SATURDAY 07 DECEMBER 2024

SAT 19:00 Renny Rye Remembers… The Box of Delights (m0025xl7)
Director Renny Rye looks back on the BBC TV adaptation of John Masefield's 1935 fantasy children's novel.


SAT 19:10 The Box of Delights (p00xgm9t)
When the Wolves Were Running

Kay Harker's adventures begin in the train on the way home for Christmas. There's snow on the wind and wild dogs roaming the countryside. Something mysterious is about to happen.


SAT 19:40 The Box of Delights (p00xgmmx)
Where Shall the Nighted Showman Go?

Knowing that he is going to be kidnapped, Cole Hawlings entrusts the Box of Delights to Kay until he's able to reclaim it.


SAT 20:10 All Creatures Great and Small (p031d2qd)
Series 1

Breath of Life

Siegfried discovers that a gift given in good faith can deal out death. James discovers that dealing out death can accidentally be the gift to life.


SAT 21:00 State of Happiness (m0024749)
Series 3

A Button for Everything

The new ROV is baptised at Nyman Diving, Martin’s condition is deteriorating, and things are going well at Komponent after the new machine has been sold to Shell.

Norwegian with English subtitles


SAT 21:45 State of Happiness (m002474c)
Series 3

Oklahoma

Anna brings the kids to their deceased father’s home town, but the grandparents aren’t as welcoming as they had hoped. Surrounded by oil pumps, they live in poverty, and Anna decides to help.

In Norwegian with English subtitles


SAT 22:25 Timothy Spall Remembers... Benjamin Zephaniah (m0026c55)
Timothy Spall remembers British writer, poet, actor and musician Benjamin Zephaniah.


SAT 22:40 ScreenPlay (m0025xlc)
Dread Poets Society

Rastafarian poet Benjamin Zephaniah is on a train to Cambridge when he and fellow traveller Derek (Timothy Spall) are suddenly confounded by the appearance of Lord Byron, John Keats, Percy Shelley and Mary Shelley. A relentless farce of rap, Victorian poetry and Sun-speak ensues.


SAT 23:10 Parkinson (m001vvtx)
Judi Dench, Peter Kay, Charlotte Uhlenbroek and Will Young

Michael Parkinson talks to Dame Judi Dench, comedian Peter Kay and zoologist and TV presenter Charlotte Uhlenbroek. With music from Will Young.


SAT 00:10 As Time Goes By (p045tm60)
Series 1

Surprise, Surprise

Jean and Judy pay Lionel a surprise visit at a conference in Norwich, but find him staying with another woman. Meanwhile, Alistair starts to show more interest in Jean.


SAT 00:40 Porridge (b00787pm)
Series 3

Rough Justice

Classic comedy series about the inmates of HM Slade Prison. Judge Rawley, awaiting his appeal, is gradually becoming accepted by the other inmates. When a theft is discovered at the prison, Fletcher decides the right course of action is to have a proper trial with himself as prosecuting counsel, Rawley as judge and Warren as the defending counsel.


SAT 01:10 The Box of Delights (p00xgm9t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:10 today]


SAT 01:40 The Box of Delights (p00xgmmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:40 today]


SAT 02:10 All Creatures Great and Small (p031d2qd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:10 today]


SAT 03:05 ScreenPlay (m0025xlc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:40 today]

SUNDAY 08 DECEMBER 2024

SUN 19:00 Dame Judi Dench: My Passion for Trees (b09jxnv4)
Judi Dench is one of Britain's best-loved actresses, but few people know that Judi holds another great passion, a deep love for trees. Filmed over the course of a year, this is a study of the changing seasons and their effect on Surrey, the most wooded county in Britain. Judi shared her passion with her late husband, and together they nurtured a collection of trees. For the past seven years, she has continued to care for this woodland with wildlife enthusiast David Mills. Throughout this time, Judi has continually planted trees for friends and family who have passed away.

