SATURDAY 07 MARCH 2026
SAT 00:00 Midnight News (m002s4r2)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:30 This Is the Door: The Body, Pain, and Faith by Darcey Steinke (m002s4pq)
Episode 5: Healing
Darcey Steinke’s engrossing new book explores the subject of pain – what science tells us and what artists and thinkers have made of it. For Steinke, it all started when she damaged her back. As the process of healing began, she began to look outwards, to explore what it is like for others to live with chronic pain. With a new understanding, she reflects on the lives of writers and artists who have found meaning in the experience of pain.
In this final episode, she begins to recover. After trying various alternative therapies, and steroid injections, she finally has back surgery. And it is a success. But the experience of intense pain has changed her:
‘When I started this book, I wanted to try to understand how pain changed me for better and for worse. But pain’s legacy is hard to pin down. I worked with a therapist for a year before I finally got out from under the fear that the pain would come back. As that terror receded, I found myself more permeable, more empathetic, closer to the reality of life’s fragility but also its wonder. When I see people on the street limping, using canes or walkers, I understand with a new connectivity that they don’t just have mobility issues; they are also in pain.’
The reader is award-winning actor Elizabeth McGovern, who played the Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey
Adapted and produced by Elizabeth Burke
Executive producer: Sara Davies
Sound design: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
SAT 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002s4r4)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002s4r6)
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 (m002s4r8)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002s4rb)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002s4rd)
Failed Workshops and Gender Wars
Good Morning. I once ran a workshop for a group of activists and students of Islam from India and Pakistan. We had been working online for many months and decided to meet in-person for a component of the program. We knew the Indians wouldn’t get visas for Pakistan, and the Pakistanis wouldn’t get visas for India without tremendous difficulty, so we met in the beautiful and neutral territory of Nepal. As we sat in the impossibly beautiful terrain of the Himalayan range, I shared a verse of the Qur’an with them: “The believing men and the believing women are awliya, protecting friends, of one another”. I asked them to consider what it meant for believing men and women to be awliya of one another; what kind of world could be forged if we all actualised the call of these words. The Indian participants looked confused and said “but awliya means saints” and the Pakistani participants looked scandalised and said, “god forgive us! Men and women can’t be friends”. I explained but awliya literally means “protecting friends” and I urged them to imagine a world in which men and women were not at war but at peace, and more than peace, in loving harmonious, protecting and nurturing community. But the Pakistanis shook their heads and said “we observe strict gender segregation” and the Indians said “awliya are saints and we are not worthy to be amongst them”. And I stood bereft in between; a failed workshop exercise and the whisper of a vision promised in the Qur’an evaporating into thin air.
I pray for a world in which men and women act as protective friends of one another, where everyone thrives, no one is exploited, and full human agency is afforded to all, amen.
SAT 05:45 Lent Talks (m002s2zj)
Power and Support
A series of personal reflections on power inspired by the story of Jesus’ Passion.
Six essays tracing the hidden currents of power in everyday life: how it shapes us, how it works, how it wounds, and how it can be resisted, claimed, and reclaimed.
In this episode, Miro Griffiths – Associate Professor of Social Policy and Disability Studies, at the University of Leeds, who has spinal muscular atrophy and receives 24-hour personal health care assistance – explores power and support.
Producer: Dan Tierney.
SAT 06:00 News and Papers (m002scq6)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SAT 06:07 Open Country (m002s3fy)
Hedgerow havens
Hedges are such a traditional part of the British landscape that most of us don't give them a second thought. They're usually associated with the enclosures of the 17th-19th centuries, when the medieval farming system gave way to enclosed fields surrounded by hedges - designed to keep sheep in and people out. But, as Martha Kearney finds out, many hedges are far older than that - going back thousands of years in some cases.
In this programme, Martha explores the history and future of the hedge. She learns that there are an estimated 400,000 miles of hedgerow in Britain, despite the fact that many hedges were grubbed up and destroyed in the years since the Second World War. She talks to a wildlife expert, who explains why hedges are so important for wildlife and outlines the vital role they have to play in the ecosystem.
Martha visits a hedge-laying course in Devon, where trainees are learning this ancient skill, and tries her hand at the craft using a billhook. She discovers that Devon has a hedge style all of its own.
Producer: Emma Campbell
SAT 06:30 Farming Today (m002scq8)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
SAT 06:57 Weather (m002scqb)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 07:00 Today (m002scqd)
Today (Saturday)
SAT 09:00 Saturday Live (m002scqg)
Steve Rosenberg, Cut Flowers, Cancer Care and Inheritance Tracks of Mike Wozniak
Steve Rosenberg joins Adrian for extraordinary stories from remarkable people.
SAT 10:00 You're Dead to Me (m002scqj)
Empress Dowager Cixi: from concubine to ruler of China
Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century China by historian Professor Yangwen Zheng and comedian Sophie Duker to learn about the Qing dynasty ruler Empress Dowager Cixi. A contemporary of Queen Victoria, Cixi rose from low-ranked concubine to de facto ruler of China for nearly half a century, and lived through a dizzying array of events in China’s nineteenth-century history, including the Taiping Rebellion, the Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion. Ruling through her son and then her nephew, Empress Dowager Cixi dominated late Qing dynasty China, and oversaw a variety of economic and military – if not political – reforms. This episode charts her life, from her entry into the Forbidden Palace as a teenager all the way to her death in 1908, taking in the politics and traditions of the Qing imperial court, her relationship with Emperor Xianfeng and her rival turned co-ruler Empress Dowager Ci'an, and her determined attempts to gain and maintain power.
If you’re a fan of Chinese history, ruthless court politics, and complex women characters, you’ll love our episode on Empress Dowager Cixi.
If you want to learn more about the history of China, listen to our episodes on the history of Kung Fu and the Terracotta Warriors. And for more fascinating characters with Sophie Duker, check out our episode on Ramesses the Great, naughty nun Benedetta Carlini and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
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: Emma Mitchell
Written by: Emma Mitchell, Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner
Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner
Audio Producer: Steve Hankey
Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett
Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse
Executive Editor: Philip Sellars
SAT 10:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002scql)
Series 51
Episode 3
Jay Rayner hosts a culinary panel show packed full of tasty titbits.
SAT 11:00 The Week in Westminster (m002scqn)
Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster
SAT 11:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002scm5)
Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the world.
SAT 12:00 News Summary (m002scqq)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
SAT 12:04 Money Box (m002scm3)
The latest news from the world of personal finance
SAT 12:30 The Naked Week (m002s4qh)
Series 4
Episode 1
Andrew Hunter Murray and Jon Holmes return with a bold, audacious take on the week's news.
SAT 12:57 Weather (m002scqs)
The latest weather forecast
SAT 13:00 News (m002scqv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 13:10 Any Questions? (m002s4qq)
Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities.
SAT 14:05 Any Answers? (m002scqx)
Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
SAT 14:45 The Archers (m002s4ql)
Alice gives Ruairi some loving care, and George and Amber hatch a plan.
SAT 15:00 Secrets and Lies (m002scqz)
Road to Suez
The true story of how in 1956 Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, lied to Parliament and took Britain to war under false pretences, told through the eyes of a young civil servant, Donald Logan.
Within days of his appointment as assistant to the Foreign Secretary, Logan is sent on a secret mission to Paris and soon finds himself at the centre of a major tripartite conspiracy. Together with representatives of France and Israel, a plan is hatched to attack Egypt following their nationalising of the Suez canal.
Thirty years later as Government documents are to be declassified Logan must decide whether to tell his side of the story.
Richard Monks' drama is based on several sources including Logan’s own unpublished memoir.
It includes some imagined scenes.
Donald Logan ..... Jamie Parker
Irene Logan ..... Fenella Woolgar
Anthony Eden ..... Joseph Millson
Selwyn Lloyd ..... John Heffernan
Patrick Dean ..... Elliot Cowan
Christian Pineau ..... Raad Rawi
Ben Gurion ..... Elliot Levey
Moshe Dayan ..... Shai Matheson
Writer ..... Richard Monks
Director ..... Sally Avens
A BBC Studios Audio Production
SAT 16:00 Woman's Hour (m002scr3)
Highlights from the Woman's Hour week
SAT 17:00 PM (m002scr7)
Full coverage of the day's news
SAT 17:30 Political Thinking with Nick Robinson (m002scrc)
Nick Robinson talks to people who shape our political thinking about what shaped theirs.
SAT 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002scrh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SAT 17:57 Weather (m002scrm)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SAT 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002scrr)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 18:15 Loose Ends (m002scrw)
Mischa Barton, Squeeze, Emmanual Sonubi, Ava Glass, Samantha Crain
Clive Anderson is joined by The O.C star Mischa Barton who is in a new production of Double Indemity. And it's a double dose of murder and intrigue as we're also joined by best-selling crime writer Ava Glass with her new book 'The Hiding Season'. And from death to life, since we're very grateful comedian Emmanuel Sonibu survived his near fatal heart attack and is here to tell the tale in his stand up show 'Life After Near Death'. Squeeze are back with their first album of new material in 8 years, 'Trixies', as well as Samantha Crain who brings us even more intrigue with her new album 'Gumshoe'.
Presenter: Clive Anderson
Producer: Jessica Treen
SAT 19:00 Profile (m002scl3)
An insight into the character of an influential person making the news headlines
SAT 19:15 The Body Politic (m0027bnc)
Assisted dying
The politics of the human body is at the centre of intense debate in the UK and beyond. Thanks to science, technology and a fast-moving political landscape, humans are increasingly able to intervene in the natural processes of life – how we are conceived, how we are born and how and when we die. But what are the limits to this intervention, how should we decide and who should decide?
Broadcaster and columnist Sonia Sodha gets behind divides and polarisation to discover nuance, complexity and compelling stories around the beginning and the end of human life.
In the final episode we delve deep into the complex and fascinating debate around assisted dying, which has moved to the front and centre of politics in Britain. We hear views from all sides, as well as powerful stories - a widow whose husband had an assisted death in Switzerland, a woman who recovered from anorexia who's joined the anti campaign, a retired high court judge who has a life-changing illness and a leading practitioner of assisted dying in Canada.
Sonia teases out the complexity in ideas of choice, coercion and capacity as the UK debate intensifies, showing how decisions made now will impact future views on the value of life and how society handles death.
Producer: Leala Padmanabhan
Sound design: Hal Haines
Credit: 'How to die: Simon's choice', Minnow Films, directed by Rowan Deacon, executive producer Colin Barr
SAT 20:00 Archive on 4 (m002scs0)
Sara Pascoe Presents... The Anti-Awards Awards
Welcome the first (and possibly last) Anti-Awards Awards. As award season goes into full swing, your host Sara Pascoe invites you to join her on the podium as she presents the only awards that dare to say that there might just be a darker side to the pursuit of the big prize.
