SATURDAY 01 AUGUST 2026

SAT 00:00 Soul Music (b00dvtpn)
Series 7
What a Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong recorded the classic 'What a Wonderful World' in 1967, amidst civil rights demonstrations and protests against the Vietnam War.
It was a song written for him. Was it naïve or a powerful anthem for peace?
Featuring:
Prof. Peter Ling
Laurence Bergreen
Simon Weston
Katie Melua
Troy Andrews
Milan Bertosa
Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.
Producer: Sara Conkey
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2008.
SAT 00:30 Art of Now (m000j805)
The Gospel of Grime
Contemporary black music has always had a boundary pushing relationship with black church traditions.
From gospel singers like Kirk Franklin, to grime artists like Stormzy; who brought the house down at Glastonbury 2019 with an emotional rendition of his song Blinded By Your Grace. In it, he praises God, saying “Lord, I've been broken / Although I'm not worthy / You fixed me.”
Fans love that musicians like Stormzy portray their real life experiences alongside expressions of their faith. Other people claim genres like grime and drill are incompatible with Christianity.
As the once niche scene for religious ministry within UK rap increasingly reaches the mainstream, music and culture journalist Jesse Bernard traces the relationship between secular music and black churches in the UK.
He looks at how colonialism and slavery shaped the role music plays in black Christian faith communities. And with the help of theologians and musicians, he explores why issues of social justice are frequently left unaddressed within the Church.
Jesse examines how long-standing social inequality and the current policy of austerity have impacted both black churches and the music being made by black artists in the UK.
And he asks - is it so controversial for our everyday lives and our spiritual lives to be explored, side by side, in popular music?
Producer: Tej Adeleye
A Somethin' Else Production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in May 2020.
SAT 01:00 Raffles (b007jngf)
Series 3
5. The Knees of the Gods
Raffles and Bunny leave England to fight for queen and country in the South African war. For one of them there will be no return...
Starring Jeremy Clyde and Michael Cochrane.
The adventures of cricketer and gentleman thief, Arthur J Raffles, and his chronicler, Harry ‘Bunny’ Manders.
Written by EW Hornung and dramatised by Olwen Wymark.
AJ Raffles …. Jeremy Clyde
'Bunny’ Manders …. Michael Cochrane
Connal …. Sean Barrett
The General …. Peter Penry-Jones
Bellingham …. Eric Allan
Mrs Fisher …. Gudrun Ure
The soldiers were played by Nicholas Murchie, Keith Drinkel, Peter Murphy and John Webb
Signature tune composed by Jim Parker.
Director: Gordon House
A BBC Radio 4/BBC World Service production first broadcast in June 1992.
SAT 01:30 Whodunnits (m000zv83)
A Charles Paris Mystery - A Deadly Habit
Episode 4
With an actress and a stage doorman dead at The Aphra Benn theatre Charles believes he knows who the murderer might be. But his sleuthing uncovers a deadly relationship.
By Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett
Charles ..... Bill Nighy
Frances ..... Suzanne Burden
Maurice ..... Jon Glover
Bethan ..... Christine Kavanagh
Justin ..... Tony Turner
Dervla ..... Jane Slavin
Neil ..... Simon Ludders
Peaches ..... Elinor Coleman
Directed by Sally Avens
SAT 02:00 Little Blighty on the Down (b00vhw41)
Series 5
Episode 4
The Parish Council's school crack down on hippies - enter Ebenezer Birch.
Early 90s political satirical soap opera set in the strangely familiar village of Little Blighty.
Life here is pretty uneventful, though the humdrum happenings include social turmoil, economic upheaval and vicious political squabbles.
Written by Mark Burton, John O'Farrell and Mike Coleman.
Starring:
Jo Kendall
Michael Troughton
John Baddeley
Bernadine Corrigan
Jonathan Kydd
Daniel Strauss
Producer: Lissa Evans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1992.
SAT 02:30 Beyond Our Ken (m002zf0v)
Series 5
Episode 2
Kenneth Horne has a bash at culture exploring the Greek myths - the Siege of Troy no less - and Hornerama looks at careers.
A madcap mix of sketches and songs written by Eric Merriman.
Starring:
Kenneth Horne
Kenneth Williams
Hugh Paddick
Betty Marsden
Bill Pertwee
Music from Jill Day, The Fraser Hayes Four and the BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet.
Announcer: Douglas Smith
Beyond Our Ken hit the airwaves in 1958 and ran to 1964 – featuring regulars like Arthur Fallowfield, Cecil Snaith and Rodney and Charles.
Producer: Jacques Brown
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1961.
***************************************************************************************
Restored and remastered by Ted Kendall and Keith Wickham for BBC Audio.
From BBC Light Programme and BBC Transcription Service recordings for overseas.
SAT 03:00 The Confessional (m001ghws)
Series 3
The Confession of Sheila Hancock
Reluctant national treasure Dame Sheila Hancock - actor, singer, director, novelist and writer is Stephen Mangan's guest.
Together they discuss inappropriate behaviour, snobbery and flagrant rule-breaking.
Stephen Mangan hosts his comedy chat show about shame, guilt and occasional repentance.
Each episode, Stephen invites a distinguished guest into his virtual confessional box to make three 'confessions' to him.
An antidote to conventional talk shows, the guests' stories don't reflect their proudest moments. Stephen wants them to open up about their darker side - however much they may squirm.
Written and presented by Stephen Mangan
Additional material by Nick Doody.
Producer: Frank Stirling
A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2022.
SAT 03:30 Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital (b0385knn)
5. Jungle and Garage
Lloyd Bradley concludes the story of a London's transformation through its music, taking in the wave of Commonwealth immigration in the 40s right up to the present day.
Jjungle and garage pave the way for grime, a style which has crossed over into the mainstream.
Abridged by Natalie Steed.
Read by Ben Onwukwe.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2013.
SAT 03:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0080sd5)
5. England
The story of the Windrush Generation and the part they played in the Second World War and the prejudice they faced from the Mother Country are a little known aspect of recent British History.
Small Island tells the story of four people caught up in this past; Hortense, Gilbert, Queenie and Bernard.
Gilbert tries to raise the money to get to England.
Hortense agrees to lend it to him, but strikes an extraordinary bargain...
Andrea Levy's award-winning novel exploring empire, prejudice, war and love in Jamaica, England, America and India.
Dramatised by Pat Cumper
Hortense ........ Nadine Marshall
Gilbert ........ Don Gilet
Mrs Anderson ........ Clare Perkins
Mr Anderson ........ Declan Wilson
Minister ........ Delroy Brown
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
SAT 04:00 The Museum of Curiosity (m001jkl9)
Series 17
Episode 2
The Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Anna Ptaszynski (podcaster - No Such Thing As A Fish) welcome:
* Comedian Rosie Holt
* Author Olivia Potts
* Theoretical physicist Professor Carlo Rovelli
The Museum's Guest Committee speculate on the never was, the may be, and... a jar of marmalade.
This series of The Museum of Curiosity has been recorded remotely.
Researchers: Mike Turner, Mandy Fenton and Lydia Mizon of QI.
Producers: Sam Holmes & Leying Lee
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in February 2023.
SAT 04:30 Millport (b0076bbj)
Series 3
Restitution
The re-opening of the Cumbrae Club goes horribly wrong when Irene notices a fatal flaw in the plan.
Meanwhile, Alberto is paranoid that a new money-making scheme could bring the island some unwanted attention.
Bittersweet comedy written by and starring Lynn Ferguson.
Barmaid Irene Bruce is 30-something and hankering after a better life on the mainland.
Irene ...... Lynn Ferguson
Moira/Agnes ...... Janet Brown
Alberto/Dr Hume/Ferryman/Robert ...... Lewis McLeod
Ena/Bunty ...... Gabriel Quigley
Minister/Bob ...... Robert Patterson
Dougie/Huberto ...... Kenneth Bryans
Music arranged by Olly Fox.
Producer: Lucy Bacon
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2002.
SAT 05:00 The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency (b00k8t2y)
Series 2
The Admirer
Precious Ramotswe, owner and found of The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, makes an unhappy discovery.
Mma Makutsi finds an admirer at the Kalahari Typing School for Men.
Adapted from Alexander McCall Smith's popular series of novels set in Botswana.
Dramatised by the author.
Mma Ramotswe …. Claire Benedict
Mr JLB Matekoni …. Joseph Marcell
Mma Makutsi …. Nadine Marshall
Mma Selelipeng …. Ndidi Ama
Dr Moffat …. William Gaminara
Motheleli …. Gbemisola Ikumelo
Bernard Selelipeng …. Paterson Joseph
Director: Gaynor Macfarlane
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2005.
SAT 05:45 The Phoenix and the Carpet by E Nesbit (b00tlwfx)
5. The Ending
How can the children tell the Phoenix they think he should go?
E Nesbit's fantasy novel of magical adventures.
Abridged by Penny Leicester.
Condluded by Patricia Hodge
Producer: Marion Nancarrow
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1994.
SAT 06:00 Chicken Soup with Barley by Arnold Wesker (m002zr89)
October 4, 1936, London's East End is awaiting one of Mosley's Fascist marches.
We meet Sarah Kahn; her shiftless husband, Harry; their two children, Ada and Ronnie; Harry's sister, Cissie (a trade union organiser); and Dave Simmonds, who will later marry Ada.
We follow them through twenty years of doubt, difficulty, and disillusion, at the end of which the indomitable Sarah can still cry, 'We got through, didn't we? We got scars but we got through. You hear me, Ronnie? You've got to care, you've got to care or you'll die!'
Starring Frank Finlay as Harry Kahn and Miriam Karlin as Sarah Kahn.
Chicken Soup with Barley, the first of a trilogy of plays, was written by London born playwright Arnold Wesker (1932 - 2016) and was first staged in 1958. Arnold Wesker was knighted for his services to drama and literature in 2006.
Sarah Kahn ... Miriam Karlin
Harry Kahn ... Frank Finlay
Monty Blatt ... Haydn Jones
Dave Simmonds ... Mark Eden
Prince Silver ... Malcolm Hayes
1st Voice ... Will Leighton
2nd Voice ... Jonathan Scott
Hymie Kossof ... Peter Claughton
Cissie Kahn ... Marjorie Westbury
Ada Kahn (as a child) ... Adrienne Poster
Ada Kahn (grown-up) ... Sheila Allen
Ronnie Kahn ... David Saire
Bessie Blatt ... Hilda Kriseman
Girl ... Elizabeth Morgan
Man ... Will Leighton
Narrator ... Peter Claughton
Producer: Charles Lefeaux
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in April 1962.
*** Celebrated actor Frank Finlay joins 4 Extra’s 100 Club – born 06 August 2026. He died in 2016 aged 89.****
SAT 07:30 Whodunnits (m0016z7n)
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale (Omnibus)
It was a Victorian murder case that gripped the nation.
One summer's night in 1860 an unimaginably gruesome killing takes place in a remote Georgian country house. The household reverberates with shock, not least because it seems the murderer is still among them.
Called to the scene is Jack Whicher of Scotland Yard, the most celebrated detective of his day, whose methods go on to influence the writing of Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, and Arthur Conan-Doyle.
With only an inept local police force to help him, he faces an unenviable task - to solve a case in which all the grieving family are suspects.
Kate Summerscale's gripping account is read by Deborah Findlay.
Omnibus of five parts abridged by Doreen Estall.
Producer: Justine Willett
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2008.
SAT 08:40 Inheritance Tracks (b0813ljf)
Amanda Holden
Actress, singer and presenter Amanda Holden chooses Meat Loaf's 'Dead Ringer for Love' and Dolly Parton's '9 to 5'.
SAT 08:45 Inner Voices (m00260n5)
Series 3
Mr Williams by Curtis Walker
An irascible Jamaican pensioner wiles away an afternoon at his Old People's home.
Wondering why his family don't seem to visit much - it soon becomes apparent why…
Written and performed by Curtis Walker.
Series of character monologues by top UK comics.
Director: Liz Webb
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2004.
SAT 09:00 The Random Jottings of Hinge and Bracket (b007jzq5)
Series 2
5. Having A Field Day
The dear ladies must tackle the curse of the village carnival.
Starring Dame Hilda Bracket and her lifelong companion Dr Evadne Hinge.
Another extract of life from the genteel setting of Stackton Tressel - the Suffolk village where the musical duo reside.
Written by Gerald Frow.
Dame Hilda Bracket ...... George Logan
Dr Evadne Hinge ...... Patrick Fyffe
Maud ...... Daphne Heard
Special guest: Anthony Sharp
Music played by Frank Williams.
