SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER 2011

SAT 00:00 Stephen Baxter - Voyage (b007q9ld)
1985-86 Project Ares
The first manned mission to Mars lifts off on a perilous journey of discovery - both scientific and personal.
Conclusion of Stephen Baxter's 1996 novel presenting an alternative history of the US space programme.
Dramatised in five parts by Dirk Maggs
Starring Laurel Lefklow as Natalie York, Rolf Saxon as Phil Stone, William Dufris as Adam Bleeker, Michael Roberts as Voice of NASA, Mel Taylor as Ralph Gershon and Vincent Marzello as Joe Muldoon.
Music by Wilfredo Acosta.
Producer: Dirk Maggs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1999.
SAT 00:30 Stories of Ray Bradbury (b00tgcgq)
Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed
Earth people have settled on Mars, but how do they cope when they discover there is no way back home? Read by Sean Barrett.
SAT 01:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jm0w)
His Last Bow
The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax
Watson heads to Switzerland for a missing aristocrat, but the trail leads back to a funeral parlour. Stars Clive Merrison.
SAT 01:45 Colin Dexter Short Stories (b007k4xz)
Inspector Morse - The Burglar
Neighbourly concern about a suspicious stranger sets a new puzzle for the Oxford-based detective. Read by John Turner.
SAT 02:00 Semi Circles (b007jtxf)
Series 2
Charity Begins at Home
Helen and Ben fight the forces of materialism. Can they win when promotion beckons?
The improving story of life and improving times in an improving neighbourhood.
Starring Paula Wilcox as Helen and David Wood as Ben
Written by Simon Brett
Helen ...... Paula Wilcox
Ben ...... David Wood
Mrs Kelly ...... Pay Heywood
Alastair ...... Tony Millan
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1982
SAT 02:30 The Museum of Curiosity (b00kj9yv)
Series 2
Episode 4
John Lloyd invites Oliver James, John Hodgman and Charlotte Uhlenbroek to submit exhibits. With Sean Lock. From May 2009.
SAT 03:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017sv17)
Corridors of Power - The Choice
As Roger Quaife's political destiny hangs on an extraordinary Commons debate, what future for Lewis Eliot? Stars David Haig. From June 2003.
SAT 04:00 Martin Sorrell - The Cuban Heel (b0109k1z)
A maverick bus driver's attitude starts to annoy the passengers on an over-heated tourist bus in Spain. Stars Andrew Sachs.
SAT 04:15 Petrella (b007jmcy)
Series 1
Outpacing the Fiend
A ruthless murderer puts the inspector's marriage under strain and his family in mortal danger. Stars Philip Jackson.
SAT 05:00 Ring Around the Bath (b00tvqmr)
Series 2
Space Perception
Desperate to sell up and move to the country, Stella tries burying the hatchet with the neighbours.
Series 2 of Lucy Clare and Ian Davidson's sitcom about topsy-turvy family life.
Stars Duncan Preston as Patrick, Penny Downie as Stella, Claudie Blakley as Alison, Bruce MacKinnon as Rick, Catherine Shepherd as Xanthe, Daniela Denby-Ashe as Egg and Roise Armstrong as the Fitness Instructor.
Producer: Elizabeth Freestone
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2004.
SAT 05:30 The Little World of Don Camillo (b00tr28b)
Series 3
The Stuff from America
The priest hands out food aid, but it's soon the focus for political violence. Stars Joss Ackland and Ian Hogg. From March 2003.
SAT 06:00 David Edgar - Mary Barnes (b007k1ky)
The struggles of a woman with her own madness until a pivotal meeting with pioneering psychiatrist, RD Laing. Stars Patti Love.
SAT 07:30 The Last Post (b00xn7d4)
Since ancient Egyptian times, pigeon post has carried messages of love and war. Can it survive the internet? With Tim Pigott-Smith. From July 2003.
SAT 08:00 Garrison Keillor's Radio Show (b017zt6w)
Series 7
Episode 8
Back in New York City, the funny man welcomes American poet Billy Collins and Broadway bandleader Rob Fisher. From 2010.
SAT 09:00 Comedy Controller (b007xrf8)
Arnold Brown
The former accountant chooses The Al Read Show, Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead, I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, two episodes of Arnold Brown and Company, and People Like Us.
SAT 12:00 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Omnibus (b017ztsm)
By Anne Bronte. Helen Graham is the mysterious new tenant. As gentleman farmer Gilbert Markham becomes powerfully drawn to this enigmatic widow, he discovers her turbulent past.
SAT 13:15 Elizabeth Gaskell - Curious, If True (b00tvmjy)
Lois the Witch
Newly arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, a Warwickshire girl finds herself drawn into a Puritan family's world of visions, malice and - apparently - demonic possession...
Elizabeth Gaskell's collection of intriguing "true" tales dramatised by Sally Hedges.
Mrs Gaskell ...... Elizabeth Spriggs
Lois ...... Carolyn Backhouse
Grace ...... Sandra Berkin
Prudence ...... Amy Draper
With Heather Emmanuel, Susan Jeffrey, Richard Avery, Jonathan Wyatt, Andrew Harrison, Stephen Tomlin and Anna Keene.
Producer: Nigel Bryant
An Armada production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in October 1998.
SAT 14:00 The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b007jv6w)
Series 1
Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel
Shady lawyer Waldorf T Flywheel and his assistant Ravelli get themselves hired to guard a Rembrandt painting.
Recreation of the Marx Brothers' lost shows charting the adventures of shady lawyer Waldorf T Flywheel and his assistant, Emmanuel Ravelli.
Originally broadcast with sponsors on America's NBC radio network in the 1930s, the scripts were rediscovered in 1988.
Groucho Marx as Waldorf T Flywheel ...... Michael Roberts
Chico Marx as Emmanuel Ravellias ...... Frank Lazarus
With Lorelei King and Graham Hoadly.
Written by Nat Perrin and Athur Sheekman. Adapted by Mark Brisenden.
Music arranged and conducted by David Firman.
Producer: Dirk Maggs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1990.
SAT 14:30 The Goon Show (b007jn48)
Series 6
The Jet-Propelled Guided Naafi
Grytpype and Moriarty set out to steal the plans for a secret new weapon.
Groundbreaking, surreal BBC radio comedy written by Spike Milligan.
Starring:
Peter Sellers
Harry Secombe
Spike Milligan
First billed as Crazy People, ten series of The Goon Show were recorded between 1951 and 1960, but sadly many of the earliest shows weren’t kept in the archive.
With the Ray Ellington Quartet and Max Geldray.
Orchestra conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
Producer: Peter Eton
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in January 1956.
SAT 15:00 Garrison Keillor's Radio Show (b017zt6w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 David Edgar - Mary Barnes (b007k1ky)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 What's So Funny? (b017stb5)
Series 2
Episode 10
Ed Byrne is joined by Lucy Porter and Steve Punt to discuss the comedy scene, plus Omid Djalili's Conversation of the Week.
SAT 18:00 Torchwood (b010m6lc)
The Dead Line
Cardiff's alien-hunters probe a spate of locals left in coma-like trances triggered by phone calls. Stars John Barrowman.
SAT 18:45 Arthur C Clarke Stories (b010m6lf)
The Nine Billion Names of God
Superiority
In war, the more technologically advanced side can still be defeated. John Shrapnel reads Arthur C Clarke's short story.
SAT 19:00 Comedy Controller (b007xrf8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Saturday Stand-Up (b010gg5v)
Robert Newman - Apocalypso Now
Robert concludes his unique view of history for an audience at London's Tricycle Theatre. From May 2005.
SAT 22:45 Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (b00s3j26)
Cabbage Looking in Mufti
The surreal saga of a dynasty delicately balanced on the edge of sanity.
Written by and starring Viv Stanshall.
Contains edits of an original John Peel session as first heard on BBC Radio 1.
Music composed and performed by Viv Stanshall using additional musicians.
Producer: John Walters
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1996.
SAT 23:00 Ian Rankin - Rebus (b00fr0m9)
Resurrection Men
Episode 2
The maverick detective finds himself unsure who exactly is under investigation. Ian Rankin's thriller stars Ron Donachie.


SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER 2011

SUN 00:00 Torchwood (b010m6lc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 00:45 Arthur C Clarke Stories (b010m6lf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:45 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 Garrison Keillor's Radio Show (b017zt6w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:00 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Omnibus (b017ztsm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]
SUN 03:15 Elizabeth Gaskell - Curious, If True (b00tvmjy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:15 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 David Edgar - Mary Barnes (b007k1ky)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 What's So Funny? (b017stb5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Faust Omnibus (b00k7m7n)
The evil supremo meets Dr Faustus. Martin Jenkins' fable adaptation of a man selling his soul to the Devil. Stars Mark Gatiss.
SUN 07:15 Strange Weather Days (b007jxg1)
Series 1
Skylight
Meteorologist Helen Young talks to eye witnesses about the Aurora Borealis - rare and dramatic lights seen in Edinburgh's sky.
SUN 07:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b017pt8w)
Series 3
Car Boot
Spoof reminiscences of a former variety star. Count Arthur Strong is an expert in everything from the world of entertainment to the origins of the species, all false starts and nervous fumbling, poorly concealed by a delicate sheen of bravado and self-assurance.
Arthur misplaces his book for the review taking place later that day. Arthur and Geoffrey are sent in pursuit of it. A couple of glasses of wine in the green room prior to the radio show help him review the book in his own unique manner.
With Steve Delaney, Sue Perkins, Dave Mounfield and Alastair Kerr.
SUN 08:00 Take It From Here (b0180fds)
From 21/02/1956
Can Ron pull off his starring stage role in 'The Glums'? - and the adventure of the Scarlet Pimple!
Starring Professor Jimmy Edwards, Dick Bentley, June Whitfield, Alma Cogan and Wallace Eton.
Classic comedy scripted by Frank Muir and Denis Norden.
Music from The Keynotes and the BBC Revue Orchestra with Harry Rabinowitz.
Announcer. David Dunhill
Producer: Charles Maxwell
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in February 1956.
SUN 08:30 Listen to Les (b0180fmx)
From 20/01/1985
Les Dawson pays tribute to a feisty barber, Cosmo Smallpiece chairs a chat show and with Les at the piano, the Ink Blots help to murder a song.
With Daphne Oxenford, Eli Woods and Colin Edwynn.
Music by Brian Fitzgerald.
Scripted and produced by James Casey.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in January 1985.
SUN 09:00 Herge - The Adventures of Tintin (b007jvd5)
Series 2
Prisoners of the Sun
With Professor Calculus in grave danger, the boy reporter and dog Snowy lead a rescue. Stars Richard Pearce and Andrew Sachs.
SUN 09:30 Alf Proysen - Mrs Pepperpot (b00pd7cw)
Episode 4
The incredible shrinking woman brings home a troublesome bionic baby. Based on Alf Proysen's popular books. Stars Alison Steadman.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b0180fsr)
Janet Street-Porter
Kirsty Young explores the choices of the writer and broadcaster in the fifth of a series featuring journalists.
SUN 10:50 Front Row Interviews (b0180fvt)
Sir Cameron Mackintosh
Theatre producer Sir Cameron reflects on his career and the future of the musical - in conversation with Mark Lawson.
SUN 11:00 Back to the Drawing Board (b0090f2l)
Episode 5
What happens when you give an inventor time, space and financial support? Matthew Harvey investigates the pitfalls.
SUN 11:15 Ambridge Extra (b0180hdh)
Series 2 - Omnibus
Series 2, Episodes 19-20
In the Archers spin-off, Amy has a present problem, and Alistair gets a surprise visit.
SUN 11:45 Postscripts: JB Priestley (b00nth1f)
Episode 5
Describing recent air-raids in his native city of Bradford, the broadcaster's 1940 observations are read by Patrick Stewart.
SUN 12:00 Faust Omnibus (b00k7m7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 13:15 Strange Weather Days (b007jxg1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SUN 13:30 Hercule Poirot (b00rl44w)
Five Little Pigs
Sixteen years after her mother was convicted of murdering her father, Carla Lemarchant desperately seeks the help of Hercule Poirot.
Convinced her mother was innocent, Carla is prepared for whatever discovery the Belgian sleuth might make.
But this is a formidable challenge even for the remarkable detective - especially as he's nothing to go on - except five suspects who fit strangely into the pattern of a children's nursery rhyme...
John Moffatt stars as Hercule Poirot.
First published in 1943, Agatha Christie's whodunnit dramatised by Michael Bakewell. ,
Hercule Poirot …. John Moffatt
Carla Lemarchant …. Clare Heyhoe
Sir Montague Depleach …. John Woodnutt
Elsa Greer …. Suzy Aitchison
Caroline Crale …. Jemma Churchill
Amyas Crale …. John Hartley
Cale Jonathan …. David Kossoff
Philip Blake …. Derek Waring
Meredith Blake …. Graham Crowden
Miss Williams …. Carmel McSharry
Angela Warren …. Charlotte Attenborough
Actor John Moffatt (1922-2012) played Hercule Poirot in 25 productions for BBC Radio.
Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1994.
SUN 15:00 Take It From Here (b0180fds)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 15:30 Listen to Les (b0180fmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 16:00 Herge - The Adventures of Tintin (b007jvd5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SUN 16:30 Alf Proysen - Mrs Pepperpot (b00pd7cw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
SUN 17:00 A History of the World in 100 Objects (b00rfl65)
The Beginnings of Science and Literature
Another chance to hear the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retell the history of human development using 100 selected objects from the Museum. He begins with a small tablet found in modern Iraq and brought back to the British Museum. When it was translated, back in 1872, it turned out to be an account of a great flood that significantly pre-dated the famous Biblical tale of Noah. This discovery caused a storm around the world and led to a passionate debate about the truth of the Bible - about story telling and the universality of legend.
Neil then moves on to describe the British Museum's most famous mathematical papyrus. This shows how and why the ancient Egyptians were dealing with numbers around 1550 BC. This papyrus contains 84 different calculations to help with various aspects of Egyptian life, from pyramid building to working out how much grain it takes to fatten a goose. He describes it as "a crammer for a dazzling career in an ancient civil service".
The omnibus porgramme then arrives in Crete around 1700BC and tells the story both of man's fascination with bulls and the emergence of one of most cosmopolitan and prosperous civilisations in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean - the Minoans. The Minoans of Crete were more powerful than the mainland and enjoyed a complex and still largely unknown culture. They enjoyed a ritual connection with bulls as well as with a rich bronze making tradition. To consider the Minoans and the role of the bull in myth and legend, Neil introduces us to a small bronze sculpture of a man leaping over a bull, one of the highlights of the British Museum's Minoan collection. He explores the vast network of trade routes in the Mediterranean of the time, encounters an ancient shipwreck and tracks down a modern day bull leaper to try and figure out the attraction!
In 1833 a group of workmen were looking for stones in a field near the village of Mold in North Wales when they unearthed a burial site with a skeleton covered by a crushed sheet of pure gold. For his fourth item in this programme, Neil tells the story of what has become known at the British Museum as the Mold Gold Cape and tries to envisage the society that made it. He has already described the contemporary courts of the pharaohs of Egypt and the palaces of the Minoans in Crete. Nothing like that seems to have existed in Britain of that time but he imagines a people with surprisingly sophisticated skills and social structures.
Finally, Neil stands under the British Museum's giant statue of the King Ramesses II, an inspiration to Shelly and a remarkable ruler who build monuments all over Egypt. He inspired a line of future pharaohs and was worshipped as a god a thousand years later. He lived to be over 90 and fathered some 100 children! Neil considers the achievements of Ramesses II in fixing the image of imperial Egypt for the rest of the world. And the sculptor Antony Gormley, the man responsible for a contemporary giant statue, The Angel of the North, assesses the towering figure of Ramesses as an enduring work of art
Producers: Rebecca Stratford, Anthony Denselow and Paul Kobrak
SUN 18:00 The Man in Black (b0180hnl)
Series 4
3. The Beaten Track by Dawn King
A young couple ignore warnings on a New Zealand getaway.
Mark Gatiss as the sinister raconteur, The Man in Black, introduces Dawn King's tale of ignorance.
Aaron ...... Adam Billington
Louise Kirsty ...... Oswald
Motel Owner ...... Jonathan Forbes
Sandy ...... Clare Corbett
James ...... Christopher Webster
More horrifying tales from The Man in Black. You might meet him at a luggage carousel in an airport, or behind the desk at an employment agency or he might approach you in the corridor of a care home. Wherever you encounter him, he's eager to pass on his stories. Stories to unsettle and horrify. Stories to haunt you.
Director: Jeremy Mortimer
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in December 2011.
SUN 18:30 Daphne Du Maurier (b007jq6w)
The Birds
Episode 2
The Hockens have battened down the hatches against the avian invasion, but will they be safe? Read by Charlie Barnecut.
SUN 19:00 Back to the Drawing Board (b0090f2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 19:15 Ambridge Extra (b0180hdh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
SUN 19:45 Postscripts: JB Priestley (b00nth1f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 today]
SUN 20:00 Take It From Here (b0180fds)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 20:30 Listen to Les (b0180fmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 21:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b0180fsr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 21:50 Front Row Interviews (b0180fvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:50 today]
SUN 22:00 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b017pt8w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 22:30 Rigor Mortis (b007m331)
Series 1
Episode 6
The pathologists are invited to assist the celebrated Dutch anatomist, Professor Raymond van den Hoogenband, in the first ever 'live' radio autopsy.
Laurence Howarth’s sitcom set in the fascinating, but misunderstood world of the pathology lab.
Dr Anthony Webster ...... Peter Davison
Dr Ruth Anderson ...... Tracy-Ann Oberman
Professor Donaldson ...... Geoffrey Whitehead
Gordon ...... Tom Price
Chloe ...... Marianne Levy
Simon ...... Gus Brown
Prof Van den Hoogenband ...... Chris Pavlo
Music by Paul Mottram and Stephanie Benavente.
Producer: Dawn Ellis
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2003.
SUN 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b0180j0d)
Andi Osho and her guest chat about life and laughs.
SUN 23:00 The Hare Lane Diaries (b00m5wdy)
Episode 6
Jobless Rex is hiding at home, but Jessica thinks she's got a ghost and holds a seance. Stars Frances Barber. From October 2001.
SUN 23:30 Dave Podmore (b007wqf2)
Dave Podmore's Cricket Night
Episode 2
Pod's attempts to find alternative employment after another poor season lead him to Whitecoats College - and the ultimate challenge of becoming a first-class umpire.
Written by Christopher Douglas, Nick Newman and Andrew Nickolds.
Pod ...... Christopher Douglas
Andy Hamer ...... Andrew Nickolds
With Nick Newman, Nichola Sanderson, Ewan Bailey, Chris Pavlo and John Kettley.
Producer: Richard Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2004.


