SATURDAY 03 JANUARY 2015

SAT 00:00 The Lunar Effect (b007k1k4)
The Hiring Fair
Strong moonlight forces spark a sequence of events which echo across generations. Frances Tomelty reads Polly Devlin's tale.
In 1867 a young girl living with her father on their isolated County Tyrone farm often senses the magical attraction of the full moon. On one particular night of bright, silvery moonlight she gives in to strong forces sparking a sequence of events which echo across generations.
SAT 00:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n4wyq)
Domestic Violence
Continuing her hidden history, Amanda Vickery reveals the dark side of private life, and how the home became a trap.
SAT 00:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b3zz3)
Episode 5
Darrow sets out to persuade Sophie to leave Givre, but discovers affairs are much more complicated than he’d realised.
Published in 1912, The Reef is one of Edith Wharton's most accomplished yet neglected novels - revealing the submerged and perilous depths beneath the surface of even the most conventional of its characters.
Starring Ben Miles as George Darrow, Jodhi May as Sophie, Teresa Gallagher as Anna, Julian Ovenden as Owen and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
SAT 00:45 Book of the Week (b017mwz2)
Charles Dickens: A Life, by Claire Tomalin
Episode 5
Claire Tomalin's acclaimed biography of one of Britain's best loved novelists paints a portrait of a brilliant writer and a complex man. Today's themes are adulation and farewells.
Claire Tomalin's well-received biography of one of the nation's literary giants is broadcast to mark the 150th anniversary of his death in June 2020. Here Tomalin evocatively portrays Dickens as a writer charged with tremendous imagination and energy, enabling him to create characters who continue to endure in our popular culture from The Artful Dodger, Mr Pickwick, Pip and David Copperfield. He was also a hard-working journalist, a philanthropist, a supporter of social causes, and father of ten, and yet his genius also had a dark side.
Claire Tomalin was literary editor of the The New Statesman and then the Sunday Times before becoming a full time writer. Her biographies are award winning. The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft, won the Whitbread First Book Award, and Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self was Whitbread Book of the Year in 2002.
Read by Penelope Wilton
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard.
Read by Penelope Wilton
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Elizabeth Allard.
SAT 01:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b00snrk4)
Series 3
Episode 6
John Lloyd invites guests David Eagleman, Neil Gaiman and Sarah Millican to add to the collection. From June 2010.
SAT 01:30 My Life in Five Books (b00vc3t4)
Series 1
Quintin Jardine
In this series Stuart Cosgrove meets guests from the literary world and beyond to hear about the five very special books in their lives.
Quintin Jardine has built up a huge following for his crime novels featuring the fictional Edinburgh policeman Bob Skinner. From Skinner's Rules in 1993 the series now runs to 19 books.
Quintin himself has had a varied career including spells as a journalist and a political spin doctor.
Talking to Stuart he chooses five titles that he's found influential including the book that convinced him that he could do better and launched him on his own writing career.
SAT 02:00 Terry Pratchett (b00bdjq2)
Small Gods
Episode 4
Deacon Vorbis has returned triumphantly to Omnia. He proclaims himself the One True Prophet.
But Brutha knows what really happened in the desert and the Great God Om is still out there, stuck in the body of a tortoise.
Conclusion of Terry Pratchett's comic Discworld fantasy starring Carl Prekopp, Patrick Barlow and Alex Jennings. With Anton Lesser as the Narrator.
Narrator ...... Anton Lesser
Om ...... Patrick Barlow
Brutha ...... Carl Prekopp
Vorbis ...... Alex Jennings
Fergman ...... Gerard McDermott
Urn ...... John Cummins
Nhumrod ...... Geoffrey Beevers
Sergeant Simony ...... Nick Sayce
Death ...... Michael Kilgarriff
Other parts played by the cast.
Dramatised by Robin Brooks.
Producer: Claire Grove
Director: Gordon House
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2006.
SAT 02:30 Laughter Close to Tears (b008s5hf)
From Burma to Zimbabwe, Michael Rosen hears contemporary jokes from those oppressed by repressive regimes. From January 2008.
SAT 03:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016ljn0)
Titus Arrives
Heir to crumbling stone and ancient ritual, the idiosyncratic life of Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan begins. Stars Paul Rhys.
SAT 04:00 Oscar Wilde (b007k13j)
The Nightingale and the Rose
A bird makes the ultimate sacrifice so that an unworldly young man can woo his love. Read by John Moffatt. From December 1997.
SAT 04:15 Bonnie Greer - Rosa Parks (b01qfl2m)
On December 1st 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks boarded a bus and refused to give up her seat. Her arrest gave birth to the American Civil Rights Movement.
Bonnie Greer's drama stars Albie Parsons as Rosa Parks, Clarke Peters as ED Nixon, Ray Shell as Martin Luther King, Mona Hammond as Rosa's Mother, Anthony Ofoegbu as Parks, Amanda Gordon as JoAnn Robinson, Alastair Danson as the Judge, Iwan Thomas as the Bus Driver and Christina Chou and Matthew Givens as the Children.
Director: Claire Grove
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1997.
SAT 05:00 After Henry (b007jq99)
Series 3
Different Viewpoints
'If the television is a guest in the house, it's rude to exclude it from the conversation. If the television says something, then one would be impolite not to respond to it.'
Sarah is irritated by her mother Eleanor's opinions on TV - and every other subject...
Simon Brett's comedy about three generations of women - struggling to cope after the death of Sarah's GP husband - who never quite manage to see eye to eye.
Sarah ...... Prunella Scales
Eleanor ...... Joan Sanderson
Russell ...... Benjamin Whitrow
Clare ...... Gerry Cowper
Four radio series were made, but instead of moving to BBC TV - Thames Television produced 'After Henry' for the ITV network.
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1987.
SAT 05:30 Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me (b0076sqs)
Series 2
Thanks for the Memory
No Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me
Series 2
Episode 4 of 4 - Thanks for the Memory
George is surprised when everyone seems to have forgotten his 70th birthday. Roy, concealing his real plans, offers to buy him a bag of chips on the way home from the pub. But an evening of celebration brings back some bittersweet memories.
Don Warrington..... Roy
Yvonne Brewster..... Vi
Sam Kelly..... George
George Layton..... Barry
Caroline Lee Johnson..... Bernadette
Marcus Powell... Victor
Mike Kearsey..... Trombonist
Written by Marcus Powell
Producer Carol Smith.
SAT 05:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b01n7m30)
Something Vibrating
The Earthmen overcome the deadly putron ray, but they're not clear of the Thargoids yet. Kenny Everett's 1970s sci-fi serial starring the world's most fabulous starship captain.
SAT 06:00 Arnold Ridley - The Ghost Train (b007jyx0)
The last steam train from London to Cornwall carries a disparate group of travellers: a pair of newlyweds, a couple whose marriage is on the rocks and a lady with a parrot called Joey.
The last thing any of them needs is to be stranded on a Fal Vale's deserted railway station - which is the object of local superstition.
Written in 1925 by Arnold Ridley - best known for playing Private Godfrey in Dad's Army.
Starring Adam Godfrey as Teddie Deakin, Christopher Wright as Richard Winthrop and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Elsie Winthrop
Adapted by Shaun McKenna. Producer Marion Nancarrow.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1998.
SAT 07:30 Back to Front (b007k166)
Series 1
1963
The 1963 headline makers knocked off the newspaper front pages by Henry Cooper. Ned Sherrin and Claire Rayner get nostalgic. With Simon Barnes.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b00s6svj)
Morecambe and Wise: The Garage Tapes
Jon Culshaw uncovers an extraordinary audio archive of early Morecambe and Wise material, including a number of long lost tapes.
This is a genuine archive find of real importance. A few years ago, Doreen Wise, widow of Ernie, cleared the old family garage of piles of tapes and 78 recordings.
At the end of last year, Independent radio company Whistledown were contacted by Eric and Ernie's agents, and producer David Prest offered to look at the material.
"It was an extraordinary sight - a couple of old fruit boxes full of reel to reel tapes and a musty old red suitcase brimming with 78 records," says producer David Prest.
The most important finds are a number of long-lost episodes of Eric and Ernie's first radio show, "You're Only Young Once" which was made for the BBC between November 1953 and June 1954.
These feature songs, sketches, their trade mark banter and guest cameo appearances from other well-known performers including Bob Monkhouse.
The tapes in Ernie's garage are believed to be "run off" copies recorded at 33/4 ips by studio engineers immediately after the recordings, and probably never played since, as well as acetate copies which Doreen paid the studio engineer a few shillings for.