The ladies made three series for BBC Radio 4 between 1977 and 1979, with further spin-off seasons on BBC Radio 2 until 1990.
In the early 1980s, they expanded over to BBC TV with the series Dear Ladies.
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in May 1983.
SAT 09:30 Brothers in Law (b053mjk2)
Series 1
Counsel's Opinion
Can rookie barrister Roger Thursby stop a leak of confidential information?
Henry Cecil's comic legal novel Brothers in Law was first published in 1955.
Adapted for radio from Frank Muir & Denis Norden's BBC TV scripts by Richard Waring.
Roger Thursby ...... Richard Briers
Grimes .... John-Glyn Jones
Sally Mannering ...... Ann Davies
Mrs Pieman ...... Frances Bennett
Mrs Mannering ...... Betty Cooper
Other parts played by:
Patricia Gallimore
Malcom Hayes
Audio restored from BBC Transcription Service tapes - originally edited for sale abroad.
Producer: David Hatch.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1970.
SAT 10:00 Charles Parker Prize (m002zr8c)
2026
Sara Parker introduces the nominees and winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2026 set up in memory of her father. The prize celebrates the very best of a new generation of young audio feature-makers.
The pioneering BBC radio producer Charles Parker worked alongside musicians Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger to create the ground-breaking series of ‘Radio Ballads’ during the late 1950s and 60s. The Ballads brought the voices and stories of ordinary people and communities to the airwaves, changing the sound of audio storytelling at the time by interweaving MacColl and Seeger’s music narrative through interview and actuality.
The prizes are awarded to five innovative students who celebrate and challenge creative audio storytelling across the UK - from community run media to university and college courses.
Presenter Sara Parker, herself an award-winning radio producer, talks to the ten finalists as they share their experiences of creating their nominated audio features and includes extracts from the prize-winning features of: Sarah Frosh, Luned Elfyn, Kyra Edwards, Tara Darby and Willem Fisk-Nicholson, The five other nominees are: Ruby Bridges Spackman, Chloe Sackur, Naomi Senior, Robert Sookhan and Kseniia Yakutina.
You can hear the five winning features, in full, including the Gold winner of the Charles Parker Prize 2025, all this week on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Producer: Shadé Joseph (Gold Winner of the Charles Parker Prize 2025)
A Soundscape production for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
SAT 11:00 Chicken Soup with Barley by Arnold Wesker (m002zr89)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 12:30 Whodunnits (m0016z7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 13:40 Inheritance Tracks (b0813ljf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]
SAT 13:45 Inner Voices (m00260n5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
SAT 14:00 The Random Jottings of Hinge and Bracket (b007jzq5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 14:30 Brothers in Law (b053mjk2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
SAT 15:00 Charles Parker Prize (m002zr8c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SAT 16:00 Drama on 4 (m0012fbz)
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
In the land of Ingary, Sophie Hatter is resigning herself to an uninteresting life working in a hat shop, when a castle appears above the town of Market Chipping and refuses to stay still.
Visiting the shop one day, the dreaded Witch of the Waste transforms Sophie into an old crone. Setting off into the countryside to seek her fortune, Sophie soon runs into the sinister moving castle. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls.
First published in 1986, Howl's Moving Castle’s reputation has grown over time to become recognised as a fantasy classic and, in 2004, it was adapted as an Oscar-nominated animated film by Studio Ghibli.
Adapted for radio by Robert Valentine from the novel by Diana Wynne Jones.
Narrator ...... Robert Bathurst
Old Sophie ...... Julia McKenzie
Howl ...... Iwan Rheon
Michael ...... Angus Imrie
Calcifer ...... Dan Starkey
Miss Angorian ...... Gwyneth Keyworth
The Witch of the Waste ...... Pippa Bennett-Warner
Young Sophie ...... Dakota Blue-Richards
Neil ...... Gerran Howell
Sound Design: Richard Fox
Music: Evelyn Sykes
Director: Simon Barnard
A Bafflegab production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2021.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
SAT 17:00 Chicken Soup with Barley by Arnold Wesker (m002zr89)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 18:30 Whodunnits (m0016z7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 19:40 Inheritance Tracks (b0813ljf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]
SAT 19:45 Inner Voices (m00260n5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
SAT 20:00 The Random Jottings of Hinge and Bracket (b007jzq5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 20:30 Brothers in Law (b053mjk2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
SAT 21:00 Charles Parker Prize (m002zr8c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Any Bloke (b007jz71)
Series 2
Summer Holiday
Everyone's relaxed - until Martha arrives with her new age boyfriend.
Starring Jim Sweeney as Phil and Caroline Quentin as Sarah.
Return of Gary Brown's comedy series about family life in the 1990s.
Phil .... Jim Sweeney
Sarah....Caroline Quentin
Liam....Steve Steen
Gerald....Lloyd Peters
Sophie....Nadine Ballantyne
Martha .... Melanie Hudson
Aleric .... John Wheatley
Henri .... Philippe Smolikowski
Francoise .... Deborah Berlin
Simone .... Becky Hindley
Sam .... Ben Brown
Producer: Ann Jobson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1995.
SAT 22:30 Tim Key's Poetry Programme (m000h1mz)
Series 5
Labour
Megan has gone into labour and Tim is valiantly ploughing on with the radio show, broadcasting her contractions for all to hear.
All except Lord, that is, who looks set to miss the birth of his first child, as he’s trapped in an escape room.
Written and presented by Tim Key.
Key …... Tim Key
Lord …... Tom Basden
Megan …... Katy Wix
Bogle …... Bridget Christie
Producer: James Robinson
A BBC Cymru Wales production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2020.
SAT 23:00 Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups (b06r81v3)
Series 3
The Animal Lovers
Mr and Mrs Wrigglesworth think about getting a pet while Tom plans a weekend getaway.
Sitcom where Tom Wrigglesworth phones home for his weekly check-in with his Mum, Dad and Gran, giving listeners a glimpse into his family background and the influences that have shaped his temperament, opinions and hang-ups.
Tom ...... Tom Wrigglesworth
Dad ...... Paul Copley
Mum ...... Kate Anthony
Granny ...... Elizabeth Bennett
Written by Tom Wrigglesworth and James Kettle. With Miles Jupp.
Producer: Richard Morris
A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2015.
SAT 23:30 Radio Active (b07mdzmz)
Series 6
The D-Day Show
A weighty historical analysis of the biggest military operation in the history of big military operations.
Starring:
Morwenna Banks
Angus Deayton
Geoffrey Perkins
Philip Pope
Michael Fenton-Stevens
Music by Philip Pope, Steve Brown and Angus Deayton.
Written by Angus Deayton and Geoffrey Perkins with Michael Fenton-Stevens.
Producer: David Tyler
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1986.

SUNDAY 02 AUGUST 2026

SUN 00:00 Drama on 4 (m0012fbz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 Chicken Soup with Barley by Arnold Wesker (m002zr89)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:30 Whodunnits (m0016z7n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]
SUN 03:40 Inheritance Tracks (b0813ljf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 on Saturday]
SUN 03:45 Inner Voices (m00260n5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 The Random Jottings of Hinge and Bracket (b007jzq5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Saturday]
SUN 04:30 Brothers in Law (b053mjk2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Saturday]
SUN 05:00 Charles Parker Prize (m002zr8c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
Series 1
Collecting
Why do we collect things? Is it a male response to ancient hunting instincts to provide food for the family?
Today, collecting by children is in decline, and with it the development of an early fascination with the natural world around them.
Series of talks by Sir David Attenborough on the natural histories of creatures and plants from around the world.
Producer: Julian Hector
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2009.
SUN 07:00 Poetry Extra (m002zrqj)
Super-Infinite, Part 3 and John Donne - Two Satires
Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and selects two programmes featuring John Donne: Super Infinite - a biography, and John Donne - Two Satires.
**And Daljit reads from his Poetry Extra Book of the Month - Gravity Archives by Andrew Motion.
***Super-Infinite ep 3/5
Katherine Rundell’s biography of the poet and "alchemist" of words John Donne. Today, the loss of his brother Henry, and the loss of his faith.
This prize-winning biography of John Donne reveals him as an “infinity merchant”, a man whose preaching could make his congregation weep, a poet whose “beauty deserved walk-on music”.
Rundell's engaging, witty and often thrilling book champions an impossible to categorise man: pirate, soldier, scholar, priest, inventor of new words and author of some of most intensely and intimately passionate poetry in English. Donne was a Catholic who lost - or left - his faith, from a family of martyrs, whose career led him to become Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral.
Reader - Blake Ritson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2023
***John Donne - Two Satires
Donne the law student is tempted away from his books by the humorist. He satirises with great wit the indulgent members of the middle class. This poem is followed by one of Donne's great elegies, Elegy 5 - in which Donne leaves a portrait of himself with his lover before he embarks on a long sea voyage.
In Satire 3, Donne magnificently explores our responsibility in finding the good, the spiritual life away from one of temptation.
Produced by Peter Fozzard
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1991.
SUN 07:30 Sounds like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital (Omnibus) (m002zrqr)
Lloyd Bradley explores the story of a London's transformation through its music, taking in the wave of Commonwealth immigration in the 40s right up to the present day.
In 1948, the Empire Windrush brings an exciting new style of music to London with the arrival of Caribbean Calypso star Lord Kitchener...
Read by Ben Onwukwe.
Abridged in five parts by Natalie Steed.
Omnibus of five episodes.
Producer: Kirsteen Cameron
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2013.
SUN 08:40 Inheritance Tracks (b010gj9c)
Andrea Levy
Author Andrea Levy inherits 'Magic Moments' by Perry Como and passes on 'London Is the Place for Me' by Lord Kitchener.
Producer: Debbie Kilbride
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.
***
Andrea Levy, the award-winning author of novels like Small Island, died in February 2019 aged 62.
SUN 08:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b008141d)
Episode 1
Andrea Levy 's award-winning novel exploring empire, prejudice, war and love in Jamaica, England, America and India.
The story of the Windrush Generation and the part they played in the Second World War and the prejudice they faced from the Mother Country are a little known aspect of recent British History.
Small Island tells the story of four people caught up in this past; Hortense, Gilbert, Queenie and Bernard.
Hortense's childhood is affected by the stigma of illegitimacy.
In her young adult years, she meets and falls in love with her cousin Michael.
Omnibus of the first five of fifteen parts dramatised by Pat Cumper.
Hortense ........ Nadine Marshall
Michael ........ Javone Prince
Young Hortense ........ Tyra McKenzie-Gray
Young Michael ........ Joel Davis
Mr Philip ........ Burt Caesar
Miss Ma ........ Adjoa Andoh
Miss Jewel ........ Dona Croll
Queenie ........ Lyndsey Marshal
Gilbert ........ Don Gilet
Mrs Ryder ........ Barbara Barnes
Celia ........ Carla Henry
Miss Morgan ........ Elizabeth Bell
Celia's Mother ........ Tanya Moodie
Douglas ........ Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
Airman ........ Pethrow Gooden
Mrs Anderson ........ Clare Perkins
Mr Anderson ........ Declan Wilson
Minister ........ Delroy Brown
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
SUN 10:00 Know Your Place (b019dvsb)
Sisterly Feelings
Cleaner Elsie is facing eviction. Can caretaker Ramsay save the day?
Ramsay Potts is the jobsworth caretaker at a crumbling Edwardian block of flats, pursued by the over-amorous cleaner Elsie.
Starring Roy Dotrice and Patricia Hayes.
Sitcom written by Andrew Palmer and Nell Brennan.
Ramsay Potts ...... Roy Dotrice
Elspeth Spurgeon ...... Patricia Hayes
With:
Avis Bunnage
Jon Glover
James Taylor
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in July 1983.
SUN 10:30 Take It From Here (b0b0skpv)
From 01/11/1955
Fireworks for Dick Bentley, Ron and Eth open their sweet shop in 'The Glums' - and the life of a country doctor.
Starring:
Professor Jimmy Edwards
Dick Bentley
June Whitfield
Alma Cogan
Wallace Eton
Music from The Keynotes and the BBC Revue Orchestra with Charles Shadwell.
Announcer: David Dunhill
Written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden.
Producer: Charles Maxwell
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1955.
SUN 11:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]
SUN 12:00 Poetry Extra (m002zrqj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
SUN 12:30 Sounds like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital (Omnibus) (m002zrqr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 13:40 Inheritance Tracks (b010gj9c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]
SUN 13:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b008141d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]
SUN 15:00 Know Your Place (b019dvsb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 15:30 Take It From Here (b0b0skpv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
SUN 16:00 Drama on 4 (m001c85x)
Calls From Far Away by Katherine Soper
Katherine Soper’s science fiction drama delves into humanity’s capacity to come together after a moment of great change.
