The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
Danny Baker endeavours to present the definitive guide to Britain's bridges in 30 minutes, armed only with a few VHS tapes and some ham-fisted research. Buckle up!
As the century went on, the quest for pleasure began to be replaced by a tougher, noisier, harder-working attitude as Britain embarked on what was to become the Industrial Revolution.
Music also began to take on a different hue - more than just the sonic background to an age of roaring excess, it began to acquire a higher moral purpose. Communal singing, whether in amateur choirs or Handel oratorios, became a means of finding a kind of perfection amid the brutal reality of daily life. Romanticism began to blossom in the search for the sublime. The British folk music that travelled with emigrants to America, the songs of abolitionists that flew in the face of the British slave trade - all were an attempt to use music as a route to more perfect world.
Suzy concludes the series by looking at the crowning achievement of 18th-century music, Haydn's Creation.
Series which recreates three classic lost British sitcoms with a stellar new cast. In this episode of Steptoe and Son originally broadcast in 1970, Harold wants to go on a skiing holiday but he doesn't want Albert there.
James concludes his quest to truly understand everyday objects by putting them back together piece by piece with an electric guitar.
147 pieces must be reassembled carefully and in the correct order, which will entail soldering, extensive use of James's precision Japanese screwdrivers and some fiddly electronics.
The electric guitar transformed the music industry and society itself and, channelling his namesake Brian, James will plug in his reassembled guitar and hope he put all the bits together correctly as he gets ready to perform one of most unexpected guitar solos of all time.
Sherlock has his mind palace, Morse his music - every detective has an edge. For most, it's forensic science. This three-part series provides a rare and fascinating insight into the secret history of catching murderers, charting two centuries of the breakthroughs that have changed the course of justice. Surgeon and writer Gabriel Weston explores this rich history through some of the most absorbing, and often gruesome, stories in the forensic casebook - and looks ahead to how forensics will continue to solve the murders of the future.
Where there's a murder there's usually a weapon. It's a key piece of evidence that can hold all the clues needed to catch the killer and shine a light into the mind of the murderer. In this final episode, Gabriel investigates the forensic advances that have elevated the murder weapon from its role of mere evidence to that of key witness.
Arsenic, the undetectable weapon of choice in the 19th century, was exposed as the murder weapon with one simple chemical test, and distinctive marks left on a victim's skull led detectives to the murder weapon and the killer.
Gabriel also looks to the future and the latest advances in forensics. Scientists have developed 3D laser scanning that can be used to reconstruct the exact sequence of events at the scene of a gun crime and decipher whether a shooting was murder or self-defence. Gabriel also investigates the pioneering chemistry that can now determine where in the world someone has spent time based on just a few strands of their hair.
This is the story of the most extraordinary journey in human exploration, the Voyager space mission. In 1977 two unmanned spacecraft were launched by NASA, heading for distant worlds. It would be the first time any man-made object would ever visit the farthest planets of the solar system - Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. On the way the Voyagers would be bombarded by space dust, fried by radiation and discover many of the remarkable wonders of the solar system.
Now, at the end of 2012, 35 years and 11 billion miles later, they are leaving the area of the sun's influence. As they journey out into the galaxy beyond they carry a message from Earth, a golden record bolted to the side of each craft describing our civilisation in case of discovery by another. This is the definitive account of the most intrepid explorers in Earth's history.
Explorer Paul Rose tells the story of three Frenchmen who couldnt stand each other, yet set off on an eight-year scientific mission in one of the most hostile places on the planet. Their plan, to settle an international row by measuring the shape of the planet, took them to the disease-ridden rainforests and oxygen-starved peaks of the Ecuadorian Andes.
Rose follows in the footsteps of the 18th-century explorers who were complete innocents abroad and had no idea of the horrors they were letting themselves in for. Despite disease, death and some highly disastrous sexual liaisons, the men made discoveries that fundamentally changed all our lives.
THURSDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2016
THU 19:00 World News Today (b07v81q8)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 The Sky at Night (b07vxfqp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Sunday]
THU 20:00 Tank Men (b07tbzgx)
To mark the 100th anniversary of the first time tanks were used in battle, Rob Bell tells the story of the First World War tank men.