This film follows Judi's experience through the seasons and her mission to understand the role of trees in history and the future. Judi joins tree scientists and historians to unlock the remarkable secret lives of trees and the stories that they cannot tell. With scientific techniques and equipment at her disposal, she is able to truly understand how trees work and gain an insight into their secrets. She meets a designer with a microphone to hear the trees around her, and a scientist with 3D scanning technology reveals her favourite oak in a new light.

Through the cycle of the four seasons, Judi discovers how trees feel and learns how they communicate and fight off invading armies and extreme weather. From Nasa satellite imagery, Judi is shown just how effective trees are as carbon capture machines that are fighting to protect our planet.

A fungi expert also shows Judi the action going on beneath her feet, revealing an underground fungal network that looks up to the tips of tree roots, connecting many trees in a forest together. It is confirmation for Judi that trees aren't just trees, they are a real community that help each other, humans and the planet.


SUN 20:00 As Time Goes By (p045tmnk)
Series 1

Relationships

After their visit to Norwich, it becomes clear that Alistair is in love with Jean, not Judy. Meanwhile, Jean aims to get back at Lionel for what happened at the lecture.


SUN 20:30 Dame Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage (b086khvq)
An intimate portrait of Judi Dench, one of the most outstanding and best-loved British actors of all time, told by some of the biggest names in entertainment - Daniel Craig, Stephen Frears, Pierce Brosnan, Samantha Bond and Sir Ian McKellen.


SUN 21:30 Dame Judi Dench Remembers... Talking to a Stranger (m0025xy3)
Dame Judi Dench shares her memories of Talking to a Stranger, the groundbreaking 1960s drama by celebrated Z-Cars creator John Hopkins.

The four-part piece followed four members of an outwardly everyday suburban family that is hit by tragedy one weekend, with each episode focusing on the individual family members' perspective on events as they unfold.

Amongst several stellar performances, Judi’s portrayal of Terry, the family’s troubled daughter, was the stand-out, earning her the first of her BAFTA awards and establishing her as an exciting new talent to watch for the future.


SUN 21:40 Theatre 625 (p032khkm)
Talking to a Stranger

Anytime You're Ready, I'll Sparkle

Judi Dench stars in John Hopkins's quartet of plays that recount the events of one weekend from the viewpoints of four members of the same family.

In the first play, Terry, the 30-year-old daughter of the Stephens family, reminisces about her past and tells of the family reunion on Sunday.

Hailed by critics as one of the most important and affecting television dramas of the 1960s, it won Judi Dench her first British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. (1966)


SUN 23:15 Theatre 625 (p032khkp)
Talking to a Stranger

No Skill or Special Knowledge Is Required

During the reunion, Mr Stephens (Maurice Denham) looks back at his life and recalls some previous family arguments. (1966)


SUN 00:45 Talking Pictures (m000qspw)
Dames

Celia Imrie takes a look at some of the leading ladies who’ve proved time and again, year after year, that they are amongst the very best of British talent. These are our acting Dames, who’ve earned the respect and affection of cinema audiences – and the royal seal of approval, too.

Using BBC interviews and archive footage, those featured include Emma Thompson, Diana Rigg, Julie Walters, Elizabeth Taylor, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Helen Mirren – all of whom prove unquestionably that the song was right – there IS nothing like a Dame.


SUN 01:30 Dame Judi Dench: All the World's Her Stage (b086khvq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]


SUN 02:30 Dame Judi Dench: My Passion for Trees (b09jxnv4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]

MONDAY 09 DECEMBER 2024

MON 19:00 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b06823cv)
Geology

Liz McIvor discovers how carving up the landscape in order to build canals helped further our understanding of the earth below. The canal builders struggled with rocks. Without maps or geological surveys, construction often relied on guesswork. The Kennet and Avon had more than its fair share of problems. William Smith, a surveyor working on the connecting Somerset Coal Canal, discovered a way of ordering layers of rocks. He eventually created the first geological map of England and Wales - the so-called 'map that changed the world'.