An unexpected discovery on Pluto promises to have profound ramifications back down on Earth. Freelance journalist, Jodie, finds herself in the right place at the right time when the discovery is made - her life is set to be turned upside down.
Katherine Soper’s debut stage play, Wish List, won the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for Playwrighting.
Jodie ….. Maimie McCoy
Leo ….. Tom Glenister
Young Leo ….. Bertie Cresswell
Ted ….. Jonathan Forbes
Elliott ….. Chloë Sommer
Lorelei ….. Joanna Monro
News presenter ….. Tom Kiteley
Scientists ….. Ruth Everett and Roger Ringrose
Sound design: Alison Craig
Director: Gemma Jenkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2022.
SUN 16:45 Summer Ghosts (b013857g)
Swings by Adam Thorpe
"Yes, the ghosts you see at night, they're the souls - the auras, if you like - of good people who didn't deserve to die. That's why they're full of regret, and frightening. Ghosts we see in broad daylight are the ones whose death were right and fair - they've been redeemed by death. They were evil while alive..."
Series of commissioned stories aiming to present ghosts or ghostly happenings in the cold light of day.
Will something 'unexplained' be as as scary then?
Adam Thorpe's tale is read by Kenneth Cranham.
Producer: Duncan Minshull
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2011.
SUN 17:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 today]
SUN 18:00 Poetry Extra (m002zrqj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
SUN 18:30 Sounds like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital (Omnibus) (m002zrqr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 19:40 Inheritance Tracks (b010gj9c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]
SUN 19:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b008141d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]
SUN 21:00 Know Your Place (b019dvsb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 21:30 Take It From Here (b0b0skpv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
SUN 22:00 Revolting People (b00ftcck)
Series 2
A Bunch More Trying Times
Ezekiel gets a shock, and Mary is wooed by a newly arrived Captain. Little does she know he's recently been named "Cad of the Year" by the Bounder's Gazette.
Comedy set just before the American Revolution.
Written by Andy Hamilton and Jay Tarses.
Samuel Oliphant .... Jay Tarses
Sergeant McGurk .... Andy Hamilton
Captain Brimshaw .... James Fleet
Mary .... Jan Ravens
Ezekiel Spriggs .... Hugh Dennis
Cora Oliphant .... Penelope Nice
Joshua Oliphant .... Tony Maudsley
Dashmount .... Michael Fenton Stevens
Producer: Paul Mayhew-Archer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2001.
SUN 22:30 Alexei Sayle's Strangers on a Train (m0019xh0)
Series 1
London to Holyhead
Alexei Sayle takes another train journey and breaks the golden rule of travelling by train in the UK - by actually talking to his fellow passengers.
In this episode, he travels from London to Holyhead.
Among his many fellow travellers, he meets:
* Alex who is an actor and musician on his way to perform in a musical in Llandudno.
* Elaine who has been to London to visit her two very eccentric aunts.
* Jessica, an organisational psychologist whose work involves helping people discover what they really want to do in life.
* Stephany who has just celebrated her 20 year service award as a customer service assistant on the railway. She tells of her meeting with two of her most famous customers - Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Producers: Peter Lowe & Nick Symons
A Ride production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2022.
SUN 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m002zvw8)
Flo and Joan 1/3
From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Iain Lee chats to musical comedy duo Flo & Joan. Today they discuss infamous tv interviews, how the sisters met (!) and whether it's "homing in" or "honing in".
SUN 23:00 In and Out of the Kitchen (b065vsdx)
Series 4
The Birthday
Damien rents a narrowboat for a weekend cruising around the heart of England with Anthony, his producer friend Marion Duffett, his parents Janet and Dennis, his agent Ian, and his builder Mr Mullaney.
He hopes to relax but also ease tensions between Mr Mullaney and Anthony who aren't getting on well following an Anthony-induced hiccup in their newly formed property business.
But canalling isn't always as easy as it looks...
Sitcom charting the life of cookery writer Damien Trench, who lives in London's Queen's Park with his partner Anthony.
Created by and starring Miles Jupp.
Written by Nick Revell.
Damien Trench ...... Miles Jupp
Anthony ...... Justin Edwards
Ian Frobisher ...... Philip Fox
Mr Mullaney ...... Brendan Dempsey
The Auctioneer/Ivan ...... Mark Edel-Hunt
Livi Hollinshead ...... Alex Tregear
Gavin Colthorpe ...... Stephen Critchlow
Producer: Sam Michell
A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2015.
SUN 23:30 Electric Ink (b011vmd9)
Series 1
Episode 5
While Freddy introduces buzzwords to the paper, Maddox uncovers a top story about the Prime Minister, will the story be spiked?
Starring Robert Lindsay and Alex Jennings.
Old hacks meet new media in Alistair Beaton’s satire set in the changing world of the newspaper industry.
Maddox ...... Robert Lindsay
Oliver ...... Alex Jennings
Amelia ...... Elizabeth Berrington
Tasneem ...... Zita Sattar
Masha ...... Debbie Chazen
Freddy ...... Ben Willbond
Announcer ...... Matt Addis
PM’s Wife ...... Janice Acquah
With additional material by Tom Mitchelson.
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2009.

MONDAY 03 AUGUST 2026

MON 00:00 Drama on 4 (m001c85x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]
MON 00:45 Summer Ghosts (b013857g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:45 on Sunday]
MON 01:45 David Attenborough's Life Stories (b00n5w39)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:45 on Sunday]
MON 02:00 Poetry Extra (m002zrqj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 Sounds like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital (Omnibus) (m002zrqr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:40 Inheritance Tracks (b010gj9c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 on Sunday]
MON 03:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b008141d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Know Your Place (b019dvsb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Take It From Here (b0b0skpv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 Raffles (b007jngz)
Series 3
6. The Last Word
War-scarred Bunny returns to London, determined to restore his extraordinary friend's reputation.
Starring Jeremy Clyde and Michael Cochrane.
The adventures of cricketer and gentleman thief, Arthur J Raffles, and his chronicler, Harry ‘Bunny’ Manders.
Written by EW Hornung and dramatised by Olwen Wymark.
AJ Raffles …. Jeremy Clyde
‘Bunny’ Manders …. Michael Cochrane
Sophie …. Emily Richard
Alec …. Matthew Morgan
The policemen were played by Terence Edmond, John Church and Matthew Sim
Other parts played by members of the cast
Signature tune composed by Jim Parker.
Director: Gordon House
A BBC Radio 4/BBC World Service production first broadcast in June 1992.
MON 06:30 Limelight (m001k83s)
Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?
Chapter 1: Funeral In London
Our heroine Clara Page returns. And this time the question’s deadly serious - Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?
Prepare for another rollercoaster ride flying at us from the Italian Riviera to the Malaysian jungle - via afternoon tea at Themis House.
There’s trouble in London.
Cast:
Clara Page … Phoebe Fox
Aldrich Kemp … Ferdinand Kingsley
Mrs Boone … Nicola Walker
Sebastian Harcourt … Kyle Soller
Nakesha Kemp … Karla Crome
Aunt Lily … Susan Jameson
The Underwood Sisters … Jana Carpenter
Sabine Seah … Rebecca Boey
Mrs Bartholomew … Kate Isitt
Blue 2/Novak … Ben Crowe
Winslow/Blue 1 … James Joyce
Recorded on location in Hove and at the Brighton Conference Centre.
Created and written by Julian Simpson.
Music composed by Tim Elsenburg
Director: Julian Simpson
Producer: Sarah Tombling
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2023.
MON 07:00 Control Group Six (b08n2cs1)
Series 2
Episode 3
President Heaven holds a peace conference. There can be only one conclusion - all-out war.
Series two of the bizarre four-part comedy - half sketch show and half psychological thriller - - set in the Company's experimental town, Control Group Six.
Written and performed by Richard Bean, Andrew Clifford, Clive Coleman and Colin Swash. With Geraldine Fitzgerald.
Producer: Jon Rolph
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1997.
MON 07:30 Dad's Army (b007jqh1)
Series 3
The Big Parade
Captain Mainwaring wants a parade mascot, so he decides his Home Guard platoon must catch one.
The comic exploits of a Second World War Home Guard platoon in Walmington-on-Sea.
Adapted for radio from Jimmy Perry and David Croft's TV scripts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.
Captain Mainwaring …. Arthur Lowe
Sergeant Wilson …. John Le Mesurier
Corporal Jones …. Clive Dunn
Private Frazer …. John Laurie
Private Godfrey …. Arnold Ridley
Private Pike …. Ian Lavender
Warden Hodges …. Bill Pertwee
The Verger …. Edward Sinclair
Private Walker …. Larry Martyn
Mrs Pike …. Pearl Hackney
Announcer/Newsreader …. John Snagge
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1976.
MON 08:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000z6xl)
Dr Phil visits Birmingham City Hospital
An innovative mix of comedy performance and documentary in a series presented by Dr Phil Hammond.
As a doctor and a comedian, Phil knows that humour and laughter are vital coping mechanisms in the NHS, as he travels the UK on a mission to listen to the beating heart of a national institution.
The programmes are an adventurous, hilarious, thought-provoking mix of humour and happiness, tragedy and reflection as the personal thoughts, opinions, experiences and hopes of people who work for and use the NHS are revealed.
This time Dr Phil visits Birmingham City Hospital, where he hears the stories of porters and patients, cleaners and cardiologists, visitors and volunteers, the managers and the medics.
And Phil performs a free stand-up comedy show for the staff based on his listening experiences at that location and the stories of the people he has met.
Producer: David Morley
A Ride production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2021.
MON 08:30 Following Pappano (b09526h6)
1. A New Chapter
All major opera houses rely on well-established productions of repertoire classics.
Puccini's La Bohème is a permanent fixture in the list of the world's top five operas as measured by performance numbers.
John Copley's 1974 staging at London’s Covent Garden was a familiar and much loved favourite. However it’s time to replace it with a new production and the challenge to do that with a fresh staging falls to the team of Music Director, Sir Antonio Pappano and stage director, Richard Jones.
Follow Maestro Pappano as it all takes shape - as he works with singers, discussing the particular challenges of operating at the very highest level of operatic performance and expectation - and giving candid insights into the often perilous journey to an opening night.
His on and off stage teams include the young cast who are acutely aware that the production they are replacing opened with singers like Placido Domingo and Sir Thomas Allen. There are also stage directors, set-builders, movement directors and Maestro Pappano's trusted repetiteur.
But at the heart of it, in the weeks leading up to opening night and as the curtain rises, is the Music director himself, combining the orchestral brilliance of Puccini's score and the dazzling qualities of the singers on stage to produce what they all hope will be a worthy addition to the Royal Opera House's Puccini tradition.
"He is" as one orchestra member says, "more of a storyteller than a conductor. Everything he tells us is about the drama and the dramatic purpose of what's happening on stage."
Producer: Tom Alban
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2017.
MON 08:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b00819y4)
6. Queenie
Hortense meets her landlady, Queenie Bligh, whose own story is unknowingly interwoven with Hortense's past.
Queenie reflects on her own past and the journey she made to London.
Andrea Levy's award-winning novel exploring empire, prejudice, war and love in Jamaica, England, America and India.
Dramatised by Pat Cumper
Hortense … Nadine Marshall
Queenie … Lyndsey Marshal
Bernard ... Stephen Tompkinson
Dorothy ... Ann Beach
Queenie's Father ... Stephen Critchlow
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
MON 09:00 Just a Minute (m002zhp1)
Series 97
2. "Well she had me fooled"
Players take on subjects including: No worries if not!, I got off scot free and what's the big deal about Toy Story? Plus we get a taste of Julian's best Claire Sweeney impression.
Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Tony Hawks, Desiree Burch, Cariad Lloyd, Julian Clary
Producer: Georgia Keating
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman
Sound Editor: Marc Willcox
Additional material by Angela Channell
An EcoAudio certified production.
A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.
MON 09:30 Behind The Taverna (m002zrtj)
Corfu
Corfu in the middle of August is a place where you expect to find plenty of wildlife, in the resorts at least.
But Brett Westwood leaves the beach bars behind and, with the help of two local naturalists, discovers a wealth of amphibians, reptiles and birds just a few miles Behind the Taverna.