"Much of the value of the material is in what it shows about their comedy development. The early radio series are very naturalistic, and feature historical sketches and songs which precede the 1970s BBC TV shows by almost 15 years", says David.
Other treats include: Andre Previn's speech to Eric and Ernie at a Variety Club lunch in 1974, rare recordings of their Great Yarmouth and Blackpool shows from the mid-late sixties.
Also included are many original master tapes of songs, written for the duo, which show their skill in the recording studio.
The producers are David Prest and Stewart Henderson, and this is a Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 08:45 Marriott's Monologues (b007jqz7)
Dame Thora Hird
Monologist, Dame Thora Hird introduces the Ramsbottom family with 'The Lion and Albert' and 'The Return of Albert'.
Series of eight programmes featuring the famous monologues of Marriott Edgar.
Music by Brian Fitzgerald.
Produced in Manchester by Mike Craig
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in BBC Radio 2 in 1991.
SAT 09:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Remembered (b04wjh11)
BBC Radio 4 Extra celebrates the life of the novelist, Elizabeth Jane Howard who died aged 90 on January 2nd 2014.
This 3 hour special features material from the BBC archive including two of Howard's short stories, and her choice of Desert Island Discs from 1995. But it also includes an extract from her first novel The Beautiful Visit (read by Juliet Stevenson), as well as new interviews with, among others, her step-son Martin Amis and her biographer Artemis Cooper, all recorded at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.
As well as being the author of 14 novels, and selling more than a million books, Howard lived a richly eventful life. She walked out of her first marriage to naturalist Peter Scott, taking with her just £10, a suitcase and half a novel. She subsequently went on to remove herself from two more marriages. As her life-long friend, Jacqui Graham, points out, it was enormously brave. "Women just didn't do that."
Cathy Rentzenbrink, who presents the programme, says of Howard, 'What I find interesting is the way her life and fiction intertwines. I can't think of any other writer where the mistakes of life are transformed, reinterpreted, recycled into such brilliant novels."
Producer: Sarah Wade
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2015.
SAT 12:00 Nigel Slater - Eating for England (Omnibus) (b04wjh13)
In the bleak Christmas following his mother's death, the young Nigel Slater sought refuge in food.
Sugar mice, pink wafers and mince pies helped him survive. So too did his Aunt Elvie who, against the wishes of his father, encouraged Nigel to cook.
Eating for England, the successor to his highly acclaimed memoir Toast, is part food memoir, part collective memory bank of a nation's taste. Using the book as source material along with further conversations with Nigel, dramatist Sarah Daniels has written a playful reimagining. A grown up Nigel - played by Julian Rhind Tutt, looks back on his childhood while caring for a now elderly, yet ever sparkling, Aunt Elvie, played by Celia Imrie.
Rich with sounds of the kitchen and recorded on location, with a cameo performance from Nigel himself.
Omnibus of five episodes.
What drives a cook to write about food? Why is there such a powerful link between memory and what we eat? And why is reading about food so irresistibly appetising?
Nigel reflects on sugar mice and the bleak Christmas just after his mother's death, when Aunt Elvie helped him through.
Aunt Elvie......................Celia Imrie
Nigel Slater...................Julian Rhind Tutt
Tony..............................Adrian Scarborough
Young Nigel...................Isaac Whitmore
Dramatised by Sarah Daniels
Sound design by Eloise Whitmore
Director: Polly Thomas
A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2014.
SAT 13:15 The Lady Detectives (b00cql2n)
The Law and the Lady
From the author of 'The Woman in White' and 'The Moonstone', the sensational, Gothic tale of Valeria Woodville's quest to clear her husband of murdering his first wife.
From the Golden Age of the crime short story, 'The Lady Detectives' is a series of four female sleuths to rival the great Sherlock himself.
Wilkie Collins' mystery stars Abigail Docherty as Valeria Woodville, Richard Conlon as Eustace and Ralph Riach as the Reverend Starkweather.
Dramatised by Roger Danes.
Producer: Patrick Rayner
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
SAT 14:00 Doctor at Large (b00b3h85)
Dr Sparrow of Harley Street
Mayhem ensues when Simon Sparrow goes to work at Sir Lancelot Spratt's rather posh practice
The misadventures of newly qualified doctor, Simon Sparrow - adapted for radio by Ray Cooney from Richard Gordon's 'Doctor at Large' published in 1955.
Starring Richard Briers as Simon Sparrow, Geoffrey Sumner as Sir Lancelot Spratt, Ray Cooney as Tony Benskin, Howard Marion Crawford as the Duke, Richard Caldicot as Sir Raymond Beecham, Garard Green as the Butler, Rosalind Adams as the Nurse and Fenella Fielding as Kitty Buckingham.
Producer: David Hatch
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1969.
SAT 14:30 The Jason Explanation of... (b007jpwr)
Money
David Jason's probe of modern life sets out to comprehend cash.
Following in the footsteps of Lord Clark, Dr Bronowski and Professor Galbraith, David Jason unravels the mysteries of the universe and the meaning of life.
With Miriam Margolyes and Royce Mills.
Written by Colin Bostock Smith, Andy Hamilton and Barry Pilton.
Music by John Owen Edwards.
Producer: Geoffrey Perkins
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in September 1977.
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b00s6svj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 15:45 Marriott's Monologues (b007jqz7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
SAT 16:00 Arnold Ridley - The Ghost Train (b007jyx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 The Rest is History (b04vk0c1)
Series 1
Episode 3
Frank Skinner loves history, but just doesn't know much of it.
This comedy discussion show with celebrity guests promises to help him find out more about it.
With John Lloyd, Katy Brand and historian in residence Dr Kate Williams
Frank and company navigate their way through the annals of time, picking out and chewing over the funniest, oddest, and most interesting moments in history.
Producers: Dan Schreiber and Justin Pollard
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2014.
SAT 18:00 Bram Stoker - Dracula (b04y9dzf)
2. The Warmth of Strangers
Lucy Westenra is dead, but Professor Van Helsing is determined to find out the true cause of her death, track it down, fight it and defeat it forever.
Nicky Henson stars as Count Dracula.
Bram Stoker's disturbing vampire tale of horror, re-imagined by Rebecca Lenkiewicz.
The conclusion of a thrilling ride through the dark psyche of Victorian England.
Count Dracula ...... Nicky Henson
Dr Seward ...... Charles Edwards
Renfield ...... Don Gilet
Jonathan Harker ...... Michael Shelford
Mina Harker ...... Ellie Kendrick
Lucy Westenra ...... Scarlett Brookes
Dr Van Helsing ...... John Dougall
Arthur ...... Joe Sims
Maid ...... Christine Absalom
Policeman ...... Robert Blythe
Simmons ...... Patrick Brennan
Vampiress ...... Sarah Thom
Vampiress ...... Ellie Crook
Vampiress ...... Stephanie Racine
Child ...... Harper Bone
Singer ...... Adriana Festeu
Director: Jessica Dromgoole.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2012.
SAT 19:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Remembered (b04wjh11)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Rhod Gilbert's Bulging Barrel of Laughs (b00tml87)
Episode 2
Hear Rhod Gilbert rant on road rage, plus Rhod’s Confessions where Lloyd Langford reveals an unusual passion for Star Wars figures and see if Greg Davies can tempt you with his Indecent Proposal.
Plus Sarah Millican takes a weekly look at The Six Stages of Woman.
Guest comedian is Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Russell Kane.
With live music from Athlete, including hits Superhuman Touch and Half Light.
Producers: Julia Mckenzie and Lianne Coop.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in September 2010.
SAT 23:00 The Mark Steel Lecture (b007rq8f)
Series 3
Isaac Newton
The radical comedian offers his humorous assessment of one of the world's most influential scientists. From October 2002.
SAT 23:30 Josie Long: All of the Planet's Wonders (b00htxbs)
Obscure Animal Facts
In her continuing quest to better herself through learning and discovering things in reference books, comedian Josie Long, explores the fantastic world of obscure animal facts in a bid to become the ultimate quiz contestant.
With her comedic cohorts, Maeve Higgins, Chris Neil, Jesse Thorne and Geoff Long.
Producer Colin Anderson
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 in March 2009.
SAT 23:45 Fabulous (b00hy947)
Series 1
Episode 4
Faye has money troubles, so she's hoping her mum will lend her £10,000.
Daisy Haggard stars as Faye in Lucy Clarke’s sitcom about a woman who wants to be fabulous but can't cope.
With:
Adam Buxton
Matthew Holness
Laura Solon
Anne Reid
Joanna Scanlan
Joanna Neary
Geoffrey McGivern
Music by Osymyso.
Producer: Simon Nicholls
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2007.


