SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2025

SUN 19:00 Wildlife on One (b007cklf)
Beavers: The Master Builders?

David Attenborough narrates a documentary on beavers.

One of nature's most industrious animals, beavers divert rivers, fell trees and build log cabins. But unlike humans, any one beaver can embody all the skills of a lumberjack, a carpenter, an architect, a surveyor and a hydro-engineer.

SUN 19:15 Around the World in 80 Gardens (b008yxz0)
India

Monty Don visits the world's 80 most inspiring gardens. In India, Monty visits the majestic tomb gardens of the Mughal emperors and the pleasure gardens of the Hindu Maharajahs. He looks at the quaintly British gardens of tea country and visits the famous architectural gardens at the Taj Mahal. Finally, Monty visits a little-known rock and sculpture garden. It was created in secret by one man out of found objects and rubbish, and it turns out to be Monty's favourite Indian garden.

SUN 20:15 BBC Proms (m0022vt7)
2024

The Magic of Mozart at the Proms

The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and more in a concert of smash hits celebrating one of the greatest composers of all time. Ensemble Resonanz make their Proms debut on the Royal Albert Hall stage, conducted by Riccardo Minasi. Expect the unexpected!

Katie Derham presents, joined by special guest Sheila Hancock.

SUN 22:00 Life of a Mountain (m000rpmf)
A Year on Helvellyn

This spectacular film features a year in the life of the Lake District National Park’s most popular peak, Helvellyn. Three years in the making, award-winning film-maker Terry Abraham’s photography captures the beauty of the Lakeland fells and wildlife through the seasons and the insights of those that live by, care for and visit the mountain.

Sharing their wide-ranging expertise and passion for the peak, the film’s contributors create a picture of Helvellyn that combines nature, adventure sports, art, survival and history, and features an exhilarating RAF low-level fighter plane flight through its stunning and much-loved landscape.

This is the final instalment in Terry Abraham’s popular Lake District trilogy. His other two films feature Scafell Pike and Blencathra.

SUN 23:30 Britain's Lost Waterlands: Escape to Swallows and Amazons Country (b07k18jf)
Documentary which follows presenters Dick Strawbridge and Alice Roberts as they explore the spectacular British landscapes that inspired children's author Arthur Ransome to write his series Swallows and Amazons.

The landscapes he depicted are based on three iconic British waterlands. The beauty and drama of the Lake District shaped by ancient glaciers and rich in wildlife and natural resources, the shallow man-made waterways of the Norfolk broads so crucial to farming and reed production, and the coastal estuaries and deep-water harbours of the Suffolk coastline shaped by ferocious tides and crucial to trade.

Engineer and keen sailor Dick uses vintage boats to explore the landscapes and meet people whose lives are shaped by the water, while wildlife enthusiast Alice explores the rich shorelines, interrogating the underlying geography and meeting the wildlife. Together they evoke the nostalgia of Ransome's writing and a bygone era of childhood freedom and adventure, but they also explore the economic significance of these special locations and the ways in which water was harnessed to change the course of British history.

SUN 00:30 Genius of the Ancient World (b065gv2m)
Socrates

Historian Bettany Hughes is in Greece, on the trail of the hugely influential maverick thinker Socrates, who was executed for his beliefs.

SUN 01:30 The Story of Welsh Art (p097c1qm)
Series 1

Episode 2

Scrambling up the side of one of Wales's highest and most rugged mountains, Huw Stephens retraces the steps of Richard Wilson, an 18th-century artist who changed the course of art history. Bringing harmony and beauty to a terrain previously dismissed as 'God’s rubbish tip', he transformed the way Wales was seen by the world. As Huw discovers, he was not the last to do so – JMW Turner first visited Wales aged 17 and would return many times, painting untamed landscapes filled with romance and emotion.

As the 19th century progressed, a very different Wales became the focus of art. In Merthyr Tydfil, once the iron capital of the world, Huw discovers the work of Penry Williams, a local artist who was commissioned to paint the vast Cyfarthfa Ironworks in all their cathedral-like grandeur and glory. As art and industry collided, the people who did the back-breaking work were depicted for the first time.

SUN 02:30 Around the World in 80 Gardens (b008yxz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:15 today]

MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2025

MON 19:00 Earth's Natural Wonders (p02m63cs)
Series 1

Extreme Wonders

Across our planet, there are a handful of places that truly astonish, like Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon and Victoria Falls. These wonders seem to have little in common other than - literally - taking your breath away. But they share one other thing: they pose extraordinary challenges for their inhabitants.