Presenter: Brett Westwood
Producer: Caroline Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
MON 09:45 Daily Service (m002zrtm)
Model Villages: Bournville
This week, Daily Service comes from some of Britain's best-known model villages, including Port Sunlight, Saltaire, Bournville and Swindon Railway Village. Built during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these pioneering communities were created by visionary employers who sought to provide decent housing, education and shared facilities for their workers. Combining industry with a strong sense of social purpose, they reflected ideals of faith, wellbeing and community that continue to resonate today.
The series explores the vision, faith and community spirit that shaped these remarkable places, with daily acts of worship reflecting on their enduring legacy and relevance for contemporary life.
Today's service visits Bournville Parish Church to explore the history of the village, and the historic role of the church in the community, and what it means for the church to be named after St Francis. It Is led by the Vicar, Canon Richard Wharton.
Producer: Andrew Earis
MON 10:00 Screenshot (m002b77p)
Studio Ghibli
Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode waltz into the magical world of Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985, as the animation giant celebrates its 40th birthday.
Ellen speaks to the film, TV and video game critic, Kambole Campbell about Studio Ghibli's origin story and key aspects of visual style. Also, the animator and co-founder of Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, Nora Twomey discusses the emotional impact of films like My Neighbour Totoro, and Grave of the Fireflies.
Mark meets actor Emily Mortimer, who discusses the process of re-dubbing for the film, Howl's Moving Castle. And the animator and director, Michaël Dudok de Wit discusses the collaborative relationship forged with Studio Ghibli, while working on his feature length production, The Red Turtle.
Producer: Mae-Li Evans
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2025.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
MON 10:45 Studio Ghibli - Japan's Oscar-winning animators (w3cszmn8)
In August 1986 the first Studio Ghibli film hit the cinema screens. It would go on to bring Japanese animation to a world audience.
Hirokatsu Kihara was a young animator who joined the studio to work on Castle in the Sky, its first feature length film.
He spoke to Ashley Byrne of Made in Manchester about the early days of the great animation studio.
Producer: Ashley Byrne
A Made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service, first broadcast in 2020.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
Photo: Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki, one of the founders of Studio Ghibli. Credit: Getty Images.
MON 11:00 Raffles (b007jngz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 11:30 Limelight (m001k83s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 12:00 Control Group Six (b08n2cs1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 12:30 Dad's Army (b007jqh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 13:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000z6xl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 13:30 Following Pappano (b09526h6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b00819y4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
MON 14:00 Wordaholics (b01rvptv)
Series 2
Episode 3
Gyles Brandreth chairs the word-obsessed comedy panel show.
Ready to vie for wordy supremacy in the ring:
Lloyd Langford
Susie Dent
Dave Gorman
Natalie Haynes
Dave Gorman guesses the meaning of the phrase 'living on Queen Street' from the late 1800s.
Natalie Haynes unravels the word 'autodysomophobia'.
Lloyd Langford guesses the meaning of the Yiddish word 'farpotshket'.
Susie Dent shares her love of the current Liverpool word 'twirlies' and explains the meaning of the word 'quockerwodger'.
Both teams also have a go at coming up with modern phrases to replace the old cliches 'When life give you lemons, make lemonade' and 'Beauty is only skin deep'.
Written by Jon Hunter and James Kettle.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2013.
MON 14:30 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076b9h)
Series 2
Episode 3
Is it impossible for a woman to have a close male friend without her man getting jealous?
The partners fight back.
Starring Debra Stephenson and David Lamb.
Amanda Murphy’s comedy-drama series about Cassie and Pete, who'd make a great couple - if they weren't so busy being friends.
Cassie ...... Debra Stephenson
Pete ...... David Lamb
Dad ...... Mike Grady
Mum ...... Brigit Forsyth
Simon ...... Shaun Dooley
Jenny ...... Mika Simmons
PJ ...... Brendan Burns
Producer: Graham Frost
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2002.
MON 15:00 When Marnie Was There by Joan G Robinson (m002zrtq)
Anna is a solitary foster child sent away to a small Norfolk village one summer to recover from illness.
Here she makes friends with a mysterious and significant girl called Marnie who lives in Marsh House and discovers a good deal about her past.
Joan G Robinson’s classic story for family listening is dramatised for radio by Beaty Rubens.
Anna …. Georgina Hagen
Older Anna …. Sara Kestelman
Marnie …. Juliet Aaltonen
Scilla …. Skye Bennett
Susan …. Mary Miller
Sam …. David Redgrave
Gillie …. Richenda Carey
Nancy …. Miranda Keeling
Mrs Lyndsay …. Christine Kavanagh
Andrew …. Paul Richard Biggin
Jane …. Emma Noakes
Director: David Hunter
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2006.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
MON 16:00 Screenshot (m002b77p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:45 Studio Ghibli - Japan's Oscar-winning animators (w3cszmn8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]
MON 17:00 Raffles (b007jngz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 17:30 Limelight (m001k83s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 18:00 Control Group Six (b08n2cs1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 18:30 Dad's Army (b007jqh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 19:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000z6xl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 Following Pappano (b09526h6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 19:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b00819y4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
MON 20:00 Wordaholics (b01rvptv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
MON 20:30 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076b9h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
MON 21:00 When Marnie Was There by Joan G Robinson (m002zrtq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
MON 22:00 Just a Minute (m002zhp1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 22:30 Listen Against (b017cjmx)
Series 4
Episode 4
Another week of radio that never happened.
Alice Arnold and Jon Holmes rewind and mangle real programmes for you to enjoy the wrong way round.
Written and created by Jon Holmes
With:
Justin Edwards
Sarah Hadland
Kim Wall
David Mara
Written by Jon Holmes, Gareth Gwynn, John Hunter, James Kettle, Joel Morris and Jason Hazeley, John Luke Roberts and Rachel Wheeley.
Producers: Jon Holmes and Sam Bryant.
A BBC production for the BBC on behalf of the BBC.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2011.
MON 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m002zvwb)
Flo and Joan 2/3
From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Iain Lee chats again to musical comedy duo Flo & Joan. They talk about how they've avoided writing anything libellous or offensive in their new musical "One Man", and share how they responded when someone famous was in the audience - and there was a joke about them coming up in the set.
MON 23:00 Current-ish (m002zgnk)
Episode 2
Lucy Porter is joined by Finlay Christie, Amy Annette and Christopher Macarthur-Boyd to chat through the headlines and beyond.
Hosted by Lucy Porter
Written by Lucy Porter, Ruth Husko and Katie Sayer
Producer - Katie Sayer
Assistant producer - Molly Punshon
Executive producer - Victoria Lloyd
A Mighty Bunny production for BBC Radio 4
MON 23:30 The In Crowd (b00sbrl6)
Series 3
Episode 1
Meet the travel agent who won't let anyone go further than Lowestoft and the army officer who can't wait to offer himself up as the first to be eaten in a crisis.
Plus the cultural hooligans who smash up beautiful things, and Wendy Clapper who thinks a trip to see the Northern Lights means a weekend in Blackpool.
Return of the sketch show from Manchester's Comedy Store.
With:
Robin Ince
Helen Moon
Smug Roberts
Kate Ward
Producer: Graham Frost
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2002.

TUESDAY 04 AUGUST 2026

TUE 00:00 Screenshot (m002b77p)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:45 Studio Ghibli - Japan's Oscar-winning animators (w3cszmn8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 Raffles (b007jngz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 Limelight (m001k83s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 Control Group Six (b08n2cs1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 Dad's Army (b007jqh1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000z6xl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Monday]
TUE 03:30 Following Pappano (b09526h6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Monday]
TUE 03:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b00819y4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 Wordaholics (b01rvptv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:30 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076b9h)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 When Marnie Was There by Joan G Robinson (m002zrtq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 The Waiting Game (m001ngw1)
1. In Which Tom Naismith Comes North
Young soldier Tom Naismith arrives back in Lancashire.
After four years in the British Army, he’s set to join his uncle's business in Lancaster.
Tom meets the magistrate Sir Geoffrey Banner - who is trying to uncover a tobacco smuggling ring.
He’s also introduced to Sir Geoffrey’s beautiful ward, Sophia...
Starring Keith Buckley, Judith Bradshaw and Norman Shelley.
Margaret Potter's six-part serial set in the 19th century on the Lancashire coast.
Tom .... Keith Buckley
Sophia Sheridan .... Judith Bradshaw
Sir Geoffrey Banner of Wildbeck Hall .... Norman Shelley
William Fell .... Robert Wallace
John Raby, Tom's uncle .... Tom Harrison
The Waggoners - Lanty .... Bert Parnaby
The Waggoners - Brack .... Henry Livings
The Pedlar .... Geoffrey Banks
Mrs Stephens .... Ella Atkinson
Judge Bailey .... David Mahlowe
The Prisoner, Coppins .... Joe Holmes
Ostler .... John Broadbent
Manservant/Coachman .... John Daglish
Producer Trevor Hill
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in February 1965
TUE 06:30 Limelight (m001kh2w)
Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?
Chapter 2: The Man Who Sold The World
Clara's dispatched on a new mission by her new boss. What could possibly go wrong?
And just who is Remington Schofield?
Cast:
Clara Page ... Phoebe Fox
Aldrich Kemp ... Ferdinand Kingsley
Mrs Boone ... Nicola Walker
Sebastian Harcourt ... Kyle Soller
Nakesha Kemp ... Karla Crome
Aunt Lily ... Susan Jameson
The Underwood Sisters & Forsaken McTeague ...Jana Carpenter
Sabine Seah ...Rebecca Boey
Remington Schofield ... Barnaby Kay
Miss Lotte Amutenya ... Cherrelle Skeete
Mrs Bartholomew ...Kate Isitt
Novak ...Ben Crowe
Recorded on location in Hove.
Created and written by Julian Simpson.
Music composed by Tim Elsenburg
Director: Julian Simpson
Producer: Sarah Tombling
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2023.
TUE 07:00 Yes Minister (b007k0nj)
Series 2
A Question of Loyalty
With a war on waste at the Civil Service - what does MP Jim Hacker think?
Starring Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds.
Satirical sitcom centred around hapless MP Jim Hacker and a collection of civil service underlings headed by the Machiavellian Sir Humphrey Appleby and obsequious Bernard.
Written by Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn
It first ran on BBC TV between 1980 and 1984.
Jim Hacker …. Paul Eddington
Sir Humphrey Appleby …. Nigel Hawthorne
Bernard Woolley …. Derek Fowlds
Betty Oldham, MP …. Judy Parfitt
Sir Mark Spencer …. Nigel Stock
Peter …. William Hope
Gillian …. Helena Breck
The Committee Chairman …. John Strickland
The PM …. Arnold Diamond
Adapted for radio by producer Pete Atkin.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 1984.
TUE 07:30 The Goon Show (b0080hxc)
The Last Goon Show of All
Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers reunite to celebrate the BBC's 50th anniversary.
Recorded on 30th April 1972, their farewell performance with a distinguished audience is broadcast complete with the pre-show warm-up at the Camden Theatre, London. It was simultaneously recorded for broadcast on BBC TV.
Written by Spike Milligan.
Starring:
Peter Sellers as Grytpype-Thynne, Bluebottle, Major Denis Bloodnok & Henry Crun.
Harry Secombe as Neddy Seagoon in floral cretonne.
Spike Milligan as Eccles, Minnie Bannister & Moriarty.
With the Ray Ellington Quartet, Max Geldray and the Wally Stott Orchestra conducted by Peter Knight.
Producer: John Browell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 5th October 1972.
*This a a freshly restored audio version for BBC Radio 4 Extra.
TUE 08:30 Following Pappano (b0952ph2)
2. The Repetiteur
The Royal Opera's music director Sir Antonio Pappano and stage director, Richard Jones are leading preparations for the first new Covent Garden staging of Puccini's La Bohème in over 40 years.
Follow Maestro Pappano as it all takes shape – as he works with singers, discussing the particular challenges of operating at the very highest level of operatic performance and expectation - and giving candid insights into the often perilous journey to an opening night.
His on and off stage teams, include the young cast who are acutely aware that the production they are replacing opened with singers like Placido Domingo and Sir Thomas Allen. There are also stage directors, set-builders, movement directors and Maestro Pappano's trusted repetiteur.
But at the heart of it, in the weeks leading up to opening night and as the curtain rises, is the Music director himself, combining the orchestral brilliance of Puccini's score and the dazzling qualities of the singers on stage to produce what they all hope will be a worthy addition to the Royal Opera House's Puccini tradition.
Producer: Tom Alban.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2017.
TUE 08:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081cdy)
Episode 7
Hortense's landlady Queenie tells of her war job - and her boring husband. Stars Lyndsey Marshal and Stephen Tompkinson.