Sara chats to fellow comedian Nish Kumar about how striving to win an award can tank your work - and they look back at the excruciating 2017 Oscars as it dawns to the La La Land team that they haven't actually won Best Picture.
Novelist Sarah Hall takes us inside the machinations of a judging committee, and John Lloyd shows us just a few of the hundreds of awards he's won, and shares how awards helped bring on premature midlife crisis.
She also hears from film historian Isobel Custodio on how the spectre of Harvey Weinstein haunts the modern awards campaign. Nobel Prize Winner Eric Wieschaus on how to stay sane when the world thinks you are a genius and author and tech philosopher Tom Chatfield on the delicate politics of turning prizes down - as well as giving them to those who really don't care one bit. Congratulations to Nobel Literature Laureate Mr Bob Dylan!
Finally Sara asks if there's something inherently embarrassing about an awards ceremony as Sam Fox reveals that the real culprit behind the shambolic 1995 Brit Awards ceremony which would easily win the award for being the most most embarrassing was in fact the...Bros Fan Club.
Presenter: Sara Pascoe
Producer: Jessica Treen
SAT 21:00 Moral Maze (m002s4jc)
Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories.
SAT 22:00 News (m002scs4)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SAT 22:15 The Food Programme (m002s4pn)
Cork Country
Leyla Kazim reports from cork country in Portugal - where up to 10,000 of hectares of cork oak trees are being lost every year, despite laws protecting them from being cut down. Climate change is putting new stresses on the ancient forests, and as the cork industry worries that falling wine consumption could shrink global demand, Leyla asks why Portugal became the world’s biggest producer of cork in the first place, and what it will take to keep them thriving. She meets farmers using regenerative methods of working the land to protect the montado, and plantations where thousands of new trees are being planted.
Presented by Leyla Kazim
Produced in Bristol for BBC Audio by Natalie Donovan
SAT 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002scs8)
Eddie Kadi and Friends
Travis Jay, Kyrah Gray, Diesel and Junior Booker
The second part of a two-part stand-up special featuring highlights from 1Xtra's Comedy Gala with some of the UK's top Black comedians, including Travis Jay, Kyrah Gray, Diesel and Junior Booker. Hosted by Eddie Kadi and filmed at the Hackney Empire in London, the unofficial home of Black British Comedy.
SAT 23:30 Counterpoint (m002s2yz)
Series 39
Heat 9, 2026
Paul Gambaccini hosts radio's most challenging music quiz. Now in its 39th series, contestants from around the country have assembled to be tested on their knowledge of music from across the centuries, and across every genre.
This week, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘Crazy For Gershwin Musicals', 'For The Love Of Luther Vandross' and 'Tim Rice and His Amazing Technicolor Collaborations'.
Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
If you are interested in taking part in a future series of Counterpoint, please email counterpoint@bbc.co.uk
SUNDAY 08 MARCH 2026
SUN 00:00 Midnight News (m002scsf)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 00:15 Bookclub (m002s2yx)
Alan Cumming on Alasdair Gray's Lanark
Led by James Naughtie, this special episode of Bookclub celebrates the late Alasdair Gray's 1981 masterpiece, Lanark, at the Pitlochry Winter Words Festival, with the actor Alan Cumming, who is the voice of the new audiobook recently released by Canongate. Described by the author as 'a life in four books', Lanark follows the interwoven lives of Lanark and Duncan Thaw through the disintegrating cities of Unthank and Glasgow. The book has garnered widespread praise and critical acclaim for sitting realism and surrealism side by side and for daring to be experimental. The Guardian described the novel as "one of the landmarks of twentieth century fiction" while the Times Literary Supplement said it was "profoundly perceptive about the ways in which our society is destroying itself".
This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre in February.
Producer: Dominic Howell
Editor: Gillian Wheelan
This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.
SUN 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002scsl)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002scsq)
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 (m002scsv)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002scsz)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 05:43 Bells on Sunday (m002scmc)
The church of St Mary the Virgin, Bromfield in Shropshire
Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Mary the Virgin, Bromfield in Shropshire. The parish church is a fragment of a Norman priory and originally had a central tower, but this was replaced by the present tower on the Northwest corner of the church in about 1200. There are six bells, five of which were cast by the Rudhall foundry of Gloucester in 1737. The bells were tuned and rehung in 1890 by Taylors of Loughborough. The Tenor weighs eight and a half hundredweight and is tuned to the note of G sharp We hear them ringing Cambridge Surprise Minor
SUN 05:45 In Touch (m002s4f2)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted
SUN 06:00 News Summary (m002sck8)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 06:05 Thinking Allowed (m002s4dg)
Extreme Sports
What can the worlds of mountaineering and endurance running reveal about changing ideas of freedom, identity and the body? Laurie Taylor talks to Sarah Lonsdale, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at City, University of London, about her new book Wildly Different - her study of early 20th‑century women who sought autonomy through outdoor adventure. She focuses on the mountaineer Dorothy Pilley, whose Alpine achievements and reflective writing challenged prevailing assumptions about femininity and physical capability.
In 'Dirtbag Dreams', Carl Morris (sociologist, historian and social psychologist from the University of Lancashire) explores the history of mountain, ultra and trail running in the US and Britain from its origins right up until today. He asks if the ever-increasing popularity of these sports risk making them overly commercial and corporate? A keen fell runner himself, Morris examines the distinctive values that shape these endurance communities, including ideas of authenticity, self‑sufficiency and the pursuit of physical extremity.
Producer: Natalia Fernandez
SUN 06:35 On Your Farm (m002sckb)
Westcombe: Community Economy
Ten years on from the programme’s first visit to the celebrated cheesemakers at Westcombe Dairy, On Your Farm finds out how a high-tech investment helped kickstart a dramatic process of diversification at the Somerset farm.
In 2016, Tom and Richard Calver installed the world’s first cheddar turning robot in their cheese cave, saving them from a backbreaking and time consuming part of the cheesemaking process. This allowed them to focus their efforts elsewhere.
Over the past ten years the father and son have transformed Westcombe Dairy into the cornerstone of a community of businesses based at the farm, including a charcuterie, a flourmill and bakery, and an ice-cream maker. Each enterprise is in some way connected to another business – Theo Whyte finds out how.
Presented and produced by Theo Whyte.
SUN 06:57 Weather (m002sckd)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 07:00 News and Papers (m002sckg)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 07:10 Sunday (m002sckj)
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week
SUN 07:54 Radio 4 Appeal (m002sckl)
Action Syria
Actor Toby Jones makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Action Syria. The charity supports education for Syrian children in ways including rebuilding schools, helping pay for teachers, and providing transport so children can get to class.
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 ‘Action Syria’.
- Cheques should be made payable to ‘Action Syria’.
- 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: 1156491. If you’d like to find out more about the charity’s work visit *https://actionsyria.org.uk
*The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
SUN 07:57 Weather (m002sckn)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 08:00 News and Papers (m002sckq)
The news headlines, including a look at the newspapers.
SUN 08:10 Sunday Worship (m002scks)
Radio 4's Sunday morning service
SUN 08:48 Witness History (w3ct743m)
The origin of World Book Day
In November 1995, a proposal of having an annual day focused on celebrating books was put forward at the UNESCO conference in Paris.
The idea came from a long-established Spanish celebration ‘The Day of Books and Roses’.
The first World Book Day was on 23 April 1996.
Although some countries now celebrate World Book Day on different dates, it’s marked on 23 April in the majority of countries.
Pere Vicens is a book publisher from Barcelona in Spain and one of the creators of World Book Day. He tells Gill Kearsley the origins of this now annual event.
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: World Book Day in Spain. Credit: John MIlner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SUN 08:58 Tweet of the Day (m002sckv)
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about birds inspired by their calls, songs and behaviour.
SUN 09:00 Broadcasting House (m002sckx)
The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs (m002sckz)
Jessie Buckley, actor
Jessie Buckley, actor and singer, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item she would take with her if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.
SUN 11:00 The Archers Omnibus (m002scl1)
There's tension at Bridge Farm, and Rex and Alice finally make it out on a date.
SUN 12:15 Profile (m002scl3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Saturday]
SUN 12:30 Just a Minute (m002rd1y)
Series 96
5. That's a real headscratcher
Gyles attempts to sing his own version of a Benjamin Britten opera, Emma explains why she can't remember the plot of The Great Gatsby and one of the players finally gets their first minute.
Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Gyles Brandreth, Emma Sidi, Desiree Burch and Josie Lawrence
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Additional material by Ruth Husko
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
SUN 12:57 Weather (m002scl5)
The latest weather forecast
SUN 13:00 The World This Weekend (m002scl7)
Radio 4's look at the week's big stories from both home and around the world.
SUN 13:30 Currently (m002scl9)
Sophia v AI Slop
While browsing online, the journalist and author Sophia Smith Galer was surprised to find a biography of herself on Amazon. She discovered that it was full of inaccuracies - and most likely written using generative AI. It's part of a new phenomenon in publishing and flooding all parts of our information landscape: AI slop, low quality content made quickly using artificial intelligence.
While we might be used to slop on social media, what happens when it infiltrates areas where we expect fact rather than fiction? On her quest to get answers about her biography, Sophia looks at how far AI slop has polluted places we previously thought safe - from investigative journalism to academia - and asks if we can ever escape the onslaught of slop.
Presenter Sophia Smith Galer
Producer Lucy Wai
SUN 14:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002s4q5)
Hertfordshire
Peter Gibbs and the GQT team are in Hertfordshire.
Peter's joined by Bob Flowerdew, Bunny Guinness and Juliet Sargeant.
Producer: Matthew Smith
Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 14:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjf5)
Series 3
Lord Rosebery's Race Horses
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Lord Rosebery's race horses.
It's claimed that, early in his life, Lord Rosebery said that he had three aims - to marry an heiress, to become Prime Minister, and to win the Derby. And whether he said it or not, Rosebery undeniably accomplished all these ambitions.
Rosebery achieved his second ambition when he served as Britain’s Prime Minister from March 1894 to June 1895 and, at the same time, realising his third goal, as his horses won the Derby in both of those years. No other Prime Minister has rivalled such a success on the turf, but no other Prime Minister has allowed themselves to be so closely connected to such an elite sport. Ultimately, it didn't enhance Rosebery’s public image.
David meets Harry Dalmeny, who is the current chair of Sotheby's and a direct descendant of Lord Rosebery’s, to discuss his love of racing and he goes to Epsom downs to look at the graves of Lord Rosebery’s beloved racehorses.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 15:00 Drama on 4 (m002sclc)
Story of America, a major collection of dramatisations marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, featuring a new adaptation of Owen Wister’s pioneering work of Cowboy fiction by Theo Toksvig-Stewart.
In this mythic portrayal of the Wild West, romance blossoms for the Virginian but his allegiances are about to be sorely tested.
