SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2025

SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002j64m)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:30 Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy (m002j62x)
Episode 5: A Declaration of Love

This is the first memoir by the acclaimed Indian writer and political activist Arundhati Roy, best-known for her Booker-prize-winning novel The God of Small Things. It is the account of a remarkable and difficult childhood which was dominated by Arundhati’s formidable mother, Mary Roy.

This was a time in South India when women had very proscribed roles, and Mary Roy challenged them profoundly:
‘In that conservative, stifling little South Indian town, where, in those days, women were only allowed the option of cloying virtue – or its affectation – my mother conducted herself with the edginess of a gangster.’

Mary Roy’s achievements are extraordinary - she founded a co-educational school which challenged sexist gender roles, and she brought a legal challenge which gave South Indian women equal inheritance rights with men. But at home, as Arundhati reveals, she’s cruel and bullying; she hits her children and belittles them constantly. At 18, Arundhati left home and didn’t see or speak to her mother for seven years. But when Mary Roy died in 2022, Arundhati was distraught, and even a ‘little ashamed’ at the intensity of her loss. In an attempt to make sense of their relationship, she began to write Mother Mary Comes to Me.

In this final episode, Arundhati describes her ‘brittle, tentative’ reunion with her mother after a seven-year absence from home. She becomes a published writer and wins the Booker Prize with her first novel, The God of Small Things:
‘The only person I called after the prize was announced was my mother. It would have been about 2am for her in Kottayam. She was up, watching the news on tv. “Well done, baby girl.” An incredible expression of love. I’d caught her on a good day.’
In September 2022, after a period of increasing frailty, Mrs Roy died.
‘I spun unanchored in space with no coordinates. I had constructed myself around her. I had grown into the peculiar shape that I am to accommodate her. I had never wanted to defeat her, never wanted to win. I had always wanted her to go out like a queen. And now that she had, I didn’t make sense to myself any more.’

Read by Shaheen Khan

Produced and abridged by Elizabeth Burke

Studio Production and Sound Design by Jon Calver

Executive Producer: Sara Davies

Photo courtesy of Arundhati Roy

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002j64p)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002j64r)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


SAT 05:30 News Summary (m002j64t)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002j64w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002j64y)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


SAT 05:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0022z9f)
19. A Different Kind of Justice

How does a small informal survey lead to shocking truths about the US justice system thirty years later?

Producer Lauren Armstrong Carter
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke


SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002jdp4)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SAT 06:07 Open Country (m002j751)
The Menai Strait

Martha Kearney visits the Menai Strait - the stretch of water which separates Ynys Môn or Anglesey from mainland Wales. She learns about its treacherous tides and hears about the history of its two bridges, both built in the 19th century to improve travel between London and Ireland. The Menai Suspension Bridge was designed by Thomas Telford and will celebrate its 200th anniversary at the start of 2026. The newer Britannia Bridge had to be completely rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1970.

Martha meets an academic from Bangor University who explains how ocean physics make the waters of the Strait so dangerous. At low tide she braves the pouring rain to go rock-pooling with a wildlife expert, who explains why the Strait is such a special habitat for marine life. She also visits Church Island - a tiny island in the middle of the Strait which is home to an ancient church - and meets the people who look after it.

Producer: Emma Campbell


SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002jdp6)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside


SAT 06:57 Weather (m002jdp8)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 07:00 Today (m002jdpb)
Today (Saturday)


SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002jdpd)
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, Beekeeping, Basketball, and Dan Brown's Inheritance Tracks

Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith have worked together for three decades on the likes of The League of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9. But, despite creating some of television's most twisted characters the pair are relatively normal off-screen - Reece is a keen home-baker. Steve's childhood however was often traumatic whilst growing up in foster care, and despite being forbidden to read by one family, it was the kind act of a neighbour gifting him a box of books that changed his life.

Today John Amaechi is a psychologist and leadership consultant, but in a previous life he was an NBA star. But, John spent most of his childhood in Stockport feeling lonely, bullied for his height and weight, he hated sport. But a chance encounter with a basketball coach in the street that saw this 6'10" teenager stars align.

One of Molly Earl's earliest memories as a child is rescuing bees with her amateur beeping father. Today she rescues swarms of bees destined for extermination for a living and has given refuge to millions of bees creating 250 established hives around St Austell - where she turns their efforts into award-winning honey.

All that, plus the Inheritance Tracks of The Da Vinci Code author, Dan Brown.

Presenter: Adrian Chiles
Producer: Ben Mitchell


SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002jdpg)
Jane Austen: the life of a Regency literary icon

Greg Jenner is joined in Regency England by historian Dr Lucy Worsley and actor Sally Phillips to learn all about the life and works of literary legend Jane Austen on the 250th anniversary of her birth in December 1775. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Austen is one of England’s best-loved authors, and the creator of such indelible characters as Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Darcy, Emma Woodhouse and Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Whether you have read one of her six books – Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park – or seen one of the many adaptations, most of us have some experience with Austen. But her life story and how it influenced her writing is perhaps less well-known. This episode explores her early life as the daughter of a rural clergyman, takes a peek inside the books a teenage Jane was reading, and delves into her romantic and familial relationships to see what shaped Austen into the formidable literary talent she was. And it asks a key question: was Jane Austen, who wrote such wonderful women characters, a feminist?

If you’re a fan of iconic authors, Regency romances and women succeeding in a man’s world, you’ll love our episode on Jane Austen.

If you want more incredible women authors with Dr Lucy Worsley, check out our episode on Agatha Christie. For more from Sally Phillips, listen to our episode on Fairy Tales. And for more Regency romance, there’s our episode on Georgian Courtship.

You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.

Hosted by: Greg Jenner
Research by: Clara Chamberlain and Charlotte Emily Edgeshaw
Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Ben Hollands
Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars


SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002jdpj)
Series 49

Episode 4

Jay Rayner hosts a culinary panel show packed full of tasty titbits.


SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002jdpl)
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster


SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002jdpn)
Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the world.


SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002jdpq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002jdps)
The latest news from the world of personal finance


SAT 12:30 The News Quiz (m002j63s)
Series 118

Episode 2

Topical panel quiz show, taking its questions from the week's news stories.


SAT 12:57 Weather (m002jdpv)
The latest weather forecast


SAT 13:00 News (m002jdpx)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002j645)
Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities


SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002jdpz)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?


SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002j63x)
Writer: Nick Warburton 
Director: Helen Aitken
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Ben Archer.... Ben Norris
Pip Archer.... Daisy Badger
Tom Archer.... William Troughton
Ruairi Donovan.... Arthur Hughes
Amber Gorden.... Charlotte Jordan
Brad Horrobin.... Taylor Uttley
Adam Macy.... Andrew Wincott
Azra Malik.... Yasmin Wilde
Freddie Pargetter.... Toby Laurence
Lily Pargetter.... Katie Redford
Stella Pryor.... Lucy Speed
Fallon Rogers.... Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell.... Carole Boyd
Dane.... Stavros Demetraki


SAT 15:00 The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (m000v83t)
2. Claudia

Visiting Hugh Casthorpe has now become a patient in the sanatorium.

His rise in temperature may have something to do with the fact that he is utterly, hopelessly besotted with the lovely Madame Claudia.

She is married, she is ill, he's scared to speak to her and Hugh’s companions on the Magic Mountain, are far from happy with the infatuation.

Despite the obstacles - will love find a way?

Thomas Mann’s novel is a literary icon, a tragi-comedy, a masterpiece of deep thought, sly irony, sex, love and death.

Written from a translation by John E Woods

Dramatised by Robin Brooks

Narrator ..... Lucy Robinson
Hugh Casthorpe ..... Luke Thallon
James Simpson ..... Hugh Skinner
Doctor Crowmarsh ..... Sandy Grierson
Professor Jones ..... Richard Harrington
Claudia Civet ..... Genevieve Gaunt
Edie Robinson ..... Keziah Joseph
Marjorie ..... Georgina Strawson
Stour ........... Ed Jones
Nurse ......... Kate Paul

Producer: Fiona McAlpine

An Allegra production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002jdq1)
Highlights from the Woman's Hour week


SAT 17:00 PM (m002jdq3)
Full coverage of the day's news


SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002jdq5)
Nick Robinson talks to people who shape our political thinking about what shaped theirs.


SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002jdq7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SAT 17:57 Weather (m002jdq9)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002jdqc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002jdqf)
Moira Buffini, Josh Jones, George Egg, Urielle Klein-Mekongo, Black Country, New Road

Stuart Maconie's guests in Salford include comedian Josh Jones on his new tour 'I Haven't Won The Lottery So here's Another Show'. We find out what happens if he wins the lottery mid-run. Actor and writer Moira Buffini has just won the YA Book Prize for her debut novel Songlight. George Egg is the Snack Hacker, brining us goodies from his kitchen and Urielle Klein-Mekongo is the author of a new musical, Black Power Desk. And there's music from Black Country, New Road from their critically acclaimed album Forever Howlong.

Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Jessica Treen


SAT 19:00 Profile (m002jdqh)
An insight into the character of an influential person making the news headlines


SAT 19:15 This Cultural Life (m002j74j)
Alicia Vikander

Swedish-born Alicia Vikander won global acclaim in 2015 for playing Vera Britten in Testament Of Youth, and a humanoid robot in the thriller Ex-Machina. The following year she won an Academy Award for her supporting role with Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl, along with a Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. Since then her diverse range of screen roles have included playing a spy boss in the film Jason Bourne, computer game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, and Gloria Steinem in the biopic The Glorias. The daughter of acclaimed stage actor Maria Fahl, she tells John Wilson how she first performed on stage at the age of seven in a musical written by Benny and Bjorn of ABBA. She also appeared in Swedish television dramas and films as a child actor. In 2025 Alicia Vikander makes her return to the stage in a new version of Ibsen’s The Lady From The Sea at The Bridge in London, her first theatre role since she was a child.

Producer: Edwina Pitman


SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002jdqk)
Nine Votes that Count

The US Supreme Court plays a central role in American political and judicial life and will help define Donald Trump’s presidency. Now, it's confronted by an activist President keen to use his executive powers to transform America.

Mark Damazer asks whether the Court’s nine Justices, with the conservatives a clear majority, will push back against the President. Critics fear that it will roll over and endorse his measures on everything from immigration, the definitions of citizenship, how universities should behave, the sacking of tens of thousands of government employees - and much more.

Using extensive archive recordings of Supreme Court justices, politicians and protestors - and with a contribution from a recently retired Supreme Court justice - Mark shows that the Court has time and again generated electrifying drama. Presidents from both sides have raged about its decisions. None more so than the great liberal, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who in the 1930s was so furious with a conservative court that he devised a plan that convulsed the entire nation - to add extra judges who would support him. He lost.

Mark Damazer also looks at the liberal Warren court of the 50s and 60s – which saw the largest step forward for civil rights in American legal history and met with fierce resistance from those who thought it was trampling over the Constitution – and the rights of individual states. And he sees how the nominations process, once calm and orderly, has now become raucous, deeply ideological and corrosive.

Producer: Sasha Edye-Lindner
Executive Producer: Robert Nicholson

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m002j5w6)
Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories.


SAT 22:00 News (m002jdqm)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002j62v)
Follow the Food: The Rise of Food Tourism

Sheila Dillon investigates the growing number of food tours and trails in the UK as consumers show more and more interest in the provenance of what is on their plate. She heads to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire – a town that boasts the title of Rural Capital Of Food - and joins a walking tour that spans pork pie producers, stilton sellers, a samosa wallah and a prizewinning brewery.

Produced by Robin Markwell for BBC Audio in Bristol


SAT 23:00 Icklewick FM (m002j89c)
Series 2

3. The Reunion

Icklewick FM are reporting live from Hogan High where the students are anxiously awaiting their A level results. Amy meets a newly qualified teacher on the edge and Chris is shaken when he runs into someone from his past. Meanwhile, Simon gets sent to the Head Master’s office and Mr Patel suffers from stage fright.

Icklewick FM is created and written by Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill, with additional material from the cast.

