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 14 NOVEMBER 2020

SAT 19:00 Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe (b00791vw)
The Romantic North

Francesco da Mosto gets romantic in Juliet's home town of Verona, witnesses the birth of western art, has a fashion makeover from Giorgio Armani, is invited into a closed convent to see the tomb of the most notorious woman in European history, and goes deep-sea diving in pursuit of a childhood dream.


SAT 20:00 Full Circle with Michael Palin (p00xb89c)
Chile and Bolivia

Michael Palin travels the Pacific Rim. On this leg he visits Cape Horn, then Chile, a country of staggering beauty and variety. He enters Bolivia and heads to La Paz - one of the highest cities in the world.


SAT 21:00 DNA (m000pjbh)
Series 1

Episode 7

Neel visits Melanie's family to investigate the trafficking of babies, but Rolf soon realises that she could be in danger. Meanwhile, Julita won't give up on her stolen baby.

In Danish and Polish with English subtitles.


SAT 21:40 DNA (m000pjbk)
Series 1

Episode 8

With the people behind the adoption network in custody, Minna can be reunited with her mother. Meanwhile, Rolf gets a new lead in the search for his missing daughter.

In Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 22:20 Top of the Pops (m000p9v2)
Simon Mayo presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 15 March 1990 and featuring Inspiral Carpets, Primal Scream and Candy Flip.


SAT 22:50 Top of the Pops (m000p9v4)
Gary Davies presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 22 March 1990 and featuring Orbital, Snap! and Big Fun.


SAT 23:20 The Bridge (b09m8hmh)
Series 4

Episode 1

The body of a woman is found close to the bridge between Denmark and Sweden. It is found to be that of the head of the Danish Immigration Board. Since Saga has been imprisoned for the murder of her mother, Henrik investigates with his new partner Jonas.

In Swedish and Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 00:20 The Bridge (b09lsd37)
Series 4

Episode 2

Henrik continues his investigation into the killing of migration director Margrethe Thormod, but the absence of his daughters plays on his mind.

In Swedish and Danish with English subtitles.


SAT 01:20 Full Circle with Michael Palin (p00xb89c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


SAT 02:10 Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe (b00791vw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2020

SUN 19:00 Natural World (m00041pn)
2019-2020

Florida: America's Animal Paradise

Florida is famous for its beaches, blue water and year round sun – but it also has a surprising wild side. It is home to pine forests, coral reefs and the famous Everglades wetland, the largest sub-tropical wilderness in the US. Here, manatees swim in crystal clear rivers, baby alligators practice their hunting skills and miniature deer roam free. Every year, this state faces the full forces of nature - from wildfires to flooding and powerful hurricanes. And today, a growing human population and a cast of animal invaders are threatening this wild paradise. With the help of pioneering scientists, will Florida’s wildlife continue to weather the storm?


SUN 20:00 imagine... (m000pjck)
Winter 2005

Sweet Home New Orleans

Could New Orleans's days as a great musical powerhouse be coming to an end? As Alan Yentob traces the city's vast musical heritage, he meets musicians who have lived and worked there all their lives and are determined to return despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. With contributions from Paul McCartney, Dr John, Jools Holland and Elvis Costello.


SUN 21:00 Ronnie’s: Ronnie Scott and His World-Famous Jazz Club (m000pjcm)
A music documentary that celebrates the legacy of Ronnie Scott and his world-famous jazz club. Featuring previously unseen and unheard performances as well as interviews with some of the most iconic figures in music, the film explores the club’s 60-year history and shines a light on the uncompromising men and women who both built it and who took to its stage.

Named after the late tenor saxophonist who founded the club in London’s bohemian district of Soho in 1959 with business partner Pete King, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club was inspired by the vibrant postwar music scene in New York and quickly became the city’s most famous music venue. Since then the club has consistently played host to the world’s greatest musical legends, including Chet Baker, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Roland Kirk, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson and Nina Simone.

Ronnie Scott was among the earliest British musicians influenced by Charlie Parker and became one of the finest saxophone players in Europe. His chief motivation in starting a jazz club was to create a space where he and his contemporaries were free to play modern, forward-thinking music.

