SATURDAY 13 JANUARY 2018

SAT 00:00 Richard Matheson - I Am Legend (b007k167)
Episode 9With the new society on the attack, Robert Neville refuses to leave his house. Read by Richard Matheson. From February 2006.
SAT 00:30 Soul Music (b07z43fm)
Series 23, Jerusalem"Jerusalem" has become a quintessentially middle-class and very English song, but it is held in the hearts and memories of people from different backgrounds and cultures.
There is a bit of cricket - Aggers discusses England's stunning and unexpected victory in the 2005 Ashes. Jerusalem reminds of that extraordinary summer.
We hear from Pamela Davenport, the daughter of a man who felt that the words of Jerusalem highlighted inequality in society; lack of money prevented him fulfilling his academic potential and he died in a care home that didn't care well enough for him.
For the American poet, Ann Lauterbach, the unusual and little-known Paul Robeson version was the theme-tune to her escape from the difficult years of Nixon and Vietnam to 1960s London.
The singer, Janet Shell, recalls the burial of her Great Uncle who was killed during World War One, but whose body was only discovered in 2009.
Susanne Sklar - a scholar of William Blake - discusses the inspiration behind the words of the poem. Probably, she says, he wrote them while awaiting his trial for sedition; he was in trouble for fighting with a soldier who had urinated in his garden.
The composer and writer, Paul Spicer, plays, sings and talks through the tune which was composed by Sir Hubert Parry.
Producer: Karen Gregor.
SAT 01:00 Dashiell Hammett - Secret Agent X-9 (b007jq13)
You're the TopThe 1930s action hero finally confronts his nemesis at the top of a New York landmark.
Stars Stuart Milligan as X-9 and Connie Booth as Grace Powers. With Rachel Power and William Hootkins
Adapted for radio by Mark Brisenden, from the comic strip created by Dashiell Hammett and Alex Raymond. Syndicated by King Features, it ran from 1934 to 1996.
Originally agent X-9 had no name, but opted to call himself "Dexter" in the opening tale.
Author Dashiell Hammett is best remembered for his detective novels, The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man, while cartoonist Alex Raymond famously created sci-fi comic hero Flash Gordon.
Produced by Chris Wallis.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 5 in January 1994.
SAT 01:30 The Howling Terror Mystery (b00tv7wz)
In 1900 a huge megaphone hurled a human voice over the South Downs terrifying locals. Alan Dein resurrects this strange story. From August 2005.
SAT 02:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn2y)
Episode 5The author travels to the stunning Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest lake in the world. Read by John Rowe. From January 2000.
SAT 02:15 Five Hundred Years of Friendship (b0400mh3)
The Lonely CyborgDr Thomas Dixon brings his major new series on the changing face of friendship to a close with a look at how the old and the young are navigating their friendships today through technologies old and new, and at how friendship might look in the future.
Episode 15: The Lonely Cyborg
A group of Birmingham schoolgirls prove themselves thoughtful and self-aware about how to conduct their friendships online and about the differences between online and face-to-face friendships. Professor Deborah Chambers, an authority on social media and personal relationships from the University of Newcastle, confirms that fears about children's online friendships with strangers have been exaggerated.
At the other end of the life-span, Thomas Dixon speaks with the writer Penelope Lively about friendship in her ninth decade, and about why she likes to consider herself part of "the landline generation".
Closing the series, Thomas Dixon emphasizes the importance of physical touch and presence for friendship, and presents a final montage of the voices which have featured throughout the series, sharing stories of their own friendships.
Producer: Beaty Rubens.
SAT 02:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b01qfk3p)
More Tales of the City, Episode 5Mary Ann and Burke's detective work to solve the reason for his amnesia steps up a pace . Mona's extrmely worried as her mother is in town . Anna Madrigal has a mystery of her own to reveal .
DIRECTED BY SUSAN ROBERTS
In this sequel to Tales of the City, Anna Madrigal reveals her secrets to her second family - the tenants of her house. Mona Ramsey is on a cross-country trip that takes her to a brothel which may hold a secret about her past. Michael "Mouse" Tolliver and Mary Ann Singleton go on a cruise where they meet up with lovers old and new. Brian Hawkins becomes involved with a mysterious woman he spots from his window, while DeDe Halcyon Day becomes acquainted with a new friend who helps her discover her true inner feelings.
SAT 02:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrg7)
Episode 5The letters of Winston and Clementine Churchill. The reality of war strikes home. With Alex Jennings and Sylvestra Le Touzel. From February 1999.
SAT 03:00 James Hilton - Lost Horizon (b00tp95x)
The InheritanceThe Inheritance: Hugh Conway's old acquaintances try to discover if there is any truth behind his Shangri-La adventure. Stars Derek Jacobi. From October 1981.
SAT 04:00 The Motion Show (b0075x94)
Series 2, Episode 6Dr Phil Hammond chairs the debating game with Stuart Maconie, Steve Punt, Chris Neill and Linda Smith. From February 2000.
SAT 04:30 After Henry (b007jnsf)
Series 2, The Married ManClare's latest love affair proves difficult to keep secret from granny Eleanor.
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.
Starring Prunella Scales as Sarah, Joan Sanderson as Eleanor, Benjamin Whitrow as Russell and Gerry Cowper as Clare.
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 September 1986.
SAT 05:00 The Leopard in Autumn (b00c0r22)
Series 1, The Coining of the CapricornPrince Ludovico plans to introduce a new currency to his 16th century Italian domain.
Neal Anthony's comedy drama about the chaotic lives of the ruling family of Renaissance Italy's most inconsequential city-state.
Stars David Swift as Ludovico, Sian Phillips as Plethora, Graham Crowden as Francesco, Paul Bigley as Alessandro, Saskia Wickham as Rosalie, Nick Romero as Salvatori, Christopher Kelham as Guido and Kim Wall as Brother Michael.
Producer: Helen Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2001.
SAT 05:30 The Break (b07ctt0z)
The KeyWelcome to Flamford, the setting for a new comedy series starring Philip Jackson, Tom Palmer and Alison Steadman.
In this first episode, Andy Chambers (Tom Palmer) - edgy, sharp-tongued City burn-out - has fled London for his Uncle Jeff's (Philip Jackson) seaside home. When we meet him, all Andy wants to do is sleep, but Jeff is having none of it.
Jeff gets Andy out of bed and gives him breakfast with the promise of an interesting surprise which is safely stowed in the shed. He suddenly realises his keys are missing - his friend Fat Sid borrowed the keys three years ago and hasn't given them back. Jeff leads Andy on a quest around Flamford for Fat Sid and the missing keys.
On their Odyssey they encounter Fish Shop Frank (Mark Benton) and his outré selection of fish, Pest Control Officer Corinne (Alison Steadman) with whom Jeff has an "understanding", and finally Fat Sid himself in an unexpected new role.
Writers: Ian Brown and James Hendrie
Producer/Director: Gordon Kennedy
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 06:00 Eric Pringle - Gracie (b01g69tb)
Wish Me LuckFrom Rochdale to renown, Gracie Fields's rise to fame was not without its traumas. Stars Tracy Wiles and Paul Nicholas. From April 1996.
SAT 07:30 Michael Bentine - The Reluctant Jester (b01k2gxl)
The Reluctant Jester, We Can't Have Non-Europeans in the Royal Air ForceThe founding Goon Show member and comic actor looks back to his repeated efforts to sign up for the war. From September 1993.
SAT 08:00 Archive on 4 (b0532chv)
Malled: 60 Years of Undercover ShoppingWill Self visits an out-of-town mall of the mind. Air conditioned, driveable, mild-mannered and secure, the mall was the perfect sheltered shopping emporium. There were faint echoes of the grand bazaars of the east, but filled with reassuring western brands. Some were so tailor-made for malls that they thrived there like tomatoes under glass - think Krispy Kreme and Gap.
The seeming innocuity of these spaces created rich source material for Generation X talents like Douglas Coupland and director Kevin Smith, and what would 'Dawn of the Dead' be without the prerequisite shopping mall?
Replaced by internet shopping - and yes - our long-forgotten high street, there's been a marked downturn in enclosed mall development in the west. These environments now feel as mid-century as motels and strip lighting. Yet, as quickly as we turn our backs on this brand of retail homogeneity, Asia and South America are embracing it with vigour. Of the 25 largest malls in the world, only three are now situated in North America.
Will Self explores the early utopian ideals of these space and argues that despite their historic links to uniformity and submissiveness, malls now represent a space where rules can be broken and true self-expression can find a home.
SAT 09:00 Soul Music Mixtapes (b09m5mfr)
Cerys Matthews delves into the archives to put together a specially curated mixtape of her favourite stories from across 25 series of the BBC Radio 4's Soul Music.
Each episode of Soul Music takes a different piece of music - it might be a pop song, or a hymn, or a piece of classical music or world music - and looks at why it moves us and what it means to different people. Cerys's choices include Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, Mozart's Requiem in D Minor, Bob Marley's Redemption Song, Puccini's La Boheme and Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna Come.
Producer: Mair Bosworth.
SAT 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b00dyp5l)
The First Night PartyThe lad throws a launch party - with cocktails and dinner - for his very first half hour, but things don't quite go to plan.
