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 01 FEBRUARY 2020

SAT 19:00 Rick Stein's Long Weekends (b078djcl)
Bordeaux

Rick Stein embarks on a series of culinary long weekends in search of food excellence and brilliant recipes, heading to markets, restaurants, wineries, cafes and bars. He begins his first adventure in autumnal Bordeaux. Rick arrives just in time for ceps and the judging of a local wine contest. He hires a 2CV for an excursion to the coast, which has abundant mussels and oysters. At home he cooks a memorable dish of steak frites with bordelaise sauce.


SAT 20:00 Yes, Prime Minister (b037tb14)
Series 2

The Tangled Web

Jim unwittingly lies to the Commons about bugging an MP's phone. Sir Humphrey decides not to lie to the Privileges Committee on Jim's behalf, but then discovers that he too has something to hide.


SAT 20:30 Dangerous Earth (b08445rk)
Aurora

Dr Helen Czerski looks at the latest scientific insight into the aurora - dancing lights in the night sky that have fascinated cultures throughout our history. From the networks of cameras now capturing its vast scale, to novel experiments that probe the threat it poses to modern technology, Helen reveals the dramatic transformation in our understanding of the aurora, and the many mysteries that remain to be solved.


SAT 21:00 Inspector Montalbano (m0005rvj)
The Other End of the Thread

While busy dealing with the arrival of boat migrants from across the Mediterranean, and with the harrowing human tragedy that accompanies them, Inspector Montalbano stumbles upon the brutal murder of a local dressmaker. The murder appears inexplicable. Montalbano must now uncover the secrets behind the victim’s life to get to the truth behind her death.

In Italian with English subtitles.


SAT 22:45 Clive James (m000f1ky)
Postcard from Berlin

Clive James visits Berlin for a lighthearted look at the city, post-reunification, and the massive changes that have taken place there since - architecturally, socially and culturally.


SAT 23:35 Frantz (m000f3f6)
1919 Quedlinburg. Grieving the death of her fiance in the recent war, Anna, a young German woman, is surprised to find a mysterious Frenchman laying flowers on his grave.

In French and German with English subtitles.


SAT 01:25 Top of the Pops (m000dt74)
Mark Goodier and Andy Crane present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 16 February 1989 and featuring Def Leppard, Simple Minds, Gloria Estefan, Poison, Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians, Pop Will Eat Itself, Debbie Gibson, Texas, Sam Brown, The Style Council, Marc Almond and Gene Pitney, and S-Express.


SAT 01:55 Top of the Pops (m000dt76)
Bruno Brookes and Susie Mathis present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 23 February 1989 and featuring S-Express, Michael Jackson, Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians, Rick Astley, Tyree ft Kool Rock Stead, Living in a Box, Tone Loc, Dusty Springfield, Hue and Cry, Michael Ball, Simple Minds, and Bananarama and Lananeeneenoonoo.


SAT 02:25 Rick Stein's Long Weekends (b078djcl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



SUNDAY 02 FEBRUARY 2020

SUN 19:00 The Women's Football Show (m000f1jw)
2019/20

02/02/2020

Eilidh Barbour presents highlights of the Women’s Super League from Manchester City in what will be Nick Cushing’s final game in charge against Arsenal.

Also featuring highlights of the London derby between Chelsea and West Ham, plus all the goals from the rest of the WSL.


SUN 19:30 Iolo's Snowdonia (b09qqnxv)
Series 1

Episode 1

Iolo starts his journey during spring in Nant Ffrancon in the Ogwen Valley where he finds one of Britain's most-threatened birds - the twite. Mountain guide Hannah Hughes takes him high up above the stunning glacial landscape of Cwm Idwal for a spectacular view of the high peaks. On the slopes of Snowdon, bluebells bloom, while shepherd Hefin Hughes keeps sheep off arctic plants. On the foothills of the Rhinog Mountains, cuckoos call. Iolo heads to a wonderful hidden river gorge in full flow and listens to the best dawn chorus in Snowdonia in an ancient woodland. He joins Josie Bridges, who is part of a team tracking pine martens that were released in mid-Wales during 2015 after apparently disappearing from the whole of Wales over 50 years ago. A family of pine martens has made its way to Snowdonia, a journey of around 50 miles from the release site. Iolo also discovers a relic of a past landscape. Bird Rock, an imposing crag in the Dysynni Valley, may have once overlooked the sea, and to this day cormorants still nest on the rock - it being Wales's only inland nesting colony.


SUN 20:00 Natural World (b055kldq)
2015-2016

Galapagos: Islands of Change

From enormous tortoises and deep-diving lizards to fish-eating snakes and birds that hunt giant venomous centipedes, the wildlife of the world-famous Galapagos Islands is unique and bizarre. This wilderness once inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, but it is currently undergoing a human revolution, with tourism driving a population boom.

David Attenborough narrates this modern-day story of the Galapagos and reveals whether, in this ever-changing world, its animals can still thrive.