Ronnie was beloved by many, from the great and famous who frequented his club to the many hard-up musicians who were often helped by his warmth and generous spirit. However, Ronnie was as complex and colourful as the music played on his stage. In private, Ronnie battled with depression, and when his untimely death occurred in 1996, it left the jazz community bereft of a respected and favourite leader.


SUN 22:45 Ella Fitzgerald at Ronnie Scott's (m000pjcp)
Recorded at Ronnie Scott's in London in 1974 and backed by the Tommy Flanagan Quartet, Ella Fitzgerald performs some of her most famous songs, including George Gershwin's The Man I Love.


SUN 23:25 Jazz Horns Gold (b01sg8fl)
Jazz Horns Gold blows its own trumpet (and saxophone and nose flute) with a cool array of BBC archive from the jazz vaults.
Legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz and Rahsaan Roland Kirk play boldly alongside new stars who emerged in the 80s like Wynton Marsalis and the young jazz disciples of the 21st century such as Joshua Redman and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Not forgetting the Brits including Acker Bilk, John Dankworth, Courtney Pine and John Surman and the late, lamented Andy Hamilton. Archive sources include Jazz 625, the Late Show, Later with Jools Holland and Crackerjack.
Blow man blow!


SUN 00:25 21st-Century Mythologies with Richard Clay (m000p9t7)
Art historian Professor Richard Clay explores how Mythologies, written in 1957 by French philosopher Roland Barthes, laid bare the myth-making at the heart of popular culture. Now, following in Barthes’s footsteps, Richard Clay dissects some of the everyday myths we still take for granted in the 21st century, revealing the hidden meanings in everything from money, Wi-Fi and race to the Madonna.

It’s a journey that takes us from Paris to Margate, from the streets of Manhattan to the Accademia Gallery in Florence. Along the way, Richard meets avant-garde artists including Clet Abraham, Ingrid Burrington, Molly Soda and Rene Matic, whose works subvert the assumptions underpinning the way we see our world. We are introduced to semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, which provides an analytical toolkit that helps us navigate advertising and its demands on our attention.

In today’s world of relentless digital information, Richard argues, myths have the ability to hoodwink us more than ever. What might Roland Barthes have made of the 21st century?


SUN 01:25 imagine... (m000pjck)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


SUN 02:25 Natural World (m00041pn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]



MONDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2020

MON 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9f)
Mighty Cathedrals

Fred takes a look at the 11th-century building programme undertaken by the Normans which resulted in mighty fortress cathedrals like Ely and Peterborough.

At Peterborough Cathedral, Fred reveals the secret weapon the Norman builders had at their disposal - the stone arch - and demonstrates just how the early stonemasons constructed them. At Ely, Fred climbs high up inside the building to examine the alterations and additions made by later builders. Inspecting this construction masterpiece sees Fred scaling rooftop ladders to examine the incredible octagonal lantern built in the 14th century, an amazing feat of early engineering. Fred also has the lowdown on exactly how this feat was accomplished.

Fred's final destination is Rochester, this time to examine a Norman castle rather than a cathedral. Here, he demonstrates how the tactics used all those centuries ago by attackers to try and destroy tall towers bear a startling resemblance to the way he used to pull down tall buildings.


MON 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000hy13)
Series 1

Daisy Delight

American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.

In this series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.

Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.

Enjoy 30 minutes in the company of Bob Ross while he paints a majestic stand of evergreen trees overlooking sweet tiny flowers growing on a sloping knoll.


MON 20:00 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (b096m6nx)
Series 2

Glasgow

Pollok House is a country house right in the middle of a Glasgow city park, bordered on one side by the M77 and on the other side by the south side of Glasgow. It is owned by Glasgow City Council and looked after by the National Trust for Scotland. It truly is a house for the people, surrounded by the people. As well as an excellent tea room, Pollok has an impressive collection of Spanish art, the legacy of the man who once owned the house, Sir William Stirling-Maxwell. Unfortunately, some of Pollok's treasures have been placed in storage due to a leaking roof and urgent renovations. But could one of these displaced pictures be a priceless work, lost for centuries, hiding north of the border? It would be international news if it was.