Starring:
Amy Gledhill
Chris Cantrill
Mark Silcox
Colin Hoult
Janice Connolly
Phil Ellis
Lucy Beaumont
Rachel Fairburn
Paddy Young
Molly McGuinness
Sharon Wanjohi
Jin Hao Li
Tom Burgess
Nicola Redman
Tai Campbell
Em Humble
James Carbutt

Series Artwork by Sam O'Leary

Music, sound design and additional material by Jack Lewis Evans.
Line Produced by Laura Shaw
Produced by Benjamin Sutton.
A Daddy’s Superyacht production for BBC Radio 4


SAT 23:30 Nature Table (m001gk81)
Series 3

Episode 6

Celebrating the natural world and all it's funny eccentricities.

Taking the simple format of a 'Show & Tell', in each episode Sue Perkins is joined by celebrity guests from the worlds of comedy and natural history.

Nature Table has a simple clear brief: to positively celebrate and promote the importance of all our planet's wonderfully wild flora and fauna in a fun and easily grasped way... whilst at the same time having a giggle.

Recorded at ZSL London Zoo.

In this episode, Sue welcomes:

* Lead Keeper at ZSL London Zoo Jessica Jones
* Fungarium Curator at Kew Gardens Lee Davies
* Comedian Shaparak Khorsandi

Written by Catherine Brinkworth, Jon Hunter, Jenny Laville and Nicky Roberts

Additional material by Kat Sadler.

Producer Simon Nicholls.

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.

SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2025

SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002jdqp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 00:15 Bookclub (m002j5nb)
Paula Hawkins

Presented by James Naughtie, Radio 4's Bookclub, speaks to the writer Paula Hawkins about her debut thriller The Girl On The Train. The book was published by Doubleday in 2015 to great acclaim and has sold millions of copies. Told in the first-person the novel's protagonist is Rachel Watson, a 33-year-old divorcee with addiction issues. The book was made into film in 2016 directed by Tate Taylor and starring Emily Blunt as Rachel. This episode was recorded at the Edinburgh International Books Festival.

Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002jdqr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002jdqt)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


SUN 05:30 News Summary (m002jdqw)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002jdqy)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002jdr0)
The Church of Saints Mary and Gabriel in South Harting, West Sussex

Bells on Sunday comes from the Church of Saints Mary and Gabriel in South Harting, West Sussex. The large cruciform church is mostly early 14th century with some signs of earlier work. The tower houses a ring of six bells which were all cast by the Chapman and Mears foundry of London in 1782. The Tenor weighs twelve hundredweight and is tuned to the note of F sharp. We hear them ringing Norwich Surprise Minor.


SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002j6zp)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted


SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002jghm)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 06:05 Heart and Soul (w3ct6vp5)
Freddie’s Second Verse

Freddie once signed to a major record label. He appeared in high-production music videos and looked set for fame. But the pressure and pace of that life left him feeling hollow. In one of the world’s busiest cities, he now follows a very different path - one built on silence, discipline, and spiritual growth.

Freddie reflects on his decision to leave the music industry behind and embrace Buddhism. He now works as a nail technician and shares how his beliefs shape his daily life. Alongside him is Carl, his partner, who offers moving insights into how their shared values deepen their relationship.

The episode captures striking contrasts: the buzz of the city versus the calm of local temples; a nail salon’s chatter against the resonance of monastery chanting. Through honest conversations and ambient recordings, we step into Freddie and Carl’s world, where Buddhist practice offers an anchor amid chaos.

Their story explores what it means to redefine success, maintain spiritual discipline in a hyperactive city, and find peace through faith. It also touches on themes of identity, mindfulness, and how love and belief can thrive under pressure.

Freddie’s journey is not one of retreat, but of radical reorientation - a decision to slow down in a world that keeps speeding up. This is a rare and intimate portrait of life shaped by stillness, purpose, and the search for something more lasting than applause.

Producer/Presenter: John Offord
Executive Producer: Rajeev Gupta
Editor: Chloe Walker
Production Coordinator: Mica Nepomuceno


SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002jghp)
Oat Milk Farmers

We meet brother and sister Phil and Rebecca Rayner who grow oats on their Cambridgeshire farm to turn into oat milk and other products. They’re thriving after winning a David and Goliath trademark battle against a multi-million pound business. Oatly had claimed the name of the Rayners’ product – PureOaty – was too similar, but a judge ruled in their favour. Now they use their own and other local farmers’ oats to make gluten free products.

Produced and presented by Sally Challoner.


SUN 06:57 Weather (m002jghr)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002jght)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002jghw)
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week


SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002jfcc)
Zimbabwe Educational Trust

Writer Africa Brooke makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Zimbabwe Educational Trust. The charity helps families in Zimbabwe get birth certificates for their children, enabling them to access healthcare, education and have more legal rights later in life.

The Radio 4 Appeal features a new charity every week. Each appeal then runs on Radio 4 from Sunday 0755 for 7 days.

To Give:
- Freephone 0800 404 8144
- Freepost BBC Radio 4 Appeal. (That’s the whole address. Please do not write anything else on the front of the envelope). Mark the back of the envelope 'Zimbabwe Educational Trust’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Zimbabwe Educational Trust'.
- You can donate online at bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4
- Please ensure you are donating to the correct charity by checking the name of the charity on the donate page.

Registered Charity Number: 327519. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://zimbabweeducationaltrust.org.uk/
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites

Producer: Katy Takatsuki


SUN 07:57 Weather (m002jghy)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002jgj0)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.


SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002jgj2)
The Invitation of Heaven

This week’s Sunday Worship comes from the historic Mynyddbach Chapel in North Swansea, home to the Calon Lan Centre. The renowned Morriston Orpheus Choir marks its 90th anniversary with stirring performances that echo decades of Welsh choral tradition. The preacher is Heulwen Davies, Pastor at 21st Century Church in Llanelli.

Readings: John 10:1-11 and Psalm 51:1-10

Music includes:
Amazing Grace
Deus Salutis
Gwahoddiad
Calon Lan


SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct74q5)
President Clinton plays the sax in Prague

In January 1994, two presidents enjoyed a memorable night in the Czech Republic – ending with an impromptu jazz performance.

Five years after the fall of communism, the US president Bill Clinton visited Prague to share his hopes for a new transatlantic alliance.

Key to his vision was his friendship with the Czech president Vaclav Havel, a playwright who had been imprisoned for dissidence during the Cold War.

During the visit, Havel arranged a series of surprises for Clinton including a reunion with the family he had stayed with on a visit to Prague in 1970.

The final surprise took place at the city’s famous Reduta jazz club. Havel presented Clinton with a saxophone and the two friends performed together on stage – a moment which came to symbolise the new partnership between East and West.

Vicky Farncombe uses archive from the Vaclav Havel Center and the William J Clinton Presidential Library to relive the big night out.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Presidents perform at the Reduta jazz club. Credit: Office of the President of the Czech Republic)


SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002jgj4)
Jo Wimpenny on the Moorhen

Standing on a lake edge and eager to spot some wildlife, zoologist and author Jo Wimpenny is disappointed to just find a moorhen. But then she stops herself - why does no one get excited about seeing these birds? From climbing trees to promiscuity and egg dumping, Jo finds out there is far more to moorhen life than its humble status suggests.

Presented by Jo Wimpenny and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol


SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002jgj6)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell


SUN 10:00 The Reunion (m002jgj8)
Royal Ballet School

Kirsty Wark brings together a group of famous former students of the Royal Ballet School to talk about its influence and legacy.

Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Natalie Steed
Editor: David Prest
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002jgjb)
Writer: Nick Warburton 
Director: Helen Aitken
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Ben Archer.... Ben Norris
Pip Archer.... Daisy Badger
Tom Archer.... William Troughton
Ruairi Donovan.... Arthur Hughes
Amber Gorden.... Charlotte Jordan
Brad Horrobin.... Taylor Uttley
Adam Macy.... Andrew Wincott
Azra Malik.... Yasmin Wilde
Freddie Pargetter.... Toby Laurence
Lily Pargetter.... Katie Redford
Stella Pryor.... Lucy Speed
Fallon Rogers.... Joanna Van Kampen
Lynda Snell.... Carole Boyd
Dane.... Stavros Demetraki


SUN 12:15 Profile (m002jdqh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Saturday]


SUN 12:30 Just a Minute (m002j5r5)
Series 95

4. What's that wonderful smell?

Sue Perkins challenges Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Emma Sidi and Desiree Burch to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include Dame Maggie Smith, my favourite pizza topping and Wimbledon.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Additional material by Eve Delaney

An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


SUN 12:57 Weather (m002jgjd)
The latest weather forecast


SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002jgjg)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world.


SUN 13:30 Currently (m002j5n8)
Corn Belt People

Amid the crowds and bustle of the 2025 Iowa State Fair, Anna Jones takes the temperature of rural Iowans almost a year into Trump's second term. Anna finds out how the farming constituency - largely Trump supporting in 2024 - are feeling about global trade tariffs and promises to Make America Great Again. She explores their perceptions of America's position in the world - and how they feel the rest of the world views the rural Midwest.

Produced and presented by Anna Jones for BBC Audio Bristol


SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002j63c)
Summer Garden Party Potting Shed

Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.


SUN 14:45 Opening Lines (m002jgjl)
The Cherry Orchard - Episode One

John Yorke looks at The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov’s final play and a landmark in 20th century theatre.

It’s 1903 and Liubov Andryeevna Ranyevskaya is returning to the family estate in southern Russia. As the head of this aristocratic household, she faces a crisis. The family is in serious financial difficulty and it seems inevitable that the estate will have to be sold to pay their debts. A local businessman, Lopakhin, offers a solution, but it would mean the loss of their beloved cherry orchard.

In this first of two episodes, the focus is on these two main protagonists, who embody the tensions between the old aristocracy and the emerging merchant class, and the student Trofimov whose revolutionary ideas point prophetically towards the path that Russia was soon to take.

John has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact of the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Drama series. As former Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he has worked on some of the most popular shows in Britain - from EastEnders to The Archers, Life on Mars to Shameless. As creator of the BBC Writers Academy he's trained a generation of screenwriters - now with over 70 green lights and thousands of hours of television to their names. He is the author of Into the Woods, the bestselling book on narrative, and he writes, teaches and consults on all forms of narrative, including many podcasts for R4.

Contributors:
Benedict Andrews, director of an acclaimed production of The Cherry Orchard at the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2024
Rosamund Bartlett, a cultural historian with expertise in Russian literature, music and art. Her books include Chekhov: Scenes from a Life and she has also translated and edited selections of his stories and letters.

Excerpt taken from the BBC Radio 3/Palimpsest production of The Cherry Orchard, directed by Toby Swift, with Neil Dudgeon as Lopakhin and Saffron Coomber as Dunyasha. It was first broadcast on Radio 3 on 18th November 2018.

Music: Torquil MacLeod
Sound: Sean Kerwin
Researcher: Henry Tydeman
Production Hub Coordinator: Nina Semple
Producer: Torquil MacLeod
Executive Producer: Sara Davies

A Pier production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002jgjn)
The Yafa Cherry Orchard

Part 1

Chekhov’s timeless masterpiece translates easily to Palestine in 1948 as an aristocratic family try to hang on to their estate during partition.

Madame Selma, (Ranevskaya in the original), arrives at her ancestral home in Yafa just as the British are withdrawing from Palestine and the state of Israel is being established. Armed Zionist militia, soon to become the IDF, are roaming the country and will surely turn their attention to Selma’s house and its beloved Cherry Orchard.

Hassan Abdulrazzak’s adaptation retains Chekhov’s story of a family struggling to cope with the change that threatens to sweep them away and is given an urgent resonance by setting the story against the seismic events of 1948, whose consequences echo down the years to this day.

The Yafa Cherry Orchard adapted by Hassan Abdulrazzak

Selma: Lara Sawalha
Gamal: Sami Abu Wardeh
Yousef: Philip Arditti
Tariq: Ammar Haj Ahmad
Said: Nayef Rashed
Alia: Sara Masry
Widad: Sarah Agha
Colonel Wilson: Joel Samuels
Khalid: Motaz Malhees
Dunya: Sofia Asir
Yassir :Joe Haddad
Salah: Zaydun Khalaf
Firas: Raad Rawi

Music by Kareem Samara
Musicians:
Production Assistant: Lucie Regan
Sound design by Alisdair McGregor
Produced and directed by Boz Temple-Morris

A Holy Mountain production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002jgjr)
Ian McEwan

Booker prize winning author, Ian McEwan, speaks to Take Four Books, about his new novel, What We Can Know, and explores its connections to three other literary works. What We Can Know is set almost a hundred years in the future in a Britain much of which is now underwater, and it follows the character of Tom Metcalfe, a scholar of the University of South Downs, who is looking back at the literature of the early twenty-first century.