SUN 21:00 Art on the BBC (m000f4d2)
Series 1

The Story of the Nude

In early history, nudes were gods or heroes. Since then, the nude has often been about sex but also a powerful influence on how we view the body.

Art historian Kate Bryan explores six decades of BBC archive to discover how television has influenced our understanding of the nude and how our attitudes have changed.

As she examines the archives, Kate finds that while beauty and sexuality are never far away, artists have always used the nude as a vehicle to defy conventions.


SUN 22:00 Horizon (b00j0hnm)
2008-2009

What's the Problem with Nudity?

What is wrong with nudity? Why are people embarrassed about their bodies? How and why did they get the way they are?

Horizon takes a group of volunteers and subjects them to a series of psychological and physical tests to challenge attitudes to the naked human form. The questions raised strike at the heart of human physical and social evolution.

Human beings are the only creatures that can be 'naked' - but why, how and when did people lose their fur? That question takes Horizon around the world to meet scientists from Africa to Florida, and they are finding answers in unexpected places: the chest hair of Finnish students, the genetic history of lice, and the sweat of an unusual monkey.

It turns out that something everyone takes for granted may hold the key to the success of the entire human species.


SUN 23:00 Fig Leaf: The Biggest Cover-Up in History (b00ydp38)
Writer and broadcaster Stephen Smith uncovers the secret history of the humble fig leaf, opening a window onto 2,000 years of western art and ethics.

He tells how the work of Michelangelo, known to his contemporaries as 'the maker of pork things', fuelled the infamous 'fig leaf campaign', the greatest cover-up in art history, how Bernini turned censorship into a new form of erotica by replacing the fig leaf with the slipping gauze, and how the ingenious machinations of Rodin brought nudity back to the public eye.

In telling this story, Smith turns many of our deepest prejudices upside down, showing how the Victorians had a far more sophisticated and mature attitude to sexuality than we do today. He ends with an impassioned plea for the widespread return of the fig leaf to redeem modern art from cheap sensation and innuendo.


SUN 00:00 No Body's Perfect with Rankin and Alison Lapper (b0824cwc)
Documentary. International fashion photographer Rankin and artist Alison Lapper explore how the explosion of digital photography, social media and selfie culture has affected people's sense of identity. Rankin and Alison challenge four individuals who all hate the camera for a variety of reasons to be photographed up-close to investigate different perceptions of self-worth, image and beauty.


SUN 01:00 Arena (b08t9yvk)
American Epic

The Sessions

The machine that introduced the sounds of America to its people has been lovingly reassembled and, in the heart of Hollywood, in a perfect recreation of the atmosphere and conditions of America's first-ever recording studios, today's music superstars roll the epic on.

Elton John, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Alabama Shakes, Jack White, Nas, Ana Gabriel, Beck, Los Lobos and Steve Martin are among the artists who test their skills against the demands of the recording machine that literally made American music. There are no edits, no overdubs and no retakes, and the disc only allows for three minutes of recording time.

Despite these limitations, today's recordings for American Epic have one advantage - the freshly recorded sound is crystal clear and of an astonishing depth, transporting us vividly into the past - and the future.


SUN 03:00 Monkman & Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain (b0bn9c3g)
Series 1

Scotland

University Challenge icons and real-life best friends Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull are on a road trip with a difference. Feeding their insatiable appetite for knowledge, they visit Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales in search of hidden gems of British scientific and technological ingenuity.

Monkman and Seagull's genius road trip concludes with a whistle-stop tour of some of Scotland's most enigmatic scientific achievements. Their journey begins in Edinburgh at the birthplace of a little-known scientist who changed the face of history, and ends at gigantic power station buried deep within a Highland mountain. First stop for Monkman and Seagull is the Edinburgh birthplace of one of their childhood heroes. James Clerk Maxwell has been dubbed 'Scotland's Unknown Einstein', and his pioneering work includes the 1865 theory of electromagnetism.

Before heading west to Glasgow, Monkman and Seagull analyse a deep-fried Mars Bar, and discuss the science behind this notorious Scottish snack. In Glasgow, they explore the Hunterian Museum's collection of antiquarian experimental instruments and delve into the personal correspondence of iconic scientist Lord Kelvin. A drive along the banks of Loch Lomond prompts them to stop and explore the science of skimming stones, before their day ends at the picturesque town of Inveraray, home of an authentically preserved 19th-century jail.

Last stop on Monkman and Seagull's genius road trip through Scotland is the beguiling Ben Cruachan. This vast Scottish peak holds a dark secret - entering the mountain reveals its hollow interior, home to a gigantic hydroelectric power station.



MONDAY 03 FEBRUARY 2020

MON 19:00 Beyond 100 Days (m000f1k7)
Series 1

03/02/2020

Katty Kay in Washington and Christian Fraser in London report on the events that are shaping the world.