Starring Tony Hancock. With Moira Lister, Bill Kerr, Sidney James, Gerald Campion and Kenneth Williams.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Theme and incidental music written by Wally Stott.
Producer: Dennis Main Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1954.
SAT 12:30 Change at Oglethorpe (b00mvs9q)
Off the RailsTicket sales at Oglethorpe railway station are at an all-time low.
Could passengers be put off by Points's Platform 1 FM Punk Rock Show? Or is it down to June's seances in the cafe? - or perhaps because Rocket refuses to sell anyone a ticket to Barnsley?
New station manager, David Clare has a challenge on his hands!
Peter Morfoot's comedy stars Michael Williams as Rocket, Peter Davison as David, Rosemary Martin as June, Phillippa Wilson as Points, Madge Hindle as Hattie and Chris Emmett as Sodd. Other parts played by Caroline Strong and David Timson.
Producer: Gareth Edwards
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in December 1995.
SAT 13:00 CJ Sansom - Shardlake: Heartstone (Omnibus) (b09m5vdx)
Episode 2Tudor lawyer-detective Shardlake heads to Portsmouth, where preparations for war are gathering pace. Stars Justin Salinger.
SAT 14:10 Inheritance Tracks (b09m5mft)
Tamasin Day LewisThe chef and food critic chooses Bach's 'Brandenburg Concerto No 6' and 'Rise And Fall' by her son Harry's band, Fireflies.
SAT 14:15 Down Your Way (b09m5mfw)
Phil Drabble at Chatsworth4 Extra Debut. Naturalist Phil Drabble visits the lavish Peak District home and estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. From May 1990.
SAT 15:00 Archive on 4 (b0532chv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SAT 16:00 Eric Pringle - Gracie (b01g69tb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 17:30 Michael Bentine - The Reluctant Jester (b01k2gxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 18:00 George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four (b01qldly)
Episode 2Dramatised by Jonathan Holloway
Winston Smith has found love and comfort with Julia, and now they are determined to join the Brotherhood, a secret, counter-revolutionary organisation pledged to destroy The Party. But for The Party's enemies, deep in the Ministry of Love, there is the threat of Room 101.
Directed by Jeremy Mortimer.
SAT 19:00 Soul Music Mixtapes (b09m5mfr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 22:00 4 at the Store (b00ct1wm)
Series 1, Episode 2Stand-up at London's Comedy Store, with host Simon Bligh, John Mann, Marian Unfaithful and Paul Tonkinson. From December 1998.
SAT 22:30 The Jason Byrne Show (b01pfrm4)
Series 3, Use Your Imagination to Have the Best FunThe award-winning funny man gets nostalgic about his youth. With Laurence Howarth and Margaret Cabourn-Smith. From November 2010.
SAT 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09m6142)
Russ Peers 2/3Arthur Smith chats to comedian - and former, highly talented, checkout operator - Russ Peers.
SAT 23:00 Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation (b04hyy1f)
Series 10, How to Define Oneself in Terms of Regional, Cultural and Geopolitical Identity Without TearsStand by your radios! Jeremy Hardy returns to the airwaves.
In this post-referendum world, Jeremy Hardy dispassionately examines the questions of nationality, identity and accents. The noo.
Helping him get to grips with the new world will be stand-up comedian Susan Murray and, broadly speaking, Scotsman Moray Hunter (Absolutely).
Welcome to "Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation", a series of debates in which Jeremy Hardy engages in a free and frank exchange of his entrenched views. Passionate, polemical, erudite and unable to sing, Jeremy returns with a new series of his show, famous for lines like, "Islam is no weirder than Christianity. Both are just Judaism with the jokes taken out."
Few can forget where they were twenty years ago when they first heard "Jeremy Hardy Speaks To The Nation". The show was an immediate smash-hit success, causing pubs to empty on a Saturday night, which was particularly astonishing since the show went out on Thursdays. The Light Entertainment department was besieged, questions were asked in the House and Jeremy Hardy himself became known as the man responsible for the funniest show on radio since Money Box Live with Paul Lewis.
Since that fateful first series, Jeremy went on to win Sony Awards, Writers Guild nominations and a Nobel Prize for Chemistry. He is a much-loved regular on both The News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. He can't sing.
Written by Jeremy Hardy
Produced by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
SAT 23:30 Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better (b00k3n96)
Series 1, Greed/GluttonyThe Welsh comedian sets out on his quest to free us from the seven deadly sins. With Tim Key and Tim Minchin. From February 2007.


SUNDAY 14 JANUARY 2018

SUN 00:00 George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four (b01qldly)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 CJ Sansom - Shardlake: Heartstone (Omnibus) (b09m5vdx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 13:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:10 Inheritance Tracks (b09m5mft)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:10 on Saturday]
SUN 02:15 Down Your Way (b09m5mfw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Saturday]
SUN 03:00 Archive on 4 (b0532chv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 Eric Pringle - Gracie (b01g69tb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 05:30 Michael Bentine - The Reluctant Jester (b01k2gxl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b01qkm6q)
More Tales of the City (Omnibus)San Francisco, 1976. Barbary Lane's residents are on the move, Mary Ann on the high seas and Mona on the highway. Stars Lydia Wilson. From February 2013.
SUN 07:15 Deborah Moggach - An Arrangement in Grey and Black (b007mwdd)
In 1871, Whistler paints a masterpiece picture of his mother. A century later, it reappears. Deborah Moggach's story, read by Susannah York. From March 1997.
SUN 07:30 Clare in the Community (b063dcgb)
Series 10, Things That Go Bump in the DayThe Sparrowhawk team are forced to work together to overcome a little problem they discover in the office. Lead by Clare, they're thinking outside the box...
Sally Phillips is Clare Barker the social worker who has all the right jargon but never a practical solution.
A control freak, Clare likes nothing better than interfering in other people's lives on both a professional and personal basis. Clare is in her thirties, white, middle class and heterosexual, all of which are occasional causes of discomfort to her.
Each week we join Clare in her continued struggle to control both her professional and private life In today's Big Society there are plenty of challenges out there for an involved, caring social worker. Or even Clare.
Written by Harry Venning and David Ramsden
Producer Alexandra Smith.
SUN 08:00 Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead (b00hmb64)
From 23/7/1972Mystery in a spoof of smooth sleuth Paul Temple - and wires get crossed on the telephone.
A sequential entertainment for radio starring Ronnie Barker.
With Terence Brady, Pauline Yates and Ann Beach. Pianist: Gordon Langford.
Written by Arnold Brown, Donald Churchill, Peter Spence, Don Currell and Andy Kelvin, John Graham, Charles Griffin, JG Sacks, Myles Rudge and Ted Dicks, and Gerald Wiley.
Producer John Fawcett-Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1972.
SUN 08:30 Harry Worth in Things Could Be Worse (b09m5vf1)
Take a ChanceHarry enters a radio quiz. Will his general knowledge taken from cigarette cards suffice? With Miriam Margoyles. From September 1976.
SUN 09:00 Edward Stourton - Auntie's War (Omnibus) (b09m5wdm)
Ed Stourton on how the BBC adapted to the outbreak of the Second World War, Phoney War boredom and reporters sent to France.
SUN 10:10 The Listening Project (b05y178x)
Lynne and Queenie - Sea LifeFi Glover introduces a conversation between wild swimmers who prefer not to look too closely at what may be swimming with them. Another in the series that proves it's surprising what you hear when you listen.
The Listening Project is a Radio 4 initiative that offers a snapshot of contemporary Britain in which people across the UK volunteer to have a conversation with someone close to them about a subject they've never discussed intimately before. The conversations are being gathered across the UK by teams of producers from local and national radio stations who facilitate each encounter. Every conversation - they're not BBC interviews, and that's an important difference - lasts up to an hour, and is then edited to extract the key moment of connection between the participants. Most of the unedited conversations are being archived by the British Library and used to build up a collection of voices capturing a unique portrait of the UK in the second decade of the millennium. You can learn more about The Listening Project by visiting bbc.co.uk/listeningproject
Producer: Marya Burgess.
SUN 10:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b09m5wdp)
Business, Mary Portas4 Extra Debut. From The Cure to Maria Callas, retail guru and campaigner Mary Portas shares her castaway choices with Kirsty Young. From January 2010.
SUN 11:00 The Moth Radio Hour (b06y148k)
Series 1, Hitchhiking, a Mosh Pit and Iggy PopTrue stories told live in the USA: Jenifer Hixson introduces stories about revelations, nightmares and meeting your idols.
The Moth is an acclaimed not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling based in the USA. Since 1997, it has celebrated both the raconteur and the storytelling novice, who has lived through something extraordinary and yearns to share it. Originally formed by the writer George Dawes Green as an intimate gathering of friends on a porch in Georgia (where moths would flutter in through a hole in the screen), and then recreated in a New York City living room, The Moth quickly grew to produce immensely popular events at theatres and clubs around New York City and later around the USA, the UK and other parts of the world.
The Moth has presented more than 15,000 stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. The Moth podcast is downloaded over 27 million times a year.
Featuring true stories told live on stage without scripts, from the humorous to the heart-breaking.
The Moth Radio Hour is produced by Jay Allison and Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and is distributed by the Public Radio Exchange.