SUNDAY 04 JANUARY 2015

SUN 00:00 Bram Stoker - Dracula (b04y9dzf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 Archive on 4 (b00s6svj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:45 Marriott's Monologues (b007jqz7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Saturday]
SUN 02:00 Nigel Slater - Eating for England (Omnibus) (b04wjh13)
[Repeat of broadcast at 12:00 on Saturday]
SUN 03:15 The Lady Detectives (b00cql2n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:15 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 Arnold Ridley - The Ghost Train (b007jyx0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 The Rest is History (b04vk0c1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b523y)
Omnibus, part 1
An unexpected obstacle sparks a beguiling adventure for diplomat George Darrow.
Published in 1912, The Reef is one of Edith Wharton's most accomplished yet neglected novels - revealing the submerged and perilous depths beneath the surface of even the most conventional of its characters.
Starring Ben Miles as George Darrow, Jodhi May as Sophie and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Omnibus of the first five of ten parts.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
SUN 07:10 Inheritance Tracks (b04kjqg3)
Jenny Agutter
Actress Jenny Agutter inherits 'The Times They Are a-Changin' by Bob Dylan, and passes on 'If I Fall' by Alice Martineau.
SUN 07:15 Byron Rogers - The Last Human Cannonball (b00fwqb3)
Episode 4
Byron Rogers tells the extraordinary tale of Hitler's nephew William, born in Liverpool. Read by Crawford Logan.
SUN 07:30 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b00zlfh9)
Series 1
Erosia
Brian Gulliver, a seasoned presenter of travel documentaries, finds himself in a hospital's secure unit after claiming to have had a number of bizarre adventures.
This week he travels to Erosia which has a very different view of sexual politics.
Written by Bill Dare
Produced by Steven Canny
Brian Gulliver's Travels is a new satirical adventure story from Bill Dare. The series has attracted an excellent cast led by Neil Pearson and award winning star of the RSC's current season, Mariah Gale. Cast includes fantastic actors Tamsin Greig, John Standing, Paul Bhattacharjee, Christopher Douglas, Catherine Shepherd, Vicky Pepperdine, Phil Cornwell, Antonia Campbell Hughes, Jo Bobin and Katherine Jakeways.
For years Bill Dare wanted to create a satire about different worlds exploring Kipling's idea that we travel, 'not just to explore civilizations, but to better understand our own'. But science fiction and space ships never interested him, so he put the idea on ice. Then Brian Gulliver arrived and meant that our hero could be lost in a fictional world without the need for any sci-fi.
Satirical targets over the series: the medical profession and its need to pathologize everything; the effect of marriage on children; spirituality and pseudo-science; compensation culture; sexism; the affect of our obsession with fame.
Gulliver's Travels is the only book Bill Dare read at university. His father, Peter Jones, narrated a similarly peripatetic radio series: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
SUN 08:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01cvb6v)
Episode 3
"At Abingdon, the river passes by the streets. Abingdon is a typical country town of the smaller order - quiet, eminently respectable, clean and desperately dull."
George, Harris and J encounter a tragedy and some nasty weather, as they conclude their holiday on the River Thames - with Montmorency the dog.
Adapted and performed in three episodes by Jeremy Nicholas.
Music by Jeremy Nicholas. Performed by The Grimethorpe Colliery Band
Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1984.
SUN 08:30 Stop Messing About! (b00rs7fk)
Series 2
Episode 7
A bona ballet tune, and the criminals' five top pop songs.
Starring Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Joan Sims and announcer Douglas Smith.
After the unexpected death of Kenneth Horne in 1969, plans for the next series of Round The Horne were axed. Instead - using an old catchphrase of Kenneth Williams as a series title - Kenneth joined Hugh Paddick to continue the comedy tradition and was also reunited with his "Carry On" film co-star Joan Sims.
Written by Myles Rudge, David Cumming and Derek Collyer.
With the Max Harris Group.
Producer: John Simmonds
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in May 1970.
SUN 09:00 Saturday Drama (b00n6wfs)
Erich Kaestner - Emil and the Detectives
Dramatisation by Katie Hims of the comic children's detective novel by Erich Kaestner.
Country boy Emil Tischbein, up from Neustadt for the first time, enlists the aid of hundreds of Berlin street boys to help him catch a thief.
Emil ...... Joshua Swinney
Kaestner ...... Bruce Alexander
Grundeis ...... Ewan Hooper
Gustav ...... Daniel Cooper
Professor ...... Neil Reynolds
Traut ...... Bertie Gilbert
Peters ...... Josh Robinson
Tuesday ...... Harry Child
Pony ...... Agnes Bateman
Mrs Tischbein ...... Melissa Advani
Cashier ...... Tessa Nicholson
Jeschke ...... John Biggins
Guard ...... Rhys Jennings
Taxi Driver ...... Joseph Cohen-Cole
Grandma ...... Kate Layden
Directed by Jessica Dromgoole.
SUN 10:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b04wwjmw)
Absent Friends
Lauren Bacall
4 Extra Debut. From Ella Fitzgerald to Puccini, Hollywood film star Lauren Bacall shares her castaway choices with Roy Plomley. From December 1984.
SUN 10:40 Inheritance Tracks (b04tt83j)
Margaret Atwood
Writer Margaret Atwood chooses Beethoven's Symphony No 6, and Joan Sutherland singing Norma by Bellini.
SUN 10:45 Afternoon Reading (b00t4nm3)
Just William - Pursuin' Happiness
The Ghost
This hilarious 'Just William' story, new to radio and told of course by Martin Jarvis, is a chilling tale of nocturnal visitation and psychic revelations.
As always, William's primary motivation is to do good and pursue happiness, so when elderly Cousin Mildred confides to him that her dearest wish is to encounter a ghost, he decides to help her fulfil her ambition - regardless of the consequences.
Written by Richmal Crompton.
Director: Pete Atkin
Producer: Rosalind Ayres
A Jarvis & Ayres Production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 11:00 TED Radio Hour (b04wwjyl)
Series 1
Creativity
A journey through fascinating ideas based on talks by riveting speakers on the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) stage.
Guy Raz investigates where creativity comes from, why we all have it and how to find it. With musician Sting.
SUN 11:45 Joanne Harris - Jigs and Reels (b00ckcqk)
Faith and Hope Go Shopping
Bored with daily life, two friends plan to escape Meadowbank Old People's Home. Short story read by June Whitfield.
SUN 12:00 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b523y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 13:10 Inheritance Tracks (b04kjqg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:10 today]
SUN 13:15 Byron Rogers - The Last Human Cannonball (b00fwqb3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SUN 13:30 Len Deighton - The Ipcress File (b01697h2)
An unnamed agent is ensnared in a sinister plot to brainwash scientists and trade them across the Iron Curtain.
Len Deighton's gripping Cold War thriller was first published in 1962.
Ian Hart stars in Mike Walker's taut dramatisation.
The Agent …. Ian Hart
Colonel Ross …. James Laurenson
Major Dalby …. Jonathan Coy
Chico …. Jamie Bamber
Jean …. Fenella Woolgar
Alice …. Rachel Atkins
Jay …. Peter Marinker
Skip …. Kerry Shale
Keightley …. Adam Tedder
Adem …. Raad Rawi
Battersby …. John Sharian
Producer: Toby Swift
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2004.
SUN 15:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01cvb6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 15:30 Stop Messing About! (b00rs7fk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 16:00 Mel's Mix: The Best of The 4 O'Clock Show (b04wjmqd)
Zoella, Penguins and Wobbly Jelly
Mel Giedroyc picks the best bits from her 4 O'Clock Shows of the past week, including a Radio One DJ Masterclass featuring top vlogger Zoella and a celebration of the humble jelly.
SUN 17:00 Saturday Drama (b00n6wfs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SUN 18:00 Weird Tales (b00wr8s9)
Series 2
The House on Pale Avenue
Hoarder of horror Lovecraft returns to share three more chilling tales.
By Richard Vincent. Scratching in the walls, under the floorboards, in the pipes: their new home is trying to tell the Williams family something and they won't be given a moment's peace until its secret is out in the open.
Geoff Williams ...... Jamie Glover
Jane Williams ...... Julia Ford
Sarah Williams ...... Agnes Dromgoole
Martin Crabtree ...... John Biggins
DCI Cram ...... Piers Wehner
Psychiatrist ...... Melissa Advani
Lovecraft ...... Stephen Hogan
Directed by Gemma Jenkins.
SUN 18:30 The Scarifyers (b01bwb80)
The Magic Circle
Episode 3
Lionheart has disappeared, so Professor Dunning has teamed up with his former sergeant Harry 'Thumper' Crow to track him down. But as they unearth the long-buried secrets of The Magic Circle, a terrible truth awaits.
This is the sixth story in supernatural comedy series 'The Scarifyers.' The series follows the exploits of 1930s ghost-story writer Professor Dunning (Terry Molloy) and Detective Inspector Lionheart (Nicholas Courtney), who together investigate weird mysteries under the auspices of top-secret government department MI-13.
In 2011, Nicholas Courtney passed away. 'The Magic Circle' introduces a new lead character, played by David Warner, and serves as a farewell to both Lionheart and to the actor who played him.
Cast
David Warner as Harry Crow
Terry Molloy as Professor Dunning
Stephen Thorne as Billy Banter
Ewan Bailey as Montague Blake and Solomon Winters
Lizzie Roper as Iris Binns
Cicely Giddings as Lily Wighton
Scott Brooksbank as Inspector Boot
David Benson as David Devant
PRODUCER: Simon Barnard
Cosmic Hobo Productions.
SUN 19:00 TED Radio Hour (b04wwjyl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 19:45 Joanne Harris - Jigs and Reels (b00ckcqk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:45 today]
SUN 20:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01cvb6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 20:30 Stop Messing About! (b00rs7fk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 21:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b04wwjmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 21:40 Inheritance Tracks (b04tt83j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:40 today]
SUN 21:45 Afternoon Reading (b00t4nm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]
SUN 22:00 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b00zlfh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 22:30 Bleak Expectations (b00db35l)
Series 1
A Young Adulthood Bitterly Dismantled
Young Pip finds himself adrift at sea. Mark Evans' Dickensian spoof stars Richard Johnson. From September 2007.
SUN 23:00 The Cornwell Estate (b01fd4cp)
Series 2
Bob Crevice
Phil Cornwell brings six edgy comic characters to life in a new series of The Cornwell Estate, starring Tony Gardner (Fresh Meat), Roger Lloyd-Pack (Only Fools and Horses, Vicar of Dibley), Simon Greenall (Alan Partridge) Daisy Haggard (Psychoville) Ricky Champ (Him and Her, BBC3) Jill Halfpenny (Eastenders, Legally Blonde) and Cyril Nri.
Written by Andrew McGibbon and Phil Cornwell
Bob Crevice is an enthusiastic train driver living on the Cornwell estate. When he is suspended from duty after a medical, his career seems to be over.
Cast:
Bob Crevice ..... Phil Cornwell
James Colagh ..... Roger Lloyd Pack
Charlene Crevice ..... Kate Terence
Derek Vaulter ..... Paul Brennan
Created by Phil Cornwell and Andrew McGibbon.
Additional material by Nick Romero
Producer/Director: Andrew McGibbon
A Curtains For Radio Production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 23:15 Knocker (b008d1f2)
Obselejectivitysence
Market researcher Ian surveys a high-tech future. Sitcom with Neil Edmond and Paula Wilcox. From December 2007.
SUN 23:30 The Masterson Inheritance (b007jr62)
Series 3
The St Valentine's Day Mastersons
Budding starlet Genevieve hits seedy 1920s Hollywood.
The award-winning improvised historical family saga based entirely on audience suggestions.
Starring Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Jim Sweeney, Lee Simpson, Phelim McDermott and Caroline Quentin.
Producer: Phil Clarke
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1995.