Dr Bendor Grosvenor and Emma Dabiri travel to Glasgow to investigate a long-lost picture of one of the most famous gay men in history, possibly painted by one of the most famous artists in history. The subject of the painting is none other than George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, who was the gay lover of James VI of Scotland (James I of England). But how did he end up in Glasgow? While Bendor squares up to a rival portrait in Florence which claims to be the real Buckingham portrait, Emma finds that William Stirling-Maxwell had a secret family in Jamaica and that sugar and tobacco built Glasgow long before shipbuilding was its major industry.


MON 21:00 Storyville (m000pjc9)
The Night Notre-Dame Burned

A Storyville documentary that tells the dramatic story of the devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral on 15 April 2019. Blow by blow, it follows the team of brave firefighters - from the men and women on the frontline to the brigade chief - as they face the epic responsibility of saving one of the city's most emblematic and much–loved symbols from burning to the ground.

As well as on-the-ground helmet cam and drone footage of the unfolding, dramatic events, the film-makers – the Naudet Brothers – who famously recorded the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11 in New York – were themselves at the scene to record a moment in history in their own capital city.

In one tense moment, after the collapse of the spire, we are inside the situation room where President Macron must decide whether to risk the lives of 40 firefighters by sending them into the burning towers to stop the fire bringing total devastation to the building. This observational footage is intercut with the testimony of the firefighters themselves, whose pride and heroic dignity in fulfilling their roles cannot fail to bring a viewer to tears.


MON 22:30 Rebuilding Notre-Dame: Inside the Great Cathedral Rescue (m000hbdq)
Documentary that goes inside what remains of the world-famous Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. It is one year since the inferno devastated the vast timber and lead roof and the 850-year-old gothic masterpiece is still perilously close to collapse. Now, we follow the men and women fighting to secure the fire-ravaged structure. Lead dust from the vaporised roof contaminates the site, the stone ceiling is crumbling and a 500-tonne melted mass of scaffolding still hangs precariously over the cathedral, triggering alarms and evacuations.

Now that the cathedral walls are supported by giant timber frames, chief architect Philippe Villeneuve urgently needs a complete picture of the damage sustained during the fire. He initiates an unprecedented collaboration between architects and scientists. Their mission is to meticulously analyse the fallen timber, stone and fractured glass to develop a decontamination and restoration plan. This unique opportunity will give a new insight into the medieval materials, techniques and people who built Notre-Dame.

Inside the cathedral, glass scientist Claudine Loisel investigates the distribution of lead contamination on the stunning stained glass, comparing samples from around the building. In the lab she develops a decontamination plan using x-ray spectroscopy and identifies micro-cracks in the glass caused by ‘thermal shock’, sustained during the fire. At York Minster in northern England, conservationists are pioneering a glass preservation method that Claudine hopes will be adopted at Notre-Dame. They are installing ventilated protective glazing, which protects the medieval stained glass from harmful UV rays and the corrosive effects of moisture.

The stone vaulting has taken the brunt of the fire and will require new limestone with the same mechanical properties for the rebuild. Stone scientist Lise Leroux hunts for the origin of the vaulting stone, voyaging into the forgotten quarries beneath Paris, which are now filled with the bones of 18th-century Parisians. She finds a limestone micro-fossil signature in the lower level of the quarry that matches samples from the vaulting stones, confirming its origin. Lise discovers Notre-Dame is built from a variety of different limestone, chosen for the various structural properties needed for the cathedral.

The complex timber framework of the roof is completely destroyed. Amazingly, timber scientist Catherine Lavier still finds markings from the medieval carpenters on the burned beams and her tree-ring analysis of the timber tells the life story of the oak used. One team of carpenters still uses medieval tools and techniques to fell and carve beams for a chateau restoration, proving the skills and timber still exist in France to rebuild Notre-Dame’s lost roof framework. A 3D scan of the geometrically complex timbers of Notre-Dame offers the team a possibility to eventually rebuild the roof in the same way, down to the last millimetre.

