The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
Six well-known figures explore ideas of the absence of God from their own perspective.
Sister Frances Dominica, founder and trustee of Helen and Douglas House hospice, reflects on her experiences alongside children and their families.
Madeleine Bunting explores the delights, dilemmas and dangers of modern parenting.
Chris Impey visits pig farmer and restaurant owner Sally Jackson in north Lincolnshire, who is abandoning her organic status after 10 years. Sally has built up a successful business over the last decade, but says the cost of feed means that she can no longer afford to farm organically.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
Roger Bolton discusses the religious and ethical news of the week. Moral arguments and perspectives on stories, both familiar and unfamiliar.
The latest news headlines. Including a look at the papers.
A service for Mothering Sunday from St Alphege Church, Solihull, led by Rev Tim Pilkington.
News and conversation about the big stories of the week with Paddy O'Connell.
Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the scientist Athene Donald. A Cambridge professor and fellow of the Royal Society, she has dedicated much of her life to studying everyday objects like plastic, food or plants. Her enthusiasm is so strong that, at her daughter's eleventh birthday party, she couldn't resist describing the structure of melting ice-cream - it was a rare case of misjudging her audience.
By her own admission she is a workaholic - but she also champions the cause of women who want to become scientists and have families too. Her great triumph was to marry a supportive husband and after that, she says, the trick is learning how to cut corners: there are no 'dainty dinner parties' at her home, and she makes sure her clothes are machine washable and easy-iron.
[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]
Nicholas Parsons chairs the devious word game, with panellists Paul Merton, Chris Neill, Tony Hawks and Justin Moorhouse.
Sheila Dillon examines how the current recession is changing the restaurant business. From developing new menus to sourcing cheaper ingredients, how are chefs and restaurateurs planning to survive?
Comedian and writer Dave Cohen seeks help from experts in trying to achieve a 'work-life balance'. He hardly sees his family - during any 'downtime' he is actually looking for more work. Years of freelancing and the current economic climate make it hard to say no to any offer.
Pippa Greenwood, Bob Flowerdew and Matthew Biggs answer gardeners' questions sent in by post and email.
Scotland has a lost archaeological history - the ruins of thousands of townships and buildings which have never been recorded on any map, yet which tell the tale of life in a period of dramatic change. Mark Stephen follows attempts to uncover those stories before the buildings fade from the landscape.
On the Balmoral Estate, Mark meets a ranger who was astounded to learn that what he though was just a pile of stones was in fact the remains of a once-thriving farming township. And he follows a drovers road between two glens, discovering the remnants of a lost way of life.
Gerda Stevenson's dramatisation of the 1932 novel by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, set in north-east Scotland before and during the First World War.
After her father's death, Chris is determined to stay and work the farm alone if need be. Joined by Ewan Tavendale in marriage and on the farm, Chris gives birth to a son. But the outbreak of the First World War brings devastating change to her family, the rural landscape and the community.
Chris Guthrie ...... Lesely Hart
Ewan Tavendale ...... Finn Den Hertog
Chae Strachan ...... Douglas Russell
Long Rob ...... Matthew Zajac
Mistress Munro ...... Estrid Barton
Kirsty Strachan ...... Shonagh Price
Rev Colquohoun ...... Fraser Sivewright
Rev Gibbon ...... Keith Hutcheon
Mariella Frostrup talks to Maggie Gee about her new novel My Driver. And 50 years after the death of Raymond Chandler, William Boyd explains why he thinks the creator of the hard-bitten Los Angeles sleuth Philip Marlowe was one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
Poet Brian Patten explores the life and work of lesser-known or forgotten poets.
Harry Fainlight was a young man of rare promise when a trip to America to meet the Beat poets in the early 1960s changed his life forever. Brian discovers a life filled with distress, anxiety, affection and the most beautifully lyrical poetry.
As local authorities struggle to balance the books because of the economic downturn, Allan Urry reports on a crisis in town hall finances. At a time when councils say that they are being forced to lay off thousands of staff, Allan asks why they have been investing a billion pounds of taxpayers' cash in banks which have crashed, with no sign of recovering the money.
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
Mark Lawson introduces his selection of highlights from the past week on BBC radio.
It's a milestone for David and Ruth at Brookfield. The dairy herd has been released into the new paddocks and there's no shortage of grass. The family is full from Pip's Mother's Day meal and it turns out that Lynda's got Robert on the five-mile radius diet too. They all see Usha out running and admire her courage after her frightening ordeal with a mugger last week. Unsettled Usha assures them she's fine.
A distraught Brenda seeks refuge at Willow Cottage. She tells Mike all about her bust up with Tom. She can't keep it in any longer and confesses all about Matt and Chalkman. Mike tries to console her - she's done nothing wrong.
Lynda asks David about ideas for the Antony Gormley plinth. She thinks it would be good to have a representative from one of the older, established Ambridge families. A grim looking Mike tells them that Brenda has split with Tom. He's angry with Tom for not standing by her and defending her from Matt Crawford. Mike doesn't see why he should keep quiet. It'll be all over the village soon anyway - Matt's been busted. Big time. For fraud!
Children's magazine as Barney Harwood presents a show packed with lively debate and special guests.
Specially commissioned stories by local authors, inspired by paintings of the East Anglian landscape. Recorded in front of an audience in Halesworth, Suffolk, the readings are introduced by Neil Innes.
Jenny swears that she sees a man in the water and her father takes his fishing boat out to search for him. But when he finds nobody and there are no reports of a missing person, he begins to question her motives.
Matthew Bannister presents the obituary series, analysing and celebrating the life stories of people who have recently died. The programme reflects on people of distinction and interest from many walks of life, some famous and some less well known.
Ngaire Woods considers how the financial crisis is affecting the world's most vulnerable people. As global leaders prepare to meet in London to try to clear up the western world's economic mess, where does the global banking meltdown leave developing countries?
Reports from behind the scenes at Westminster with Norman Smith. Including The Prime Ministers.
Francine Stock talks to Michael Sheen about his starring role as Brian Clough in the adaptation of David Peace's novel, The Damned United. She also talks to Polish film-maker Jerzy Skolimowski.
MONDAY 23 MARCH 2009
MON 00:00 Midnight News (b00j5w1j)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by weather.
MON 00:15 Thinking Allowed (b00j4hk0)
Rugby - Magic
RUGBY
According to Oscar Wilde “Rugby is a good occasion for keeping thirty bullies far from the centre of town”. Laurie Taylor re-appraises this sport of gentleman with Social Historian, Tony Collins who’s charted the class wars that have beset rugby union, from Tom Brown’s Schooldays to England’s victory in the English World Cup in 2003 and Dr Dominic Malcolm, Senior lecturer in the Sociology of Sport at Loughborough University. They discuss how rugby has championed the virtues of patriotism, physical courage and manliness.
MAGIC
Professor Owen Davies is the author of a new book entitled Grimoires; A History of Magic Books, he talks about the past and present significance of magical books and spells.
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (b00j5kcg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w41)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00j5w6w)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
MON 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w5j)
The latest shipping forecast.
MON 05:30 News Briefing (b00j5wbc)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00j5wbp)
Daily prayer and reflection with Anna Magnusson.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (b00j5wkj)
News and issues in rural Britain with Anna Hill.
MON 05:57 Weather (b00j67mf)
The latest weather forecast for farmers.
MON 06:00 Today (b00j5wkx)
Presented by Sarah Montague and Edward Stourton.
Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, discusses whether the rules for MPs' expenses need to be changed.
Ian Pannell, the BBC correspondent in Kabul, examines the challenges that Barack Obama's administration faces in Afghanistan.
The last few bodies are being taken from Poland's largest ever mass grave from WWII. Jonny Dymond reports from the town of Malbork in Poland.
US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has been outlining ideas for dealing with toxic assets. Jeremy Stretch from Rabobank examines the plans.
Rev Steve Chalk and Derek Munn from Stonewall discuss whether the law concerned with gay hate should be changed.
Phil Mercer reports from the Australian town of Marysville on what people are finding as they return to homes devastated by bushfires.
Thought for the day with Rev Dr Colin Morris.
Professor Ross Anderson and Michael Wills, the Minister in the Justice Department, discuss government databases.
MPs Alan Duncan and Don Touhig discuss the row over MPs' allowances.
The Sun's editor Graham Dudman and Madeleine Bunting discuss the phenomena of Jade Goody and what role the media played in her life and death.
Matt Golding of Rubber Republic and journalist Emily Bell discuss the success of 'viral' advertising for the Today programme.
The Royal Society of Medicine is holding a conference on autism. Dr Michael Fitzpatrick explains the focus of the conference.
Evidence has emerged that the BBC faced almost daily allegations of bias against the Shah of Iran shortly before he was forced from power by the 1979 revolution. Mike Thomson from Radio 4's Document explains.
Will Straw, from the Fabian Society, and Conservative Home editor Tim Montgomerie discuss if political parties in the UK should scrap membership fees and harness the power of the internet.
Roger Gray, a former firearms officer and Robbie Gillett, an environmental campaigner, analyse a report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights concerning the right to protest.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (b00j67mh)
Andrew Marr sets the cultural agenda for the week. His guests include American economist Richard Thaler, who discusses his book Nudge.