SUN 11:50 Inheritance Tracks (b09m5wdr)
Jeff BrazierThe presenter, reality TV star and life coach chooses 'Crosstown Traffic' by Jimi Hendrix and 'Searching' by Roy Ayers.
SUN 12:00 Lines From My Grandfather's Forehead (b00hmb64)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
SUN 12:30 Harry Worth in Things Could Be Worse (b09m5vf1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
SUN 13:00 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b01qkm6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 14:15 Deborah Moggach - An Arrangement in Grey and Black (b007mwdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 today]
SUN 14:30 Muriel Spark - Vital Spark: A Far Cry From Kensington (Omnibus) (b09m5ys6)
Episode 1A playful and autobiographical novel set in London's post-war publishing scene. Read by Maggie Service.
SUN 15:45 Painted for Posterity (b00766bd)
Dinosaurs, Merry-Go-Rounds and a Drowned VillagePatrick Wright investigates areas in Derbyshire and Suffolk captured by the wartime Recording Britain art project. From February 2002. Episode 2 of 3.
SUN 16:00 John Mortimer - Glasnost (b007jwds)
Whilst on an official visit to Moscow, novelist Anthea Denham begins to find the attentions of the young Russian guide and interpreter something more than just flattering. But is he harbouring other motives?
John Mortimer's drama stars Anna Massey as Anthea Denham, Boris Isarov as Vladimir Pinchevski, Clive Merrison as Brian Worsfold and Philip Voss as Charles Hathaway.
Producer: John Tydeman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1988.
SUN 17:00 Poetry Extra (b09m5ys8)
African Performance - It's All About MePoet Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's radio poetry archive and this week chooses 'African Women - It's All About Me' recorded on location in Namibia with poets Ingrid Kinda, Luna Rampaga, Nepeti Nicanor, Deseree Isak and Elizabeth Ikhaxas.
First broadcast on World Service in 1999.
Producer: Jackie Chambers.
SUN 17:30 Clare in the Community (b063dcgb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 18:00 Frankenstein (b007jptw)
Episode 1Classic dark tale of a young scientist's monstrous attempts to discover the secrets of creating life. Stars Michael Maloney. From October 1994.
SUN 19:00 The Moth Radio Hour (b06y148k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
SUN 19:50 Inheritance Tracks (b09m5wdr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:50 today]
SUN 20:00 Edward Stourton - Auntie's War (Omnibus) (b09m5wdm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SUN 21:10 The Listening Project (b05y178x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:10 today]
SUN 21:15 Desert Island Discs Revisited (b09m5wdp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:15 today]
SUN 22:00 Clare in the Community (b063dcgb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 22:30 Cabin Pressure (b01ptztf)
Series 4, UskertyComedy by John Finnemore about the wing and a prayer world of a tiny, one plane, charter airline staffed by two pilots: one on his way down, and one who was never up to start with. Whether they're flying squaddies to Hamburg, metal sheets to Mozambique, or an oil exec's cat to Abu Dhabi, no job is too small - but many, many jobs are too difficult.
Episode 2:
As Carolyn and Martin turn a short hop into a long climb, Douglas and Arthur get to play with an airport.
Written by John Finnemore
Produced and directed by David Tyler
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.
SUN 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09m6194)
Russ Peers 3/3Arthur Smith chats to comedian - and former, highly talented, checkout operator - Russ Peers.
SUN 23:00 What Does the K Stand For? (b03lpjy6)
Series 1, The Cat Next DoorAn actress moves in next door to the Amos household and encourages Young Stephen to overcome his stage fright.
Written by Jonathan Harvey with Stephen K Amos
Produced by Colin Anderson.
SUN 23:30 Ivor Cutler - A Wet Handle (b00ctkty)
Episode 5Ivor Cutler and friends present surreal songs and poems, including grass seed, mud and digging ditches. From June 1997.
SUN 23:45 Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (b00scw61)
Diplodocus vs ConcretonSurreal saga of a dynasty delicately balanced on the edge of sanity. Written by and stars Viv Stanshall. From December 1996.


MONDAY 15 JANUARY 2018

MON 00:00 Frankenstein (b007jptw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b01qkm6q)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:15 Deborah Moggach - An Arrangement in Grey and Black (b007mwdd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:15 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 Muriel Spark - Vital Spark: A Far Cry From Kensington (Omnibus) (b09m5ys6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:45 Painted for Posterity (b00766bd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:45 on Sunday]
MON 04:00 John Mortimer - Glasnost (b007jwds)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Poetry Extra (b09m5ys8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 17:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Clare in the Community (b063dcgb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011ckhy)
Series 1, The Vicious VetA handsome vet's arrival in the Cotswold village of Carsely sparks a murder trail for the amateur sleuth. Stars Penelope Keith. From May 2004.
MON 06:30 The Print Master (b019fwvx)
What do Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink, Paula Rego, David Hockney and Man Ray have in common? They have all worked with legendary print maker, Stanley Jones. Susan Aldworth takes the chance to be his apprentice, to hear his tales, and learn his skills.
In the 1950's the printmaking skill-base in the UK had almost completely disappeared until W S Hayter - founder of the legendary Atelier 17 studio in Paris - persuaded a talented young artist from Wigan to study the art of lithography, a skill which had been lost in the UK since the time of Whistler.
On his return to Britain, Stanley Jones spearheaded a rapid expansion in British Printmaking - today he is revered in artistic circles as one of the greatest print makers alive. Now in his 70s Stanley Jones's clients read like a roll-call of the 20th century's great British artists.
Artist Susan Aldworth was invited to be Artist in Residence at the Curwen Studio, which Stanley was involved in setting up in the 1950's - the Tate Gallery has a special archive devoted to the studio's work. In 'The Print Master', we join them amongst the thundering and clanking machinery of the print works, now near Cambridge, as Stanley initiates Susan in the art of lithography, hearing tales of artists he has worked with over the past 50 years. And what artists!
Today lithography is under threat as increasing numbers of Art Schools have disposed of their lithography presses and there are few technicians who fully understand the process. This is a unique chance to work with the world expert in this discipline, and for the listener to discover more about this art.
Producer: Sara Jane Hall.
MON 07:00 Millport (b00761z4)
Series 2, Dark SecretsIrene enlists Bob's help when strange events send the tiny Scottish island into disarray. Stars Lynn Ferguson. From May 2001.
MON 07:30 The Museum of Curiosity (b09kxt2b)
Series 12, Episode 1This week, the Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Sally Phillips welcome the satirical comedy impressionist Rory Bremner, the presenter of the BBC World Service's The Arts Hour Nikki Bedi and the award-winning writer who makes you thirsty for beer, Pete Brown.
This week, the Museum's Guest Committee find out about the boy-elephant-god Ganesh, and why the direction his trunk is pointing in is so important; reveal the last British soldier to bring down an enemy with a longbow, and enter George Orwell's favourite non-existent pub..
The show was researched by Mike Turner and QI.
The Production Coordinator was Tamara Shilham.
The Associate Producer was James Harkin.
The Producers were Richard Turner and Anne Miller.
It was a BBC Studios Production.
MON 08:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jq3k)
The IdolTired of the lad's big-headedness, Bill and Moira decide to teach him a lesson.
Starring Tony Hancock. With Moira Lister, Bill Kerr and Sidney James.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Theme and incidental music written by Wally Stott. Recorded by the BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz.
Producer: Dennis Main Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1954.
MON 08:30 Dad's Army (b007jr4t)
Series 3, The Cricket MatchCaptain Mainwaring goes into bat when the Home Guard platoon are challenged to play a match against the wardens.
Starring Arthur Lowe as Captain Mainwaring, John Le Mesurier as Sergeant Wilson, Clive Dunn as Corporal Jones, John Laurie as Private Frazer, Arnold Ridley as Private Godfrey, Ian Lavender as Private Pike, Bill Pertwee as Hodges, Frank Williams as the Vicar, Edward Sinclair as the Verger and Larry Martyn as Private Walker.
Adapted for radio from Jimmy Perry and David Croft's TV scripts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1976.
MON 09:00 The 99p Challenge (b06s6mrj)
Series 4, Episode 5Crazy panel show capers as host Sue Perkins grills Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Sean Lock and Jack Docherty.
The game where someone stands to leave the studio 99p richer than when they came in.
Producer: David Tyler
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
MON 09:30 The Party Line (b012lpzv)
Series 2, Episode 3MP Duncan faces accusations of financial irregularities. Punt and Dennis's topical sitcom with James Fleet. From October 2006.
MON 10:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gq5y)
Time of HopeEager Lewis Eliot starts his rise to power from 1920s Leicester. CP Snow's English establishment epic. Stars Adam Godley. From January 2003.
MON 11:00 Behind the Screen (b068grrt)
Amy Intervenes, by EC BentleyInspector Rice probes Paul Dudden's death. Gunnar Cauthery reads the next instalment of the 1930s 'whodunit' continued by EC Bentley.
Behind The Screen is a collaborative detective serial written by six members of the Detection Club. It was first broadcast weekly on the BBC National Programme in 1930, with each contributor reading his or her own part of the story.
The six authors were Hugh Walpole, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, EC Bentley and Father Ronald Knox.