This landmark series combines stunning photography and compelling human drama as it reveals twelve remarkable places. And it uncovers the stories of people fighting to survive - and even triumph - in earth's natural wonders.

MON 20:00 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000s4q2)
Series 5

Tatton Park

Bendor Grosvenor and Emma Dabiri travel to the grand Georgian mansion of Tatton Park in Cheshire, where Bendor has spotted a mysterious portrait of a 16th-century physician in its collection. Initially he wonders if the work might be by mannerist painter Parmigianino, but once the restoration is underway, and after examining other works by the Renaissance master, he is forced to abandon this idea and start again.

Emma explores the story of the man who bought the portrait, Wilbraham, the first Earl Egerton of Tatton, whose social climbing saw him turn the mansion into a marvel of luxury and won him an aristocratic title. Meanwhile Bendor, who is still confused by who the artist might be, is inspired by a chance remark from restorer Simon Gillespie. This new lead prompts a trip to Rome and Florence, which finally confirms an attribution for the painting and ultimately reveals the subject to be a well-known Renaissance anatomist. This prompts Emma to investigate the symbiotic relationship between art and anatomy.

MON 21:00 Call My Bluff (m002jy3t)
Patrick Campbell, Hannah Gordon and Charles Gray face Frank Muir, Angela Rippon and Tim Rice in a duel of words and wit, refereed by Robert Robinson.

MON 21:30 Face the Music (m002jy3w)
Joseph Cooper invites viewers to match their musical wits against Valerie Pitts, David Attenborough and Tony Lewis. Featuring guest musician Steuart Bedford.

MON 22:00 Remembers... (m002jy3y)
Anthony Wall Remembers... Arena

When Anthony Wall, a young music journalist and radio trainee, joined the BBC Arena team in 1978, he had no idea what lasting impact this documentary arts strand would have on his life and career.

Under the guidance of series editor Alan Yentob and working alongside director Nigel Finch, films such as My Way, Desert Island Discs and The Private Life of the Ford Cortina would breathe new life into arts programming in the UK.

Anthony looks back fondly on his time on Arena, from producer to series editor, and celebrates the films and people that made it groundbreaking, unmissable, unforgettable TV.

MON 22:15 Arena (b0074lx2)
My Way

An investigation of the appeal and power of the popular song My Way, which was written by Paul Anka and recorded by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Elvis Presley and Sid Vicious. Contributors include Paul Anka, George Brown, Barry John and Dorothy Squires.

MON 22:50 Arena (b01dw5kb)
The Dreams of William Golding

A documentary that reveals the extraordinary life of one of the greatest English writers of the 20th century.

With unprecedented access to the unpublished diaries in which Golding recorded his dreams, the film penetrates deep into his private obsessions and insecurities.

His daughter Judy and son David both speak frankly about their father's demons, and the film follows Golding from the impoverished schoolmaster whose first novel, Lord of the Flies, was published when he was 43 years old, to his winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1983.

Other contributors include Golding's biographer John Carey, philosopher John Gray, writer Nigel Williams, the dean of Salisbury Cathedral, the Very Rev June Osborne and best-selling author Stephen King.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who starred in the 2004 BBC adaptation of Golding's sea trilogy To the Ends of the Earth, reads extracts from his books.

MON 00:20 Arena (m002jy41)
The Banana

Programme exploring the cultural significance of the banana.

The Velvet Underground's John Cale tells the story behind Andy Warhol's famous LP cover, Auberon Waugh and John Walters recall their first encounters with the fruit after the war, and footballer Brendan Batson considers how they became a symbol of racism hurled from the terraces.

MON 01:20 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000s4q2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]

MON 02:20 Face the Music (m002jy3w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:30 today]

MON 02:50 Earth's Natural Wonders (p02m63cs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]

TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2025

TUE 19:00 Earth's Natural Wonders (b065hhsp)
Series 1

Vast Wonders

Across our planet, there are a handful of places that truly astonish, like Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon and Victoria Falls. These wonders seem to have little in common other than - literally - taking your breath away. But they share one other thing: they pose extraordinary challenges for their inhabitants.

This landmark series combines stunning photography and compelling human drama as it reveals 12 remarkable places, and uncovers the stories of people fighting to survive - and even triumph - in earth's natural wonders.

TUE 20:00 The Good Life (b007814m)
Series 4

Our Speaker Today

Barbara gets Margo out of a fix when a speaker at her society lets her down. Barbara gives a talk about self-sufficiency at Margo's women's group. It's so successful, she finds herself in great demand. Meanwhile, a shorthanded Tom accidentally lets the chickens out, and Lenin the cockerel ends up on the bus to Kingston.