For his his three influences Ian chose: a poem called Marston Meadows: A corona for Prue by John Fuller, first published in the Times Literary Supplement in 2021; The Immortal Dinner by Penelope Hughes-Hallett from 2000; and Footsteps by Richard Holmes from 1985.

The supporting contributor for this episode is the writer Denise Mina, and it's recorded during the Edinburgh International Books Festival.

Presenter: James Crawford
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan

This was a BBC Audio Scotland production.


SUN 16:30 The 3rd Degree (m002jgjt)
Series 15

1. University of Bristol

This episode coming from the University of Bristol, The 3rd Degree is a funny, upbeat and brainy quiz show.

The specialist subjects this week are Environmental Science, Drama, and History, so naturally we’ll be discussing Boron/Calcium pH proxy analysis, Noël Coward’s wartime satire and St Cuthbert’s A-level results. All this and the world’s hottest chili pepper to boot. If not to eat.

The show is recorded on location at a different University each week, and pits three Undergraduates against three of their Professors. The General Knowledge rounds include a quickfire bell-and-buzzer finale and the Highbrow & Lowbrow round cunningly devised to test not only the students’ knowledge of history, art, literature and politics, but also their Professors’ awareness of TV, music and sport. Meanwhile there are the three specialist subject rounds, in which students take on their Professors in their own subjects, and where we find out whether the students have actually been awake during lectures.

In this series, universities include Bristol, Queen Mary University of London, Kent, Worcester College Oxford, and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct7461)
Lunch atop a Skyscraper

In 1932, a photo was taken showing 11 New York ironworkers casually eating their lunch while sitting on a steel beam at the top of a skyscraper. No safety harnesses, no helmets. Their legs dangled freely over the death-defying drop. 'Lunch atop a Skyscraper' is now one of the most famous pictures in the world but it's an image surrounded in mystery. For years, the identity of its photographer and of the 11 men have been unknown. Christine Roussel, archivist at the Rockefeller Center, tells Vicky Farncombe about her mission to uncover the photo’s secrets.

(Photo: Lunch atop a Skyscraper. Credit: Getty Images)


SUN 17:10 En-Gulfed (m002gztm)
Tourism

Activist and satirist Heydon Prowse explores how Gulf countries have become some of the biggest tourism success stories ever, receiving almost 70m visitors in 2024.

From Saudi Arabia’s plans to build their own astonishing new buildings like Neom - a vast walled city in the desert, to Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah, one of the most audacious engineering project the world has ever seen, Heydon asks what’s behind the drive to attract more tourists, and what it means for those who visit.

Written and presented by Heydon Prowse
Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith


SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002jgjx)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


SUN 17:57 Weather (m002jgjz)
The latest weather reports and forecast


SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002jgk1)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002jgk3)
Robin Ince

A selection of highlights from the past week on BBC radio


SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002jgk5)
There's a surprise twist at the Flower and Produce Show, and Lily has to face the music.


SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002jf5j)
Where the Distance Shimmers

Forty years ago, Route 66, the highway that ran the 2448 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, was formally decommissioned, usurped by a more modern, high-speed interstate. But the road has lived on in the collective imagination — a symbol of freedom, adventure, and new beginnings, of America's concept of itself.

In this meditation on the Mother Road, as John Steinbeck christened it, Laura Barton explores 66's shifting identity, from migratory route to America's Main Street.

With contributions from Angel (the "Angel of Route 66") and his daughter Clarissa Delgadillo in Seligman, Arizona; Mike Cowen who set up his own Historic Route 66 museum in Williams, Arizona; Leigh Anne Isbell of the Devil's Rope Museum in Texas and Candacy Taylor, who's written about Route 66 in relation to The Green Book.

Written and presented by Laura Barton
Location recording producer, Diane Hope
Produced by Alan Hall
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 19:45 Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley (m001744m)
Take a Nap

Michael reveals how getting some shut-eye during the day could boost your memory and your heart health - and even help your productivity! Research reveals that a simple daily nap could slash your risk of heart attack by half, and have a noticeable impact on your brain, by helping improve your emotional control and boosting memory. In this episode, our volunteer Caroline catches some Zzzs in between work meetings, while nap expert Dr Sara Mednick delves into the different stages of sleep, telling Michael when to nap, and for how long, for the greatest benefit.


SUN 20:00 Word of Mouth (m002j753)
Crash Bang Wallop: The Sound of Words

Michael Rosen is joined by linguist Dr Catherine Laing to discuss onomatopoeia and other words that sound like their meanings. Not just words for sounds like 'crash' and 'bang', or words for animal noises like 'woof' and 'quack', but also other words which perhaps hold something of their meaning within their form. Is there something rough about the word 'rough'? Does 'smooth' feel smooth? And how can we play with this in everyday speech and in poetry?

Produced by Becky Ripley, in partnership with the Open University.


SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002j63h)
Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died, from the rich and famous to unsung but significant.


SUN 21:00 Money Box (m002jdps)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:04 on Saturday]


SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002jfcc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 today]


SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002jdpn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:30 on Saturday]


SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002jgk7)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.


SUN 23:00 Illuminated (m002h9np)
Into the West

The red-billed chough is the most dashing crow in the world. These rare, flamboyant, scarlet-legged, scarlet-billed denizens of Britain’s Celtic coasts are communal and comic, intelligent and daring. They’re also sublime aeronauts, riding the breeze as though they’re made of it.

For writer Horatio Clare, the chough is his totem. He’s loved the bird since he first encountered it in the 1980s during childhood holidays to Pembrokeshire. And more than forty years on from that joyous first encounter he still seeks them out. It’s his annual pilgrimage.

In this episode of Illuminated, we join Horatio on that pilgrimage as he tells the story of a bird with a beak and legs the colour of a saint’s blood… or perhaps a king’s blood; whose cry says its name and whose presence symbolises a nation’s identity. It’s the story of a bird which embodies myths… and creates new ones; a bird which fled into the West over two centuries ago and which is finally returning to a wider world.

Horatio begins his journey on Pen Llŷn, the westernmost spur of North Wales and one of the red-billed chough’s strongholds. His guide as he walks the sea cliffs is naturalist and folklorist Twm Elias. Twm lived alongside chough as he grew up on Llŷn and remembers a childhood visit to Caernarfon Castle, where his friend Dic John made a grab for the Castle’s ‘tame’ chough – and got a painful pecking in return.

Twm sees chough as a symbol of the wild coastal areas of north Wales. But it’s also wrapped up in ideas of Cornish identity too. Dr. Loveday Jenkin grew up on stories of King Arthur becoming a chough when he died. Yet, just as she heard those stories, the very last choughs were dying out in Cornwall.

But then, in 2001, thirty years after the last chough disappeared, three birds from Ireland made landfall in the far west of Cornwall. The following year two of them built a nest and the population grew from there. Hilary Mitchell from Cornwall Birds tells the story of how the avian symbol and spirit of the county returned.

The chough is associated now with the western Celtic coasts. But once upon a time it ranged right across the British Isles. And maybe it will again. Horatio heads in the opposite direction… east… to a place which hasn’t seen chough for at least two centuries, despite the bird being embedded in its iconography.

In Dover he meets Paul Hadaway from Kent Wildlife Trust to discover how a bird which was a symbol of the martyr and saint Thomas a Becket is once again flying in Kentish skies. And Jenny Luddington from the Trust explains how she’s drawn on an old tradition of hooden creatures – carved wooden animal heads on poles – to create a hooden chough and tell the story of the bird’s return to Kent.

Horatio Clare discovers that the chough’s story has come full circle as old myths rehatch and new ones take wing.

Presenter: Horatio Clare
Producer: Jeremy Grange
Editor: Chris Ledgard
A BBC Audio Wales production for BBC Radio 4


SUN 23:30 The History Podcast (m0024bgh)
The Lucan Obsession

10. The Final Act?

Alex trawls through Lord Lucan’s belongings from his speedily abandoned flat.

She finds incriminating books where he’s torn out pages on how to kill your wife, and is taken aback by photos that make her reconsider the story.

She draws together what makes this a compelling crime, and asks what would give it the perfect ending.

And in a remarkable interview with a former Met Police Detective, she discovers that we could perhaps get an answer to one of the two mysteries tomorrow.

Presenter: Alex von Tunzelmann
Content Producer: Becca Bryers
Series Producer: Sarah Bowen


SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002j63f)
Fairy Penguin by Rachel Trezise

Original short fiction by Rachel Trezise.

Keisha tries to survive a school trip to Bristol Zoo. She doesn't have the right hair, the right friends or the latest electronic pets.

Reader: Georgia Henshaw
Sound: Nigel Lewis
Producer: John Norton

A BBC Audio Wales Production

MONDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2025

MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002jgk9)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 00:15 Crossing Continents (m002j6zr)
Saving Gaza's Past

The history of Gaza dates back more than 5000 years. In antiquity, it was a key port on the Mediterranean coast. Assyrians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and the Ottomans have all left their mark on this small territory. This rich history is seen by Palestinians as central to their identity. Amid the death and destruction of the war, the BBC’s Middle East Correspondent Yolande Knell meets the Palestinians who’ve desperately tried to save what remains of Gaza’s past.

Reporter: Yolande Knell
Producer: Alex Last
Sound mix: Neil Churchill
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Editor: Penny Murphy


MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002jdr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 05:43 on Sunday]


MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002jgkc)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002jgkf)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


MON 05:00 News Summary (m002jgkh)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002jgkk)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament


MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002jgkm)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002jgkp)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002jgkr)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


MON 05:57 Weather (m002jgkt)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers


MON 06:00 Today (m002jgnn)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002jgnq)
Afghanistan and the DRC

Lyse Doucet tells the history of Afghanistan in recent decades through the story of the Inter-Continental hotel, which opened in the capital in 1969. The BBC’s international correspondent stayed there frequently from the late 1980s, and she details how the Soviet occupation, civil war, US invasion and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban have all left their mark on 'The Finest Hotel in Kabul', and the people who worked there.

There’s plenty of pink champagne and fine dining in Michela Wrong’s study of the rise and fall of Mobutu Sese Seko, the charismatic dictator of Congo/ Zaire at the end of the 20th century. It’s 25 years since her biography, 'In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz', was published, and as the Democratic Republic of Congo appears to be on the brink of another civil war, she reflects on this latest cycle of violence.

There have been calls for international help in the DRC, but just how effective is military intervention in the long run? Ashleigh Percival-Borley served in Afghanistan in 2010 but had to watch from the sidelines as the US and UK abruptly pulled out a decade later, leaving a vacuum filled by the Taliban. Now, as a military historian, she’s interested in giving voice to women in war – not just as the victims, but as active participants.

Producer: Katy Hickman
Assistant Producer: Natalia Fernandez


MON 09:45 Café Hope (m002jgns)
Wellbeing in the waves

Ian Bennett, from the charity Wave Project, tells Rachel Burden how they make the ocean and surfing accessible to people of all physical abilities, and how surf therapy can improve people's confidence.

Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they’re doing to make things better in big and small ways. Think of us as sitting in your local café, cooking up plans, hearing the gossip, and celebrating the people making the world a better place.

We’re all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. And the key here is in the trying. This is real life. Not everything works, and there are struggles along the way. But it’s always worth a go.

You can contact us on cafehope@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Rachel Burden
Series Producer: Uma Doraiswamy
Sound Design: Nicky Edwards
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Clare Fordham


MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002jgnv)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.


MON 11:00 The Great Influencer Experiment (m002jgnx)
A Catch 22

Emily, Alun and Danyah throw themselves deeper into the experiment — but the excitement of creating soon collides with the realities of being online.

As their journey continues, the emotional toll of social media begins to show. The chase for attention proves relentless, online scrutiny is hard to endure, and the demand to appear authentic becomes its own performance.