The Virginian ..... Parker Sawyers
Tenderfoot ..... Alexander Arnold
Molly ..... Jessica Rhodes
Steve ..... Sam Swann
Trampas ..... Fayez Bakhsh
Scipio ..... Christopher Ragland
Shorty ..... Andre Bullock
Mrs Taylor ..... Clare Corbett
Directed by Gemma Jenkins
Sound Design by Keith Graham and Andy Garratt
Production Co-ordinator: Jonathan Powell
Casting Manager: Alex Curran
A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 16:00 Take Four Books (m002sclf)
James Crawford discusses an author's new book and its connections to three other works.
SUN 16:30 Counterpoint (m002sclh)
Series 39
Semi-final 1, 2026
Paul Gambaccini hosts radio's most challenging music quiz. Now in its 39th series, contestants from around the country have assembled to be tested on their knowledge of music from across the centuries, and across every genre.
This week, in the first semi-final of the series, our three contestants pick from topics including ‘In A Classical Garden', 'ABBA: Together And Apart' and 'The Sherlock Holmes Musical Casebook'.
Producer: Tom Du Croz
Production coordinator: Jodie Charman
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
If you are interested in taking part in a future series of Counterpoint, please email counterpoint@bbc.co.uk
SUN 17:00 Witness History (w3ct5ygm)
South Africa's referendum on apartheid
On 18 March 1992, white South Africans overwhelmingly backed a mandate for political reforms to end apartheid and create a power-sharing multi-racial government.
It was a high-stakes referendum coming on the back of three by-elections where the ruling National Party had lost to the right wing Conservative party.
In a speech after the polling victory, President FW de Klerk said: “Today we have closed the book on apartheid”. His communications adviser, David Steward speaks to Josephine McDermott.
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: President FW de Klerk with news of the referendum win. Credit: AP)
SUN 17:10 The Verb (m002scll)
Michael Laskey, Michael Schmidt, Michelle Penn, Rachel Douglas-Jones
Michael Laskey has produced six collections of poetry since his first pamphlet in 1988. That was also the year he co-founded the Aldebrugh Poetry Festival. His career in poetry which has seen him teach, edit, and publish and has resulted in him becoming this year's recipient of the King's Gold Medal for Poetry. As his Collected Poems is published, he looks back on his relationship with poetry and the poetry scene.
When Michael Schmidt met Elizabeth Jennings, he was a student and she was a celebrated poet. As managing director of Carcanet Press he would go on to become her publisher. A relationship that endured until her final collection in 2001. In her centenary year, he talk about her distinctive qualities as a poet and shares his favourite poem of hers.
Michelle Penn takes inspiration from the Latin American iteration of the retablos art form for her new book - Retablo for a door. The poetry collection in part explores the female experience, but also turns its attention to subjects as varied as the first atomic bomb test, and Leonardo da Vinci's drawing, Vitruvian Man. She discusses why she found retablos such a useful creative aid for her poetry.
In Redacted: Writing in the Negative Space of the State, academic Rachel Douglas-Jones reflected on the poetic power of redaction to interrogate and understand the General Data Protection Regulations. She explains why redaction, currently in the news for its power to obscure, can also lead to revelation.
Presenter: Ian McMillan
Producer: Ekene Akalawu
SUN 17:54 Shipping Forecast (m002scln)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
SUN 17:57 Weather (m002sclq)
The latest weather reports and forecast
SUN 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002scls)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
SUN 18:15 Pick of the Week (m002sclv)
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens presents a weekly selection of the best bits of audio across the BBC.
SUN 19:00 The Archers (m002sclx)
Alice and Rex are getting along fine, and the Grundys have a get-together.
SUN 19:15 Illuminated (m002sclz)
The Alpenpost: A Girl's Guide to Fighting Hitler and Stalin
Historian Maurice Casey reveals the story of an anti-Nazi resistance network and the family at its heart, told through a newspaper crafted by two young girls.
In the dusty corners of a Galician villa on Spain’s northern coast, Casey uncovered a forgotten archive of revolution, resistance and love. Among the documents was something extraordinary. The Alpenpost - a newspaper lovingly hand-crafted by Elisa and Alida Leonhard, two girls raised on Europe’s 1930s refugee routes.
Created every fortnight from late 1935 until 1940, The Alpenpost charted the activities of the two Leonhard girls and their mother Emmy, a veteran of the repressed world of Weimar German communism. With a mixture of cartoons, light stories and precocious political analyses, the girls charted their unusual upbringing as the children of an anti-fascist father and an exiled revolutionary mother.
Each issue was posted to the girls’ ‘papa’ Edo Fimmen, separated from his family, constantly travelling to maintain a network of activists and informants. Fimmen led the powerful International Transport-Workers’ Federation in continual resistance to fascism. Reading The Alpenpost, Edo could chart his daughters’ flight through 1930s Europe. It was both a love letter to a father kept apart from his family by dangerous work and a remarkable document of a childhood lived in flight from totalitarianism.
This is a tale of survival against the odds - not only the survival of a family that lived under grave political threats, but an archive that survived a journey across countries and generations.
Contributions from Pedro Ewald, Dieter Nelles, Rene Dumont, Bob Reinalda
Voices of The Alpenpost: Hannah Nehb, Juno Nehb, Neva Nehb
Producer: Mark Burman
A Storyscape production for BBC Radio 4
SUN 19:45 Lent Talks (m002scm1)
Power and Relationships
A series of personal reflections on power inspired by the story of Jesus’ Passion.
Six essays tracing the hidden currents of power in everyday life: how it shapes us, how it works, how it wounds, and how it can be resisted, claimed, and reclaimed.
In this episode, Susie Masterson – a psychotherapist and survivor of sexual violence – explores power and relationships.
Producer: Dan Tierney.
SUN 20:00 Feedback (m002s3g0)
The programme that holds the BBC to account on behalf of the radio audience
SUN 20:30 Last Word (m002s4q9)
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 (m002scm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
12:04 on Saturday]
SUN 21:25 Radio 4 Appeal (m002sckl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 today]
SUN 21:30 From Our Own Correspondent (m002scm5)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:30 on Saturday]
SUN 22:00 Westminster Hour (m002scm7)
Radio 4's Sunday night political discussion programme.
SUN 23:00 In Our Time (m002s3dq)
Margaret Beaufort
Misha Glenny and guests discuss the woman who, as a child bride, became mother to the boy who would eventually become the first king in the Tudor dynasty. Lady Margaret Beaufort (c1443-1509) was twelve when she married Edmund Tudor, half his age, and gave birth to their son Henry when she was thirteen and Edmund was already dead from the plague. Margaret Beaufort made it her life's work to protect Henry during the Wars of the Roses, which had begun soon before his birth and, as many more obvious successors to the crown died or were killed in the wars, she pivoted to supporting Henry when he became the strongest contender against Richard III. She was to survive Richard III declaring her a traitor and went on to see Henry become Henry VII the first Tudor king and herself become the King's Mother. Outliving her son by a few months, she was then to help her grandson Henry VIII succeed and the Tudor dynasty continue.
With
Joanna Laynesmith
Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Reading
Katherine Lewis
Honorary Professor of Medieval History at the University of Lincoln and Research Associate at the University of York
And
David Grummitt
Staff Tutor in History at the Open University
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.
SUN 23:45 Short Works (m002s4q7)
He Who Conquers Himself Is the Mightiest Warrior by Bernie McQuillan
An original short story specially commissioned by BBC Radio 4 from the writer Bernie McQuillan. Read by Caoimhe Farren.
The Author
Bernie McQuillan is an Irish writer, based in Belfast with her husband and four children and works in health and social care. Her short stories have won awards and been published in journals including The Honest Ulsterman and Women's Way (Ireland). She is an Irish PEN/John Hewitt 2024 Freedom to Write Awardee. Her debut novel The Lobster Pot (2026) was shortlisted by Watson Little x Indie Novella Prize, longlisted by the Caledonia Novel Award and highly commended by Irish Novel Fair.
Writer: Bernie McQuillan
Reader: Caoimhe Farren
Producer: Michael Shannon
A BBC Audio Northern Ireland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MONDAY 09 MARCH 2026
MON 00:00 Midnight News (m002scm9)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 00:15 Soul Music (m002qggy)
Make You Feel My Love
"When the rain is blowing in your face / And the whole world is on your case / I could offer you a warm embrace / To make you feel my love"
Written by Bob Dylan for his Time Out of Mind album, 'Make You Feel My Love' went on to become a huge hit for Adele and has been covered by Billy Joel, Ane Brun and many more.
With its promise of unfaltering love, we find out what the song means to different people around the world. It has inspired a translation into a 65,000 year old language and a choral version with the comfort of a psalm; it has soundtracked heartbreak and grief; and become a lullaby of parental love.
Featuring music writer Annie Zaleski, musicians Ane Brun and Dyagula, organist and conductor Anna Lapwood, Howard Simons, Aly Halberstadt, and Adele's manager Jonathan Dickins.
Produced by Mair Bosworth
A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 00:45 Bells on Sunday (m002scmc)
[Repeat of broadcast at
05:43 on Sunday]
MON 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002scmf)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002scmh)
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 (m002scmk)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002scmm)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
MON 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002scmp)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
MON 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002scmr)
Midnight Calls and Angelic Touches
Good Morning, we all know the dread of a call in the night. The first time this happened was in 2019, my dad had insisted on going to Pakistan despite our protests, when my brother and I escalated our opposition to the chief (our mum) she quietened us with her response, “this may be his last chance to visit the graves of his parents, see his siblings, touch the land he was born in.” We piped down, but sure enough one week into his trip, we got the midnight call; dad was in hospital on life support. I took the first flight out. I hadn’t been back to Pakistan for almost 15 years, and I’d certainly never travelled there without my parents. I felt anxious, unmoored, alone. On the plane I ended up seated next to an older couple, I immediately called them aunty and uncle as per our cultural norms, they naturally called me “beti”, daughter. When I told them the cause for my visit, uncle told me they’d actually booked a flight for the day before but had arrived 5 minutes too late and had been prevented from boarding so he’d had to book this next flight out. He said, “now we know why that happened, God wanted us to bring this daughter to Pakistan”. They showed such kindness and gentleness the whole trip. I felt graced by angels in my most difficult of times.
The Prophet Muhammad (S) said, “Allah is kind and He loves kindness and confers upon kindness what he does not confer upon harshness and does not confer upon anything else besides it.” Is there anything that touches, connects, builds, like kindness, even between strangers?
I pray for a world brimming, healed, and prospering in kindness, ameen.
