SATURDAY 24 JANUARY 2026
SAT 19:00 Meet the Ancestors (b0074lbw)
Series 2
Warrior
Archaeologist Julian Richards visits a team working on one of the most impressive Anglo-Saxon graveyards ever discovered, on a US air force base in Suffolk. A warrior is discovered buried beside his horse, encircled by graves holding children, some buried with full-size weapons. As the bones and grave goods are removed and analysed, Julian takes a journey back 1,400 years to find out about the warrior's life.
SAT 19:30 The Flying Gardener (b007qgmq)
Series 1 Shorts
Hampshire Garden
Chris Beardshaw visits Hampshire to find out the best way to get summer colour into the garden.
SAT 19:50 The Good Old Days (b06wrjvt)
Leonard Sachs presents the old-time music hall programme from the City Varieties Theatre, Leeds. Featuring Beryl Reid, Roy Castle, Lorna Dallas, Gino Donati and the Valla Bertini.
SAT 20:35 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (p05b5tzq)
Series 1
Widdershins
A letter informs Robert that his Uncle Albert has been found dead from an apparent suicide. Hetty finds the circumstances suspicious and begins to suspect witchcraft was involved.
SAT 21:25 Blackshore (m002q7df)
Series 1
Episode 3
The murder victim's daughter is missing, and Fia is in a race against time. A press conference erupts into allegations of her father’s involvement in another case 20 years ago.
SAT 22:20 Blackshore (m002q7dk)
Series 1
Episode 4
As the past and present begin to merge, Fia uncovers the truth behind the abuse of a number of young women in the town. But the discovery of a body in the lake – there for over 20 years – points to a deeper and darker collusion in the town.
SAT 23:10 Angelou on Burns (m0013vcs)
African American writer and poet Maya Angelou goes on a pilgrimage to Burns Country in Scotland.
She is welcomed to Ayrshire by a group of Burnsians who hold a party in her honour to celebrate Rabbie Burns's genius. They sing his songs and read his poems, while Angelou, in return, performs one of her own works.
Originally broadcast to commemorate the bicentenary of Burns's death in 1996, it is an evening where a shared passion for the Scottish bard creates a unique atmosphere.
SAT 00:00 Robert Burns: The People's Poet (b00h6s23)
Writer Andrew O'Hagan asks what made Robert Burns one of the world's favourite poets, as Scotland celebrates the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of its most famous sons. He travels through the landscape of modern Scotland in a poetic journey to the places that inspired Burns and to discover the story of his wild and dramatic life.
SAT 01:30 Yes, Prime Minister (b0074rxz)
Series 2
Official Secrets
Jim Hacker's predecessor is publishing his memoirs and must be cleared by the PM's office for security reasons. One chapter shows Hacker in a very bad light - but has he got grounds for refusing to publish?
SAT 02:00 Yes, Prime Minister (b0074rz4)
Series 2
A Diplomatic Incident
Classic political sitcom. When Jim Hacker discovers the French are planning some dirty tricks to get political advantage, the PM turns the tables on them.
SAT 02:30 Meet the Ancestors (b0074lbw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
SAT 03:00 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (p05b5tzq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:35 today]
SUNDAY 25 JANUARY 2026
SUN 19:00 Inside Classical (m002qlxv)
Series 4
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at 90
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 90th birthday from their home at City Halls in Glasgow, with a very special concert presented by Tom Service.
World-renowned pianist Sir Stephen Hough performs Edvard Grieg’s only completed piece for soloist and orchestra, his iconic and much-loved Piano Concerto in A minor.
The orchestra continues to champion new music with a world premiere by one of the country's most exciting and fearless composers, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, who is known for crossing musical boundaries and successfully combining her classical training with contemporary styles like R&B and soul. She has written a brand new work called Bacchanale to mark the occasion.
To finish the concert, the National Youth Choir of Scotland and soloists Pumeza Matshikiza, Beth Taylor, John Findon and Ashley Riches join the orchestra for Michael Tippett’s epic oratorio A Child of Our Time. It is one of the 20th century's most visionary pieces, composed in pain, protest and empathy as the Second World War raged in Europe. It was Tippett’s response to the Nazi genocide of the Jews, and his music is a never-more-relevant plea for compassion, understanding and peace in our own time.
SUN 21:05 Mysteries of the Bayeux Tapestry (m0015nnc)
The Bayeux Tapestry is a remarkable and unique work of art that has survived for almost 1,000 years. Made in the 11th century, it tells the story of William of Normandy’s claim to the English throne, culminating in the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings.