MON 09:45 Book of the Week (b00j72t9)
Emma Kennedy - The Tent, the Bucket and Me
Episode 1
Emma Kennedy reads her account of family camping holidays from her childhood in the 1970s.
In 1970, three-year-old Emma and her parents Brenda and Tony took their first family holiday. It featured a tent, a bucket and an awful lot of Welsh rain.
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00j61cw)
Delia Smith; Children of divorced parents
Delia Smith on her mission to teach people how to cook. Plus how divorced parents can help their children get through difficult times, and the life of the late Jade Goody.
MON 11:00 Unseen Britain (b00j67ml)
Episode 2
Peter White goes in search of those who monitor how we spend our money, where we travel and the state of our health, while remaining unseen themselves.
Peter meets the unseen bank staff who spend their days watching our spending habits and alerting us to possible fraud when our usual spending patterns are broken.
He then uses his bonus points card at a supermarket, which prompts him to question who knows what about his buying habits and how this information helps analysts to persuade him to spend more, by targetting him with tailor-made and tempting offers.
MON 11:30 Hazelbeach (b0084hvy)
Series 1
Mother
Nick's worst fears come true, while Ronnie tries to sell heart-rate monitors to fans of Monty Python.
Caroline and David Stafford's comedy stars Jamie Forman as Ronnie Hazelbeach.
Ronnie ...... Jamie Foreman
Nick ...... Paul Bazely
Chloe ...... Tracy Wiles
James ...... John Dougall
Vince ...... Simon Treves
Andrea ...... Liza Sadovy
Producer: Marc Beeby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2007.
MON 12:00 You and Yours (b00j61y3)
Presented by Winifred Robinson.
Wrexham and Shropshire, the train operator which runs services between Wrexham and London Marylebone via Shrewsbury and Telford, says it is the first to charge a flat fare no matter what time you travel and whenever and wherever you buy your ticket, even on the train.
The BBC has proposed moving the production of the medical soap 'Casualty' to Wales, where it wants to create a centre of excellence for TV drama. Campaigners claim Bristol could lose 25 million pounds each year as a result.
The energy regulator Ofgem announces a package of rules which it says will get a better deal for consumers. We speak to Ofgem's Chief Executive, Alistair Buchanan.
In England and Wales you will soon be able to get legal advice from new 'one-stop shops' that will also offer other professional services like insurance or accountancy advice. Lawyers Andrew Phillips and Ann Alexander discuss what the new market will mean.
It's reported that the Scottish building society Dunfermline is seeking a Government bailout. The BBC's Scotland correspondent Colin Blane tells us how Gordon Brown's local mutual has found itself in trouble.
Do landmarks have to be quite so big, bold and iconic to win a place in our hearts? Poet Ian McMillan thinks it over.
MON 12:57 Weather (b00j61z4)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 13:00 World at One (b00j620b)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
MON 13:30 Counterpoint (b00j6bbl)
Series 23
2009 Heat 3
From London, Paul Gambaccini host the music quiz with contestants from Surrey, Middlesex and Lincolnshire. From 2009.
MON 14:00 The Archers (b00j5vpr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Drama (b00j6bbn)
The Road Wife
THE ROAD WIFE
BY EOIN MCNAMEE
Edward Coyle is a truck driver. Delivering a cargo of fish on a new route in Ireland he comes across a woman who lives her life, and makes her living on the road, moving from one truck to another. The Road Wife.
Driving into town with his delivery Coyle gives a lift to a female Asian hitchhiker but soon discovers she is more of a passenger than he bargained for, especially when his truck is stopped by immigration officers and he and his illegal occupant are taken in for questioning.
Finding himself implicated in her case Coyle soon discovers that his own past is returning to haunt him. But what is it Coyle is trying to forget?
In a world where people are forced to hide their identities, everyone has secrets, even the immigration workers themselves. The story of one woman who forces a community to look at their mistakes, examine their consciences, and asks is it ever possible to escape or outrun your past?
A gripping radio drama debut from acclaimed writer Eoin McNamee.
Cast
Cast includes STUART GRAHAM (Hunger, Omagh), SU-LIN LOOI (Bugs, Holby), ALISON MCKENNA (The Actors, The Ambassador), GERARD MCSORLEY (Veronica Guerin, The Constant Gardener, Omagh) and SAMANTHA HEANEY (soon to be seen in Pumpgirl, 2009)
Writer
Eoin McNamee was born in County Down, Northern Ireland, in 1961. His first book was a collection of two novellas, THE LAST OF DEEDS, which was shortlisted for the 1989 Irish Times/Aer Lingus Award for Irish Literature, and LOVE IN HISTORY. He was awarded the Macauley Fellowship for Irish Literature in 1990. RESURRECTION MAN, published by Picador in 1994 (and of which the Irish Times said 'one of the most outstanding pieces of Irish fiction to come along in years'), was adapted by McNamee into a film starring Stuart Townsend. THE BLUE TANGO was published by Faber in 2001. It was long-listed for the Booker Prize, and short-listed for the Irish Times Award for Irish Literature. Eoin's third novel, THE ULTRAS, was published by Faber in 2004. His most recent novel,
12:23, was published in July 2007.
Eoin McNamee has now branched out even further, with a trilogy of novels for ten- to fourteen-year-olds. The first,THE NAVIGATOR, spent four weeks in the top ten of the New York Times bestseller list. The sequel, CITY OF NIGHT, has recently been published, and the concluding book, THE FROST CHILD, will be published in 2009. Eoin is now embarked on a new trilogy for young adults, THE RING OF FIVE.
THE ROAD WIFE
BY EOIN MCNAMEE
Edward Coyle is a truck driver. His first time on a new route introduces him to a nameless Asian woman who lives her life and makes her living on the road, moving from one truck to another. The Road Wife. When an anonymous call is made to immigration Coyle finds that not only is he implicated in her case, but his own past is returning to haunt him.
COYLESTUART GRAHAM
THE ROAD WIFESU-LIN LOOI
MICHELLEALISON MCKENNA
SLOANGERARD MCSORLEY
NATASHASAMANATHA HEANEY
JESUSOLIVER MICELI
LEELOGAN WONG
MCCALLVINCENT HIGGINS
BOBBYPETER BALLANCE
HUTTENLOCHERPETER JANKOWSKY
NIGERIAN CHILDLORETTA ADENUGA
PRODUCER/DRIECTORHEATHER LARMOUR.
MON 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00j5hxf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Saturday]
MON 15:45 Soundscape: The Lion Pride (b00j62b7)
Episode 1
After a successful night's hunting, Beberu the old pride male, and his family, are gathered together, unaware of two nomadic males nearby.
MON 16:00 The Food Programme (b00j5tf5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:32 on Sunday]
MON 16:30 Click On (b00j6bbq)
Series 4
Episode 3
Simon Cox presents the topical magazine series covering the latest developments and issues in the world of IT. How does technology bring out our creative side? Simon visits an event in Newcastle that seeks to embrace digital invention and DIY.
MON 17:00 PM (b00j62pm)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Carolyn Quinn. Plus Weather.
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00j62sv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
MON 18:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b00j6bdt)
Series 3
Episode 1
4 Extra Debut. David Mitchell gets Lucy Porter, Chris Addison, Clive Anderson and Graeme Garden to tell lies with some truths. From March 2009.
MON 19:00 The Archers (b00j620q)
Jennifer visits Lilian at the Dower House to see if the rumours about Matt are true. Lilian confirms that they are and that things are bound to get a lot worse. When Tony turns up, Jennifer warns him to be careful what he says, but Tony can't help criticising Matt - he's pushed his luck too far this time. Lilian tries to explain that Stephen Chalkman was behind it all. She can't bear the thought of the whole village sneering and gossiping behind her back. Jennifer assures her that whatever happens she and Tony are on her side.
David tells Ruth that the general mood in the pub was against Matt. Ruth wonders if Lilian and Matt will lose the Dower House. David thinks it's possible.
Kirsty visits Brenda at Willow Cottage. Kirsty disapproves of the way Tom has treated her. Even Pat thinks that he could have handled things better! Brenda wishes that she could turn back time so that things could be like they were before. Kirsty advises her to ring Tom but Brenda's already tried. He's not answering his phone or returning any of her messages. Kirsty insists that if she really wants Tom back she can't give up now.
Episode written by Simon Frith.
MON 19:15 Front Row (b00j62vj)
Presented by Mark Lawson.
The Damned United is the much-publicised biopic of Brian Clough and his disastrous 44-day tenure at Leeds in 1974, starring Michael Sheen as the beleaguered football manager. In the same week that the film opens, ITV1 broadcasts a new TV documentary, Clough, containing extensive interviews and archive material. Football writer Alyson Rudd compares fact with fiction.
As one of the judges for this year's Art Fund Prize for the best museum and gallery in the UK, artist and ceramicist Grayson Perry is recording a diary for Front Row as he visits the longlisted venues around the country. In his first entry, he enjoys 'history you can touch' at the Museum of Reading, goes back to school at the National Trust Museum of Childhood and finds himself in 'pottery heaven' at the Wedgwood Museum in Stoke-on-Trent.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Arthur Conan Doyle this May, an audio box set of the entire Sherlock Holmes canon has been produced. Actor David Timson, who has created 150 voices for the reading, talks about the challenge of bringing to life such a vast body of work and playing one of our best loved literary creations.