MON 05:45 Farming Today (m002scmt)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
MON 05:57 Weather (m002scmw)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
MON 06:00 Today (m002sdyg)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
MON 09:00 Start the Week (m002sdyj)
Under the sea
What lies beneath the world's oceans? From the phenomenal infrastructure of telecoms cables to shipwrecked galleons and treasure and the sea creatures of the literary imagination - we explore the mysteries of the deep. Adam Rutherford chairs Radio 4's discussion programme which starts the week. His guests are:
The writer Julian Sancton is the author of Neptune's Fortune which tells the story of Roger Dooley, a diver who went in search of a lost ship. An accidental discovery in the archives led the unlikely treasure hunter to search for the shipwreck of an eighteenth century galleon, the San José. Laden with riches on its way to the New World, it was sunk in a fierce battle and its location was forgotten for centuries. The pursuit is a tale of maritime archaeology, rival treasure hunters, legal and political obstacles and the challenge of narrowing the search to a small area of the sea bed.
We think of the internet as wireless, but it is connected by nearly 900,000 miles of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the ocean, stitching whole continents together. In The Web Beneath the Waves, the journalist Samanth Subramanian explains the secretive cable-laying operations behind the world of undersea infrastructure. He discovers the environmental risks to them, corporate interests over them and the acts of “grey zone warfare” when ghost ships cut the cables of other countries.
Joan Passey is a senior lecturer in English at Bristol University and a BBC Arts and Humanities Research Council New Generation Thinker. She is the co-founder of the Haunted Shores Network and a leading researcher in literary study of coasts and seascapes, combining an understanding of folklore, myth and technology.
Producer: Ruth Watts
MON 09:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b6rj)
We're vlogging our way to YouTube stardom
One of the earliest YouTube viral videos Charlie Bit My Finger is a slice of normal family life. But one bite sparked the rise of a new type of celebrity - The YouTuber - and forever changed the digital world.
In part two of our five part series, Sophia Smith Galer sits down with American YouTuber Hank Green, who opens up about the wild ride of early YouTube stardom and how the platform’s evolving business model reshaped everything. UK YouTube sensation Joe Sugg shares the intense pressures of content creation, while Crystal Abidin, an anthropologist studying internet cultures, breaks down why this new breed of influencer has taken over.
It's the story of Youtube, told by the content creators who were there.
Presented by Sophia Smith Galer
Producer: George McDonagh
Executive Producer: Leonie Thomas
Commissioning Editor: Tracy Williams
Artwork by Uptown Style
Mix and Mastering by Hannah Varrall
An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4
MON 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sdyl)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
MON 11:00 Understand (m002sdyn)
How Reading Made Us
How Reading Made Our Brains
Reading seems an unremarkable skill. After all, everyone can read. Even small children. When we say something is as “easy as ABC”, we mean it is very easy indeed. In fact, learning to read has dramatic and irreversible consequences for people and for societies. Learning to read permanently alters your brain. It changes the emotions you experience and the way you relate to others. When a society learns to read the consequences are dramatic: wars break out, revolutions erupt and new political systems spring into being. Reading made us who we are.
For centuries people have been reading more and more. Recently the trend has gone into reverse. The number of people who pick up a book has been falling steadily for twenty years. Now half of adults no longer read regularly.
How will this change us?
Over three episodes, Times writer James Marriott explores how reading made us, and what might happen if we stop.
In this first programme, James finds out how unnatural the process of reading is, and the complex alchemy our brains create to make words on the page make sense to us, and asks what we gain - and lose - when we learn to read.
Guests include:
- Professor Maryanne Wolf, Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA
- John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter for the Financial Times
- Naomi Alderman, writer and presenter
- Dr Joseph Henrich, Professor of Anthropology at Harvard University
Producer - Beth Sagar-Fenton
Editor - Chris Ledgard
MON 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sdyq)
Episode 1
Summer 1856. Nineteen-year-old Mary Ann Patten and her husband, Joshua, are young and ambitious. Both from New England seafaring families, they have already completed their first voyage around the world with Joshua as captain. Their dream of building a home and a family is coming within reach. It would mean freedom. But the price of that freedom is one last dangerous transit – a race to deliver supplies to the California Gold Rush.
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
MON 12:00 News Summary (m002sdyt)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
MON 12:04 You and Yours (m002sdyw)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
MON 12:57 Weather (m002sdyy)
The latest weather forecast
MON 13:00 World at One (m002sdz0)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
MON 13:45 Artworks (m002sdz2)
Waugh: What Is He Good For?
Brideshead Revisited - Not Quite Our Class Darling
Many people hold Evelyn Waugh among the best British writers of the 20th Century -Russell Kane is one of them. To mark the 60th anniversary of his death, Russell delves into seven of Waugh’s most important works.
While Waugh has been unfashionable for some time, Kane believes it’s high time to turn back to him. He says he was way ahead of his time and, in his books, he reveals ourselves to ourselves and uncovers clues for how we should live our lives today.
Over seven episodes, Waugh tells us everything we need to know about the cluttered corridors of English culture - its class system, media, cult of masculinity, colonial hang-ups: everything it’s made of, good and bad. Not only does Waugh show our society for what it is, but he demonstrates how it can be hacked - infiltrated by savvy interlopers like himself. And Russell sees a kindred spirit.
Waugh may be a divisive figure, with the public reputation of a pantomime villain. Some say Waugh’s vitriolic streak, cultural insensitivity and idolisation of the upper classes should condemn him to the male, pale and stale literary past - but Russell believes he is prescient, not reactionary, that he was ahead of his time. Waugh holds the least flattering of mirrors up to us - and actually, it’s not Waugh but what we see that we don’t like.
In episode 6, we look to Brideshead Revisited (1945) – a book about class, which was a lifelong obsession for Waugh, the toad that sits at the heart of British society. Russell looks at how he and Waugh interrelate, and how to find ways through the labyrinth.
Contributors:
Dr Paula Byrne, author of Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead
Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye magazine
Archive:
Face to Face (BBC television, 1960) - interview with Evelyn Waugh by John Freeman
Producer: Dom Byrne & Freya Hellier
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Sound Mix: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:00 The Archers (m002sclx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Sunday]
MON 14:15 Prepper (m000wts4)
Series 2
We're All Preppers Now
Sylvia Garrett, a cut-throat shop-managing baby boomer (Sue Johnston), and 27 year old Rachel Olende, self-obsessed and having a quarter-life crisis (Lydia West) continue their podcast for anyone interested in surviving the coming breakdown of society - Prepper.
Preppers are a large and rapidly growing global community who have taken Armageddon readiness one step further than most. They’re actively skilling up, laying down supplies and readying themselves for ‘the end of the world’, in whatever form it comes. If people in south Manchester are prepping, it’s probably time to worry.
Aimed at both long-time preppers and the newly curious, Prepper gets to grips with the day-to-day challenges of getting ‘Armageddon-ready’ through pre-recorded features, on-air debates and interaction with listeners around the world. The real story of Prepper, however, is the warped mother-daughter relationship between the two hosts, as Rachel’s deep seated neediness rubs up against Sylvia’s iron self-reliance.
The first series of Prepper won the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Comedy 2020. This second series, written by Caroline Moran, was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. No, the irony did not escape us.
In this series, while Sylvia (Sue Johnston - The Royle Family, Downton Abbey) continues to broadcast from her well-appointed double garage in south Manchester, Rachel (Lydia West - It's a Sin, Years and Years) is banished to a gazebo in the garden.
Cast:
Sylvia is played by Sue Johnston OBE
Rachel is played by Lydia West
Written by Caroline Moran
Technical Presentation: Jerry Peal
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4
MON 14:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjfb)
Series 3
Lloyd George, the Welsh Wizard
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Lloyd George, the Welsh Wizard.
When David Lloyd George died in 1945, Winston Churchill did not stint in his praise, calling him, ‘the greatest Welshman which that unconquerable race has produced since the age of the Tudors'. But as is often the way with eulogies, it was far from being the whole truth. While Lloyd George steered Britain though the First World War, his later political record was often controversial. Lloyd George came of age during the Welsh national reawakening, so it was only a matter of time before the ‘Man Who Had Won the War’ was hailed as ‘Welsh Wizard’. But by 1922, when Lloyd George had lost his magic touch, he seemed not so much a winning wizard as a corrupt trickster, and the ‘wizard’ associations were turned against him.
David visits Lloyd George’s family home in Llanystumdwy, North Wales and he speaks to historian Mike Benbough-Jackson about how Lloyd George expressed his Welshness, and deliberately cultivated his ‘wizardly’ persona.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
MON 15:00 A Good Read (m002sdz4)
Lolita Chakrabarti and Dr Guy Leschziner
This week's books are:
How to Measure a Cow by Margaret Forster (chosen by Lolita Chakrabarti)
The House of God by Samuel Shem (chosen by Guy Leschziner)
A Very Easy Death by Simone de Beauvoir (chosen by Harriett Gilbert)
The producer is Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio Bristol
Join us over on Instagram @agoodreadbbc
MON 15:30 You're Dead to Me (m002scqj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Saturday]
MON 16:00 Currently (m002shs8)
48 Hours in Isfahan
Through the eyes of the people of the Iranian city of Isfahan, the programme pieces together the events of the 8th and 9th of January 2026, when thousands took to the streets to protest rising living costs and the country’s worsening economic conditions. It explores how demonstrators were met with a deadly crackdown by government forces and the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
MON 16:30 The Kitchen Cabinet (m002scql)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:30 on Saturday]
MON 17:00 PM (m002sdz6)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
MON 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sdz8)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
MON 18:30 Just a Minute (m002rd20)
Series 96
6. The time I spent New Year's Eve with Sue Perkins
We're back in Bradford for the final episode of the series. Zoe tells us why she's not as cool as a cucumber, Chris explains who Bradford Jesus is and Lucy offers her thoughts on Taylor Swift.
Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Chris Cantrill, Lucy Porter
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Sarah Nicholls
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Additional material by Ruth Husko
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
MON 19:00 The Archers (m002sdzb)
Chris is taken aback, and Kirsty and Kate fail in a resolution.
MON 19:15 Front Row (m002sdzd)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
MON 20:00 How Did We Get Here? (m002rvn7)
Israel and the Palestinians
5. From WWII to the First Arab-Israeli war
In the fifth of ten programmes exploring the origins and tracing the history of the Middle East conflict, we reach the key years of 1945-49, when the United Nations voted for two states in Palestine, the State of Israel was established, and Israel and its Arab neighbours fought their first war – by the end of which 700,000 Palestinians had lost their homes.
Presenter Jonny Dymond is joined by Gudrun Kraemer, Professor of Islamic Studies at the Free University of Berlin, Eugene Rogan, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford University and the BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen, author of ‘The Making of the Modern Middle East’.
They discuss the impact of the Second World War on British-ruled Palestine, British attempts to prevent Jewish immigration into the country after the Holocaust, Jewish paramilitary attacks on British targets, the UN decision in 1947 to partition Palestine, the outbreak of civil war between Jews and Arabs, the British withdrawal in 1948, the declaration of Israeli statehood, and the invasion of what had been British Palestine by neighbouring Arab states. They conclude by discussing how the 1948-9 war ended, and the origins of the Palestinian refugee problem.