MONDAY 12 DECEMBER 2011

MON 00:00 The Man in Black (b0180hnl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 Daphne Du Maurier (b007jq6w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b0180fsr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]
MON 01:50 Front Row Interviews (b0180fvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:50 on Sunday]
MON 02:00 Back to the Drawing Board (b0090f2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:15 Ambridge Extra (b0180hdh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Sunday]
MON 02:45 Postscripts: JB Priestley (b00nth1f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 on Sunday]
MON 03:00 Take It From Here (b0180fds)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 Hercule Poirot (b00rl44w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Herge - The Adventures of Tintin (b007jvd5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Alf Proysen - Mrs Pepperpot (b00pd7cw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jm18)
His Last Bow
The Devil's Foot
Watson worries about the sleuth as he recuperates in Cornwall - then horror strikes. Stars Clive Merrison and Michael Williams.
MON 06:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jzcv)
The Mysterious Affair
Freddy becomes convinced that his father has played a gruesome part in his grandfather's sudden disappearance
Written by John Mortimer and read by Bernard Cribbins.
Producer: Emma Harding
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2003.
MON 07:00 Married (b0081vm4)
Series 1
Episode 2
Confirmed bachelor Robin Lightfoot is not happy. He's accidentally helpful to his new family. Surely he's not growing to like them?
With a new wife and kids, Robin learns more about his parallel universe.
Hugh Bonneville stars in Tony Bagley's comedy.
Robin ...... Hugh Bonneville
Lesley ...... Josie Lawrence
Julia ...... Barbara Murray
Dirk ...... Steve Frost
Ned ...... Sam Bradley
Maxine ...... Ann Gosling
Janet Ellis ...... Elaine
Psychotherapist ...... Simon Roberts
Big Kid ...... Jackson Leach
Nicholas Parsons ...... Himself
Producer Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1999.
MON 07:30 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b017vsjf)
Series 56
Episode 4
The nation's favourite wireless entertainment with a second show from Sage Gateshead. Regulars Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor are joined on the panel by Marcus Brigstocke with Jack Dee in the chair. Colin Sell attempts piano accompaniment. Producer - Jon Naismith.
MON 08:00 Round the Horne (b00t29v7)
Series 4
Episode 9
Kenneth Horne blasts off boldly in 'Journey to Uranus', a ditty from Rambling Sid Rumpo and 'Bona Books' with Julian and Sandy.
With Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick and Betty Marsden.
Recorded at the BBC's Paris Studio in Lower Regent Street, London. Announcer: Douglas Smith
Round The Horne was born out of the demise of BBC radio comedy Beyond Our Ken, after the end of writer Eric Merriman's involvement. Using the same cast and producer, Barry Took and Marty Feldman were persuaded to write the scripts - which led to four series that ran between 1965 and 1968 - packed full of parodies, recurring characters, catchphrases and double-entendres. Marty departed after series 3.
Written by Barry Took, Brian Cooke and Johnnie Mortimer.
Music by the Max Harris Group.
Producer: John Simmonds
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 in April 1968.
MON 08:30 The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b007ww6z)
Series 1
Episode 2
Shady lawyer Flywheel goes into showbiz, taking over running of the theatre company.
Recreation of the Marx Brothers' lost shows charting the adventures of shady lawyer Waldorf T Flywheel and his assistant, Emmanuel Ravelli. Originally broadcast with sponsors on America's NBC radio network in the 1930s. The scripts were rediscovered in 1988.
Groucho Marx as Waldorf T Flywheel ...... Michael Roberts
Chico Marx as Emmanuel Ravellias ...... Frank Lazarus
With Lorelei King and Graham Hoadly.
Written by Nat Perrin and Athur Sheekman. Adapted by Mark Brisenden.
Music arranged and conducted by David Firman.
Producer: Dirk Maggs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1990.
MON 09:00 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b0183rh7)
Series 3
The Advert
The ex-variety star is convinced he can play Malcolm's grandpa in a toffee commercial. Stars Steve Delaney. From January 2008.
MON 09:30 Jest a Minute (b0183rrm)
Series 2
Episode 6
Rhod Gilbert's comedy quiz from the Glee Club in Cardiff.
With Paul Tonkinson, Tom Wrigglesworth, Lloyd Langford and Chris Corcoran.
Producers: Paul Forde and Gareth Gwynn.
First broadcast on BBC Radio Wales in 2009.
MON 10:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00tx095)
Episode 1
A pretty orphan is apprenticed to a dressmaker. Attending a ball, the elegant Bellingham becomes enchanted. Stars Rory Kinnear.
MON 11:00 HE Bates - The Sun of December (b0183rzb)
The winter sun gives a deceptive warmth to a frosty luncheon party. Anthony Hyde reads this wry tale.
MON 11:15 Loose Ends (b0183glf)
The Flying Circus is in town! Always looking on the bright side of life, Monty Python legend Eric Idle will be talking to Clive about 'Spamalot', which he lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. Since the show began, there have been 7 onstage moustache incidents, 36 coconuts and 1 outbreak of nits! Spamalot begins touring at The Theatre Royal, Brighton from 15th December
Former Billingsgate fish porter and comedian Micky Flanagan recalls his working class upbringing where alphabetti spaghetti was a luxury in his DVD 'Micky Flanagan Live: The Out Out Tour'.
Ground floor perfumery, stationery and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food...going up! Emma Freud is being served by comedy writer Jeremy Lloyd, AKA Captain Beaky, co-writer of such classic sitcoms as 'Are You Being Served? and 'Allo Allo'. Jeremy will be talking about 'The Wonderful World of Captain Beaky' at London's Royal Albert Hall on 11th December in aid of UNICEF
The extremely colourful British fashion icon Zandra Rhodes talks to Clive about her book 'Zandra Rhodes: Textile Revolution', which tracks the first decade of her career, with never before seen reproductions of designs from her RCA sketchbooks and portfolios.
Smoove and Turrell have a new album out called 'Eccentric Audio'. We hear the acoustic version of their latest single 'Gabriel' with John Turrell on vocals and Dave Wilde on piano.
'Doom Soul' songstress Cold Specks performs her debut single 'Holland', ahead of her UK tour in February 2012.
Producer: Cathie Mahoney.
MON 12:00 Round the Horne (b00t29v7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b007ww6z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jm18)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jzcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]
MON 14:00 Charlotte Bronte - The Professor (b00m0mb2)
Trade
Orphaned William Crimsworth is a young man with nothing. As he sets out to make his way in the world he doesn't want to be indebted to anyone. But running parallel with this need for self-control is the desperate need to love - and be loved in return.
The least-known of Charlotte Bronte's novels: a subtle, ambiguous and unsettling love story dramatised in ten parts by Rachel Joyce.
Starring Paul Venables as William Crimsworth, Jonathan Keeble as Edward Crimsworth, Gerard McDermott as Lord Tynedale and Ruth Sillers as Mrs Crimsworth.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
MON 14:15 This Sceptred Isle (b00b5qs4)
Murder in the Cathedral
Anna Massey narrates the history of the British Isles. This programme examines the relationship between Becket and King Henry II.
MON 14:30 Miranda Seymour - The Bugatti Queen (b00mttts)
Episode 1
The story of Mariette Helene Delangle, model and dancer turned Grand Prix racing driver. Read by Harriet Walter.
MON 14:45 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00srg4l)
Episode 9
To stop the formidable Mrs Welch catching him out, lecturer Jim must create a plausible diversion. Read by Martin Jarvis.
MON 15:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00tx095)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b0184vn9)
Mel Giedroyc hears about an author's private passion for jigsaw puzzles, and the history of nicknames. Plus the first part of a new story about a funny family called The Quigleys.
MON 17:00 The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket (b00s9f4t)
Series 1
Episode 3
The dear ladies reminisce about the day they moved in. Stars Dr Evadne Hinge and Dame Hilda Bracket. From February 1978.
MON 17:30 Married (b0081vm4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 18:00 Doctor Who (b0184v9j)
Hornets' Nest
The Stuff of Nightmares, part 1
Old UNIT ally, Captain Mike Yates is called to a strange cottage in Sussex, where he's reunited with the Doctor who's got a tale to tell...
Kicking off a gripping five-story adventure written by Paul Magrs.
Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey and Daniel Hill as Percy Noggins.
Producer: Kate Thomas
Made by BBC Audio.
MON 18:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vkxxk)
Episode 1
High in the Antarctic, a team of scientists make an unexpected discovery. HP Lovecraft's tale of terror read by Richard Coyle.
MON 19:00 Round the Horne (b00t29v7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel (b007ww6z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jm18)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jzcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]
MON 21:00 HE Bates - The Sun of December (b0183rzb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:15 Loose Ends (b0183glf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
MON 22:00 I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (b017vsjf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b0183rh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b0198wy8)
Sunday to Friday, the Comedy Club offers two hours of comedy. Host Arthur Smith chats to Tim Key.
MON 23:00 Now Show Extra (b0183jhx)
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis present an extended version of this week's Now Show, with material not featured in the Radio 4 programme.
MON 23:45 Hamish and Dougal: You'll Have Had Your Tea (b0080273)
Series 1
The Shooting Party
The elderly Scotsmen assist the Laird with armaments for shooting out on the moors. Stars Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden. From December 2012.


TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER 2011

TUE 00:00 Doctor Who (b0184v9j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vkxxk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jm18)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jzcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! (b0183rh7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 Jest a Minute (b0183rrm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00tx095)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 HE Bates - The Sun of December (b0183rzb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:15 Loose Ends (b0183glf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket (b00s9f4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 Married (b0081vm4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jph3)
His Last Bow
His Last Bow
"There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared."
Set in 1914, the great sleuth-cum-apiarist is asked to help England in her darkest hour.
Starring Clive Merrison as Sherlock Holmes, Michael Williams as Dr Watson and Norman Rodway as Stamford.
Violinist: Leonard Friedman
Dramatised by Bert Coules. Director: Enyd Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1994.
TUE 06:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jz3z)
Paradise Island
Will a dentist's Pacific encounter with the lovely La La make him put down his drill forever? Read by Garard Green.
TUE 07:00 Elephants to Catch Eels (b00vl38x)
Series 2
London
Jago’s been kidnapped and taken to London, but Dewey’s far more interested in seeing "Bedlam", which is now in its sixth record-breaking year.
It's 1793 and in the small Cornish village of Drumlin Bay, heroic smuggler Tamsyn Trelawny is still running rings around the customs men, assisted by her drunken father Jago.
Written by Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain.
Starring Sheridan Smith as Tamsyn Trelawny, John Bowe as Jago Trelawny, Cameron Stewart as Major Thomas Falconer, Andrew McGibbon as Captain Marriot, Martin Hyder as Squire Bascombe, Mark Felgate as Dewey and Mark Perry as Hobbs.
Producer: Jan Ravens.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2004.
TUE 07:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b017wyyf)
Series 3
Berwick-Upon-Tweed
In this third series comedian Mark Steel visits 6 more UK towns to discover what makes them and their inhabitants distinctive.

He creates a bespoke stand-up show for that town and performs the show in front of a local audience.

As well as shedding light on the less visited areas of Britain, Mark uncovers stories and experiences that resonate with us all as we recognise the quirkiness of the British way of life and the rich tapestry of remarkable events and people who have shaped where we live.

During the series 'Mark Steel's In Town' Mark will visit Berwick-Upon Tweed, Holyhead, Basingstoke, Douglas (Isle of Man), Bungay and Wigan.

Episode 1 - In this first episode Mark performs a show for the residents of Berwick-Upon Tweed where he talks about war with Russia, Scottish rivalries and rather unusual local slang. From December 2011.