MON 19:30 Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage (b00cl5zl)
Bosnia and Dubrovnik

Conditions at sea are turning rough as Francesco da Mosto continues his journey, sailing from Venice to Istanbul. The coastline is stunning, but he cannot fail to notice the scars of war that followed hard on the collapse of Yugoslavia.

His first stop is the great Mostar bridge - an ancient symbol of unity destroyed in a moment of madness in war and now rebuilt. Once again, the young men of the town take their lives in their hands and leap from the bridge to prove their manhood. Francesco then travels to the nearby town of Medugorje, where locals claim to have seen the Virgin Mary, promising a new era of peace and prosperity.

Then begins some island-hopping and reminders of Venice - the beautiful island of Hvar is like a home from home, and the crew enjoy their first night out on the town. Heading for Korcular, Francesco berates the locals for trying to claim it was birthplace to Marco Polo.

Then on to the medieval city of Dubrovnik, a great trading city-state and still one of the most beautiful cities in the world. What better place for Francesco to discover the secret of eternal youth than in the great Franciscan monastery at the heart of the old town!


MON 20:00 A Very British Romance with Lucy Worsley (b06hht8v)
Episode 2

Lucy Worsley journeys into the Victorian way of love in the second part of her series on the changing face of British romance. She discovers how medieval chivalry shaped Victorian courtship, and explores the influence of valentine's cards and flowers on romantic lives.

Lucy uncovers the way that literary passions - in novels by writers such as Charlotte Bronte, Mrs Henry Wood and HG Wells - translated into real-life desires, changing the way the British felt. This is a new view of the Victorians in love, which takes us from romance on the factory floor to the curious erotic possibilities of the seance.


MON 21:00 The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook (b07n7gtn)
The Sound of the Crowd

Sandbrook takes a fresh look at a dynamic decade. 1980s Britain changed in everything from politics and sport to fashion and popular culture.

In the opening years of the 1980s, the powerful new forces of choice and consumerism were radically reshaping British life. The first episode looks at how the early 80s saw the powerful new forces of choice and consumerism radically reshape British life, tearing down existing ways of doing things and ripping up the rule book of British politics. This new culture of consumer-driven populism propelled Margaret Thatcher to victory. For the first time, 'who we were' became a question less about the fixed identities of region and class, and much more about the choices we made, from where we shopped to how we cooked, to what we wore. Thatcher may have embodied this change - but she didn't drive it.

This episode takes in everything from the popularity of Delia Smith to affordable fashions on the high street, from the subcultures of Britain's youth to the crisis of identity that rocked and splintered the political left. But it also shows how the mood of aspiration that swept the nation left certain sections of society adrift and alienated, from the hollowed out industrial heartlands of the Midlands to the inner city communities of south London and Liverpool.


MON 22:00 This Life (b0078010)
Series 1

Coming Together

Drama series about five old college friends who wind up sharing a house together as young lawyers.

Anna attends an interview at a well-to-do firm of solicitors to find herself confronted by old flame Miles. While Miles considers her application, his colleague Milly and her partner Egg wonder how to fill the house they have rented, and the fifth member of the group, Warren, is also interviewed for a job.


MON 22:40 This Life (b007801d)
Series 1

Happy Families

Anna hopes to rekindle her romance with Miles - but he is less than keen. Milly makes good career progress, but Egg struggles adjust to his job - and with living with Warren.


MON 23:30 This Life (b007801x)
Series 1

Living Dangerously

Egg takes on a medical negligence case and becomes emotionally involved with a client who has cancer.

Meanwhile, Warren discovers the truth about Delilah, and Miles chooses a bad person in whom to confide about his love life.


MON 00:15 Art of Germany (b00wbwg2)
A Divided Land

Andrew Graham-Dixon begins his exploration of German art by looking at the rich and often neglected art of the German middle ages and Renaissance.

He visits the towering cathedral of Cologne, a place which encapsulates the varied and often contradictory character of German art. In Munich he gets to grips with the earliest paintings of the Northern Renaissance, the woodcuts of Albrecht Durer and the cosmic visions of the painter Albrecht Altdorfer. Andrew also embarks on a tour of the Bavarian countryside, discovering some of the little-known treasures of German limewood sculpture.


MON 01:15 Treasures of the Indus (b069g53h)
The Other Side of the Taj Mahal

This is the story of the Indian subcontinent told through the treasures of three very different people, places and dynasties that have shaped the modern Indian world.

The Mughals created the most famous and dazzling empire that India has ever seen, from the Taj Mahal to fabulously intricate miniatures of court life.

But in the process, did they bring civilisation to India or tear it apart?

From the moment the first Mughal emperor Babur arrived from Afghanistan the debate began - were the Mughals imposing their own religion of Islam on a Hindu country, or were they open to the religion and art of the country they were conquering?

The artworks the Mughals left behind over their 200-year empire - even the very buildings which have traces of Hindu architecture as well as Muslim - clearly show how this debate played out, and Sona Datta traces how this most spectacular of all Indian civilisations also sowed the seeds of discord.