To reflect the changes of storyteller, we have a different reader for each part of this new version:
When first broadcast, some listeners were puzzled by the method employed in planning a collaborative detective story. If the whole thing were indeed to be written like a game of consequences, with each new writer picking up where the last one left off, how could any consistency be achieved, and how could a satisfactory plot be managed and concluded?
Lord Peter Wimsey creator, Dorothy L Sayers, who co-ordinated the different contributions, explained the process: "The first three authors carried the story along according to their own several fancies; while the last three used their wits, in consultation, to unravel the clues presented to them by the first three."
Abridged by John Peacock
Producer David Blount
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
MON 11:15 Lucy Catherine - Starry Eyes (b007jtf9)
Amateur astronomer Leanne finds consolation in the constellations while washing up in an all-night cafe. Stars Robin Weaver. From May 1999.
MON 12:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jq3k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 12:30 Dad's Army (b007jr4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011ckhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 13:30 The Print Master (b019fwvx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 14:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn42)
Episode 6'Weeks of visual deprivation turned Irkutsk glamorous.' The home of the Princess of Siberia. Read by John Rowe. From January 2000.
MON 14:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b0415hb6)
High AnxietiesPsychology is as old as the human race. People have always sought to understand what makes us think, feel and act the way we do.
In Episode 1, Martin examines the government's plan for a national 'happiness index' and traces our search for ourselves back to the ancients.
The term 'psychology' was first used in about 1600 and means, literally, 'study of the soul'. But it was only in the late 19th century that psychology emerged as a separate science. Today it draws on the intellectual legacy of philosophy, physiology and, increasingly, neurobiology and social science.
The author and broadcaster Martin Sixsmith retrained as a psychologist in the last decade, following careers as a BBC correspondent and government adviser. Martin's experience both studying applied psychology and as a recipient of therapy reflects the growing acceptance of psychological counselling in Britain and the lessening of the stigma attached to mental illness. There has been a growth of interest in the therapeutic aspects of psychology, but many of us still have a frustratingly incomplete knowledge of its history, techniques and broader applications.
This series taps into a defining aspect of modern existence and addresses the widespread desire to know more, charting the path from today's democratisation of psychological care back to early beliefs, the birth of modern experimental psychology, the related 'psy professions' - psychiatry and psychotherapy - and the splits and controversies of the 20th century.
Produced by Alan Hall and Sara Parker
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.
MON 14:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048jflw)
Further Tales of the City, Episode 1Armistead Maupin's Further Tales of the City - the third in his novel sequence Tales of the City , dramatised by Bryony Lavery . Set in San Francisco in 1981 giving a portrait of a free and easy era with the drug and sex counter-culture in full swing.
Landlady Anna Madrigal of 28 Barbary Lane is taking care of her tenants as they find their sometimes tricky way through love, work and fun and set out in a new era - the eighties.
Directed in Salford by Susan Roberts.
MON 14:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrh6)
Episode 6Away at war, Churchill writes to Clementine stating he wants to return home early. Starring Alex Jennings and Sylvestra Le Touzel. From February 1999.
MON 15:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gq5y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:00 The 99p Challenge (b06s6mrj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 16:30 The Party Line (b012lpzv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
MON 17:00 Millport (b00761z4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 17:30 The Museum of Curiosity (b09kxt2b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 18:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b007jwq5)
Series 2, UnaccompaniedEdna tries to make sense of a reality without Undone. Are the gaps closed?
Stars Alex Tregear as Edna Turner, Ben Moor as Tankerton Slopes and Tim Key as Grant.
Series 2 of Ben Moor's comic sci-fi saga about a magazine editor called Edna Turner who enters a parallel world where her version of London is replaced with the city of Undone.
Producer: Colin Anderson
Made for BBC Radio 7 by BBC Radio Comedy.
First broadcast in 2008.
MON 18:30 A Good Read (b09m63pt)
Charles Collingwood and Kate Mosse4 Extra Debut. Sue MacGregor, Charles Collingwood and Kate Mosse discuss books by Maria Corelli, Agatha Christie and Alan Bennett. From July 2005.
MON 19:00 Hancock's Half Hour (b007jq3k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 Dad's Army (b007jr4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 20:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011ckhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 20:30 The Print Master (b019fwvx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 21:00 Behind the Screen (b068grrt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
MON 21:15 Lucy Catherine - Starry Eyes (b007jtf9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
MON 22:00 The Museum of Curiosity (b09kxt2b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 22:30 Absolute Power (b007wr7h)
Series 2, Episode 6Charles Prentiss is challenged by a PR rival to wheeze the unwheezable. Stars Stephen Fry and John Bird. From March 2001.
MON 23:00 News Quiz Extra (b09m63pw)
Series 22, Episode 2Miles Jupp chairs a satirical review of the week's news in an extended version of Friday's programme. Episode 2 of 8.
MON 23:45 Hearing With Hegley (b00b0sgk)
Series 1, Episode 2The poet laureate of alternative comedy John Hegley entertains an audience with his book of verse. From November 1996.


TUESDAY 16 JANUARY 2018

TUE 00:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b007jwq5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 A Good Read (b09m63pt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011ckhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 The Print Master (b019fwvx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn42)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b0415hb6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048jflw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrh6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gq5y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 The 99p Challenge (b06s6mrj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:30 The Party Line (b012lpzv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 Millport (b00761z4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:30 The Museum of Curiosity (b09kxt2b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011d9p3)
Series 1, The Body in the BathroomHunting the village killer, the amateur sleuth resorts to barefaced lies, burglary and badger-watching. Stars Penelope Keith. From 2004.
TUE 06:30 How to Write an Instruction Manual (b00m4470)
Engineer Mark Miodownik presents an instruction manual on how to write an instruction manual, exploring the history and the future of product guides and how they chart our changing relationship with technology.
He looks at how product guides have changed over the centuries, from the very first examples, written by James Watt on his new 'copying' machine, to the latest Ikea pictograms.
In the first half of the 20th century, manuals not only described how to use your television, but also how to fix it. Now, the first few pages of any TV manual contain stern health and safety warnings about the dangers of tinkering inside the TV.
Mark travels to Yeovil to visit Mr Haynes, of Haynes car and motorcycle manuals, to ask whether people still need a manual to fix their vehicle. As our products get more sophisticated, is the instruction manual becoming extinct?
TUE 07:00 1835 (b0125lgl)
All at SeaAristocrat Belport and servant Ned are called up to serve on the unfortunate HMS Fortunate. Stars Paul Rider. From June 2004.
TUE 07:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b09l068v)
Series 8, VentnorMark Steel's In Town - Ventnor on The Isle of Wight
Mark Steel returns to Radio 4 with the 8th series of his award winning show that travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents.
In the final episode in the series Mark visits Ventnor on The Isle of Wight and performs at the Winter Gardens, the venue of his first ever gig when he got up and told some jokes in a talent contest on a childhood holiday.
Ventor has a microclimate, subsidence, and the residents claim that on some days they can see France reflected upside down in the sky.
Written and performed by ... Mark Steel
Additional material by ... Pete Sinclair
Production co-ordinator ... Hayley Sterling
Sound Manager ... Jerry Peal
Producer ... Carl Cooper
Picture Credit ... Tom Stanier
This is a BBC Studio Production.
TUE 08:00 The Ken Dodd Show (b05ncjz0)
From 18/04/1965Home wine-making tips from Andy Mann, and poetic tributes to those who watch over us at night. With John Laurie. From April 1965.
TUE 08:30 The Men From the Ministry (b0141zn4)
The Export CaperThe bungling bureaucrats botch a trade agreement with the Italians. Stars Deryck Guyler and Richard Murdoch. From May 1973.
TUE 09:00 News Quiz Extra (b09m63pw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:00 on Monday]
TUE 09:45 Hearing With Hegley (b00b0sgk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 23:45 on Monday]
TUE 10:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gtdx)
The Conscience of the RichLewis Eliot gets caught up in a political scandal engulfing the family of his best friend. Stars Adam Godley. From January 2003.
TUE 11:00 Behind the Screen (b068r5lx)
How Dudden Died, by Fr Ronald KnoxMr Parsons and Wilfred Hope try to solve the mystery of Dudden's death themselves. 1930s 'whodunit' concluded by Nigel Anthony.
Behind The Screen is a collaborative detective serial written by six members of the Detection Club. It was first broadcast weekly on the BBC National Programme in 1930, with each contributor reading his or her own part of the story.
The six authors were Hugh Walpole, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Anthony Berkeley, EC Bentley and Father Ronald Knox.
To reflect the changes of storyteller, we have a different reader for each part of this new version:
When first broadcast, some listeners were puzzled by the method employed in planning a collaborative detective story. If the whole thing were indeed to be written like a game of consequences, with each new writer picking up where the last one left off, how could any consistency be achieved, and how could a satisfactory plot be managed and concluded?
Lord Peter Wimsey creator, Dorothy L Sayers, who co-ordinated the different contributions, explained the process: "The first three authors carried the story along according to their own several fancies; while the last three used their wits, in consultation, to unravel the clues presented to them by the first three."
Abridged by John Peacock
Producer David Blount
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Pier Productions.