Can they withstand the emotional strain that social media demands? How much will the pursuit of visibility end up costing them?

Presenter: Osman Iqbal
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: Tony Churnside
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown


MON 11:45 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jgnz)
Episode 1 - The Golden Years at the Inter-Con, Kabul

Lyse Doucet reads her vivid account of how Afghanistan has survived decades of conflict by telling the stories of the staff who kept the doors of Kabul's Inter-Continental Hotel open. Today, it's 1971 and the hotel boasts luxury, sophistication and breath-taking views across the Hindu Kush.

Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and an award winning journalist who has reported from many of the world's war zones. She has covered stories from Afghanistan since 1988 when she first checked into the Inter-Con, and from where she has witnessed the impact of unceasing conflict that has scarred this nation for half a century.

Her book is a history of Afghanistan told through the lives of the people who have worked at the Inter-Con, some since it opened in 1969. Despite enduring several coups, a Soviet occupation, civil war, a US invasion, and the rise and fall and rise of the Taliban, the Inter-Con is still standing. In telling the stories of the hotel's housekeepers, chefs, managers and engineers Lyse shows how us how ordinary Afghans have managed to live through the destruction and disruption in their workplace and their country.

The music is Wa wa Leili - Leili, how wonderful! from the album Sweet Nomad Girl. Abdul Wahab Madadi (vocal), Veronica Doubleday (vocal and daireh) and John Baily (14-stringed dutar).

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


MON 12:00 News Summary (m002jgp1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002jgp3)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


MON 12:57 Weather (m002jgp5)
The latest weather forecast


MON 13:00 World at One (m002jgp7)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


MON 13:45 The History Podcast (m002jgp9)
The Fort

6. Call Sign: Ugly

For Apache helicopter pilots Tom O'Malley and Ed Macy - the mission has changed.

Their new objective is to prevent the stricken Lance Corporal Mathew Ford from becoming a prisoner of The Taliban. So they take the fight to them.

But Tom is growing increasingly frustrated. With fuel and ammunition limited - how long can they sustain their airborne protection of the fallen marine?

He devises a new plan. Only ever conceived as a last-dtich emergency escape plan for downed pilots, Tom wants to land, pick up four volunteers from HQ, and fly them into the battlezone on the side of their helicopters. They will rush to Mathew, secure him to the helicopter - and they will fly him out.

The volunteers have been chosen. Royal Marines Chris, Gary and Colin and Royal Engineer Dave are now tasked with what their commander Rob Magowan calls - the most dangerous mission he has ever authorised.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core


MON 14:00 The Archers (m002jgk5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Sunday]


MON 14:15 Alone (m00094lp)
Series 2

A Cry For No Help

Mitch is desperate to have his wedding anniversary pass unnoticed to avoid any awkwardness in the house.

Unfortunately, Will lets the anniversary cat out of the bag.

So Mitch, who is endeavouring to find someone to hold on to his spare keys, encounters very strange reactions to this seemingly simple request.

Sitcom about five single, middle aged neighbours living in flats in a converted house in North London.

Mitch is a widower and part-time therapist, looking to put his life back together now that he is single and living with Will, his younger, more volatile and unhappily divorced half-brother.

Elsewhere in the building is schoolteacher Ellie who is shy, nervous and holds a secret candle for Mitch.

Overly honest, frustrated actress Louisa, and socially inept IT nerd Morris complete the line-up of mis-matched neighbours.

Written and created by Moray Hunter.

Mitch ...... Angus Deayton
Will ...... Pearce Quigley
Ellie ...... Abigail Cruttenden
Louisa ...... Kate Isitt
Morris ...... Bennett Arron

Producer: Gordon Kennedy

Based on an original idea developed in association with Dandy Productions

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2019.


MON 14:45 Mrs Bridge by Evan S Connell (m0019kf2)
Episode 5

Evan S. Connell's Mrs Bridge is an extraordinary tragicomic portrayal of suburban life and one of the classic American novels of the 20th century.

Mrs Bridge, a conservative housewife in Missouri, has three children and a kindly lawyer husband. Her married life begins in the early 1930s – and soon after she and her young family move to a wealthy country club suburb of Kansas City. She spends her time shopping, going to bridge parties and bringing up her children to be pleasant, clean and have nice manners. The qualities that she values above all else. And yet she finds modern life increasingly baffling, her children aren't growing up into the people she expected, and sometimes she has the vague disquieting sensation that all is not well in her life.

In a series of comic, telling vignettes, Evan S. Connell illuminates the narrow morality, confusion, futility and even terror at the heart of a life of plenty.

First published in 1959 it was perhaps overshadowed by the critical attention paid to contemporaries like Philip Roth and John Updike - although Mrs Bridge was a finalist for the National Book Award in that year. Ten years later Connell published Mr Bridge which follows that same events largely from the point of view of Walter Bridge. In 1990, James Ivory directed the film Mr and Mrs Bridge based on both novels and starring Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward. Fans of the book today include the novelist David Nicholls and Tracey Thorne, author and singer.

Read by Fenella Woolgar
Written by Evan S Connell
Abridged by Isobel Creed and Jill Waters

A Waters Company production for BBC Radio 4


MON 15:00 Great Lives (m002jf4c)
Comedian Stewart Lee on Derek Bailey

"The area I mostly work in is generally known as free - the free music area. And free is one of those four letter words, like rock or jazz or punk maybe. It started out meaning something." Derek Bailey

Born in 1930 in Sheffield, Bailey worked as a session musician in dance bands and orchestras before turning his back on that world. Free improvisation was where he made his name, and he took inspiration from whatever he heard. Stewart Lee first heard him in the 1990s and spoke at his funeral in 2005.

"Are there any parallels between his approach and yours?"
"There probably are ... in that I've copied him."

Also contains the voices of Ian Greaves and Tim Fletcher, a brief clip of Mastermind, and a recording of Derek Bailey's collaborator in the Joseph Holbrooke Trio, Gavin Bryars. Stewart Lee is a comedian and writer, the presenter is Matthew Parris and the producer for BBC Studios is Miles Warde.

We regret that this description barely scrapes the surface of the wonder of this episode - the ideas, the music, the archive, the brief row.


MON 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m002jgpc)
BBC National Short Story Award 2025

The first shortlisted story

The first story in contention for the BBC National Short Story Award which is celebrating its 20th anniversary is read by Toby Jones.

The annual BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University marks its twentieth anniversary in 2025 with a shortlist of five short stories by established and newer writers to the form. The five outstanding stories explore relationships, community and place against a backdrop of a world in crisis.

For two decades this award has celebrated writers who are the UK’s finest exponents of the form.  James Lasdun secured the inaugural Award in 2006 for ‘An Anxious Man’. In 2012 when the Award expanded internationally for one year, Miroslav Penkov was victorious for his story, ‘East of the West’. Last year, the Award was won by Ross Raisin for ‘Ghost Kitchen’, a tense, cinematic story narrated by a bicycle courier and inspired by the gig economy and the ‘dark kitchens’ of the restaurant industry.

In its 20-year history, Sarah Hall, K J Orr, Naomi Wood, Jonathan Buckley, Julian Gough, Clare Wigfall, Cynan Jones, Lucy Caldwell, Ingrid Persaud, Saba Sams and David Constantine have also carried off the Award with shortlisted authors including Zadie Smith, Jackie Kay, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Naomi Alderman, Kamila Shamsie, K Patrick and Jacqueline Crooks.

This year’s judging panel was chaired by Di Speirs who has sat on every judging panel since the Award’s inception and is joined by the very first chair of judges, William Boyd as well as former winners and shortlisted writers Lucy Caldwell, Ross Raisin and Kamila Shamsie.

In a time when literary awards come and go, and can struggle for funding and airtime, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University continues to be a cause for joy

From 15th to 18th September four of the shortlisted stories can be heard at 3.30 each afternoon with the fifth story in contention for the award broadcasting on Friday, 19th September, at 11.30pm. The winner of the 20th BBC National Short Story Award will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row on Tuesday 30th September 2025.

Produced by Elizabeth Allard


MON 16:00 Currently (m002j5n8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]


MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002jdpj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Saturday]


MON 17:00 PM (m002jgpf)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002jgph)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m002jgpk)
Series 95

5. Whoopsie-daisy

Sue Perkins challenges Lucy Porter, Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons and Stephen Mangan to speak for 60 seconds without repetition, deviation or hesitation. Subjects include give it 110%, Oasis tickets and I wish I didn’t know that about you.

Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Additional material by Eve Delaney

An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.


MON 19:00 The Archers (m002jf2y)
Ruairi makes an emotional admission, and Justin finds his arm twisted.


MON 19:15 Front Row (m002jgpm)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


MON 20:00 Rethink (m002j755)
Rethink: how can flying be less polluting?

Aviation has a problem: it's reliant on fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases when they're burned in a jet engine. Other industries are worse polluters, but in the next few decades, they are likely to decarbonise much faster than the airline sector.

Why? Because kerosene is a light enough fuel for planes to get off the ground, while producing enough thrust for them to do so. Also it enables airliners to carry passengers to the other side of the world.

International flight has only been around for less than 100 years, but research suggests that it's responsible for 4% of total global warming to date. It's not just that airliners pump out carbon dioxide, but they also emit nitrous oxides and soot. Even contrails, which are mostly water vapour, have a warming effect high up in the atmosphere.

Can efficiencies in jet engines, optimal routes and air traffic control lead to less fuel being used? What technologies are available to make flying cleaner? Is the pace of change fast enough to meet net zero by 2050?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Lisa Baxter

Contributors:
David Lee, Professor of Atmospheric Science and Director of the Centre for Aviation, Transport and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Dr Mark Bentall, Head of the Research and Technology Programme, Airbus
Dr Naomi Allen, Head of Research at the Royal Aeronautical Society,
Alice Larkin, Professor of Climate Science and Energy Policy in the School of Engineering at the University of Manchester.
Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive, Sustainable Aviation

Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University


MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (m002j757)
A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.


MON 21:00 Start the Week (m002jgnq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]


MON 21:45 Café Hope (m002jgns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002jgpp)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


MON 22:45 Mrs Robinson by Helen Cross (m002jgpr)
Episode 1: Temptation

At the height of a TB epidemic, Lydia Robinson lives on her remote North Yorkshire estate, with four children and a preacher husband. Mr Robinson has decreed that the family isolate themselves, in fear of the sickness.
Their only company? Gloomy Anne Brontë, governess to the children.
That is, until Anne’s dissolute brother, Branwell, arrives…

Mrs Robinson's name and story partly inspired the film, The Graduate.

Helen Cross’s five-part original fiction is read by Anne-Marie Duff.
Producers: Fay Lomas and Mair Bosworth


MON 23:00 Tracking the Planet (m001x54d)
A Changing Climate

Our planet is alive. A dynamic, moving, pulsating organism. Air pressure rises and falls, ocean currents meander, and the climate continues, by tiny increments, to warm.

And at the same time, billions of animals are on the move.

All over the planet, animals are fitted with sophisticated tracking devices by teams of dedicated scientists, which tell us so much about what they’re up to. From rhinos in bulky satellite collars, to microscopic chips glued to the back of a bee, they record where the animals go, what they eat, and how and why they migrate across the globe.

But they record so much more than that too – modern trackers can also log local climatic conditions, windspeed, temperature, even some measures of the animal’s own health; heartbeat, or skin temperature. Every tagged animal is transformed into a tiny dynamic weather station, collecting data on climactic conditions and the health of ecosystems, which would be impossible to collect otherwise.

Diving Weddell seals bring back data on the melting speed of a deep water glacier. Roving Tiger Sharks uncover previously unknown sea-grass habitats. High-flying sea-birds on annual migration tell us about changing wind patterns across the tempestuous equator, and farm animals in the mountains of Italy, moving nervously in their fields, give a silent alert: an earthquake is on the way.

In this series, Emily Knight explores some of the stories that can be told about the animals that call this world home, and the much larger over-arching story too: How the changing conditions on this planet are transforming THEIR lives, changing their migration routes, re-positioning their food-stocks, bringing new diseases or challenging weather. We can track how they’re coping with it all, and how, sometimes, they’re not.


MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002jgpt)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament

TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2025

TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002jgpw)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 00:30 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jgnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Monday]


TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002jgpy)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002jgq0)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


TUE 05:00 News Summary (m002jgq2)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002jgq4)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament


TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002jgq6)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002jgq8)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002jgqb)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


TUE 06:00 Today (m002jf23)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002jf25)
Sonia Gandhi on building model brains to tackle Parkinson’s disease

Many people will be familiar with Parkinson’s disease: the progressive brain disorder that causes symptoms including tremors and slower movement, leading on to serious cognitive problems. You might not know that it’s the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. Today it affects around 11.8 million people and that’s forecast to double by 2030.

Dr Sonia Gandhi is one of the scientists working to change that trend. As Professor of Neurology at University College London and Assistant Research Director at the Francis Crick Institute, her work involves using stem cells to build models of the human brain, helping to drive the development of drugs and other therapies for Parkinson’s patients.

Talking to Professor Jim Al-Khalili, Sonia explains why this destructive condition is on the rise - and the promising routes they're studying to find new ways to tackle it.

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor for BBC Studios


TUE 09:30 Universities Challenged (m002jf27)
A first-degree fallout

Universities are in crisis. They're facing social and financial pressures that threaten to undermine the foundations they're built on, maybe even their very existence.
Sophia Smith Galer won Celebrity University Challenge last year as part of the Durham team. As the first in her family to go to university she's a big fan of higher education.
Now Sophia's asking the questions and they're big difficult questions for British Universities. Is a major university at risk of going bust and what happens if it does? It the battle for free speech tearing universities apart? And is a degree still worth it?
Over three episodes, Sophia speaks to students, staff and leaders across the higher education sector.


TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002jf29)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.


TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m002j641)
Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe explore the rich web of connections in music.


TUE 11:45 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jf2c)
Episode 2 - Amanullah's Ambition

Lyse Doucet reads her vivid account of how Afghanistan has survived decades of conflict by telling the stories of the staff who kept the doors of Kabul's Inter-Continental Hotel open. Today, we are introduced to nineteen-year-old Amanullah in the winter of 1981 where life at the hotel goes on in the shadow of a Soviet Invasion.

Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and an award winning journalist who has reported from many of the world's war zones. She has covered stories from Afghanistan since 1988 when she first checked into the Inter-Con, and from where she has witnessed the impact of unceasing conflict that has scarred this nation for half a century.

Her book is a history of Afghanistan told through the lives of the people who have worked at the Inter-Con, some since it opened in 1969. Despite enduring several coups, a Soviet occupation, civil war, a US invasion, and the rise and fall and rise of the Taliban, the Inter-Con is still standing. In telling the stories of the hotel's housekeepers, chefs, managers and engineers Lyse shows how us how ordinary Afghans have managed to live through destruction and disruption in their workplace and their country.

The music is Wa wa Leili - Leili, how wonderful! from the album Sweet Nomad Girl. Abdul Wahab Madadi (vocal), Veronica Doubleday (vocal and daireh) and John Baily (14-stringed dutar).

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002jf2g)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002jf2j)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


TUE 12:57 Weather (m002jf2l)
The latest weather forecast


TUE 13:00 World at One (m002jf2p)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


TUE 13:45 The History Podcast (m002jf2t)
The Fort

7. In the Zone

The team tasked with flying back to Jugroom Fort to recover Lance Corporal Ford assembles.

Now, Dave, Chris, Colin and Gary are confronted with the practicalities of their high-speed approach into the heart of the enemy.

Apaches are absolutely not supposed to land in the conflict zone, and as the helicopters take off, more helicopters provide crucial "top cover".

We meet Charlotte Madison, a woman with a unique place in UK military history.

A heavy bomber is tasked with creating a massive diversionary explosion for the crews of Ugly 50 and Ugly 51 - and the pilots and their passengers fly back to Taliban stronghold under cover of a thick dust storm.

Charlotte Madison spoke to the BBC in 2010.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core


TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002jf2y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Monday]


TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m0018837)
Life Rights

by Nicholas Meiklejohn

A play about the reunion between two estranged friends - now in their early forties. One’s been stuck in the small Scottish town where they grew up, having grudgingly taken over his family’s moribund business, while the other found modest and fleeting success as an indie filmmaker.
When the filmmaker shows up with an unusual request it sparks contradictory memories of the past.

A play about the fragility of memory, ambition, familial expectations, and the frustrations of looming middle age.

Jack ..... Robert Jack
Danny ..... Sandy Grierson

Director Gaynor Macfarlane


TUE 15:00 History's Heroes (m002fbhr)
Saving Face with Harold Gillies

A young doctor, with a seemingly impossible task: rebuild the shattered faces of World War One soldiers.

Stories of bold voices, with brave ideas and the courage to stand alone. Historian Alex von Tunzelmann shines a light on remarkable people from across history.

A BBC Studios Audio production.

Producer: Suniti Somaiya
Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts


TUE 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m002jf34)
BBC National Short Story Award 2025

The second shortlisted story

The second short story in the running for the BBC National Short Story Award which, this year, celebrates its 20th anniversary.

The annual BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University marks its twentieth anniversary in 2025 with a shortlist of five short stories by established and newer writers to the form. The five outstanding stories explore relationships, community and place against a backdrop of a world in crisis.

For two decades this award has celebrated writers who are the UK’s finest exponents of the form.  James Lasdun secured the inaugural Award in 2006 for ‘An Anxious Man’. In 2012 when the Award expanded internationally for one year, Miroslav Penkov was victorious for his story, ‘East of the West’. Last year, the Award was won by Ross Raisin for ‘Ghost Kitchen’, a tense, cinematic story narrated by a bicycle courier and inspired by the gig economy and the ‘dark kitchens’ of the restaurant industry.

In its 20-year history, Sarah Hall, K J Orr, Naomi Wood, Jonathan Buckley, Julian Gough, Clare Wigfall, Cynan Jones, Lucy Caldwell, Ingrid Persaud, Saba Sams and David Constantine have also carried off the Award with shortlisted authors including Zadie Smith, Jackie Kay, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Naomi Alderman, Kamila Shamsie, K Patrick and Jacqueline Crooks.

This year’s judging panel was chaired by Di Speirs, who has sat on every judging panel since the Award’s inception. She is joined by the very first chair of judges, William Boyd, as well as former winners and shortlisted writers Lucy Caldwell, Ross Raisin and Kamila Shamsie. In a time when literary awards come and go, and can struggle for funding and airtime, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University continues to be a cause for joy

From 15th-18th September four of the shortlisted stories can be heard at 3.30pm each afternoon with the fifth story in contention for broadcasting on Friday, 19th September, at 11.30pm. The winner of the 20th BBC National Short Story Award will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row on Tuesday 30th September 2025.

Produced by Justine Willett


TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002jf3b)
Love’s Moment: RS Thomas and Mildred Eldridge

Known as one of Wales’ greatest 20th-century poets, RS Thomas is often characterised as a difficult, even cantankerous figure. 25 years since his death, fellow poet and friend Gwyneth Lewis uncovers a hidden, private side to his life and work - as she explores the tension and tenderness within his marriage to the painter Mildred Elsie Eldridge.

RS Thomas wrote dozens of poems to his first wife, from early reflections on their courtship to moving elegies following her death. Yet his marriage, like much of his life, was complex and unusual – defined as much by silence and distance as by affection.

When they met, Mildred Eldridge was the star - an established and award-winning painter - while RS Thomas was still finding his poetic voice. Gwyneth Lewis follows the journey of their life together and considers why their career trajectories diverged so sharply - his path as a poet ascended to ever greater heights, hers as an artist dwindled.

With access to Mildred Eldridge’s unpublished journals, we hear her voice in the marriage for the first time – a perspective largely absent until now. Gwyneth considers what this remarkable relationship tells us not only about art but, more importantly, about love.

Presenter: Gwyneth Lewis
Producer: Huw Meredydd
Executive Producer: Steven Rajam
Mildred Eldridge's journal is narrated by Sharon Morgan

An Astud production for BBC Radio 4

Poems by RS Thomas included in the programme:
A Marriage - Collected Later Poems 1988-2000 (Bloodaxe Books, 2004)
Pilgrimages – Collected Poems 1945-1990 (Orion Books, 1993)
The Way of It – Collected Poems 1945-1990 (Orion Books, 1993)
He and She – Collected Poems 1945-1990 (Orion Books, 1993)
Anniversary - Collected Later Poems 1988-2000 (Bloodaxe Books, 2004)


TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002jf3g)
How can you strengthen your back?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

On the agenda this week is back pain. It’s a condition that will affect around 80% of us at some point during our lives, with low back pain being the single leading cause of disability worldwide.

Joining Chris and Xand in the studio to discuss the science behind these statistics is Dr Mindy Cairns, Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Associate Professor at the University of Hertfordshire. She explains what causes back pain, how it can be managed and treated, and what we can do to protect our backs.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Dr Mindy Cairns
Producer: William Hornbrook
Executive Producers: Rami Tzabar and Jo Rowntree
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby

At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4


TUE 17:00 PM (m002jf3l)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002jf3q)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


TUE 18:30 Mark Steel's in Town (m001217m)
Series 11

Blyth, Northumberland

The famous Blyth Staithes (created for off-loading coal into ships) were the backdrop for one of the grimmest scenes in the Michael Caine classic Get Carter - the smoggy industrial view at the time described by the director as an "absolute vision of hell". Undaunted, comedian Mark Steel travels to this part of Northumberland and finds a fascinating industrial legacy, a posh pub, a very nice beach and prominent indications of its role in the first and second World Wars. Does a town blighted by so many closures show any evidence of green shoots? Mark presents his findings to a local audience at The Phoenix Theatre and as ever gets away with just the right amount of affection rudeness and we learn more about a very distinctive coastal town in the UK.

The full box set of all episodes (with well over 50 towns visited) is available now wherever you get your podcasts.

Written by and starring...Mark Steel
With additional material from Pete Sinclair
Production Coordinator...Beverly Tagg
Producer...Julia McKenzie
A BBC Studios Production.


TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002jf3v)
Fallon jumps in the deep end, and Azra has a suggestion to make.


TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002jf3z)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002jf33)
A Prison Inspector Calls

In a broadcasting first, the BBC has followed a team from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons as it investigates conditions in a prison near Rugby in Warwickshire.
The result is a unique insight into the problems faced by the prison system.

This portrait of a prison on trial reveals how under-resourced prison staff are failing to stop copious amounts of drugs being brought in, and are struggling to provide a safe and productive environment in which prisoners can be prepared for release back into society.

His Majesty’s Prison Onley is a category C, medium security prison, housing 740 inmates. Its governor, Mark Allen, says Onley is among the top ten prisons for incursion of drugs via drones and admits many of his staff are too inexperienced to handle the inmates, resulting in frustration among prisoners, and violence.

In its last inspection three years ago, Onley was found to be struggling in various areas, and it doesn’t take the inspection team long to find out that things are, if anything, getting worse.

Inspectors meet prisoners who complain about everything from lack of laundry facilities to failure to provide meaningful work opportunities, or help with their offender behaviour.

One inspector has to intervene when she finds a prisoner ‘spiced up’ and in need of immediate help. Another prisoner is refusing to leave the relative safety of the segregation wing, because he’s being threatened with violence over his debts to drug dealers within the prison. Inspectors discover evidence that officers are too ready to resort to force to deal with difficult prisoners and failing to keep accurate records of their restraining methods.

Prison officers talk about the challenges of trying to deal with violence within the prison and of trying to prevent drugs coming in.

In a lighter moment, lead inspector Angus Jones visits the prison library and discovers a surprising inclusion among books the prisoners are not allowed to read.

The inspection ends with the team meeting to agree how to score Onley against their key criteria for a ‘healthy prison’ and then presenting their conclusions to the Governor.

Presenter: Rex Bloomstein
Producers: Brian King and Rex Bloomstein

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.


TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002jf43)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted


TUE 21:00 Crossing Continents (m002jf47)
Kenya - a battle for Gen Z

Over the past year, Kenya has been rocked by anti-government protests. What started as a demonstration over proposed tax increases soon turned into a nationwide, youth-led protest over the state of the economy, alleged political corruption and police brutality. But it's come at a cost. Dozens of protestors have been killed in clashes with the police, and human rights groups say many activists have been abducted and tortured by agents of the states. Michael Kaloki meets the young Kenyans who are risking their lives in a battle for change.