Written by Mark Steel with additional material by Pete Sinclair.
Produced by Sam Bryant.
TUE 08:00 The Goon Show (b007jl4y)
Series 7 Special
Operation Christmas Duff
In light of a festive pudding shortage for forces overseas, Neddie Seagoon takes action. Soon Richard Dimbleby is reporting on the giant Christmas pudding being mixed at dry dock in Chatham.
Groundbreaking, surreal BBC radio comedy written by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens.
Starring:
Peter Sellers
Harry Secombe
Spike Milligan
First billed as Crazy People, ten series of The Goon Show were recorded between 1951 and 1960, but sadly many of the earliest shows weren’t kept in the archive.
With the Ray Ellington Quartet and Max Geldray.
Orchestra conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
Producer: Pat Dixon
Made for the BBC General Overseas Service and first broadcast to troops in 1956.
First UK broadcast was Christmas Day 1986 on BBC Radio 4.
TUE 08:30 The Burkiss Way (b007jsnb)
Series 5
Settle Out of Court the Burkiss Way
Find out 'What's My Gender', plus a galactic 'Panorama'.
Starring Fred Harris, Jo Kendall, Nigel Rees and Chris Emmett.
Cult sketch comedy series which originally ran from 1976 to 1980.
Written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick.
Producer: David Hatch
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1980.
TUE 09:00 Now Show Extra (b0183jhx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:45 Hamish and Dougal: You'll Have Had Your Tea (b0080273)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:45 on Monday]
TUE 10:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00tx3gc)
Episode 2
Taken in by a kindly preacher, abandoned Ruth Hilton must hide a dark secret. Stars Anton Lesser, Rory Kinnear and Anne Reid.
TUE 11:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b0183mwj)
The Blue Carbuncle
4 Extra Debut. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's seasonal whodunnit, Sherlock Holmes investigates the theft of a diamond. Read by Tom Conti.
TUE 11:15 Petrella (b007jmdg)
Series 2
Heroes and Villains
Confronted with robbery and murder, the detective learns even respected police officers can be suspects. Stars Philip Jackson.
TUE 12:00 The Goon Show (b007jl4y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 The Burkiss Way (b007jsnb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jph3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jz3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]
TUE 14:00 Charlotte Bronte - The Professor (b00m0wn2)
Freedom
Eschewing his aristocratic background, Crimsworth has rejected aid from his mother's family and is now working as clerk to his brother. But all is not well...
The least-known of Charlotte Bronte's novels: a subtle, ambiguous and unsettling love story dramatised in ten parts by Rachel Joyce.
Starring Paul Venables as William Crimsworth, Jonathan Keeble as Edward Crimsworth, Gerard McDermott as Lord Tynedale and Ruth Sillers as Mrs Crimsworth.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
TUE 14:15 Ambridge Extra (b0183pjb)
Series 2
Episode 21
Mabel is still brooding about Catherine in the Archers spin-off, while Daniel is wondering if he might not need that DJ after all.
TUE 14:30 Miranda Seymour - The Bugatti Queen (b00mv1sq)
Episode 2
Mariette Hélène Delangle becomes Hellé Nice and enters the first Grand Prix for women. Read by Harriet Walter.
TUE 14:45 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00srkkv)
Episode 10
Jim is determined to win Christine from the bearded sportsman, but he will have to fight for her. Read by Martin Jarvis.
TUE 15:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00tx3gc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b0183pjd)
Mel Giedroyc learns about the honey bee's waggle dance and explores bridesmaid dresses. Plus there's another episode from Simon Mason's story The Quigleys.
TUE 17:00 Flying the Flag (b007jx5g)
Series 1
Favours
In which the repair of the Embassy typewriter plays a part in the mating of seals, the extermination of bugs, and the silencing of little birds.
Alex Shearer's Eastern bloc embassy sitcom.
Starring Dinsdale Landen as HM Ambassador Mr Mackenzie, Peter Acre as William Frost, Moir Leslie as Helen Waterson, Milton Johns as Brown, Stuart Organ as Bryant and Christopher Benjamin as the Colonel
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1987.
TUE 17:30 Elephants to Catch Eels (b00vl38x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 18:00 Doctor Who (b0183r2c)
Hornets' Nest
The Stuff of Nightmares, part 2
With both of them barricaded into the cottage, the Doctor reveals more about the fiendish powers of the extra-terrestrial swarm to Mike Yates.
Part of a five-story adventure written by Paul Magrs.
Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey and Daniel Hill as Percy Noggins.
Producer: Kate Thomas
Made by BBC Audio.
TUE 18:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vl2hh)
Episode 2
A grisly discovery at Professor Lake's camp sparks a perilous two-man flight over monstrous mountains. Read by Richard Coyle.
TUE 19:00 The Goon Show (b007jl4y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 The Burkiss Way (b007jsnb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jph3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jz3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]
TUE 21:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b0183mwj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 21:15 Petrella (b007jmdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
TUE 22:00 Mark Steel's in Town (b017wyyf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 The Boosh (b007jmf4)
Stolen
Zookeepers Howard Moon and Vince Noir try to catch an animal thief at Bob Fossil's Zoo - with the help of a deer costume.
Written by and starring Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt,
The Boosh is a surreal adventure based on the Perrier Award-winning comedy show, featuring Howard and Vince's battles with zoo manager Bob Fossil.
Vince is a regular 'Mowgli in flares' due to his affinity with animals and adoration for all things Seventies, whereas Howard likes to think he's more the brains of the duo, destined for better things.
Howard Moon ...... Julian Barrattt
Vince Noir ...... Noel Fielding
Bob Fossil ...... Rich Fulcher
Graham ...... Lee Mack
Bloke ...... Simon Evans
After BBC radio gave them their big break with this series, they transferred to BBC TV where The Mighty Boosh ran for three series.
Producer: Danny Wallace.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2001.
TUE 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b0198wyd)
Host Arthur Smith chats to Tim Key.
TUE 23:00 Knowing Me, Knowing You (b007k0fl)
Episode 5
Cheesy chat show host Alan Partridge is 'Live from Las Vegas' with glamorous American co-host, Kendall Ball.
With guests: Hollywood star couple Sally Hoff & Conrad Knight, New York comic Bernie Rosen and professional gambler Jack 'the Black Cat' Colson.
With thanks to Alan's chief researcher Steve Coogan.
Assistant researchers:
Patrick Marber
Rebecca Front
Doon Mackichan
David Schneider
Producer: Armando lannucci
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1992.
TUE 23:30 Doon Your Way (b007k08m)
Episode 4
Doon Mackichan with more comic creations including DJ Chantal and Briony the Brownie. With Phil Cornwell. From September 1996.


WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER 2011

WED 00:00 Doctor Who (b0183r2c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vl2hh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 Sherlock Holmes (b007jph3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:45 Short Stories by John Mortimer (b007jz3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Now Show Extra (b0183jhx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
WED 02:45 Hamish and Dougal: You'll Have Had Your Tea (b0080273)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:45 on Monday]
WED 03:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00tx3gc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b0183mwj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:15 Petrella (b007jmdg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 Flying the Flag (b007jx5g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 Elephants to Catch Eels (b00vl38x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9k9p)
The Saint Overboard
Lantern-jawed, haloed hero Simon Templar - otherwise known as The Saint - sets out to solve the disappearance of missing sunken bullion.
First published in 1936, one of a long series of novels featuring Leslie Charteris's creation Simon Templar, alias "The Saint".
Simon Templar …. Paul Rhys
Loretta Page …. Patsy Kensit
Roger/Ivaloff …. Charles Simpson
Peter Quentin/Intruder …. Jonathan Keeble
Orace …. John Hollis
Vogel …. Geoffrey Whitehead
Murdoch …. John Guerrasio
Prof Yule …. David Timson
Arnheim/Helmsman …. Joshua Towb
Dramatised by Neville Teller.
Director: Matthew Walters
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1995.
WED 07:00 Safety Catch (b0184tdb)
Series 2
There Will Be Paint
Simon decides it's about time he and his colleagues prove they understand the true horrors of war by getting out there and actually fighting.
So it is that team Heathcote Sanders go paintballing. Okay, so it's not quite the same as fighting in an actual war, but you can't expect Simon to take part in one of those - I mean, people actually die in those things. So join Simon for one last time as he searches for the hero inside himself.
Laurence Howarth's black comedy of modern morality set in the world of arms dealing.
Simon McGrath.............................Darren Boyd
Anna Grieg..................................Joanna Page
Boris Kemal...............................Lewis Macleod
Judith McGrath..............................Sarah Smart
Angela McGrath............................Brigit Forsyth
Madeleine Turnbull........................Rachel Atkins
Roger/Dave......................................Philip Fox
Guide.............................................Gus Brown
Producer: Dawn Ellis.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2009.
WED 07:30 Heresy (b00sg1vh)
Series 8
Episode 2
Victoria Coren presents another edition of the show which dares to commit heresy.
Her guests this week are comedians David Baddiel and Lucy Porter and the co-presenter of daytime quiz show Pointless, Richard Osman. Together they have fun exposing the wrong-headedness of received wisdom and challenging knee-jerk public reaction to events.
Arguing against the common belief that "the economy is up the creek without a paddle", David Baddiel says we're actually sailing serenely through the recession. Lucy Porter isn't convinced that "the innocence of children is snatched away too fast these days" and wants to know when her 13 month old daughter will start paying her share of the household bills, and Richard Osman finds reasons not to mourn the passing of the News of the World.
Producer: Brian King
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b00j283n)
Series 3
The Bequest
The lad is set to inherit a fortune, but only if he can find a wife!
Starring Tony Hancock.
With Bill Kerr, Sidney James, Andree Melly and Kenneth Williams.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Theme and incidental music composed by Wally Stott. Recorded by the BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz.
Producer: Dennis Main Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1955.
WED 08:30 Harry Worth (b00rd6p0)
Thirty Minutes Worth
The Old Flame
Just as Harry Worth is feeling lonely, a long lost love turns up.
Starring Harry Worth.
With Jacqueline Clarke and Joan Sanderson.
The amiable, woolly-minded bumbler, causes more confusion!
Written by Vince Powell.
Producer: Mike Craig
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in October 1988.
WED 09:00 Big Jim and the Figaro Club (b008p8q2)
The Old Dunkirk Spirit
Harold Perkins has no materials to rebuild post-war Britain, which well suits the workmates.
Six anarchic tales from those demob days “when we was going to build the new Jerusalem - you know, before the world turned lax and sour”.
Stars Norman Rossington as Big Jim, Roland Curram as Harold Perkins, Harold Goodwin as Old Ned, David John as Nimrod, Sylvester McCoy as Turps, David Beckett as Chick, Norman Bird as Fortescue and Norman Mitchell as PC Speedworth.
Narrated by Bernard Cribbins.
Written by Ted Walker.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1987.
WED 09:30 Whispers (b007k2kr)
Series 2
Episode 1
Revelations about Rasputin and accordion playing from Idi Amin.
Gyles Brandreth hosts the quiz show with scandal on its mind and slander at its heart.
Geoffrey Durham and Valerie Grove join team captains Lucy Moore and Anthony Holden to run the gauntlet of gossip.
Producer: Elizabeth Freestone
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2004.
WED 10:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00ty016)
Episode 3
Bellingham's return spells danger. Could the damaging truth about Leonard be revealed? Stars Rory Kinnear and Laura Rees.
WED 11:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b0184v7s)
The Thieves Who Couldn't Help Sneezing
4 Extra Debut. In Thomas Hardy's seasonal whodunnit, horse thieves and house breakers are roaming the moors of Wessex. Read by Tom Conti.
WED 11:15 Petrella (b007jpny)
Series 2
The Missionary Position
A drugs tip-off leads the inspector to a boxing gym, where his police colleague encounters a former tutor. Stars Philip Jackson.
WED 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b00j283n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 Harry Worth (b00rd6p0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9k9p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 14:00 Charlotte Bronte - The Professor (b00m0zyn)
Belgium
Unable to work any longer for his tyrant of a brother, William has left the mill.
With no job and no prospects, he finds himself in Belgium on Hunsden's advice. But how will he fare?
The least-known of Charlotte Bronte's novels: a subtle, ambiguous and unsettling love story dramatised in ten parts by Rachel Joyce.
Starring Paul Venables as William Crimsworth, Shaun Dooley as Hunsden, Roger May as Pelet, Harry Myers as Brown, Niamh Cusack as Zoraide Reuter and Natasha Pyne as Madame Pelet.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
WED 14:15 This Sceptred Isle (b00b5vd6)
Penance, Rebellion and Ireland
Henry, whilst seeking penance for the death of Becket, also attempts to conquer Ireland. Narrated by Anna Massey.
WED 14:30 Miranda Seymour - The Bugatti Queen (b00mvd42)
Episode 3
Can Hellé Nice, risqué dancer turned Grand Prix racing driver, break the world record? Read by Harriet Walter.
WED 14:45 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00srqfs)
Episode 11
Jim Dixon makes his unconventional and infamous speech and includes his impression of Evelyn Waugh. Read by Martin Jarvis.
The all-time classic comic novel of academic life written by Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim lists the fortunes - or rather misfortunes - of Jim Dixon, a man of many faces, most of which don't fit his surroundings.
Produced and abridged by Pat McLoughlin.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1992.
WED 15:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00ty016)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b0184v7v)
Mel Giedroyc hears a history of the sandwich and meets the owner of a famous ballet shoe. Plus more from our current story about a funny family called The Quigleys.
WED 17:00 It Sticks Out Half A Mile (b007jp9l)
The Business Proposition
It's 1948 and 'Dad's Army' veterans Arthur Wilson and Frank Pike receive a surprise visitor at their bank in Frambourne-on-Sea.
A seaside saga of pier perpetuation starring John Le Mesurier, Ian Lavender and Bill Pertwee.
Arthur Wilson ...... John Le Mesurier
Frank Pike ...... Ian Lavender
Bert Hodges ...... Bill Pertwee
Miss Perkins ...... Vivienne Martin
Mr Hunter ...... Robin Parkinson
Mr Short ...... Edward Burnham
Mr Rawlings ...... Gordon Peters
Council Employee ...... Spencer Banks
After a pilot episode was made in 1981, Arthur Lowe sadly died. So this 13-part series was revamped to feature the Dad's Army characters played by Pertwee and Lavender instead. The series was later adapted for ITV by Yorkshire TV.
Written by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles, based on characters originally created by Jimmy Perry and David Croft.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in November 1983.
WED 17:30 Safety Catch (b0184tdb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 18:00 Doctor Who (b0184v7x)
Hornets' Nest
The Dead Shoes, part 1
Still marooned in the cottage, the Doctor takes Mike Yates back in time to the 1930s for his next lesson about the infestation of the alien swarm...
Part of a five-story adventure written by Paul Magrs.
Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey, Claire Corbett as Ernestina Stott and Christian Rodska as the Reverend Small.
Producer: Kate Thomas
Made by BBC Audio.
WED 18:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vlq6b)
Episode 3
Dyer and student geologist Danforth discover sprawling evidence of an incredible ancient civilisation. Read by Richard Coyle.
WED 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b00j283n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 Harry Worth (b00rd6p0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9k9p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 21:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b0184v7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 21:15 Petrella (b007jpny)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
WED 22:00 Heresy (b00sg1vh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 Nebulous (b00j5l70)
Series 2
Tempus Fugitive
What is the dark secret of the time-splintered Linda-viduals? Graham Duff's sci-fi spoof. Stars Mark Gatiss and Kate O'Mara. From May 2006.
WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b019f5q2)
Sunday to Friday, the Comedy Club offers two hours of comedy. Host Arthur Smith chats to Tim Key.
WED 23:00 Stockport, So Good They Named It Once (b0082f0w)
Series 1
Barbie
It's school reports time - and Eddie needs a loan to start up his own taxi business.
The lives of the Stockport-based, Conroy family in the first series of Jim Poyser and Damian Lanigan's comedy drama.
Jason ...... Dominic Monaghan
Michael ...... Jason Done
Dave ...... Stefan Escreet
Eddie ...... John McArdle
Collete ...... Emma Clarke
Maureen ...... Beverley Callard
Debbie ...... Jo-Anne Knowles
Music: Big George
Producer: Neil Mossey
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1999.
WED 23:30 Revolting People (b00fj2br)
Series 2
Even More Trying Times
Samuel's emporium faces competition from a new super-emporium and Mary climbs into bed with Captain Brimshaw.
Sitcom set just before the American War of Independence.
Written by Andy Hamilton and Jay Tarses.
Samuel Oliphant …. Jay Tarses
Sergeant McGurk …. Andy Hamilton
Captain Brimshaw …. James Fleet
Mary Oliphant …. Jan Ravens
Ezekiel Spriggs …. Hugh Dennis
Cora Oliphant …. Penelope Nice
Joshua Oliphant …. Tony Maudsley
Elizabeth Oliphant …. Susie Blake
Agnes …. Selina Griffiths
Isaac …. Michael Fenton-Stevens
Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2001.