MON 02:15 Tales of Tudor Travel: The Explorer's Handbook (b0bk2k1x)
A remarkable travel guide compiled from first-hand records of Tudor seafarers in the 16th century.

Professor Nandini Das explores Hakluyt's Principal Navigations, which records accounts of ventures in search of lucrative spices and dyes. It is a prototype for today's travel guides with advice, warnings, descriptions of remarkable people and a list of vocabulary to converse with foreigners. It became a book that all English seafarers kept on board ship. But the descriptions of encounters with foreigners also lay the foundations for later colonialism and conquest.


MON 02:45 A Very British Romance with Lucy Worsley (b06hht8v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]



TUESDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2020

TUE 19:00 Beyond 100 Days (m000f1kj)
Series 1

04/02/2020

Katty Kay in Washington and Christian Fraser in London report on the events that are shaping the world.


TUE 19:30 Botticelli's Venus: The Making of an Icon (b070sqb0)
Sam Roddick explores the enduring appeal of Botticelli's masterpiece The Birth of Venus, one of the most celebrated paintings in western art and a joyous celebration of female sexuality. Its journey to worldwide fame was far from straightforward and it lay in obscurity for centuries. Artist and entrepreneur Sam explains why Botticelli's nude was so revolutionary and explores its impact on contemporary culture with artists such as Terry Gilliam, who memorably reinvented Venus for his Monty Python's Flying Circus animations.


TUE 20:00 Life Drawing Live! (m000f1km)
Series 1

Life Drawing Live!

Artists Daphne Todd and Lachlan Goudie lead the first ever live televised life drawing class, hosted by 2019 Celebrity Painting Challenge winner Josie d’Arby. Watch live and draw along at home as six amateur artists, including some famous faces, aim to capture a series of poses.

Artist and teacher Diana Ali will also be providing insightful tips on tackling some tricky aspects of life drawing. A great opportunity for people with artistic skills, as well as those who think they have none, to pick up a pencil and draw. Class commences at 8pm!


TUE 22:00 This Life (b007802b)
Series 1

Sex, Lies and Muesli Yoghurt

Delilah outstays her welcome.

Anna resorts to devious means to get her way. Warren loses his cool over a muesli yoghurt.


TUE 22:40 This Life (b007802s)
Series 1

Fantasy Football

Egg takes his work worries to a therapist, but finds that football is the only way forward.

Meanwhile, Miles thinks that his days are numbered when Delilah agrees to take an HIV test, and Anna gets an interesting offer when she uses her feminine charms to get work.


TUE 23:20 This Life (b007804g)
Series 1

Family Outing

Warren fears that Kira might 'out' him to the rest of the family. Anna tries her hand at marriage guidance. And Miles beats his father at his own game.


TUE 00:00 Britain and the Sea (b03lbv22)
Trade and Romance

This third episode traces the crucial importance of the sea to Britain's trade and to individual livelihoods of coastal communities. Joined on this leg of his epic sail by his son Fred, David follows the trade routes of the west coast of Scotland along the monumental channels that cut through the romantic Highlands and brought wealth and prosperity to the heart of Scotland. The journey starts at Craobh Haven and takes David along the Crinan Canal, around the Isle of Bute and up the River Clyde towards Glasgow.


TUE 01:00 Jigs and Wigs: The Extreme World of Irish Dancing (b06w05v8)
Series 2

Fusion Orchestra

With the craze of Irish dance videos plastered across social media channels, master-tapper Chris Naish has a week to pull together a dance crew to shoot a video for his new project.


TUE 01:30 Jigs and Wigs: The Extreme World of Irish Dancing (b06wrkng)
Series 2

Our Lord of the Dance

Led by Irish dance teacher Deborah Anderson, the Zephaniah Dance Ministry come together in Portadown to spread the good news of the Gospel through Irish dance.


TUE 02:00 Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork (b01pyfd2)
The Glorious Grinling Gibbons

Series about great British woodworkers continues by looking at the life and work of Grinling Gibbons. He isn't a household name, but he is the greatest woodcarver the British Isles has ever produced. Working in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London, Gibbons created delightful carved masterpieces for the likes of Charles II and William of Orange. This film explores the genius of the man they called the 'Michelangelo of wood'.


TUE 03:00 Art on the BBC (m000f4d2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Sunday]



WEDNESDAY 05 FEBRUARY 2020

WED 19:00 The Wonder of Animals (b04kzvxq)
Dolphins

Chris Packham explores the success of the most widespread of marine mammals, the dolphin. Contrary to their amiable reputation, they are in fact ruthless predators. They hunt using a combination of specialised anatomy and complex communication, requiring a big brain.

Chris explains the inner workings of dolphin echolocation, reveals how a pod uses body movements to communicate the location of food and explores the strategies used by orcas during a hunt.