TUE 20:25 Yes Minister (b0074rnd)
Series 3

The Middle-Class Rip-Off

Jim Hacker supports the sale of an art gallery, which will help fund his ailing local football club. Sir Humphrey is horrified.

TUE 20:55 Natural World (m00157r7)
Short Versions

Africa's Lion Kings

A pride of lions has rewritten the rules - they have learnt to take down elephants.

TUE 21:00 Great Railway Journeys (p03rdrdk)
Series 2

Michael Palin: Derry to Kerry

Michael Palin travels through Northern Ireland and Ireland and finds out more about his Irish ancestors, experiences the 'peace train' from Belfast to Dublin and visits Cork.

TUE 22:00 Michael Palin: The Art of Travel (m001k9mf)
Series 1

LNER

Michael Palin takes his golf clubs to St Andrews on a journey up the 'drier side of Britain', where the London North Eastern Railway's publicity department of the 1920s and 1930s promoted an industrial service alongside more familiar holiday resorts and the glamour of fast trains.

TUE 22:10 Comic Roots (p0h31mv0)
Series 2

Michael Palin

Michael Palin looks back in languor at his meteoric rise to stardom with the help of his mum, his old geography teacher, Spike Milligan, Terry Jones, the boy next door and DP Gumby.

TUE 22:35 Storyville (m001llf2)
Attica: America’s Bloodiest Prison Uprising

A Storyville documentary about the violent five-day standoff between inmates and law enforcement which gripped America in 1971.

TUE 00:30 Dan Cruickshank and the Family That Built Gothic Britain (b04m3ljr)
As good as any Dickens novel, this is the triumphant and tragic story of the greatest architectural dynasty of the 19th century. Dan Cruickshank charts the rise of Sir George Gilbert Scott to the very heights of success, the fall of his son George Junior and the rise again of his grandson Giles. It is a story of architects bent on a mission to rebuild Britain. From the Romantic heights of the Midland Hotel at St Pancras station to the modern image of Bankside power station (now Tate Modern), this is the story of a family that shaped the Victorian age and left a giant legacy.

TUE 01:30 Great Railway Journeys (p03rdrdk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 21:00 today]

TUE 02:25 Earth's Natural Wonders (b065hhsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]

WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2025

WED 19:00 Tornado: The 100mph Steam Engine (b08rb16k)
A documentary, first broadcast in 2017, in which the A1 class steam engine Tornado, financed by enthusiasts and completed in 2008, tries to achieve 100mph on the main line. If successful, it would be the first time that a steam locomotive had gone that fast in 50 years.

WED 19:30 The Return of the Flying Scotsman (b073c7r0)
After a ten-year restoration, we follow the Flying Scotsman, the world's most famous steam engine, as it returns to the tracks.

It's a locomotive legend. Whether people are interested in steam engines or not, everybody seems to love the Scotsman; it's simply a national treasure. A steel celebrity, a media darling... and after a painstaking restoration that has cost over four million pounds, the Scotsman is finally coming home to York.

There is going to be a real welcome back for the 93-year-old engine with its inaugural run from King's Cross Station in London, pulling a trainload of enthusiasts and supporters 200 miles north on the mainline. It is a triumphant return to the museum - and to a city synonymous with steam.

We are on board the train for its final test runs on the East Lancashire Railway and the scenic Settle-Carlisle railway, across Ribblehead Viaduct, before climbing on board for the inaugural trip. With cameras on the footplate, we capture the exhilaration, the excitement and the sheer hard work required to keep Scotsman on the line.

We join the celebrations - talking to historians, fans and enthusiasts about the engine... and marvel at how the Flying Scotsman has captured the imagination of so many people across the world since it first came to life in Doncaster in 1923.

The programme is narrated by John Shrapnel.

WED 20:00 Flying Scotsman from the Footplate (b087k5rf)
Another chance to enjoy the view from the driving seat of the world's most famous steam locomotive as Flying Scotsman travels the length of the Severn Valley Railway.

Special 'cab cameras' and microphones capture all the action from the footplate. Viewers can appreciate the evocative sound of steam transportation as this magnificent engine attracts crowds from far and wide.

Veteran driver Roger Norfolk and fireman Ryan Green guide Scotsman on the leisurely journey through the countryside of the English midlands, from Bridgnorth in Shropshire to Kidderminster in Worcestershire. Hundreds of enthusiasts also watch and wave from platforms, bridges and surrounding fields.