TUE 11:15 Martyn Wade - Hermit Lucas (b007jx32)
Staying at home for 25 years, the strange tale of celebrated Victorian recluse James Lucas. Stars Anton Lesser and Conleth Hill. From May 2004.
TUE 12:00 The Ken Dodd Show (b05ncjz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 12:30 The Men From the Ministry (b0141zn4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011d9p3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 13:30 How to Write an Instruction Manual (b00m4470)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 14:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn4j)
Episode 7On route to Albazin, the author reaches the Amur, the tenth longest river in the world. Read by John Rowe. From January 2000.
TUE 14:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b041dm1y)
The Freudian AgeIn Episode 2, Martin traces a line from current government interest in 'talking cures' back to the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, visiting Freud's private apartments and also Europe's oldest mental asylum, the Narrenturm - literally, the Tower of Fools - in Vienna.
Producers: Alan Hall and Sara Parker
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.
TUE 14:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048wn5v)
Further Tales of the City, Episode 2Armistead Maupin's sequence of stories Tales of the City continues with Further Tales of the City set in San Francisco in 1981. A portrait of a free and easy era with the drug and sex counter-culture in full swing.
Landlady Anna Madrigal guides the tenants of 28 Barbary Lane through some difficult times. Michael's looking for a Jon replacement, Brian's looking for Mary Ann who , approaching 30 is looking after her career. Frannie has called Mary Ann to her house for a mysterious meeting .
Produced in Salford by Susan Roberts.
TUE 14:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrhk)
Episode 7Churchill returns home to his beloved Clementine, but tragedy strikes. With Alex Jennings and Sylvestra Le Touzel. From January 2000.
TUE 15:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gtdx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:00 The Food Quiz (b0076mtq)
Series 2, Episode 3On Jay Rayner's menu are Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Anissa Helou, Sue Lawrence and Charlie Hicks. From August 2004.
TUE 16:30 Ballylenon (b007jvg9)
Series 3, Episode 1It's time for the Tidy Village Competition, but the inevitable factions emerge. Events move on to 1955. Stars TP McKenna. From June 1996.
TUE 17:00 1835 (b0125lgl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 17:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b09l068v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 18:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b008s9dm)
Series 2, UnsurprisedEdna heads to another London and uncovers a city-wide drugs racket. Comic sci-fi saga starring Alex Tregear and Sophie Duval. From January 2008.
TUE 18:30 Pioneers (b00wmvmt)
Series 1, David BlunkettDavid Blunkett talks about how failure wasn't an option during his rise to political high office.
Blind from birth, he talks openly about the isolation of attending boarding school from the age of four, as well as the trauma of losing his father at the age of twelve.
Coming from a deprived background, David recognised very quickly that his route out of poverty was through education and against all odds, he graduated from Sheffield University at the age of 22.
David went on to become the youngest-ever councillor on Sheffield City Council, and climbed his way through the political ladder to become the first ever blind Home Secretary.
TUE 19:00 The Ken Dodd Show (b05ncjz0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 The Men From the Ministry (b0141zn4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 20:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011d9p3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 20:30 How to Write an Instruction Manual (b00m4470)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 21:00 Behind the Screen (b068r5lx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
TUE 21:15 Martyn Wade - Hermit Lucas (b007jx32)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
TUE 22:00 Mark Steel's in Town (b09l068v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 22:30 Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World (b007jtn5)
Series 2, The Human BodyThe sci-fi star probes cloning and what to do with our waste. With Richard Herring, Stewart Lee and Tom Baker. From July 1993.
TUE 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09pl687)
Jess Robinson 1/2The best in contemporary comedy. Jessica Fostekew chats to Jess Robinson. Episode 1 of 2.
TUE 23:00 Seekers (b03bs3tf)
Series 1, The New SeekerStuart (Mathew Horne) an employee of the job centre who is made redundant and is faced with the belittling scenario of returning to the place where he worked to find employment through people he's pretty sure he can do the job better than. He didn't really care about the job very much, but he was happy, well, not happy, he was content to work there, especially because of Senior Job Seeker Advisor, Nicola (Zahra Ahmadi) who he had a one night stand with during half time of the England Vs. Portugal game in 2006 and still holds out for a relationship to blossom even though it's been over seven years and she has shown no sign of wanting to.
Now stuck on the other side of the desk with the unemployed, Stuart is reunited with Joe (Daniel Mays) and Terry (Tony Way) two old school friends that Stuart outgrew eons ago.
Seekers, is about the characters that regularly frequent a Job Centre in the Essex town of Rayleigh. Be it the unfulfilled or aspirational staff that work there, or the mixture of jobless people from every walk of life, some desperate to get back to work, some trying their best to never have to work at all.
We listen into the mundane, pointless and sometimes bewildering conversations, the petty arguments and pointless rivalries that people involve themselves in just to relieve the boredom in the sterile, air conditioned building, they all have to return to day after day.
Episode One: The New Seeker
Written by Steven Burge
Produced by Katie Tyrrell.
TUE 23:30 The Consultants (b00dbj10)
Series 1, Episode 3The team tackle an unusual case of sexual harassment. With Neil Edmond, Justin Edwards and James Rawlings. From February 2003.
TUE 23:45 Where Did It All Go Wrong? (b0076gv2)
Series 1, Heinrich Prikk's Considered ConclusionsSimon Munnery conjures all sorts of conundrums in the guise of a philosopher with a severe view. From September 2003.


WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY 2018

WED 00:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b008s9dm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 Pioneers (b00wmvmt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011d9p3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 How to Write an Instruction Manual (b00m4470)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn4j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b041dm1y)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048wn5v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrhk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gtdx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 The Food Quiz (b0076mtq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:30 Ballylenon (b007jvg9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 1835 (b0125lgl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 05:30 Mark Steel's in Town (b09l068v)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011dg1r)
Series 1, The Potted GardenerCompetition for a new garden festival in the village turns nasty, with the Grim Reaper on the prowl. Stars Penelope Keith. From June 2004.
WED 06:30 Behind the Beat (b00y2x2h)
Jeffrey Rosson attempts to make sense of the pulses, throbs, ticks and beats measuring out life from those involved. From January 2006.
WED 07:00 Ring Around the Bath (b00nm9sj)
Series 1, Return of the KidiMiddle-aged Stella battles to get her grown-up children to leave home. Stars Duncan Preston and Penny Downie. From August 2003.
WED 07:30 Angstrom (b09l0ds8)
Series 1, The Man Who Wasn't DeadMatthew Holness stars as Knut Ångström, a brooding, alcoholic, maverick Swedish detective from the tough streets of Oslo, in a Scandinavian detective yarn adapted from the bestselling Ångström trilogy by Martin English (writing as Bjorgen Swedenssonsson).
Following the death of his wife, Ångström is posted to the Njalsland peninsula where he becomes embroiled in a labyrinthine murder (or possibly not-murder) case which bears an eerie similarity to the Askeladden killings - a case from his distant past.
In episode 1, a body goes missing from a crime scene. But was it ever even there in the first place?
A new comedy series by writers of the Ladybird Books for Grown Ups, Charlie Brooker's ...Wipe, That Mitchell and Webb Look and A Touch of Cloth.
Written by Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley
Cast: Matthew Holness, Nadia Kamil, Simon Kane, Morgana Robinson, David Reed, Freya Parker.
Production Co-ordinator: Tamara Shilham
Produced by Lyndsay Fenner
A BBC Studios production.
WED 08:00 The Navy Lark (b05px8vr)
Tug-of-WarTroutbridge sails on escort duty, but Mr Phillips is assigned as the lone officer. Stars Leslie Phillips. From February 1960.
WED 08:30 Round the Horne (b00j05w6)
Series 1, Episode 3Kenneth Horne meets BBC Sound Effects men - and a pantomime horse in The Clissold Saga.
Starring Kenneth Horne. With Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden and Bill Pertwee.
Recorded at the BBC's Paris Studio in Lower Regent Street, London. Announcer: Douglas Smith
Round The Horne was born out of the demise of BBC radio comedy Beyond Our Ken, after the end of writer Eric Merriman's involvement. Using the same cast and producer, Barry Took and Marty Feldman were persuaded to write the scripts - which led to four series that ran between 1965 and 1968 - packed full of parodies, recurring characters, catchphrases and double-entendres.
Music by Edwin Braden and the Hornblowers and The Fraser Hayes Four.
Producer: John Simmonds
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in March 1965.
WED 09:00 The Write Stuff (b01slrsw)
Greek TragedyRadio 4's literary panel show, hosted by James Walton, with team captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh and guests Mark Billingham and Natalie Haynes.
Produced by Alexandra Smith.
WED 09:30 Change at Oglethorpe (b007jzwk)
The Thin ControllerTrouble for the rural railway station's new manager when he sacks a member of staff. Stars Peter Davison. From December 1995.
WED 10:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gyjd)
The Masters, Part 1Lewis Eliot is teaching in Cambridge, when an election is called for a new Master. Stars Adam Godley and Philip Franks. From February 2003.
WED 11:00 Time (b03yn0ds)
A Family VisitThese three new tales by Olga Grushin - commissioned specially for BBC Radio 4 - touch upon the lives of five generations and explore the effects of time on one Russian family.