WED 19:30 The Beauty of Anatomy (b04dq8kl)
Galen and Leonardo

Adam Rutherford begins his series investigating the close relationship between discoveries in anatomy and the works of art that illustrate them by looking at the work of the 2nd-century Roman anatomist Claudius Galen and the artist and part-time dissector Leonardo da Vinci.


WED 20:00 World's Busiest Railway 2015 (b0684q75)
Episode 2

Dan Snow, Anita Rani and Robert Llewellyn examine the role the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai plays in long-distance travel across India. The country's rail passengers travel three million km every day - that's the distance to the moon and back, four times.

Anita joins passengers on a long-distance sleeper across India to discover who's travelling, what they pay for their tickets and what the conditions are like on board.

The station team have just six hours to service trains after every journey. With trains measuring more than half a kilometre in length, this is a gargantuan task. Robert joins the team to watch this turnaround in action.

Dan gets his hands dirty with the behind-the-scenes support teams who process more than 25,000 dirty sheets a day and ensure that everyone on board is fed and watered.

And we go on board one of India's poshest tourist trains, where you can travel like a maharaja at a cost of £600 per night.


WED 21:00 Timeshift (b068fvln)
Series 15

The Trains That Time Forgot: Britain's Lost Railway Journeys

Timeshift journeys back to a lost era of rail travel, when trains had names, character and style. Once the pride of the railway companies that ran them, the named train is now largely consigned to railway history.

Writer and presenter Andrew Martin asks why we once named trains and why we don't do so anymore. He embarks on three railway journeys around Britain, following the routes of three of the most famous named trains - the Flying Scotsman, the Cornish Riviera Express and the Brighton Belle. We reflect on travel during the golden age of railways - when the journey itself was as important as reaching your destination - and compare those same journeys with the passenger experience today.


WED 22:00 This Life (b007804y)
Series 1

Brief Encounter

Anna has a passionate one-night stand, but discovers that there's no such thing as casual sex. Miles resents his father's interference at work, and Warren finds it easier to confide in a stranger than in his own brother.


WED 22:40 This Life (b007805l)
Series 1

Cheap Thrills

Milly is losing patience with Egg's novel-writing career. Meanwhile, Anna stirs up trouble at chambers when she tries to liven up the boss's party.


WED 23:20 This Life (b0078061)
Series 1

Just Sex

Warren falls in love, but when his romance turns sour he makes the decision not to live a lie.

Meanwhile, Milly and O'Donnell are becoming increasingly close at work, and Jerry finds an unexpected ally in Anna.


WED 00:00 Art, Passion & Power: The Story of the Royal Collection (b09p6mr9)
Series 1

Paradise Regained

In the year 1660, something miraculous began to happen. After the execution of Charles I, the Royal Collection had been sold off and scattered to the four winds. But now, with the restoration of Charles II, the monarchy was back. And with it their driven, sometimes obsessive, passion for art. Slowly but surely, new pieces were acquired, as others were returned out of fear of reprisal. The Royal Collection had sprung back to life.

Andrew Graham-Dixon tells the story of the Royal Collection's remarkable resurrection, following its fortunes from Charles II through to the 18th century and the enlightened purchases of George III. This is when some of the Queen's greatest treasures were collected - a magnificent silver-gilt salt cellar in the form of castle, kept in the Tower of London, a gold state coach, adorned with cherubs and tritons, and masterpieces by Vermeer, Canaletto and Leonardo da Vinci.

Andrew discovers the extraordinary peace offerings given to the 30-year-old Charles II by fearful citizens, because they had backed the Parliamentarians in the Civil War. And then there are works given by other countries, hoping to curry favour with the restored monarch - Holland gave sculptures, a yacht, a bed and a collection of paintings worth nearly £30 million in today's money, including two magnificent masterpieces by Titian that are still in the Collection.

At Windsor Castle, Andrew reveals Charles II's life of extravagance - this was a king who dined in public, as if he was a god, in an attempt to rival France's Louis XIV, the Sun King. His palace walls were hung with paintings of beautiful young women, the 'Windsor Beauties'. Even Charles's furniture speaks of excess - tables and mirrors completely covered in silver.

But Charles was also a king who bought wisely and Andrew is astonished by the recent discoveries of Royal Collection Trust conservators. Blank pages from Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks (most likely acquired in Charles II's reign) come alive under ultraviolet light, revealing drawings unseen for centuries.

Andrew shows how the Collection grew during the 18th century, despite philistine kings like George II ('I hate painting', he once shouted in his German accent). Under George III, royal collecting soared to new heights, driven by the new king's enlightened curiosity in the wider world and his desire to understand how it worked. Andrew travels to Venice to tell the story of one of the greatest purchases in the Royal Collection's history - as a young king, George III paid £20,000 to Canaletto's agent Consul Joseph Smith for a superb collection including over 50 paintings by the Venetian master.