WED 21:00 Ian Hislop Goes off the Rails (b00drtpj)
Ian Hislop brings his customary humour, analysis and wit to the notorious Beeching Report of 1963, which led to the closure of a third of the nation's railway lines and stations and forced tens of thousands of people into the car and onto the road.

Was author Dr Richard Beeching little more than Genghis Khan with a slide rule, ruthlessly hacking away at Britain's rail network in a misguided quest for profitability, or was he the fall guy for short-sighted government policies that favoured the car over the train?

Ian also investigates the fallout of Beeching's plan, discovering what was lost to the British landscape, communities and ways of life when the railway map shrank, and recalls the halcyon days of train travel, celebrated by John Betjeman.

Ian travels from Cornwall to the Scottish borders, meeting those responsible and those affected and questioning whether such brutal measures could be justified. Knowing what we know now, with trains far more energy efficient and environmentally sound than cars, perhaps Beeching's plan was the biggest folly of the 1960s?

WED 22:00 Remembers... (m002jy3h)
Waris Hussein Remembers... The Clothes in the Wardrobe

The Clothes in the Wardrobe is a tale of contrasts: Egypt and Croydon, love and religion, conformity and liberation. Adapted from the Alice Thomas Ellis novel by Martin Sherman and directed by Waris Hussein,

Waris talks about his memories of making it - being starstruck at getting to work with Jeanne Moreau and revelling in the chance of directing actors of the calibre of Joan Plowright, Julie Walters, David Threlfall and a pre Game of Thrones Lena Headey. He tells us of having to find last-minute locations in Egypt when those originally chosen looked like a Pinewood set with a palm tree, of the joy in watching Moreau and Plowright act being drunk and how he brought out the subversive humour.

Over 30 years on from its first showing, Waris talks about the power of choice that the story represents, as relevant now as it ever was.

WED 22:15 Screen Two (m002jm1q)
The Clothes in the Wardrobe

England 1950s. Nineteen-year-old Margaret is unhappily about to marry a dull middle-aged man. As the wedding draws closer, the guests arrive, including the free-spirited Lili, who forms an unholy alliance with the groom's mother, determined to ruin the wedding.

Drama based on the Summerhouse Trilogy novels by Alice Thomas Ellis.

WED 23:35 Timeshift (b0103pnb)
Series 10

Crime and Punishment: The Story of Corporal Punishment

Timeshift lifts the veil on the taboo that is corporal punishment. What it reveals is a fascinating history spanning religion, the justice system, sex and education. Today it is a subject that is almost impossible to discuss in public, but it's not that long since corporal punishment was a routine part of life. Surprising and enlightening, the programme invites us to leave our preconceptions at the door so that we may better understand how corporal punishment came to be so important for so long.

WED 00:35 Tornado: The 100mph Steam Engine (b08rb16k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]

WED 01:05 The Return of the Flying Scotsman (b073c7r0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]

WED 01:35 Flying Scotsman from the Footplate (b087k5rf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]

WED 02:35 Dan Cruickshank and the Family That Built Gothic Britain (b04m3ljr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 00:30 on Tuesday]

THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2025

THU 19:00 The Railway Children (b018jv82)
1904, England. When their father is mysteriously arrested, the Waterbury children and their mother downsize and move to the Yorkshire countryside. Bobbie, Phyllis and Peter discover the local steam railway, and on their adventures, they befriend the station porter, Mr Perks, and try to discover the truth about their father.

Lionel Jeffries's beloved film version of ES Nesbit's classic book.

THU 20:45 Big Screen Britain: The Railway Children (m002jy3n)
Ben Fogle travels to West Yorkshire with actress Sally Thomsett to visit the locations of key scenes from the classic 1970 film The Railway Children.

THU 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.

THU 22:00 Carrie (m002jwvv)
Sensitive teen Carrie is repressed by her mother and ridiculed by her classmates, who make her life a misery. But unbeknown to them, Carrie has special powers. Horror based on Stephen King's novel.

THU 23:35 The Elephant Man (m000hrgj)
In 1884, an ambitious young surgeon is intrigued by a sideshow freak billed as the Elephant Man. He finds, behind the disfigured exhibit, an intelligent person whose rehabilitation he undertakes.

THU 01:35 Q.E.D. (p00fz4xm)
Series 20

The True Story of the Elephant Man

Using exclusive access to Joseph Merrick's case history and medical notes, this programme traces the story of the so-called Elephant Man's life, from his birth in Leicester to his premature death in the London Hospital.

THU 02:25 Talking Pictures (b08g8lsh)
John Hurt

A look back at the life and work of Sir John Hurt, one of Britain's acting greats, whose career spanned six decades and took in over 100 films.