THURSDAY 15 DECEMBER 2011

THU 00:00 Doctor Who (b0184v7x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vlq6b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9k9p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Big Jim and the Figaro Club (b008p8q2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Whispers (b007k2kr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth (b00ty016)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b0184v7s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:15 Petrella (b007jpny)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 It Sticks Out Half A Mile (b007jp9l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 Safety Catch (b0184tdb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9xgx)
The Saint Closes the Case
Simon Templar is confronted by arch-villain, Doctor Rayt Marius, in a deadly struggle to save the world from an evil weapon.
First published in 1930 under the title 'The Last Hero' - one of a long series of novels featuring Leslie Charteris's creation Simon Templar, alias "The Saint".
Simon Templar …. Paul Rhys
Patricia Holm …. Kim Thomson
Roger Conway …. Charles Simpson
Orace …. John Hollis
Norman Kent …. Joshua Towb
Doctor Rayt Marius …. Sandor Eles
Inspector Claude Eustace Teal …. John Baddeley
Professor Vargan …. John Turner
Captain Harding …. Ross Livingstone
Cynthia …. Linda Regan
Janos …. Paul Jenkins
Gabor/Rudolph …. Jonathan Keeble
Bela …. Stephen Critchlow
Golter/Hale/Lazlo …. Geoffrey Whitehead
Malone/Tibor/Foreshaw …. David Timson
Dramatised for radio by Roger Danes.
Director: Matthew Walters
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1995.
THU 07:00 The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (b00b5pg3)
The Case of the Deranged Botanist
Baker Street’s Great Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the case in a monstrous tale of cross-bred plants and humans.
Roy Hudd spoofs the famous sleuth in Tony Hare’s comedy series.
With Chris Emmett as Dr Watson, June Whitfield as Mrs Hudson and Jeffrey Holland as Inspector Lestrade.
Musical accompaniment: Ian Smith.
Producer: Chris Neill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in January 1999.
THU 07:30 Clare in the Community (b00slqvv)
Series 6
Luck of the Irish
Clare is delighted to discover she has an Irish ancestor...
Clare Barker is the self-absorbed social worker who has the right jargon for every problem she comes across, though never a practical solution. But there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.
The team at the Family Centre has been shaken around and shuffled about. Clare is now Acting Team Leader, as Irene has job-swapped. And whilst Irene is in Melbourne the team here are joined by Libby – an Aussie and a lezzie, proud to be both, and after Clare’s job.
But it is in the nature of hell to be unchanging, and most of the regulars are present and correct for a further round of frustration, despair, disappointment, team meetings and 11 o’clock cakes at the Sparrowhawk Family Centre.
Clare ... Sally Phillips
Helen ... Liza Tarbuck
Brian ... Alex Lowe
Ray ... Richard Lumsden
Libby ... Sarah Kendall
Ptolemy … Philip Pope
Megan/Na ... Nina Conti
Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden
Producer: Katie Tyrrell.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2010.
THU 08:00 The Men from the Ministry (b01852vy)
Postal Disorder
The Post Office must boost business, but can the bungling duo manage to deliver?
Stars Richard Murdoch and Deryck Guyler.
With Norma Ronald, Ronald Baddiley and John Graham.
Written by Edward Taylor and John Graham.
'The Men from the Ministry' ran for 14 series between 1962 and 1977. Deryck Guyler replaced Wilfrid Hyde-White from 1966. Sadly many episodes didn't survive in the archive, however the BBC's Transcription Service re-recorded 14 shows in 1980 - never broadcast in the UK, until the arrival of BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in August 1975.
THU 08:30 Dad's Army (b007jmrm)
Series 2
If the Cap Fits
Captain Mainwaring decides to promote fractious Private Frazer with some unexpected results.
Starring Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring, John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Wilson, Clive Dunn as Corporal Jones, John Laurie as Private Frazer, Ian Lavender as Private Pike and Arnold Ridley as Godfrey.
Adapted for radio from Jimmy Perry and David Croft's TV scripts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1975.
THU 09:00 Know Your Place (b01852w0)
Lift Off
Caretaker Ramsay Potts' love of rules sparks catastrophe for an MP in a lift...
Ramsay Potts is the jobsworth caretaker at a crumbling Edwardian block of flats, pursued by the over-amorous cleaner Elsie Spurgeon.
Starring Roy Dotrice as Ramsay Potts and Patricia Hayes as Elspeth Spurgeon
Sitcom written by Andrew Palmer and Nell Brennan.
With Frank Thornton, John Graham, April Walker and John Glover.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in January 1982.
THU 09:30 The 99p Challenge (b007jx6w)
Series 3
Episode 1
Crazy panel show capers as host Sue Perkins grills Simon Pegg, Armando Iannucci, Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Bailey.
The game where someone stands to leave the studio 99p richer than when they came in.
Written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley.
Producer: David Tyler
A Pozzitive production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2001.
THU 10:00 Nathaniel Hawthorne - Wakefield (b00rs19x)
A dull middle-aged man whose life has been monotonously ordinary for years, devises a plot to temporarily leave home and observe the effect on his wife from a flat opposite.
But he stays away much longer than expected - and it becomes more and more difficult for him to return...
David Haig stars in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story dramatised by Martyn Wade.
Wakefield ...... David Haig
Hawthorne ...... John Rowe
Mrs Wakefield ...... Richenda Carey
Mr Lucas Ferris ...... Jonathan Keeble
Mrs Brand ...... Jennie Stoller
Doctor ...... Gordon Reid
Producer: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2001
THU 11:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b01852w2)
The Necklace of Pearls
4 Extra Debut. In Dorothy L Sayers' seasonal whodunnit, Lord Peter Wimsey investigates a theft at a country house party. Read by Tom Conti.
THU 11:15 Petrella (b007yp3x)
Series 2
Death Watch
All set to protect a Nuremburg Trials judge from an avenging killer - what about the inspector's insomnia? Stars Philip Jackson.
THU 12:00 The Men from the Ministry (b01852vy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 Dad's Army (b007jmrm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9xgx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 14:00 Charlotte Bronte - The Professor (b00m16xk)
Zoraide
William feels he’s found his natural place. A gifted teacher, he’s happy and content.
He finds further work in the neighbouring school for girls - in the very same place where he has heard a laughing voice, an enchanting ringing laugh...
The least-known of Charlotte Bronte's novels: a subtle, ambiguous and unsettling love story dramatised in ten parts by Rachel Joyce.
Starring Paul Venables as William Crimsworth, Roger May as Pelet and Niamh Cusack as Zoraide Reuter.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
THU 14:15 Ambridge Extra (b01852w4)
Series 2
Episode 22
In the Archers spin-off, it's the night of the Christmas carol concert.
THU 14:30 Miranda Seymour - The Bugatti Queen (b00mvqsb)
Episode 4
Model-turned-Grand Prix driver Hellé Nice survives racing accidents and World War II. Read by Harriet Walter.
THU 14:45 Kingsley Amis - Lucky Jim (b00srwxb)
Episode 12
Some good news leaves lecturer Jim Dixon tickled pink, but he faces a race against time. Concluded by Martin Jarvis.
THU 15:00 Nathaniel Hawthorne - Wakefield (b00rs19x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b01852w6)
Mel Giedroyc learns about the language of flowers and a record-breaking train. Plus there's the next episode of Simon Mason's The Quigleys.
THU 17:00 King Street Junior (b007jmdx)
Series 5
D Day Minus One
A day of stock-taking, literally and educationally, as the teachers prepare for a new year. Stars James Grout. From May 1990.
THU 17:30 The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (b00b5pg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 18:00 Doctor Who (b01852w8)
Hornets' Nest
The Dead Shoes, part 2
Still cowering in the cellar of the cottage, Mike Yates discovers the Doctor's horrifying conclusion about the alien-infested ballet pumps of 1930s Cromer.
Part of a five-story adventure written by Paul Magrs.
Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susan Jameson as Mrs Wibbsey, Claire Corbett as Ernestina Stott and Christian Rodska as the Reverend Small.
Producer: Kate Thomas
Made by BBC Audio.
THU 18:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vlw5s)
Episode 4
Investigating fantastic ancient structures high in the Antarctic, Dyer and Danforth face pure terror. Read by Richard Coyle.
THU 19:00 The Men from the Ministry (b01852vy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 Dad's Army (b007jmrm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9xgx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 21:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b01852w2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
THU 21:15 Petrella (b007yp3x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
THU 22:00 Clare in the Community (b00slqvv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 Ross Noble Goes Global (b007jvt7)
Series 1
Ireland
Travelling from rainy Sligo to busy Dublin, the comedian performs for the locals and learns to play the penny whistle - badly.
Producer: Danny Wallace
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2002.
THU 23:00 The Cheese Shop Presents (b007jyyd)
Series 2
The Butter Factor
Manufactured drama in TV docu-soap 'The Newsagents' - and an incompetent vet. Sketch comedy with Dave Lamb. From May 1998.
THU 23:30 Think the Unthinkable (b007jm3k)
Series 1
Moore and Burmans
Ailing high street retailer Moore and Burman desperately needs help. They must be desperate to enlist the services of Unthinkable Solutions!
Ryan persuades them to go for a radical publicity campaign, Daisy facilitates his nervous breakdown and Sophie decides to take charge of her love life with some decisive action.
James Cary’s award-winning sitcom about management consultants.
Ryan Packer ...... Marcus Brigstocke
Sophie Stott ...... Emma Kennedy
Daisy ...... Catherine Shepherd
Timandra ...... Olivia Colman
Clive ...... Mark Heap
Brian ...... Simon Godley
Boris ...... Simon Greenall
Script associates: Paul Mayhew-Archer and Ed Drew.
Music by John Whitehall.
Producer: Adam Bromley.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2001.