MON 19:30 Winter Walks (m000qfw1)
Series 1

Rev Richard Coles

The North York Moors provide a picturesque setting for Reverend Richard Coles on a winter walk through this historic landscape. Departing from the iconic Sutton Bank with its panoramic views, Richard takes the viewer across countryside shaped by centuries of change marked by conflict, mining and religion.

Armed with his handheld 360-degree camera, Richard finds inspiration in the sights and sounds of his walk. Along the way, he shares his
personal reflections.

Finishing at Rievaulx Abbey, Richard guides the viewer around the ruins with thoughtful comment. This was once the site of one of England’s most powerful Cistercian monasteries. Richard ends his journey talking of the need for silent contemplation.

Filmed in February 2020 before Covid restrictions were introduced.


MON 20:00 On Camera: Photographers at the BBC (b08jgr3w)
Drawing on the BBC's rich archive, this documentary reveals the working practices, lives and opinions of some of the greatest photographers since the 1950s. From Norman Parkinson to David Bailey, Eve Arnold to Jane Bown, Henri Cartier-Bresson to Martin Parr, for decades the BBC has drawn our attention to the creators of what has become the most ubiquitous, contemporary art form.

Pioneering BBC programmes like Arena, Monitor and Omnibus have given unique insights into the careers of photography's leading practitioners. Through a selection of fascinating clips, this programme brings into focus the key genres - fashion, portraiture, documentary and landscape - and the characters behind the camera who have helped define them.


MON 21:00 Lucy Worsley's Royal Photo Album (m000j45l)
Lucy Worsley takes us through the story of the royal photograph – showing how the royal family collaborated with generations of photographers to create images that reinvented the British monarchy.

Lucy explores the key types of photo that have enabled the royal family to conduct a dialogue with the British people, forging a modern monarchy that reigns rather than rules. Along the way, she recreates the Queen’s coronation portrait, digs out some of the most photogenic outfits from the royal ceremonial dress collection, has her own Victorian-style picture taken, and learns the tricks of the trade from leading royal photographers Anwar Hussein and Chris Jackson.

Lucy begins with the story behind one of the most iconic images of the post-war era, Cecil Beaton’s coronation portrait of Elizabeth II, which conjured a vision of magic and tradition for austerity Britain. Yet within just a few years, the public were beguiled by some very different images - the daringly intimate portraits of Princess Margaret taken by her photographer husband Lord Snowdon.

Going back to the mid-19th century, Lucy looks at the earliest photographs of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, taken at a time when monarchies across Europe were under threat. Photography rescued them, showing the British royals as a family rather than aloof rulers. Cheap, collectable reproductions brought pictures of the queen and her consort into ordinary households for the very first time. Lucy also shows how advances in technology encouraged a more informal side to royal photography. In the early 1900s, Princess (later Queen) Alexandra started taking pictures of her family using new, lightweight cameras. The results revealed the royals as they’d never been seen before - on holiday, even almost relaxing. This insider’s approach has been continued by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who has published her own pictures on Instagram.

Lucy explains how the classic royal photo opportunity – the walkabout – dates back to the reign of George V and Queen Mary. In the run-up to, and during, World War I, the royal couple took to the streets, meeting ordinary workers and visiting hospitals in an attempt to connect with the public and be seen to serve the nation. But for all the pictures like these that the royal family want you to see, there are plenty they don’t. In the 1930s, every trick of the tabloid book was deployed, from long lenses to ambush filming, to capture Edward VIII’s scandalous relationship with Wallis Simpson. For the first time, photography was turned against the monarchy, fuelling the abdication crisis. Lucy sees how Edward’s brother George VI sought to limit the damage by publishing photos that presented him and his family in everyday scenes, stressing their respectability and stability, with the young princesses pushed to the fore.