Surprisingly for an object of its size, the Bayeux Tapestry is not mentioned in any contemporary records. So where does it come from? Who made it and why? Archaeologists, historians, biologists, anthropologists and even astrophysicists are unlocking some of the tapestry’s mysteries to understand better the story it tells us about England and France at that time.
At nearly 70 metres in length, the Bayeux Tapestry includes 623 characters, hundreds of animals and a wide diversity of scenes depicting everyday life and epic events. It is a treasure trove of information, offering an extraordinary insight into a pivotal moment in history.
SUN 22:05 Ibsen (p0102ynt)
Ghosts
The 1987 adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play explores the hypocrisy of middle-class Victorian society.
SUN 23:50 Ibsen (m002q87v)
Summer in Gossensass
'To the May sun of a September life', wrote Henrik Ibsen on the photograph of himself that he gave to 19-year-old Emilie Bardach in Gossensass in September 1889.
This is a documentary about the sixty-second year in the life of the great Norwegian dramatist.
SUN 00:50 The Read (m0027pdf)
Series 3
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: The Read with Reece Shearsmith
Who is the real monster? Robert Louis Stevenson’s defining gothic horror explores alter egos in this captivating narration that reimagines the 19th-century classic.
The story follows Utterson, a lawyer in London, who investigates strange occurrences involving his friend Dr Henry Jekyll and a sinister figure named Mr Edward Hyde. Utterson learns that Jekyll has written a will leaving everything to Hyde, which raises his suspicions.
As the plot unfolds, it is revealed that Jekyll has been experimenting with a potion that transforms him into Hyde, allowing him to indulge in immoral acts without guilt. However, Hyde’s actions become increasingly violent, culminating in the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. Jekyll struggles to control his transformations, and eventually, Hyde’s personality begins to dominate.
SUN 01:55 Munro: Mountain Man (b00mwgyq)
Little more than 100 years ago, Scottish mountains standing at more than 3,000 feet were virtually unknown. Today they are familiar terrain to many thousands of climbers, thanks to Victorian adventurer Hugh Munro's determination to list the high peaks which now define the highlands and islands of Scotland.
This documentary tells the story of the magnificent peaks that bear his name and the people who have been possessed by them.
The birth of this obsession - now known as Munrobagging - is a twisting tale of intrigue, which presenter Nicholas Crane unravels high on the ridges and pinnacles of some of Scotland's most spectacular mountains.
SUN 02:55 Mysteries of the Bayeux Tapestry (m0015nnc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:05 today]
MONDAY 26 JANUARY 2026
MON 19:00 Wild China (b00brvjx)
Shangri-La
Documentary that showcases pioneering images capturing the dazzling array of mysterious creatures that live in China's most beautiful landscapes. Beneath billowing clouds, in China's far south west, rich jungles nestle below towering peaks. Jewel-coloured birds and ancient tribes share forested valleys where wild elephants still roam. How do these forests exist? Perhaps the rugged landscape holds the key.
MON 20:00 Art of Persia (m000kbnz)
Series 1
Episode 2
Broadcaster and journalist Samira Ahmed takes viewers on a remarkable journey to places rarely seen, as she travels through Iran, telling the story of a complex and fascinating people, their culture and their history.
Samira gives a remarkable account of the clash between two powerful civilisations and explains how Iran preserved its distinctive language and culture despite the Arab conquest of Persia in AD651. From Zoroastrian fire temples to the fabled bazaars of Aladdin and an ancient magical storybook that became Iran’s national myth, this second episode in the series reveals how the country has proudly held onto its Persian identity, art and literature to this day.
MON 21:00 Call My Bluff (m002qlyp)
Robert Robinson hosts the game of word definitions and deceptions. Team captains Frank Muir and Patrick Campbell are joined by guests Jenny Agutter, Tim Rice, Sinead Cusak and Nigel Dempster.
MON 21:30 Face the Music (m002qlyr)
Joseph Cooper invites viewers to test their musical wits against Camilla Jessel, Robin Ray and Edward Boyle. With guest musician Mitsuko Uchida.
MON 22:00 Horizon (p0327fp0)
2016
Tim Peake Special: How to Be an Astronaut
In December 2015, Tim Peake became Britain’s first astronaut on board the International Space Station. For two years, he had been filming a video diary for Horizon as he prepared to leave. From family life to the rigorous training, this is an intimate portrait and remarkable insight into the world of an astronaut.