Presented by Michael Kaloki
Produced by Alex Last
Studio mix by James Beard
Editor Penny Murphy


TUE 21:30 Great Lives (m002jf4c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Monday]


TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002jf4h)
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


TUE 22:45 Mrs Robinson by Helen Cross (m002jf4m)
Episode 2: Heat

As Branwell brings some welcome change to life at Thorp Green, Lydia discovers new sides to herself. But she doesn’t know quite what to make of the charismatic, artistic Branwell.

Helen Cross’s five-part original fiction is read by Anne-Marie Duff. It explores the real story that partly inspired the film, The Graduate.

Producers: Fay Lomas and Mair Bosworth


TUE 23:00 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics (m0020xv4)
Cleopatra

Natalie Haynes returns with a new series of sparkling stories from the ancient world which shed light on the world today.

Cleopatra was a brilliant politician, a ruthless leader and a massive brain-box, who spoke nine languages. The Queen of Egypt had charisma to burn, but she probably didn't look like Elizabeth Taylor. Her intelligence and magnetism were more than enough to attract the attentions of the world's most powerful men, and to keep her in power - in a notoriously lethal dynasty - for over twenty years.

Guests Jane Draycott and Llewelyn Morgan join Natalie to make sense of the Ptolemaic family naming system, to discover what it took to stay at the top for so long in dangerous times, and to find out just how besotted Mark Antony was with the Egyptian Queen. Cleopatra knew exactly how to make an impression: she entertained the war-weary Antony on a gold-covered luxury barge, fragrant with burning spices, decked out with fairy lights. She made him rub her feet at a banquet for losing a bet and he famously wandered out of an important lecture because Cleopatra was passing and he preferred to talk to her.

Rock star mythologist’ and reformed stand-up Natalie Haynes is obsessed with the ancient world. Here she explores key stories from ancient Rome and Greece that still have resonance today. They might be biographical, topographical, mythological or epic, but they are always hilarious, magical and tragic, mystifying and revelatory. And they tell us more about ourselves now than seems possible of stories from a couple of thousand years ago.

Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery


TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002jf4t)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament

WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2025

WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002jf4y)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 00:30 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jf2c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Tuesday]


WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002jf54)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002jf58)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


WED 05:00 News Summary (m002jf5d)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002jf5h)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament


WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002jf5m)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002jf5r)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002jf5v)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


WED 06:00 Today (m002jf2q)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


WED 09:00 More or Less (m002jf2v)
Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life.


WED 09:30 Shadow World (m002hp7n)
The People vs McDonald's

6. Judge for Yourself

At the end of the longest trial in English history, the verdict is finally delivered - and Helen uncovers who her former partner John really was.

In 1986, members of environmental group, London Greenpeace, published a leaflet called ‘What’s wrong with McDonald’s?’ It claimed McDonald’s was exploiting workers, destroying rainforests, torturing animals, and promoting food that could make people sick, even cause cancer...

McDonald’s said the claims in the leaflet were untrue and defamatory and the company demanded an apology.

Helen Steel, a gardener, and a former postman named Dave Morris, refused.

Mark Steel takes us into the murky world of McDonald’s Corporation vs Steel & Morris – aka 'McLibel' - the longest-running trial in English history which would turn the spotlight on the way big business operates. As well as bringing issues like rainforest destruction and advertising to children into the mainstream, it would also be the moment our current Prime Minister first comes to prominence. If that isn’t enough, this story would ultimately have connections with a dark and shameful secret at the heart of the British state - something which Mark discovers he himself had been a victim of.

Shadow World: Gripping stories from the Shadows – BBC investigations from across the UK.

Presenter: Mark Steel
Producer: Conor Garrett
Executive Producer: Georgia Catt
Development Producer: Christian Dametto
Story Consultant: Annie Brown
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Commissioning Executive: Tracy Williams
Production Coordinator: Dan Marchini
Archive Research: Emma Betteridge
Sound Mix: Tim Heffer
Music Score: Phil Kieran

*Archive excerpts from director Franny Armstrong’s ‘McLibel,’ reproduced with the permission of Spanner Films


WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002jf2z)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.


WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002jf33)
[Repeat of broadcast at 20:00 on Tuesday]


WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002jf37)
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.


WED 11:45 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jf3c)
Episode 3 - Mohammad and the Mujahideen

Lyse Doucet reads her vivid account of how Afghanistan has survived decades of conflict by telling the stories of the staff who kept the doors of Kabul's Inter-Continental Hotel open. Today, it's 1991 and Mohammad takes up work as a waiter at the Inter-Con, and a year later he is on shift when the mujahideen arrive victorious at the hotel's lobby.

Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and an award winning journalist who has reported from many of the world's war zones. She has covered stories from Afghanistan since 1988 when she first checked into the Inter-Con, and from where she has witnessed the impact of unceasing conflict that has scarred this nation for half a century.

Her book is a history of Afghanistan told through the lives of the people who have worked at the Inter-Con, some since it opened in 1969. Despite enduring several coups, a Soviet occupation, civil war, a US invasion, and the rise and fall and rise of the Taliban, the Inter-Con is still standing. In telling the stories of the hotel's housekeepers, chefs, managers and engineers Lyse shows how us how ordinary Afghans have managed to live through destruction and disruption in their workplace and their country.

The music is Wa wa Leili - Leili, how wonderful! from the album Sweet Nomad Girl. Abdul Wahab Madadi (vocal), Veronica Doubleday (vocal and daireh) and John Baily (14-stringed dutar).

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


WED 12:00 News Summary (m002jf3h)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002jf3m)
News and discussion of consumer affairs


WED 12:57 Weather (m002jf3r)
The latest weather forecast


WED 13:00 World at One (m002jf3w)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


WED 13:45 The History Podcast (m002jf40)
The Fort

8. Bullet Magnet

The bomber has created an enormous dust storm at The Fort.

Disorientated and under enemy fire, the crew rush headlong from the grounded Apaches which have now become sitting duck targets for the Taliban.

The objective is clear: Find the stricken Lance Corporal Mathew Ford.

But the team are confronted with the difficult reality of that task.

Produced by Kev Core


WED 14:00 The Archers (m002jf3v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Tuesday]


WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002jf44)
Blue Envelopes

Nick Ahad's original comedy drama with songs.

Bradford born British Bangladeshi teenager and rapper Bilal 'Triple B' wants to make it big in the rap music industry but his family have other ideas. Pressure mounts on Bilal as his family push him to follow a more 'sensible' career path in law while his best friend Beatboxer Ben urges him to grab the opportunity of getting into music college. Unexpected family news sends Bilal to Bangladesh with his grandmother, where he discovers the surprising history of his own grandfather that will change everything.

Celebrating Bradford City of Culture and presented as part of BBC Contains Strong Language Festival.

Nick Ahad is a multiple award-winning writer and broadcaster working across TV, theatre and radio.

BILAL.....Faisal Alom
AMBREEN.....Mina Anwar
BIBI.....Rina Fatania
ABDUL, MUKHIT, AUDITIONER.....Kulvinder Ghir
SHOMSHUR, AUDITIONER.....Sagar Arya
BEN.....Rhys Inwood

Song Lyrics written by Nick Ahad
Music for the opening and closing songs composed by Arun Ghosh

Writer - Nick Ahad
Director - Nadia Molinari
Sound Design and Technical Production - Sharon Hughes
Additional Technical Production- Amy Brennan
Production Co-ordinator - Victoria Moseley and Ben Hollands

A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4.

Nick Ahad will be in conversation as part of BBC Contains Strong Language festival at The Loading Bay in Bradford at 3.30 on Sunday September 21.

Tickets for this and other events are free from https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewbv9r


WED 15:00 Money Box (m002jf48)
The latest news from the world of personal finance


WED 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m002jf4d)
BBC National Short Story Award 2025

The third shortlisted story

The third story under consideration for the BBC National Short Story Award which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. As read by Ruth Bradley.

The annual BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University marks its twentieth anniversary in 2025 with a shortlist of five short stories by established and newer writers to the form. The five outstanding stories explore relationships, community and place against a backdrop of a world in crisis.

For two decades this award has celebrated writers who are the UK’s finest exponents of the form.  James Lasdun secured the inaugural Award in 2006 for ‘An Anxious Man’. In 2012 when the Award expanded internationally for one year, Miroslav Penkov was victorious for his story, ‘East of the West’. Last year, the Award was won by Ross Raisin for ‘Ghost Kitchen’, a tense, cinematic story narrated by a bicycle courier and inspired by the gig economy and the ‘dark kitchens’ of the restaurant industry.

In its 20-year history, Sarah Hall, K J Orr, Naomi Wood, Jonathan Buckley, Julian Gough, Clare Wigfall, Cynan Jones, Lucy Caldwell, Ingrid Persaud, Saba Sams and David Constantine have also carried off the Award with shortlisted authors including Zadie Smith, Jackie Kay, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Naomi Alderman, Kamila Shamsie, K Patrick and Jacqueline Crooks.

This year’s judging panel was chaired by Di Speirs who has sat on every judging panel since the Award’s inception and is joined by the very first chair of judges, William Boyd as well as former winners and shortlisted writers Lucy Caldwell, Ross Raisin and Kamila Shamsie.

In a time when literary awards come and go, and can struggle for funding and airtime, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University continues to be a cause for joy

From 15th to 18th September four of the shortlisted stories can be heard at 3.30 each afternoon with the fifth story in contention for the award broadcasting on Friday, 19th September, at 11.30pm. The winner of the 20th BBC National Short Story Award will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row on Tuesday 30th September 2025.

Reader: Ruth Bradley
Producer: Michael Shannon


WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002jf4j)
Who's in the news for all the wrong reasons? With David Yelland and Simon Lewis.


WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002jf4n)
Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.


WED 17:00 PM (m002jf4s)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002jf4x)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


WED 18:30 Do Gooders (m002jf50)
Series 2

3. The Force

Clive initiates a DOGE-inspired efficiency drive at The Alzheimer’s Alliance, with a key policy of outsourcing events ideas to supporters. Unfortunately this backfires when the idea of a Star Wars film marathon is suggested - Clive’s idea of hell. Lauren picks up the ball and runs with it. Meanwhile Harriett reels after finding out her industry nemesis has received an OBE.

Garrett Millerick’s ensemble sitcom Do Gooders returns for another series. The show takes us back behind the curtain of fictional mid-level charity, The Alzheimers Alliance, as the fundraising events team continue their daily struggle for survival. Cue more office feuds, more workplace romances and more catastrophic fundraising blunders – all par for the course when trying to ‘do good’ on an industrial scale.

Cast
Gladys – Kathryn Drysdale
Lauren – Ania Magliano
Clive – Garrett Millerick
Harriett – Fay Ripley
Achi – Ahir Shah
Ken – Frank Skinner

Writer – Garrett Millerick
Additional Material – Andrea Hubert
Sound Engineer – David Thomas
Editor – David Thomas
Production Assistant – Jenny Recaldin
Producer – Jules Lom
Executive Producers – Richard Allen-Turner, Daisy Knight, Julien Matthews, Jon Thoday

An Avalon Television production for BBC Radio 4


WED 19:00 The Archers (m002jf53)
Ed knows the right thing to do, and Jim makes his mark.


WED 19:15 Front Row (m002jf57)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002jf5c)
Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories.


WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002jf25)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Tuesday]


WED 21:30 Illuminated (m002jf5j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:15 on Sunday]


WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002jf5n)
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


WED 22:45 Mrs Robinson by Helen Cross (m002jf5s)
Episode 3: A Question

Lydia tries to uphold a respectable family home, as Branwell constantly tests that resolve. And Anne Brontë’s watchful eye is never far away.

Helen Cross’s five-part original fiction is read by Anne-Marie Duff. It tells the story of the character and relationship that partly inspired the film, The Graduate.

Producers: Fay Lomas and Mair Bosworth


WED 23:00 Ria Lina Gets Forensic (m002jf5x)
Series 1

2. Microneedling

Former-forensic-scientist-turned-stand-up-comedian Ria Lina examines the gap between the science we’re sold by the wellness industry and the science that’s done in a lab – particularly when it comes to treatments that boast anti-aging effects.