No royal, however, has mastered photography as much as Princess Diana, who harnessed the multitude of cameras that seemed to follow her every move. Diana used her image to focus attention on her message, whether meeting Aids patients or stepping onto a recently cleared minefield - an image later echoed by her son, Harry. Lucy argues that Diana was the last great royal innovator – her story reflects the power of the camera but also its destructive potential. As a consequence, younger royals have sought to exert much tighter control over how their images are taken and used.

The programme was made in partnership with the Historic Royal Palaces’ exhibition, Picture this! Life through a royal lens, due to open at Kensington Palace in 2021.


MON 22:00 Da Vinci: The Lost Treasure (b016xjq6)
Leonardo da Vinci is considered by many to be one of the greatest artists who ever lived. Yet his reputation rests on only a handful of pictures - including the world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.

As the National Gallery in London prepares to open its doors on a remarkable exhibition of Leonardo's work, Fiona Bruce travels to Florence, Milan, Paris and Warsaw to uncover the story of this enigmatic genius - and to New York, where she is given an exclusive preview of a sensational discovery: a new Leonardo.


MON 23:00 Craftivism: Making a Difference (m000rxn0)
Can you use craft to help make the world a better place, one stitch at a time? Writer, comedian and art lover Jenny Eclair meets people doing extraordinary things with knitting, cross-stitch, banners and felt to change hearts and minds.

Hearing stories from craftivists around the UK and beyond, Jenny visits Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire to see how miniature knickers are discreetly placed around the town to encourage screening for cervical cancer, and learns how felt 'graffiti' has a wellbeing message for visitors to a London park.

From banners at Liverpool Football Club's Anfield Stadium to a huge memorial quilt remembering those who lost their lives to Aids, the initiatives all have one thing in common: a painstaking, thoughtful and beautiful way to get heard.


MON 00:00 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b06823cv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


MON 00:30 Da Vinci: The Lost Treasure (b016xjq6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:00 today]


MON 01:30 Winter Walks (m000qfw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


MON 02:00 Lucy Worsley's Royal Photo Album (m000j45l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]

TUESDAY 10 DECEMBER 2024

TUE 19:00 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b068c3zh)
Engineering

Liz McIvor tells the story of the early canal builders who struggled with the rugged terrain of England's Pennine hills. Creating a network of canals in this landscape was an uphill challenge - sometimes literally! But connecting the powerhouses of Yorkshire and Lancashire was a great prize at the time of the industrial revolution. What should the engineers do? Should they build over, under or around the hills? Who succeeded, and who struggled?


TUE 19:30 Winter Walks (m001226k)
Series 2

Amanda Owen

The 'Yorkshire Shepherdess', Amanda Owen, explores familiar territory as she crosses hills and fields through Wensleydale and Raydale on her Winter Walk. Taking ancient routes first made by the Romans, Amanda meets fellow sheep farmers and exchanges notes on their shared occupation.

As she walks across the Dales with her 360-degree camera, she describes what life is like living and working in this landscape. She takes her time to tune in to the soft sounds and scenes of the rolling hills, finding fossils in the stones below her feet. Crossing over the Dales, she drops down to Semer Water, ending her walk on the pebble banks as the water laps at her feet.


TUE 20:00 Porridge (b00787tv)
Series 3

Pardon Me

The betting stakes are high when the parole board sits and old Blanco is the odds-on favourite to be freed. But when freedom is offered to him Blanco, who has been in prison for 17 years for a crime he always claimed he didn't commit, refuses. Fletcher, seeing how adamant his old friend is, decides to help out.


TUE 20:30 As Time Goes By (p045tmrl)
Series 1

The Picnic

Realising how absurd it is that Judy and Alistair have feelings for Jean and Lionel instead of each other, the elders plan a picnic to show them that they are meant to be together.


TUE 21:00 Victoria: A Royal Love Story (b00rl81c)
Fiona Bruce traces the story of one of history's great royal love affairs: the love between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It was a love based on a powerful physical attraction, and it grew into a marriage that set the tone for the Victorian age.