FRIDAY 16 DECEMBER 2011

FRI 00:00 Doctor Who (b01852w8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vlw5s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b00b9xgx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Know Your Place (b01852w0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 The 99p Challenge (b007jx6w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 Nathaniel Hawthorne - Wakefield (b00rs19x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b01852w2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:15 Petrella (b007yp3x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 King Street Junior (b007jmdx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (b00b5pg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b007jtvy)
The Saint Plays With Fire
Simon Templar uncovers a fascist conspiracy to seize power in France.
First published in 1938 under the title 'Prelude for War' - one of a long series of novels featuring Leslie Charteris's creation Simon Templar, alias "The Saint".
Simon Templar …. Paul Rhys
Patricia Holm …. Kim Thomson
Valerie …. Fiona Fullerton
Inspector Claude Eustace Teal/Usher …. John Baddeley
Peter Quentin …. Jonathan Keeble
Fairweather …. John Hartley
Luker …. Geoffrey Whitehead
General Sangore …. John Turner
Orace …. John Hollis
Knightley/Foreman …. Andrew Branch
Marteau/Constable/Pietri/Sergeant …. Roger May
Coroner/Bravache …. David Collings
Bream/Senappe …. David Timson
Dramatised for radio by Neville Teller.
Director: Matthew Walters
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1995.
FRI 07:00 The Little World of Don Camillo (b00ttslq)
Series 3
Thunder and the Ugly Madonna
The Italian priest finds beauty in the most unattractive of circumstances. Stars Joss Ackland and Ian Hogg. From April 2003.
FRI 07:30 What's So Funny? (b01857zc)
Series 2
Episode 11
Ed Byrne, Sarah Millican, Alex Horne and Rich Fulcher discuss the best of upcoming British comedy from radio, screen and stage.
FRI 08:00 The Navy Lark (b01857zf)
Operation Recovery
Trouble afloat as the crew of HMS Troutbridge try to locate an American warhead.
Stars Leslie Phillips, Jon Pertwee and Stephen Murray.
Laughs afloat aboard British Royal Navy frigate HMS Troutbridge. The Navy Lark ran for an impressive 13 series between 1959 and 1976.
The Sub-Lieutenant ...... Leslie Phillips
The Chief Petty Officer ...... Jon Pertwee
The Number One ...... Stephen Murray
Captain Povey ...... Richard Caldicot
Rita ...... Heather Chasen
LS Goldsein ...... Tenniel Evans
The Padre ....... Michael Bates
Written by Lawrie Wyman.
Producer: Alastair Scott Johnston.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in June 1971.
FRI 08:30 Steptoe and Son (b007jnv2)
Series 6
Upstairs Downstairs, Upstairs Downstairs
Albert's laid up with a bad back leaving poor Harold overworked.
Starring Wilfrid Brambell as Albert and Harry H Corbett as Harold.
Written for TV and adapted for radio by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Albert ...... Wilfrid Brambell
Harold ...... Harry H Corbett
Doctor ...... Michael McClain
Following the conclusion of their hugely successful association with Tony Hancock, writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson wrote 10 pilots for the BBC TV's Comedy Playhouse in 1962. The Offer was set in a house with a yard full of junk, featuring the lives of rag and bone men Albert Steptoe and his son Harold and it was the spark for a run of 8 series for TV.
Producer: Bobby Jaye
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 in February 1976.
FRI 09:00 Semi Circles (b007jtyy)
Series 2
A Lack of Moral Fibre
Christmas is coming and Ben is getting fat, but will going on a fibre diet with Helen raise his spirits?
The improving story of life and improving times in an improving neighbourhood.
Starring Paula Wilcox as Helen and David Wood as Ben
Written by Simon Brett
Helen ...... Paula Wilcox
Ben ...... David Wood
Mrs Kelly ...... Pay Heywood
Alastair ...... Tony Millan
Neil ...... Nick Wilton
Britt ...... Rosalind Adams
Blythe ...... Bryan Coleman
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1982
FRI 09:30 The Museum of Curiosity (b00knwyq)
Series 2
Episode 5
John Lloyd and Sean Lock invite guests Jon Richardson, Roger Law and Kate Adie to increase the collection. From June 2009.
FRI 10:00 Dave Sheasby - Donkeys Led By Lions (b00vy71t)
Teacher Arthur Willis battles his conscience over fighting in the Great War, with devastating consequences. Stars Ian Dunn.
FRI 11:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b01857zh)
The Flying Stars
4 Extra Debut. In GK Chesterton's seasonal whodunnit, Father Brown investigates a jewel theft during a pantomime. Read by Tom Conti.
FRI 11:15 Petrella (b007jppx)
Series 2
Original Sins
The sleuth must tackle a watery murder mystery when a victim is found chained to a post in the Thames. Stars Philip Jackson.
FRI 12:00 The Navy Lark (b01857zf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 Steptoe and Son (b007jnv2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b007jtvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 14:00 Charlotte Bronte - The Professor (b00m1tfr)
Deceit
William now finds himself attracted to the fascinating Zoraide Reuter, head of the girls' school. But not everything is as it seems...
The least-known of Charlotte Bronte's novels: a subtle, ambiguous and unsettling love story dramatised in ten parts by Rachel Joyce.
Starring Paul Venables as William Crimsworth, Roger May as Pelet and Niamh Cusack as Zoraide Reuter.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
FRI 14:15 This Sceptred Isle (b00b65v9)
Coeur De Lion
With his father dead, Richard becomes King. Anna Massey narrates the history of the British Isles, with Paul Eddington.
FRI 14:30 Miranda Seymour - The Bugatti Queen (b00mw69m)
Episode 5
Personal, political and financial problems dog Hellé Nice as her glamorous racing years fade. Read by Harriet Walter.
FRI 14:45 The Slumber King (b0185b1b)
Owen's walking stick unlocks the door to a journey beneath the Welsh mountains...and an astounding discovery.
Written by Kevin Crossley-Holland.
Read by Andy Hockley.
Producer: Nigel Bryant
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1990.
FRI 15:00 Dave Sheasby - Donkeys Led By Lions (b00vy71t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b0185b1d)
Mel Giedroyc meets a man whose home is out of this world and asks whether Shakespeare's mum was French! Plus, there's the exciting conclusion to Simon Mason's story The Quigleys.
FRI 17:00 Ring Around the Bath (b00tzw38)
Series 2
The Birds and the Bees
If Stella can't move to the country, then the country must move to Stella.
Series 2 of Lucy Clare and Ian Davidson's sitcom about topsy-turvy family life.
Stars Duncan Preston as Patrick, Penny Downie as Stella, Claudie Blakley as Alison, Bruce MacKinnon as Rick, Catherine Shepherd as Xanthe and Daniela Denby-Ashe as Egg.
Producer: Elizabeth Freestone
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2004.
FRI 17:30 The Little World of Don Camillo (b00ttslq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 18:00 Doctor Who (b0185cks)
Hornets' Nest
The Circus of Doom, part 1
Continuing with their cottage encounter, Mike Yates listens eagerly as the Doctor recalls his early 19th century encounter with the alien swarm in a small English rural town...
Part of a five-story adventure written by Paul Magrs.
Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Richard Franklin as Mike Yates, Susie Ridell as Sally, Michael Maloney as Dr Adam Farrow, Stephen Thorne as Antonio and Jilly Bond as Francesca.
Producer: Kate Thomas
Made by BBC Audio.
FRI 18:30 HP Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness (b00vnf09)
Episode 5
Battling in the Antarctic, can Dyer and Danforth escape with their lives? Richard Coyle concludes HP Lovecraft's tale of terror.
FRI 19:00 The Navy Lark (b01857zf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 Steptoe and Son (b007jnv2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Leslie Charteris - The Saint (b007jtvy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 21:00 Christmas with the Detectives (b01857zh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
FRI 21:15 Petrella (b007jppx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
FRI 22:00 What's So Funny? (b01857zc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 In One Ear (b007jqrw)
Festive bickering over Thatcher's Britain and seasonal sexism swipes. Stars Helen Lederer and Nick Wilton. From December 1984.
FRI 23:00 Mastering the Universe (b00wstg6)
Series 1
Christmas
Professor Joy Klamp explores ways to make the festive season truly miserable. Stars Dawn French. From December 2005.
FRI 23:15 Quando, Quando, Quando (b0081rfw)
Love and Marriage
The salon is offering special two-for-one cuts. Brides and grooms are queuing up for days in the hope of getting an appointment. A childhood sweetheart of Rene's appears unexpectedly, hoping to rekindle their love.
Brothers Rene, Carlo and Charlie Quando chop, snip and crimp their lucky clients into shape at London's finest hair salon.
Six-part comedy written and performed by Rainer Hersch and Mark Maie. With Stephen Greif and Catherine Tate.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1999.
FRI 23:30 Vent (b00v8qdv)
Series 2
Arrival
Comatose Ben takes a final trip around the safe fantasy world of his subconscious.
Dark sitcom following the thoughts of comatose patient Ben written by Nigel Smith.
Starring Neil Pearson as Ben Smith, Fiona Allen as Mary, Josie Lawrence as Mum and Leslie Ash as Blitzkrieg.
With Nicholas Hutchison, Jo Martin, Mark Perry, Laura Aikman and Tim Whitnall.
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2007.