'How Did We Get Here? Israel and the Palestinians' is a BBC News Long Form Audio production.
The presenter is Jonny Dymond and the editor is Penny Murphy.
The Radio 4 commissioners are Hugh Levinson and Dan Clarke.
The studio engineers are Neil Churchill, James Beard, Rod Farquhar, Mike Regaard and David Crackles.
MON 20:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty2)
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 (m002sdyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 today]
MON 21:45 Like and Subscribe: How YouTube Changed the World (m002b6rj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
MON 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sdzg)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
MON 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sdzj)
The Artist
A new serial from Lionel Shriver in which a 30 something London millennial traverses the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Kayleigh Cooper dips her toe in the frenzied waters of dating apps.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneth Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 23:00 Limelight (p0dl3g0w)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Firewall
Episode 8
By James Swallow
Dramatised by Paul Cornell
Episode 8
Final part of the thrilling action-thriller set in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell universe. Fourth Echelon Agents Sam and Sarah Fisher are caught in a race against time to execute their mission; to secure the dangerous cyberwarfare technology, Gordian Sword and stop it falling into the wrong hands. Sarah is forced to face her past, as she steels herself to take a life. And Sam finally comes face to face with his old nemesis Dima Aslanov.
Recorded in 3D binaural audio; please listen on headphones for a more immersive experience.
Sam Fisher ..... Andonis Anthony
Sarah Fisher ..... Daisy Head
Anna Grímsdóttir ..... Rosalie Craig
Charlie Cole ..... Sacha Dhawan
Brody Teague ..... Will Poulter
Stone ..... Mihai Arsene
Eighteen ...... Olga Fedori
Guard ...... Roger Ringrose
Sound design by Sharon Hughes
Directed by Nadia Molinari
Series Co-Produced by Jessica Mitic, Nadia Molinari, Lorna Newman
A BBC Audio Drama North Production
MON 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sdzm)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
TUESDAY 10 MARCH 2026
TUE 00:00 Midnight News (m002sdzp)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sdyq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Monday]
TUE 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sdzr)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sdzt)
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 (m002sdzw)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sdzy)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
TUE 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sf00)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
TUE 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sf02)
From Michael to Muhammad
Good morning. I’ve loved Michael McIntyre for years. His wit, cheekiness and contagious joie de vivre make him a favourite in many households. But the other day my youngest was especially excited, because McIntyre’s guest was KSI.
Yes, dear listener, I too wondered, who is KSI? If you have a Gen Z or Alpha in your home, you may know the name. Now, McIntyre is about my age, while KSI belongs to a generation that can feel almost alien to ours. It’s a tale as old as time: the gap between generations. Yet their exchange was a masterclass in bridging it. Mcintyre showed curiosity in KSI’s work intrigue at this new social media driven career path, and rising respect as KSI’s successes were enumerated, ending with enthusiastic congratulations and all the best wishes for KSI’s future. McIntyre didn’t belittle him, roll his eyes, he didn’t diminish KSI once, even though it would have been so easy to do so. Instead he showed laughter is best when its not generated through demeaning others, and is so much more powerful when it is uniting us in our differences rather than alienating us further.
From Michael I was reminded of Muhammed, the Prophet of Islam and his love of children, how he spoke with them according to their interests and understandings, how he came across a little boy crying over his pet bird dying and the Prophet spontaneously made a rhyme out of the little boy’s name, turning his frown into a smile.
I pray for the fortitude of being curious not threatened by difference, of being excited not afraid of change, ameen.
TUE 05:45 Farming Today (m002sf04)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
TUE 06:00 Today (m002sftv)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
TUE 09:00 The Life Scientific (m002sf6b)
Jim Ashworth-Beaumont on how a near-fatal accident made him a better clinician
It's a rare thing to encounter a medical specialist who has experience of his field from the expert and the patient perspective - but not unheard of...
Jim Ashworth-Beaumont is an orthotist and prosthetist who spent years helping people adapt to life with artificial limbs and musculoskeletal supports, before a near-fatal accident left him relying on both.
This twist of fate might have derailed many - but Jim drew on reserves of resilience and determination forged long before his accident; initially in the army, then by returning to education to earn the qualifications he missed out on as a youngster. He put himself through night school before earning a place to study Prosthetics and Orthotics at the University of Strathclyde. Later, while working at London’s Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Jim completed a Master’s in Neurorehabilitation, and a PhD in Health Studies – driven by a fascination with how the human body adapts under pressure.
But in 2020, while training for a triathlon, Jim was involved in a catastrophic cycling accident that nearly killed him - and cost him an arm.
He tells Jim Al-Khalili how the incident gave him a whole new insight into his patients’ experience and made him more determined than ever to achieve his goals.
Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced by Lucy Taylor
A BBC Studios production for Radio 4
TUE 09:30 Inside Health (m002sf6d)
Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.
TUE 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sftx)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
TUE 11:00 Add to Playlist (m002s4qn)
Andrew Roachford and Carol Jarvis celebrate a former taxi driver
Trombonist Carol Jarvis and singer and songwriter Andrew Roachford join Jeffrey and Anna to add five more tracks to the playlist. Starting with a famous composer and former taxi driver, they head to some classic boogie-woogie, a female kora virtuoso, and hit the road again with one of country's finest.
Producer Jerome Weatherald
Presented with musical direction by Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe
The five tracks in this week's playlist:
Etudes: No 6 by Philip Glass
Pyramid Song by Radiohead
Hassle Attack by Ann Rabson
Ballaké Sissoko by Sona Jobarteh
On the Road Again (Live) by Willie Nelson
Other music in this episode:
Mary Ann by Buddy Guy
With Love by Thin Lizzy
Sex Machine by James Brown
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Diary of a Taxi Driver by Bernard Herrmann
TUE 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sftz)
Episode 2
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
TUE 12:00 News Summary (m002sfv1)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
TUE 12:04 You and Yours (m002sfv3)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
TUE 12:57 Weather (m002sfv5)
The latest weather forecast
TUE 13:00 World at One (m002sfv7)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
TUE 13:45 Artworks (m002sfv9)
Waugh: What Is He Good For?
Sword of Honour Trilogy - Boys with Guns
Many people hold Evelyn Waugh among the best British writers of the 20th Century -Russell Kane is one of them. To mark the 60th anniversary of his death, Russell delves into seven of Waugh’s most important works.
While Waugh has been unfashionable for some time, Kane believes it’s high time to turn back to him. He says he was way ahead of his time and, in his books, he reveals ourselves to ourselves and uncovers clues for how we should live our lives today.
Over seven episodes, Waugh tells us everything we need to know about the cluttered corridors of English culture - its class system, media, cult of masculinity, colonial hang-ups: everything it’s made of, good and bad. Not only does Waugh show our society for what it is, but he demonstrates how it can be hacked - infiltrated by savvy interlopers like himself. And Russell sees a kindred spirit.
Waugh may be a divisive figure, with the public reputation of a pantomime villain. Some say Waugh’s vitriolic streak, cultural insensitivity and idolisation of the upper classes should condemn him to the male, pale and stale literary past - but Russell believes he is prescient, not reactionary, that he was ahead of his time. Waugh holds the least flattering of mirrors up to us - and actually, it’s not Waugh but what we see that we don’t like.
In episode 7, we browse the Sword of Honour trilogy (1952-61) – books about war. These current fragile times create the ideal opportunity to explore this trilogy and its themes of the futility of war and traditions that fail to stand up to modernity.
Contributors:
Dr Paula Byrne, author of Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead
Patrick Hennessy, former soldier and author of The Junior Officers’ Reading Club
Archive:
Frankly Speaking (BBC Home Service, 1953) - interview with Evelyn Waugh by Charles Wilmot, Jack Davies & Stephen Black
Monitor (BBC television, 1964) - interview with Evelyn Waugh by novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard
Producer: Dom Byrne & Freya Hellier
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Sound Mix: Jon Calver
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 14:00 The Archers (m002sdzb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Monday]
TUE 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002sfvc)
The Book Club
Maggie is a 75 year feminist, whose memories of campaigning at Greenham Common are still fresh. But that was over 40 years ago, and attitudes to protest have changed. Veronica Roberts stars in David Morley's play, set against a backdrop of our changing laws on protest.
Cast:
Jade Alkema: Young Maggie
Philip Franks: Judge Hufurr, the Sergeant, Prosecuting Barrister
Isabelle Methven: Heidi
Alana Ramsey: Simone, Defence Barrister, the Policewoman
Veronica Roberts: Maggie
Wilf Scolding: Clive, the Detective, the Soldier
Writer: David Morley
Producer: David Morley
Sound Design: Tom Maggs
A Perfectly Normal production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 15:00 History's Heroes (p0lmnx58)
Gertrude Ederle: Ruling The Waves
A nineteen-year-old American woman sets out on an extraordinary feat of endurance. Will Gertrude Ederle become the first woman to swim the English Channel?
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: Lorna Reader
Series producer: Suniti Somaiya
Written and presented by Alex von Tunzelmann
Executive Producer: Paul Smith
Commissioning editor for Radio 4: Rhian Roberts
TUE 15:30 Thinking Allowed (m002sfvg)
Debt and Wealth Inequality
What does an 18-month study of residents on a housing estate in southern England tell us about living with debt? Laurie Taylor talks to Ryan Davey from the University of Cardiff about his new book The Personal Life of Debt - Coercian, Subjectivity and Inequality in Britain, which tries to understand how debt affects people emotionally as well as economically.
Laurie is also joined by Sarah Kerr (LSE International Inequalities Institute), whose book, Wealth, Poverty and Enduring Inequality - Let’s Talk Wealtherty, investigates the stubborn persistence of inequality in the UK. Kerr argues that the gap between top and bottom earners has become entrenched and normalised across generations.
Producer: Natalia Fernandez
TUE 16:00 Artworks (m002sfvj)
Lyse Doucet talks to female Afghan poets about the landay: a 22 syllable Pashtun verse form they create, perform and share to speak of love, sex, war and hardship. Translator and editor Eliza Griswold describes her discovery of this oral tradition and her project to collect and publish some of these anonymous poems.
Landays read by Shala Nyx.
With special thanks to Zarghuna Kargar.
Produced by Emma Harding, BBC Audio Wales
TUE 16:30 What's Up Docs? (m002sfvl)
How can you avoid toothache?
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken get to the root of what shapes our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they ask why our teeth so often cause pain and problems. They look at how teeth work, why they’re so prone to decay, and what actually causes toothache. They ask when it’s time to see a dentist, what helps with the pain, and whether there’s anything we can do ourselves to prevent it.
To help answer these questions, they’re joined once again by Praveen Sharma, Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant at the University of Birmingham.
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 Praveen Sharma
Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Jo Rowntree
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Visual Producer: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 17:00 PM (m002sfvn)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
TUE 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sfvq)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
TUE 18:30 Wing It (m002sfvs)
Series 2
In AI's Defence...