The data from the scientists is combined into a groundbreaking ‘digital twin’ of Notre-Dame that will help them restore and rebuild the cathedral. This 3D dynamic map gives the team a complete view of every inch of the structure, before and after the fire, allowing them to click on an individual stone to see its chemical composition, its mechanical properties and its history within Notre-Dame over time.


MON 23:30 How to Build a Cathedral (b00b09rb)
The great cathedrals were the wonders of the medieval world - the tallest buildings since the pyramids and the showpieces of medieval Christianity. Yet they were built at a time when most of us lived in hovels. Architectural historian Jon Cannon explores who the people were that built them and how they were able to achieve such a bold vision.


MON 00:30 The Joy of Painting (m000hy13)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


MON 01:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


MON 01:30 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (b096m6nx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


MON 02:30 Rebuilding Notre-Dame: Inside the Great Cathedral Rescue (m000hbdq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:30 today]



TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER 2020

TUE 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9j)
The Art of Castle Building

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain continues with the famous steeplejack investigating one of the greatest feats of royal engineering - the constuction of the great chain of castles on the coast of north Wales. Travelling to Harlech, Caernarfon and Beaumaris, Fred reveals the building techniques and revolutionary defensive features that helped Edward I subdue the rebellious Welsh. Fred also charts the achievements of the king's architect Master James of St Georges, a Frenchman who revolutionised castle design in England.


TUE 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000hy1g)
Series 1

Hidden Stream

American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.

In this series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.

Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.

Bob Ross creates another work of art in his series of 30-minute masterpieces, a warm summer idyll complete with a clear blue sky, shady trees and the perfect spot for a swim.


TUE 20:00 Yes, Prime Minister (b03bx1vh)
Series 1

The Grand Design

Classic political sitcom. Jim Hacker considers cancelling the Trident programme after discovering some interesting facts about the UK's defence system.


TUE 20:30 Yes, Prime Minister (b03sblbn)
Series 1

The Ministerial Broadcast

Hacker prepares to make his first broadcast as prime minister, announcing his grand new defence policy, but finds it is not so easy to speak on camera.


TUE 21:00 Thatcher: A Very British Revolution (m0005br9)
Series 1

Making Margaret

In the first episode of this series charting the irresistible rise and dramatic downfall of Margaret Thatcher, her inner circle reveals how Margaret Thatcher manages to overcome her outsider status to become a prominent political figure in Britain. After a controversial policy has the press label her the 'Milk-snatcher' her political future is in jeopardy but she survives when prime minister Edward Heath decides not to sack her.

Dismayed by his stewardship of the country in the early 1970s Mrs Thatcher challenges Heath for leadership of the Conservatives. As a woman from a modest social background she appears unlike any of her colleagues but with the help of canny political operators she achieves the apparently impossible and defeats Heath and the party elite who backed him.

Those closest to her at the time describe how as new leader of the Conservatives she begins to support controversial policies that will shake-up the economic and political settlement that has prevailed in Britain since the second world war. She promotes free market ideas, transforming the economy and reducing trade union power.

She also adopts a new political persona taking on the mantle of the 'Iron Lady' given to her by the Soviet press and seeks help from advisors who change her image and her voice as she seeks the support of the British electorate.

As the 1979 election approaches Margaret Thatcher embarks on an energetic campaign to unseat Labour and usher in a new era that will bring turbulent change and division and be dominated by the force of her personality and ideas.


TUE 22:00 Play For Today (b00tw1jz)
Series 10

The Black Stuff

Classic early 1980s drama about a Merseyside tarmac gang away on a contract on Teesside. Without the boss there's a chance for some local diversion with the natives while keeping up the spirit of free enterprise, preferably on the firm's time.


TUE 23:45 DNA (m000pjbh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Saturday]


TUE 00:25 DNA (m000pjbk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:40 on Saturday]


TUE 01:05 The Joy of Painting (m000hy1g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 01:35 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


TUE 02:10 Thatcher: A Very British Revolution (m0005br9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2020

WED 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9m)
The Age of the Carpenter

In his mission to uncover the craft and engineering skills that helped to build Britain, Fred looks to the Middle Ages and the transformation of an Englishman's castle into his home.