TUE 09:00 Meet David Sedaris (m001k7yb)
Series 9
5. My Corona and A Better Place
"When the coronavirus first came onto my radar early in 2020, I wanted nothing more than to get it. Then I listened to a lengthy podcast on how gruesome it was, and decided that instead I wanted Hugh to get it."
Everyone's lockdown experiences were slightly different. Pinned down in New York City, David decided to tackle the mountain of mail he'd received and in "My Corona" he talks us through the process. It's accompanied by the short piece, "A Better Place" which tackles his reaction to some of the platitudes dished up at the reception following his father’s funeral. The show finishes with a selection of extracts from his often caustic diary - including an unexpectedly helpful interaction at a West Sussex cash machine.
The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that he's a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.
Producer: Steve Doherty
A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 09:30 Behind The Taverna (m002zsy8)
Benidorm
Brett Westwood continues his search for wildlife in the holiday hot spots of Europe.
Above the busy Spanish resort of Benidorm he is amazed to find eagles just a few miles from the tower blocks.
Presenter: Brett Westwood
Producer: Caroline Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
TUE 09:45 Daily Service (m002zsyb)
Model Villages: Port Sunlight
This week, Daily Service comes from some of Britain's best-known model villages, including Port Sunlight, Saltaire, Bournville and Swindon Railway Village. Built during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these pioneering communities were created by visionary employers who sought to provide decent housing, education and shared facilities for their workers. Combining industry with a strong sense of social purpose, they reflected ideals of faith, wellbeing and community that continue to resonate today.
The series explores the vision, faith and community spirit that shaped these remarkable places, with daily acts of worship reflecting on their enduring legacy and relevance for contemporary life.
Today's service visits Christ Church, Port Sunlight, and is led by the Minister, Rev Ian Smith.
Producer: Andrew Earis
TUE 10:00 Free Thinking (m001cgtn)
My Neighbour Totoro
In 2022 an RSC version of My Neighbour Totoro returned to the London stage. Chris Harding and guests explore the impact of its inspiration, the world and ideas conjured in the 1988 Studio Ghibili film, Tonari no Totoro - My Neighbour Totoro.
A world of sprites and spirits encountered by childhood sisters in the 1988 animated feature film by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) and Studio Ghibli has become a hit stage adaptation for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The original composer Joe Hisaishi worked with playwright Tom Morton-Smith and Director Phelim McDermott and the production returns to the Barbican this autumn. Chris Harding and guests look at how this story of Totoro relates to Japanese beliefs about ghosts and nature, and how Miyazaki used ideas of childhood innocence to critique post-war Japanese society.
Chris Harding is joined by the playwright Tom Morton-Smith, Michael Leader from the podcast Ghiblioteque, Dr Shiro Yoshioka, lecturer in Japanese Studies at the University of Newcastle, and Dr Xine Yao, co-director of UCL at University College London, and a Radio 3/AHRC New Generation Thinker.
Producer: Luke Mulhall
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in October 2022.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
TUE 10:45 The Essay (m0028lzk)
The Little Secrets of Great Works
Spirited Away
In this series of The Essay, five leading cultural voices choose a great work of art and talk about a small, under-appreciated aspect of the piece that carries great meaning for them.
In this edition, we hear from Welsh journalist and author Angela Hui. Her memoir is called ‘Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter’, and in this essay she draws our attention to a moment in a movie which others might have seen hundreds of times before but may have missed.
For Angela, there’s a small uneventful scene in Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘Spirited Away’ where No Face, one of the spirits in the film, is politely drinking tea and eating a slice of cake that makes her laugh out loud and warms her heart to the core.
Producer: Emma Betteridge
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2025.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
TUE 11:00 The Waiting Game (m001ngw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 11:30 Limelight (m001kh2w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 12:00 Yes Minister (b007k0nj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 12:30 The Goon Show (b0080hxc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 13:30 Following Pappano (b0952ph2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081cdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
TUE 14:00 Hoax! (m002zsyd)
From 14/09/1993
Tim Brooke-Taylor and the audience try to spot the hoax.
Ray Cooney, Brian Johnston and Barry Cryer tell the stories.
Devised by Ian Messiter.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1993.
TUE 14:30 The Brothers (b007mc8t)
Series 1
Episode 4
Arson and revolving bow ties - just another day for Nigel and Michael.
Starring Adam Godley and Raymond Coulthard.
Comedy series about two brothers starting a website-design company - written by Caroline and David Stafford.
Nigel ...... Adam Godley
Michael ...... Raymond Coulthard
Oonagh ...... Pauline McLynn
Zorro ...... Pearce Quigley
Producer: Marc Beeby
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2004.
TUE 15:00 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin (b007jl71)
1. Equilibrium
Ged, a young boy who discovers he has special powers is taken on as an apprentice wizard by Ogion. But he inadvertently releases an evil shadow into the world.
Ursula K. Le Guin's acclaimed fantasy novel, dramatised for radio by Bert Coules.
With Dame Judi Dench as the narrator.
Narrator …. Judi Dench
Ged/Shadow …. Michael Maloney
Dragon of Pendor …. Richard Johnson
Lady Serret …. Emma Fielding
Ogion …. Ioan Meredith
Vetch …. Robert Harper
Jasper …. Chris Pavlo
Archmage Nemmerle …. Sean Baker
The Witch …. Ann Beach
Yarrow …. Abigail Docherty
Pechvarry …. Keith Drinkel
Lord Benderesk …. Jonathan Adams
Archmage Gensher …. Christopher Scott
Master Herbal …. Kim Wall
Yorgan …. Colleen Prendergast
Young Ged …. Mark Burrows
Ioeth …. Tom Felton
Music composed by David Chilton and Nick Russell-Pavier
Director: Janet Whitaker
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1996.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
TUE 16:00 Free Thinking (m001cgtn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:45 The Essay (m0028lzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 today]
TUE 17:00 The Waiting Game (m001ngw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 17:30 Limelight (m001kh2w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 18:00 Yes Minister (b007k0nj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 18:30 The Goon Show (b0080hxc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 19:30 Following Pappano (b0952ph2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 19:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081cdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
TUE 20:00 Hoax! (m002zsyd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
TUE 20:30 The Brothers (b007mc8t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
TUE 21:00 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin (b007jl71)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
TUE 22:00 Meet David Sedaris (m001k7yb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
TUE 22:30 And the Winner Is... (b010lxql)
Series 2
Episode 5
Matt Lucas hosts his alternative awards show – The Lucases - as selected by his guests.
Awards include the Lucas for Most Exciting News Story Ever Ever, Most Ridiculous With Hindsight 80s Fashion Trend, Most Beddable Person of the Same Gender (Unless You Are a Gay In Which Case The Opposite Gender), Lamest Ever Cover Song.
Nominations are provided by Matt's guests:
Jason Byrne
Graham Norton
Lucy Porter
But the ultimate decision is down to the whim of the host.
Devised by Ashley Blaker and Bill Matthews. Programme associate: Ged Parsons.
Producer: Ashley Blaker
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in April 2011.
TUE 23:00 All the World's a Globe (b007jwt1)
5. The Male Nude and Charlton Heston
From St Francis to Buddhism
The history of mankind from the first amoeba to the Second World War.
Presented by the entire cast of the National Theatre of Brent - Desmond Olivier Dingle and Wallace, aided by Mr Barker.
Written by Patrick Barlow, with additional material by Jim Broadbent and Martin Duncan.
With guest star Peter Barker.
With thanks to
Patrick Barlow
Jim Broadbent
Martin Duncan
Producer: Lissa Evans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1990.
TUE 23:15 Foley and McColl: The Interview (b0076d8h)
Placebo
The comedy team behind the Morecambe and Wise tribute ‘The Play What I Wrote’ continue their big interview, spilling the beans to Michael Parkinson.
The duo tell Parky about their lean years.
Written by and starring Sean Foley and Hamish McColl.
With Michael Parkinson.
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
TUE 23:30 Chain Reaction (b052jk2z)
Series 10
Adam Buxton talks to Reece Shearsmith
Adam Buxton - comedian, actor, technophile and one half of 'Adam and Joe'
talks to
Reece Shearsmith - co-creator and star of The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville and Inside No 9.
Chain Reaction is the long running hostless chat show where the interviewee turns interviewer in the next programme.
Producer: Charlie Perkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.

WEDNESDAY 05 AUGUST 2026

WED 00:00 Free Thinking (m001cgtn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:45 The Essay (m0028lzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:45 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 The Waiting Game (m001ngw1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 Limelight (m001kh2w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Yes Minister (b007k0nj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 The Goon Show (b0080hxc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]
WED 03:30 Following Pappano (b0952ph2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Tuesday]
WED 03:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081cdy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Hoax! (m002zsyd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:30 The Brothers (b007mc8t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin (b007jl71)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 The Waiting Game (m001nn21)
2. Ale for the Garrison
After his stint at the Battle of Waterloo, soldier Tom Naismith is wondering why his uncle's Lancaster-based business is floundering.
Meanwhile, will the ale waggon ever reach the local garrison without the attention of dangerous smugglers?
Starring Keith Buckley and Tom Harrison
Margaret Potter's serial set in the early 19th century on the Lancashire coast.
Tom Naismith .... Keith Buckley
John Raby .... Tom Harrison
Lanty .... Bert Parnaby
Brack .... Henry Livings
Captain Mackendrew .... Ralph Hallett
Sir Geoffrey Banner .... Norman Shelley
The Pedlar .... Geoffrey Banks
Mrs Stephens .... Ella Atkinson
Coppins .... Joe Holmes
Landlord of 'The Swan' .... Roy Minton
The Turnkey .... Graham Tennant
The Stable Boy .... Barry Dixon
Landlord's wife .... Norma Wilson
An old farmer .... Geoffrey Banks
A man at 'The Swan' .... Frank Poynter
Producer: Trevor Hill
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in February 1965.
WED 06:30 Limelight (m001kpzk)
Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?
Chapter 3: Liberty Flights
Clara and Sabine battle through undergrowth and language barriers as Nakesha and Sebastian follow the Liberty Flights lead in Vienna.
Cast:
Clara Page ... Phoebe Fox
Aldrich Kemp ... Ferdinand Kingsley
Mrs Boone ... Nicola Walker
Sebastian Harcourt ... Kyle Soller
Nakesha Kemp ... Karla Crome
Aunt Lily ... Susan Jameson
Nurse ... Jana Carpenter
Sabine Seah ... Rebecca Boey
Remington Schofield ... Barnaby Kay
Miss Lotte Amutenya ... Cherrelle Skeete
Mrs Bartholomew ... Kate Isitt
Dr Hazlitt ... Ben Crowe
Camera Assistant ... James Joyce
Recorded on location in Hove.
Created and written by Julian Simpson.
Music composed by Tim Elsenburg
Director: Julian Simpson
Producer: Sarah Tombling
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2023.
WED 07:00 After Henry (b007jnsf)
Series 2
The Married Man
'Many people have found that a couple of months negotiating gear levers in golf-club car parks can rather take the edge off romance.'
Clare'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.
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 September 1986.
WED 07:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k1nm)
Series 2
The Rail Strike
The Lad gets a green signal to outwit a rail strike, but a bumpy ride lies ahead...
Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's classic comedy about the life and times of Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock.
Starring Tony Hancock.
With:
Bill Kerr
Sidney James
Kenneth Williams
Andree Melly
Announcer: Kenneth Williams
Theme and incidental music written by Wally Stott.
Music recorded by the BBC Augmented Revue Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz.
Producer: Dennis Main Wilson
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in June 1955.
WED 08:00 Bridget Christie: Mortal (m000vgj6)
Death
Continuing her look at Mortality, Bridget ponders 'Death'.
Like many of us forced to work from home during Covid lockdown, Bridget recorded this series herself in her house, and in her local park, on a pre-sanitised recording device sent to her in the post. Batteries weren’t included. She had to buy them all herself.
In a collection of informative, personal and absurd recordings, she confronts the difficult questions most of us spend our lives avoiding - all whilst being interrupted by cats, bad WiFi, life admin and her own dead self from beyond the grave.
If you are mortal, then this is the show for you.
Written and performed by Bridget Christie
With guest appearances from:
* Bridget's dad
* Bridget's sister, Eileen
* Bridget's friend, Ash
Producer: Carl Cooper
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2021.
WED 08:30 Following Pappano (b0952stt)
3. The Commentary
The Royal Opera's music director Sir Antonio Pappano and stage director, Richard Jones are leading preparations for the first new Covent Garden staging of Puccini's La Bohème in over 40 years.
Follow Maestro Pappano as it all takes shape – as he works with singers, discussing the particular challenges of operating at the very highest level of operatic performance and expectation - and giving candid insights into the often perilous journey to an opening night.
