The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
The amateur naturalists are hot on the trail of cold-blooded animals. Reptiles and amphibians are often thought of as slimy and creepy. They're hard to keep a watch over because they're hard to see. But for the dedicated few, it's well worth the effort. One enthusiast has turned his garden into a lizard empire, all with the aim of helping sand lizards back from the brink. Another has turned sleuth, keeping an eye over her local woodland for Britain's most feared wild animal, the adder. One couple have transformed the landscape to create a home fit for the king of newts. And one man stalks the dank marshes at night to hear the melodic chorus of his own population of toads.
The naturalists' passion for these elusive wild animals gives a window onto a hidden world. This programme shows why it's surprisingly easy to get hot under the collar about cold-blooded creatures.
A unique amateur film provides the centrepiece of a documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of Scotland's great landmarks, the Forth Road Bridge. The documentary traces the memories of the people who built the bridge, the biggest of its kind in Europe at the time, as well as those who ran the Forth ferries that stopped running when it opened in 1964.
Historian Bettany Hughes unravels one of the most intriguing mysteries of all time. She presents a series of geological, archaeological and historical clues to show that the legend of Atlantis was inspired by a real historical event, the greatest natural disaster of the ancient world.
The Proms festival celebrates the Rio 2016 Olympics with a visit from Brazil's Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by their musical director Marin Alsop.
In what is sure to be a vibrant night, the concert gets off the mark with the UK premiere of Marlos Nobre's Kabbalah, followed by one of the most cherished pieces of classical music in the world - Grieg's Piano Concerto, with soloist Gabriela Montero.
A movement from Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasileiras lends a distinctly Latin flavour to proceedings before the swirling sounds of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances take us to the finishing line.
Explorer Paul Rose reveals the real story behind the first ever circumnavigation of the world.
Ferdinand Magellan set out 500 years ago to find the westward route to the riches of the Spice Islands. But, contrary to popular perception, he never reached them. Rose explains the dramatic sequence of events that led his scurvy-riddled crew to continue around the world without him. The incredible expedition was laced with bloody mutiny and murder, but its achievement was to fundamentally change the lives of the generations that followed, influencing life even today.
This series about the history of British woodworking concludes by looking at the Middle Ages, a golden era. Sponsored by the monarchy and the church, carvers and carpenters created wonders that still astound us today, from the magnificent roof of Westminster Hall to the Coronation Chair, last used by Elizabeth II but created 700 years ago. The film also shows how this precious legacy was nearly destroyed during the fires of the Reformation.
THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2016
THU 19:00 World News Today (b07pqnq5)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 Top of the Pops (b07pqttq)
Peter Powell presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 25 March 1982. Includes appearances from Bucks Fizz, Goombay Dance Band, Pluto Shervington, Killing Joke, Altered Images, Julio Iglesias, and Chas and Dave.
THU 20:00 10 Things You Didn't Know About... (b008pr87)
Tsunamis
Iain Stewart journeys across the oceans to explore the most powerful giant waves in history, with ten remarkable stories about tsunamis.
These massive waves can be taller than the biggest skyscraper, travel at the speed of a jet plane and when they reach land, rear up and turn into a terrifying wall of water that destroys everything in its path. These unstoppable, uncontrollable forces of nature caused the ruin of an entire ancient civilization, may have played a small part in the demise of the dinosaurs, and in World War II were used as a weapon. Yet astonishingly, two men who surfed the tallest wave in history - half a kilometre high - survived.
THU 21:00 The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance (b008m6wb)
As it celebrates its 90th birthday, Barbara Flynn narrates the story of the nation's love affair with the Flying Scotsman, the steam locomotive that symbolises all that was great about British engineering.
THU 22:00 BBC Proms (b07pqtts)
2016
Mark Elder Conducts the Halle
Much-loved Sir Mark Elder returns to the Royal Albert Hall with his orchestra, the Halle. They begin with a performance of Berlioz's overture King Lear, a piece inspired by that most tragic of Shakespeare's plays. Colin Matthews's Berceuse for Dresden has its London premiere, featuring solo cellist Leonard Elschenbroich. This poignant piece was written to mark the rebuilding of the Dresden Frauenkirche, the church famously bombed by the Allies in 1945. The concert concludes with Mahler's game-changing Das Lied von der Erde, featuring mezzo-soprano Alice Coote and tenor Gregory Kunde.
THU 23:50 Life Story (p026vg7w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
THU 00:50 Natural World (b00fm6v7)
2008-2009
Titus - The Gorilla King
Abandoned as a baby, removed from normal gorilla family life as a youngster - so profound were the misfortunes that Titus suffered in his early years that no gorilla scientist could have predicted his eventual rise to power.