Carpenters were the great engineers of this time, and Fred visits Stokesey Castle, the oldest moated and fortified house in England, to scale the walls and examine the technique of 'jettying' - making the bedroom a bit bigger. Fred also discovers how massive arched timber roofs were constructed.

At Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire, Fred explores one of the finest examples of timber-framed architecture in England and demonstrates how carpenters of the 15th and 16th century actually constructed these chocolate-box buildings. Fred's journey ends at Harvington Hall near Kidderminster, home to some of finest priest holes in the country, devised by master carpenter Nicholas Owen during the reign of Elizabeth I.


WED 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000j44x)
Series 1

Oval Barn

American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.

In this series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.

Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.

In this segment from the series, Bob paints a happy little winterscape in the shape of an oval, complete with an inviting, cozy barn and lacy bushes.


WED 20:00 New York: America's Busiest City (b07w10gz)
Episode 3

The final part of this three-part series, exploring what it is like to live in America's biggest and busiest city. Anita Rani, Ade Adepitan, Ant Anstead and Dan Snow are in New York. From their base in Central Park, they reveal the hidden systems and organisational miracles that keep the world's busiest urban park clean and green. They meet the behind-the-scenes team who look after all 843 acres.

Ade heads to Harlem and meets residents who are benefiting and suffering at the hands of gentrification. The price of a townhouse here has gone from $50,000 to over $4 million in 30 years. Ant is at Hudson Yards on the west side of Manhattan, where an entirely new district is being built on top of a functioning rail depot. It is an innovative building solution to the island's lack of land. Dan Snow is in Coney Island discovering that television, air conditioning and extreme weather almost killed off this historic amusement zone. And we head to a multi-million dollar penthouse apartment in the company of estate agent Paula Del Nunzio, who holds the record for selling New York's most expensive house - a cool $53 million investment.


WED 21:00 True North (m000pdjz)
Series 13

The Disability Paradox

This new film explores fundamental questions about what makes us happy and how we can improve the quality of our life. Non-disabled people often take a sympathetic, even pitying view of those who are disabled. Disability can be associated with failure, dependency and weakness. There is an assumption that disabled people are therefore unhappy, miserable and even depressed. Scientific research, however, suggests that this couldn’t be further from the truth - disabled people consistently report a good or excellent quality of life, despite the perception of non-disabled people that their lives must be difficult and unhappy. It’s called the 'disability paradox'.

38-year-old film-maker Chris Lynch has osteogenesis imperfecta and has used a wheelchair since the age of ten. In this film, he interrogates this research, reflecting on his own experiences and examining if the disability paradox applies to him. On this very personal journey, he meets others living with various impairments to learn more about their experiences - are they as happy as the research suggests? Can you truly be happy if you are disabled?

Chris ultimately wants to look at quality of life and explores how this relates to body image, health and social norms. He meets Professors Havi Carel and Paul Dolan, who explain some of the scientific research about what make us happy and provide some insights into how each of us could improve our own happiness.


WED 22:00 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (b01sd320)
Neither troubled relationships nor childhood polio hold singer-songwriter Ian Dury back from his burning urge to make music on his terms, despite the cost to those close to him.

Stylish biopic of the influential singer-songwriter.


WED 23:50 Artificial Things (p074k74f)
In this award-winning dance film, director Sophie Fiennes collaborates with choreographer Lucy Bennett to reimagine Stopgap Dance Company's stage production Artificial Things.

Filmed on location in a derelict suburban shopping mall and featuring an ensemble of disabled and non-disabled dancers, the piece explores human interdependence, strength and vulnerability.

Dancers Amy Butler, Laura Jones, Chris Pavia, David Willdridge and David Toole, who sadly passed away in October, devised the stage production and appear in the film.