MON 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00j62vl)
AM Homes - This Book Will Save Your Life
Episode 1
Penny Leicester's adaptation of the novel by AM Homes.
Richard Novak has spent most of life getting rich in LA and avoiding people. Things are about to change.
Narrator ...... Darcy Halsey
Richard ...... Tony Pasqualini
Anhil ...... Mueen Jahan Ahmad
Ex wife ...... Adriana Sevan
With JB Blanc, Logan Fahey, Lisa Pelikan
Directed by Tim Dee.
MON 20:00 Document (b00j6lfk)
BBC Bias and the Iranian Revolution
Mike Thomson presents the series using documentary evidence to throw new light on past events.
Mike uncovers papers which accused the BBC of biased reporting as Iran descended into revolution in 1978 and 1979. The documents show that the BBC's Persian Service found itself attacked on all sides, with the most vociferous critics claiming that the Corporation was not simply reporting events but influencing them in favour of regime change. As Ayatollah Khomeini sat in exile in Paris, the BBC stood charged with galvanising the radical cleric's supporters and acting as his mouthpiece in Tehran.
Featuring interviews with then Foreign Secretary Lord Owen, the then Iranian Ambassador, senior BBC figures and academic experts.
MON 20:30 Crossing Continents (b00j4hmx)
Israel's Goodness Gracious Me
Mukul Devichand meets the creators and cast of Arab Labour, a prime-time Israeli TV comedy that sees the humorous side of Arab lives in the Jewish state.
Israel's elections and its military operation in Gaza have polarised relations between Jewish Israelis and the 20 per cent Arab minority. Mukul examines the dark humour and moral dilemmas of an Arab population caught between feelings of Palestinian brotherhood and a determination to remain Israeli citizens.
MON 21:00 The Criminal Mind (b00j6lh9)
Joshua Rozenberg examines new medical insights into the criminal mind. He joins scientists as they examine the brains of violent criminals and sees startling evidence of physical brain damage caused by neglect and abuse during infancy. Joshua asks whether offenders who suffer from this kind of brain dysfunction can be held responsible for their behaviour.
MON 21:30 Start the Week (b00j67mh)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:58 Weather (b00j633d)
The latest weather forecast.
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (b00j633q)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah. Including reports on another US bank bailout, why the French do not collect ethnic data, Israeli soldiers talk about fighting in Gaza and scientists develop synthetic blood.
MON 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00j636h)
It's Beginning To Hurt
Caterpillars
Series of five enigmatic and psychologically gripping short stories by James Lasdun.
On a walking holiday in France, a couple are forced to confront both a legion of poisonous caterpillars and the consequences of their own convictions. Read by Laurel Lefkow.
MON 23:00 Off the Page (b00j4hsc)
So Bad It's Good
Dominic Arkwright, Bidisha, Toby Young and Safraz Manzoor discuss bad taste and guilty pleasures. From March 2009.
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00j637d)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with David Wilby.
TUESDAY 24 MARCH 2009
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (b00j5vzv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by weather.
TUE 00:30 Book of the Week (b00j72t9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w1l)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00j5w5l)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
TUE 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w43)
The latest shipping forecast.
TUE 05:30 News Briefing (b00j5w6y)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00j5wbf)
Daily prayer and reflection with Anna Magnusson.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (b00j5wfz)
News and issues in rural Britain with Anna Hill.
TUE 06:00 Today (b00j5wkl)
Presented by Sarah Montague and Evan Davis.
Correspondent Richard Lister and Jim O'Neil of Goldman Sachs discuss President Obama's economic bailout plan.
Newsbeat reporter Dan Whitworth discusses a new website for children being bullied via mobile phone or the internet, known as 'cyber-bullying'.
Julia Hawker, whose daughter Lindsay Ann Hawker was murdered in Japan, describes the progress of the investigation into her death.
Conservative MEP Christopher Beasley says David Cameron's plan to leave the European People's Party is 'destructive'. Europe editor Mark Mardell reports.
Conservationists, including the RSPB, have said they will support the development of on-shore wind farms provided they are not built in areas where wildlife is especially vulnerable. Reporter Jeremy Cooke finds out how the project will work.
Davendar Kumar Ghai, a devout Hindu, explains his decision to go to the High Court to challenge a decision made by Newcastle City Council to ban an open air cremation.
Thought for the day with The Right Reverend Tom Butler.
Allan Cannon, father of a man who died as a result of failings in his care, talks with Health Service Ombudsman Ann Abraham.
Correspondent Gordon Corera examines the debate surrounding how to deal with extremism and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith explains how attacks on 'shared values' - such as a belief in democracy and human rights - can give rise to violent extremism.
Military historian Rowland White and Commander Doug Macdonald, ex Royal Navy, discuss how British tuition led to the American fighter pilots 'dominating the skies'.
Historian Niall Ferguson is to suggest in his Ruttenberg Memorial Lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies that the Conservatives 'don't have a clear response to the economic crisis'. Mr Ferguson explains how he has reached this conclusion.
Violence relating to organised crime accounted for 6,000 deaths in Mexico last year. Correspondent Matthew Price reports from Juarez, one of the worst hit cities.
Margaret Calvert, who helped design new road signs 50 years ago, describes the challenges she faced.
Maajid Nawaz, a former member of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, and now head of the counter-terrorism think tank the Quilliam Foundation, tells reporter Jack Izzard that militant Islamist groups pose a serious threat, even if they do not condone violence.
Taji Mustafa, spokesman for the non-violent Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir, responds to Jacqui Smith's comments that groups such as his create the framework for terrorist activity.
TUE 09:00 Call Yourself a Feminist (b00j6xxs)
Episode 3
Historian Bettany Hughes presents the third in a series of three discussions tracing the development of feminist ideas from the 1960s onwards.
Bettany and guests discuss how a new generation of women embrace the label 'feminist', the issues which motivate them and how definitions of feminism have changed since the 1960s.
The panellists are journalist and critic Miranda Sawyer, American writer Jessica Valenti, Zohra Moosa of the Fawcett Society, film-maker Jobeda Ali and academic Dr Geetanjali Gangoli.
TUE 09:30 The Prime Ministers (b00j6xxv)
Series 1
Benjamin Disraeli
BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson explores how Britain's prime ministers have used their power, responded to the challenges of their time and made the job what it is today.
Benjamin Disraeli, who turned his skills as a novelist to politics and became Britain's first Jewish-born prime minister.
TUE 09:45 Book of the Week (b00j9k37)
Emma Kennedy - The Tent, the Bucket and Me
Episode 2
Emma Kennedy reads her account of family camping holidays from her childhood in the 1970s.
1972 was the year of the trip to Hadrian's Wall and rather a lot of cross-border matrimonial raids, all of which are doomed to end in tears.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jdjq6)
Zena el Khalil; Reverse vasectomies
Lebanese activist Zena el Khalil on her love of Beirut. Plus the rise in reverse vasectomies, and promoting the sexual health and well-being of people with learning difficulties.
TUE 11:00 Peace Work (b00j6xxx)
Mark Devenport finds out how Northern Ireland is sending its politicians around the world to share their experiences of successful conflict resolution.
TUE 11:30 Alan Garner: The Return to Brisingamen (b00j6xxz)
John Waite came from the area where "The Weirdstone ..." was located and counts it as a major influence upon him. We follow him as he accompanies Garner to the book's original setting to find out more about the remarkable author who was twice declared dead as a child. Waite also travels to Oxford, to look at the original Weirdstone manuscript in the Bodleian library and meets one of Garner's most ardent admirers, Philip Pullman - who describes him as one of the very best authors of his kind that England has ever produced.
TUE 12:00 You and Yours (b00j61dd)
Call You and Yours
Presented by Winifred Robinson.
Further and higher education.
As universities speculate on how much they would like to see top-up fees increase, can we really afford to expand higher and further education?
TUE 12:57 Weather (b00j61y5)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 13:00 World at One (b00j61z6)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
TUE 13:30 Ken Clarke's Jazz Greats (b00j6xy1)
Series 7
Benny Goodman
Ken Clarke MP profiles great jazz musicians of the 20th century.
Clarinettist and bandleader Benny Goodman became known as the King of Swing. Brought up in extreme poverty in the Jewish ghetto of Chicago's South Side, by the end of the 1930s he had achieved the adulation of a modern-day pop star
There were reports of ballroom riots, jitterbuggers dancing in the aisles at his concerts and solemn words being written about how the nation's youth was being corrupted by his music.
TUE 14:00 The Archers (b00j620q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama (b008h01r)
Witness: Five Plays from the Gospel of Luke
The Lake
The Lake means everything to Peter and Andrew. How could they leave it behind?
In the week leading up to Easter, Nick Warburton's five plays reimagine Jesus's story through the eyes of those who witnessed it.
Jesus.......................Tom Goodman-Hill
Peter.......................Peter Firth
Andrew.......................Paul Copley
The Baptist.......................Stephen Greif
The Elder.......................Sam Dale
the Possessed Man.......................John Lloyd Fillingham
John .......................Simon Treves
Woman.......................Laura Molyneux
Tempter.......................Peter Marinker
Music by David Pickvance.