MONDAY 05 JANUARY 2015

MON 00:00 Weird Tales (b00wr8s9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 The Scarifyers (b01bwb80)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b04wwjmw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]
MON 01:40 Inheritance Tracks (b04tt83j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:40 on Sunday]
MON 01:45 Afternoon Reading (b00t4nm3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Sunday]
MON 02:00 Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat (b01cvb6v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 Stop Messing About! (b00rs7fk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:00 Brian Gulliver's Travels (b00zlfh9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:30 Len Deighton - The Ipcress File (b01697h2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:30 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Saturday Drama (b00n6wfs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlfq)
1. Down These Mean Streets
Merseyside mother of two Rosie Monaghan is 39 and redundant.
Wondering what to do with the rest of her life - she decides to become a private detective...
Paula Wilcox stars in Alan McDonald's six-part thriller serial.
Rosie ...... Paula Wilcox
Margie ...... Elizabeth Estensen
Jerry ...... Christopher Bramwell
Mike ...... Steve Hodson
Bob ...... Dominic Grounsell
Carol ...... Helen Roberts
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Others parts played by Federay Holmes, Siriol Jenkins, Matthew Morgan and Nicholas Murchie.
Music composed by Peter Howell.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1993.
MON 06:30 The Disappearing Art of the Mix Tape (b00cj8d8)
The home-made compilation cassette was a distillation of its maker's character and emotion
Let's face it: kids with MP3s don't know they're born; they'll never grasp the art of crafting a mix tape. It's something personal, the musical expression of a generation...
The cassette age was a temporary window in which the art form of the bedroom briefly shone. Nothing says I love you like spending five hours in front of a tape deck and record player, wearing out the pause button and your stylus. Summing up your emotions through the strictly limited vocabulary of a small pile of records and what you could steal off Radio 1's chart show. But the tape could communicate so much more than romantic intentions. The tape for a new friend explains what kind of person you want to be, the mix for an old and distant friend tells them the person you have become in their absence.
But the download has killed off the cassette - now everyone has access to an almost infinite record collection and playlists can be of unlimited length. Writer, broadcaster and former NME journalist, David Quantick celebrates that art form. We hear from compilation makers including novelist Iain Banks and poet Simon Armitage and hear some of their favourite mix tape tracks. A professor of medieval history tells us how he had sustained a 30 year friendship with an HMV store manager by exchanging tapes every month. And Elbow's Guy Garvey explains how his sister Becky inspired his musical career with the many cassettes she compiled for him...
MON 07:00 North East of Eden (b01flnpj)
Cod Comfort
With submarine manoeuvres offshore and troubles with EEC fish quotas for the fishermen, Marcia tries to adjust to a quieter lifestyle.
And a man from the ministry man is snooping about...
Rebecca Front and Joan Sims stars in Peter Kerry's sitcom about a GP living on Paradise Island off the coast of Northumbria.
Doctor Marcia Hulme …. Rebecca Front
Auntie Annie …. Joan Sims
Hjorst …. Niall Ashdown
Joseph Gates …. James Garbutt
Mrs Peevis …. Jean Southern
William …. Sammy Johnson
Ralph Gates …. Stephen Thirkeld
Other Roles …. Peter Kerry
Producer: Kathy Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1997.
MON 07:30 The Unbelievable Truth (b04vk9np)
Series 14
Episode 1
David Mitchell hosts the panel game in which four comedians are encouraged to tell lies and compete against one another to see how many items of truth they're able to smuggle past their opponents.
Lloyd Langford, David O'Doherty, Susan Calman and Josh Widdicombe are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as penguins, spoons, dolls and letters.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith, the team behind Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
Produced by Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 08:00 Marriage Lines (b04wjsjw)
Series 1
The Divorce
When some friends split up, Kate and George become rather nervous.
A series based on the mutual love and mistrust of two newlyweds. Starring Richard Briers as George Starling and Prunella Scales as Kate Starling.
With Philip Guard, Rosemary Miller, Peter Gilmore, Isabel Rennie and John Baddeley.
This 1960's newlyweds sitcom brought Richard Briers and Prunella Scales to prominence. Originating on BBC TV, it was adapted for radio due to its popularity. A decade later, Richard Briers went on to play Tom Good in The Good Life and Prunella Scales went on to star as Sybil in Fawlty Towers.
Written by Richard Waring.
Producer: Charles Maxwell
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in August 1965.
MON 08:30 As Time Goes By (b04wjsjy)
Series 1
Episode 4
Jean's daughter Judith begins to fall for Lionel, but his publisher, Alistair, starts to fall for Jean...
Starring Judi Dench as Jean and Geoffrey Palmer as Lionel.
With Moira Brooker as Judith, Jon Glover as Alistair and Jenny Funnell as Sandy.
Adapted from his original television series by Bob Larbey.
Producer: Martin Fisher.
A DLT Production in association with the Theatre of Comedy for BBC Radio 2.
First broadcast in April 1997.
MON 09:00 The Write Stuff (b00vhgjw)
Series 14
The Beats
Once again the team captains are joined by special guests - poet and musician, Ian McMillan and broadcaster, writer and journalist, Francis Wheen - as they set out to solve yet more book-based brainteasers, set to them by Write Stuff chairman, James Walton.
As ever, there is an "Author of the Week" whose life and work provides a focus for the show. This time, however, there isn't just one author for the teams to examine, but three, as they look into the lives and work of Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg - or "The Beats" as they were known.
For the pastiches at the end of the show the teams must imagine a nursery rhyme or fairy tale as a member of "The Beats" might have written it...
Producer: Sam Michell.
MON 09:30 Britain Versus the World (b04wjsvk)
Series 1
Episode 3
The comedy panel show pits two British comedians against a team of comics from overseas to find out which side is superior.
Joining the British captain, Hal Cruttenden, is the English comedian Holly Walsh while the captain of the Rest of the World - Henning Wehn - is teamed with Swedish stand-up Fredrik Andersson. The contest is overseen by Irishman Ed Byrne who does his very best to stay impartial.
Host
Ed Byrne
Guests
Hal Cruttenden
Henning Wehn
Holly Walsh
Fredrik Andersson
Programme Associate Bill Matthews
Devised and produced by Ashley Blaker.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2015.
MON 10:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016ljn2)
Titus Inherits
Even though he's still an infant, Titus accedes to power. Steerpike gets busy with a plan. Stars David Warner and Mark Benton.
MON 11:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pqdsc)
Mr Wrong, pt 1
Meg comes to London to buy a second-hand car, but all is not as it seems. Chilling tale read by Matilda Ziegler.
MON 11:15 Loose Ends (b04wnpxh)
Danny Wallace, Clare Balding, Will Self, Richard Wilson, Rebecca Front, Rob Heron and the Teapad Orchestra
In a special New Year edition from the BBC Radio Theatre, Clive Anderson is joined by Danny Wallace, Clare Balding, Richard Wilson, Will Self and Rebecca Front for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Rob Heron & The Teapad Orchestra.
Producer: Sukey Firth.
MON 12:00 Marriage Lines (b04wjsjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 As Time Goes By (b04wjsjy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlfq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:30 The Disappearing Art of the Mix Tape (b00cj8d8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 14:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b0129d4w)
Episode 1
'Two years after my mother died, my father fell in love with a glamorous blonde Ukrainian divorcee...'
Sian Thomas begins Marina Lewycka's witty and tender novel about emigrating and immigration, family history and sisterly rivalry, tractors - and the lure of a green satin brassiere.
Abridged by Sally Marmion
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
MON 14:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7kth)
Servants
Historian Amanda Vickery goes below stairs to find out about domestic workers in a household, many without a bed of their own.
MON 14:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b5pr3)
Episode 6
Anna is suspicious of diplomat George Darrow, whilst Sophie has a shock for Owen.
Published in 1912, The Reef is one of Edith Wharton's most accomplished yet neglected novels - revealing the submerged and perilous depths beneath the surface of even the most conventional of its characters.
Starring Ben Miles as George Darrow, Jodhi May as Sophie, Teresa Gallagher as Anna, Deborah Weston as Adelaide, Julian Ovenden as Owen and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
MON 14:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b00769kx)
Episode 1
A contented marriage is disrupted by the arrival of Arabella - beautiful, rich and longing to be loved.
Elizabeth Jane Howard's classic story read by Claire Skinner.
Abridged in ten-parts by Doreen Estall.
Producer: Sarah Johnson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002
MON 15:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016ljn2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b04kfylr)
Rooftoppers, Quentin Blake and creepy crawlies
Quentin Blake gives Mel a crash course in drawing, Mary Colwell visits an insect garden, and there's the first part of award-winning story Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell.
MON 17:00 Like They've Never Been Gone (b00c7d1c)
Series 3
Episode 5
Will hard-up Tommy and Sheila's trip to Australia ever get off the ground?
Ageing showbiz couple Tommy Franklin and Sheila Parr continue their second stab at fame.
Series 3 of Mike Coleman’s six-part sitcom stars June Whitfield and Roy Hudd.
CAST:
Tommy Franklin …. Roy Hudd
Sheila Parr …. June Whitfield
Hetty Stark …. Pat Coombes
Murray Franklin …. Julian Eardley
Louis Elstein …. Edward Halsted
Hostess …. Tracy-Ann Oberman
Producer: Steve Doherty
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2001.
MON 17:30 North East of Eden (b01flnpj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 17:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wmvzx)
Kremmen Kneels for No-One
The Earthmen defeat the deadly putron ray, but the Thargoids have an even nastier surprise.
Captain Elvis Brandenburg Kremmen is the world's most fabulous man.
With an IQ of 498 and a height of 6ft 10 inches, he's a Supreme Athlete, a Concert Pianist, Concorde Pilot, Mountain Climber, Diplomat, Space Captain and Genius.
Just like Kenny, Captain Kremmen was born in Liverpool on Christmas Day in 1950.
Kenny Everett's lovingly crafted sci-fi serial made its debut on London's Capital Radio in 1976.
MON 18:00 The Write Stuff (b00vhgjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 18:30 A Good Read (b04wmvzz)
Kingsley Amis and Ruth Rendell
Edward Blishen invites Sir Kingsley Amis and Ruth Rendell to talk about four paperbacks by Dick Francis, Paul Auster, GM Fraser and Anthony Trollope. From 1991.
For Kicks, by Dick Francis
Publisher: Pan
The New York Trilogy, by Paul Auster
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Flashman at the Charge, by George MacDonald Fraser
Publisher: Fontana
The Small House at Allington, by Anthony Trollope
Publisher: OUP.
MON 19:00 Marriage Lines (b04wjsjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 As Time Goes By (b04wjsjy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlfq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:30 The Disappearing Art of the Mix Tape (b00cj8d8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 21:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pqdsc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:15 Loose Ends (b04wnpxh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
MON 22:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b04vk9np)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 Britain Versus the World (b04wjsvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
MON 23:00 Dead Ringers (b04vr10b)
Series 13
Episode 2
The classic impression show takes a look back at 2014 together with a sneak preview of things that will definitely happen in 2015. How will the UKIP/Labour coalition fair?
Starring Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Duncan Wisbey, Lewis MacLeod, Debra Stevenson.
Producer: Bill Dare.
MON 23:30 As Told To Craig Brown (b00b0sh6)
Episode 2
Satirist Craig Brown presents a bundle of parody, social observation and nonsense in a romp through anything that's newsworthy and a good many things that aren't.
Narrated by Juliet Stevenson and Steve Wright.
With John Humphrys, Ronni Ancona, Jon Culshaw, Lewis McLeod, Sally Grace, Ewan Bailey and Margaret Cabourn-Smith.
Producer: Victoria Lloyd
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2008.