THU 20:30 Hive Minds (b07vxfqr)
Series 2
Prime v Belgae
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.
Prime take on Belgae in this edition.
THU 21:00 Mercury Prize (b07vxmp5)
2016
Album of the Year Live
Lauren Laverne hosts BBC Four's Best Album of the Year 2016 - Mercury Prize Live from the awards ceremony at London's Eventim Apollo.
This year, for the first time, the television programme will feature the announcement of six finalists from the shortlisted 12 albums - one of which has been chosen by public vote and the rest by the panel of judges who selected the shortlist and who will decide the ultimate winner of the Prize tonight. Lauren will introduce performances on stage, and the programme will also reflect back across 25 years of the Mercurys, marking this milestone anniversary of the prestigious Prize, and culminating in the thrilling moment the winner is announced live.
Prior to the BBC Four programme, BBC Red Button will feature an hour-long show from 8-
9pm, fronted by BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, Shaun Keaveny, also at the Awards ceremony. It will showcase the music of all 12 of the shortlisted acts, featuring many of them performing on stage earlier in the evening.
THU 22:05 When Albums Ruled the World (b01qhn70)
Between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s, the long-playing record and the albums that graced its grooves changed popular music for ever. For the first time, musicians could escape the confines of the three-minute pop single and express themselves as never before across the expanded artistic canvas of the album. The LP allowed popular music become an art form - from the glorious artwork adorning gatefold sleeves, to the ideas and concepts that bound the songs together, to the unforgettable music itself.
Built on stratospheric sales of albums, these were the years when the music industry exploded to become bigger than Hollywood. From pop to rock, from country to soul, from jazz to punk, all of music embraced what 'the album' could offer. But with the collapse of vinyl sales at the end of the 70s and the arrival of new technologies and formats, the golden era of the album couldn't last forever.
With contributions from Roger Taylor, Ray Manzarek, Noel Gallagher, Guy Garvey, Nile Rodgers, Grace Slick, Mike Oldfield, Slash and a host of others, this is the story of When Albums Ruled the World.
THU 23:35 Duets at the BBC (b01c2xwt)
The BBC delves into its archive for the best romantic duets performed at the BBC over the last 50 years. Whether it is Robbie and Kylie dancing together on Top of the Pops or Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge singing into each other's eyes on the Whistle Test, there is plenty of chemistry. Highlights include Nina and Frederik's Baby It's Cold Outside, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Sonny and Cher, Shirley Bassey and Neil Diamond, Peaches and Herb, and a rare performance from Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.
THU 00:35 Life Story (p026vhmr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Monday]
THU 01:35 Natural World (b00qsxy5)
2009-2010
The Wild Places of Essex
Multi-award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane sets out on a journey to explore the unexpected landscapes and natural history of Essex, revealing that there is far more to the county than the stereotypes of white stilettos and boy racers.
Macfarlane spends a year travelling the county's strange and elemental landscapes of heavy industry, desolate beaches and wild woods. He encounters massive knot flocks over the Thames, peregrine falcons at Tilbury Power Station, water voles within sniffing distance of the municipal dump, deer rutting in earshot of the M25, barn owls, badgers and bluebells in Billericay, as well as a large colony of common seals.
THU 02:30 When Albums Ruled the World (b01qhn70)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:05 today]
FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2016
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b07v81qf)
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (b07vxmxr)
David Jensen presents the weekly pop chart show, first broadcast on 15 April 1982. Includes appearances from Spandau Ballet, Simple Minds, Bucks Fizz, Dollar, Shakatak, Bardo and Roxy Music. Also includes a dance performance from Zoo.
FRI 20:00 The Good Old Days (b07vxfv1)
Leonard Sachs presents an edition of the old-time music hall programme from the stage of the City Varieties Theatre, Leeds, first broadcast on 14 February 1975. Guests include Roy Castle, Ray Allen, Sue Longhurst, Joyce Blackham, Kathy Jones, Eva & Karlos, and Albert Aldred.
FRI 20:45 Sounds of the Sixties (b07179dp)
Reversions
The Folk Revival 2
Tim Buckley and Richie Havens are the folk stars in this 1960s archive show.
