TUE (b066cvwh)

Insect Dissection: How Insects Work 00:00 TUE (p00zst23)

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC 23:50 SAT (b063m6wy)

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: Rock 'n' Roll at the BBC 01:30 MON (b063m6wy)

Lost Land of the Volcano 20:00 SAT (b00mqjx2)

Lost Land of the Volcano 01:50 SAT (b00mqjx2)

Lost Land of the Volcano 23:00 THU (b00mqjx2)

Natural World 19:00 SAT (b00ykxq9)

Natural World 20:00 WED (b01q9djl)

Natural World 22:00 WED (b00wmvl6)

Natural World 00:00 WED (b01q9djl)

On the Town 00:00 FRI (b00789db)

Precision: The Measure of All Things 23:00 TUE (b033664m)

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All 22:00 SUN (b065h3vy)

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All 22:00 FRI (b066d737)

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All 23:00 FRI (b066d739)

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All 02:35 FRI (b066d737)

Sound of Cinema: The Music That Made the Movies 01:30 SUN (b03b45h4)

Sounds of the Sixties 20:30 SUN (b0074qbw)

Sounds of the Sixties 03:15 FRI (b0074qd8)

The Andy Williams Show 01:35 FRI (b00n5bt9)

The First Georgians: The German Kings Who Made Britain 21:00 TUE (p01xtmv7)

The First Georgians: The German Kings Who Made Britain 01:30 TUE (p01xtmv7)

The Genius of Marie Curie - The Woman Who Lit up the World 22:00 TUE (b01s954d)

The Genius of Marie Curie - The Woman Who Lit up the World 02:00 WED (b01s954d)

The Horizon Guide to Mars 22:00 THU (b00p1crx)

The Horizon Guide to Mars 02:00 THU (b00p1crx)

The Secrets of Quantum Physics 21:00 THU (b04tr9x9)

The Secrets of Quantum Physics 01:00 THU (b04tr9x9)

The Young Montalbano 21:00 SAT (b03bltm0)

Timeshift 01:00 WED (b016pwgw)

Top of the Pops 22:50 SAT (b01pmbdy)

Top of the Pops 00:30 MON (b01pmbdy)

Treasures of the Anglo Saxons 03:00 THU (b00t6xzx)

Treasures of the Louvre 02:30 SUN (b01r3n6r)

World News Today 19:00 MON (b06687g4)

World News Today 19:00 TUE (b06687g9)

World News Today 19:00 WED (b06687gg)

World News Today 19:00 THU (b06687gt)

World News Today 19:00 FRI (b06687gz)

World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel 22:00 MON (b011wh1g)

World War Two: 1941 and the Man of Steel 02:30 TUE (b011wh1g)