TUESDAY 06 JANUARY 2015

TUE 00:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b0129d4w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7kth)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b5pr3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 00:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b00769kx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 The Write Stuff (b00vhgjw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 A Good Read (b04wmvzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlfq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 The Disappearing Art of the Mix Tape (b00cj8d8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016ljn2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pqdsc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:15 Loose Ends (b04wnpxh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 Like They've Never Been Gone (b00c7d1c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 North East of Eden (b01flnpj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wmvzx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:55 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlg3)
2. Following From In Front
Who is novice private-eye Rosie Monaghan's mystery client? And how do you trail somebody?
Paula Wilcox stars in Alan McDonald's six-part thriller serial.
Rosie ...... Paula Wilcox
Margie ...... Elizabeth Estensen
Jerry ...... Christopher Bramwell
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Graham ...... David Thorpe
Bob ...... Dominic Grounsell
Carol ...... Helen Roberts
Bill ...... Dominic Letts
Music composed by Peter Howell.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1993.
TUE 06:30 Profile (b04wmxjb)
Elizabeth Jane Howard
4 Extra Debut. Discussing her life and work with Sally Hardcastle, Elisabeth Jane Howard explains why her novels are hard to write. From July 1987.
TUE 06:50 Inheritance Tracks (b04wmxjd)
Griff Rhys Jones
Comedian Griff Rhys Jones inherits 'On the Street Where You Live' from My Fair Lady and passes on 'Bold as Love' by Jimi Hendrix.
TUE 07:00 Nineteen Ninety-Four (b013plyd)
Freedom Is Choice
"The Sellingfield Project: 'We'll take care of you alright!' "
Sub-Officer Edward Wilson probes a mysterious incident in Cumbria.
Starring Robert Lindsay.
Futuristic sitcom by Richard Turner and William Osborne with a nod to George Orwell.
Edward ...... Robert Lindsay
Sophie ...... Siobhan Redmond
Charles ...... Paul Shearer
With Pam Ferris, Richard Turner, Mark Knox and David Goodland.
Producer: Nick Symons
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1985.
TUE 07:30 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b04vkl9j)
Series 6
Ann Widdecombe
Marcus Brigstocke persuades his guests to try new experiences - starting with politician Ann Widdecombe.
Ann tries camping in a tent for the first time and watches as much of The Thick Of It as she can stand on TV.
Marcus also offers Ann the chance to drink a Jagerbomb - but will she accept?
Director: Bill Dare
First broadcast on BBC Radio in December 2014.
TUE 08:00 The Goon Show (b007k0fk)
Series 10
The Last Smoking Seagoon
Ned is quitting nicotine, but Grytpype-Thynne has other ideas. End of the regular series. With Spike Milligan. From January 1960.
TUE 08:30 Doctor at Large (b00b6z49)
Disengagement
Simon Sparrow gets inadvertently betrothed, so it's up to Benskin and Spratt to help him out.
The misadventures of newly qualified doctor, Simon Sparrow - adapted for radio by Ray Cooney from Richard Gordon's 'Doctor at Large' published in 1955.
Starring Richard Briers as Simon Sparrow, Geoffrey Sumner as Sir Lancelot Spratt, Ray Cooney as Tony Benskin, Alethea Charlton as Anthea de Beere-Sidebotham, Ambrosine Phillpotts as Mrs de Beere-Sidebotham and Peter Williams as Mr de Beere-Sidebotham.
Producer: David Hatch
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1969.
TUE 09:00 Dead Ringers (b04vr10b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:30 Tickets Please (b00ny7k4)
Episode 2
The 9.27 London to Exeter emotional rollercoaster continues as the train staff's personal embroilments deepen.
Now one of the wedding party is joining in the melee. And why are there finger-holes in the muffins?
Sitcom on rails by Mark Maier.
Robin..................Jeremy Swift
Nadine...................Alex Kelly
Peter..............Malcolm Tierney
Carol..............Tessa Nicholson
Carl................Nicholas Boulton
Diana...............Melissa Advani
Linda...................Kate Layden
Keith...............Stephen Hogan
Other parts played by Piers Wehner, Philip Fox and Joseph Cohen-Cole.
Producer: Peter Kavanagh
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2009.
TUE 10:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016ljn4)
Titus Discovers
Will young Titus make an escape? How does Steerpike's plan bear fruit? Stars David Warner, Adrian Scarborough and James Fleet.
TUE 11:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pqn8d)
Mr Wrong, part 2
After a fright on the M1, will Meg be able to sell the car that she now knows is haunted? Read by Matilda Ziegler.
TUE 11:15 Guy Meredith - Clicktrack (b04wwpwd)
1930s Britain: A young composer working in the film industry finds himself up against a number of eccentric types involved in a seemingly doomed picture.
Can he save the day with a magical score?
Guy Meredith's drama stars Maurice Denham as Alec Leeland, Ian Targett as Young Alec, Philip Voss as Maxwell Vine, Michael Graham Cox as Jack B Nimble, Petra Davies as Helen Holloway, Neville Jason as Claude Leroux, Joan Walker as Nellie Browne, Ian Michie as Billy, Philip Sully as the Film Narrator and Richard Tate as the Security Guard.
Director: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1989.
TUE 12:00 The Goon Show (b007k0fk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 Doctor at Large (b00b6z49)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:30 Profile (b04wmxjb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 13:50 Inheritance Tracks (b04wmxjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:50 today]
TUE 14:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b012lty7)
Episode 2
Despite the 48-year age difference, Nadia's widower father is determined to marry his new love Valentina. Read by Sian Thomas.
TUE 14:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7kt7)
Bachelors
Historian Amanda Vickery investigates the complicated arrangements that limited a man's search for a suitable wife.
TUE 14:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b5v8b)
Episode 7
Turmoil and tension at Givre as diplomat George Darrow tries to explain himself, whilst Sophie prompts a revelation.
Published in 1912, The Reef is one of Edith Wharton's most accomplished yet neglected novels - revealing the submerged and perilous depths beneath the surface of even the most conventional of its characters.
Starring Ben Miles as George Darrow, Jodhi May as Sophie, Teresa Gallagher as Anna and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
TUE 14:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b04wwpwg)
Episode 2
An anniversary arrives and Arabella gets to know her new housemates who bond as their luggage is unpacked. Read by Claire Skinner.
TUE 15:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016ljn4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b04khxn5)
Pool frogs, polar bears and a royal dollhouse
Mel Giedroyc meets some pool frogs, takes a tour of a Queen's dollhouse and brings us more of a new adaptation of Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell.
TUE 17:00 The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket (b04wjth2)
Series 1
The Jubilee Concert
Can the dear ladies organise a last-minute royal celebration?
Starring Dame Hilda Bracket and her lifelong companion Dr Evadne Hinge.
The dear ladies reside in the Suffolk village of Stackton Tressel. This was the genteel setting for three Radio 4 series between 1977 and 1979, with further spin-off seasons on Radio 2 until 1990. In the early 1980s, they expanded over to BBC TV with the series Dear Ladies.
Dame Hilda Bracket ...... George Logan
Dr Evadne Hinge ...... Patrick Fyffe
Mr Fewster ...... Duggie Brown
Scripted by Mike Craig, Lawrie Kinsley and Ron McDonnell.
Produced at BBC Manchester by James Casey.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1977.
TUE 17:30 Nineteen Ninety-Four (b013plyd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 17:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wmytw)
Summoning Up a Whopper
The Earthmen are banished to Sunaru 9, where they are greeted by a reception committee. Kenny Everett's 1976 sci-fi serial starring the world's most fabulous starship captain.
TUE 18:00 Dead Ringers (b04vr10b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 18:30 Bookclub (b0076kx5)
Elizabeth Jane Howard
Elizabeth Jane Howard was at the very centre of the English literary world in the latter half of the 20th century and beyond.
In 2004, she joined readers in Radio 4's Bookclub to discuss Falling, one of her most strange and dark novels.
Falling is based on a relationship that went wrong in her own life. James Naughtie presents.
Produced by Dymphna Flynn.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2004.
TUE 19:00 The Goon Show (b007k0fk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 Doctor at Large (b00b6z49)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:30 Profile (b04wmxjb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 20:50 Inheritance Tracks (b04wmxjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:50 today]
TUE 21:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pqn8d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 21:15 Guy Meredith - Clicktrack (b04wwpwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
TUE 22:00 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b04vkl9j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 Flight of the Conchords (b00dn8cf)
Dan and the Panda
The Kiwi parody band aim for UK fame.
Improvised comedy from the satirical pop pair, as they align with established comics to poke fun at all aspects of pop music.
Rob Brydon narrates the musical odyssey.
Starring New Zealand musical comedy duo, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement.
With:
Rhys Darby
Dan Topolski
Daniel Kitson
Additional material by Joel Morris.
Musicians: David Catlin-Birch and Mark Allis.
Producer: Will Saunders
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in September 2005.
TUE 23:00 Scrooby Trevithick (b00rfj49)
Writer
Comedy series written by and starring Andy Parsons, following the exploits of hapless Scrooby, a well-meaning but flawed young man who is desperately trying to better himself through his own website where he's left his web-diaries.
Scrooby tries to become a writer, having had what he regards as a cracking idea for a best-seller entitled A Short History of Combine Harvesters in Cornish.
With Kerry Godliman, Dara O Briain, Russell Howard, Hugh Dennis, Russell Kane, Rufus Hound, Alun Cochrane, Dominic Frisby, Paul Thorne, Martin Coyote and Barunka O'Shaughnessy.
An Open Mike production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 23:30 Fags, Mags and Bags (b01n1qxy)
Series 5
General Whitesnake Demeanour
More shop based shenanigans and over the counter philosophy, courtesy of Ramesh Mahju and his trusty sidekick Dave.
The arrival of new priest Father Neil Green (Andrew O'Neill) receives mixed views from the Lenzidens, with his prog rock-esque approach to Christianity. His flowing cape, Stetson and general Whitesnake demeanour catches the attention of The Bishop (Michael Redmond) and he sets out to see how the locals are taking to him.
The staff of 'Fags, Mags and Bags' are on a tireless quest to bring nice-price custard creams and cans of coke with Arabic writing on them to an ungrateful nation. Ramesh Mahju has lovingly built the business up over the course of 30 years, and is ably assisted by his sidekick Dave. But then there are Ramesh's sons Sanjay and Alok - both surly and not particularly keen on the old school approach to shopkeeping, but natural successors to the business so Ramesh is keen to pass them all his worldly wisdom whether they like it or not.
Written by and starring Donald Mcleary and Sanjeev Kohli.
Cast:
Ramesh:...................................... Sanjeev Kohli
Dave:........................................... Donald Mcleary
Sanjay:.........................................Omar Raza
Alok:.............................................Susheel Kumar
Father Neil Green:........................Andrew O'Neill
The Bishop:..................................Michael Redmond
Alan:.............................................Tom Urie
Phil:..............................................Stewart Cairns
Keith Futures:...............................Gavin Mitchell
Produced by Gus Beattie
A Comedy Unit production for BBC Radio 4.