" ... I found a small alarm clock with square black numbers and a picture of a tiny butterfly in the middle of its round face, I took it.
"The hands didn't move at first, but my mother said you just had to wind it; only when she did, I saw that it was broken, because the second hand ran backward, and if you stared at the clock long enough to notice, so did the minute hand."
Programme 1. A Family Visit
Visiting Russia from America after the death of his grandfather, a young boy observes the tensions between his mother and her siblings.
Olga Grushin was born in Moscow in 1971 and spent her childhood in Moscow and Prague. In 1989 she became the first Soviet citizen to enrol for a full-time degree in the United States while retaining Soviet citizenship. In 2006 she was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers and named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists in 2007. She has published two novels: The Dream Life of Sukhanov (2006) and The Concert Ticket (2010). Her story 'The Homecoming' featured in the series 'Platform Three' on Radio 4 (2010) and The Dream Life of Sukhanov was a Book At Bedtime in 2012. Olga lives in Washington D.C.
Reader: Joshua McGuire
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 11:15 Alex Jones - River's Up (b0076ytc)
Following severe floods, a couple living by the Severn desperately search for dry land and croissants. Stars Peter Corey and Annette Badland. From June 2006.
WED 12:00 The Navy Lark (b05px8vr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 12:30 Round the Horne (b00j05w6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011dg1r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 13:30 Behind the Beat (b00y2x2h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 14:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn4x)
Episode 8The author travels by train to Komsomolsk on Amur, Stalin's city of dawn founded by young Communist pioneers. Read by John Rowe. From January 2000.
WED 14:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b041dmzy)
It's All about SexFreud's development of a new psychological science, psychoanalysis, provoked controversy because of his focus on sexuality.
In episode 3, Martin examines Freud's legacy, with audio archive of his one-time colleague then rival Carl Gustav Jung, his daughter Anna Freud and a new interview with Christopher Hampton, author of the play 'The Talking Cure'.
Producer: Alan Hall
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.
WED 14:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048wskt)
Further Tales of the City, Episode 3The Third novel in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City stories, set in 1981 in San Francisco . Further Tales of the City is a portrait of a free and easy era with the drug and sex counter-culture in full swing.
Landlady Anna Madrigal watches over the tenants of 28 Barbary Lane. Mary Ann - looking for a big story to aid her promotion from daytime TV presenter to the newsroom hears Dede's story of surviving the Jonestown massacre. Michael continues his search for a replacement for Jon and Prue is falling for Luke
Directed in Salford by Susan Roberts.
WED 14:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrj1)
Episode 8Clementine is unhappy when Winston buys Chartwell Manor without her knowledge. With Alex Jennings and Sylvestra Le Touzel. From February 1999.
WED 15:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gyjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 16:00 The Write Stuff (b01slrsw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 16:30 Change at Oglethorpe (b007jzwk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
WED 17:00 Ring Around the Bath (b00nm9sj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 17:30 Angstrom (b09l0ds8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 18:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b00f6ddb)
Series 2, UnrelatedEdna interrogates the Prince and takes on the public information porn industry. Comic sci-fi saga with Alex Tregear and Sophie Duval. From February 2008.
WED 18:30 Musical Legends (b01jrrlz)
Joan ArmatradingJoan Armatrading is a Grammy and Brit nominated musician and winner of a Ivor Novello Award. In 2008 she received an Honorary Degree from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
She's recorded many classic and memorable songs including 'Love and Affection', Me Myself I' and 'All the way from America' and has recently released her 20th Album.
Touring extensively in 2012 she has four dates in Scotland in Late October and early November.
Joan tells Tom Morton about her love of song writing, how her mother swapped two old prams to buy her first guitar and how she feels her greatest achievement is gaining an Open University Degree.
WED 19:00 The Navy Lark (b05px8vr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 Round the Horne (b00j05w6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 20:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011dg1r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 20:30 Behind the Beat (b00y2x2h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 21:00 Time (b03yn0ds)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
WED 21:15 Alex Jones - River's Up (b0076ytc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
WED 22:00 Angstrom (b09l0ds8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 22:30 The Secret World (b012mzvm)
Series 2, Episode 4Alan Titchmarsh reveals a dark side when his career is at risk. Jon Culshaw explores famous folk's private lives. From July 2010.
WED 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (b09pl80y)
Jess Robinson 2/2The best in contemporary comedy. Jessica Fostekew chats to Jess Robinson. Episode 2 of 2.
WED 23:00 Mr and Mrs Smith (b01bwp6g)
The BathroomEpisode 4 - The Bathroom
An audience sitcom about a couple in marriage counselling. Annabelle is annoyed because Will couldn't stand up to their over-enthusiastic builder. Will is furious at Annabelle for hiring the builder. Guy mediates, but this week the counsellor has his own problems.
FULL CAST DETAILS:
Will Smith ..... Will Smith
Annabelle Smith ..... Sarah Hadland
Guy ..... Paterson Joseph
John ..... Geoffrey Whitehead
Saskia, Sally ..... Susie Blake
Adam ..... Dan Tetsell
Claudia ..... Tracy Wiles
Written by ..... Will Smith
Produced by ..... Tilusha Ghelani
A year into married life and already things are a little creaky. So, following Will's unimaginative anniversary present (a draining rack), Annabelle has signed them up for a course of marriage counselling.
Each week, counsellor Guy mediates a recent dispute between Will and Annabelle, with flashbacks to the events that spawned the argument, and by the end, the couple find marital equilibrium once more. Sort of.
Guy arbitrates, usually leaning towards Annabelle's more sensible point of view. In contrast to Will's uptightness, Guy is confident and urbane and clearly irritates Will.
The writer and comedian Will Smith leads the starry cast of Mr and Mrs.Smith. Will's writing credits include Armstrong and Miller (BBC1), Harry and Paul (BBC1), Moving Wallpaper (ITV1), Time Trumpet (BBC2), the multi-award winning The Thick Of It (BBC2) in which he also appears as Phil Smith, and the upcoming Veep (HBO).
WED 23:30 Children's Hour with Armstrong and Miller (b00911f4)
Episode 3Craig and Martin throw a Come As You Aren't party. Stars Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller. From December 1998.


THURSDAY 18 JANUARY 2018

THU 00:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b00f6ddb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Wednesday]
THU 00:30 Musical Legends (b01jrrlz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011dg1r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 Behind the Beat (b00y2x2h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn4x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b041dmzy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048wskt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrj1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gyjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 The Write Stuff (b01slrsw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 Change at Oglethorpe (b007jzwk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 Ring Around the Bath (b00nm9sj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 05:30 Angstrom (b09l0ds8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011f3p9)
Series 1, The Gardener's LegacyWhen her garden festival arch-rival is murdered, the amateur sleuth digs deep to root out the wrongdoer. Stars Penelope Keith. From Jun 2004.
THU 06:30 The Physicist's Guide to the Orchestra (b01p3n9f)
In 1945, Benjamin Britten wrote The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, showing off the instruments of the orchestra in a short film. Viewers are taken through each section of the orchestra accompanied by a narration which describes the different sound quality of instruments: 'Clarinets ... make a beautifully smooth, mellow sound', flutes have a 'sweet voice' and the oboe has a 'plaintive quality.'
Trevor Cox, Professor of Acoustic Engineering at the University of Salford, looks at the physics behind the way orchestral instruments produce their unique sound. How is the sound produced, and how much does the material from which the instrument is made affect the sound?
Trevor talks to scientists who have studied musical instruments - David Sharp from the Open University, Mike Newton at Edinburgh University and Jim Woodhouse of Cambridge University. And members of the BBC Philharmonic provide the players' perspective.
THU 07:00 Fat Chance (b01b3fp9)
Weighty MattersGraham confesses to Lee and Kelly owns up to a deception regarding her pen pal. Slimline sitcom stars Michael Troughton. From February 1999.
THU 07:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b09l21yy)
Series 7, Episode 2John Finnemore presents another half hour of his award-winning sketch show, joined by his regular ensemble cast of Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan.
This week we hear about the world's least popular invention and an exciting - perhaps too exciting - new wedding venue. We also hear Shakespeare the way it's supposed to be said and, well, since you ask him for a tale of a mission set against almost insurmountable odds...
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme was described by The Radio Times as "the best sketch show in years, on television or radio", and by The Daily Telegraph as "funny enough to make even the surliest cat laugh". Already the winner of a BBC Audio Drama Award and a Radio Academy Silver Award, John was named the 2016 Radio Broadcaster of the Year by the Broadcasting Press Guild for his work on Souvenir Programme.
Written by & starring ... John Finnemore
Cast ... Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Cast ... Simon Kane
Cast ... Lawry Lewin
Cast ... Carrie Quinlan
Production Coordinator ... Beverly Tagg
Producer ... Ed Morrish
A BBC Studios production.
THU 08:00 Not in Front of the Children (b05t6kr1)
Series 1, An Older Man's FancyAfter Henry's behaviour at a party, Jennifer tries to be 'with it'. Stars Wendy Craig and Francis Matthews. From December 1969.