Director: Jonquil Panting
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2007.
TUE 15:00 Home Planet (b00j6xyk)
Richard Daniel and the team discuss listeners' questions about the environment and the natural world.
TUE 15:30 Actor's Words (b007xkww)
Le Rayon Vert
Actors read self-penned stories.
By Tim Pigott-Smith.
On a blazing hot day in Biarritz, the narrator waits on the beach in the hope of seeing the rare and famous light effect in the evening sky.
TUE 15:45 Soundscape: The Lion Pride (b00j62jv)
Episode 2
Beberu, the old pride male, is chased out of his territory by two nomadic males which then kill the cubs and mate with the lionesses.
TUE 16:00 Law in Action (b00j71vw)
How Does an Employment Tribunal Work?
As the recession hits jobs, Clive Coleman spends a day finding out exactly how an employment tribunal works. Plus, now that Scotland has introduced rights for cohabitants when they split up, what lessons can the rest of the UK learn?
TUE 16:30 A Good Read (b00j71vy)
Thea Gilmore and Paul Gambaccini
Sue MacGregor and her guests - musician, Thea Gilmore and broadcaster, Paul Gambacinni - discuss their favourite paperbacks by Chinua Achebe, JG Farrell and Jose Eduardo Agualusa.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Publisher: Penguin Red Classics
The Siege of Krishnapur by JG Farrell
Publisher: Phoenix
The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (Author), Daniel Hahn (Translator)
Publisher: Arcadia
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2009.
TUE 17:00 PM (b00j62n0)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Carolyn Quinn. Plus Weather.
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00j62pp)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
TUE 18:30 Cabin Pressure (b00cqhr3)
Series 1
Edinburgh
Sitcom about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult.
A very special passenger makes Douglas grovel, Martin crawl, Carolyn frisk and Arthur cry. And drink nail-varnish
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey ...... Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ...... Roger Allam
Captain Martin Crieff ...... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey ...... John Finnemore
Mr Birling ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Philip ...... Adam G Goodwin
Written by John Finnemore
Produced & directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for the BBC
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008.
TUE 19:00 The Archers (b00j620d)
Matt tells Lilian he's fed up of the phone ringing and people gossiping. And he's worried about his police interview. Brian calls round. He's heard the news. Matt admits that his best chance is to co-operate. Brian says the situation might affect his chairmanship of Borchester Land. Matt says it's nothing to do with BL. He won't jump ship unless he has to.
Helen helps Tom with the pigs. Tom ignores a text from Brenda, telling Helen he has more important things to do - like writing a business plan. Ed phones Tom. He's seen an angry Mrs Noakes in the shop, saying Harry the boar's trashed her garden.
Tom goes to check Mrs Noakes' garden. There's no sign of Harry. Ed sees Tom on his return, and asks for some advice. Oliver's offered him the Grange Farm tenancy and he wants to talk to someone about running a business. Ed is anxious, but Tom reassures him he'll manage. Helen pops in as Ed goes. She offers help with the business plan, but Tom says it's his responsibility. She also asks if he's texted Brenda. Tom tells Helen to leave it. He's got to try to save his business.
Episode written by Simon Frith.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (b00j62sx)
Presented by John Wilson.
A musical of the The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has arrived on the London stage with Jason Donovan and Australian actor Tony Sheldon among the cast boarding the lavender bus named Priscilla. Colin Paterson reviews.
Globe-trotting presenter Alan Whicker talks to Mark about celebrating 50 years in front of the camera. In two new programmes, he retraces his steps, catches up with past interviewees, and reflects on how the world has changed - for good and for bad - over the last six decades.
Jonathan Ross and Eastenders' June Brown are among the nominations for this year's British Academy TV awards. Time Out's TV Editor Gabriel Tate discusses the line-up.
Author and musician Amit Chaudhuri's latest novel, The Immortals, is set in the city of his birth, Bombay. It tells the stories of Shyam, Mallika and Nirmalya, whose lives are all touched in some way by music. Chaudhuri is a trained singer in the North Indian classical tradition and he talks to Mark about the role his life-long passion for music played in writing The Immortals.
TUE 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jdjq8)
AM Homes - This Book Will Save Your Life
Episode 2
Penny Leicester's adaptation of the novel by AM Homes.
Richard Novak's meals were previously prepared for him by a nutritionist, but now he has remembered how tasty donuts are. Is his life falling apart or starting over?
Narrator ...... Darcy Halsey
Richard ...... Tony Pasqualini
Anhil ...... Mueen Jahan Ahmad
Cecelia ...... Adriana Sevan
Cynthia ...... Lisa Pelikan
Dr Lusardi ...... JB Blanc
Ben ...... Logan Fahey
Directed by Tim Dee.
TUE 20:00 File on 4 (b00j72bb)
Torturers in the UK
Fran Abrams asks if Britain has become a haven for torturers, and investigates the case for new laws and tougher policing to prevent alleged human rights abusers from taking refuge in this country.
TUE 20:40 In Touch (b00j72bd)
Peter White with news and information for the blind and partially sighted.
TUE 21:00 Type A Meet Type B! (b00j72bg)
'Lark' Andrew Brown and 'Owl' Louise Yeoman travel to Denmark to unravel the science of what makes people early or late risers and to examine how society copes with those who do not fit the 9 to 5 norm.
TUE 21:30 Call Yourself a Feminist (b00j6xxs)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
TUE 21:58 Weather (b00j631n)
The latest weather forecast.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (b00j633g)
National and international news and analysis with Ritula Shah. Including reports on clashes between Israeli Arabs and right-wing Israeli Jews, a new strategy on Mexico's drugs problem and Mervyn King says no to further fiscal stimulus.
TUE 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00j7v9t)
It's Beginning To Hurt
Annals of the Honorary Secretary
Series of five psychologically gripping short stories by James Lasdun.
An enigmatic and select society welcomes the arrival of a promising new member. But her mysterious gifts generate unexpected sensations and revelations. Read by Bill Paterson.
TUE 23:00 Arturart (b00j72bj)
Classical Civilisation and Arturantiquities
Arthur Smith presents a series of comedy lectures on different aspects of Art.
Arthur considers the beginnings of art with a visit to the oldest man-made image in Britain, reveals the truth about Van Gogh's ear and presents a guide to the unfathomable world of Dada. With contributions from Miriam Elia, Phil Nice and Paul Bahn.
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00j6374)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Sean Curran.
WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH 2009
WED 00:00 Midnight News (b00j5vzx)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by weather.
WED 00:30 Book of the Week (b00j9k37)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w1n)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00j5w5n)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
WED 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w45)
The latest shipping forecast.
WED 05:30 News Briefing (b00j5w70)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00j5wbh)
Daily prayer and reflection with Anna Magnusson.
WED 05:45 Farming Today (b00j5wg1)
News and issues in rural Britain with Charlotte Smith.
WED 06:00 Today (b00j5wkn)
Presented by Evan Davis and Sarah Montague.
North America editor Justin Webb reports on Barack Obama's latest moves to tackle the economy.
Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King has warned the government against further spending to stimulate the economy. Economics editor Stephanie Flanders discusses his comments.
Reporter Zubeida Malik talks to two grandmothers about caring for their grandchildren.
Correspondent Rebecca Jones reports on Picasso's Guernica, a 'picture of carnage, chaos and confusion'.
Judy Hardogan of the School Food Trust and Neil Porter, the chairman of the Local Authority Caterers Association, discuss the new standards covering the nutrient content of school meals.
More than half a million people took part in the RSPB's 30th Big Garden Birdwatch this year. Reporter Tom Feilden describes the event.
Thought for the day with Professor Mona Siddiqui.
Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson discusses the Obama presidency so far.
Former minister Geoffrey Robinson, chairman of the shadow Monetary Policy Committee Professor David Smith and Hugo Dixon of BreakingViews.com evaluate Mervyn King's warning against further significant government spending to stimulate the economy.
In an hour long press conference, President Obama urged Americans to be patient and look beyond 'short-term interests' when it comes to economic recovery. Reporter Matthew Wells watched the press conference with a couple in their suburban home in New Jersey.
The Chairman of the House of Lords Appointments Commission, Lord Jay, explains why the criteria by which peers are appointed is to be amended.
A study by Harvard and Manchester Universities has concluded that the British people are ready for a black prime minister but the British political system is not. Professor Robert Putnam and Michael Eboda, of Powerful Media Ltd, discuss the report.
Chief executive of Grandparents Plus Sam Smethers says we should 'recognise and reward' grandparents who care for their grandchildren.
A 'new' short story by Mark Twain, The Undertaker's Tale, is to be published in the Strand magazine, 99 years after his death. Evan Davis discusses Twain's work with the Strand's managing editor, Andrew Goolli, and Professor Peter Messent.
A tapestry version of Picasso's Guernica is coming to London's Whitechapel gallery. Art critics Andrew Graham-Dixon and Sister Wendy Beckett discuss the impact of the painting.
WED 09:00 Midweek (b00j72s6)
Lively and diverse conversation with Libby Purves and guests.
WED 09:45 Book of the Week (b00j9k39)
Emma Kennedy - The Tent, the Bucket and Me
Episode 3
Emma Kennedy reads her account of family camping holidays from her childhood in the 1970s.