WEDNESDAY 07 JANUARY 2015

WED 00:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b012lty7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7kt7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b5v8b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 00:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b04wwpwg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 Dead Ringers (b04vr10b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
WED 01:30 Bookclub (b0076kx5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 Profile (b04wmxjb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:50 Inheritance Tracks (b04wmxjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:50 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016ljn4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pqn8d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:15 Guy Meredith - Clicktrack (b04wwpwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 The Enchanting World of Hinge and Bracket (b04wjth2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 Nineteen Ninety-Four (b013plyd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wmytw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:55 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgf)
3. Back Against the Wall
A row over privatisation breaks out - and private eye Rosie has doubts over the apparently innocent death...
Paula Wilcox stars in Alan McDonald's six-part thriller serial.
Rosie ...... Paula Wilcox
Margie ...... Elizabeth Estensen
Jerry ...... Christopher Bramwell
Bob ...... Dominic Grounsell
Carol ...... Helen Roberts
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Mike ...... Steve Hodson
Martin ...... Paul Barber
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Bill Jones ...... Dominic Letts
Elsie ...... Pauline Yates
DS Murdoch ...... Gareth Armstrong
Hickey ...... Michael Onslow
Music composed by Peter Howell.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1993.
WED 06:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
Larry Grayson was one of Britain's most popular entertainers, of whom it could genuinely be said that fame, which he gained relatively late in life, did not change him one whit. He was devoted to his adopted home town of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, and lived there for most of his life.
His early years were spent performing with a drag act in working men's clubs all over the Midlands. Then in 1971, he was seen performing as a stand-up comedian in London by Michael Grade, then an entertainments promoter. Grade offered Larry a 6-minute slot at the London Palladium, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In this profile of Larry Grayson, Jim Lee, Nuneaton-born and bred himself, recalls a comedian whose gently camp and inoffensive humour delighted audiences of all ages.
Michael Grade, Terry Wogan, Isla St Clair and Larry Grayson's nephew and biographer Mike Malyon are amongst those interviewed for the programme.
Producer Libby Cross.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2005
WED 07:00 North by Northamptonshire (b0196tyh)
Series 2
Episode 6
Norman may have stopped the parade, but the festival must go on. Meanwhile Helen has news for Jan and Frank, and love blossoms for a most unlikely couple.
Sheila Hancock narrates the bittersweet adventures of the residents of a small town in Northamptonshire.
Written by Katherine Jakeways.
John Biggins................................Keith
Mackenzie Crook...........................Rod
Kevin Eldon...................Jonathan / Ken
Shelia Hancock....................... Narrator
Jessica Henwick...........................Helen
Katherine Jakeways........ Esther / Jacqui
Felicity Montagu..............................Jan
Geoffrey Palmer........................Norman
Lizzie Roper..............................Angela
Penelope Wilton............................Mary
Rufus Wright................................Frank
Producer: Victoria Lloyd
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2012.
WED 07:30 What Does the K Stand For? (b04vr5j8)
Series 2
Turning Cheeks
Family arguments in the first in a series of Stephen K Amos' sitcom about his own teenage years, growing up black, gay and funny in 1980s South London.
Written by Jonathan Harvey with Stephen K Amos.
Producer: Colin Anderson.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2014.
WED 08:00 The Navy Lark (b007k1q5)
Series 2
New at the Helm
A jetty's demolished as Pertwee and Phillips return from leave to meet the new number one, Lieutenant Murray.

Starring Leslie Phillips as the Sub-Lieutenant, Jon Pertwee as the Chief Petty Officer, Stephen Murray as Number One, Richard Caldicot as Commander Povey, Ronnie Barker as AS Johnson, Heather Chasen as Heather, Michael Bates as the Rating and Tenniel Evans as the Admiral.

The Navy Lark ran for an impressive thirteen series on BBC Radio between 1959 and 1976.

Scripted by Lawrie Wyman.

Producer: Alastair Scott Johnston.

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1959.
WED 08:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00sg1gl)
Series 3
Episode 10
Delving into the dark side - to explore the unexplainable.
More quick-fire sketches, terrible puns, humorous songs and parodies.
Stars Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall and Bill Oddie.
Written by John Esmonde & Bob Larbey, Peter Vincent & David McKellar, David Hatch, Eric Idle and Bill Oddie.
Originating from the Cambridge University Footlights revue 'Cambridge Circus', ISIRTA ran for 8 years on BBC Radio and quickly developed a cult following.
Music and songs by Dave Lee, Bill Oddie and Leon Cohen.
Producer: Humphrey Barclay
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in May 1966.
WED 09:00 Foul Play (b00z5bl2)
Series 4
Much Ado About Murder
Crime writers Jean McConnell and Keith Miles try to solve an Elizabethan court killing.
With the help of witnesses played by Maria McErlane and Lee Simpson.
Murder mystery panel game chaired by Simon Brett.
Producer: Liz Anstee
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1998.
WED 09:30 The Atkinson People (b007jsb0)
Sir Corin Basin
The actor, raconteur and general bore talks to just about anyone who will listen. Stars Rowan Atkinson. From April 1979.
WED 10:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7xx)
Titus Departs
Steerpike becomes Master of Ritual, but Titus grows suspicious and must take action. Mervyn Peake's serial stars David Warner.
WED 11:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pr7s3)
Pont du Gard
Alan and Ruth's unhappy marriage is brought to crisis point on a family holiday in France. Read by Matilda Ziegler.
WED 11:15 Drama (b00s0hdn)
Michael Symmons Roberts - A Man in Pieces
By Michael Symmons Roberts
Conor volunteers to test a new medical sonic scanner which records the sounds inside the body. From this recording an analysis of the patient's health is drawn. The Goldberg Scanner could revolutionise medical science. No-one knows what effect this scanner has on human health.
Conor finds himself a prisoner in a secure research facility, brought back day after day to spend another hour in this massive dark metal tunnel. He gradually realises that he's being mapped, being searched so deeply that he feels he's losing his identity and being taken over by a Doppleganger that is released when he enters the scanner.
WED 12:00 The Navy Lark (b007k1q5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00sg1gl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 13:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 14:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b012b1yx)
Episode 3
Nadia and Vera bury the hatchet to plot how to prevent their aged father from marrying the voluptuous Valentina. Read by Sian Thomas.
WED 14:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7kt9)
Spinsters
Historian Amanda Vickery presents a series which reveals the hidden history of home over 400 years. She draws on first-hand accounts from letters and diaries, many of which have never been heard before. Including songs which have been specially recorded for the series.
When we think of the history of home, the cosy experiences of the nuclear family spring easiest to mind. But what of those who had no family or home of their own?
Probably as many as one in five women never married in 18th-century England. What about their story? What did the comforts of home mean for them? Prof Vickery tells the story of one admirable and disabled spinster, whose letters she discovered in a record office in Reading.
Readers: Deborah Findlay, John Sessions, Madeleine Brolly and Simon Tcherniak.
Singers: Gwyneth Herbert and Thomas Guthrie, with David Owen Norris at the keyboard.
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 14:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b65j3)
Episode 8
The swirling waters threaten to engulf Anna as she tries to understand the truth about Darrow and Sophy...
Published in 1912, The Reef is one of Edith Wharton's most accomplished yet neglected novels - revealing the submerged and perilous depths beneath the surface of even the most conventional of its characters.
Starring Ben Miles as George Darrow, Jodhi May as Sophie, Teresa Gallagher as Anna and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
WED 14:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b04wwx1c)
Episode 3
Edmund and his wife discuss how to treat their new charge. Janet and Henry have a truly miserable time. Read by Claire Skinner.
WED 15:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7xx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b04kjjy6)
Harry Belafonte, blind waterspeed record holder and barefoot walking
Harry Belafonte shares his Inheritance Tracks, Mel meets a very special waterspeed record holder and there's the next episode of current story Rooftoppers.
WED 17:00 Thinking of Leaving Your Husband? (b00rxf3w)
Lobster Thermidor
Sarah's first experience of internet dating has gone horribly wrong, but undeterred she continues to use the site, and receives a proposal from a high court judge to go out and eat lobster thermidor with him. Meanwhile her ex-schoolfriend, Tania, is treating her less like a friend and more like some sort of hired servant; she is instructed to look after a consignment of pedigree cats that Tania proposes to sell at a huge profit. Some relief comes in the form of an unexpected visit from her two self-centred but irrepressible nieces Lucy and Ellie. The second episode of a comedy drama by Charlotte Cory starring Henry Goodman and Lia Williams.
Cast:
Sarah ... Lia Williams
Malcolm - and all Sarah's internet dates ... Henry Goodman
Mother ... Miriam Margolyes
Tania ... Frances Barber
Lucy ... Eleanor Butters
Ellie ... Hayley Roberts
Susie ... Elyse Blemmings
Sound Design: Lucinda Mason Brown
Original Music: David Chilton
Director: Gordon House
A Goldhawk Essential production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 17:30 North by Northamptonshire (b0196tyh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 17:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wrgrg)
Carla Pulls a Master Stroke
The space adventures of Captain Elvis Brandenburg Kremmen, 'The World's Most Fabulous Man'. Ably assisted by the voluptuous Carla and German [slightly Nazi] Professor Gitfinger, the 6'10" hero, with an IQ of 498, takes on alien foes like The Thargoids, Krells and Sun-Suckers.
WED 18:00 Foul Play (b00z5bl2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 18:30 Off the Page (b0076gwp)
Sensuality
Soprano Catherine Bott, dancer Wendy Buonaventura and chef Raymond Blanc discuss the five kingdoms of the senses.
In each programme, Matthew Parris introduces a group of writers of fact and fiction: new talent and established names. In the context of a discussion of one of the ideas and pre-occupations of our times, each presents a piece on this week's topic.
The best new writing and the freshest conversation.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2003.
WED 19:00 The Navy Lark (b007k1q5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00sg1gl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 20:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 21:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pr7s3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 21:15 Drama (b00s0hdn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
WED 22:00 What Does the K Stand For? (b04vr5j8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 Armando Iannucci (b007vlzn)
Series 1
Episode 2
Surprising new computer games - and Radio 1’s Top 100 Dogs.
Armando lannucci hosts wry comical discussion, sketches and music.
With Rebecca Front, David Schneider, Peter Baynham and Steve Coogan.
Written by Armando Iannucci.
Producer: Caroline Leddy:
First broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in April 1993.
WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b04zrb36)
For two hours, six nights a week, the Comedy Club offers the best comedy around. Tom Wrigglesworth chats to Ross Noble.
WED 23:00 Concrete Cow (b04wjtm3)
Series 2
War
A war poet is told that the troops prefer limericks.
Second series of the sketch show in which anything is possible.
Starring Robert Webb, Beth Chalmers, Catherine Shepherd, Steven Kynman, Abigail Burdess and Chris Pavlo.
Written by James Cary.
Producer: Adam Bromley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2004.
WED 23:30 4 at the Store (b00db35n)
Series 2
Episode 3
Stand-up at London's Comedy Store with host Simon Bligh, Ian Stone, Ronnie Golden and Jo Caulfield. From January 2002.