MON 23:00 8 Days: To the Moon and Back (m0006p5f)
Eight days, three hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds. That is the total duration of the most important and celebrated space mission ever flown - Apollo 11 - when humans first set foot on the moon. It was a journey that changed the way we think about our place in the universe. But we only saw a fraction of what happened - a handful of iconic stills and a few precious hours of movie footage. Now, it is time to discover the full story.
Previously classified cockpit audio, recorded by the astronauts themselves, gives a unique insight into their fears and excitement as they undertake the mission. And dramatic reconstruction brings those recordings to life, recreating the crucial scenes that were never filmed - the exhilarating launch, the first sight of the moon, the dramatic touchdown and nail-biting journey home. Original archive footage from the Apollo programme is combined with newly shot film and cinematic CGI to create the ultimate documentary of the ultimate human adventure.
MON 00:30 Man in Space (p01z4mj0)
First transmitted in 1966, Horizon reports from the spacecraft centre in Houston, Texas, about the experiences of the astronaut; how he reacts to being in space and the stresses of launching and re-entry.
MON 01:10 Face the Music (m002qlyr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:30 today]
MON 01:40 Horizon (p0327fp0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
MON 02:40 Art of Persia (m000kbnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
TUESDAY 27 JANUARY 2026
TUE 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m001n4cr)
Series 14
Wakefield to Leeds
From Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Michael visits the National Coal Mining Museum for England at Caphouse Colliery. He pauses to admire the tall spire of Wakefield Cathedral and its resident peregrine falcons before heading to the banks of the River Calder. In a vast factory, he finds the headquarters of a shirt manufacturer, Double Two, a pioneering wartime business co-founded by a Jewish refugee from Austria.
In Leeds, Michael heads for the Chapeltown area to investigate the origins of the Leeds West Indian Carnival in 1967 and try his hand on the steel drums. In the city's Harehills district, he admires the back-to-back houses once condemned as slums but now highly prized for their character and community.
TUE 19:30 Wainwright Walks (b007x53d)
Series 2
Helm Crag
Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the Lake District landscape that inspired the great British fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guidebooks.
Julia is in the village of Grasmere for a climb up Helm Crag, defined by the collection of rock formations at its summit - a feature that has lent it the nickname of the Lion and the Lamb. The rocks make for a summit scramble for Julia as she finds out why this was the only summit Wainwright never reached.
TUE 20:00 Yes, Prime Minister (b0074s27)
Series 2
A Conflict of Interest
Classic sitcom. When a scandal breaks in the City, Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey cannot agree on who should be the new governor of the Bank of England.
TUE 20:30 Yes, Prime Minister (b0074s2b)
Series 2
Power to the People
Classic political sitcom. Jim Hacker meets a local councillor who has radical ideas about local government. The PM likes what he hears, unlike Sir Humphrey.
TUE 21:00 Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell (b01t03ky)
Thomas Cromwell has gone down in history as one of the most corrupt and manipulative ruffians ever to hold power in England. A chief minister who used his position to smash the Roman Catholic church in England and loot the monasteries for his own gain. A man who used torture to bring about the execution of the woman who had once been his friend and supporter - Anne Boleyn.
Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor of the history of the church at Oxford University, reveals a very different image of Cromwell. The award-winning novels of Hilary Mantel began the revival of Cromwell's reputation, and now Professor MacCulloch presents Henry VIII's chief minister as a principled and pioneering statesman who was driven by radical evangelism.
Cromwell's extraordinary career blossomed after a childhood marked by poverty and violence. The unschooled son of a brewer, he travelled across Europe as a young man and mysteriously taught himself to speak several languages in addition to accounting and knowledge of the law. When Henry VIII failed to persuade the pope to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Cromwell engineered an incredible solution. Using his political skills, he persuaded Parliament and the people to accept a mythological rewriting of the history of England in which the English monarch was as an emperor whose power superseded that of the pope.
Professor MacCulloch describes Cromwell as an evangelical reformer, determined to break the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church and introduce the people of England to a new type of Christianity in which each individual makes direct contact with God.
TUE 22:00 Philip Larkin and the Third Woman (b00wcqvb)
Former poet laureate Sir Andrew Motion discovers an unseen and unpublished poem by Philip Larkin when he returns to Hull to meet one of the poet's former lovers. Speaking for the first time about her relationship with Larkin, Betty Mackereth reveals the man behind the famous poems.