THU 08:30 The Goon Show (b00r39c5)
The Lost EmperorArchaeologist Seagoon hunts for the missing treasure of Genghis Khan. Stars Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers. From October 1955.
THU 09:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b01s09km)
Series 11, Episode 3David 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. Ed Byrne, Mark Watson, Tony Hawks and Lucy Porter are the panellists obliged to talk with deliberate inaccuracy on subjects as varied as the horn, windows, monkeys and grass.
The show is devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith, the team behind Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.
Producer: Jon Naismith
A Random Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 09:30 King Street Junior (b007jngs)
Series 8, ConfusionAn anonymous message for Mr Sims - someone's idea of a joke? Trouble is, the message isn't very funny. Stars Karl Howman. From May 1995.
THU 10:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gzk8)
The Masters, Part 2The Masters, Part 2: The Nazi threat affects even quiet college life in Cambridge. Lewis suffers a tragedy. Stars Adam Godley and Clive Merrison. From February 2003.
THU 11:00 Time (b03z3lkn)
Father TimeThese three new tales by Olga Grushin - commissioned specially for BBC Radio 4 - touch upon the lives of five generations and explore the effects of time on one Russian family.
" ... I found a small alarm clock with square black numbers and a picture of a tiny butterfly in the middle of its round face, I took it.
"The hands didn't move at first, but my mother said you just had to wind it; only when she did, I saw that it was broken, because the second hand ran backward, and if you stared at the clock long enough to notice, so did the minute hand."
Programme 2. Father Time
Strange things happen to Professor Lebedev in the middle of the concert hall. Is he dreaming or is there a greater force at work?
Olga Grushin was born in Moscow in 1971 and spent her childhood in Moscow and Prague. In 1989 she became the first Soviet citizen to enrol for a full-time degree in the United States while retaining Soviet citizenship. In 2006 she was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers and named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists in 2007. She has published two novels: The Dream Life of Sukhanov (2006) and The Concert Ticket (2010). Her story 'The Homecoming' featured in the series 'Platform Three' on Radio 4 (2010) and The Dream Life of Sukhanov was a Book At Bedtime in 2012. Olga lives in Washington D.C.
Reader: David Warner
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 11:15 Niall Ashdown - Tunnel Vision (b09m6mdv)
4 Extra Debut. Stuck in a train tunnel, Jim's mixtape prompts many memories of his past misdemeanours. Written by and starring Niall Ashdown. From September 2003.
THU 12:00 Not in Front of the Children (b05t6kr1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 12:30 The Goon Show (b00r39c5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011f3p9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 13:30 The Physicist's Guide to the Orchestra (b01p3n9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 14:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn5d)
Episode 9The author flies 1000 miles to the Sakha Republic and lands in a town of ice and twilight. Read by John Rowe. From January 2000.
THU 14:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b041dn0f)
Pavlov's BellStarting with the 'conditioned reflex' that the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov famously identified while studying dogs, Martin explores the development of a significant alternative to the Freudian way of thinking, 'behaviourism' - including recordings of the controversial American psychologist BF Skinner and an interview with his daughter Deborah, who as a child was the subject of her father's close scientific observations.
Producer: Alan Hall
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 14:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048wyzm)
Further Tales of the City, Episode 4Further Tales of the City, the third in Armistead Maupin's series of Tales of the City novels dramatised for radio by Bryony Lavery.
Landlady Anna Madrigal watches over the tenants of Barbary Lane as they look for love. Michael is searching for a replacement for Jon, Brian is trying to distract Mary Ann from her career, Prue is on a cruise with her new love Luke as is Frannie who has her grandchildren with her. Having escaped from the Jonestown massacre, Dede thinks it is safer to send her children away for a while...
Produced in Salford by Susan Roberts.
THU 14:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrjh)
Episode 9Churchill cuts back on household expenditure. Clementine is knocked down by a bus. With Alex Jennings and Sylvestra Le Touzel. From February 1999.
THU 15:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gzk8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b01s09km)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 16:30 King Street Junior (b007jngs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
THU 17:00 Fat Chance (b01b3fp9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 17:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b09l21yy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 18:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b00f6ddd)
Series 2, UnaccustomedCarlo leads the story as Edna and Tankerton face their biggest challenge yet. Comic sci-fi saga with Alex Tregear. From February 2008.
THU 18:30 Great Lives (b00tdm55)
Series 22, Richard NixonThe disgrace and resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974 was a profoundly traumatic moment in the history of the American presidency, leaving us the endlessly influential word Watergate and a cynicism about politics which arguably has only now, with Barack Obama, started to heal. His life is thus perhaps a strange one to nominate as "great", but the historian Dominic Sandbrook unhesitatingly selected him for celebration in this programme. Matthew Parris talks to him about his intriguing choice, and calls on Professor Philip Davies of the Eccles Centre for American Studies to round out the picture.
Producer: Christine Hall.
THU 19:00 Not in Front of the Children (b05t6kr1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 The Goon Show (b00r39c5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 20:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011f3p9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 20:30 The Physicist's Guide to the Orchestra (b01p3n9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 21:00 Time (b03z3lkn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:00 today]
THU 21:15 Niall Ashdown - Tunnel Vision (b09m6mdv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 11:15 today]
THU 22:00 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b09l21yy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 22:30 Sketchorama (b01s8q18)
Series 2, Episode 2Thom Tuck presents the pick of the new sketch groups currently performing live on the UK comedy circuit - with character, improv, broken and musical sketch comedy.
This is the second series, and in the second episode:
SO ON AND SO FORTH
Posh sketch boys Nick Gadd, John Sherman and Martin Allanson have been performing together since 2010. In that time they have chalked up an acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe debut and picked up a Cofilmic Comedy Film Award for best sketch in 2011.
THAT PAIR
That Pair are Kathryn Bond and Lorna Shaw, who met at Bretton Hall where they discovered their mutual love of being from Essex. After graduating with one degree each in Theatre Acting, they have worked as professional actresses ever since. They came out of the comedy closet in 2010 as a female musical comedy duo. Influenced by fellow Bretton Haller's and comedy legends The League of Gentlemen and their Nans and Grandads, they perform sketches and songs with bags of silliness.
SHEEPS
Sheeps are Daran Johnson, Alastair Roberts and Liam Williams - three erudite young chaps doing sketches, and then doing themselves reflecting on their own sketches. Sheeps are graduates of that most venerable of comedy finishing schools, Cambridge Footlights. Liam Williams was runner-up in the 2010 standup contest So You Think You're Funny?, while Daran Johnson is already a prizewinning playwright.
Producer: Gus Beattie
A Comedy Unit production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 23:00 Start/Stop (b039rwch)
Series 1, Episode 2by Jack Docherty
A new sitcom about three couples sailing off in to the sunset. And sinking. This week the promise of a Weekend Away tests everyone's patience.
Producer ..... Steven Canny
Jack Docherty
Jack has an exceptional record of making stand-out comedy. He first performed at the 1980 Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the comedy sketch group The Bodgers and went on to write for radio and television including: Spitting Image, Alas Smith and Jones, Vic Reeves Big Night Out, Absolutely, The Lenny Henry Show, Max Headroom, Weekending, The News Huddlines and a ton of other things.
He has also performed in a huge variety of comedy shows including in The Comic Strip Presents, The Morwenna Banks Show, Monarch of the Glen, Red Dwarf V, The Old Guys and Badults. He has also featured in the Radio 4 comedies Baggage and Mordrin MacDonald - 21st Century Wizard and has appeared on various comedy panel shows including Have I Got News For You and It's Only TV But I Like It. Jack presented his own show The Jack Docherty Show which ran for 2 years on Channel 5.
THU 23:30 Armando Iannucci - Facts and Fancies (b007jrlb)
A Life at the OperaTackling operas and some thoughts on ears. Producer, writer and performer Armando Iannucci presents his own humorous essays. From December 1997.
THU 23:45 Peter Bradshaw - For One Horrible Moment (b0084ss4)
Episode 2Memoirs of a boy growing up in the 1970s, when a girl caused excitement and self-loathing. Written and read by Peter Bradshaw. From January 1999.


FRIDAY 19 JANUARY 2018

FRI 00:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b00f6ddd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Great Lives (b00tdm55)
[Repeat of broadcast at 18:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011f3p9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 The Physicist's Guide to the Orchestra (b01p3n9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn5d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b041dn0f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:15 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048wyzm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrjh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:45 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017gzk8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 The Unbelievable Truth (b01s09km)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 King Street Junior (b007jngs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 Fat Chance (b01b3fp9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 05:30 John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (b09l21yy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011f5km)
Series 1, The Walkers of DembleyKeen to get closer to James, the sleuth gets embroiled in a saga of murder, lust and wellington boots. Stars Penelope Keith. From June 2004.
FRI 06:30 The Ancient Novel (b00d45vl)
Tibor Fischer explores the ancient novel. 2,000 years before Hollywood, Greek and Latin writers were producing tales that read like film scripts, from romances to religious mystery texts. They incorporate plot twists, bawdy humour and magical episodes in ways that are strikingly similar to their modern counterparts, and their influence on world literature is vast. At the International Conference on the Ancient Novel, Tibor talks to leading academics about this relatively unknown literary genre.