This episode, she’s joined by comedian Geoff Norcott to see if Microneedling can make their faces look any younger.

Featuring Ria Lina and Geoff Norcott
Written by Ria Lina and Steve N Allen
Produced by Ben Walker

A DLT Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4


WED 23:15 The Skewer (m002jf60)
Series 14

Episode 2

Jon Holmes brings you the week's biggest stories like you've never heard them before.


WED 23:30 Short Works (m0010xv2)
Slow Burn by Laura-Blaise McDowell

When her parents' newly-divorced friend Stan moves in with them, a young woman has no choice but to leave the family home and find her own place.

Laura-Blaise McDowell's original short story read by Eimear Keating

Specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4.

Irish writer Laura-Blaise holds an MA in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, including The Irish Times, The Galway Review, HeadStuff, Honest Ulsterman and Still Worlds Turning, an anthology of new Irish writing from No Alibis Press.

In 2020, she received an honourable mention in the Cúirt New Irish Writing Award. In 2021, her story 'The Lobster Waltz' came second in the Costa Short Story Award.

Producer: Michael Shannon

A BBC Northern Ireland production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2021.


WED 23:45 Today in Parliament (m002jf62)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament

THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2025

THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002jf64)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 00:30 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jf3c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Wednesday]


THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002jf66)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002jf68)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


THU 05:00 News Summary (m002jf6b)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 05:04 More or Less (m002jf2v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002jf6d)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002jf6g)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002jf6j)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


THU 06:00 Today (m002jfbg)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


THU 09:00 Writing the Universe (m00207vm)
In the beginning

From Shakespeare to Milton, writers have long been preoccupied with the birth of the universe, but there's still so much uncertainty about how the cosmos came into being. The phrase 'the big bang' is now part of our everyday language, but the astronomer Fred Hoyle coined the expression in frustration at the idea the universe burst into being and remained adamant throughout his career that it could never have happened.

So has the idea of a big bang ultimately proved unhelpful in explaining how the universe was formed? Philosopher and theoretical physicist Sean Carroll explains that not even scientists can agree what the term means, and says it's still not clear whether the big bang was even the kind of giant explosion many of us imagine.

For cosmologist Carlos Frenk, Dali's melting clocks are the best way of describing a time before time existed, and he explains how art and science are intimately intertwined, while the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli relies on metaphor to explain concepts that are often mind-bending in their complexity.

With contributions from fellow Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Brian Cox; physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll; astrophysicist Katie Mack; cosmologist Carlos Frenk, and theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli.

Producer: Marijke Peters

Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Soundscape Designer: Jane Watkins

BBC Studios Audio Production


THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002jfbl)
Armando returns to look at the use and abuse of political language.

After a busy summer, Armando will be joined by guests throughout the autumn for another dose of political jargon-busting. With talks of bilats and trilats coming out of the White House, and protests at home, and a second 'unpresidented' state visit for a US president in the offing, Armando and his guests will dig into how those in power, and those who wish to be, are using language to fulfil their political aims.

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.

An EcoAudio certified production.


THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002jfbn)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.


THU 11:00 This Cultural Life (m002jfbq)
In-depth conversations with some of the world's leading artists and creatives across theatre, visual arts, music, dance, film and more. Hosted by John Wilson.


THU 11:45 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jfbs)
Episode 4 - Chef Abida

Lyse Doucet reads her vivid account of how Afghanistan has survived decades of conflict by telling the stories of the staff who kept the doors of Kabul's Inter-Continental Hotel open. Today, it's 2001 and with the Taliban ousted, women resume work and chef Abida is in the kitchen at the Inter-Con Kabul.

Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and an award winning journalist who has reported from many of the world's war zones. She has covered stories from Afghanistan since 1988 when she first checked into the Inter-Con, and from where she has witnessed the impact of unceasing conflict that has scarred this nation for half a century.

Her book is a history of Afghanistan told through the lives of the people who have worked at the Inter-Con, some since it opened in 1969. Despite enduring several coups, a Soviet occupation, civil war, a US invasion, and the rise and fall and rise of the Taliban, the Inter-Con is still standing. In telling the stories of the hotel's housekeepers, chefs, managers and engineers Lyse shows how us how ordinary Afghans have managed to live through destruction and disruption in their workplace and their country.

The music is Wa wa Leili - Leili, how wonderful! from the album Sweet Nomad Girl. Abdul Wahab Madadi (vocal), Veronica Doubleday (vocal and daireh) and John Baily (14-stringed dutar).

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


THU 12:00 News Summary (m002jfbv)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


THU 12:04 Scam Secrets (m002jfbx)
We're Coming for Your Furniture

Getting an unexpected phonecall can be unnerving. If it's from a bailiff saying he's coming to take your possessions and is 40 minutes away, it can be terrifying.

In this episode, Shari Vahl and the Scam Secrets team hear from two people who were subjected to this scarily plausible scam. Linguistics expert Dr Lis Carter and former fraudster Alex Wood pick apart the language used, and explain how the tactics are all designed to manufacture a 'fight or flight' response that plays into the hands of the criminals.

As ever, red flags will be waved - so you'll end up better informed about this sophisticated and manipulative scam.

And on this last episode in our first series of Scam Secrets, we'll even hear exactly what happened when a scammer tried similar tactics on Shari.

If there's a scam you want the Scam Secrets team to look at, you can get in touch: scamsecrets@bbc.co.uk

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY


THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002jfbz)
Dough - The Future of Clothing

Could 'smart' clothing monitor our health?

Greg Foot, host of the BBC Radio 4 show 'Sliced Bread', now brings you 'Dough'.

Each episode explores future wonder products that might rise to success and redefine our lives.

Experts and entrepreneurs discuss the trends shaping what today's everyday technology may look like tomorrow, before a leading futurist offers their predictions on what life might be like within five, ten and fifty years.

This episode examines the future of our clothing.

How can manufacturers dye clothes without using water?
Could 'smart' fabrics monitor weather conditions and provide extra warmth or cooling when we need it?
Will our body movements, instead of bulky batteries, provide the power for clothing to monitor our health?
Will synthetic material be completely replaced by natural fibres and those made from waste products?

Greg is joined by the futurist, Tracey Follows, and expert guests Dr Marie O'Mahony, programme leader for E-textiles and Wearable Technologies at the Winchester School of Art at the University of Southampton and Jenny Prendergast, Programme Leader for Fashion and Design Technology at Loughborough University.

This episode was produced by Jay Unger.

Dough is a BBC Audio North Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds


THU 12:57 Weather (m002jfc1)
The latest weather forecast


THU 13:00 World at One (m002jfc3)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


THU 13:45 The History Podcast (m002jfc5)
The Fort

9. Warrior

Under pressure and under fire, the team are faced with the task of returning Lance Corporal Mathew Ford to base.

As exhaustion sets in and the clock ticks, Ed the pilot leaves the Apache to help with the recovery.

Back at the Zulu Company lines, Mathew's colleauges await his return.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core


THU 14:00 The Archers (m002jf53)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Wednesday]


THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002jfc7)
High Cockalorum

Celebrating Bradford City of Culture and as part of BBC Contains Strong Language Festival, Bradford based writer Jeremy Dyson's original comedy drama set in West Yorkshire in 1978 is inspired by a true story.

High Cockalorum tells of a touching, funny and unlikely encounter between a Hollywood superstar and a humble lad from Leeds thrown together by circumstance.

A meditation on fame, success and what ultimately matters.

MARTY / JAMES MASON.....Mark Gatiss
HARVEY/ LIBRARIAN / DJ..... Reece Shearsmith
PETE/ PARKING ATTENDANT/ INTERVIEWER.....Steve Pemberton
RECEPTIONISTS/ JACKIE..... Monica Dolan
SHARON.....Goldie Crane.

Writer - Jeremy Dyson
Director -Nadia Molinari
Composer-Ian Masterson
Sound Designer - Sharon Hughes
Technical Producers - Andrew Garratt, Neva Missirian
Production Co-ordinators - Victoria Moseley, Ben Hollands.

A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4

Jeremy Dyson and Mark Gatiss will be in conversation as part of BBC Contains Strong Language Festival in St George’s Hall in Bradford on Saturday September 20.

Tickets for this and other events are free from https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewbv9r


THU 15:00 Open Country (m002jfc9)
Fair Isle

Halfway between Orkney and Shetland, Fair Isle is one of Britain’s most isolated inhabited islands. It's famous for knitting and birds, and those still form the basis of the island's economy, as Martha Kearney discovers.

As an inviting rock in the North Atlantic it’s a magnet for migratory birds, with exhausted individuals blown off course regularly adding to a long list of unusual species recorded by the local bird observatory. Martha joins the island’s Head of Ornithology, Alex Penn, to ring some visitors and sit for a while with Britain’s friendliest colonies of puffin.

French knitwear designer, Marie Brahat introduces Martha to her flock of sheep and gives her a lesson in turning their wool into the unique designs of Fair Isle knitwear. School teacher Jonathan Pye is the newest arrival on the island, currently dealing with a school roll of just two pupils - brothers Luca and Anders.

Producer: Alasdair Cross


THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002jfcc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:54 on Sunday]


THU 15:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m002jfcf)
BBC National Short Story Award 2025

The fourth shortlisted story

The fourth story in the running for this prestigious award is read by Dorothy Atkinson.

The annual BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University marks its twentieth anniversary in 2025 with a shortlist of five short stories by established and newer writers to the form. The five outstanding stories explore relationships, community and place against a backdrop of a world in crisis.

For two decades this award has celebrated writers who are the UK’s finest exponents of the form.  James Lasdun secured the inaugural Award in 2006 for ‘An Anxious Man’. In 2012 when the Award expanded internationally for one year, Miroslav Penkov was victorious for his story, ‘East of the West’. Last year, the Award was won by Ross Raisin for ‘Ghost Kitchen’, a tense, cinematic story narrated by a bicycle courier and inspired by the gig economy and the ‘dark kitchens’ of the restaurant industry.

In its 20-year history, Sarah Hall, K J Orr, Naomi Wood, Jonathan Buckley, Julian Gough, Clare Wigfall, Cynan Jones, Lucy Caldwell, Ingrid Persaud, Saba Sams and David Constantine have also carried off the Award with shortlisted authors including Zadie Smith, Jackie Kay, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Naomi Alderman, Kamila Shamsie, K Patrick and Jacqueline Crooks.

This year’s judging panel was chaired by Di Speirs who has sat on every judging panel since the Award’s inception and is joined by the very first chair of judges, William Boyd as well as former winners and shortlisted writers Lucy Caldwell, Ross Raisin and Kamila Shamsie.

In a time when literary awards come and go, and can struggle for funding and airtime, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University continues to be a cause for joy

From 15th to 18th September four of the shortlisted stories can be heard at 3.30 each afternoon with the fifth story in contention for the award broadcasting on Friday, 19th September, at 11.30pm. The winner of the 20th BBC National Short Story Award will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row on Tuesday 30th September 2025.

Produced by Eilidh McCreadie


THU 16:00 Rethink (m002jfch)
Rethink: should we stop flying?

Aviation is far more difficult to decarbonise than other sectors of the economy, because kerosene is the perfect fuel for planes. It produces enough power to enable planes to fly, yet it is light enough for them to get off the ground and cross the world.

Alternatives are thin on the ground; batteries are too heavy, clean hydrogen power is in its infancy, while Sustainable Aviation Fuel - or SAF - is expensive and in short supply. Although the Government has a "SAF-mandate", only 22% of all jet fuel supplied by 2040 will have to be sustainable.

New airliners are more fuel-efficient than ever before, and both routes and air-traffic control are being optimised. But if growth outpaces efficiencies, greenhouse gas emissions will continue to rise.

And passenger demand is back at pre-pandemic levels. In 2024 the UK was the third largest market in the world for flights.

In the absence of any immediate solution, should we fly less, if at all? How realistic and affordable are slower alternatives like the train? Could passengers be penalised for taking more than one return flight a year? And should the Government rather than individuals be taking responsibility for change?