TUE 22:30 The Great American Buffalo (m001v85d)
Series 1
Episode 1
For thousands of years, America’s national mammal numbered in the tens of millions, sustaining the Native people of the Great Plains, whose cultures became spiritually intertwined with the animal. By the 1880s, the buffalo had been driven to the brink of extinction by newcomers to the continent. Ken Burns recounts this collision.
TUE 00:25 Great British Railway Journeys (m001n4cr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
TUE 00:55 Wainwright Walks (b007x53d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
TUE 01:25 Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell (b01t03ky)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
TUE 02:25 Wild China (b00brvjx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 2026
WED 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m001n4lb)
Series 14
Bradford to Hebden Bridge
Michael Portillo continues his postwar exploration of north west England in Bradford, Shipley and Hebden Bridge.
In Centenary Square in Bradford, Michael encounters Bradford’s literary giant JB Priestley, author of An Inspector Calls. In the Bradford Royal Infirmary, Michael traces the hospital's pioneering history of chemotherapy and learns how new drugs to impede the spread of cancer are being developed at Bradford’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics.
Just north of Bradford, at Shipley station, Michael discovers a nature reserve in the middle of a car park that's home to more than 14 species of butterfly and moth. And the Calder Valley Line delivers Michael to the pretty station at Hebden Bridge, once a mill town in decline but today popular with many same-sex couples.
WED 19:30 Wainwright Walks (b007xnzr)
Series 2
High Street
Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the Lake District landscape that inspired the great British fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guide books.
Julia starts her walk in the quiet, mysterious valley of Mardale, where the local village was lost forever when the valley was flooded to create the Haweswater reservoir. The history continues as she climbs 2,500ft to the summit of High Street, the most well-trodden high ground in the Lakes. This was where Roman legions crossed the fells 2,000 years ago, making, quite literally, a high street.
WED 20:00 Brian Cox's Adventures in Space and Time (m000wtdj)
Series 1
Space: How Far Can We Go?
Brian believes we are at the start of a new age of space travel, where space flight is on the verge of becoming routine. In this episode, he explores the latest science and takes a new look at his old films and asks: how far can we go in our exploration of the cosmos?
Brian begins in Russia’s cosmonaut training facility in the outskirts of Moscow, where he dons a spacesuit to discover what 'the right stuff' is and what it might take to carry out maintenance on the International Space Station in low earth orbit. It is an eye-opening experience that reveals just how physically demanding being an astronaut can be.
He then looks at some of the most extraordinary achievements of space exploration to date. Under the clear sky of the Atlas Mountains, he tells the story of how we started to explore the cosmos from earth. Careful observation of 'wandering stars', now known as the planets, initially led our ancestors to believe that Earth, not the sun, was at the centre of our solar system. But as our knowledge of the cosmos grew, so did our appetite to explore; eventually technology made it possible for us to take our first steps towards the stars. In Russia’s Star City, Brian visits the office of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. At Cape Kennedy Space Centre he marvels at the enormous Saturn V rocket that launched the first men to the moon. Brian reflects on the difficulties of filming this giant machine, and on his encounters with the extraordinary men who flew in it to the moon.
Looking to the future, Brian recalls his meeting with aerospace engineer and visionary advocate of Mars exploration Robert Zubrin. He’s credited with inspiring Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos to develop rockets with the aim of making the red planet the next frontier of human space exploration.
Professor Cox concludes that Mars will be the limit of human space exploration in our lifetime – our bodies can’t withstand the demands of travelling much deeper into the cosmos. To explore further, we must send robots in our place. Brian reveals some of his favourite probes to have uncovered the wonders of our solar system. This includes Voyager 1, whose iconic image of Earth from deep space taught us the true value of exploration: perspective.
WED 21:00 Tribe (2005) (b007xmmc)
Series 3
Matis
Explorer Bruce Parry travels to the Amazon rainforest to live with the Matis, a tribe once devastated by western disease. They are determined to preserve their culture and they teach Bruce how to be a good hunter. He undergoes some gruelling tests including having painful tree sap dropped into his eyes and taking a powerful frog toxin to purge his system.
WED 22:00 Smiley's People (b0079sbp)
Episode 3
Vladimir has two proofs, but Smiley has only found one.
WED 23:00 Smiley's People (b007gt23)
Episode 4
Seminal spy drama series from 1982. Smiley gets into trouble with his superiors, who want the investigation closed. But he finally encounters the woman and gets her account.