His on and off stage teams, include the young cast who are acutely aware that the production they are replacing opened with singers like Placido Domingo and Sir Thomas Allen. There are also stage directors, set-builders, movement directors and Maestro Pappano's trusted repetiteur.
But at the heart of it, in the weeks leading up to opening night and as the curtain rises, is the Music director himself, combining the orchestral brilliance of Puccini's score and the dazzling qualities of the singers on stage to produce what they all hope will be a worthy addition to the Royal Opera House's Puccini tradition.
Producer: Tom Alban.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2017.
WED 08:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081f8j)
8. Gilbert
Gilbert begins his RAF training in England and discovers the mother country isn't as warm and friendly as he’d hoped.
Andrea Levy's award-winning novel exploring empire, prejudice, war and love in Jamaica, England, America and India.
Dramatised by Pat Cumper
Gilbert ........ Don Gilet
Sergeant ........ Roger Walker
Jon ........ Declan Wilson
Levi ........ Damian Lynch
US Sergeant ........ Eric Loren
US CO ........ Stuart Milligan
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
WED 09:00 Best Medicine (m002zhsb)
Series 3
1 - Rubbish, Home Births, Collaboration
Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Michelle Wolf who reflects on home births, Professor Stephen Wallace explains how old plastic bottles can be transformed into a form of Dopamine that can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease, and Dr Matt Clarke demonstrates the power of medical collaboration in helping to identify and treat brain tumours.
Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, experts and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future.
Each week Kiri challenges a panel of experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine'. Each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure.
Whether it’s groundbreaking surgery, seaweed underwear, AI glasses to help people with dementia, horse therapy, sports, revolutionary gene therapy for Huntington’s disease or yesterday’s rubbish becoming tomorrow’s medicines - it’s always something worth celebrating.
Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Featuring: Dr Matt Clarke, Professor Stephen Wallace and Michelle Wolf
Written by Edward Easton, Jordan Gray, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse
Producer: Tashi Radha
Executive Producer: Ben Worsfield
Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones
A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4
WED 09:30 Behind The Taverna (m002zs3f)
Portugal
Brett Westwood is in Portugal as he continues his search for wildlife in some of Europe's holiday hotspots.
He has a surprising encounter with a lizard and discovers some of colourful birds that live alongside the luxury villas and golf courses of the Algarve.
Presenter: Brett Westwood
Producer: Caroline Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
WED 09:45 Daily Service (m002zs3l)
Model Villages: Saltaire
This week, Daily Service comes from some of Britain's best-known model villages, including Port Sunlight, Saltaire, Bournville and Swindon Railway Village. Built during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these pioneering communities were created by visionary employers who sought to provide decent housing, education and shared facilities for their workers. Combining industry with a strong sense of social purpose, they reflected ideals of faith, wellbeing and community that continue to resonate today.
The series explores the vision, faith and community spirit that shaped these remarkable places, with daily acts of worship reflecting on their enduring legacy and relevance for contemporary life.
Today's service visits Saltaire and is led by Luke Owens.
Producer: Abigail Thomas
WED 10:00 Sound of Cinema (m002c1vb)
Joe Hisaishi
Matthew Sweet celebrates the life and work of Studio Ghibli composer, Joe Hisaishi. Tune in for some of his most beloved music, with classic soundtracks including Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Joe Hisaishi will make his BBC Proms debut in 2025, performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
To listen on most smart speakers, just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema.”
Producer: Sandra Hardial
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in May 2025.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
WED 11:00 The Waiting Game (m001nn21)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 11:30 Limelight (m001kpzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 12:00 After Henry (b007jnsf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 12:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k1nm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 13:00 Bridget Christie: Mortal (m000vgj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 13:30 Following Pappano (b0952stt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081f8j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
WED 14:00 The Ultimate Choice (m001trr5)
Series 2
1: Jane Austen v Where's Wally
Steph McGovern asks some seriously funny minds to offer definitive answers to the great questions of our age. Or not.
Welcome to the world's most devious game of Would You Rather?
With guests Jason Cook and Lauren Pattison.
Devised and written by Jon Harvey & Joseph Morpurgo.
With additional material from Laura Major.
Producer: Jon Harvey
A Naked production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2024.
WED 14:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b00mjq8m)
Series 3
Episode 1
Like many a menopausal flower child before him, Merv discovers his inner cowboy.
This, plus a surprise gift from his uncle Lonesome Larry Pond has him dreaming of the open road again.
But can you park a horse on double yellows?
Return of the sitcom set in ‘Cyber Pass’, an internet café.
Written by and starring Mervyn Stutter.
Merv …. Mervyn Stutter
Pam …. Lill Roughley
Nev …. Gyuri Sarossy
Chantal …. Tracy-Ann Oberman
Dibden …. John Challis
Dilkes …. Chris Ettridge
Various …. Geoffrey McGivern
Songs by Mervyn Stutter.
Performed by Swamp Things.
Producer: Simon Nicholls
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2004.
WED 15:00 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin (b007jl77)
2. A Battle Against Evil
Young wizard Ged goes to Pendor to battle against the dragon challengers. The mighty Dragon of Pendor has risen again.
Ursula K. Le Guin's acclaimed fantasy novel, dramatised for radio by Bert Coules.
With Dame Judi Dench as the narrator.
Narrator …. Judi Dench
Ged/Shadow …. Michael Maloney
Dragon of Pendor …. Richard Johnson
Lady Serret …. Emma Fielding
Ogion …. Ioan Meredith
Vetch …. Robert Harper
Jasper …. Chris Pavlo
Archmage Nemmerle …. Sean Baker
The Witch …. Ann Beach
Yarrow …. Abigail Docherty
Pechvarry …. Keith Drinkel
Lord Benderesk …. Jonathan Adams
Archmage Gensher …. Christopher Scott
Master Herbal …. Kim Wall
Yorgan …. Colleen Prendergast
Young Ged …. Mark Burrows
Ioeth …. Tom Felton
Music composed by David Chilton and Nick Russell-Pavier
Director: Janet Whitaker
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1996.
Broadcast on Radio 4 Extra in August 2026 as part of our season 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli'
WED 16:00 Sound of Cinema (m002c1vb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 17:00 The Waiting Game (m001nn21)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 17:30 Limelight (m001kpzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 18:00 After Henry (b007jnsf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 18:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k1nm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 19:00 Bridget Christie: Mortal (m000vgj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 Following Pappano (b0952stt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 19:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081f8j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
WED 20:00 The Ultimate Choice (m001trr5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
WED 20:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b00mjq8m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
WED 21:00 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin (b007jl77)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
WED 22:00 Best Medicine (m002zhsb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 22:30 Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music (b007k03f)
Series 1
Death
Death comes to us all, but for the rock star; it can be the start of a whole new career.
Mitch Benn sets out on a musical journey through the showbiz glitz and backstage litter of pop music.
With:
Robert Ince
Alfie Joey
Tash Baylis
Kirsty Newton
Producer: Adam Bromley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2004.
WED 23:00 Dave Podmore (b007jz8b)
Dave Podmore's Cricket Night
Episode 4
After meeting Rory McGrath on TV, minor cricketing celebrity Pod is called to Buckingham Palace.
Written by Christopher Douglas, Nick Newman and Andrew Nickolds.
Pod ...... Christopher Douglas
Andy Hamer ...... Andrew Nickolds
With:
Andy Hamer
Nichola Sanderson
Chris Pavlo
Ewan Bailey
Rory McGrath
Producer: Richard Wilson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2004.
WED 23:30 Dial M for Pizza (b007k2zq)
Series 2
Episode 4
Another helping of piping hot comedy with spicy sketches with Brenda Blethyn and Robert Bathurst.
Featuring more "Adventures of Mr Makes a lot of Mistakes", an unusual doctor and an even more unusual geography field trip.
Written by James Hendrie and Ian Brown.
Serving up the pizza fun:
Robert Bathurst
Brenda Blethyn
Jim Broadbent
Felicity Montagu
Producer: David Tyler
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1988.

THURSDAY 06 AUGUST 2026

THU 00:00 Sound of Cinema (m002c1vb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 The Waiting Game (m001nn21)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 Limelight (m001kpzk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 After Henry (b007jnsf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 Hancock's Half Hour (b007k1nm)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 Bridget Christie: Mortal (m000vgj6)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Wednesday]
THU 03:30 Following Pappano (b0952stt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Wednesday]
THU 03:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081f8j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 The Ultimate Choice (m001trr5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b00mjq8m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin (b007jl77)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 The Waiting Game (m001nmzp)
3. Encounter at Dawn
What will the consequences for Tom be after making an enemy of Captain Mackendrew?
Tom Naismith has joined his uncle's Lancaster-based business. But why is it floundering?
Starring Keith Buckley and Ralph Hallett.
Margaret Potter's serial set in the early 19th century on the Lancashire coast.
Tom Naismith .... Keith Buckley
Captain Mackendrew .... Ralph Hallett
Luke Hemmings, the ostler .... Jack Woolgar
Manservant at Wildbeck Hall .... John Daglish
Sophia .... Judith Bradshaw
William Fell .... Robert Wallace
Nelms .... John Linstrum
Blackley .... Norman Somers
Osborne .... James Luxton
Producer: Trevor Hill
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in March1965.
THU 06:30 Limelight (p0fbhlzb)
Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?
Chapter 4: The Murder Clowns
Dr Hazlitt sends Aldrich and Clara on a mission to unexplored and dangerous territory.
Are there more questions than answers?
Cast:
Clara Page ... Phoebe Fox
Aldrich Kemp ... Ferdinand Kingsley
Mrs Boone ... Nicola Walker
Sebastian Harcourt ... Kyle Soller
Nakesha Kemp ... Karla Crome
Aunt Lily ... Susan Jameson
Forsaken McTeague and the Underwood Sisters ... Jana Carpenter
Sabine Seah ... Rebecca Boey
Remington Schofield ... Barnaby Kay
Mrs Bartholomew ... Kate Isitt
Dr Hazlitt ... Ben Crowe
Film Director ... James Joyce
Recorded on location in Hove.
Created and written by Julian Simpson.
Music composed by Tim Elsenburg
Director: Julian Simpson
Producer: Sarah Tombling
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2023.
THU 07:00 Capital Gains (b007r5d3)
Series 1
Venture Capital
Absconding with £4,601,740.72 of someone else's money proves more challenging than it sounds for Julius Hutch.
Starring Peter Jones.
Written by Collin Johnson
Julius Hutch ...... Peter Jones
Pauline Tone ...... Celestine Randall
Sexton Lewis ...... Jeffrey Wickham
Peter Fang ...... Peter Whitman
News Reader ...... Collin Johnson
Kate ...... Justine Midda
Producer: Andy Jordan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1995.
THU 07:30 The Burkiss Way (b00jq7qb)
Series 3
Get Cut Off the Burkiss Way
Pulling the chain on quiz shows - and the legendary tales of Scheherazade prove disappointing.
Cult sketch comedy series which originally ran from 1976 to 1980.
Starring:
Fred Harris
Jo Kendall
Nigel Rees
Chris Emmett
Written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick.
Producer: John Lloyd
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1977.
THU 08:00 Believe It! (m0017v6n)
Series 6
Holiday
Jon Canter's continuing "radiography" of Richard Wilson explores elements of his life that are very nearly true.
With a once-in-a-lifetime holiday in the planning – who will be on the invite list?
Who will be sleeping in the best bedroom? And where exactly is Richard planning on taking everybody?
Starring
Richard Wilson
Jos Vantyler
Stephen Mangan
Arabella Weir
Producer: Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2022.
THU 08:30 Following Pappano (b0952zl5)
4. The Run Through
The Royal Opera's music director Sir Antonio Pappano and stage director, Richard Jones are leading preparations for the first new Covent Garden staging of Puccini's La Bohème in over 40 years.
Follow Maestro Pappano as it all takes shape - as he works with singers, discussing the particular challenges of operating at the very highest level of operatic performance and expectation - and giving candid insights into the often perilous journey to an opening night.
His on and off stage teams, include the young cast who are acutely aware that the production they are replacing opened with singers like Placido Domingo and Sir Thomas Allen. There are also stage directors, set-builders, movement directors and Maestro Pappano's trusted repetiteur.
But at the heart of it, in the weeks leading up to opening night and as the curtain rises, is the Music director himself, combining the orchestral brilliance of Puccini's score and the dazzling qualities of the singers on stage to produce what they all hope will be a worthy addition to the Royal Opera House's Puccini tradition.
Producer: Tom Alban.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2017.