Presenter: Ben Ansell
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Lisa Baxter

Contributors:
Alice Larkin, Professor of Climate Science and Energy Policy in the School of Engineering at the University of Manchester.
Dr Roger Tyers, UK Aviation specialist at Transport & Environment
Yannick van den Berg, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam Law School
Tom Nevitt, project manager of Climate Perks
Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive, Sustainable Aviation

Rethink is a BBC co-production with the Open University


THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (m002jfck)
A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.


THU 17:00 PM (m002jfcm)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002jfcp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


THU 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002jfcr)
Glenn Moore's Almanac Series 2

Three Glenn & A Baby

Comedian Glenn Moore looks in his almanac at world events and what he was doing at the time. Lockdown March 2020: can father-to-be Glenn learn how to use a mask and change a nappy - and crucially, tell which is which?

Perhaps best-known for his outrageously brilliant one-liners on Mock The Week , Glenn delivers a tale of comic mishaps and extraordinary scenes interwoven with a big event in history – and looks back through his almanac to find out other strange connections to the day as well.

Written by Glenn with additional material by Katie Storey (Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, The Last Leg) and produced and directed by David Tyler (Cabin Pressure, Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive, etc)

A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4


THU 19:00 The Archers (m002jfct)
Feelings stir for Paul, and the Harvest Festival ends in chaos.


THU 19:15 Front Row (m002jfcw)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music


THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002jf4j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Wednesday]


THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002jf4n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:15 on Wednesday]


THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002jdqf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:15 on Saturday]


THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002jfbl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:45 today]


THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002jfcy)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective


THU 22:45 Mrs Robinson by Helen Cross (m002jfd0)
Episode 4: An Argument

Lydia has thrown caution to the Yorkshire winds. But will the affair that seems the height of freedom actually be a trap in itself? As Branwell’s frustration at his poetic failures grows, so does his reliance on opium. Anne has a plan of her own. And how can Lydia negotiate the opposing demands of brother and sister – who both want the impossible from her?

Helen Cross’s five-part original fiction is read by Anne-Marie Duff.

Producers: Fay Lomas and Mair Bosworth.


THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002jfd2)
Conversations about tomorrow, from Today.


THU 23:30 Short Works (m00114tp)
Twenty-Five Years by Mona Dash

Annika, a widow, now has a well-organised life built mainly around her work in Central London. But a Facebook friend request sends her spiralling into the past.

Mona Dash's short story read by Vineeta Rishi.

Mona works and lives in London. She is the author of A Roll of the Dice: a story of loss, love and genetics (2019) which won an Eyelands International Book Award for memoir.

Her debut short story collection, Let Us Look Elsewhere, was published in June 2021. Twenty-Five Years is her first story for radio.

Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in November 2021.


THU 23:45 Today in Parliament (m002jfd4)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament

FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2025

FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002jfd6)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 00:30 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jfbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Thursday]


FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002jfd8)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002jfdb)
BBC Radio 4 presents a selection of news and current affairs, arts and science programmes from the BBC World Service.


FRI 05:00 News Summary (m002jfdd)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 05:04 Rethink (m002jfch)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Thursday]


FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002jfdg)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping


FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002jfdj)
Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection


FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002jfdl)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.


FRI 06:00 Today (m002jhm2)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.


FRI 09:00 The Reunion (m002jgj8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]


FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002jhm4)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.


FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002jhm6)
The Rise of Matcha

As global sales of matcha continue to boom, Leyla Kazim traces the story of the powdered green tea from centuries-old Japanese tradition to global health trend of the moment. We look behind the social media videos and headlines to find out more about the reported matcha shortage, how the matcha supply chain is reacting, and what might happen next.

Presented by Leyla Kazim and produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.


FRI 11:45 The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet (m002jhm8)
Episode 5 - Sadeq and the Danger Hours

Lyse Doucet reads from her new book about Afghanistan, told through daily life at the Inter-Con Kabul. It's 2020 the Taliban can taste new victory, and anxiety stalks the hotel.

Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and an award winning journalist who has reported from many of the world's war zones. She has covered stories from Afghanistan since 1988 when she first checked into the Inter-Con, and from where she has witnessed the impact of unceasing conflict that has scarred this nation for half a century.

Her book is a history of Afghanistan told through the lives of the people who have worked at the Inter-Con, some since it opened in 1969. Despite enduring several coups, a Soviet occupation, civil war, a US invasion, and the rise and fall and rise of the Taliban, the Inter-Con is still standing. In telling the stories of the hotel's housekeepers, chefs, managers and engineers Lyse shows how us how ordinary Afghans have managed to live through destruction and disruption in their workplace and their country.

The music is Wa wa Leili - Leili, how wonderful! from the album Sweet Nomad Girl. Abdul Wahab Madadi (vocal), Veronica Doubleday (vocal and daireh) and John Baily (14-stringed dutar).

Abridged by Julian Wilkinson
Produced by Elizabeth Allard


FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002jhmb)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.


FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002jhmd)
Great Migrations

New technology gives fresh insights into the great animal migrations. Tom Heap and Helen Czerski discuss the great spectacles of the bird, mammal and insect worlds and consider how they're changing in an era of climate change and habitat destruction.

Producer: Alasdair Cross

Assistant Producers: Toby Field and Georgia Christie

Rare Earth is produced in association with the Open University


FRI 12:57 Weather (m002jhmg)
The latest weather forecast


FRI 13:00 World at One (m002jhmj)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4


FRI 13:45 The History Podcast (m002jhml)
The Fort

10. Mathew

A gruelling, emotional mission draws to a close.

In the aftermath of the operation and recovery at Jugroom Fort, the risks and rewards are analysed, but some costs are incalculable.

The Fort is told solely by current and former members of the Armed Forces.

Produced by Kev Core


FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002jfct)
[Repeat of broadcast at 19:00 on Thursday]


FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002hzhw)
Mothercover

Episode 4: Face Off

Things take a dangerous and unexpected turn for Gwen. It’s time for her to pick a side.
An Aberystwyth-set thriller, by BAFTA Cymru nominee Fflur Dafydd, with original music by Mercury Prize nominees Gwenno and Rhys Edwards.

CAST
Gwen…. Alexandra Roach
Liz…. Remy Beasley
Geraint…. Matthew Gravelle
Dean…. Alex Harries
Malcolm…. Gwydion Rhys

Original Music.... Gwenno and Rhys Edwards

Sound design.... Rhys Morris
Assistant Producer: Ryan Hooper
Production Co-ordinator.... Lindsay Rees and Eleri McAuliffe
Technology Consultant... Gareth Mitchell
Directed by Fay Lomas
Produced by Fay Lomas and John Norton, BBC Audio Drama Wales


FRI 14:45 Uncharted with Hannah Fry (m0023096)
20. The Confidence Trick

An ambitious portfolio manager stumbles upon a perfect graph. It outlines eye watering profits. But something doesn't quite add up - could this graph be accurate? Or does it hide a far more sinister truth?

Producer Lauren Armstrong Carter
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Story Editor: John Yorke


FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002jhmn)
Elmbridge

Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.


FRI 15:45 Short Works (m000hhtg)
The Prisoner by Heidi Amsinck

Anders already suspects that the historical boat tour of Copenhagen will be a mistake, but never in the way it turns out.

An original short work for BBC Radio 4 by writer Heidi Amsinck.

Read by Tim McInnerny.

Heidi Amsinck, a writer and journalist born in Copenhagen, has written numerous short stories for radio. A graduate of the MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London, Heidi lives in Surrey.

Her first collection of short stories, Last Train To Helsingør, was published in 2018.

Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2020.


FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002jhmq)
Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died, from the rich and famous to unsung but significant.


FRI 16:30 More or Less (m002jf2v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]


FRI 17:00 PM (m002jhms)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines


FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002jhmv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4


FRI 18:30 The News Quiz (m002jhmx)
Series 118

Episode 3

Topical panel quiz show, taking its questions from the week's news stories.


FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002jhmz)
Writer: Sarah McDonald Hughes
Director: Peter Leslie Wild
Editor: Jeremy Howe

Brian Aldridge.... Charles Collingwood
Ben Archer.... Ben Norris
Lilian Bellamy.... Sunny Ormonde
Alice Carter.... Hollie Chapman
Ruairi Donovan.... Arthur Hughes
Justin Elliott.... Simon Williams
Alan Franks.... John Telfer
Martyn Gibson.... Jon Glover
Ed Grundy.... Barry Farrimond
Jim Lloyd.... John Rowe
Paul Mack.... Joshua Riley
Azra Malik.... Yasmin Wilde
Jazzer McCreary.... Ryan Kelly
Lily Pargetter.... Katie Redford
Fallon Rogers.... Joanna Van Kampen


FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002jhn1)
Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe explore the rich web of connections in music.


FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002jhn3)
Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities


FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002jf37)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:40 on Wednesday]


FRI 21:00 The Verb (m002jhn5)
The Adverb

Testament presents poetry in performance from Daljit Nagra, Kate Fox, Andrew McMillan and Kirsty Taylor

The Adverb is recorded in front of a studio audience in St George's Hall, Bradford at the Contains Strong Language festival. Part of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture celebrations.

Testament is a writer, rapper, educator and world-record breaking beatboxer. Daljt Nagra won the Forward Poetry Prize for best single poem in 2004 for "Look We Have Coming to Dover!" Verb regular Kate Fox's recent books include 'Bigger on the Inside' and 'On Sycamore Gap'. Andrew McMillan won the Guardian First Book award for his debut collection Physical and Kirsty Taylor is a writer and educator inspired by her beloved hometown Bradford - she opened the City of Culture year in January performing to 20,000 people in City Park.

Presenter: Testament
Producer: Jessica Treen
Exec Producer: Susan Roberts


FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002jhn7)
In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.


FRI 22:45 Mrs Robinson by Helen Cross (m002jhn9)
Episode 5: Experience

Lydia has to confront reality. Branwell refuses to. And Anne’s plan has unexpected consequences. Final episode of Helen Cross’s five-part original fiction, read by Anne-Marie Duff.

Producers: Fay Lomas and Mair Bosworth


FRI 23:00 Americast (w3ct7t5y)
Join Americast for insights and analysis on what's happening inside Trump's White House.


FRI 23:30 BBC National Short Story Award (m002jhnd)
BBC National Short Story Award 2025

The fifth shortlisted story

The fifth story up for the BBC National Short Story Award 2025 is read by Sophie McShera. Now in celebrating its twentieth anniversary the award continues to showcase the very best writing in this literary genre.

The annual BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University marks its twentieth anniversary in 2025 with a shortlist of five short stories by established and newer writers to the form. The five outstanding stories explore relationships, community and place against a backdrop of a world in crisis.

For two decades this award has celebrated writers who are the UK’s finest exponents of the form.  James Lasdun secured the inaugural Award in 2006 for ‘An Anxious Man’. In 2012 when the Award expanded internationally for one year, Miroslav Penkov was victorious for his story, ‘East of the West’. Last year, the Award was won by Ross Raisin for ‘Ghost Kitchen’, a tense, cinematic story narrated by a bicycle courier and inspired by the gig economy and the ‘dark kitchens’ of the restaurant industry.

In its 20-year history, Sarah Hall, K J Orr, Naomi Wood, Jonathan Buckley, Julian Gough, Clare Wigfall, Cynan Jones, Lucy Caldwell, Ingrid Persaud, Saba Sams and David Constantine have also carried off the Award with shortlisted authors including Zadie Smith, Jackie Kay, William Trevor, Rose Tremain, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Naomi Alderman, Kamila Shamsie, K Patrick and Jacqueline Crooks.

This year’s judging panel was chaired by Di Speirs who has sat on every judging panel since the Award’s inception and is joined by the very first chair of judges, William Boyd as well as former winners and shortlisted writers Lucy Caldwell, Ross Raisin and Kamila Shamsie.

In a time when literary awards come and go, and can struggle for funding and airtime, the BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University continues to be a cause for joy

From 15th to 18th September four of the shortlisted stories can be heard at 3.30 each afternoon with the fifth story in contention for the award broadcasting on Friday, 19th September, at 11.30pm. The winner of the 20th BBC National Short Story Award will be announced live on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row on Tuesday 30th September 2025.

Produced by Elizabeth Allard.