Over the 20 years they spent together, until Albert's tragic death, they gave each other a dazzling collection of paintings, sculptures and jewellery. That collection was on show - much of it for the first time - at a major exhibition in London, and it reveals a new and passionate side of the royal couple.

Fiona meets HRH Prince Charles and travels to the royal palaces that Victoria and Albert made their own, as well as the royal workshops where artworks for the exhibition are being restored, to tell the story behind a collection that is one of the wonders of the nation.


TUE 22:00 Sirius: An Apocalyptic Order (m001xx5q)
Series 1

Suspicions

Fourteen months after the first massacres, sixteen people, including three young children, are reported missing in the remote French region area of Vercors. France is in shock. Very quickly, they are identified as members of the Order of the Solar Temple. Eight days after their disappearance, sixteen incinerated bodies are found in remote woodland, in the small sleepy village of Saint-Pierre-de-Chérennes. The bodies of the victims are gathered in the shape of a star with the remains of a huge bonfire at its centre.

French investigators build on the Swiss and Canadian research into the Order of the Solar Temple. Photos come to light in Canada of a former cult member, still living, who played a central role in the sect.


TUE 22:45 Sirius: An Apocalyptic Order (m001xx5s)
Series 1

Verdict

In the spring of 1997, a 'transit' takes place in Saint-Casimir, Canada. Five people commit suicide to join their cult brethren who they believe have already started a new eternal life on planet Sirius. The testimony of three children reveal the horror: they had to negotiate with their parents to escape the suicide ritual. Theories and conflicting evidence obscure the truth: there is no way of knowing what took place in the forest in Vercors, or at the other death sites, whether it was voluntary suicide or violent murder.

The three journalists who have followed the case since the beginning consider the strange attraction the cult holds over its followers, and the bewildering secrecies and loyalties. The Order of the Solar Temple has taken 74 lives: and there is a possibility that this sect still exists...


TUE 23:30 Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo (m001ycfg)
Series 1

Episode 3

While on the run, Alamo orders his followers to leave the compound and take his wife's body whilst he tries to evade arrest.


TUE 00:10 Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo (m001ycfj)
Series 1

Episode 4

Once released from prison, Tony Alamo begins 'wedding' young girls. As the child abuse escalates, former members urge the FBI to intervene.


TUE 00:55 Timeshift (b06csy8c)
Series 15

The Engine that Powers the World

The surprising story of the hidden powerhouse behind the globalised world, the diesel engine, a 19th-century invention that has become indispensable to the 21st century. It's a tortoise-versus-hare tale in which the diesel engine races the petrol engine in a competition to replace ageing steam technology, a race eventually won hands down by diesel.

Splendidly, car enthusiast presenter Mark Evans gets excitedly hands-on with some of the many applications of Mr Diesel's - yes, there was one - original creation, from vintage submarines and tractors to locomotive trains and container ships. You'll never feel the same about that humble old diesel family car again.


TUE 01:55 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b068c3zh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


TUE 02:25 Winter Walks (m001226k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


TUE 02:55 Victoria: A Royal Love Story (b00rl81c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]

WEDNESDAY 11 DECEMBER 2024

WED 19:00 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b06828hz)
Capitalism

Liz McIvor tells the story of 'canal mania' - a boom period of frenzied activity that helped develop Britain's modern financial economy, now centred in London. The canal capitalists made money by investing and speculating in the new inland waterways used to carry fuel and goods around the country. Many of the investors were part of an emerging middle class. The Grand Junction Canal - built to improve the connection between London and the Midlands - was one of the new routes, and eventually proved to be a good investment for shareholders. However, not all canals were profitable. The new investors discovered that investment capitalism was a system that created winners and losers.