THURSDAY 08 JANUARY 2015

THU 00:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b012b1yx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7kt9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b65j3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 00:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b04wwx1c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 Foul Play (b00z5bl2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 Off the Page (b0076gwp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Seems Like a Nice Boy: The Story of Larry Grayson (b0076pz1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7xx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01pr7s3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:15 Drama (b00s0hdn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 Thinking of Leaving Your Husband? (b00rxf3w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 North by Northamptonshire (b0196tyh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wrgrg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:55 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgr)
4. If Looks Could Kill
Private-eye Rosie Monaghan continues to investigate a murder. But no-one else thinks there's been one...
Paula Wilcox stars in Alan McDonald's thriller serial.
Rosie ...... Paula Wilcox
Margie ...... Elizabeth Estensen
Jerry ...... Christopher Bramwell
Bob ...... Dominic Grounsell
Carol ...... Helen Roberts
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Mike ...... Steve Hodson
Martin ...... Paul Barber
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Bill Jones ...... Dominic Letts
Helen Thackray ...... Rachel Atkins
James MacLeish ...... James Telfer
DS Murdoch ...... Gareth Armstrong
Music composed by Peter Howell.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
THU 06:30 Rocking Scots (b007gsr0)
Episode 1
1/2. Midge Ure returns to his native Glasgow to explore his musical roots, from his tenement upbringing to joining the short-lived boy band Slik in the 1970s. He assesses Scotland's contribution to rock and pop music during the 1960s and 70s, from Lulu to Alex Harvey. Contributors include Maggie Bell, Eddi Reader and Jim Diamond.
THU 07:00 The Elephant Man (b04wjsk0)
Early Closing Day
What will become of the animals, and staff, when the zoo goes up for sale?
Debbie Barham's eight-part sitcom about the life of an elephant zoo keeper.
Starring Peter Serafinowicz as Terry Lyon, Chris Emmet as Leonard, Richard Pearce as Adam, Joanna Monro as Stephanie, Geraldine Fitzgerald as Maureen, Geoff McGivern as George, Wayne Forester as Mr Bull and Debra Stephenson as the Secretary.
Producer: Richard Wilson.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in October 1996.
THU 07:30 My Teenage Diary (b04vkgls)
Series 6
Alex Horne
Comedian Alex Horne's teenage diary focuses on his 1997 gap year, which he spent teaching English in China. But looking back, Alex wishes he'd spent more time teaching grammar, and less time worrying about girls and sampling the local nightlife.
Produced by Harriet Jaine
A Talkback production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 08:00 It Sticks Out Half A Mile (b007jq64)
War Damage
Wilson, Pike and Hodges go to London to try and claim compensation for their pier 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
Sir Wensley Smithers ...... Reginald Marsh
Written by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles, based on the characters originally created by Jimmy Perry and David Croft.
Producer: Martin Fisher
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in September 1984.
THU 08:30 The Jason Explanation of... (b007jpzh)
Love, Sex and Marriage
David Jason tries to crack relationships via computer dating and Punch and Judy.
With Sheila Steafel and Royce Mills.
Following in the footsteps of Lord Clark, Dr Bronowski and Professor Galbraith, David Jason unravels the mysteries of the universe and the meaning of life.
Scripted by Colin Bostock Smith, Andy Hamilton, Barry Pilton and Paul Leigh.
Music by John Owen Edwards
Producer: Geoffrey Perkins
First broadcast on the BBC Radio 4 in September 1977.
THU 09:00 Who Goes There? (b00ftbnp)
Series 3
Episode 5
Martin Young chairs the quiz which looks at the noteworthy and the notorious from history.
Tackling the biographical teasers are team captains Francis Wheen and Fred Housego with guests Amanda Foreman and Maria McErlane.
Producer: Liz Anstee
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2000.
THU 09:30 Alison and Maud (b007k3ds)
Series 2
A Gender Agenda
A visit from Bernard's mother raises suspicion for the landladies.
Second of two series of Sue Limb's Bed and Breakfast sitcom about sisters Alison and Maud and their guests at the Abbeyfield Guest House in Norwich.
Starring Denise Coffey as Alison, Miriam Margolyes as Maud, Joss Ackland as Father, Chris Emmett as Mr Mullett and Geoffrey Whitehead as Bernard.
Producer: Jonathan James-Moore.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2004.
THU 10:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7y1)
Titus Abroad
Titus's first encounter with the world beyond Gormenghast leads him to Muzzlehatch. Stars David Warner and Luke Treadaway.
THU 11:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01prccs)
Whip Hand
Mrs Bracken is determined that her daughter is going to be a star, but Fern has other ideas. Read by Matilda Ziegler.
THU 11:15 Philip Palmer - The King's Coiner (b00767dn)
By the 1690s, Isaac Newton - already the world's greatest mathematician - was hungry for a new challenge and became Warden of the Royal Mint.
His pursuit of London's most notorious counterfeiter, William Chaloner, confirmed him as a man prepared to go to any lengths to solve a problem...
Ian McDiarmid stars as Isaac Newton.
Written by Philip Palmer.
With Katy Cavanagh as Catherine Barton, Barnaby Kay as William Chaloner, Peter Marinker as Mr Secretary Vernon, Freddie Annobil-Dodoo as Tom Holloway, Colin Adrian as Thomas Carter and Jeremy Swift as Lord Halifax
Director: Toby Swift
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2002.
THU 12:00 It Sticks Out Half A Mile (b007jq64)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 The Jason Explanation of... (b007jpzh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 13:30 Rocking Scots (b007gsr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 14:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b012b8j7)
Episode 4
Valentina continues her conspicuous consumption as cracks in the months-old marriage begin to show. Read by Sian Thomas.
THU 14:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7ktc)
Widows
Historian Amanda Vickery presents a series which reveals the hidden history of home over 400 years. She draws on first-hand accounts from letters and diaries, many of which have never been heard before. Including songs which have been specially recorded for the series.
When we think of the history of home, the cosy experiences of the nuclear family spring easiest to mind. But what of those who had no family or home of their own?
Widows had enormous status and power in the 18th century. And for some women, the death of a spouse was a fairytale release. This programme tells the story of the richest widow in England, Elizabeth Montagu, and how she spent her late husband's coal fortune.
Readers: Deborah Findlay, John Sessions, Madeleine Brolly and Simon Tcherniak.
Singers: Gwyneth Herbert and Thomas Guthrie, with David Owen Norris at the keyboard.
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 14:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b6xp1)
Episode 9
After George's betrayal, Anna makes a decision. But can she muster the resolve to hold to it?
Published in 1912, The Reef is one of Edith Wharton's most accomplished yet neglected novels - revealing the submerged and perilous depths beneath the surface of even the most conventional of its characters.
Starring Ben Miles as George Darrow, Teresa Gallagher as Anna and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
THU 14:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b04wxl6h)
Episode 4
Edmund takes Arabella to London and treats her to lunch. Then events take a completely unexpected turn. Read by Claire Skinner.
THU 15:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7y1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b04kjt79)
Croissants, cloud watching and curry
Mel savours how to make the perfect croissant, meets a man with his head in the clouds and introduces the fourth part of our adaptation of Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell.
THU 17:00 The Secret Life of Rosewood Avenue (b007jx3p)
Entertaining Edwin
"Whenever you're passing , look me up" you said. "No need to let me know, stay as long as you like..."
An old school chum visits hapless vicar Timothy Carswell, while two teenage tearaways terrorise residents.
Stephen Sheridan's sitcom series stars James Grout.
Reverend Timothy Carswell ...... James Grout
Miss Tilling ...... Margaret Courtenay
Miss Tapp ...... Jean Heywood
Mrs Muir ...... Sarah Thomas
Mrs Knatchbull ...... Maxine Audley
Jeremy ...... Christian Robinson
David ...... Tobias Best
Mr Rainbird ...... David Bannerman
Constable ...... Ian Lindsay
Edwin ...... Robert Lang
Producer: Lissa Evans.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1991.
THU 17:30 The Elephant Man (b04wjsk0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 17:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wrs15)
Carla's Doobrie Brings Relief
One of Carla's knick-knacks proves helpful in summoning help. Kenny Everett's 1976 sci-fi serial starring the world's most fabulous starship captain.
THU 18:00 Who Goes There? (b00ftbnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 18:30 Great Lives (b0076dwb)
Series 3
James Hogg
4 Extra Debut. Geneticist Steve Jones chooses 19th-century fiddle-playing shepherd and writer James Hogg. With Humphrey Carpenter. From May 2003.
THU 19:00 It Sticks Out Half A Mile (b007jq64)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 The Jason Explanation of... (b007jpzh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 20:30 Rocking Scots (b007gsr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 21:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01prccs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
THU 21:15 Philip Palmer - The King's Coiner (b00767dn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
THU 22:00 My Teenage Diary (b04vkgls)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 Laura Solon - Talking and Not Talking (b00p912l)
Series 3
Episode 5
Naive office worker Adrian is offered a job as the new Robson and Jerome, the United Planetary Super Council is invaded by a space-fiend and a strange German woman takes over the Shipping Forecast.
Perrier Award-winning comedian Laura Solon with more sketches, monologues and one-liners.
With:
Ben Moor
Rosie Cavaliero
Ben Willbond
Producer: Colin Anderson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2009.
THU 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b04zrb9b)
For two hours, six nights a week, the Comedy Club offers the best comedy around. Tom Wrigglesworth chats more to Ross Noble.
THU 23:00 Continuity (b00tt684)
Episode 6
A Continuity Announcer's booth can be a lonely place - especially on the late shift, when you've barely seen your wife and children for a week. Still, this Radio 4 Continuity Announcer is nothing, if not a consummate professional and he's not going to let his own insignificant little problems get in the way of your listening pleasure. Especially when there are so many exciting programmes coming up in the next week, which he's got to tell you about. At least some of them are exciting. Some of them aren't quite his cup of tea, if he's honest, but that's not really the point, is it? They may be right up your street. It's not really his place to express an opinion. Even if it is tempting. This may be a come-down from heady days spent announcing on the Today programme, but he's got a job to do. Though sometimes it is rather difficult to concentrate .....
Alistair McGowan stars in a subversive sitcom about a Continuity Announcer brooding on the escalating disasters of his private and professional life; at the same time as attempting to give us a preview of the programmes on offer in the coming week on Radio 4. Or what might be Radio 4 in a parallel universe. Trails for 'The Ethical Enigma', 'Britain's Favourite Sound' and 'The History of Britain One Year at a Time' are just some of the strange delights on offer in the world of this 'radio professional', who harbours a slightly inappropriate relationship with his audience.
Written by Hugh Rycroft a stalwart of 'The News Quiz' and co-creator of 'Parliamentary Questions' and 'Life, Death and Sex with Mike and Sue', the series also features the voices of Lewis Macleod, Sally Grace, Charlotte Page and David Holt.
Produced by David Spicer and Frank Stirling.
A Unique Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:15 Ivor Cutler - A Stuggy Pren (b00d45qp)
Episode 5
Songster Ivor Cutler slips a disc and shares his secrets about moonshine, housemaids and a bully called Smith. From 1994.
THU 23:30 Cabin Pressure (b00cb5k4)
Series 1
Abu Dhabi
Stephanie Cole, Benedict Cumberbatch and Roger Allam star in the sitcom about the pilots of a tiny charter airline for whom no job is too small, but many, many jobs are too difficult. Written by John Finnemore, writer for The News Quiz, The Now Show, and That Mitchell & Webb Sound.
In this week’s episode, the town of Bristol, a cat and a thermostat combine to present Martin with a career-breaking crisis.
Cast:
Carolyn Knapp-Shappey .............................. Stephanie Cole
1st Officer Douglas Richardson ...................... Roger Allam
Capt. Martin Crieff........................... Benedict Cumberbatch
Arthur Shappey.............................................. John Finnemore
ATC Fitton........................................................ Ewen MacIntosh
Written by John Finnemore
Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4