FRI 20:55 Pop Go the Sixties (b0084cjh)
Series 1
The Who
A colourful nugget of pop by The Who, mined from the BBC's archive.
FRI 21:00 The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven (b077x1fh)
Documentary which celebrates, over the period covering the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 60s, the phenomenon of The Everly Brothers, arguably the greatest harmony duo the world has witnessed, who directly influenced the greatest and most successful bands of the 60s and 70s - The Beatles, The Stones, The Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel to name but a few.
Don and Phil Everly's love of music began as children, encouraged by their father Ike. Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil sang on Ike's early morning radio shows in Iowa.
After leaving school, the brothers moved to Nashville where, under the wing of Ike Everly's friend, the highly talented musician Chet Atkins, Don and Phil signed with Cadence Records. They exploded onto the music scene in 1957 with Bye Bye Love, written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant.
After Bye Bye Love came other hits, notably Wake Up Little Susie, followed by the worldwide smash hit All I Have to Do Is Dream and a long string of other great songs which also became hits.
By 1960, however, the brothers were lured away from Cadence to Warner Bros with a $1,000,000 contract. Their biggest hit followed, the self-penned Cathy's Clown, which sold 8 million copies. Remaining at Warner Bros for most of the 60s, they had further success with Walk Right Back, So Sad and the King/Greenfield-penned track Crying in the Rain.
FRI 22:00 Billy Fury: The Sound of Fury (b077x1fk)
Documentary which recounts the story of Billy Fury and the birth of British pop music. His first album, The Sound of Fury (released in 1960), has become a landmark record in British rock 'n' roll history.
Born in Liverpool during the Second World War, Ronnie Wycherley became an overnight sensation in 1958 when he was asked to go on stage and sing a couple of his self-penned songs by showbiz impresario Larry Parnes. Ronnie's knees shook with nerves, but over 2,000 screaming girls welcomed the new star of British rock 'n' roll and the headline in the local newspaper the following day was 'Dingle boy with a hot guitar'.
With more Top 40 hits than The Beatles during the 60s, Billy Fury's major hits included Halfway to Paradise, Wondrous Place, Jealousy, Last Night Was Made For Love and many more.
Aged just 42, Billy died of heart failure after a recording session. But his fans have never forgotten him, and every year on the anniversary of his death they gather to pay their tributes at Mill Hill cemetery. Lord Puttnam sums up Fury's contribution to modern music in the programme by saying that, 'without Billy Fury, I honestly don't think The Beatles would have happened'.
FRI 23:30 50s Britannia (b01sgbw2)
Rock 'n' Roll Britannia
Long before the Beatles there was British rock 'n' roll. Between 1956 and 1960 British youth created a unique copy of a distant and scarce American original whilst most parents, professional jazz men and even the BBC did their level best to snuff it out.
From its first faltering steps as a facsimile of Bill Haley's swing style to the sophistication of self-penned landmarks such as Shakin' All Over and The Sound of Fury, this is the story of how the likes of Lord Rockingham's XI, Vince Taylor and Cliff Richard and The Shadows laid the foundations for an enduring 50-year culture of rock 'n' roll.
Now well into their seventies, the flame still burns strong in the hearts of the original young ones. Featuring Sir Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Bruce Welch, Cherry Wainer and The Quarrymen.
FRI 00:30 Top of the Pops (b07vxmxr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
FRI 01:00 The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven (b077x1fh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
FRI 02:00 Billy Fury: The Sound of Fury (b077x1fk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
50s Britannia
23:30 FRI (b01sgbw2)
All Together Now: The Great Orchestra Challenge
21:00 TUE (b07vxf66)
Beck
21:00 SAT (b07vvsjn)
Billy Fury: The Sound of Fury
22:00 FRI (b077x1fk)
Billy Fury: The Sound of Fury
02:00 FRI (b077x1fk)
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
21:00 MON (b07vxlnl)
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
02:30 MON (b07vxlnl)
Brushing up on...
19:30 TUE (b01s1c4y)
Brushing up on...