FRI 07:00 The Leopard in Autumn (b00c3b7g)
Series 1, The Pride and the PeacemakerRenaissance Italy's Prince Ludovico buys a cannon, and Princess Plethora wants to confess. Stars David Swift. From April 2001.
FRI 07:30 The Break (b07dkk0k)
Cold MountainAndy (Tom Palmer) is beginning to settle in to the unusual seaside town of Flamford. When he and his Uncle Jeff (Philip Jackson) find an abandoned fridge in the street, Jeff seizes the opportunity to teach his nephew the value of entrepreneurship.
Unfortunately, his plans are complicated by a particularly diligent and zealous Police Officer (Mark Benton), a hard-nosed private landlord (Rasmus Hardiker) and Fish Shop Frank's refusal to see a business opportunity when it's sat on the pavement outside his chip shop.
Along the way, they meet a pair of half-hearted pirates, an eccentric plutocrat, Jeff's on-off paramour, Corinne (Alison Steadman) and the youngest-sounding pub landlord in Britain.
Writers: Ian Brown and James Hendrie
Producer/Director: Gordon Kennedy
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 08:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00whw3w)
Series 5, Episode 11A stockingless thief, and Shakespeare from Bard to Verse. Songs and sketches with John Cleese and Bill Oddie. From June 1967.
FRI 08:30 Albert and Me (b007jzd2)
Series 2, Breaking Up Is Hard to DoCan Bryan save his sister Vera's marriage from breakdown? Stars Robert Lindsay, Gordon Kaye and Pat Coombs.
Robert Lindsay takes over as the single parent struggling to find work and raise his baby son. In the original 1977 series, Bryan was played by the late Richard Beckinsale who tragically died in 1979. After a six-year hiatus, the series returned with Bryan's mother and baby Albert played once again by the ever-versatile Pat Coombs.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 1983.
FRI 09:00 Whispers (b00n90xf)
Series 3, Episode 1Gyles Brandreth chairs the scandals quiz with Anthony Holden, Lucy Moore, Penny Junor and Julian Fellowes. From October 2005.
FRI 09:30 After Henry (b007jnwh)
Series 2, The Other Married ManSarah tries keeping her affair secret, but her mother Eleanor can sniff out deceit. Stars Prunella Scales. From September 1986.
FRI 10:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017h805)
The Light and the DarkAs the Second World War erupts, Lewis Eliot heads to Whitehall where his love life takes an unexpected turn. Stars Adam Godley. From February 2003.
FRI 11:00 Time (b03zxw0s)
A Bagful of StoriesThese three new tales by Olga Grushin - commissioned specially for BBC Radio 4 - touch upon the lives of five generations and explore the effects of time on one Russian family.
" ... I found a small alarm clock with square black numbers and a picture of a tiny butterfly in the middle of its round face, I took it.
"The hands didn't move at first, but my mother said you just had to wind it; only when she did, I saw that it was broken, because the second hand ran backward, and if you stared at the clock long enough to notice, so did the minute hand."
Programme 3. A Bagful of Stories
Returning to Moscow after wartime evacuation, Elena leaves her bag behind on the platform of a provincial railway station. But what did the bag really contain?
Olga Grushin was born in Moscow in 1971 and spent her childhood in Moscow and Prague. In 1989 she became the first Soviet citizen to enrol for a full-time degree in the United States while retaining Soviet citizenship. In 2006 she was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for New Writers and named one of Granta's Best Young American Novelists in 2007. She has published two novels: The Dream Life of Sukhanov (2006) and The Concert Ticket (2010). Her story 'The Homecoming' featured in the series 'Platform Three' on Radio 4 (2010) and The Dream Life of Sukhanov was a Book At Bedtime in 2012. Olga lives in Washington D.C.
Reader: Ruth Gemmell
Producer: Jeremy Osborne
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 11:15 Afternoon Drama (b03h6yrv)
Ray Connolly - Sorry, Boys, You Failed the AuditionSorry Boys You Failed The Audition by Ray Connolly
In the summer of 1962 the Beatles auditioned for producer George Martin at Parlophone Records. Having been rejected by every other record company, it was their last chance to get a recording contract. As the world soon found out, they passed the audition.
But what if they'd been turned down? Seen through the eyes of Freda, their teenage Liverpool fan club secretary, this is an affectionate comedy drama about what might have happened to the Beatles if George Martin had said, 'No'.
Producer/Director Gary Brown
Ray Connolly is a celebrated journalist and author. He is perhaps best known for writing the screenplays for the films 'That'll Be the Day' and the sequel 'Stardust' for which he won a Writers Guild of Great Britain best screenplay award, and for his many interviews with the Beatles. He was due to interview John Lennon on the day the ex-Beatle was murdered, an event he wrote about in the BBC radio play 'Unimaginable'. In addition to the biography John Lennon 1940-1980, he wrote the introduction to The Beatles Complete songbook.
FRI 12:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00whw3w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 12:30 Albert and Me (b007jzd2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011f5km)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 13:30 The Ancient Novel (b00d45vl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 14:00 Colin Thubron - In Siberia (b007jn5t)
Episode 10The author's bus arrives at Magadan - the Capital of Sorrows. Read by John Rowe. From January 2000.
FRI 14:15 In Search of Ourselves: A History of Psychology and the Mind (b041dn37)
Talking Cures?Martin considers some of the therapies that combined the psychoanalytic principles of Freud and Jung with the behaviour modifying techniques of the mid-Twentieth Century's other significant psychological movement 'behaviourism'.
With reference to the 'Gloria' tapes that featured the same patient being treated by three different 'talking cures' - Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy, Fritz Perls's Gestalt Therapy and Carl Rogers's Person Centred Therapy.
Series consultant, Professor Daniel Pick, Birkbeck, University of London.
Producer: Alan Hall
A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4.
FRI 14:30 Armistead Maupin - Tales of the City (b048xl4k)
Further Tales of the City, Episode 5Further Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin dramatised by Bryony Lavery . Set in San Francisco in 1981, a portrait of a free and easy era with the drug and sex counter-culture in full swing.
Dede's children have been kidnapped whilst on a cruise with her mother Frannie and drastic action is called for back at home by Anna Madrigal and Mary Ann.
Directed in Salford by Susan Roberts.
FRI 14:45 The Churchills - Speaking for Themselves (b007jrjy)
Episode 10Winston writes from Canada. Randolph leaves Oxford for a lecture tour of the USA. With Alex Jennings and Sylvestra Le Touzel. From February 1999.
FRI 15:00 CP Snow - Strangers and Brothers (b017h805)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:00 Whispers (b00n90xf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 16:30 After Henry (b007jnwh)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
FRI 17:00 The Leopard in Autumn (b00c3b7g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 17:30 The Break (b07dkk0k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 18:00 Ben Moor - Undone (b008zdkt)
Series 2, UnwelcomeUnwelcome: Edna and Tankerton return to her home town and attend a fete worse than death. Comic sci-fi saga with Alex Tregear. From February 2008. Episode 5 of 6.
FRI 18:30 Soul Music (b07zz5y8)
Series 23, The First Time Ever I Saw Your FaceMemories of first love, first borns and loss are stirred by The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, the timeless love song written by Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, and made famous by Roberta Flack.
The activist and folk musician Peggy Seeger tells the story of her first meeting with Ewan MacColl, which would inspire him to write the song, and talks about what the song means to her today. MacColl's biographer Ben Harker explains why this song is so different from much of Ewan's other work.
Julie Young talks about singing the song to her son Reagan, who had severe complex needs following a cardiac arrest as a baby, and the writer Louise Janson speaks about what the song came to mean to her as she set out on the path to becoming a mother on her own.
Writer and academic Jason King tells the story of how Roberta Flack came to cover this ballad by a Scottish folk musician, and how it catapulted her to fame. And Kandace Springs, a singer and pianist from Nashville, Tennessee, records her version of the song and talks about why the song is one of the greatest love songs of all time.
Produced by Mair Bosworth.
FRI 19:00 I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (b00whw3w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 Albert and Me (b007jzd2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 20:00 MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin (b011f5km)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 20:30 The Ancient Novel (b00d45vl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Podcast Radio Hour (b09m6r64)
Series 1, Deborah Frances-WhiteMade for 4 Extra. 'Rumble Strip' and 'Griefcast'. Amanda Litherland and Deborah Frances-White recommend their favourite podcasts and speak to the people who make them.
FRI 22:00 The Break (b07dkk0k)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 22:30 On the Hour (b007jmnp)
Series 2, Episode 3The Tube system goes berserk, an earthquake in Corinth and the anniversary of space. Chris Morris fronts the news satire. From May 1992.
FRI 23:00 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b04wv049)
Series 6, Roy WalkerMarcus Brigstocke persuades his guests to try new experiences: things they really ought to have done by now. Some experiences are loved, some are loathed, in this show all about embracing the new.
This week, Marcus persuades Roy Walker, the comedian made famous by Catchphrase, to see his first ever Shakespeare play and banter with the audience for the first time.
FRI 23:30 Lucy Montgomery's Variety Pack (b012qtv1)
Series 2, Episode 1The human chameleon's host of characters from a chatty schoolgirl to a decrepit charwoman. With Philip Pope. From July 2011.