FRIDAY 09 JANUARY 2015

FRI 00:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b012b8j7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7ktc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b6xp1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 00:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b04wxl6h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 Who Goes There? (b00ftbnp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 Great Lives (b0076dwb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlgr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 Rocking Scots (b007gsr0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7y1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01prccs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:15 Philip Palmer - The King's Coiner (b00767dn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 The Secret Life of Rosewood Avenue (b007jx3p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 The Elephant Man (b04wjsk0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wrs15)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:55 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlh0)
5. Count Your Blessings
Private-eye Rosie Monaghan is trying to solve her first case, but the demands of love, children and her bank manager are pressing in...
Paula Wilcox stars in Alan McDonald's thriller serial.
Rosie ...... Paula Wilcox
Margie ...... Elizabeth Estensen
Jerry ...... Christopher Bramwell
Bob ...... Dominic Grounsell
Carol ...... Helen Roberts
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Mike ...... Steve Hodson
Martin ...... Paul Barber
Andrew ...... Kim Wall
Bill ...... Dominic Letts
Helen ...... Rachel Atkins
Old Woman ...... Diana Payan
Graham ...... David Thorpe
Music composed by Peter Howell.
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1993.
FRI 06:30 Rocking Scots (b007j27y)
Episode 2
2/2. Midge Ure returns to his native Glasgow to explore his musical roots, from his tenement upbringing to joining the short-lived boy band Slik in the 1970s. The 80s and 90s saw a new generation of Scottish artists gain self-confidence in their national identity.
Contributors include Jim Kerr from Simple Minds, Sharleen Spiteri from Texas, Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue and Proclaimers twins Charlie and Craig Reid.
FRI 07:00 Little Blighty on the Down (b007jxb9)
Series 3
Episode 1
Parish Council leader Mrs Roberts wonders how to become more popular. Political satire with Jo Kendall. From July 1990.
FRI 07:30 The Rest is History (b04ws4hy)
Series 1
Episode 4
Frank Skinner loves history, but just doesn't know much of it.
This comedy discussion show with celebrity guests promises to help him find out more about it.
With David Baddiel, Emma Kennedy and historian in residence Dr Kate Williams
Frank and company navigate their way through the annals of time, picking out and chewing over the funniest, oddest, and most interesting moments in history.
Producers: Dan Schreiber and Justin Pollard
An Avalon production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in January 2015.
FRI 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k0pd)
Series 1
The Sheik
The Lad signs to Sid's new studio, but filming doesn't quite go to plan.
Starring Tony Hancock.
With Moira Lister, Bill Kerr, Sidney James 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 February 1955.
FRI 08:30 The Men from the Ministry (b01092vz)
Trouble in the Air
The bumbling bureaucrats head to New York, but will it be 'plane' sailing?
A weekly tribute to all those who work in government departments.
Stars Richard Murdoch and Deryck Guyler. With Norma Ronald, John Graham, Gordon Clyde and John Curle.
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 1970.
FRI 09:00 Jest a Minute (b016w0m2)
Series 2
Episode 1
Rhod Gilbert's comedy quiz from the Glee Club in Cardiff.
With Chris Corcoran, Lloyd Langford, Rob Deering and Tom Craine.
Producers: Paul Forde and Gareth Gwynn.
First broadcast on BBC Radio Wales in 2006.
FRI 09:30 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.
FRI 10:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7y3)
Titus Alive
As Titus Groan stumbles on through the world, could he have finally found his way home? Stars David Warner and Luke Treadaway.
FRI 11:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01ps9w4)
Child's Play
Kate is not appreciated by her husband or daughter, but receives affection from an unusual source. Read by Matilda Ziegler.
FRI 11:15 Sheridan Le Fanu - Carmilla (b016q2l5)
Laura is a lonely girl living in a solitary castle in the south east of Austria.
Into her life comes the beautiful and mysterious Carmilla, with whom Laura strikes up, what will prove to be, a dangerous friendship...
Starring Anne-Marie Duff as Laura, Brana Bajic as Carmilla, David Warner as Father and Celia Imrie as Madame.
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic novella was first published in 1871.
Dramatised by Don McCamphill.
Producer: Lawrence Jackson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2003
FRI 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k0pd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 The Men from the Ministry (b01092vz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlh0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 Rocking Scots (b007j27y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian (b012brz6)
Episode 5
Father and his young wife Valentina argue over her visa appeal, but everyone has a cunning plan. Read by Sian Thomas.
FRI 14:15 Amanda Vickery - A History of Private Life (b00n7ktf)
Two Widowers
Historian Amanda Vickery presents a series which reveals the hidden history of home over 400 years. She draws on first-hand accounts from letters and diaries, many of which have never been heard before. Including songs which have been specially recorded for the series.
When we think of the history of home, the cosy experiences of the nuclear family spring easiest to mind. But what of those who had no family or home of their own?
The story of two different widowers and their desperate search for a new wife, based on original material from two unusual sets of diaries which Prof Vickery found in Lincoln.
Readers: Deborah Findlay, John Sessions, Madeleine Brolly and Simon Tcherniak.
Singers: Gwyneth Herbert and Thomas Guthrie, with David Owen Norris at the keyboard.
A Loftus production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 14:30 Edith Wharton - The Reef (b00b719j)
Episode 10
Anna has succumbed to desire, but can she ever know happiness?
Published in 1912, The Reef is one of Edith Wharton's most accomplished yet neglected novels - revealing the submerged and perilous depths beneath the surface of even the most conventional of its characters.
Concluding episode starring Ben Miles as George Darrow, Jodhi May as Sophie, Teresa Gallagher as Anna, Deborah Weston as Adelaide, Julian Ovenden as Owen and Sian Thomas as the Narrator.
Dramatised by Penny Leicester.
Producer: Di Speirs
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2005.
FRI 14:45 EJ Howard - Odd Girl Out (b04wxmvg)
Episode 5
Edmund's attraction intensifies, but Arabella seems to be cooling off. Meanwhile, his absence is noted. Read by Claire Skinner.
FRI 15:00 Mervyn Peake - The History of Titus Groan (b016n7y3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:00 The 4 O'Clock Show (b04kk1k8)
Chocolate, cartoons and moustaches
Mel Giedroyc discovers why a chocolate factory helped the soldiers of World War One and there's the final part of this week's award-winning story Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell.
FRI 17:00 After Henry (b007md8k)
Series 3
The End of a Chapter
"The status quo does suit me rather well."
Sarah's off to Florence, but worries about her mother - and shock news from Clare.
Simon Brett's comedy about three generations of women - struggling to cope after the death of Sarah's GP husband - who never quite manage to see eye to eye.
Sarah ...... Prunella Scales
Eleanor ...... Joan Sanderson
Russell ...... Benjamin Whitrow
Clare ...... Gerry Cowper
Julian ...... Jasper Jacob
Four radio series were made, but instead of moving to BBC TV - Thames Television produced 'After Henry' for the ITV network.
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1987.
FRI 17:30 Little Blighty on the Down (b007jxb9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 17:55 Kenny Everett - Captain Kremmen (b04wrz9v)
The President Unleashes an Awesome Weapon
Our hero makes contact with Earth, and learns that there may be a mighty price to pay. Kenny Everett's 1976 sci-fi serial starring the world's most fabulous starship captain.
FRI 18:00 Jest a Minute (b016w0m2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 18:30 Meet the Parents (b015cvdx)
Series 1
Hardeep Singh Kohli
5/5
Hardeep Singh Kohli speaks to his father about his decision to move to Scotland from India, raising a Sikh family in Glasgow in the 1970s and how being brought up and living a multicultural life has impacted on both of their life paths.
FRI 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k0pd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 The Men from the Ministry (b01092vz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 Unofficial Rosie (b007jlh0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 Rocking Scots (b007j27y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Elizabeth Jane Howard Short Stories (b01ps9w4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
FRI 21:15 Sheridan Le Fanu - Carmilla (b016q2l5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
FRI 22:00 The Rest is History (b04ws4hy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 Radio Shuttleworth (b007jqcl)
Series 2
Richard Whiteley
John hopes TV's Richard Whiteley will host a special Shuttleworth edition of Countdown with wife Mary acting as Carol Vorderman - but only after he's helped with the washing up!
The semi-detached world of aspiring singer-songwriter John Shuttleworth comes direct from his front room in Sheffield.
With John Otway and Jo Enright.
Written and performed by Graham Fellows.
Additional material by Martin Willis.
Producer: Dawn Ellis.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2000
FRI 23:00 Blue Jam (b04wxmvj)
Series 2
Episode 6
Cult dark comedy from the imagination of Chris Morris. With Phil Cornwell, Kevin Eldon, David Cann, Sally Phillips, Amelia Bullmore and Mark Heap.
Are you saggy-faced after boozing on Melanchol? Then welcome, Oo-aa-aa-muzz-muzz-welcome. Chris Morris is here to help you wallow in it for the second series of this subversive radio classic.
Immediately prior to Blue Jam's initial burst on radio, Chris Morris had caused a furore with Channel 4's Brass Eye. Yet Blue Jam managed to be a total departure from his previous work. Originally airing late at night on BBC Radio 1, it's a blend of ambient music, deadpan (sometimes brutal) sketches and offbeat monologues. A whole audio landscape of the subconscious, the ad-hoc low-fi sheen of production lending it a kind of verisimilitude.
In sharp contrast with the personality-led comedies of recent years, Blue Jam makes a virtue of anonymity. Borat scribe Pater Baynham is one of the writers, and Julia Davis and Amelia Bulmore are among the cast. Rightly winning a clutch of Sony Awards, it remains unique - nothing before or after was remotely like it.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in May 1998.