Britain had joined the European Union and the matriarch of the Kennedy family decided that the time had come for the annual family holiday to be taken abroad. Encounters with foreign food inevitably follow.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jdjtp)
Maternity leave; Female ambassadors
Is the economic downturn making women on maternity leave more vulnerable to redundancy? Plus the first female ambassadors in Russia and Spain, and women's sport in the media.
WED 11:00 Battling Back (b00j72s8)
Frank Gardner joins Operation Snow Warrior, a military winter training exercise with a difference. All the servicemen and women taking part are disabled and, like Frank, have returned to winter sports to prove to themselves that their active lives are not over.
WED 11:30 Clare in the Community (b00j72sb)
Series 5
The 1864 Mining Disaster
Clare organises a charity benefit in a bid to keep the Family Centre open. The benefit will showcase the talents of her colleagues - and Ray's folk songs.
It's the end of the series for Clare in the Community and, possibly, the end of the Sparrowhawk Family Centre.
Sally Phillips plays social worker Clare Barker who has entered a caring profession so that she can sort out other peoples' problems rather than deal with her own.
Clare ..... Sally Phillips
Brian ..... Alex Lowe
Helen ..... Liza Tarbuck
Ray ..... Richard Lumsden
Megan/Nali ..... Nina Conti
Irene ..... Ellen Thomas
Simon ..... Andrew Wincott
Written By Harry Venning And David Ramsden
Producer: Katie Tyrrell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2009.
WED 12:00 You and Yours (b00j61dg)
Presented by Julian Worricker.
CCTV cameras have been installed in many schools for a few years now. It is argued that they provide security, monitor pupil behaviour and protect against theft. However, cameras are now being used as a teaching aid in classrooms, with teachers being monitored as they give lessons.
How much is medical opinion out of step with public opinion when it comes to end of life issues? A survey of nearly four thousand doctors, commissioned by a group of UK charities, showed that around two thirds of them were opposed to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
The Cumbrian town of Kendal is set to go ahead with plans to build a statue of Alfred Wainwright to commemorate his work. Many believe that this is a fitting tribute to a significant local figure, but it is not the way everyone sees it. Caz Graham reports from Kendal.
A change is being made to the way gas engineers are monitored and verified: the familiar CORGI gas registration scheme is being replaced by the Gas Safe Register. But some gas engineers have expressed concerns about the change.
The existing county council of Cheshire and the seven borough councils within the county boundary are being swept aside to make way for Cheshire West and Cheshire East. We examine the issues involved.
Hundreds of Britons could be significantly richer as a result of a landmark court ruling in Spain. People who weren't Spanish residents but who sold property there were initially charged more in capital gains tax than residents. Now a court ruling means the Spanish Government may have to pay compensation to make up for that difference.
WED 12:57 Weather (b00j61y7)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 13:00 World at One (b00j61z8)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
WED 13:30 The Media Show (b00j7336)
Steve Hewlett presents a topical programme about the fast-changing media world.
WED 14:00 The Archers (b00j620d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama (b00j751w)
Mike Bartlett - Miss St Andrews
By Mike Bartlett. Old grudges resurface as Miss St Andrews 1961 meets her old rival for the university Charities Queen title nearly 50 years later.
Young Robert ...... Joe McFadden
Jenny ...... Ellie Haddington
Young Jenny ...... Tracy Wiles
Robert ...... Tom Mannion
Judy ...... Sandy Walsh
Holly ...... Caroline Guthrie
Directed by Claire Grove.
WED 15:00 Money Box Live (b00j751y)
Vincent Duggleby and guests answer calls on divorce and separation. He is joined by John Fotheringham, consultant in family law at Fyfe Ireland, Jane Craig, family partner at Manches, and Kirsty Marshall, senior advice worker at Gingerbread.
WED 15:30 Actor's Words (b007xkwy)
Agnes
Actors read self-penned stories.
By Sian Phillips.
As Agnes lies in her hospital bed, she realises that surgery has had a major and unexpected side effect.
WED 15:45 Soundscape: The Lion Pride (b00j62jx)
Episode 3
Kidogu the male cub is reunited with his mother. As the weeks pass, he is introduced to the rest of the pride and joins them after a successful night's hunting.
WED 16:00 Thinking Allowed (b00j7520)
The Politics of Climate Change - New Capitalism?
The distinguished sociologist Professor Anthony Giddens elucidates the political complexities of combating climate change.
Could jobs be much more secure and long lasting than we’ve been led to believe? Laurie Taylor is joined by Professor Kevin Doogan, author of a book entitled New Capitalism? whose close analysis of the labour force in Britain and the United States shows a surprising continuity with the past. His thesis contends that, even with the present financial crisis, claims that the world of work has changed forever are little more that scare mongering.
WED 16:30 Type A Meet Type B! (b00j72bg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Tuesday]
WED 17:00 PM (b00j62n2)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Carolyn Quinn. Plus Weather.
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00j62pr)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
WED 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b00j7522)
Series 1
Boston
Comedian Mark Steel visits Boston in Lincolnshire to take a look at the Stump and sprouts and see for himself why the inhabitants have no need of a handbrake. With a guest appearance from a Boston rapper he presents a show to the locals and tries and work out what makes the town so distinctive.
Producer - Julia McKenzie.
WED 19:00 The Archers (b00j620g)
Usha's dressed for a run but couldn't get her trainers on without thinking of the mugging. When she burst into tears, Alan says he'll run with her. On the run, Alan struggles to keep up. He tells Usha that Shula's agreed to bring her donkey to the Easter service, and he's pleased.
Will and Brian walk the shoot. Will tells Brian he's learnt lots in Gloucestershire, and would like to start growing cover crops for the birds. Brian's dubious, but says Will should talk to Adam.
Lynda finds Robert with chocolate around his mouth. He's eating the Easter egg he's bought for her. She's driven him to it. Robert storms off and finds Joe. Robert says the five mile radius diet's killing him. It even excludes alcohol! Joe thinks he can help.
Lynda finds Joe and Robert in the cider shed. Joe corners Lynda about the Antony Gormley plinth. He'd like to tell ghost stories on it. Lynda's unimpressed, but he's free to enter the competition.
Alan and Usha recover from their run in the Bull. Brian appears, and discovers people have learned about Matt. He says Debbie's coming over, but she'll have to join a long queue of people wanting to talk to Matt.
Episode written by Simon Frith.
WED 19:15 Front Row (b00j62sz)
Presented by Mark Lawson.
Science Museum in London has joined forces with Aardman Animations to launch an exhibition focusing on inventions, innovators and intellectual property. Nick Park, Oscar-winning creator of Wallace & Gromit, and Science Museum curator John Liffen reflect on the inspiration and practical results of curious minds.
Jenny McCartney reviews Michael Winterbottom's latest film, Genova, starring Colin Firth as Joe, a bereaved husband and father of two girls. After the death of Joe's wife, the family move from America to the Italian city of Genova, where they strive to overcome their grief and build a new life.
Welsh-born actor Jonathan Pryce opens this week in Athol Fugard's play Dimetos. He looks back over 40 years of performances from his award-winning Hamlet at the Royal Court Theatre in 1980 and his role in Terry Gilliam's Brazil, to his many subsequent roles on stage and film including Pirates of the Caribbean.
Creator, writer and illustrator of over fifty books for young children - which have sold more than 11 million copies - Shirley Hughes talks to Mark about her first graphic and wordless book for adults.
WED 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jdjtr)
AM Homes - This Book Will Save Your Life
Episode 3
Penny Leicester's adaptation of the novel by AM Homes.
Richard's life is changing. He is still making millions but he has become an accidental hero as well, befriending a crying woman and rescuing a horse. Is he happier?
Narrator ...... Darcy Halsey
Richard ...... Tony Pasqualini
Anhil ...... Mueen Jahan Ahmad
Cecilia ...... Adriana Sevan
Cynthia ...... Lisa Pelikan
Dr Lusardi ...... JB Blanc
Ben ...... Logan Fahey
Directed by Tim Dee.
WED 20:00 Decision Time (b00j7524)
The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson shines a light on the process by which controversial decisions are reached behind closed doors in Whitehall. With a panel of inside experts, he examines the problems that future governments will face and hear the arguments about how they might be resolved.
WED 20:45 Lent Talks (b00j7526)
The Eyes of God
Six well-known figures explore ideas of the absence of God from their own perspective.
George Pattison, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford University, reflects on the benefits of God's absence.
WED 21:00 The Island of Secrets (b00j7528)
Haunting sound portrait of Orford Ness in Suffolk, Europe's largest vegetated shingle spit.
Writer and narrator Paul Evans and wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson explore this wild and remote extremity of eastern England, which is also the site of secret cold war military testing. It is an unsettling landscape where the wind howls, the sea sighs and hisses across the shingle, gulls screech, redshank cry in a morse code of alarms, railings whine and rattle, twisted metal clangs, doors crash and shadows flit.
WED 21:30 Midweek (b00j72s6)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
WED 21:58 Weather (b00j631q)
The latest weather forecast.
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (b00j633j)
National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig. Including reports on the government's announcement of a judicial inquiry into the Iraq war, the threat posed to EU leadership by the fall of the Czech government and negotiating severance French-style.