George III, like Charles II, would be feted with gifts including the Padshahnama - an illustrated Indian chronicle of the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (famous for commissioning the Taj Mahal). Andrew discovers the incredible painting, so delicate that it was, legend tells us, painted with brushes made with hairs taken from the necks of baby kittens. Because of his restless curiosity, by the end of his reign George III had overseen some of the greatest acquisitions in the Royal Collection's history.


WED 01:00 Britain and the Sea (b03m3x1j)
Pleasure and Escape

Having examined the sea as a source of exploration, defence and trade, David Dimbleby explores how it emerged as a source of pleasure, Punch and Judy and sand sculpture.

Starting at Gorleston-on-Sea, David explores the creation of a seaside holiday culture that remains uniquely British to this day.

Sailing down the Suffolk and Essex coasts and into the Thames, David also shows how the sea became an irresistible subject for our most celebrated artists and architects, before finally docking in the very heart of British maritime power - Greenwich.


WED 02:00 World's Busiest Railway 2015 (b0684q75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


WED 03:00 Timeshift (b068fvln)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 06 FEBRUARY 2020

THU 19:00 Beyond 100 Days (m000f1j8)
Series 1

06/02/2020

Katty Kay in Washington and Christian Fraser in London report on the events that are shaping the world.


THU 19:30 The Pennine Way (b05qt6vr)
Episode 2

Explorer Paul Rose's journey along the Pennine Way takes him to the Yorkshire Dales. In 1965, the Pennine Way was launched in the Dales village of Malham. Paul returns to hear from those who remember the opening ceremony. He also dons his climbing gear to have a crack at the limestone cliff face of Malham Cove, gets a front row seat at a sheep mart in Wensleydale and enjoys a well-earned pint in Britain's highest pub.


THU 20:00 Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema (m0002pfq)
Oscar Winners: A Secrets of Cinema Special

As the red carpet season reaches its climax, Mark turns his keen eye and sharp wit on past winners of the most prestigious awards of all. What gave them the edge over their rivals? Mark shows that, despite their apparent differences, Oscar-winning films have more in common than you might think. Certain kinds of film recur, such as war, social justice and the all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza. But, as Mark explains, it’s not just about your choice of subject; it's how you treat it that counts. In a special show that ranges from the earliest awards winners to the most recent victors, Mark reveals the films that laid down the template for cinematic glory, celebrates the classics that have endured and savours some of the movies’ most acclaimed performances.


THU 21:00 Life Cinematic (m000f1jb)
Series 1

Edgar Wright

British director Edgar Wright talks to Robbie Collin about the films that have influenced his life and career. His choices range from modern classics such as An American Werewolf in London, Carrie and Bullitt to contemporary films, including Mad Max: Fury Road. There's also a musical classic from the 1930s, Dames.

Edgar also provides an insight into the making of his most recent movie, Baby Driver, and reflects on his early introduction to cinema as well as the important role that music plays in his films.


THU 22:00 This Life (b0078082)
Series 1

Father Figure

O'Donnell could prove to be Milly's knight in shining armour, but will she risk her relationship with Egg for a romantic fantasy?

Meanwhile, Anna decides that an older man is just what she needs, and Miles deals with a flasher who claims to be a nudist.


THU 22:40 This Life (b007808h)
Series 1

Let's Get It On

Tensions mount as jealousy, lust, shame and over-age clubbing combine to test the five flatmates.

Milly is feeling let down and confused, Egg is sure that he has been two-timed, Anna has to decide between youth and experience, and Warren discovers that alcohol doesn't help one's powers of persuasion.


THU 23:20 Wonders of the Universe (b00zv39p)
Falling

In the third episode, Professor Brian Cox takes on the story of the force that sculpts the entire universe - gravity.

Gravity seems so familiar, and yet it is one of the strangest and most surprising forces in the universe. Starting with a zero-gravity flight, Brian experiences the feeling of total weightlessness, and considers how much of an effect gravity has had on the world around us.

But gravity also acts over much greater distances. It is the great orchestrator of the cosmos. It dictates our orbit around the sun, our relationship with the other planets in our solar system, and even the way in which our solar system orbits our galaxy.

Yet the paradox of gravity is that it is actually a relatively weak force. Brian takes a face distorting trip in a centrifuge to explain how it is that gravity achieves its great power, before looking at the role it plays in one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the universe - a neutron star. Although it is just a few kilometres across, it is so dense that its gravity is 100,000 million times as strong as on Earth.

Over the centuries our quest to understand gravity has allowed us to understand some of the true wonders of the universe, and Brian reveals that it is scientists' continuing search for answers that inspires his own sense of wonder.


THU 00:20 How We Built Britain (b007nnmy)
The Heart of England: Living It Up

David Dimbleby journeys through Britain, and through 1,000 years of our history, to discover the buildings that have made us who we are.

Dimbleby explores the great country houses of the reign of Elizabeth I. He reveals the exquisite forest of chimneys on the roof of Burghley House, decodes the riddle of the mysterious Triangular Lodge, explores priest holes, knot gardens, a hunting lodge and Shakespeare's schoolroom, ending his journey in a rare Puritan chapel.