WED 00:15 John Berger: The Art of Looking (b082qynq)
Art, politics and motorcycles - on the occasion of his 90th birthday, this is an intimate portrait of the late writer and art critic whose groundbreaking work on seeing has shaped our understanding of the concept for over five decades. The film explores how paintings become narratives and stories turn into images, and rarely does anybody demonstrate this as poignantly as Berger.

Berger lived and worked for decades in a small mountain village in the French Alps, where the nearness to nature, the world of the peasants and his motorcycle, which for him deals so much with presence, inspired his drawing and writing.

The film introduces Berger's art of looking with theatre wizard Simon McBurney, film director Michael Dibb, visual artist John Christie, cartoonist Selçuk Demiral and photographer Jean Mohr, as well as two of his children - film critic Katya Berger and the painter Yves Berger.

The prelude and starting point is Berger's mind-boggling experience of restored vision following a successful cataract removal surgery. There, in the cusp of his clouding eyesight, Berger re-discovers the irredeemable wonder of seeing.

Realised as a portrait in works and collaborations, this creative documentary takes a different approach to biography, with Berger leading in his favourite role of the storyteller.


WED 01:10 The Joy of Painting (m000j44x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


WED 01:40 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


WED 02:10 True North (m000pdjz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]



THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2020

THU 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9q)
Scottish Style

Fred Dibnah is on a mission to uncover and explain the construction skills that went into the building of Britain, and in this episode he travels to Scotland to demonstrate the engineering and design skills that shaped Scottish baronial style.

At Glamis Castle, Fred demonstrates how a simple sandstone tower house was transformed 400 years ago into a great house with more than a passing resemblance to a fairy-tale castle, with the help of stonemasons from Aberdeen and plasterers from Italy.

The House of Dun near Montrose is one of the finest country houses to be designed by William Adam, and Fred gets stuck into some ornamental plasterwork at a specialist manufacturer's. But it was Adam's son Robert who made such an impact on house building that he had an architectural style named after him, and to demonstrate his achievement Fred travels to Culzean Castle on the Ayrshire coast.


THU 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000j45p)
Series 1

Lakeside Path

American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.

In this series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.

Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.

In this episode, a misty background of evergreens and a cheerful blue sky give Bob Ross the perfect setting for a lovely birch tree painting.


THU 20:00 Easter Parade (b0078bmx)
Star performer Don Hewes hires Hannah Brown as his new dance partner to prove to his former partner that he can make a star of anyone.

Classic musical, with Irving Berlin's score including the songs Easter Parade and We're a Couple of Swells.


THU 21:40 Puttin' on the Ritz: The Genius of Fred Astaire (b00787wm)
A short compilation of clips from Fred Astaire's days at the RKO studio, where he formed an unforgettable partnership with Ginger Rogers.


THU 22:00 Country Music Awards (m000pjdh)
2020

Bob Harris introduces highlights of the 54th annual CMA Awards from Music City Center in Nashville. Hosted by Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker with live music from the biggest stars of country music, including Luke Combs, Maren Morris and Florida Georgia Line.


THU 23:00 Country at the BBC (b017zqwb)
Grab your partner by the hand - the BBC have raided their archive and brought to light glittering performances by country artists over the last four decades.

Star appearances include Tammy Wynette, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and, of course, Dolly Parton. All the greats have performed for the BBC at some point - on entertainment shows, in concert and at the BBC studios. Some of the rhinestones revealed are Charley Pride's Crystal Chandeliers from the Lulu Show, Emmylou Harris singing Together Again on the Old Grey Whistle Test and Billie Jo Spears's Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad from the Val Doonican Music Show.

We're brought up to date with modern country hits by kd lang, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss and Taylor Swift, plus a special unbroadcasted performance from Later...with Jools Holland by Willie Nelson.


THU 00:30 Country Queens at the BBC (p028vwnv)
Classic female country stars in action on a variety of BBC studio shows and featuring Bobbie Gentry, Anne Murray, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Wynette, Billie Jo Spears, Crystal Gayle, Taylor Swift, Lucinda Williams with Mary Chapin Carpenter and more. A chronological celebration of country queens at the BBC whether on Top of the Pops, OGWT, Later with Jools Holland, Parkinson or their own entertainment specials.