His moving life story is pieced together here for the first time, based on archive film and the memories of field workers who have studied the mountain gorillas since Dian Fossey's pioneering work more than 40 years ago.
At 33 years of age, Titus is not just one of the most powerful silverbacks in Rwanda's Virunga Mountains, he is possibly the most remarkable gorilla ever known. His life story is as full of drama, intrigue and tragedy as any human soap opera.
Against a stunning backdrop of misty volcanic peaks cloaked in bamboo and giant lobelia, Titus has successfully steered his family group through thick and thin. Now he is under pressure again.
With his ally-turned-rival Kuryama jockeying for position, is the final chapter in Titus's extraordinary reign about to occur?
THU 01:40 Top of the Pops (b07pqttq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
THU 02:20 Britain on Film (b01nrmwp)
Series 1
A Woman's Place
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 in modern British history. The opening episode reveals how Look at Life reflected the radical shifts in the position of women in British society, and shows how the country adapted to the new demands and expectations of women at home and in the workplace and at play.
THU 02:50 The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance (b008m6wb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2016
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b07pqnqb)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
FRI 19:30 BBC Proms (b07pqw01)
2016
Mozart from Memory
The Aurora Orchestra with conductor and founder Nicholas Collon return to the Proms with another performance entirely from memory. Not a note of music or a single music stand will be seen on the Royal Albert Hall stage as they tackle Mozart's final symphony, a piece packed full of joy and invention.
Presenter Tom Service explores the process of committing a complete symphony to memory and, with the orchestra's help, unpicks this great work on stage for the Proms audience, deconstructing the final movement to explore Mozart's compositional genius.
FRI 20:30 BBC Proms (b07pqw04)
2016
Mozart Requiem
From the Royal Albert Hall, three glorious works by Mozart, all written during the final months of his life. Conductor Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra are joined by Hanno Müller-Brachmann for the concert aria Per questa bella mano, and clarinettist Akos Acs is the soloist in the ever-popular Clarinet Concerto in A major.
The prom concludes with Mozart's magnificent Requiem, with bass soloist Hanno Müller-Brachmann, soprano Lucy Crowe, mezzo-soprano Barbara Kozelj and tenor Jeremy Ovenden. The orchestra and soloists are joined by one of Europe's leading choirs, Collegium Vocale Gent.
Presented by Petroc Trelawny.
FRI 22:15 Sounds of the Sixties (b072w25j)
Reversions
1964-6 The Beat Room 2
Tom Jones, The Rolling Stones and Manfred Mann star in archive clips from the 60s.
FRI 22:25 Pop Go the Sixties (b0088nyx)
Series 1
The Kinks
Another mind-bendingly colourful nugget of pop mined from the BBC's archive.
FRI 22:30 Reading and Leeds Festival (b07pqw06)
2016
Foals
Huw Stephens introduces Oxford quintet Foals, who are arguably one of the best live bands around today, as they take to the Main Stage at the legendary Reading Festival. The band made their debut at the event back in 2007, and over the last nine years have steadily climbed up the festival ranks to make their debut this year as a headliner.
The Oxford five-piece came to the fore back in 2007 when Greek born frontman Yannis Philippakis and his longtime friend and drummer Jack Bevan joined forces with guitarist Jimmy Smith and bassist Walter Gervers, with keyboardist Edwin Congreave completing the line-up. They worked on perfecting their alternative pop, math-rock sound playing house parties around the area, and a decade on and with their fourth album What Went Down arriving in the summer of 2015, they have cemented their ever-growing popularity around the world along with adding to their awards cabinet with a recent NME award for Best Album.
Expect to see songs from all four of their albums along with a customary attempt by Yannis to get in the crowd at some point during the no doubt energetic and lively set.
FRI 23:45 Guitar Heroes at the BBC (b00pjk73)
Part IV
Series featuring legendary guitarists treading the boards and trading licks at the BBC studios.
This edition kicks off with big hits from The Rolling Stones and David Bowie before taking things down a notch with the acoustic picking of Michael Chapman and the Irish mysticism of Horslips.
However, it's not long before the likes of Motorhead, Nazareth and straight-up blues rocker George Thorogood turn the volume right back up to 11. A spot of flamenco from Paco De Lucia and a classic track from Strat master Eric Clapton round off the show.
Filmed in the 1970s for shows including Top of the Pops, Parkinson, Rock Goes to College and the Old Grey Whistle Test, these rocking tracks leave viewers wondering why pianos were ever invented.