WED 23:55 Sleuths, Spies & Sorcerers: Andrew Marr's Paperback Heroes (p040pw15)
Fantasy
What is it about stories of magic, epic adventure, and imaginary worlds that has turned fantasy fiction into one of the world's most popular forms of storytelling, regularly filling the bestseller lists and entrancing adults and children alike?
In the second episode of his series that deconstructs the books we (really) read, Andrew Marr argues that these stories are filled with big ideas. Yes, there may be wizards with pointy hats as well as the odd dragon, but what fantasy novels are really good at is allowing us to see our own world in a surprising way, albeit through a twisted gothic filter.
The current leading exponent of fantasy fiction is a bearded Texan, George RR Martin, whose A Game of Thrones began a bookshelf-buckling series of novels, and spawned a vast TV empire. But Andrew reminds us that this is a genre whose origins are British, and at its heart is still a quest to reconnect readers with the ancient ideas and folk beliefs of the world before the Enlightenment.
Andrew breaks down fantasy books into a set of conventions that govern the modern genre - he looks at the intricacy with which imaginary worlds are built (as seen in George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series), the use of portals that are able to bridge this world and another (most famously, the wardrobe in CS Lewis's Narnia books), as well the concept of 'thinning' - these novels are typically set in a world in decline. In fantasy fiction, winter is always coming.
To help him understand these books, Andrew meets bestselling fantasy writers and the programme includes interviews with Neil Gaiman, Alan Garner and Frances Hardinge.
As well as profiling key figures such as CS Lewis and Sir Terry Pratchett, Andrew considers the spell that medieval Oxford has cast on generations of authors from Lewis Carroll to Philip Pullman. And he gets to grips with the legacy of JRR Tolkien, a figure so important that his influence pops up everywhere 'like Mount Fuji in Japanese prints', according to Pratchett. Tolkien's predominance would not go unchallenged, and Andrew shows how writers like Ursula K Le Guin confronted Tolkien's rather European notions of what an imaginary world should be.
WED 00:55 Great British Railway Journeys (m001n4lb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
WED 01:25 Wainwright Walks (b007xnzr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
WED 01:55 Tribe (2005) (b007xmmc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
WED 02:55 Brian Cox's Adventures in Space and Time (m000wtdj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
THURSDAY 29 JANUARY 2026
THU 19:00 Great British Railway Journeys (m001nc09)
Series 14
Tilbury to Barbican
Michael Portillo travels through the Britain of his youth from London’s Docklands and East End to the ‘city within a city’, the Barbican.
At Tilbury, he traces the arrival in 1948 of the Empire Windrush, bringing over a thousand passengers from the Caribbean to work in Britain. Taking the Docklands Light Railway to the Royal Docks, he visit one of the capital’s oldest industrial sites: Tate and Lyle’s huge sugar refinery.
In Limehouse, Michael recalls the Labour Party’s landslide victory at the post-war general election of 1945 and hears what drove prime minister Clement Attlee to strive for social change.
Michael heads next to what was one of the largest bomb sites in London. The 40-acre mound of rubble was transformed during the 1960s and 1970s into the Barbican, a huge residential estate with schools, shops and an arts centre.
THU 19:30 Wainwright Walks (b007y8bp)
Series 2
Pillar
Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the Lake District landscape that inspired the great British fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guidebooks.
Julia faces more climbing than walking as she sets out on one of the most dramatic Lakeland routes. From the remote valley of Ennerdale, she starts the ascent to one of Wainwright's favourite fells - Pillar. The route takes her past cliffs, along ledges and over the Lake District's most famous crag, Pillar Rock.
THU 20:00 The Magnificent Seven (m000crzp)
After the latest raid by bandits, the villagers in a small settlement in Mexico band together to hire a group of disparate gunfighters to protect them.
THU 22:05 Parkinson (m002qlzf)
Yul Brynner
Michael Parkinson in conversation with stage and screen star Yul Brynner. Featuring film clips from The Ten Commandments, The King and I, The Magnificent Seven and Catlow.
THU 23:10 Defiance (b013j3cr)
Thriller based on a true story. In 1940s eastern Europe, four Jewish brothers flee to the forest to escape persecution and death at the hands of Nazi forces after their parents are murdered. Once there, they find more refugees are using the forest as a hideout, so they band together to share resources and attempt to outwit the German forces, who are always on their tail.