WED 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00j7v9c)
It's Beginning To Hurt
Totty
Series of five enigmatic and psychologically gripping short stories by James Lasdun.
Finally free from a marriage that involved adulteries on both sides, June embarks on a fresh new life in the Sussex countryside. But it is not long before her past starts to infringe on her present. Read by Greta Scacchi.
WED 23:00 Bespoken Word (b00d0sjs)
Mister Gee presents the performance poetry series, recorded at London's Troubadour Coffee House. Featured performers include John Agard, Poeticat and shortMAN.
WED 23:15 One (b0077224)
Series 1
Episode 6
Spoof shipping forecasts, Top Dog and the hapless yachtswoman. More monologues penned by David Quantick. From December 2006.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00j6376)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Robert Orchard.
THURSDAY 26 MARCH 2009
THU 00:00 Midnight News (b00j5vzz)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
THU 00:30 Book of the Week (b00j9k39)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w1q)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00j5w5q)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
THU 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w47)
The latest shipping forecast.
THU 05:30 News Briefing (b00j5w72)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00j5wbk)
Daily prayer and reflection with Anna Magnusson.
THU 05:45 Farming Today (b00j5wg3)
News and issues in rural Britain with Charlotte Smith.
THU 06:00 Today (b00j5wkq)
Presented by John Humphrys and James Naughtie.
Correspondent Norman Smith explains the political implications of the government's failure to sell all its gilts, or government guaranteed bonds, for the first time since 1995.
Liberal Democrat and spokesman for Communities and Local Government Julia Goldsworthy discusses the impact of surveillance on civil liberties.
Reporter Jon Kay travels to a village in Devon where there is a high prevalence of second homes.
Mental health expert Professor Michael King examines why treatments to 'turn people straight' are still being offered despite being discredited by the medical community.
Lord Guthrie explains why he thinks an inquiry into allegations of British complicity in the rendition of people detained by British Forces is necessary.
Neil Sinden of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and architecture critic Jonathan Glancey debate whether pylons are intrusive eyesores or can be viewed as objects of beauty.
Thought for the day with Dom Anthony Sutch.
Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor has urged the government to put restrictions on the purchase of second homes in rural communities. Mr Taylor discusses the problems faced by villages with large numbers of second home owners with property expert Kirstie Allsopp.
The Audit Commission has concluded from a report on English local authorities' deposits in the Icelandic banks that many behaved 'negligently'. Rita Greenwood from Havering Council responds to the accusations. Steve Bundred of the Audit Commission and John Ransford of the Local Government Association discuss the implications of the report.
It is understood that the rules on advertising are to be relaxed to allow pregnancy advice services to be advertised on TV and radio for the first time. Andrew Brown, Chairman of the Committee on Advertising Practice, explains what has been involved in the review.
Some 25,000 pupils across the UK will be involved in producing their own news stories as part of the BBC's School Report News Day. Romaissa and Rayma from Islamia Girls' High School produced a report on celebrity culture; they discuss their experience interviewing PR guru Max Clifford.
Professor of Family Planning and Reproductive Health John Guillebaud discusses how population growth can be brought down without infringing on people's right to reproduce.
Mathematician Professor James Murray explains how maths can be used to assess the compatibility of married couples.
Bankers and business leaders from the countries involved in the G20 summit meet for breakfast in Canary Wharf ahead of the talks to address the global economic crisis. Economics editor Stephanie Flanders reports.
Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, explains how EU proposals to tighten regulations on how animals are used in research could affect scientific advancement.
Graham Allen MP and Simon Blake of sexual health charity Brook discuss whether advertising pregnancy advisory services on TV would make an impact on teen pregnancy figures.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (b00j7txt)
The School of Athens
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss The School of Athens – the fresco painted by the Italian Renaissance painter, Raphael, for Pope Julius II’s private library in the Vatican. The fresco depicts some of the most famous philosophers of ancient times, including Aristotle and Plato, engaged in discussion amidst the splendour of a classical Renaissance chamber. It is considered to be one of the greatest images in Western art not only because of Raphael’s skill as a painter, but also his ability to have created an enduring image that continues to inspire philosophical debate today. Raphael captured something essential about the philosophies of these two men, but he also revealed much about his own time. That such a pagan pair could be found beside a Pope in private tells of the complexity of intellectual life at the time when classical learning was reborn in what we now call the Renaissance.With Angie Hobbs, Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Warwick; Valery Rees, Renaissance scholar and senior member of the Language Department at the School of Economic Science; Jill Kraye, Professor of the History of Renaissance Philosophy and Librarian at the Warburg Institute at the University of London
THU 09:45 Book of the Week (b00j9k3c)
Emma Kennedy - The Tent, the Bucket and Me
Episode 4
Emma Kennedy reads her account of family camping holidays from her childhood in the 1970s.
Emma's mother agrees that this year's family holiday can be to France, but without the tent. However, the delights of being under a proper roof are soon replaced by a fear of nocturnal noises and strangers in the night.
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jdjxd)
Pituitary problems; Singer Marina Laslo
Russian singer and violinist Marina Laslo sings live. Plus the links between brain injury and future pituitary problems, and novelist Karen Maitland on The Owl Killers.
THU 11:00 Crossing Continents (b00j7txw)
Ethiopia - Troubles Downstream
Peter Greste journeys down the Omo River from Ethiopia's central highlands to Northern Kenya where the lives of nearly half a million of the world's most remote tribespeople are threatened by a massive hydro-electricity project. The tribes, already fighting over increasingly scarce water and land, have warned that the dam could plunge them into an all-out struggle for survival.
THU 11:30 With Great Pleasure (b00j7txy)
Dame Jacqueline Wilson
Multi-award winning children's author Dame Jacqueline Wilson shares her love of literature with a selection of favourite readings and anecdotes.
Including Shakespeare, Dickens, Dodie Smith and Virginia Woolf.
Readers: Tracy-Ann Oberman and Michael Fenton Stevens.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2009.
THU 12:00 You and Yours (b00j61dj)
Presented by Julian Worricker.
Virgin Trains announce cheaper fares - but only on Virgin services. Mark Holdstock explains.
The government's plans to increase electricity supply from wind farms has hit energy companies reducing their investment. Wayne Woo from Good Energies discusses.
Energy Minister Mike O'Brien responds to problems that the government may be facing when it comes to the financing of wind power.
A new fungus-type disease threatens to change the British landscape. Fiona Clampin visits Trengwainton Gardens near Penzance in Cornwall, where National Trust garden advisor Ian Wright shows her how the fungus has taken root.
A new charity and website aimed specifically at young people with MS is being launched. It's called Shift (dot) MS and we speak to George Pepper, who has created the website and charity, and also to Dr Jayne Spink from the MS Society.
American Property Company 'Auction Today' are coming to the UK, with giant auctions planned in various locations across the country. We speak to chairman Robert Freidman, and Charles Smailes, formerly of the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers.
Seven local authorities have been described as 'negligent' by the Audit Commission for investing money in Icelandic banks after they had been downgraded by credit reference agencies. Among the list is South Yorkshire Pensions Authority which manages pensions for seven authorities in the South Yorkshire area.
THU 12:57 Weather (b00j61y9)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 13:00 World at One (b00j61zb)
National and international news with Martha Kearney.
THU 13:30 Off the Page (b00j7ty0)
One Big Happy Family
Dominic Arkwright, John O'Farrell, Kathryn Flett and Andi Oliver discuss how family life shapes up to the ideal. From March 2009.
THU 14:00 The Archers (b00j620g)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama (b00j7vth)
Gondwanaland
Stephen Keyworth's drama inspired by the friendship between family planning pioneer Marie Stopes and explorer Captain Robert Scott
Marie Stopes ...... Meg Fraser
Captain Robert Scott ...... Nick Underwood
Kathleen Bruce ...... Rosalind Sydney
Helena ...... Lucy Paterson
Marbury ...... Crawford Logan
Hubert ...... James Anthony Pearson.
THU 15:00 Open Country (b00j5gp4)
[Repeat of broadcast at
06:07 on Saturday]
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (b00j5kcx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:55 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Actor's Words (b007xkx0)
Refuge
Actors read self-penned stories.
By Imogen Stubbs.
Two refugees from war seek to rebuild their lives through the redemptive power of music.
THU 15:45 Soundscape: The Lion Pride (b00j62jz)
Episode 4
Now more than a year old, Kidogu is old enough to join the pride when they go hunting and he successfully targets a herd of wildebeest when he goes hunting at night.
THU 16:00 Open Book (b00j5ttc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Sunday]
THU 16:30 Material World (b00j7vtk)
Science Question and Answer Special
Quentin Cooper puts listeners' science questions to a panel of experts: taxonomist Dr Sandy Knapp from the Natural History Museum, Michael Brooks, consultant to New Scientist magazine and author of 13 Things That Don't Make Sense, and Dr Andrea Sella, chemist at University College London and EPSRC senior media fellow.
Among the topics: why we can feel chilly even as spring days grow warmer and why cold weather makes our nose run; why some organisms seem to evolve faster than others and which have changed the least; what caused the Big Bang; how the wind blows sounds and smells and the contribution of fizzy drinks to global warming.