WED 19:30 Winter Walks (m0012290)
Series 2

Alastair Campbell

The snow-covered hillsides of Ribblesdale are the setting for Alastair Campbell’s Winter Walk through the Yorkshire Dales. Fog and snow don’t deter the political veteran as he makes his way through the county he was born and raised in. Starting at a waterfall above the market town of Settle, Alastair descends into town, meeting local residents who are also out braving the weather. Twisted trees and drystone walls line his route. The steep hillsides and dramatic views remind Alastair of the humbling power of nature.

Talking about his mental health, Alastair describes the comfort he draws from being out in a landscape and how time in this space can help him focus on what’s really important in life.


WED 20:00 Why the Industrial Revolution Happened Here (b01pz9d6)
Professor Jeremy Black examines one of the most extraordinary periods in British history: the Industrial Revolution. He explains the unique economic, social and political conditions that by the 19th century, led to Britain becoming the richest, most powerful nation on Earth. It was a time that transformed the way people think, work and play forever.

He traces the unprecedented explosion of new ideas and technological inventions that transformed Britain's agricultural society into an increasingly industrial and urbanised one. The documentary explores two fascinating questions - why did the industrial revolution happen when it did, and why did it happen in Britain?

Professor Black discusses the reasons behind this transformation - from Britain's coal reserves, which gave it a seemingly inexhaustible source of power, to the ascendancy of political liberalism, with engineers and industrialists able to meet and share ideas and inventions. He explains the influence that geniuses like Josiah Wedgewood had on the consumer revolution and travels to Antigua to examine the impact Britain's empire had on this extraordinary period of growth.


WED 21:00 Hunt for the Oldest DNA (m0025xx9)
For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. But life’s genetic blueprint is incredibly fragile, and researchers have struggled to find genetic material in fossils that has survived for millions of years. Then, one maverick scientist had the controversial idea of looking for DNA not in fossils or frozen ancient tissue – but in the soil.

This film follows the scientists deciphering the oldest DNA ever found and revealing for the first time the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in warm, lush Arctic landscapes.


WED 22:00 Horizon (m0025xxc)
Life Story: A Horizon Special

It's 1951. There's a race on, and two of the brightest and brashest young men in Cambridge are determined to win it. The prize is glittering. Eternal fame, glory and almost certainly a Nobel prize await whoever is first past the post - for the goal is nothing less than the secret of life itself.

So begins the extraordinary story of the race to the double helix of DNA, one of the greatest true detective stories of the 20th century.
Watson and Crick have the bright ideas and the will to win. But there's one little problem: Rosalind Franklin has the crucial data... and she plays the game by very different rules.


WED 23:45 Storyville (m000dt7d)
The Gene Revolution: Changing Human Nature

The biggest tech revolution of the 21st century isn't digital, it's biological. A breakthrough called CRISPR has given us unprecedented control over the basic building blocks of life. It opens the door to curing diseases, reshaping the biosphere and designing our own children.

This Storyville documentary is a provocative exploration of CRISPR's far-reaching implications, through the eyes of the scientists who discovered it, the families it’s affecting and the bio-engineers who are testing its limits. How will this new power change our relationship with nature? What will it mean for human evolution? To begin to answer these questions, we must look back billions of years and peer into an uncertain future.


WED 01:15 Canals: The Making of a Nation (b06828hz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


WED 01:45 On Camera: Photographers at the BBC (b08jgr3w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Monday]


WED 02:45 Winter Walks (m0012290)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]

THURSDAY 12 DECEMBER 2024

THU 19:00 Winter Walks (m00122hp)
Series 2

Reverend Kate Bottley

The Rev Kate Bottley takes in the historic ruins and snow-dusted landscape of Wensleydale and Coverdale on her Winter Walk. Kate sets off on her walk as the sun rises over the ruins of Jervaulx Abbey. With a 360-degree camera in her hand, she walks along the banks of the River Cover and into the dale of the same name. Passing through woodland she meets local residents who are out braving the chilly conditions.

As she walks, Kate reflects on her faith and relationships. Her journey ends at Middleham Castle, the ruined fortress that was a childhood home of Richard III.