THU 08:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081k67)
9. Arthur
When Gilbert becomes friendly with Queenie and her father-in-law, not everyone is happy.
A trip to the cinema turns sour when they find out the seats are segregated.
Andrea Levy's award-winning novel exploring empire, prejudice, war and love in Jamaica, England, America and India.
Dramatised by Pat Cumper
Gilbert ... Don Gilet
Queenie ... Lyndsey Marshal
Usherette ... Adjoa Andoh
Other parts played by:
Elizabeth Bell
Mark Straker
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
THU 09:00 Icklewick FM (m001vm5l)
Series 1
1. The Giant
IcklewickFM’s switchboard lights up when a very tall man is sighted on the outskirts of town. Amy and Chris try to keep on top of the rapidly escalating situation as the breaking news story tips into a full-blown panic.
The Mayor’s assistant (and rising social media star) Nicola Trickle categorically fails to quell the rising hysteria, and beleaguered manager Stanley Power calls in to discuss Icklewick FC’s latest humiliating defeat.
Radio producer and taxi rank entrepreneur, Mr Patel also says some stuff too.
Created and written by Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill with additional material from the cast.
Starring:
Kat Bond
Phil Ellis
Ninette Finch
Colin Hoult
Mark Silcox
Shivani Thussu
Johnny White Really Really
Sound Design and Music by Jack Lewis Evans.
The Line Producer is Laura Shaw.
Produced by Ben Sutton.
Icklewick FM is A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 09:30 Behind The Taverna (m002zt0j)
Mallorca
Brett Westwood finds one of Europe’s biggest and rarest birds soaring over the busy resorts of Mallorca.
He finds out who the birds are being tracked by and monitored and the efforts being made to grow their numbers on the island.
Presenter: Brett Westwood
Producer: Caroline Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
THU 09:45 Daily Service (m002zt0l)
Model Villages: Swindon Railway Village
This week, Daily Service comes from some of Britain's best-known model villages, including Port Sunlight, Saltaire, Bournville and Swindon Railway Village. Built during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these pioneering communities were created by visionary employers who sought to provide decent housing, education and shared facilities for their workers. Combining industry with a strong sense of social purpose, they reflected ideals of faith, wellbeing and community that continue to resonate today.
The series explores the vision, faith and community spirit that shaped these remarkable places, with daily acts of worship reflecting on their enduring legacy and relevance for contemporary life.
Today's service visits St Mark's, Swindon and is led by Fr Toby Boutle SSC.
Producer: Andrew Earis
THU 10:00 Great Lives (b007cnxn)
Mata Hari
TV presenter Fiona Bruce champions the claim to greatness of the notorious femme fatale Mata Hari.
Was she a dangerous double agent or a casualty of war, and how did her name become synonymous with sleaze and betrayal?
Presenter Matthew Parris and Fiona Bruce are joined by historian Julie Wheelwright.
Producer: John Byrne
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2007.
THU 10:30 The Race To Dover (b00kpw1z)
BBC cricket correspondent and keen pilot Jonathan Agnew looks at the race to be the first person to fly across the English Channel in 1909.
Agnew gets the chance to slide into the cockpit of the winning plane flown by Louis Bleriot.
He also finds out what happened to the race favourite - playboy and sportsman, Hubert Latham.
Producer: Chris Ledgard
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2009.
THU 11:00 The Waiting Game (m001nmzp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 11:30 Limelight (p0fbhlzb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 12:00 Capital Gains (b007r5d3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 12:30 The Burkiss Way (b00jq7qb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 13:00 Believe It! (m0017v6n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 13:30 Following Pappano (b0952zl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081k67)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
THU 14:00 We've Been Here Before (b00g1rsp)
Series 2
Episode 4
The topical historical satirical panel show setting out to prove that there's nothing new under, or in, The Sun.
Hosted by Clive Anderson.
Nick Revell and Gyles Brandreth
battle it out against
Helen Atkinson-Wood and John O'Farrell.
Producer: Ed Morrish
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2004.
THU 14:30 The Change (b00nxcbs)
Series 1
Lipstick
Carol's attempts at keeping George's little hobby a secret are thwarted when they bump into Maureen...
Comedy about troubled, hormonal Carol whose husband George has revealed that he's a transvestite.
Starring Lynda Bellingham and Chris Ellison.
Sitcom by Gavin Petrie and Jan Etherington.
Carol ...... Lynda Bellingham
George ...... Chris Ellison
Violet ...... Sylvia Syms
Maureen ...... Maureen Beattie
Dave ...... Mark Powley
Ken ...... James Vaughan
Jerry ...... Richard Standing
Sonia ...... Emma Kennedy
Producer: Maria Esposito
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2001.
THU 15:00 Berlin by Heinrich Mann (m000spm9)
1. The Literary Life
"Berlin's the place for someone like me - where everybody is somebody or knows somebody who's somebody. I need only sit here, make myself agreeable, and by the end of summer everybody in the Cafe Hurrah will be shouting 'Hurrah' for me..."
Heinrich Mann's novel was first published in 1900.
Originally titled "In The Land of Cockaigne", this is the story of the rise and fall of Andrew Zumsee, an innocent but self-confident young poet from the provinces, as he attempts to make a name for himself in Berlin society.
Starring John Kielty.
Dramatised in two parts by Patricia Hannah.
Andrew Zumsee .... John Kielty
Adelheid Turkheimer .... Joanna Tope
Louis Turkheimer .... John Shedden
Karl Kaflisch .... Simon Tait
Dr Bedeiner .... Ralph Riach
Lizzi Laffe .... Vivienne Dixon
Diederich Klempner .... Gregor Powrie
Friederich Kopf .... Simon Donaldson
Asta Turkheimer .... Lucy Paterson
Frau Moore...............Stella Forge
Clare Pinbush...........Hilary Neville
Blosch.........................Mark McDonald
Heinrich Mann .... James Bryce
Director: David Jackson Young
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2004
**** The older brother of Thomas Mann, Heinrich Mann is probably best remembered today as the author of the book which inspired the film "The Blue Angel".
THU 16:00 Great Lives (b007cnxn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:30 The Race To Dover (b00kpw1z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
THU 17:00 The Waiting Game (m001nmzp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 17:30 Limelight (p0fbhlzb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
THU 18:00 Capital Gains (b007r5d3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 18:30 The Burkiss Way (b00jq7qb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 19:00 Believe It! (m0017v6n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 Following Pappano (b0952zl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 19:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081k67)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
THU 20:00 We've Been Here Before (b00g1rsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
THU 20:30 The Change (b00nxcbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
THU 21:00 Berlin by Heinrich Mann (m000spm9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
THU 22:00 Icklewick FM (m001vm5l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 22:30 1966 and All That (b01phm54)
The 1980s and 90s
Neil Knock-Knock becomes leader of the Labour Party; Jeffrey Archer reveals he's won the Nobel Prize - and John Minor stands against himself... and loses.
Craig Brown's satirical history of Britain reaches the 1980s and 90s.
With:
Joss Ackland
Eleanor Bron
Rory Bremner
Ewan Bailey
Margaret Cabourn-Smith
John Humphrys
Producer: Victoria Lloyd
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
THU 23:00 The Casebook of Max and Ivan (b098h0f8)
Series 2
Case #73 - Cirque Du Solihull
Ineffective detectives Max and Ivan are called to help the penniless ringmaster of the crumbling Cirque Du Solihull.
After a series of mysterious accidents the circus faces closure after the human cannonball cannon is stolen.
Meanwhile, in an effort to fend off increasingly erratic landlord Malcolm, Max has come up with an ingenious way to delay paying him their rent.
Written by and Max Olesker and Ivan Gonzalez
Max ...... Max Olesker
Ivan ...... Ivan Gonzalez
Brenda Zamponi ...... Bridget Christie
Narrator /Malcolm McMichaelmas ...... Lewis MacLeod
Belle (& others) ...... Lolly Adefope
Joe (& others) ...... David Reed
Developed by John Stanley Productions
Producer: Ben Walker
A Retort production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2017.
THU 23:30 Sophie Willan's Guide to Normality (b09w13sg)
Series 1
Be a Parent
Break out comedy star Sophie Willan from BBC2's Alma's Not Normal, with her four-part stand-up series.
Growing up in and out of the care system, Sophie had an unconventional childhood. Here, she challenges our perception of 'the perfect normal life', shining a light on the reality of the British experience.
In this opening episode, Sophie looks at what it is to be a 'normal' parent.
Producer Suzy Grant
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2018.
THU 23:45 What's the Story, Ashley Storrie? (m001gz68)
Series 1
1. How Dad Met Mother
Growing up surrounded by gangsters and a dysfunctional family, this is the story of Ashley - a tall comedian who loves William Shatner and hates textured fabrics.
Glasgow's nightlife in the early 1980's was still flying the flag for disco, bell bottoms and oversized lapels, and it was outside the local club in Shettleston where Ashley's parents met for the first time, starting the story that led to an unexpected marriage and a family feud that was never resolved.
Written and performed by Ashley Storrie.
Featuring Rosco McClelland.
Producer: Julia Sutherland
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2023.

FRIDAY 07 AUGUST 2026

FRI 00:00 Great Lives (b007cnxn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 The Race To Dover (b00kpw1z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 The Waiting Game (m001nmzp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 01:30 Limelight (p0fbhlzb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Capital Gains (b007r5d3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 The Burkiss Way (b00jq7qb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 Believe It! (m0017v6n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Thursday]
FRI 03:30 Following Pappano (b0952zl5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Thursday]
FRI 03:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081k67)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 We've Been Here Before (b00g1rsp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 The Change (b00nxcbs)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 Berlin by Heinrich Mann (m000spm9)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 The Waiting Game (m001nn75)
4. The Silecroft Run
Can Tom discover more about the old priory and its role in smuggling his uncle’s missing goods?
Tom Naismith has joined his uncle's Lancaster-based business. But why is it floundering?
Starring Keith Buckley and Ralph Hallett.
Margaret Potter's serial set in the early 19th century on the Lancashire coast.
Tom Naismith .... Keith Buckley
John Raby .... Tom Harrison
Mrs Stephens .... Ella Atkinson
Sir Geoffrey Banner .... Norman Shelley
William Fell .... Robert Wallace
Sophia Sheridan .... Judith Bradshaw
Luke Hemmings .... Jack Woolgar
Brack .... Henry Livings
Lanty .... Bert Parnaby
Coppins .... Joe Holmes
Manservant .... John Daglish
Mr Hammond .... Geoffrey Banks
Quilliam, a Manx boatman .... Sydney Kelly
Peter Costain .... Roy Minton
Producer: Trevor Hill
First broadcast on the BBC Home Service in March 1965.
FRI 06:30 Limelight (p0fbjc55)
Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?
Chapter 5: Bogata
The team is in a race against time for answers, but the route proves circuitous.
The quest ends?
Cast:
Clara Page ... Phoebe Fox
Aldrich Kemp ... Ferdinand Kingsley
Mrs Boone ... Nicola Walker
Sebastian Harcourt ... Kyle Soller
Nakesha Kemp ... Karla Crome
Aunt Lily ... Susan Jameson
Forsaken McTeague and the Underwood Sisters ... Jana Carpenter
Sabine Seah ... Rebecca Boey
Remington Schofield ... Barnaby Kay
Miss Lotte Amutenya ... Cherrelle Skeete
Mrs Bartholomew ... Kate Isitt
Dr Hazlitt ... Ben Crowe
Co Pilot ... James Joyce
Recorded on location in Hove.
Created and written by Julian Simpson
Music composed by Tim Elsenburg.
Director: Julian Simpson
Producer: Sarah Tombling
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2023.
FRI 07:00 Little Blighty on the Down (b00vls7x)
Series 5
Episode 5
A cash crisis hits the Parish Council - and the local family of toffs feel the squeeze too. They all try to borrow off each other and even have to mortgage a jail.
Early 90s political satirical soap opera set in the strangely familiar village of Little Blighty.
Life here is pretty uneventful, though the humdrum happenings include social turmoil, economic upheaval and vicious political squabbles.
Starring:
John Baddeley
Jo Kendall
Bernadine Corrigan
Daniel Strauss
Michael Troughton
Simon Godley
Written by John O'Farrell, Mark Burton and Mike Coleman
Producer Lissa Evans
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1992.
FRI 07:30 Beyond Our Ken (m002zs1x)
Series 5
Episode 3
Kenneth Horne bravely visits the barbers and Hornerama explores the benefits of a university education.
A madcap mix of sketches and songs written by Eric Merriman.