THU 01:30 The Joy of Painting (m000j45p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 02:00 Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain (b0074n9q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


THU 02:30 How to Build a Cathedral (b00b09rb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:30 on Monday]



FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2020

FRI 19:00 What We Were Watching (m000pjdl)
Song and Dance Spectaculars

Grace Dent invites you to lose yourself on a joyful journey back through the BBC archives, celebrating the broadcaster's song and dance extravaganzas of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s – in many ways, the fantastic forerunners to Strictly Come Dancing. They were fun, family-focused and had fondue levels of cheesiness as well as a host of stars such as Cilla Black, Cliff Richard, Lulu, Twiggy and Shirley Bassey. Also featured are some of the biggest dance troupes of the time, including Pan’s People and The Young Generation, one of whose members gets special attention - a pre-Blue Peter Lesley Judd.

All the weird but usually rather wonderful musical performances that Grace has uncovered existed in a strange parallel universe to the pop charts of the time – not remotely cool, even then, but looking back the only way to describe them is ‘fabulous’.


FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (m000pjdn)
Nicky Campbell presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 29 March 1990 and featuring Bizz Nizz, Candy Flip and Jam Tronik.


FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m000pjdq)
Anthea Turner presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 5 April 1990 and featuring Jason Donovan, They Might Be Giants and Happy Mondays.


FRI 21:00 Jazz 625 (m000pjds)
The British Jazz Explosion

The biggest names in the current, buzzing UK jazz scene play live in a special edition of this iconic BBC jazz TV show. Sons of Kemet, Nubya Garcia, Kokoroko, Poppy Ajudha, Matthew Halsall, Moses Boyd and Exodus and Ezra Collective all contribute to an incredible line-up. The show, hosted by drummer Moses Boyd and 1Xtra presenter Jamz Supernova, also includes short films exploring the roots of the current UK jazz scene.

Jazz 625 originally ran on BBC TV in the mid-1960s and featured some of the greatest legends of that era. Stars like Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Cleo Laine and Art Blakey helped create TV shows that today are regarded as jazz gold. The show returned for a special edition in 2019 with an all-star cast playing classic jazz from the 60s.

But jazz is very much a music of the now and never has that been more apparent than over the last few years when a new generation of UK jazz players have taken the global music stage by storm. Bands like Sons of Kemet and Ezra Collective have won over music lovers of all kinds the world over. This is music that returns to the roots of jazz - making people dance and sing as well as listen and think.

In this special one-off edition of Jazz 625, the very biggest stars of the current UK jazz explosion bring their joyous music to the Jazz 625 studio. Along the way, they also share stories of the special places and communities that helped their music develop. The film explores the importance of passing on jazz’s musical traditions from generation to generation and takes a deeper look at the spiritual music of the Manchester jazz scene. And there is room for some classic archive from the Jazz 625 vaults.


FRI 22:30 Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (m000ggdf)
Miles Davis - horn player, bandleader, innovator. Elegant, intellectual, vain. Callous, conflicted, controversial. Magnificent, mercurial. Genius. The very embodiment of cool. The man with a sound so beautiful it could break your heart.

The central theme of Miles Davis's life was his restless determination to break boundaries and live life on his own terms. It made him a star. It also made him incredibly difficult to live with for the people who loved him most. Again and again, in music and in life, Miles broke with convention - and when he thought his work came to represent a new convention, he changed it again. Miles's bold disregard for tradition, his clarity of vision, his relentless drive and constant thirst for new experiences made him an inspiring collaborator to fellow musicians and a cultural icon to generations of listeners. It made him an innovator in music - from bebop to cool jazz, modern quintets, orchestral music, jazz fusion, rock ‘n’ roll and even hip-hop.

Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, studio outtakes and rare photos, this film tells the story of a truly singular talent and unpacks the music and the myth of the man behind the horn.