The panel also explore the diet of the hummingbird, the sting of the bee and the age of the human body. Plus, why you can't tickle yourself and why the Material World studio might not contain the most complex structure in the universe.
THU 17:00 PM (b00j62n4)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Carolyn Quinn. Plus Weather.
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00j62pt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
THU 18:30 Old Harry's Game (b00j7vtm)
Series 7
Episode 6
Satan has worked how to return baby Patrick to Earth behind God's back.
But God is all-seeing and knows what Satan is up to. And now God is pretty angry.
Stars Andy Hamilton as Satan, Annette Crosbie as Edith, Robert Duncan as Scumspawn, Jimmy Mulville as Thomas and Timothy West as God.
Other roles played by Mike Fenton Stevens, Philip Pope and Felicity Montagu.
Written by Andy Hamilton.
Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2009.
THU 19:00 The Archers (b00j620j)
Lilian goes with Matt to the police station. Matt promises he'll tell them everything. In the interview Matt explains how C3PL operated. They played by the rules, at the beginning. He trusted Chalky. Perhaps he was naïve. They ran into problems, and went bust. Ramsey shows Matt a letter to the bank from C3PL, which says there were no circumstances that might affect C3PL's financial position. Matt agrees he signed this letter, and he's been dishonest.
Tom's been out looking for Harry. Another gardener's complained. Pat shows Tom the newspaper, with the headline 'Boar on garden rampage'! Tom doesn't need this. Pat asks if he's spoken to Brenda but Tom says to leave it. Helen's told Pat that Tom's making progress with his business plan. He's sending it to the bank tomorrow. Pat is pleased that they are going ahead with the lagoon system.
While Matt's in the interview, Pat finds Lilian outside. Pat apologises for not calling round. Lilian tells Pat it's taken guts for Matt to own up. Pat says the family's behind her.
Matt eventually appears. Lilian's proud of him but Matt says his fate is sealed. And he's landed Chalky in it, which Chalky's not going to like.
Episode written by Simon Frith.
THU 19:15 Front Row (b00j62t1)
Presented by Kirsty Lang.
In a new cinema documentary, Tyson, the former world heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson talks candidly about his career and the highs and lows. The film's director, James Toback, discusses the film and how he managed to get Mike Tyson to open up.
Critic Andrew Dickson reviews Dido, Queen of Carthage, Christopher Marlowe's version of the tale of Aeneas' tragic love for Dido after he escapes the fall of Troy.
Fifty years after his death, how does the language of the American crime writer Raymond Chandler stand up? Novelist Sarah Dunant and crime writer Mark Billingham reassess Chandler's style.
Sparkie the budgie was an unlikely star of the 1950s: a talking budgie who sang with a Geordie accent. He's now become the inspiration for an opera, written by Michael Nyman, who talks to Kirsty ahead of the world premiere tonight in Berlin.
THU 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jdjxg)
AM Homes - This Book Will Save Your Life
Episode 4
Penny Leicester's adaptation of the novel by AM Homes.
Richard has moved to Malibu. His neighbour looks like a homeless man but drives a Bentley. Things are not as they seem. And is that car on the freeway flashing an SOS signal at Richard?
Narrator ...... Darcy Halsey
Richard ...... Tony Pasqualini
Anhil ...... Mueen Jahan Ahmad
Cecilia ...... Adriana Sevan
Cynthia ...... Lisa Pelikan
Nic ...... JB Blanc
Ben ...... Logan Fahey
Directed by Tim Dee.
THU 20:00 Born in Bradford (b00fb99g)
Birthweight and Health
Winifred Robinson follows the fortunes of some of the thousands of babies being tracked by the Bradford Institute for Health Research in an effort to find out why genetic disorders and cases of infant and child mortality are so high in the city of Bradford.
Eventually, 10,000 families will be recruited in what will be the most ambitious study of children's health ever undertaken in the world.
This is the first of three programmes to be broadcast over 18 months that will follow the progress of the study.
THU 20:30 Analysis (b00j7xgg)
Obama's Pentagon
Newsnight's defence correspondent Mark Urban asks if the Obama presidency will see substantial reform at the Pentagon.
During his campaign to become commander-in-chief, Barack Obama pledged to adapt 'US military capabilities for current, not Cold War, needs'. Mark looks at whether the 'small war' strategists, those promoting 'non-kinetic' approaches such as better intelligence gathering and nation building are going to win out over the traditionalists who believe that the defence of America still lies in investing billions of dollars in planes, tanks and ships.
THU 21:00 Oceans: What Lies Beneath (b00j7xgj)
Episode 3
Gabrielle Walker explores why we know so little about the oceans that make up nearly 80 per cent of our planet.
She considers some of the remarkable resources that the oceans have to offer - from golden treasures lying hidden in the murky depths to possible new cures for cancer and antibiotic-resistant infections. She talks to oceanographers who are only just beginning to discover the oceans' potential and asks who owns the oceans and their valuable commodities.
THU 21:30 In Our Time (b00j7txt)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
THU 21:58 Weather (b00j631s)
The latest weather forecast.
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (b00j633l)
National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig. The United States proposes a radical overhaul of financial regulation, the police announce that they will investigate allegations that MI5 was complicit in torture, and a report on the row in Ireland over paintings of the naked Taoiseach.
THU 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00j7v9f)
It's Beginning To Hurt
Cranley Meadows
Series of five enigmatic and psychologically gripping short stories by James Lasdun.
Bryony is married to Lev, her former astronomy professor. But while Lev faces up to the realities of having been made redundant, Bryony is forced to confront the truth of her own desires. Read by Laurel Lefkow.
THU 23:00 The Personality Test (b007s27h)
Series 3
Lorraine Kelly
Breakfast TV queen Lorraine Kelly is in the hot seat posing questions all about her.
On the panel: comedians Sue Perkins, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince and Will Smith.
Comedy quiz presented by a new guest host every week. All the questions are about the host.
Script by Simon Littlefield and Kieron Quirke.
Devised and produced by Aled Evans.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2007.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00j6378)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Sean Curran.
FRIDAY 27 MARCH 2009
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (b00j5w01)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. Followed by Weather.
FRI 00:30 Book of the Week (b00j9k3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w1s)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (b00j5w5s)
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
FRI 05:20 Shipping Forecast (b00j5w49)
The latest shipping forecast.
FRI 05:30 News Briefing (b00j5w74)
The latest news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (b00j5wbm)
Daily prayer and reflection with Anna Magnusson.
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (b00j5wg5)
News and issues in rural Britain with Charlotte Smith.
FRI 06:00 Today (b00j5wks)
Presented by John Humphrys and James Naughtie.
Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris discusses why he feels the laws governing succession need to change.
Chairwoman of Ofqual Kathleen Tattersall looks at what can be done to ensure that GCSE science standards are improved.
Correspondent Kim Catcheside speaks to a woman who is facing eviction because her landlord is in mortgage arrears.
A Queen's University academic has conducted research that concludes that crabs can feel pain. Professor Bob Elwood explains how he made this discovery.
Gordon Brown is visiting Brazil ahead of the G20 summit in London. Political editor Nick Robinson speaks to the prime minister about what he has achieved during the visit, and his hopes for the G20.
The Metropolitan Police has warned bankers that there is likely to be disruption caused by anti-capitalist protestors during the G20 summit. Reporter Jack Izzard gauges the reaction in the City.
Schools Minister Jim Knight discusses whether science GCSEs are too easy.
Thought for the day with Sir Jonathan Sacks.
There will be an inquiry into claims that an MI5 officer was complicit in the torture of ex-Guantanamo detainee Binyam Mohamed. Correspondent Frank Gardner and former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith discuss the investigation.
Gordon Brown has been in discussions with Buckingham Palace over possible reforms to the laws of succession. MP Chris Bryant discusses the implications for the monarchy.
Colin Duffy, a high profile Republican in Northern Ireland, has been charged with the murder of two soldiers shot dead at Massareene Barracks in Antrim. Correspondent Mark Simpson reports.
Former Environment Minister Michael Meacher and Fraser Nelson, the political editor of the Spectator, discuss whether bankers have been unfairly demonised.
Housing Minister Margaret Beckett explains what the government can do to protect tenants who face homelessness if their landlord's property is repossessed.
Former CIA member Emile Nakhleh and Michael Semple, former head of the EU mission in Afghanistan, discuss whether foreign forces are contributing to the unrest there.
Harold Varmus, author of The Art and Politics of Science, discusses the history of the relationship between politics and science in the US.
Lord Rees-Mogg discusses how changes to the laws of succession could be implemented.
Roy Clare, the chief executive of the Museums and Libraries Association, has said members of boards and governance of many of Britain's cultural and creative organisations are 'male, stale and pale'. Mr Clare discusses his comments with Sir Christopher Frayling, former chairman of the Arts Council.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (b00j5kd9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:15 on Sunday]
FRI 09:45 Book of the Week (b00j9k3f)
Emma Kennedy - The Tent, the Bucket and Me
Episode 5
Emma Kennedy reads her account of family camping holidays from her childhood in the 1970s.
Emma, now 13, takes her final family camping trip to France. The perils of sunburn are nothing compared to the public humiliation that follows.
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (b00jdl9y)
Adopting children following bereavement; Reversing female circumcision
How long should bereaved parents have to wait before adopting? Plus midwife Juliet Albert on reversing female circumcision, and the health record of flat shoes.