Starring:
Kenneth Horne
Kenneth Williams
Hugh Paddick
Betty Marsden
Bill Pertwee
Music from Jill Day, The Fraser Hayes Four and the BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet.
Announcer: Douglas Smith
Beyond Our Ken hit the airwaves in 1958 and ran to 1964 – featuring regulars like Arthur Fallowfield, Cecil Snaith and Rodney and Charles.
Producer: Jacques Brown
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1961.
***************************************************************************************
Restored and remastered by Ted Kendall and Keith Wickham for BBC Audio.
From BBC Light Programme) and BBC Transcription Service recordings for overseas.
FRI 08:00 The Confessional (m001gjj4)
Series 3
The Confession of Maisie Adam
Comedian Maisie Adam is Stephen Mangan's guest
The 'So You Think You're Funny?' winner discusses a new found tendency to lie, nefarious uses for soggy paper and whether she has the makings of a psychopath.
Stephen Mangan hosts his comedy chat show about shame, guilt and occasional repentance.
Each episode, Stephen invites a distinguished guest into his virtual confessional box to make three confessions of sins, peccadilloes, misdeeds and idiocies - anything really that will make us laugh, shudder, blush or cringe at their expense.
Written and presented by Stephen Mangan.
Additional material by Nick Doody.
Producer: Frank Stirling
A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2023.
FRI 08:30 Following Pappano (b09534g7)
5. The Dress Rehearsal
The Royal Opera's music director Sir Antonio Pappano and stage director, Richard Jones leading the final preparations for the first new Covent Garden staging of Puccini's La Bohème in over 40 years.
Follow Maestro Pappano as it all takes shape - as he works with singers, discussing the particular challenges of operating at the very highest level of operatic performance and expectation - and giving candid insights into the often perilous journey to an opening night.
His on and off stage teams, include the young cast who are acutely aware that the production they are replacing opened with singers like Placido Domingo and Sir Thomas Allen. There are also stage directors, set-builders, movement directors and Maestro Pappano's trusted repetiteur.
But at the heart of it, in the weeks leading up to opening night and as the curtain rises, is the Music director himself, combining the orchestral brilliance of Puccini's score and the dazzling qualities of the singers on stage to produce what they all hope will be a worthy addition to the Royal Opera House's Puccini tradition.
Producer: Tom Alban.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2017.
FRI 08:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b00cfwhy)
10. Lodgings
When Queenie’s husband Bernand doesn’t return after the war she offers rooms to lodgers to stay afloat.
But her house guests are not welcomed by everyone in the neighbourhood.
Andrea Levy's award-winning novel exploring empire, prejudice, war and love in Jamaica, England, America and India.
Dramatised by Pat Cumper
Gilbert ... Don Gilet
Queenie ... Lyndsey Marshal
Mr Todd ... Kim Wall
Hortense ... Nadine Marshall
Bernard ... Stephen Tompkinson
Other parts played by:
Elizabeth Bell
Mark Straker
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
FRI 09:00 Olga Koch: OK Computer (m001m4sf)
Series 2
1. Fun
This episode, Olga and ALGO try to agree on what is, and isn’t, fun.
Comedian and computer scientist Olga Koch returns for a second series of her comedy and STEM stand up show, joined by her sassy digital assistant ALGO (voiced by Tia Kofi).
Written by Olga Koch and Charlie Dinkin
Featuring Tia Kofi
Additional Material From Rajiv Karia, Cody Dahler and Kate Dehnert
Production Co-ordinator Katie Baum
Produced by Benjamin Sutton
A BBC Studios Production
FRI 09:30 Behind The Taverna (m002zs23)
Tenerife
In the final programme in the series, Brett Westwood follows the tourist buses up Tenerife's famous volcano and finds out why most of the wildlife here is found nowhere else in the world.
With the help of two experts from the local university he discovers birds and reptiles that have learned to live alongside the many tourists who visit the island.
Presenter: Brett Westwood
Producer: Caroline Williams
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2003.
FRI 09:45 Daily Service (m002zs27)
Model Villages: Bournville
This week, Daily Service comes from some of Britain's best-known model villages, including Port Sunlight, Saltaire, Bournville and Swindon Railway Village. Built during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these pioneering communities were created by visionary employers who sought to provide decent housing, education and shared facilities for their workers. Combining industry with a strong sense of social purpose, they reflected ideals of faith, wellbeing and community that continue to resonate today.
The series explores the vision, faith and community spirit that shaped these remarkable places, with daily acts of worship reflecting on their enduring legacy and relevance for contemporary life.
For the final service of the week, Daily Service returns to Bournville Parish Church to find out more about their church community today, and is led by the Vicar, Canon Richard Wharton.
Producer: Andrew Earis
FRI 10:00 Soul Music (b0375qt8)
Series 16
Don't Leave Me This Way
Don't Leave Me This Way was written in the early 1970s by songwriters Huff, Gamble and Gilbert.
They were the composers behind the famous black American Philadelphia Sound.
It was first performed by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass on lead vocals.
It later became a hit for Thelma Houston and The Communards.
As the title suggests, the song is all about longing, yearning and loss.
Remarkable stories reflect the pain expressed in this soul classic, including one told by Dr Dan Gottlieb, a quadriplegic therapist who befriended Teddy Pendergrass after he became paralysed in a car accident.
Sharon Wachsler recalls dancing to the version made famous by The Communards in 1986 before a devastating illness left her housebound and reliant on her beloved service dog Gadget, who gave her a reason to keep going. When he died, the song was the only way she could express her grief over his loss.
The Reverend Richard Coles, formerly of The Communards, talks about the significance of Don't Leave Me This Way as a dancefloor anthem for young gay men in the 1980s that was later to become associated with the AIDS epidemic that took so many of their lives.
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2013.
FRI 10:30 The Forum (b0bfwvz5)
Yves Saint Laurent: Fashion Revolutionary
In the ten years since his death, the impact of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent on women's fashion remains undimmed. The tailored suit, trench coat and many other iconic designs are now staples of the modern Western woman's wardrobe. So what were the key moments that shaped Saint Laurent's life? And what was the relation between his fashion innovations and the fast-moving social changes of his time? Bridget Kendall looks back on his life and legacy with director of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, Olivier Flaviano, fashion historian Emilie Hammen and one of Saint Laurent's last assistants, Charles Sébline.
Photo: Yves Saint Laurent, French designer, with two fashion models, Betty Catroux (left) and Loulou de la Falaise, outside his 'Rive Gauche' shop.
Credit: John Minihan, Getty Images.
FRI 11:00 The Waiting Game (m001nn75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 11:30 Limelight (p0fbjc55)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 12:00 Little Blighty on the Down (b00vls7x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 12:30 Beyond Our Ken (m002zs1x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 13:00 The Confessional (m001gjj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 13:30 Following Pappano (b09534g7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b00cfwhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
FRI 14:00 The Museum of Curiosity (m001jsdr)
Series 17
Episode 3
The Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Anna Ptaszynski (podcaster - No Such Thing As A Fish) welcome:
*Taxidermist Polly Morgan
*Cartoonist Randall Munroe
*Impressionist Steve Nallon
On the agenda for the guest committee this week: the limits of the human throat, what to do with a snake in a box, and how much soup it would take to destroy a galaxy.
Researchers: Mike Turner, Mandy Fenton and Lydia Mizon of QI.
Producers: Sam Holmes & Leying Lee
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2023.
FRI 14:30 Millport (b0076bfv)
Series 3
Wild Rover
The Cumbrae Club is up and running and the islanders are already arguing over how it should be run.
Meanwhile back at Bruce House, Moira is in hysterics over her missing pet pooch.
But will Irene risk missing the ferry and losing her job to help her unhappy sister?
Bittersweet comedy written by and starring Lynn Ferguson.
Barmaid Irene Bruce is 30-something and hankering after a better life on the mainland.
Irene ...... Lynn Ferguson
Moira/Agnes ...... Janet Brown
Alberto/Dr Hume/Ferryman/Robert the Dog /Morris ...... Lewis McLeod
Ena/Bunty ...... Gabriel Quigley
Minister/Bob ...... Robert Patterson
Dougie ...... Kenneth Bryans
Producer: Lucy Bacon
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2002.
FRI 15:00 Berlin by Heinrich Mann (m000t0ds)
2. At Last - Rehearsals!
Aspiring young poet Andrew Zumsee has come from the provinces to make his name in Berlin society in the 1890s.
With the wealthy Turkheimers as his patrons - and Adelheid Turkheimer as his lover - a glittering artistic career looks assured.
Conclusion of Heinrich Mann's 1900 novel
Starring John Kielty.
Dramatised by Patricia Hannah.
Andrew Zumsee .... John Kielty
Adelheid Turkheimer .... Joanna Tope
Louis Turkheimer .... John Shedden
Karl Kaflisch .... Simon Tait
Dr Bedeiner .... Ralph Riach
Lizzi Laffe .... Vivienne Dixon
Diederich Klempner .... Gregor Powrie
Friederich Kopf .... Simon Donaldson
Asta Turkheimer .... Lucy Paterson
Bienaimee Matzke ... Gayanne Potter
Frau Moore.................Stella Forge
Clare Pinbush.............Hilary Neville
Blosch............................Mark McDonald
Heinrich Mann .... James Bryce
Director: David Jackson Young
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2004.
FRI 16:00 Soul Music (b0375qt8)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:30 The Forum (b0bfwvz5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
FRI 17:00 The Waiting Game (m001nn75)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 17:30 Limelight (p0fbjc55)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
FRI 18:00 Little Blighty on the Down (b00vls7x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 18:30 Beyond Our Ken (m002zs1x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 19:00 The Confessional (m001gjj4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 Following Pappano (b09534g7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 19:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b00cfwhy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
FRI 20:00 The Museum of Curiosity (m001jsdr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
FRI 20:30 Millport (b0076bfv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
FRI 21:00 Berlin by Heinrich Mann (m000t0ds)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
FRI 22:00 Olga Koch: OK Computer (m001m4sf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 22:30 Becoming Njambi (m00108c1)
Confrontation
Kenyan-born comedian Njambi McGrath goes on a challenging journey of self-discovery, as she traces the roots of her upbringing and the British influences that shaped her life.
Njambi revisits the confrontations that changed her and her families lives forever, before moving to Britain and engaging in an all too familiar culture.
Produced by Julia Sutherland
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2021.
FRI 22:45 Rhys James (b09pmbdw)
Rhys James Is ...
Wise
Comedian Rhys James explores different aspects of himself through live stand up, spoken word poetry and interview clips.
In this episode, Rhys explores the topic of wisdom.
Written and performed by Rhys James
Music by Steve Dunne.
Sound by David Thomas.
Producer: Carl Cooper
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2018.
FRI 22:55 The Comedy Club Interviews (m002zvwj)
Flo and Joan 3/3
From 10pm until midnight, seven days a week, the Comedy Club has two hours of comedy. Plus Iain Lee chats once more to musical comedy duo Flo & Joan. They tell Iain the moment they knew they were funny, and how they're using a new unexpected structure for their next show, With Feeling.
FRI 23:00 Vent (b01g98f4)
Series 3
When Was the Last Time You Saw Your Godfather?
Ben is invited to be a godfather to an ex-girlfriend's baby, which doesn't impress Mary and there's a showdown on the stairlift.
Meanwhile, St Paul gives him some tips on responsibility and where to get the best olives.
Starring Neil Pearson.
Nigel Smith's dark sitcom about a man in a coma, travelling through the distinctly odd landscape of his own unconscious mind.
Ben ...... Neil Pearson
Mary ...... Fiona Allen
Mum ...... Josie Lawrence
Blitz ...... Leslie Ash
Nurse ...... Jo Martin
Derek ...... Stephen Frost
Marley ...... Spencer Brown
Bea ...... Scarlett Milburn-Smith
Karl ...... Matthew Kelly
Sophie ...... Abigail Burdess
Priest ...... Richard Johnson
Director: Nigel Smith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2009.
FRI 23:30 Laura Solon - Talking and Not Talking (b00p67ts)
Series 3
Episode 4
Unwelcoming neighbour Annabelle quizzes an unsuspecting soul over his windchimes, while useless entrepreneur, Carole Price, takes another swing at selling her bad ideas to the world.
And someone travels back from the very near future to warn a man about his blind date.
Award-winning comedian Laura Solon's series of sketches, monologues and one-liners.
With:
Rosie Cavaliero
Ben Moor
Ben Willbond
Written by Laura Solon.
With additional material by Jeremy Dyson and Ben Moor.
Script Editor: Jeremy Dyson
Producer: Colin Anderson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2009.