THU 01:15 Sleuths, Spies & Sorcerers: Andrew Marr's Paperback Heroes (p040pw15)
[Repeat of broadcast at
23:55 on Wednesday]
THU 02:15 Great British Railway Journeys (m001nc09)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
THU 02:45 Wainwright Walks (b007y8bp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
FRIDAY 30 JANUARY 2026
FRI 19:00 Top of the Pops (m002qlxx)
Jamie Theakston presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 5 March 1999 and featuring Blur, Cher, The Corrs, The Cardigans, Whitney Houston, Stereophonics, Britney Spears and Jay.
FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (m002qlxz)
Gail Porter presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 5 March 1999 and featuring Cher, Vengaboys, Skunk Anansie, Whitney Houston, East 17, Stereophonics, Blur and Boyzone.
FRI 20:00 Top of the Pops (b03t4px8)
Mike Read presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 1 February 1979 and featuring Nazareth, The Three Degrees, UFO, The Members, Sally Oldfield, Two Man Sound, Generation X and The Pointer Sisters, with a dance sequence by Legs & Co.
FRI 20:35 Top of the Pops (m000dl2d)
Simon Mayo and Steve Wright present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 2 February 1989 and featuring Holly Johnson, Roy Orbison, Robert Howard and Kym Mazelle, Sheena Easton, Michael Ball, Yazz, Hue and Cry, Samantha Fox, Simply Red, Roachford, Marc Almond and Gene Pitney, and Bobby Brown.
FRI 21:05 Top of the Pops (b010v8hw)
Noel Edmonds presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 6 May 1976 and featuring Mud, Frankie Valli, Barry Manilow, Fox, Robin Sarstedt, Sutherland Brothers & Quiver, Tina Charles, The Rolling Stones, Mac & Katie Kissoon, JJ Barrie, Cliff Richard, Abba and The Stylistics, danced to by Ruby Flipper.
FRI 21:45 Top of the Pops (b011g8pg)
David Hamilton presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 20 May 1976 and featuring Showaddywaddy, Marmalade, Tina Charles, Robin Sarstedt, Mud, Cliff Richard, The Four Seasons, Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, The Rolling Stones and Peter Frampton.
FRI 22:25 Electric Proms (b009zj8p)
2006
The Who
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are on blistering form in a session recorded at the Roundhouse in north London, as the grand finale of the BBC's Electric Proms in 2006. The setlist showcases a sprinkling of songs from their new mini-opera Wire and Glass, but it's also packed with big singalong tunes like My Generation, Who Are You, Baba O'Riley and Pinball Wizard.
FRI 23:15 This Cultural Life (m002qly1)
Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of The Who, talks to John Wilson about his cultural influences.
The Who first stormed the pop charts in 1965 with teenage anthems including I Can’t Explain and My Generation. Broader songwriting ambitions led Townshend to create the rock opera Tommy in 1969 and the concept album Quadrophenia four years later. Both projects were adapted as films, and Quadrophenia has been staged as a ballet by Sadler's Wells. Throughout the 1970s, The Who were regarded as the biggest and loudest live act in the world. They played at Woodstock, Live Aid, Live 8 and the 2012 Olympic closing ceremony. Despite the deaths of drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwhistle, Townshend and singer Roger Daltrey continue to perform as The Who.
Pete Townshend talks to John Wilson about the influence of his parents, who were both musicians. His father, the saxophonist Cliff Townshend, played in the popular dance band The Squadronaires, but it was his mother Betty, a singer, who was most supportive of his early musical talent. Seeing Bill Haley and the Comets at Edgware Road Odeon in 1956 was another formative moment that introduced the teenage Townshend to the possibilities of a rock 'n' roll performance.
Townshend also reveals how his art school tutor Roy Ascott, who developed the radical 'Groundcourse' at Ealing Art College, shaped his approach to his future band The Who. And he recounts how reading Labyrinths, a book of short stories by Jorge Luis Borges, on the first US Who tour in 1967 opened his imagination and helped him expand his musical storytelling.
FRI 23:45 Glastonbury (b007rvrw)
2007
The Who
Mark Radcliffe looks back at the headlining performance from The Who as they closed proceedings on 2007's event with many of their classic tunes from their back catalogue.
FRI 00:45 Top of the Pops (m002qlxx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
FRI 01:15 Top of the Pops (m002qlxz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
FRI 01:45 Top of the Pops (b03t4px8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
FRI 02:25 Top of the Pops (m000dl2d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:35 today]
FRI 02:55 Top of the Pops (b010v8hw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:05 today]