19:30 WED (b01s0zpm)
Burt Bacharach: A Life in Song
23:30 SAT (b06qnnbz)
Catching History's Criminals: The Forensics Story
22:00 WED (p02l4q38)
Catching History's Criminals: The Forensics Story
03:00 WED (p02l4q38)
Clydebuilt: The Ships that Made the Commonwealth
20:00 SAT (p01n8f5d)
Clydebuilt: The Ships that Made the Commonwealth
01:00 WED (p01n8f5d)
Duets at the BBC
23:35 THU (b01c2xwt)
Easy Listening Hits at the BBC
01:00 SAT (b011g943)
Egyptian Journeys with Dan Cruickshank
23:00 TUE (b0078z93)
Egyptian Journeys with Dan Cruickshank
23:30 TUE (b0078zdw)
From Andy Pandy to Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children's Television
19:00 SUN (b06t3mhm)
Hidden Histories: Britain's Oldest Family Businesses
22:00 TUE (b03slwfr)
Hive Minds
20:30 THU (b07vxfqr)
Horizon
22:30 SUN (b01mgllj)
Horizon
02:30 SUN (b01mgllj)
James May: The Reassembler
21:30 WED (b076wgvx)
Life Story
20:00 MON (p026vhmr)
Life Story
00:35 THU (p026vhmr)
Lost Sitcoms
21:00 WED (b07v86cq)
Madness on Wheels: Rallying's Craziest Years
20:00 SUN (b01fcncc)
Mercury Prize
21:00 THU (b07vxmp5)
Metamorphosis: The Science of Change
23:30 SUN (p00zv0wk)
Natural World
01:35 THU (b00qsxy5)
Operation Crossbow
00:30 SUN (b011cr8f)
Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World
00:00 TUE (b0546d5q)
Pop Go the Sixties
20:55 FRI (b0084cjh)
Rule Britannia! Music, Mischief and Morals in the 18th Century
20:00 WED (b041m4rl)
Rule Britannia! Music, Mischief and Morals in the 18th Century
02:00 WED (b041m4rl)
Sound of Cinema: The Music That Made the Movies
00:00 MON (b03bm2fy)
Sounds of the Sixties
20:45 FRI (b07179dp)
Tank Men
20:00 THU (b07tbzgx)
The Andy Williams Show
22:30 SAT (b00n5bt9)
The Andy Williams Show
02:35 SAT (b00n5bt9)
The Art of Australia
02:00 TUE (b03d6b1l)
The Beginning and End of the Universe
01:30 SUN (b075dxsq)
The Boats That Built Britain
19:30 MON (b00scqsj)
The Brecon Beacons with Iolo Williams
20:00 TUE (b076vhs7)
The Brecon Beacons with Iolo Williams
01:00 TUE (b076vhs7)
The Comet's Tale
21:00 SUN (b008d2x7)
The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven
21:00 FRI (b077x1fh)
The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven
01:00 FRI (b077x1fh)
The Genius of Turner: Painting the Industrial Revolution
19:00 SAT (b01s50kn)
The Genius of Turner: Painting the Industrial Revolution
23:00 MON (b01s50kn)
The Good Old Days
20:00 FRI (b07vxfv1)
The Rules of Abstraction with Matthew Collings
01:00 MON (b04gv5kl)
The Sky at Night
22:00 SUN (b07vxfqp)
The Sky at Night
19:30 THU (b07vxfqp)
Timeshift
22:00 MON (b03fv7sl)
Timeshift
03:00 TUE (b03fv7sl)
Top of the Pops
02:00 SAT (b07tq0fc)
Top of the Pops
19:30 FRI (b07vxmxr)
Top of the Pops
00:30 FRI (b07vxmxr)
Voyager: To the Final Frontier
23:00 WED (b01nj48v)
Voyages of Discovery
00:00 WED (b0074t5l)
When Albums Ruled the World
22:05 THU (b01qhn70)
When Albums Ruled the World
02:30 THU (b01qhn70)
World News Today
19:00 MON (b07v81pq)
World News Today
19:00 TUE (b07v81pw)
World News Today
19:00 WED (b07v81q1)
World News Today
19:00 THU (b07v81q8)
World News Today
19:00 FRI (b07v81qf)