In a selection of rarely seen interviews, we find John discussing some of his most iconic screen creations - most notably Quentin Crisp from The Naked Civil Servant, John Merrick from The Elephant Man and Max from Midnight Express. The conversations also cover John's personal perspective on the craft of acting, the tragedy that claimed the life of the woman he planned marry and his reputation for being a hard-drinking hellraiser - which he felt was largely undeserved.

Narrated by Sylvia Syms.

THU 02:55 Arena (b0074lx2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 22:15 on Monday]

FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2025

FRI 19:00 Top of the Pops (m002jy43)
Jamie Theakston presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 25 June 1998 and featuring Fat Les, Tina Arena, Imajin, Dana International, Karen Ramirez, Lighthouse Family, B*witched, Lionel Richie and Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds.

FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (m002jy45)
Kate Thornton presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 3 July 1998 and featuring Eagle-Eye Cherry, Hanson, Space, 911, Ultra, Aaron Carter, Beastie Boys and Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds.

FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (b04jy45x)
Mike Read presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 20 September 1979 and featuring The Starjets, The Jags, Kate Bush, Madness, The Bellamy Brothers, The Tourists, The Police, Sad Cafe, Rainbow and Gary Numan and dance sequences by Legs & Co.

FRI 20:30 Top of the Pops (m000jjjc)
Nicky Campbell presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 21 September 1989 and featuring S'Express, London Boys and The Wonder Stuff.

FRI 21:00 BBC Proms (m002jy48)
2025

St. Vincent at the Proms

The multiple Grammy Award-winning singer joins a full orchestra for this one-off gig at the Royal Albert Hall, with incredible new arrangements of some of her most-loved songs.

St. Vincent is musician Annie Clark, whose artistry is in full hypnotic flow in this one-off spectacular. Conductor and arranger Jules Buckley brings the full might of his 60-strong orchestra to revel in other-wordly new arrangements of songs from seven St. Vincent albums. Rachel Eckroth co-arranges and plays keyboards amongst the ensemble. A night of wonder and inimitable artistry which had the audience spellbound.

FRI 22:40 Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry at the BBC (m001bvn3)
Enjoy the Thrill of It All and Dance Away the evening for this dive into the BBC’s archives to look over some of the finest performances from both Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry.

As a band, they were innovative, helping create the look and sound of the 1970s, and Ferry’s solo career saw him hit new heights as the embodiment of sophisticated cool. Amongst the hits included are classics like Do The Strand, Avalon, Slave to Love and In Every Dream Home a Heartache... but the programme covers their entire careers, so do prepare for More than This.

FRI 23:40 BBC One Sessions (b007ckqy)
Bryan Ferry

Series of unique, intimate performances by some of the greatest legends and contemporary stars around.

Bryan Ferry is in concert at LSO St Luke's in Shoreditch, performing classic Roxy Music tunes plus solo tracks from his back catalogue, including Let's Stick Together, Avalon and More Than This. He also debuts tracks from his album of Bob Dylan covers, Dylanesque, his interpretation of songs such as Simple Twist of Fate, Positively 4th Street and Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues.

FRI 00:30 Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music: A Musical History (b0bt8x9w)
Documentary exploring the music of rock band Roxy Music, who have a good claim to be one of the UK's most influential bands. Led by charismatic front man Bryan Ferry, their striking style and great songs won them an army of fans who would go on to make their own mark in the world of music.

In this celebration of the music of both Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music, insights and anecdotes are provided by household names from Sadie Frost to Glenn Gregory & Martyn Ware, Gaz Coombes, New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert, Shaun Ryder and Alan McGee, Ana Matronic and more.

Formed in 1971, Roxy Music was the brain child of art student Bryan Ferry. His advert in Melody Maker gathered the initial line-up which included guitarist Phil Manzanera, saxophonist Andy Mackay, keyboard player Brian Eno and drummer Paul Thompson.

Pioneers of glam, their outlandish fashion sense, songwriting and pioneering use of electronics created a glorious package. Punk, New Wave and New Romantic music owe a huge debt to Bryan and Roxy Music.

Style is one thing, but the substance was reflected in a catalogue of classic songs - combined they create an enduring legacy which is celebrated in a golden hour of their greatest hits.

FRI 01:30 Top of the Pops (m002jy43)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 today]

FRI 02:05 Top of the Pops (m002jy45)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:30 today]

FRI 02:35 Top of the Pops (b04jy45x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 today]

FRI 03:05 Top of the Pops (m000jjjc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:30 today]