THU 01:20 Awesome Beauty: The Art of Industrial Britain (b093q7gp)
Lachlan Goudie explores Britain's spectacular industrial landscapes and the artists and artworks inspired by them in a passionate and thought-provoking journey that challenges our national stereotypes. Travelling the length and breadth of the UK, and visiting an impressive range of industrial sites, from shipyards to quarries, mines to abandoned wind tunnels, steelworks to space age laboratories, Goudie builds a surprising and compelling alternative picture of Britain.

Featuring revelatory industrial art by the likes of JMW Turner, Graham Sutherland and photographer Maurice Broomfield, the film reveals the awesome beauty, drama and significance of our industrial heritage and proves there is so much more to these isles than the picture postcard cliche of a 'green and pleasant land'.


THU 02:20 Secret Knowledge (b01r3n6p)
The Art of the Vikings

Through interpretations of some of the archaeological treasures of the Swedish National Museum, now on display in Edinburgh, Dr Janina Ramirez of Oxford University explores the fascinating wealth of Viking culture and its long-lasting influence on the British Isles.


THU 02:50 Life Cinematic (m000f1jb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



FRIDAY 07 FEBRUARY 2020

FRI 19:00 World News Today (m000f1ls)
The news programme for audiences who want more depth to their daily coverage. With a focus on Europe, Middle East and Africa.


FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (m000f1lv)
Gary Davies and Anthea Turner present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 2 March 1989 and featuring Living in a Box, Sam Brown, Jason Donovan, Tyree ft Kool Rock Steady, Depeche Mode, Deacon Blue, Donna Summer, Wasp, Gloria Estefan, Texas, Simple Minds and Poison.


FRI 20:00 Doris Day - Virgin Territory (b0074rwd)
Doris Day has often been dismissed as an actress and overlooked as a singer, despite career highs such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk. Covering her early years as a band singer, and her troubled private life, this documentary re-evaluates one of the screen's most enduring legends.


FRI 21:00 Top of the Pops (m000f1lx)
Nicky Campbell and Lenny Henry present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 9 March 1989 and featuring The Reynolds Girls, Dusty Springfield, Womack & Womack, Deacon Blue, Paula Abdul, Bananarama and Lananeeneenoonoo, Donna Summer, Jason Donovan and Wasp.


FRI 21:30 There's Only One Madonna (b00748kl)
Documentary charting Britain's relationship with Madonna, examining the influence Madonna has had on British music and fashion, and how she provoked a debate over sexual and gender politics - inspiring a generation of women, whilst remaining a huge gay icon. The film follows a group of fans on their journey to Barcelona for the first night of Madonna's Drowned World Tour and finds out what Madonna means to them. Contributors include backing singer Donna DeLory, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Rosanna Arquette, Mel C, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Hear'Say and Janet Street-Porter.


FRI 22:25 Madonna Rebel Heart Tour (b0952xgk)
Shot around the world and featuring a collection of live and behind-the-scenes footage, Madonna Rebel Heart Tour is packed with visual theatrics, stunning costumes and intricate choreography, featuring new hits and beloved classic songs spanning all decades of Madonna's illustrious career, including Living for Love, Bitch I'm Madonna, Material Girl, Holiday and an acoustic version of Like a Prayer.


FRI 00:25 Classic Albums (b07ycbrb)
The Wailers: Catch a Fire

This edition looks at the making of the 1973 Wailers album, Catch a Fire, the album that brought international recognition to Bob Marley.

Already big names in their native Jamaica, it took until this release for Marley and Co to finally go global. It features interviews with key musicians and engineers who helped make the album, as well as record label boss Chris Blackwell, who talks about how the band had song-writing and performing skills in abundance but needed to be put through the equivalent of a "rock blender" to make them palatable to a wider audience. Through first-hand accounts, this programme tells how they did just that.

The programme takes a track-by-track look at the making of the record. In London, the producer Chris Blackwell and original engineer Tony Platt lead viewers through the original multi-tracks of Slave Driver, Concrete Jungle, Stir it Up, Rock It Baby and others. Rabbit Brundrick (keyboards) and Wayne Perkins (electric guitar) tell how they were brought back in to add the rock and roll parts to the songs. It is illustrated with archive footage from the Wailers in concert, early interviews with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, plus television performances and rare home movies - all of which provide a unique insight into the process behind the recording of this landmark album.


FRI 01:25 Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South (p02j959j)
Mississippi and Louisiana

In the final part of his road trip, Reginald D Hunter follows in the footsteps of Huckleberry Finn with a trip down the Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans through the Delta to learn about the birth of blues and how it manifests itself today.

In Louisiana, Reg takes a detour to a bayou to learn about Creole culture and zydeco before winding up in New Orleans to meet the city's musical triumvirate of Dr John, Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas.

Also featuring Stax musicians Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd.


FRI 02:25 Bros: After the Screaming Stops (m0001qyv)
A film charting Matt and Luke Goss's reunion 28 years on from when they were one of the biggest bands in the world. The Goss twins have hardly spoken and not played together since their split. With an incredibly fractured relationship and only three weeks to go until sell-out gigs at the O2 London, will they be able to put their history aside and come together as brothers to play the show of their lives?




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

A Very British Romance with Lucy Worsley 20:00 MON (b06hht8v)

A Very British Romance with Lucy Worsley 02:45 MON (b06hht8v)

Arena 01:00 SUN (b08t9yvk)

Art of Germany 00:15 MON (b00wbwg2)

Art on the BBC 21:00 SUN (m000f4d2)

Art on the BBC 03:00 TUE (m000f4d2)

Art, Passion & Power: The Story of the Royal Collection 00:00 WED (b09p6mr9)

Awesome Beauty: The Art of Industrial Britain 01:20 THU (b093q7gp)

Beyond 100 Days 19:00 MON (m000f1k7)

Beyond 100 Days 19:00 TUE (m000f1kj)

Beyond 100 Days 19:00 THU (m000f1j8)

Botticelli's Venus: The Making of an Icon 19:30 TUE (b070sqb0)

Britain and the Sea 00:00 TUE (b03lbv22)

Britain and the Sea 01:00 WED (b03m3x1j)

Bros: After the Screaming Stops 02:25 FRI (m0001qyv)

Carved with Love: The Genius of British Woodwork 02:00 TUE (b01pyfd2)

Classic Albums 00:25 FRI (b07ycbrb)

Clive James 22:45 SAT (m000f1ky)

Dangerous Earth 20:30 SAT (b08445rk)

Doris Day - Virgin Territory 20:00 FRI (b0074rwd)

Fig Leaf: The Biggest Cover-Up in History 23:00 SUN (b00ydp38)

Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage 19:30 MON (b00cl5zl)

Frantz 23:35 SAT (m000f3f6)

Horizon 22:00 SUN (b00j0hnm)

How We Built Britain 00:20 THU (b007nnmy)

Inspector Montalbano 21:00 SAT (m0005rvj)

Iolo's Snowdonia 19:30 SUN (b09qqnxv)

Jigs and Wigs: The Extreme World of Irish Dancing 01:00 TUE (b06w05v8)

Jigs and Wigs: The Extreme World of Irish Dancing 01:30 TUE (b06wrkng)

Life Cinematic 21:00 THU (m000f1jb)

Life Cinematic 02:50 THU (m000f1jb)

Life Drawing Live! 20:00 TUE (m000f1km)

Madonna Rebel Heart Tour 22:25 FRI (b0952xgk)

Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema 20:00 THU (m0002pfq)

Monkman & Seagull's Genius Guide to Britain 03:00 SUN (b0bn9c3g)

Natural World 20:00 SUN (b055kldq)

No Body's Perfect with Rankin and Alison Lapper 00:00 SUN (b0824cwc)

Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South 01:25 FRI (p02j959j)

Rick Stein's Long Weekends 19:00 SAT (b078djcl)

Rick Stein's Long Weekends 02:25 SAT (b078djcl)

Secret Knowledge 02:20 THU (b01r3n6p)

Tales of Tudor Travel: The Explorer's Handbook 02:15 MON (b0bk2k1x)

The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook 21:00 MON (b07n7gtn)

The Beauty of Anatomy 19:30 WED (b04dq8kl)

The Pennine Way 19:30 THU (b05qt6vr)

The Women's Football Show 19:00 SUN (m000f1jw)

The Wonder of Animals 19:00 WED (b04kzvxq)

There's Only One Madonna 21:30 FRI (b00748kl)

This Life 22:00 MON (b0078010)

This Life 22:40 MON (b007801d)

This Life 23:30 MON (b007801x)

This Life 22:00 TUE (b007802b)

This Life 22:40 TUE (b007802s)

This Life 23:20 TUE (b007804g)

This Life 22:00 WED (b007804y)

This Life 22:40 WED (b007805l)

This Life 23:20 WED (b0078061)

This Life 22:00 THU (b0078082)

This Life 22:40 THU (b007808h)

Timeshift 21:00 WED (b068fvln)

Timeshift 03:00 WED (b068fvln)

Top of the Pops 01:25 SAT (m000dt74)

Top of the Pops 01:55 SAT (m000dt76)

Top of the Pops 19:30 FRI (m000f1lv)

Top of the Pops 21:00 FRI (m000f1lx)

Treasures of the Indus 01:15 MON (b069g53h)

Wonders of the Universe 23:20 THU (b00zv39p)

World News Today 19:00 FRI (m000f1ls)

World's Busiest Railway 2015 20:00 WED (b0684q75)

World's Busiest Railway 2015 02:00 WED (b0684q75)

Yes, Prime Minister 20:00 SAT (b037tb14)