THU 19:30 Winter Walks (m00122hx)
Series 2

Nihal Arthanayake

Nihal Arthanayake, broadcaster and radio DJ, explores coast and countryside around the Cumbria and Lancashire border, and finds local characters, breathtaking views and moments of serenity along the way. As a recent resident of the north west, Nihal is keen to discover what is on his doorstep. Starting in the coastal town of Arnside and looking out over the mudflats of Morecambe Bay, Nihal heads south with just his 360-degree camera for company.

The quiet and stillness of his walk gives him time to ‘declutter’ his mind and reflect on the importance of solitude. Along the way, Nihal passes Arnside Tower and crosses the border into Lancashire. Views from the top of Arnside Knott and from hidden coves on the Silverdale coast showcase the beauty of this corner of the country, and give Nihal fresh perspectives on his work and relationships.


THU 20:00 Mrs Brown (b0078lkb)
Dramatisation of one of history's most unusual love stories. Queen Victoria is grieving over her husband's death and finds herself unable to carry out public duties. John Brown is summoned from Balmoral to walk the Queen's pony in the hope that she will start to become herself again. The confident Highlander displays a distinct lack of respect for court protocol and quickly becomes the Queen's most trusted companion.


THU 21:40 Philomena (b03ttndm)
Drama recounting the true story of Philomena Lee, a Catholic woman who gives birth out of wedlock in 1950s Ireland. Abandoned by her family, she is forced to live in an abbey, where the nuns sell her infant child for adoption. Philomena keeps her secret for 50 years before eventually enlisting the help of jaded journalist Martin Sixsmith in tracking down her estranged son.


THU 23:10 Parkinson (p00p13h1)
Billy Connolly and Sir David Attenborough

First transmitted in 1998, Michael Parkinson's guests are Billy Connolly, who talks about his flourishing acting career and how he used an apple to try to help him sleep better, and Sir David Attenborough, who tells anecdotes about the sex life of the penduline tit and explains how a carrion crow uses traffic lights and the wheel of a lorry to crack walnuts.


THU 00:05 The Importance of Being Earnest (b0074tp4)
Screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde's celebrated play in which two Victorian gentlemen both adopt a double identity under the name of Ernest and end up in trouble when they both turn up at the same country house one weekend.


THU 01:30 Winter Walks (m00122hp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


THU 02:00 Winter Walks (m00122hx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]


THU 02:30 Why the Industrial Revolution Happened Here (b01pz9d6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Wednesday]

FRIDAY 13 DECEMBER 2024

FRI 19:00 Top of the Pops (m000qpgf)
Christmas Special 1995

Bjork and Jack Dee introduce the biggest-selling songs of 1995, plus the Christmas Day Number One.


FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (b06qy9l5)
Richard Skinner presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 11 December 1980 and featuring Adam and the Ants, Showaddywaddy, Madness, The Stray Cats, Status Quo, Queen, Blondie, The Police, St. Winifred's School Choir and ABBA. Guests include Gary Numan, and there's a dance performance from Legs & Co.


FRI 20:40 Top of the Pops (m0011myd)
Tony Dortie and Claudia Simon present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 12 December 1991 and featuring Cathy Dennis, Digital, Cliff Richard, Kym Sims, Salt 'N' Pepa, Right Said Fred, Martika, and George Michael and Elton John.


FRI 21:10 George Michael: Live in London (m001n435)
The former Wham! frontman, George Michael, is filmed at his final two concerts at London's Earls Court arena on 24 and 25 August 2008 in front of 40,000 screaming fans.

Part of his 25 Live tour, the shows marked a triumphant return to live performance for the singer, with the songs featured including Careless Whisper, Faith, Fast Love, Jesus to a Child and I'm Your Man, drawn from every stage of his career.


FRI 23:20 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 01:20 Top of the Pops (m000qpgf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]


FRI 02:20 Top of the Pops (b06qy9l5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]


FRI 03:00 Top of the Pops (m0011myd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:40 today]