FRI 00:25 Ronnie’s: Ronnie Scott and His World-Famous Jazz Club (m000pjcm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 on Sunday]


FRI 02:10 Country Music Awards (m000pjdh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 on Thursday]




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

21st-Century Mythologies with Richard Clay 00:25 SUN (m000p9t7)

Artificial Things 23:50 WED (p074k74f)

Britain's Lost Masterpieces 20:00 MON (b096m6nx)

Britain's Lost Masterpieces 01:30 MON (b096m6nx)

Country Music Awards 22:00 THU (m000pjdh)

Country Music Awards 02:10 FRI (m000pjdh)

Country Queens at the BBC 00:30 THU (p028vwnv)

Country at the BBC 23:00 THU (b017zqwb)

DNA 21:00 SAT (m000pjbh)

DNA 21:40 SAT (m000pjbk)

DNA 23:45 TUE (m000pjbh)

DNA 00:25 TUE (m000pjbk)

Easter Parade 20:00 THU (b0078bmx)

Ella Fitzgerald at Ronnie Scott's 22:45 SUN (m000pjcp)

Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe 19:00 SAT (b00791vw)

Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe 02:10 SAT (b00791vw)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 19:00 MON (b0074n9f)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 01:00 MON (b0074n9f)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 19:00 TUE (b0074n9j)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 01:35 TUE (b0074n9j)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 19:00 WED (b0074n9m)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 01:40 WED (b0074n9m)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 19:00 THU (b0074n9q)

Fred Dibnah's Building of Britain 02:00 THU (b0074n9q)

Full Circle with Michael Palin 20:00 SAT (p00xb89c)

Full Circle with Michael Palin 01:20 SAT (p00xb89c)

How to Build a Cathedral 23:30 MON (b00b09rb)

How to Build a Cathedral 02:30 THU (b00b09rb)

Jazz 625 21:00 FRI (m000pjds)

Jazz Horns Gold 23:25 SUN (b01sg8fl)

John Berger: The Art of Looking 00:15 WED (b082qynq)

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool 22:30 FRI (m000ggdf)

Natural World 19:00 SUN (m00041pn)

Natural World 02:25 SUN (m00041pn)

New York: America's Busiest City 20:00 WED (b07w10gz)

Play For Today 22:00 TUE (b00tw1jz)

Puttin' on the Ritz: The Genius of Fred Astaire 21:40 THU (b00787wm)

Rebuilding Notre-Dame: Inside the Great Cathedral Rescue 22:30 MON (m000hbdq)

Rebuilding Notre-Dame: Inside the Great Cathedral Rescue 02:30 MON (m000hbdq)

Ronnie’s: Ronnie Scott and His World-Famous Jazz Club 21:00 SUN (m000pjcm)

Ronnie’s: Ronnie Scott and His World-Famous Jazz Club 00:25 FRI (m000pjcm)

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll 22:00 WED (b01sd320)

Storyville 21:00 MON (m000pjc9)

Thatcher: A Very British Revolution 21:00 TUE (m0005br9)

Thatcher: A Very British Revolution 02:10 TUE (m0005br9)

The Bridge 23:20 SAT (b09m8hmh)

The Bridge 00:20 SAT (b09lsd37)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 MON (m000hy13)

The Joy of Painting 00:30 MON (m000hy13)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 TUE (m000hy1g)

The Joy of Painting 01:05 TUE (m000hy1g)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 WED (m000j44x)

The Joy of Painting 01:10 WED (m000j44x)

The Joy of Painting 19:30 THU (m000j45p)

The Joy of Painting 01:30 THU (m000j45p)

Top of the Pops 22:20 SAT (m000p9v2)

Top of the Pops 22:50 SAT (m000p9v4)

Top of the Pops 20:00 FRI (m000pjdn)

Top of the Pops 20:30 FRI (m000pjdq)

True North 21:00 WED (m000pdjz)

True North 02:10 WED (m000pdjz)

What We Were Watching 19:00 FRI (m000pjdl)

Yes, Prime Minister 20:00 TUE (b03bx1vh)

Yes, Prime Minister 20:30 TUE (b03sblbn)

imagine... 20:00 SUN (m000pjck)

imagine... 01:25 SUN (m000pjck)