Alasdair Beckett-King plays host to a panel of improv comedy all stars. Featuring a visit from the grim reaper, overly protective mothers, and a passionate defence of AI.
"No Script. No Prep. No Clue."
Presented by Alasdair Beckett-King.
Starring Cariad Lloyd, Thomas Mayo, Emma Sidi, and Lola Rose-Maxwell
Devised by Sam Holmes
Producer: Sam Holmes
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Baum
Sound Editor: Chris Maclean
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
TUE 19:00 The Archers (m002sf5m)
George gets a shock, and Josh is very low.
TUE 19:15 Front Row (m002sfvv)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
TUE 20:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002sf55)
Fight On The Right: The MAGA Civil War
President Donald Trump won multiple elections thanks to the support of his MAGA movement - but cracks have begun to emerge in this broad coalition of America's political right.
The schism first emerged online as MAGA supporters-turned-detractors began to criticise President Trump, saying he has failed to deliver on campaign promises they voted for.
Such is the growing level of disillusion, that MAGA congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene - once one of President Trump's most vocal supporters - quit congress last year after becoming increasingly critical of the president over issues such as continued US involvement in foreign wars, the failure to tackle the cost of living in America - and failure to fully release the Epstein files.
But two months prior to her quitting, it was the murder of conservative influencer, Charlie Kirk, which really sent a shockwave through the MAGA movement. This ignited an internal battle for control of the MAGA narrative, as other activists begin to fight for control of the space Kirk once dominated. This has seen a surge in visibility and support for far right voices, much to the concern of more mainstream MAGA supporters.
Who can save MAGA - and what happens to the movement after Trump?
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Producer: Lucy Proctor
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
TUE 20:40 In Touch (m002sfvx)
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted
TUE 21:00 The Law Show (m002s4hz)
Conversation about the laws making headlines, and the laws that shape everyday life.
TUE 21:30 The Bottom Line (m002s3fc)
Evan Davis hosts the business conversation show with people at the top giving insight into what matters.
TUE 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sfvz)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
TUE 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sfw1)
The Entrepreneur
A new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial continues to peruse the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Finding dating apps to be the wild west of matchmaking, Kayleigh moves to a bespoke agency designed to find her the perfect match.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:00 Illuminated (m002sclz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:15 on Sunday]
TUE 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sfw3)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2026
WED 00:00 Midnight News (m002sfw5)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sftz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Tuesday]
WED 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sfw7)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sfw9)
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 (m002sfwc)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sfwf)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
WED 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sfwh)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
WED 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sfwk)
Value without Love
Good Morning, a friend of mine recently told me a story of a Sufi Sheikh from the subcontinent. This sheikh sat down for his midday meal in the subcontinent. A man of a cast considered untouchable passes nearby. The Sufi calls him over and insists on sharing his food and eating together. The man is stunned. Not only because a religious scholar has addressed him, but because sharing food would violate cast purity laws. The man says I am not fit to sit with you. The Sufi replies then how am I to sit with God, if I refuse to sit with you. The man protests that the Sufi will lose his Social standing. The Sufi response what is a religion worth that cannot survive love?”
The Sufi is risking his reputation, but he is choosing ethical divine truth over profane social approval. He is undoing his own ego’s attachment to rank and status. It would be much easier to avoid the man, maintain the illusory structures of manmade hierarchies, but what kind of believer would that make him?
I pray for a life that not only survives but thrives on love, Ameen
WED 05:45 Farming Today (m002sfwm)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
WED 06:00 Today (m002sf4x)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
WED 09:00 Sideways (m002sf4z)
Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives, making us see the world differently.
WED 09:30 Everything Is Fake (m002sf51)
Everything is Fake and Nobody Cares
Fake it. Make it. Podcast it.
Jamie Bartlett is not Steven Bartlett. People mix them up more than you might think - but there is an important difference: Steven Bartlett is one of the most successful podcasters on the planet, and Jamie is not.
So what does Steven have that Jamie doesn't? And what does the answer tell us about the world we now live in?
In this first episode, Jamie digs into the origin stories of the UK's podcast kings - and discovers that in 2025, working out what's true, what's embellished, and what's just a really good story is harder than it sounds.
He also builds himself an AI companion, Jimmy Botlett, because if he's going to get to the bottom of how fakery took over the world, he's going to need all the help he can get.
Credits:
Presenter: Jamie Bartlett
Series Producer: Tom Pooley
Sound Design: Rob Speight
Production Coordinator: Neena Abdullah
Original music: Coach Conrad
Editor: Craig Templeton Smith
A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sf53)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
WED 11:00 File on 4 Investigates (m002sf55)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Tuesday]
WED 11:40 This Week in History (m002sf57)
March 9th to March 15th
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
March 11th - In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was named the Soviet Union's new leader.
March 11th - In 1702, Britain's first daily newspaper - The Daily Courant - began publication.
March 15th - In 44BC - the Ides of March - the Roman emperor, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of senators.
WED 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sf59)
Episode 3
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
WED 12:00 News Summary (m002sf5c)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
WED 12:04 You and Yours (m002sf5f)
News and discussion of consumer affairs
WED 12:57 Weather (m002sf5h)
The latest weather forecast
WED 13:00 World at One (m002sf5k)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
WED 13:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjf8)
Series 3
Clement Attlee's Family Car
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Clement Attlee's family car.
While he was campaigning for the 1945 election, Clement Attlee travelled around the country in his family car, driven by his beloved wife, Vi. Attlee’s projected image was of a man who was both modest but also opposed to the ruling elite, spurning the grandeur of a chauffeur. It was both enlightened, modest, and very modern. His quiet message of reform was heard, and he subsequently delivered one of Labour’s largest election victories. The Attlee’s repeated their road trip during the 1950 election, travelling the length and breadth of the county to rally Labour support in their Hillman 14, a middle-class car owned by the sorts of voters Attlee was seeking to convince.
David visits Haynes Motor Museum near Yeovil to learn more about the Attlee family's motor cars and to explore how Clement Attlee’s choice of cars showed he was a man of the people and quintessentially British built.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
WED 14:00 The Archers (m002sf5m)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Tuesday]
WED 14:15 Drama on 4 (m001n8pb)
Of a Night
By Paul Jones
From the winner of the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2021 for Northern writers new to radio, comes a new pressure cooker drama, delving into the realities of Britain's social housing crisis. Set over one busy night shift in an understaffed, overworked Liverpool Housing Association call centre, we meet the people on the front line fielding emergency calls.
Tony's been here six years, tonight he's training up newbie Julie. 'Calls in the queue' flash repeatedly on screen. Mhairi's got no leccy and Mrs Jarosz's got a leak in her kitchen. Then there's Mr Davies who's got a long list of complaints- welcome to social housing...
Tony ..... Neil Caple
Julie ..... Sue Jenkins
Mhairi ..... Izzy Campbell
Peter/ Frank ..... Jason Done
Cathy/ Mrs Jarosz ..... Emily Pithon
Mr Davies/ Carl ..... Paul Duckworth
Production Co-ordination by Lorna Newman
Sound design by John Benton
Spot FX by Simon Highfield
Produced and Directed by Jessica Mitic
A BBC Audio Drama North production
Note for press:
Writer, Paul Jones won the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2021. The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award is a £5000 award for a Northern writer who is new to radio. The winner also gets a 12 month mentorship with a BBC Radio Drama producer and the opportunity to gain a BBC Radio 4 drama commission. 'Patterdale' Paul's winning play broadcast on Radio 4 in 2022, this is his second drama for radio. Paul has worked in a Housing Association call centre.
WED 15:00 The Law Show (m002sf5p)
Conversation about the laws making headlines, and the laws that shape everyday life.
WED 15:30 The Curse (m002sf5r)
For generations, young, seemingly healthy men were mysteriously dying on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.
They dropped dead doing normal everyday things like eating dinner, walking across the beach or shovelling snow. Locally, it became known as The Newfoundland Curse and it has been terrorising families for centuries.
It turns out that these families have a rare genetic heart condition called Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy, or ACM for short. If left untreated, ACM will kill 80% of the men who have it by the time they are 50 and, until recently, it was practically undetectable.
In 1995, genetic counselor Dr Kathy Hodgkinson was introduced to The Curse. Determined to understand why this was happening, she made it her mission to uncover the truth with the goal of ending it once and for all.
Produced & Sound Designed by Rebecca Nolan
Executive Producer & Editor: Dennis Funk
Mix Engineer: Jeff Emtman
Photo: Oak Mountain
A Written in Air production for BBC Radio 4
WED 16:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002sf5t)
Who's in the news for all the wrong reasons? With David Yelland and Simon Lewis.
WED 16:15 The Media Show (m002sf5w)
Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.
WED 17:00 PM (m002sf5y)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
WED 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sf60)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
WED 18:30 Stand-Up Specials (m002sf62)
Live from the UK
S2 E3: You Can't Put a Head in a Briefcase
Angela Barnes is trekking around the country, and finding what their comedy clubs have to offer.
So, if you want to know what percentage of body fat is ideal, why renaissance statues rub Liam up the wrong way, and an idea for a new, inclusive phone advert, this is the show for you.
In this episode, you can hear;
Steffan Alun at the Swansea Grand
James Ellis at Brighton Komedia
Liam Bolton at Hot Water Comedy Club in in Liverpool
Diona Doherty at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast
Additional Material by Ruth Husko
Recorded by David Thomas and Davy Neil
Sound design by David Thomas
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
WED 19:00 The Archers (m002sf64)
Brian meddles in his children’s lives, and Ben and Azra have a plan.
WED 19:15 Front Row (m002sf66)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
WED 20:00 Moral Maze (m002sf68)
Live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories.
WED 21:00 The Life Scientific (m002sf6b)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Tuesday]
WED 21:30 Inside Health (m002sf6d)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:30 on Tuesday]
WED 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sf6g)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
WED 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sf6j)
The Farmer
A new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial continues to peruse the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial, tries a more traditional route of introduction in her search for the perfect match. The recommendation of a friend. A financial advisor himself in search of new life – as a farmer.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:00 Stand-Up Specials (m002s5ts)
Slim's Guide to Life
4. Thirties
Comedian and legend of the black circuit, Slim, remembers his thirties.
With his children all grown up, and his comedy career on the rise, Slim is looking forward to a decade of freedom and success. However, he finds himself in a new role. Carer. His father is now elderly and living with diabetes, so Slim is looking after him. His dad's refusal to give up sugar, and his sneaky ways with the doctor might frustrate Slim at the time, but can he also learn valuable life lessons from his old man?
Written and performed by Slim
Script Edited by David Ajao
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow
Executive Producer: Pete Strauss
Recorded at Up The Creek comedy club by Chris Maclean.
Sound design by Chris Maclean
Music by Slim
Slim's Guide to Life is produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies, and is a BBC Studios production for Radio 4.