FRI 11:00 Darwin Songs (b00j8cl9)
Chris Eldon Lee hears the results after eight contemporary singer-songwriters are holed up for a week in a remote farmhouse in Shropshire and tasked to write songs about the life and work of Charles Darwin. Featuring their daily creative life in the farmhouse, their expeditions into the land that the young Darwin knew and the premiere performance of their songs at Shrewsbury's new Theatre Severn, close to Darwin's birthplace.
FRI 11:30 The Stanley Baxter Playhouse (b00j8djx)
Series 3
Astonishing Archie
Series of three comic plays starring Stanley Baxter.
When two brothers get together to plan the funeral of an old friend, the choice of music is a bone of contention - will it be Sinatra or Presley? A generation and a whole philosophy of popular music separate the brothers, and the choice they finally make is a heartwarming musical compromise. By Bill Paterson.
Ronnie Purgavey ...... Stanley Baxter
Alan Purgavey ...... Bill Paterson
Rev Margot Turnbull ...... Maureen Beattie
Directed by Marilyn Imrie.
FRI 12:00 You and Yours (b00j61dl)
Presented by Winifred Robinson.
At the start of the new aviation year, we hear about air routes to be cut, a threat to take Ryanair to the Office of Fair Trading, and assess Heathrow Terminal 5 a year on from its opening. With travel writer Simon Calder.
How crucial are literary festivals to the sale of books? We take a trip to a small, little-known literary festival in Oxfordshire. With Peter Florence, founder of the Hay Festival, and Amelia Fairney, publicity director at Penguin General.
The EU is to ban household goods containing the chemical dimethylfumarate. It follows one of the largest compensation claims from consumers suffering extreme allergic reactions from the chemical in leather sofas. Around two thousand consumers are seeking compensation at the High Court.
Tim and Zoe Bawtree hoped they had found a way to beat the housing slump and sell their luxury house in Cheltenham.
FRI 12:57 Weather (b00j61yc)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 13:00 World at One (b00j61zd)
National and international news with Brian Hanrahan.
FRI 13:30 Feedback (b00j8djz)
Roger Bolton airs listeners' views on BBC radio programmes and policy.
FRI 14:00 The Archers (b00j620j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Drama (b00j8dk1)
Peter Souter - Stream, River, Sea
By Peter Souter. Hugh and Bella, are running to the same timetable, the timetable you're on if someone you love has just died, and they keep running into each other.
They visit the same undertakers at the same time; Hugh's Mum is cremated immediately after Bella's husband; and they even end up in the same bereavement-counselling group.
But Hugh and Bella are dealing with very different types of grief. Hugh's heart is like a toy that has never been taken out of the box, Bella's is like a beautiful crystal glass that's been dropped from a 30 storey building.
Hugh... Alex Jennings
Bella... Juliet Stevenson
Daisy... Lizzy Watts
Directed by Gordon House.
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (b00j8dk3)
Eric Robson chairs the popular horticultural forum.
Anne Swithinbank, Chris Beardshaw and Pippa Greenwood answer questions posed by gardeners in Devon.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, Anne Swithinbank and Matthew Biggs, who trained there, return to what is regarded by some as the most important botanical gardens in the world.
Including the Gardeners' Question Time gardening weather forecast.
FRI 15:45 Soundscape: The Lion Pride (b00j62k1)
Episode 5
Now more than two years old, it is time for Kidogu to leave his family and find a territory of his own. An encounter with a group of elephants has tragic consequences.
FRI 16:00 Last Word (b00j8f46)
Matthew Bannister presents the obituary series, analysing and celebrating the life stories of people who have recently died. The programme reflects on people of distinction and interest from many walks of life, some famous and some less well known.
FRI 16:30 The Film Programme (b00j8f48)
Francine Stock talks to Colin Firth about his new film Genova, a ghost story with a twist directed by Michael Winterbottom. Plus Rupert Wyatt, director of The Escapist, discusses the work of Jean-Pierre Melville and its influence on his prison drama.
FRI 17:00 PM (b00j62n6)
Full coverage and analysis of the day's news with Carolyn Quinn. Plus Weather.
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (b00j62pw)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4, followed by Weather.
FRI 18:30 The Now Show (b00j8f4b)
Series 27
Episode 4
Comedy sketches and satirical comments from Steve Punt, Hugh Dennis and the team including Mitch Benn, Laura Shavin, Jon Holmes and Holly Walsh.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (b00j620l)
Chris plans to get a surprise present for Alice: a tattoo of Queen Alice from Alice Through the Looking Glass! He's off to the tattooist now. Kenton decides to tag along. Kenton and Chris are impressed with Opal the tattooist - she's one of the best. Kenton tells Chris he almost got a tattoo when he was in the merchant navy.
Alice is delighted to see Debbie. However, she's not stopping. She's on her way to meet Chris in town for her surprise. Debbie tells Jennifer she's pleased that Alice and Chris are still together. Jennifer says they hardly see Alice.
Jennifer and Debbie talk about Matt. Debbie says he's not answering his phone. Jennifer says Lilian won't leave the house. The whole situation's so awkward for them all. Debbie decides to see Lilian.
Alice loves Chris's tattoo. She'll never be able to keep her hands off him now. They go to Jaxx for a coffee and find Kenton looking at tattoo designs. He might get one too.
Lilian's thrilled to see Debbie, but very emotional; it's a living nightmare. Everyone's treating Matt like a criminal. And how is she going to cope if Matt goes to prison?
Episode written by Simon Frith.
FRI 19:15 Front Row (b00j62t3)
Presented by Kirsty Lang.
Tony Blair's former Director of Communications Alastair Campbell has signed up to be a mentor for teenagers competing in a new TV series, The Speaker, which sets out to find the best young public speaker in the UK. He discusses his involvement in reality TV and how the powers of persuasion can be taught.
The first stage of a new 11.3 million pound museum and art gallery complex is set to be unveiled in Bedford. Kirsty takes a look and talks to Director John Moore and Head of Collections and Exhibitions Tom Perrett about how they hope to unite the town's museum with its art gallery, which, for the past 60 years, has held a personal collection of ceramics, glass and works of Bedford brewer and art lover Cecil Higgins. The collection also includes diverse works from Turner and Constable, to Wyndham Lewis, Lucian Freud, Picasso and David Hockney.
In Two Lovers, a romantic drama set in Brooklyn, the Oscar-nominated Joaquin Phoenix plays a damaged young man who falls for his volatile neighbour, Gwyneth Paltrow, while a family friend's daughter falls for him. Critic Antonia Quirke reviews what Phoenix has said will be his last film.
FRI 19:45 15 Minute Drama (b00jdlb8)
AM Homes - This Book Will Save Your Life
Episode 5
Penny Leicester's adaptation of the novel by AM Homes.
Richard's life has changed, but so has the city - it is on fire and seems to be falling into the Pacific Ocean. And Richard's son arrives to see him after years apart.
Narrator ...... Darcy Halsey
Richard ...... Tony Pasqualini
Anhil ...... Mueen Jahan Ahmad
Cecilia ...... Adriana Sevan
Cynthia ...... Lisa Pelikan
Nic ...... JB Blanc
Ben ...... Logan Fahey
Directed by Tim Dee.
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (b00j8f4d)
Jonathan Dimbleby chairs the topical debate in Dalston, Cumbria. Panellists are former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, shadow home secretary Chris Grayling, work and pensions minister Kitty Ussher and Daily Mail parliamentary sketch-writer Quentin Letts.
FRI 20:50 A Point of View (b00j9k7c)
The Speeding Judge
Clive James reflects on the downfall of a distinguished Australian judge, who was jailed for perjury after lying about a speeding offence.
FRI 21:00 Stone (b00j9kbx)
Series 1
God's Witness
By Danny Brocklehurst.
Last in a series of four detective dramas featuring DCI John Stone. A woman witnesses the murder of a young boy by a notorious gang and chooses to speak up, but can she really risk her safety and that of her family?
Stone ...... Hugo Speer
Paula ...... Maxine Peake
Liz/Sue ...... Deborah McAndrew
Ray ...... Tony Mooney
Anna/Shirley ...... Fiona Clarke
Kyle/Michael ...... Oliver Lee
Tanner ...... Craig Cheetham
Catriona ...... Zoe Henry
Ned ...... James Quinn
Directed by Nadia Molinari.
FRI 21:58 Weather (b00j631v)
The latest weather forecast.
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (b00j633n)
National and international news and analysis with Robin Lustig. Including reports on President Obama's new strategy for Afghanistan, whether we need a unified response to the economic crisis at the G20 summit in London and India's wishlist for the meeting, and why hot tea is not good for you.
FRI 22:45 Book at Bedtime (b00j7v9h)
It's Beginning To Hurt
The Half-Sister
Series of five enigmatic and psychologically gripping short stories by James Lasdun.
Martin once aspired to be a professional guitarist but has now reconciled himself to the realities of his daily life as a guitar teacher to the children of the wealthy. But one of his clients has a hidden agenda. Read by Ben Meyjes.
FRI 23:00 A Good Read (b00j71vy)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:30 on Tuesday]
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (b00j637b)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament with Mark D'Arcy.