FRI 00:45 The Joy of the Guitar Riff (b049mtxw)
The guitar riff is the DNA of rock 'n' roll, a double helix of repetitive simplicity and fiendish complexity on which its history has been built. From Chuck Berry through to The White Stripes, this documentary traces the ebb and flow of the guitar riff over the last 60 years of popular music. With riffs and stories from an all-star cast including Brian May, Dave Davies, Hank Marvin, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, Tony Iommi, Robert Fripp, Johnny Marr, Nancy Wilson, Kevin Shields, Ryan Jarman, Tom Morello and many more. Narrated by Lauren Laverne.
FRI 01:45 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 02:45 Later... with Jools Holland (b00dwfyy)
Guitar Heroes
Guitar heroes from as far away as Mexico and as close to home as Chiswick have all come to rock the Later studio since 1995. This collection of performances brings together the best of them, from the legendary Buddy Guy to the homegrown guitar superstars he inspired, such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend. Joining them on the bill are Santana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The White Stripes, Radiohead and more.
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
10 Things You Didn't Know About...
20:00 THU (b008pr87)
Acoustic at the BBC
03:00 SAT (b0141mz1)
BBC Proms
22:00 MON (b07pqrkw)
BBC Proms
22:00 TUE (b07pqs6l)
BBC Proms
22:00 WED (b07pqskv)
BBC Proms
22:00 THU (b07pqtts)
BBC Proms
19:30 FRI (b07pqw01)
BBC Proms
20:30 FRI (b07pqw04)
Born to Be Wild
19:30 MON (b00ccfft)
Born to Be Wild
19:30 TUE (b00cgxk8)
Born to Be Wild
19:30 WED (b00cl5v0)
Britain on Film
02:00 SAT (b036f8nw)
Britain on Film
02:20 THU (b01nrmwp)
Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork
02:00 WED (b01q6xrv)
Dancing in the Blitz: How World War II Made British Ballet
01:30 SUN (p01s4z2h)
Entertaining the Troops
23:30 SUN (b014v51p)
Entertaining the Troops
02:00 MON (b014v51p)
Fifties British War Films: Days of Glory
00:30 SUN (b01pkj2m)
Guitar Heroes at the BBC
23:45 FRI (b00pjk73)
Horizon
23:30 TUE (b036ypxw)
How to Build a Dinosaur
00:30 TUE (b014vy5y)
Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings
20:00 TUE (b0192nrg)
Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings
02:30 TUE (b0192nrg)
Jumbo: The Plane that Changed the World
21:00 TUE (b03wtnfv)
Jumbo: The Plane that Changed the World
01:30 TUE (b03wtnfv)
Kings of Rock and Roll
01:45 FRI (b007c95q)
Later... with Jools Holland
02:45 FRI (b00dwfyy)
Life Story
20:00 MON (p026vg7w)
Life Story
23:50 THU (p026vg7w)
Natural World
00:50 THU (b00fm6v7)
Olympics
13:00 SAT (b07prb0b)
Olympics
16:00 SAT (b07prb0g)
Olympics
19:00 SAT (b07prb0j)
Olympics
22:00 SAT (b07prb0l)
Olympics
13:00 SUN (b07prdp5)
Olympics
16:00 SUN (b07prdp9)
Olympics
19:00 SUN (b07prdpc)
Pop Go the Sixties
22:25 FRI (b0088nyx)
Reading and Leeds Festival
22:30 FRI (b07pqw06)
Secret Voices of Hollywood
22:00 SUN (b03bxrxj)
Secret Voices of Hollywood
02:30 SUN (b03bxrxj)
Sounds of the 70s 2
02:30 SAT (b01jv6sd)
Sounds of the Sixties
22:15 FRI (b072w25j)
The Bridge: Fifty Years Across the Forth
20:00 WED (b04g80p8)
The Bridge: Fifty Years Across the Forth
03:00 WED (b04g80p8)
The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance
21:00 THU (b008m6wb)
The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance
02:50 THU (b008m6wb)
The Joy of the Guitar Riff
00:45 FRI (b049mtxw)
The Queen Mary: Greatest Ocean Liner
21:00 MON (b07d2wy4)
The Queen Mary: Greatest Ocean Liner
03:00 MON (b07d2wy4)
Timeshift
01:00 MON (b03gtg7g)
Timewatch
00:00 MON (b00jj523)
Timewatch
21:00 WED (b00sl29f)
Timewatch
01:00 WED (b00sl29f)
Top of the Pops
19:30 THU (b07pqttq)
Top of the Pops
01:40 THU (b07pqttq)
Voyages of Discovery
00:00 WED (b0074t2w)
World News Today
19:00 MON (b07pqnpk)
World News Today
19:00 TUE (b07pqnpv)
World News Today
19:00 WED (b07pqnq0)
World News Today
19:00 THU (b07pqnq5)
World News Today
19:00 FRI (b07pqnqb)