WED 23:15 Stand-Up Specials (m002sf6l)
Aurie Styla: Tech Talk
S2 E3. Battle of the A, B, Y and X's
Comedian Aurie Styla returns to rampage through the history of technology, through his own experience as a self-confessed tech nerd growing up in the 90s, and various things you thought you’d forgotten.
With his interactive, wildly funny style, tonight he hones in on one of his specialist subjects - how we got from queueing up for Pacman arcade machine to playing on games consoles so powerful you don't always know where reality begins and ends.
An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sf6r)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
THURSDAY 12 MARCH 2026
THU 00:00 Midnight News (m002sf6t)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sf59)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Wednesday]
THU 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sf6w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sf6y)
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 (m002sf70)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sf72)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
THU 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sf74)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
THU 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sf76)
Beeeeee like the Bee
Good Morning, last year I signed my husband and I up to a 6-month beekeeping course. It was the best thing we did that year. It was a lovely way for us to learn something new together, to join a new community, to breakaway from the rigmarole of life. But we learned lessons from the bees that I had not envisaged. Here are just 3:
1. Good leaders leave Egos behind. From the Queen Bee we learned about excellent leadership, to be focused on the needs of your team, providing them with what they need to do the best in their roles, but not micromanaging or interfering; trusting them to thrive.
2. Communication is key. Bees do a waggle dance to communicate to their hive where nectar can be found. A bee in need of grooming has a different sort of dance to express their need, and a fellow bee won’t hesitate to groom and relieve them. If the Queen is lost, the bees will seek her out and when they do, they’ll lean towards her turning the bodies into arrows indicating the way. Compassionate community can only truly be built on attentiveness, communication and hard work.
3. Sustainable Efficiency. Bees are efficient, but not in the soulless corporate sense of efficient but in the wholesome sense of being focused and driven, seeing their work through to conclusion in a way that doesn’t harm their environments but strengthens the ecosystem. After all, the existence of all life would likely soon disappear if all bees did!
The Qur’an has a whole chapter named the Bee and tells us to look to the Bee for lessons, this hardly surprises me.
I pray for the humility to learn from all of God’s creatures, Ameen
THU 05:45 Farming Today (m002sf78)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
THU 06:00 Today (m002sg0y)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
THU 09:00 In Our Time (m002sg10)
The ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.
THU 09:45 Strong Message Here (m002sg12)
Armando Iannucci and guests decode the utterly baffling world of political language
THU 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sg14)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
THU 11:00 The History Podcast (m002gjdr)
The Second Map
1. Bonnie Laddie
We all know the heroic story of Britain fighting the Nazis in World War Two. But what’s less well-known in popular memory is the war on the Asian front, against Japan. Yet it touched many families across Britain. Their descendants are still uncovering stories today.
On the same day as Japan’s attack on the US Naval bases at Pearl Harbor there were simultaneous strikes on British territories in South East Asia.
Episode 1 of The Second Map charts the humiliating defeats that the British suffered by Japanese forces as they rapidly took key colonies in South East Asia. We hear from eyewitnesses who were in Singapore when it fell, and were then later captured and held prisoner. We hear from a 104-year-old veteran, who desperately wanted independence for India, but decided to fight alongside the British against Japan. And we explore why this part of the war is not as well known as the one against the Nazis.
This is the other story of the Second World War.
Creator, Writer and Presenter: Kavita Puri
Series Producer: Ellie House
Script Editor: Ant Adeane
Sound designer: James Beard
Series Editor: Matt Willis
Production Coordinators: Sabine Scherek, Maria Ogundele
Commissioners for Radio 4 and The World Service: Dan Clarke, Jon Zilkha
Original music: Felix Taylor
Archive Curator: Tariq Hussain
Voice actor: Dai Tabuchi
Translators: Hannah Kilcoyne, Sumire Hori
With thanks to Dr Diya Gupta, Dr Vikki Hawkins, Dr Peter Johnston, Professor Rana Mitter and Tejpal Singh Ralmill.
Includes archive material from ‘Singapore 1942: End of Empire’ (2012), Electric Pictures.
THU 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sg16)
Episode 4
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
THU 12:00 News Summary (m002sg18)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
THU 12:04 Evan Davis's Heat Pump Challenge (m002sg1b)
Episode 1
In this new series, Evan Davies explores the challenges the government faces to encourage us to have heat pumps in our homes. Heat Pumps are a technology that's been around for years, and are installed in homes in other, colder European countries. They're now being installed into new build homes as standard. They're far more efficient than the gas boilers that UK homes are used to. But, it's the way our traditional housing stock is built that's the problem - many are old, not very well insulated, and need upgrades to make the heat pumps a cost effective replacement.
The government is offering incentives like grants to encourage take up - but we're still hesitant about the extra costs of installing one, alongside insulation, under floor heating and new radiators if we need them.
In this first programme Evan finds out how heat pumps work, and speaks to people having them installed in their homes. With an expert panel, he will have advice and expertise to make sure you have the information to make a decision on how this technology could be right for your home.
If you have any questions for the panel you want answering about heat pumps, you can email evanschallenge@bbc.co.uk
PRESENTER: EVAN DAVIS
PRODUCER: LYDIA THOMAS
THU 12:32 Sliced Bread (m002sg1f)
Dough - The Office
What will the office be like in future?
Greg Foot, host of BBC Radio 4's 'Sliced Bread' brings you 'Dough', examining the rise of future wonder products.
Greg is joined by experts, entrepreneurs and industry innovators to discuss the trends we're seeing today and where they may lead us tomorrow, before a leading futurist offers their predictions on what life might be like within five, ten and fifty years.
This time we’re looking at the future of the office - asking whether in years to come, we’ll even need one?
If so, is the ‘conference room’ soon to be a thing of the past, replaced with cafes, comfy chairs, and table tennis tables?
And will our future HQs be home to service robots and AI receptionists?
Greg learns how the Covid-19 pandemic changed office working and the trends transforming the look of high-end office developments. He is joined by the futurist Tom Cheesewright and guests including:
- Professor Matt Davis, University of Leeds
- Jane Clay, Strategy Leader and Principal at Gensler which designs and refurbishes buildings around the world
- Mike Dalloz, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of The Meeting Pod Company.
Produced by Jon Douglas. Dough is a BBC Audio North Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
THU 12:57 Weather (m002sg1h)
The latest weather forecast
THU 13:00 World at One (m002sg1k)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
THU 13:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjfd)
Series 3
Harold Macmillan as Supermac
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Harold Macmillan as Supermac.
In the mid 1950s, both Harold Macmillan and Superman were on upward trajectories, albeit very different ones. Yet suddenly, and unexpectedly, towards the end of the decade, their careers intersected and overlapped. The person who brought them together was Victor Weisz, the cartoonist. He was a talented artist with left-leaning sympathies, whose cartoons appeared in British newspapers under the by-line of ‘Vicky’.
Vicky’s heyday coincided with Harold Macmillan’s rise and fall as a Prime Minister. And it was while at the Evening Standard that Vicky produced his most famous caricature of Macmillan, introducing ‘Supermac’ to the world. It was an image Macmillan quickly appropriated to enhance his image, but once his popularity was on the wane, the Supermac image was finally turned against him in the way that Vicky had originally intended.
David visits the cartoon archive at the University of Kent, and he speaks to the cartoonist Steve Bell about how Vicky’s caricatures have influenced his own take on a more recent Prime Minister, John Major.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
THU 14:00 The Archers (m002sf64)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Wednesday]
THU 14:15 Drama on 4 (m002rkpn)
Good People
5. The Landslide
Sonia’s the guest of honour at her old University college. But journalist Gabe is on her tail...
Her return to Cambridge brings back memories of 2024, when her marriage to Kieran was an excuse to avoid difficult conversations in Branwich. But she couldn't stay away forever. And as Kieran launched his bid for MP, Sonia would have to confront the very people she once promised to fight for.
Series Overview
Four young idealists - Sonia, Kieran, Indigo and Ayad - fall under the spell of charismatic thinker Faith Abbott at university and channel her ideas into a bold political experiment: Project Hope. Thrown into a struggling coastal town vulnerable to the far right, they try to reinvent politics from the ground up, backed - and sometimes undermined - by the unpredictable Abbie.
Project Hope captures global attention, but when Faith denounces them from beyond the grave, the group are forced to confront their shared history, and the moral compromises they've made to remain “good people”.
Good People is a fictional story set against our very real political moment, examining the rise of populism, the perceived failure of politics-as-usual, and the deep divisions that run though our country and beyond. This is the fifth episode in an ambitious six-part state of the nation drama from award-winning political writer Steve Waters.
CAST
Sonia ..... Natalie Simpson
Kieran ..... Nicholas Armfield
Abbie ..... Iona Champain
Ayad ..... Ikky Kabir
Faith ..... Anastasia Hille
Jackie ..... Jasmine Hyde
Nick ..... Clive Hayward
Jake ..... Jimmy Walker
Gabe ..... Django Bevan
Lars and Hustings Chairperson ..... Nigel Pilkington
Writer ..... Steve Waters
Sound ..... Andy Garratt, Keith Graham, Sam Dickinson
Casting Manager ..... Alex Curran
Script Development ..... Abigail Le Fleming
Production Co-ordinator ..... Kate Gray
Assistant Producer ..... Luke MacGregor
Director ..... Anne Isger
A BBC Studios Audio production
THU 15:00 Open Country (m002sg1m)
The Rock Houses of Staffordshire
Martha Kearney visits the cave dwellings at Kinver Edge that were lived in until the 1960s. Cosy cottages were built into the soft red sandstone with furniture, windows and doors and families lived in them for generations. Martha looks around some of the cottages which have been preserved as they were when they were inhabited and hears stories from those who lived there.
Producer Beth O'Dea
THU 15:27 Radio 4 Appeal (m002sckl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
07:54 on Sunday]
THU 15:30 Feedback (m002sg1p)
The programme that holds the BBC to account on behalf of the radio audience.
THU 16:00 The Briefing Room (m002sg1r)
David Aaronovitch presents in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.
THU 16:30 BBC Inside Science (w3ct8ty3)
A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
THU 17:00 PM (m002sg1w)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
THU 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sg1y)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
THU 18:30 The Matt Forde Focus Group (m002sg20)
Series 2
Episode 1
Top political comedian Matt Forde is joined by comedians, politicians and political thinkers to chew the fat in front of a live theatre audience.
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4
THU 19:00 The Archers (m002sg23)
Chris is struggling a bit, and Jakob is bemused.
THU 19:15 Front Row (m002sg25)
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
THU 20:00 When It Hits the Fan (m002sf5t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:00 on Wednesday]
THU 20:15 The Media Show (m002sf5w)
[Repeat of broadcast at
16:15 on Wednesday]
THU 21:00 Loose Ends (m002scrw)
[Repeat of broadcast at
18:15 on Saturday]
THU 21:45 Strong Message Here (m002sg12)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:45 today]
THU 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sg27)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
THU 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sg29)
The Activist
A new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial continues to peruse the urban jungle in search of the perfect match.
Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial, is surprised by a chance romantic encounter at a political protest in Whitehall.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Radical with Amol Rajan (m002sg2c)
Conversations about tomorrow, from Today.
THU 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sg2f)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
FRIDAY 13 MARCH 2026
FRI 00:00 Midnight News (m002sg2h)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 00:30 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sg16)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:45 on Thursday]
FRI 00:48 Shipping Forecast (m002sg2k)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes (m002sg2m)
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 (m002sg2p)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 05:04 Yesterday in Parliament (m002sg2t)
News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
FRI 05:34 Shipping Forecast (m002sg2w)
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
FRI 05:43 Prayer for the Day (m002sg2y)
Stitching Community
Good Morning, I started to crochet in November 2025. My first proper project was a wonky hat for my husband followed by a head warmer for my daughter. Here’s a lesson I picked up: A single lone stitch is easily undone. A single chain of yarn is easily pulled apart. But a loop linked to a loop, tied to another, becomes strong. And the more rows of stitches, the stronger the bond until this gentle material so soft and malleable becomes unbreakable. This is one lesson of crochet; strength is in connection, and the more we connect with, the greater our strength.
In the Qur’an we are told, “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His Grace, brothers and sisters..."
This is in reference to the first generation of Muslims who found families divided as some believed in this new Prophet whilst others didn’t. It led to boycotts, oppression and eventually wars, but those same people who once held such enmity in their hearts were able to forge community in place of hatred, and a siblinghood in place of alienation.
I pray for the ability to stitch together communities that are strong, beautiful and comforting, like the wonky hat I made my husband. ameen
FRI 05:45 Farming Today (m002sg30)
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
FRI 06:00 Today (m002sg5c)
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
FRI 09:00 Desert Island Discs (m002sckz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
10:00 on Sunday]
FRI 10:00 Woman's Hour (m002sg5f)
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
FRI 11:00 The Food Programme (m002sg5h)
Posh Water
Should we be taking water more seriously? The rise of the water sommelier would suggest so. Jaega Wise visits a Cheshire restaurant that now offers its own water menu as well as a Peak District pub with a water bar and a borehole out the back to drawn its own spring water. She talks to the co-founder of the Fine Waters Academy Michael Mascha who believes that water should be appreciated as a product with its own terroir and hears from Dr Natalie Lamb, a water consultant who has been trained to appreciate the virtues of tap water. Whether hard or soft, still or sparkling - the Food Programme takes a closer look at the liquid we all too often take for granted.
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Robin Markwell
FRI 11:45 To the Edge of the World by Tilar J Mazzeo (m002sg5k)
Episode 5
Summer 1856. Nineteen-year-old Mary Ann Patten and her husband, Joshua, are young and ambitious. Both from New England seafaring families, they have already completed their first voyage around the world with Joshua as captain. Their dream of building a home and a family is coming within reach. It would mean freedom. But the price of that freedom is one last dangerous transit – a race to deliver supplies to the California Gold Rush.
As their ship leaves New York Harbour and sails down the jagged coast of South America, Joshua falls dangerously ill. The treacherous first mate is imprisoned in the brig for insubordination. With no obvious option for a new captain, Mary Ann steps into the breach forced to take the helm from her husband. Within days she has put down a mutiny and must now attempt to steer this 216’ clipper ship laden with the modern equivalent of $11 million dollars of cargo through Drake’s Passage and around Cape Horn – the most treacherous waters in the world.
Author Tilar J. Mazzeo undertook an expedition of her own to Cape Horn and Antarctica in 2022 to retrace Mary Ann’s footsteps. Drawing on her own first-hand experiences, as well as new archival research into nineteenth century women’s maritime writing, this thrilling adventure blows apart the well-worn image of the meek, retiring nineteenth-century wife.
Read by Nina Bowers.
Written by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Abridged by Katrin Williams
Producer: Lu Kemp
Tilar J Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a half-dozen award-winning non-fiction cultural histories, including Widow Cliquot – now a major Hollywood Film.
FRI 12:00 News Summary (m002sg5m)
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
FRI 12:04 Rare Earth (m002sg5p)
Lakes, Lochs and Loughs
Plunge into the chilly embrace of the UK's lakes and you enter troubled waters. They're a place for recreation and an inspiration for our greatest poets but they're also on the frontline in the battle against pollution. The biggest lake in the British Isles- Lough Neagh- is cursed by toxic green algae that sucks the life out of its waters, but nobody seems able to stop the relentless flow of agricultural, industrial and domestic pollution that feed it. Meanwhile, Lake Windermere, birthplace of the Romantic movement, is suffering from a record number of illegal sewage spills that make wildwater swimming a dicey business.
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski paddle through the history and legends of our lakes and lochs, search for solutions to their present day problems and celebrate the natural life that still flocks to these beautiful places.
Producer: Emma Campbell
Assistant Producers: Rebecca Rooney and Toby Field
Rare Earth is produced in association with the Open University
FRI 12:57 Weather (m002sg5r)
The latest weather forecast
FRI 13:00 World at One (m002sg5t)
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
FRI 13:45 Prime Ministers' Props (m001rjfg)
Series 3
Edward Heath's Yacht
Professor Sir David Cannadine explores political fame and image by looking at how an object or prop can come to define a political leader. In this episode - Edward Heath's yacht.
Edward Heath took up sailing at the relatively late age of 50, and his mid-life career as a sailor developed with extraordinary speed - he bought his first yacht Morning Cloud in 1969 and won the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race later that year. He then captained Britain's winning team for the Admiral's Cup in 1971, while Prime Minister. It was a huge sporting achievement and the idea of yachting emphasised risk taking and competence. But Heath's passion for yachting also reflects something of the extraordinary isolation of his personality. The fact that Heath’s third yacht was sunk in a storm and two crew members died in 1974, seemed a tragic metaphor for the demise of his political career.
David goes to Broadstairs Sailing Club to find out how it all started, and he visits Sir Edward's former home, Arundells, in Salisbury, to look at the bow section salvaged from the wreckage of Morning Cloud III, which has been put on display in the garden.
Series Producer: Melissa FitzGerald
Series Researcher: Martin Spychal
Readings by Will Huggins
A Zinc Audio production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 14:00 The Archers (m002sg23)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 on Thursday]
FRI 14:15 Limelight (m002rw5w)
The Dentist
Episode 3
Darkly comic crime thriller by D.C. Jackson.
When Kerry makes the snap decision to assume her dead sister’s identity, she doesn’t think through the consequences of posing as a dentist.
And those consequences turn out to be pretty fatal...
Cast:
Leanne … Gabriel Quigley
Kasia … Leah Byrne
Bob and Toby… Grant O’Rourke
Stewart … Jonathan Watson
DI Hickman … David Ireland
Jaconelli … Gavin Mitchell
Studio Production: Andy Hay and Gav Murchie
Production Coordinator: Ellie Marsh
Original music and sound design: Fraser Jackson
Additional keyboards: Tony Graham
A BBC Audio Scotland Production directed by Kirsty Williams
FRI 14:45 Life Without (m002sg5w)
Life Without Bees
No more buzzing, no more honey, no more bees – so then what? In this episode of Life Without, Alan Davies looks at how dependent we are on the existence of our busy little friends.
From how they impact our diets to the medicinal qualities of their produce (honey and beeswax), we learn what is missing from the shelves, when bees are missing from our lives.
This episode features Simon Potts ecologist and Professor of Biodiversity at Reading University and Alison Benjamin co-founder of Urban Bees and author of A World Without Bees.
An ITN production for BBC Radio 4
FRI 15:00 Gardeners' Question Time (m002sg5y)
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.
FRI 15:45 Short Works (m002sg60)
The Shrinking by Nicola Rayner
A new short story for Radio 4, inspired by the news that some GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are soon to be available in pill form. The Shrinking imagines a parallel world where women can shrink to their “perfect height” with the help of a seemingly miraculous new medication. But the treatment has some unexpected side-effects.
Born in South Wales, Nicola Rayner is a novelist and journalist. She is the author of The Girl Before You, which was described as "the new Girl on the Train” by the Observer and translated into multiple languages. Her second novel, You and Me, another psychological thriller, was published in October 2020. A work of historical fiction, The Paris Dancer, was published in 2025. In her day job as a journalist, Nicola writes about dance and travel and her articles have appeared in a number of publications including the Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Stage and Dancing Times.
Read by Clare Corbett
Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio
FRI 16:00 Last Word (m002sg62)
Matthew Bannister tells the life stories of people who have recently died, from the rich and famous to unsung but significant.
FRI 16:30 Sideways (m002sf4z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
09:00 on Wednesday]
FRI 17:00 PM (m002sg64)
News and current affairs, reporting on breaking stories and summing up the day's headlines
FRI 18:00 Six O'Clock News (m002sg66)
National and international news from BBC Radio 4
FRI 18:30 The Naked Week (m002sg68)
Series 4
Episode 2
Andrew Hunter Murray and Jon Holmes return with a bold, audacious take on the week's news.
FRI 19:00 The Archers (m002sg6b)
Amber soothes George’s fears, and Kate takes Brian to task.
FRI 19:15 Add to Playlist (m002sg6d)
Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe explore the rich web of connections in music.
FRI 20:00 Any Questions? (m002sg6g)
Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities
FRI 20:55 This Week in History (m002sf57)
[Repeat of broadcast at
11:40 on Wednesday]
FRI 21:00 Free Thinking (m002sg6j)
Taste
Matthew Sweet and guests explore "good taste" in decor, films and philosophical theories.
Producer Luke Mulhall
FRI 22:00 The World Tonight (m002sg6l)
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
FRI 22:45 Nobody's Perfect by Lionel Shriver (m002sg6n)
The Best Friend
The final part of a new serial from Lionel Shriver. Kayleigh Cooper, a 30 something London millennial search of the perfect match might have reached a dead end.
Kayleigh’s perfect date with a man who works in BBC Development ends in disaster. As usual, she rushes to her best friend Rhys Pickering, to tell all.
Read by Yasmin Mwanza.
Written by Lionel Shriver.
YASMIN MWANZA won the Spotlight Prize Winner 2017 for ‘Best Screen Actor’. She is known for her work in Marvel’s Spiderman: Far From Home and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (dir: Kenneith Branagh). Yasmin is currently part of the BBC’s Radio Drama Company.
LIONEL SHRIVER’S novels include the National Book Award finalist So Much for That, the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. Her journalism has appeared in the Guardian and the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Her most recent novel, A Better Life - provocative new novel addressing contemporary immigration, Lionel Shriver was published earlier this month (Harper Collins, February 2026).
A BBC Audio Scotland Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 23:30 Today in Parliament (m002sg6q)
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament