SATURDAY 15 AUGUST 2026

SAT 00:00 Soul Music (m000ktx9)
Feeling Good
The surprising history behind a track made famous by Nina Simone.
Feeling Good was written for a now obscure musical and originally performed by Cy Grant, the first black man to appear regularly on British TV.
Cy Grant's daughter, Samantha Moxon, describes her father's extraordinary life from Prisoner of War camp to a successful career in the arts.
The composer, Neil Brand, discusses why the song has gone on to transcend the almost forgotten musical it was created for.
Other speakers are Sam Reynolds, who says the track helped her through challenging times, and musician, Kirsten Lamb, who sings a simplified version with young children at a homelessness project in Massachusetts.
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact
Producer: Karen Gregor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2020.
SAT 00:30 Pilot (b008m5xh)
Even in the Internet age, there's still a huge romantic buzz about a great ship.
And as she manoeuvres her vast bulk round the buoys and bars of our great ports, both the sleek liner and the towering container vessel will usually draw a crowd.
Keen sailor Libby Purves takes to the water to tell a little-known story.
She meets the ships' pilots - the men and women whose job it is to guide these big ships safely home in the best and the worst of weathers....and out to sea again...
Producer: Simon Elmes
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2008.
SAT 01:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m3zy)
3. The Morass
A mild-mannered local knows more than he's telling about the murders at the loch...
Starring Teddy Johnson and Moultrie Kelsall.
Edward Boyd's serial thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands.
Steve Gardiner …. Teddy Johnson
DI Gordon …. Moultrie Kelsall
Jonathan Ketch …. Walter Carr
Judy Clark …. Janet Michael
Captain Siegfried Bevvis …. Robert Urquhart
DS Grant …. David Kinnaird
Produced at BBC Glasgow by Eddie Fraser.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1971.
SAT 01:30 The Senior Partner (m00300td)
5. A High Moral Tone
Can solicitors James Rowan and his nephew Olly discover if a shop worker has been stealing?
James Rowan runs his Scottish law firm alongside his much younger nephew, Olly.
Can his no-nonsense traditional approach continue to navigate more modern times?
Starring Andrew Cruickshank and Joe Dunlop.
Written by Donald Bull.
James Rowan .... Andrew Cruickshank
Olly .... Joe Dunlop
Prinnie .... Nancy Mitchell
Ronnie Boswell .... John Kane
Julia .... Sandra Clark
Greg .... John Graham
The Sheriff .... Fraser Kerr
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1980.
SAT 02:00 Flying the Flag (b00xc71y)
Series 4
Spiritual Values
Her Majesty's Ambassador Mackenzie and his staff battle on bravely, coming to terms with the changing order in Colonel Surikov's fledgling Eastern-bloc democracy.
The new order brings new problems, not least keeping the diplomatic upper hand in a country discovering the ills of the West.
So when equal rights for women appears on the agenda, closely followed by the emergence of militant feminists, the embassies echo to the sound of men closing ranks.
Starring Dinsdale Landen.
Return of the Eastern Bloc embassy sitcom written by Alex Shearer.
HM Ambassador Mackenzie …. Dinsdale Landen
William Frost …. Peter Acre
Helen Waterson …. Moir Leslie
Spiro …. Stephen Greif
Christopher Benjamin …. Colonel Surikov
Producer: Neil Cargill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1992.
SAT 02:30 Beyond Our Ken (m00300tg)
Series 5
Episode 4
Kenneth Horne takes part in an elocution experiment and Hornerama focusses on the arts.
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 November 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 (m001gww6)
Series 3
The Confession of Lady Antonia Fraser
Historian and biographer, Antonia Fraser has her conscience examined by Stephen Mangan.
With stories of royal parties, theft and fake masses.
The comic and intrusive chat show, in which Stephen Mangan interrogates celebrity penitents about their stories of shame, guilt and embarrassment.
Each episode, Stephen entices a different eminent 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.
SAT 03:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001w3g)
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
5. Home Again
Adrian Mole finds himself homeless once more so moves back to Wisteria Walk.
Pauline Mole and Ivan Braithwaite make an announcement...
Events of 1997 continue.
Written by Sue Townsend.
Abridged by Sara Davies.
Read by Harry McEntire.
Producer: Alexa Moore
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2019.
SAT 03:45 Small Island by Andrea Levy (b0081wmy)
15. Consequences
Confronted by the consequences of her actions - Queenie makes the most difficult decision of her life.
Conclusion of 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
Bernard ........ Stephen Tompkinson
Queenie ........ Lyndsey Marshal
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
SAT 04:00 The Museum of Curiosity (m001k0d5)
Series 17
Episode 4
The Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Anna Ptaszynski welcome:
* Comedian Alasdair Beckett-King
* Athlete Dame Sarah Storey
* Artist Hannah Rose Thomas
Under scrutiny this week: fitness, fantasy and fake moustaches.
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.
SAT 04:30 Millport (b0076bk4)
Series 3
The Siege
Millport's under siege by the neighbouring islands, furious that this little insignificant town has its own independent public house.
Amidst the madness Irene and Moira find romance where they least expect it - and Alberto unveils an unusual secret defence system.
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/Robert the Dog/Mr Shetland /Mr Sky ...... Lewis McLeod
Ena/Bunty ...... Gabriel Quigley
Minister/Bob/Mr Dunoon/Mr Orkney ...... Robert Patterson
Dougie/Mr Arran ...... Kenneth Bryans
Producer: Lucy Bacon
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2002.
SAT 05:00 Drama on 4 (b06sbrxh)
The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll
Tony Robinson narrates this fresh adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic masterpiece following a strange assortment of characters on their quest for an elusive beast.
Led by a bell-ringing Captain, this motley crew must brave terrifying danger in their chaotic pursuit of a creature known as Snark. Accompanied by specially composed music and songs, this surreal tale questions whether anything is really what it seems.
Music and songs composed by Katie Chatburn
Music performed by:
Katie Chatburn
Dorry Macaulay
Kathryn Williams
Stephen Cordine
Jasper Wilkinson
Director: Charlotte Riches.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.
SAT 05:45 Short Works (m0019z98)
Straight Fire by Gurnaik Johal
Four young men on a stag weekend: a summer expedition of camping, wild swimming and cooking over an open fire.
As they bicker and tease, test and taunt one another, Straight Fire explores the shared histories that bind them, and the cracks in their relationships.
It's a story about heritage, fatherhood and masculinity which culminates in a shocking act.
Written by Gurnaik Johal, who won the 2021/22 Galley Beggar Press short story prize.
Read by Antonio Aakeel.
Producer: Nicola Holloway
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2022.
SAT 06:00 The Family Reunion by TS Eliot (b08qgdv2)
“I keep Wishwood alive, to keep the family alive.”
Wishwood is home to the Dowager Lady Monchensey, located in the north of England.
One evening in late March, her family are gathering for her birthday.
As she battles against death, the Dowager's tormented eldest son Harry returns after eight years...
Starring Fabia Drake, Barbara Couper and Gabriel Woolf.
TS Eliot’s poetic and compelling drama of sin and redemption examines a family tortured by its past.
Amy, Dowager Lady Monchensey …….. Fabia Drake
Agatha …….. Barbara Couper
Mary …….. Dilys Hamlett
Harry, Lord Monchensey …….. Gabriel Woolf
Ivy …….. Mary Wimbush
Violet …….. Olga Lindo
The Honourable Gerald Piper …….. Edward Chapman
The Honourable Charles Piper …….. John Boxer
Doctor Warburton …….. James Dale
Sergeant Winchell …….. Norman Scace
Downing, Harry’s servant and chauffeur …….. Stephen Thorne
Denman, the parlourmaid …….. Patricia Leventon
Producer: Raymond Raikes
First broadcast as a tribute to TS Eliot on the BBC Home Service in March 1965.
*** Thomas Stearns Eliot had died in January 1965, aged 76.
SAT 07:30 Stay Young - with Michael Mosley (Omnibus) (m00309xv)
We all want to live life to the fullest - feeling and looking our best.
But over time, things can start to sag. So what's the best way to stop the clock and keep that youthful glow and energy?
Michael Mosley looks at the latest research into how to stay young.
Omnibus of five episodes.
Each episode reveals one simple, scientifically proven thing you can start doing today to rejuvenate yourself from the inside out.
1. STAY FIT - Michael looks at the best exercise to help rejuvenate you at a cellular level and reverse signs of ageing.
2. STAY LOOKING YOUNG - Michael reveals the latest science on how what you eat can reduce wrinkles, boost collagen and improve skin texture.
3. STAY SHARP - Michael explores what you can do to boost your brainpower and keep yourself mentally sharp.
4. STAY FEELING GOOD - Michael explores the best food to boost your mood, your energy levels, reduce inflammation and improve your immune system.
5. STAY STRONG - Michael explores how strength training can benefit your waistline, you brain and even help you live longer.
Producer: Catherine Wyler
Executive Producer: Zoe Heron
A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in June 2023.
SAT 08:45 Inner Voices (m0026mcn)
Series 3
Tonight in the Twilight Lounge by Mark Maier
Assistant cruise director, Hans Gruber, is close to breaking point and doesn't know if he can face being the caller at the bingo session.
He’s being side-lined in a head office ‘rejuvenation programme’ and has acquired a nemesis…
Written and performed by Mark Maier.
Series of character monologues by top UK comics.
Director: Liz Webb
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2004.
SAT 09:00 The Men from the Ministry (b00xj4lb)
The Great Footwear Scandal
A mix-up means the bumbling civil servants must find 5000 boats - fast!!
A weekly tribute to all those who work in government offices and to all the others who spend their days there as well.
Number One ...... Wilfrid Hyde White
Number Two ...... Richard Murdoch
Mildred ...... Norma Ronald
Sir Gregory Pitkin ...... Roy Dotrice
April Adams ...... Diana Olsson
With:
Edwin Apps
David Graham - best remembered as the voice of Parker in Thunderbirds.
'The Men from the Ministry' ran for 14 series between 1962 and 1977. Deryck Guyler replaced Wilfrid Hyde-White from 1966
Written and produced by Edward Taylor.
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in October 1962.
SAT 09:30 Brothers in Law (b0599zby)
Series 1
Reasonable Doubt
Can rookie barrister Roger Thursby cope with his first case in court using a jury?
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
Henry Blagrove …. Richard Waring
Sally Mannering …. Ann Davies
Grimes …. John Glyn-Jones
Other parts played by:
Sam Kydd
Malcolm Hayes
Peter Jones
Restored from BBC Transcription Service tapes - originally edited for sale abroad.
Producer: David Hatch.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1970.
SAT 10:00 Sisters in Satire: The Pioneering Women of Comedy (m000t5pc)
2. Meera and Linda
From the dawn of broadcast comedy, women played a vital but largely overlooked role; more in the background rather than the forefront.
What impact did the sisters of satire from the 60’s and 70’s have on the comedy we know today and what was their cultural influence?
Just because they weren’t the stars of the show didn’t mean their influence wasn’t felt. June Whitfield, Eleanor Bron and Miriam Margolyes were all quietly but firmly making their name in comedies such as The Glums, The Establishment Club and The Betty Witherspoon Show.
These women paved the way for comedians and actors such as Jan Ravens, Meera Syal and Linda Smith.
In the second of three programmes, Samira Ahmed is joined by actor/director Arabella Weir, former radio producer and novelist Lissa Evan and actress Tiffany Stevenson.
They discuss some of the best sitcoms from the BBC archives and listen again to the joys of:
* WEEK ENDING
* GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME
* A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME WASTING
They assess the impact these funny women have had on contemporary comedy and the extent of their satirical legacy.
Join them on a comic journey from the early 1970’s to the present day in a celebration of women in satire.
Producer: Belinda Naylor
Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in November 2019.
SAT 11:00 The Family Reunion by TS Eliot (b08qgdv2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 12:30 Stay Young - with Michael Mosley (Omnibus) (m00309xv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 13:45 Inner Voices (m0026mcn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
SAT 14:00 The Men from the Ministry (b00xj4lb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 14:30 Brothers in Law (b0599zby)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
SAT 15:00 Sisters in Satire: The Pioneering Women of Comedy (m000t5pc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SAT 16:00 HG Wells (b08hdk9d)
The War of the Worlds
2. A Fight for Survival
The Martians continue their merciless invasion of Earth.
They're transforming the landscape and decimating the population.
Robert is beginning to lose his reason...
Conclusion of HG Wells' 1898 novel
Dramatised by Melissa Murray.
Robert …. Blake Ritson
Curate …. Carl Prekopp
Man 2 …. David Sturzaker
Mrs. Hatton …. Georgie Glen
Man 1 …. John Dougall
Doctor …. David Sterne
Bridgenorth …. Nick Murchie
Billy …. Samuel James
Margaret …. Sanchia McCormack
Lydia …. Sarah Ridgeway
Director: Marc Beeby.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
SAT 17:00 The Family Reunion by TS Eliot (b08qgdv2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SAT 18:30 Stay Young - with Michael Mosley (Omnibus) (m00309xv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SAT 19:45 Inner Voices (m0026mcn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
SAT 20:00 The Men from the Ministry (b00xj4lb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
SAT 20:30 Brothers in Law (b0599zby)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 today]
SAT 21:00 Sisters in Satire: The Pioneering Women of Comedy (m000t5pc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SAT 22:00 Any Bloke (b007jzqk)
Series 2
Home Truths
Baby Jack is now safely home.
Unfortunately for Phil and Sarah, so is Grandma Fay...
Starring Jim Sweeney and Caroline Quentin.
Gary Brown's comedy series about family life in the 1990s.
Phil .... Jim Sweeney
Sarah .... Caroline Quentin
Fay .... Sara Kestelman
Liam .... Steve Steen
Gerald .... Lloyd Peters
Sophie .... Nadine Ballantyne
Roger's Mother .... Eva Stuart
Harry .... Harry Landis
Sid .... John Bennett
June .... Tessa Worsley
Producer: Ann Jobson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 1995.
SAT 22:30 Stand-Up Specials (m0000njc)
Ken Cheng: Chinese Comedian
2: The Arts
Stand-up series exploring British Chinese culture, from BBC New Comedy Award finalist Ken Cheng.
In this episode, Ken examines attitudes towards the Arts.
Reader: Sarah Sharpe
Producer: Lyndsay Fenner
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in October 2018.
SAT 22:45 Ida Barr: Artificial Hip Hop (b00v1qvw)
Choice
Ida Barr is a music hall singer who has embraced hip hop and rap, reflecting the cultural diversity of London's East End.
She's been living here in retirement for several decades.
With her genuine love of talking to people, Ida sets out investigate a new topic in each episode, creating a unique brand of music-hall, hip-hop fusion with beat boxer Shlomo.
Ida’s subject this time is "Choice".
Written by and starring Christopher Green as Ida Barr.
Producer: Claire Grove
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2010.
SAT 23:00 Lee Mack and Friends at the Fringe (b007kltt)
Episode 1
BAFTA award-winning Lee Mack introduces a top line-up of fellow comics:
Dara O'Briain
Alan Carr
Rhod Gilbert
Tim Minchin
Recorded at the Fringe festival in Edinburgh.
Producer: Will Saunders
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in August 2005.
SAT 23:30 Radio Active (b007jvxw)
Series 6
Stop That Crime UK
The phone lines are open - as the radio team create their own, very special reconstructions to help catch the crooks.
Radio Active is the one and only local national radio station.
Starring:
Helen Atkinson-Wood
Geoffrey Perkins
Angus Deayton
Philip Pope
Michael Fenton-Stevens
Written by Angus Deayton and Geoffrey Perkins with Michael Fenton-Stevens and Jon Canter.
Music by Philip Pope and Angus Deayton.
Producer: David Tyler
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1986.

SUNDAY 16 AUGUST 2026

SUN 00:00 HG Wells (b08hdk9d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Saturday]
SUN 01:00 The Family Reunion by TS Eliot (b08qgdv2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Saturday]
SUN 02:30 Stay Young - with Michael Mosley (Omnibus) (m00309xv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Saturday]
SUN 03:45 Inner Voices (m0026mcn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Saturday]
SUN 04:00 The Men from the Ministry (b00xj4lb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 on Saturday]
SUN 04:30 Brothers in Law (b0599zby)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:30 on Saturday]
SUN 05:00 Sisters in Satire: The Pioneering Women of Comedy (m000t5pc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Saturday]
SUN 06:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0030c6c)
American Singers
Cher
Singer and actor Cher is castaway by Lauren Laverne.
Cher has been a global star for over six decades.
Her career has spanned music, television and film and throughout that time her outfits have made flamboyant fashion statements.
She was born Cherilyn Sarkisian in El Centro, California and had a peripatetic childhood. Her mother married six times and with each new husband the family moved house.
In 1962, when she was 16, Cher met Sonny Bono in a coffee shop. She moved in with Sonny as his housekeeper and personal assistant and began singing backing vocals for his boss, the music producer Phil Spector. In 1965 Sonny and Cher released I Got You Babe which reached number one in the US and UK charts – knocking the Beatles off the top of the chart.
Cher is an award-winning actor who has starred in films including Silkwood, Mask and Moonstruck. In October 1998 she released her 22nd studio album Believe – the title track remains the biggest-selling number one by a solo female artist in British chart history.
DISC ONE: Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
DISC TWO: Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
DISC THREE: A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Ilene Woods
DISC FOUR: Evil - Stevie Wonder
DISC FIVE: You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ - The Righteous Brothers
DISC SIX: I Can’t Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt
DISC SEVEN: Minute By Minute - The Doobie Brothers
DISC EIGHT: A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke

BOOK CHOICE: The Saracen Blade by Frank Yerby
LUXURY ITEM: An eyelash curler
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
Producer Paula McGinley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2024.
SUN 07:00 Poetry Extra (m000yyvk)
Power Lines: Coast
Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and chooses Power Lines: Coast with Cecilia Knapp. She talks to poets from around the UK about their relationships with the sea and the coastal towns and cities where they live.
And Daljit reads from his Poetry Extra Book of the Month – a new, or recently published, poetry collection. The book this month is Gravity Archives by Andrew Motion, a tender contemplation of departure and return.
From a windswept Brighton beach, the poet Cecilia Knapp asks how growing up by the sea has influenced her writing, pulling her back to the shoreline.
Exploring the very different coastal worlds of Shetland, St Ives, Liverpool, Dunbar and Brighton, Cecilia and her fellow poets discuss the beauty and boredom of a coastal upbringing and the things that inspire them, from teenage beach parties and the cold of the Atlantic, to dead jellyfish, phosphorescence and the vibrancy of port cities.
Poets:
Ella Frears
Ciarán Hodgers
Hannah Lavery
Roseanne Watt
Produced by Julia Johnson
A Bellow Stories production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2021.
SUN 07:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (Omnibus) (m0001x1t)
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years by Sue Townsend
Episode 1
This diary starts in April 1997.
Adrian is no longer a spotty teenager, but a balding 30 year old, recently separated from Jo Jo, the mother of his 2 year old son, William.
On the eve of the General Election, Adrian returns home to Ashby-de-la-Zouch to vote for his local Labour Party candidate, and childhood sweetheart, Pandora Braithwaite. He is working as Head Chef in a restaurant in Soho, where there is tinned tomato soup on the ‘traditional English, no choice’ menu.
Adrian’s literary ambitions remain unrealised, but his career is about to take an unexpected turn and throw him into the limelight. And that is not the only life-changing surprise in store for the hapless yet irrepressible diarist.
The Cappuccino Years highlights how much attitudes have changed in the previous 20 years, and once again showcases Sue Townsend’s fearless and razor-sharp wit.
Omnibus of the first five of ten parts abridged by Sara Davies.
Read by Harry McEntire.
This is the fourth book in Radio 4’s serialisation of Adrian Mole’s hilarious diaries by Sue Townsend, one of Britain's most celebrated comic writers.
Producer: Alexa Moore
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2019.
SUN 08:40 Inheritance Tracks (m0030c6g)
Lisa Kudrow
Star of TV's Friends, actor Lisa Kudrow chooses Downtown by Petula Clark and Wonderful Baby by Don McLean.
SUN 08:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b00cm1fd)
Episode 3
Indian independence spells the end of the British Empire.
Queenie must make the hardest decision of her life...
Andrea Levy's award-winning novel exploring empire, prejudice, war and love in Jamaica, England, America and India.
Omnibus of the last five of fifteen parts dramatised by Pat Cumper.
Hortense ........ Nadine Marshall
Gilbert ........ Don Gilet
Bernard ........ Stephen Tompkinson
Queenie ........ Lyndsey Marshal
Michael............Javone Prince
Maxi ........ Carl Prekopp
Pierpoint ........ Nick Sayce
Ashok ........ Salkat Ahamed
Arun ........ Rez Kempton
CO ........ Mark Straker
Japanese Voice ........ Jason Chan
Lieutenant Moon ........ Jonathan Forbes
Doctor ........ Richard Katz
Prostitute ........ Nita Mistry
With:
Damian Lynch
Trevor Cuthbertson
Paul Biggin
Tracy Wiles
Music by Felix Cross
Director: Sally Avens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2006.
SUN 10:00 Know Your Place (b01b3b6b)
Out of the Closet
Ramsay needs help after a close call with the local gangster.
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:
John Graham
John Blythe
James Taylor
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in August 1983.
SUN 10:30 Take It From Here (b0b2mr0d)
From 15/11/1955
It's quiz time with Double Your Nothing!, and Ron is drunk after the dance in The Glums.
Starring:
Professor Jimmy Edwards
Dick Bentley
June Whitfield
Alma Cogan
Wallace Eton
Written by Frank Muir and Denis Norden.
Music from The Keynotes and the Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra with Harry Rabinowitz.
Announcer: David Dunhill
Producer: Charles Maxwell
First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in November 1955.
SUN 11:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0030c6c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 12:00 Poetry Extra (m000yyvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
SUN 12:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (Omnibus) (m0001x1t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 13:40 Inheritance Tracks (m0030c6g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]
SUN 13:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b00cm1fd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]
SUN 15:00 Know Your Place (b01b3b6b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 15:30 Take It From Here (b0b2mr0d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
SUN 16:00 Weird Tales (b00x4gb2)
Series 1
Out of the Depths by Melissa Murray
When Martha discovers her sister Grace has been trying past-life regression to break a cycle of abusive relationships, she decides it's time for them to return to a place from their past.
Travelling to Cornwall, they're forced to confront demons.
But which sister needs to be free - and what will it cost..?
Written by Melissa Murray.
Series of four chilling dramas inspired by Lovecraft's stories of magical rites and forbidden lore.
Martha ...... Elizabeth Berrington
Grace ...... Naomi Frederick
Lovecraft ...... Stephen Hogan
Tom ...... Ed Gaughan
Therapist ...... Caroline Guthrie.
Vicar ...... Jonathan Tafler
Producer: Pam Marshall
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2009.
SUN 16:30 The Price of Fear (b007jmgf)
Come as You Are
Vincent Price receives a chilling invitation to a very special costume party.
Written by Bill Ingram.
The legendary film actor introduces tales of horror and mystery.
With:
Morris Perry
Betty Huntley-Wright
Peter Williams
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on the BBC World Service in April 1974.
SUN 17:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0030c6c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
SUN 18:00 Poetry Extra (m000yyvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
SUN 18:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (Omnibus) (m0001x1t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
SUN 19:40 Inheritance Tracks (m0030c6g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 today]
SUN 19:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b00cm1fd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 today]
SUN 21:00 Know Your Place (b01b3b6b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
SUN 21:30 Take It From Here (b0b2mr0d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
SUN 22:00 Clare in the Community (b038xtdd)
Edinburgh Special: In Treatment
Clare and Brian's relationship has always been fraught but with communication at an all time low the couple try relationship counselling.
A one-off episode recorded in Edinburgh at the Festival.
Sally Phillips is Clare Barker the social worker who has all the right jargon but never a practical solution. A control freak, Clare likes nothing better than interfering in other people's lives on both a professional and personal basis.
Clare is in her 30s, white, middle class and heterosexual, all of which are occasional causes of discomfort to her.
Clare struggles to control both her professional and private life and her professional life is impacting on her personal life as she and Brian seek help with their relationship. After all, Clare gives of herself everyday at work - is it her fault there's little left for Brian's dreary problems at the end of the day?
Written by Harry Venning
Clare ...... Sally Phillips
Brian ...... Alex Lowe
Robin ...... Peter Mitchell
Producer: Katie Tyrrell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2013.
SUN 22:30 Hamish and Dougal: You'll Have Had Your Tea (b0076zsc)
Series 3
Gambling Fever
To Dougal's dismay, Hamish becomes addicted to gambling after winning a Sporran Cosy in the Glen MacLottery.
Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden star as the two Scotsmen famed for their appearances on BBC Radio’s I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.
With Alison Steadman as their cleaning-lady-cum-housekeeper, and Jeremy Hardy as the local Laird.
Hamish ...... Barry Cryer
Dougal ...... Graeme Garden
Mrs Naughtie ...... Alison Steadman
The Laird ...... Jeremy Hardy
Producer: Jon Naismith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2006.
SUN 22:45 Elastic Planet (b007k2h5)
The Babies
Links between cheese sculpture, pavement privatisation, skirting boards and the great knitting reform act.
Animator and voice of Bagpuss and the Clangers, Oliver Postgate island-hops through a stream of bizarre coincidences.
Ben Moor’s cosmic comedy of connections.
With:
Miriam Margolyes
Dan Strauss
Kerry Shale
Michael Simkins
Gary Waldhorn
Alan Dedicoat
Hugh Scully
James Naughtie
Producer: Jon Naismith
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 1995
SUN 23:00 In and Out of the Kitchen (b0680gtv)
Series 4
The Stag
Damien and Anthony celebrate their stag weekend in Dublin when their plans to spend it at the opera are ruined by the weather.
Meanwhile, Ian is tasked with looking after Damien's mother who is recovering from laser eye surgery.
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 Justin Edwards.
Damien Trench ...... Miles Jupp
Anthony ...... Justin Edwards
Ian Frobisher ...... Philip Fox
Mr Mullaney .... Brendan Dempsey
Damien's mother .... Selina Cadell
The Waitress .... Alex Tregear
Ray Jarrow .... Chris Brand
Chef/Policeman ...... Stephen Critchlow
Producer: Sam Michell
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2015.
SUN 23:30 Party (b00r7l7j)
Series 1
Episode 1
A group of young idealists try to set up a brand new political party.
From the perils of electing a leader and choosing a party name through to the finer intricacies of Foreign and Environmental policy.
Tom Basden’s sitcom satirises their ambitions, hypocrisy and naivety.
Based on his 2009 Edinburgh play which won a fringe first.
Simon ...... Tom Basden
Mel ...... Anna Crilly
Duncan ...... Tim Key
Jared ...... Johnny Sweet
Phoebe ...... Katy Wix
Producer: Julia McKenzie
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.

MONDAY 17 AUGUST 2026

MON 00:00 Weird Tales (b00x4gb2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:00 on Sunday]
MON 00:30 The Price of Fear (b007jmgf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 16:30 on Sunday]
MON 01:00 Desert Island Discs Revisited (m0030c6c)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:00 Poetry Extra (m000yyvk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Sunday]
MON 02:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (Omnibus) (m0001x1t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Sunday]
MON 03:40 Inheritance Tracks (m0030c6g)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:40 on Sunday]
MON 03:50 Small Island by Andrea Levy (Omnibus) (b00cm1fd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:50 on Sunday]
MON 05:00 Know Your Place (b01b3b6b)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Sunday]
MON 05:30 Take It From Here (b0b2mr0d)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Sunday]
MON 06:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m42m)
4. The Twist
Hardnosed investigator Steve Gardiner is keen to speak to a key local witness to the Highland killings.
But then disaster strikes...
Starring Teddy Johnson and Moultrie Kelsall.
Edward Boyd's serial thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands.
Steve Gardiner …. Teddy Johnson
Jonathan Ketch …. Walter Carr
Mrs McFee …. Pearl Colquhoun
DI Gordon …. Moultrie Kelsall
Judy Clark …. Janet Michael
Elspeth MacDonald …. Mary Riggans
Captain Siegfried Bevvis …. Robert Urquhart
Produced in BBC Glasgow by Eddie Fraser.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1971.
MON 06:30 The Senior Partner (m0030b20)
6. The Last Ditch
Solicitors James Rowan and Olly try to discover the truth behind a contested will.
James Rowan runs his Scottish law firm alongside his much younger nephew, Olly.
Can his no-nonsense traditional approach continue to navigate more modern times?
Starring Andrew Cruickshank and Joe Dunlop.
Written by Donald Bull.
James Rowan .... Andrew Cruickshank
Olly .... Joe Dunlop
Prinnie .... Nancy Mitchell
Julia .... Sandra Clark
Edward .... John Kane
Irving .... John Graham
The Senior Partner ran for two series on BBC Radio 4 between October 1980 and December 1981.
Its star, Scottish actor Andrew Cruickshank (1907 – 1988) was best known for playing Dr Cameron in the long-running BBC TV series Dr Finlay’s Casebook between 1962 and 1971.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1980.
MON 07:00 The Adventures of John and Tony (b007k11n)
A Tale of Two Tenting
Two friends head off on a surreal camping trip, with Herman Hessian - a dog made out of an old potato sack.
The first of four comic journeys written by John Hegley.
John and his best mate Tony are searching for happiness, love, the meaning of life - and glasses.
Starring:
John Hegley
Simon Munnery
Terry Molloy
Sunny Ormonde
John Korne
Original music by Nigel Piper.
Director: Anne Edyvean
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1999.
MON 07:30 Dad's Army (b007jqlx)
Series 3
We Know Our Onions
The platoon commandeer Corporal Jones's butcher's van for an anti-tank gun exercise.
The trouble is that it's also full of Hodges' consignment of onions...
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
Private Walker …. Larry Martyn
Captain Ramsay …. Alan Tilvern
Sergeant Baxter …. Michael Middleton
Announcer/Newsreader …. John Snagge
Producer: John Dyas
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1976.
MON 08:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000zmjl)
Worcestershire Royal 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.
This time Dr Phil visits the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where he hears stories from staff and patients - as he reveals how humour and laughter are vital coping mechanisms in the NHS.
And Dr 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 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xpr)
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
6. A Commission
Adrian’s literary ambitions remain unrealised, but his career is about to take an unexpected turn and throw him into the limelight.
And that is not the only life-changing surprise in store for the hapless yet irrepressible diarist.
The Cappuccino Years highlights how much society and attitudes have changed since 1997 - showcasing Sue Townsend’s fearless and razor-sharp wit.
Abridged by Sara Davies.
Read by Harry McEntire.
Producer: Alexa Moore
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in January 2019.
MON 08:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gwsjd)
1. Agnes
Agnes is 19 and determined to take care of herself and help the family finances.
But what can a young girl with no money, no connections and no prospects do?
She must become a governess.
So begins Agnes’s journey of self-discovery and search for love...
The novel by Anne Bronte - younger sister of Charlotte and Emily - first appeared in 1847.
Dramatised in five parts by Rachel Joyce
Agnes Grey ...... Ellie Kendrick
Mrs Grey ...... Juliet Aubrey
Mr Grey ...... John Bowler
Mrs Bloomfield ...... Catriona McFarlane
Mr Bloomfield ...... David Sterne
Tom ...... Felix Lailey
Mary Ann ...... Amy Jayne Leigh
Edward Weston ...... George Watkins
Mr Hatfield ...... Luke MacGregor
Rosalie ...... Keziah Joseph
Matilda ...... Natasha Cowley
Mrs Murray ...... Karen Bartke
Nancy ...... Alison Belbin
Director: Tracey Neale.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
MON 09:00 Just a Minute (m00300l0)
Series 97
4. "The left-hand area"
Our players have to tackle subjects like 'I'd make a terrible Traitor', 'currying favour' and 'I can't go back to Buckingham Palace'. And, for a treat, we get to hear Julian's pitch to be the next James Bond.
Host: Sue Perkins
Players: Julian Clary, Desiree Burch, Tony Hawks and Cariad Lloyd
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 The Essay (b05qdw88)
British Film Comedians
Will Hay
Columnist and historian Simon Heffer's essays celebrate leading comic film actors of early British film.
With films such as Oh! Mr Porter, Boys Will Be Boys and The Goose Steps Out, Will Hay was, by popular consent, the greatest comic actor in films of the 1930s and '40s.
Simon traces the rise to fame of this music hall star, who became best known for his anti-authoritarian roles, whether playing a policeman, a fireman, a stationmaster, a barrister, a professor, or - perhaps most famously - an incompetent and morally dubious schoolmaster.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in April 2015.
MON 09:45 Daily Service (m0030b23)
Holy Women - St Hilda of Whitby
To begin our week exploring female saints Professor Anna Rowlands, St Hilda Professor of Catholic Social Thought and Practice at Durham University, introduces us to St Hilda of Whitby. Recorded at the St Hild Altar in Durham Cathedral with music also recorded on location for this programme.
Reading: Wisdom 7:24-8:1
Music:
Hark the sound of Crystal Voices - Imogen, Josephine and Clemmie at Durham Cathedral
O virtus Sapientie, Hildegard von Bingen - Clemmie at Durham Cathedral
Let my prayer rise up - Imogen, Josephine and Clemmie at Durham Cathedral
Musical Director and Organist - Daniel Cook
MON 10:00 Sounds Natural (b08yr9x7)
Dulcie Gray
Actress, crime writer and butterfly expert, Dulcie Gray, discusses her love of wildlife with Derek Jones.
The Suffolk bittern and Peacock butterfly are amongst her choice of recordings from the vast BBC Sound Archives.
Produced in Bristol by John Burton.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1980.
MON 10:30 The Pleasures of Brecht (m0006lmk)
A celebration of the simple joys of life, and the story of Bertolt Brecht’s much-loved poem that described them.
In 1954, poet and playwright Brecht was the leader of his own theatre company and an international literary star. But his relationship with the East German communist party was growing increasingly strained, with projects derailed and poems censored.
It was a time of disappointment, as he began to see the gap between the hopes that kept him alive throughout the years of war and exile, and the reality of life in the GDR.
Out of this context came a simple poem, Vergnügungen, a list of pleasures, which moves from “the first look out of the window in the morning” via showering, swimming, the dog, dialectics and “comfortable shoes” to “being friendly”, a phrase that for Brecht signified a utopian ideal.
The poem is a statement of the delights of the everyday, but it also looks out into the world beyond the private sphere.
Experts reflect on what Brecht’s list of simple pleasures can tell us about our own time:
* Writer and ecologist Joanna Macy
* Philosopher Christopher Hamilton
* Pleasure activist Adrienne Maree Brown
* German scholar Karen Leeder
Music composed and performed by Phil Smith.
Piano pieces recorded on location at Brecht's house in Buckow, Germany
Producer: Phil Smith
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2019.
MON 11:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m42m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 11:30 The Senior Partner (m0030b20)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 12:00 The Adventures of John and Tony (b007k11n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 12:30 Dad's Army (b007jqlx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 13:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000zmjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 13:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xpr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 13:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gwsjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
MON 14:00 Wordaholics (b01s8mns)
Series 2
Episode 5
Gyles Brandreth chairs the word-obsessed comedy panel show.
Competing for wordy supremacy:
Milton Jones
Robin Ince
Natalie Haynes
Lloyd Langford
The Letter of the Week is 'W'. Lloyd Langford hazards a guess as to what 'Welsh cricket' is while Natalie Haynes has to work out what 'Whistling breeches' are.
In a round about Australian slang Robin Ince tries to guess the meaning of 'guttergripper' while Milton Jones takes a stab at 'shypoo'.
All the panellists come up with some brilliant new toponyms and also reveal their pet-hate words.
Written by Jon Hunter and James Kettle.
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.
MON 14:30 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076bj5)
Series 2
Episode 5
If you've been to a party and woken up the following morning in bed with the postman, you might be forgiven for rushing to pick up your mail for the next couple of days...
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
Jenny ...... Mika Simmons
PJ ...... Brendan Burns
Producer: Graham Frost
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2002.
MON 15:00 The Growing Summer by Noel Streatfeild (m0030b25)
Summer, 1965. When their father falls dangerously ill, the young Gareth children's lives are about to change forever.
They're sent to stay with their eccentric Great-Aunt Dymphna in her crumbling mansion on the south west coast of Ireland.
Ahead of them are dangers and adventures they could hardly have ever imagined...
Magical adaptation for all the family of Noel Streatfeild's classic 1966 novel.
Starring Ann Rye.
Dramatised by Julie Wilkinson.
Aunt Dymphna .... Ann Rye
Naomi Gareth .... Holly Grainger
Alex Gareth .... Will Haigh
Penny Gareth .... Emily Fleeshman
Robin Gareth .... Paul Herriott
Stephan/Oswald Wallington .... James Caplin
Oonagh O'Brien .... Catherine Keane
Gypsy .... Vincent Patrick
Director: Sue Sutton Mayo
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2000.
MON 15:45 Short Works (m00208pn)
The Shooting Drill by Benjamin Markovits
With his new baby on his chest, Sam thinks back to his school days and an embarrassing teenage encounter with his doctor.
Short story written by Benjamin Markovits about becoming a father.
Read by Joseph Ayre.
Producer: Nicola Holloway
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2024.
MON 16:00 Sounds Natural (b08yr9x7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
MON 16:30 The Pleasures of Brecht (m0006lmk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
MON 17:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m42m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
MON 17:30 The Senior Partner (m0030b20)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
MON 18:00 The Adventures of John and Tony (b007k11n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
MON 18:30 Dad's Army (b007jqlx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
MON 19:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000zmjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
MON 19:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xpr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
MON 19:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gwsjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
MON 20:00 Wordaholics (b01s8mns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
MON 20:30 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076bj5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
MON 21:00 The Growing Summer by Noel Streatfeild (m0030b25)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
MON 21:45 Short Works (m00208pn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:45 today]
MON 22:00 Just a Minute (m00300l0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
MON 22:30 Truly, Madly, Bletchley (b0082dgp)
Series 2
Episode 2
Britain's first public access cable radio show continues!
Meet the humble members of Bletchley District Council who aim to entertain and educate us in the way of the world.
Enjoy a tribute to local wartime entertainer 'Cheeky Bobby Fossett'; a peep at the rehearsals for Bletchley's amateur dramatic production of Jurassic Park and entertainment courtesy of Enrico Valdez with a 'mealbreak melody'.
Written by Julian Dutton.
Starring:
Liz Fraser
Julian Dutton
Peter Hugo-Daly
Stephen Critchlow
Matthew Bell
Special guests:
Enrico Valdez and his Orchestra
Cleo Rocos.
Producer: Andy Aliffe
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1999.
MON 22:45 Quando, Quando, Quando (b007ym3m)
The Nits
The Quando brothers' hair salon is inundated with children wanting their haircut before the start of the school-term.
But one of them is accompanied by nits and the result is itchy mayhem...
Brothers Rene, Carlo and Charlie Quando chop, snip and crimp their lucky clients into shape at London's finest hair salon.
Written and performed by Rainer Hersch and Mark Maier.
With:
Stephen Greif
Catherine Tate
Producer: Claire Jones
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1999.
MON 23:00 The People Have Spoken (m003012f)
Andy Cool'em Down'em
It's time for the people to speak. Taking on the headlines, Ian Smith is joined by Maisie Adam and Alasdair-Beckett King to work out what is going on, and together with our audience, solve the biggest problem facing the world right now.
Is Gianni Infantino just misunderstood? What kind of novelty candidate would you inhabit to capture the nation's imagination? and what small inconvenience should Andy Burnham fix next?
Written by Ian Smith, Cameron Loxdale, Angela Channel and Alex Kealy
Production coordinator: Asha Osborne-Grinter
Recorded by David and Luca Thomas
Edited by David Thomas
Exec Producer: Pete Strauss
Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production
MON 23:30 The In Crowd (b00shkc5)
Series 3
Episode 3
Olive:
"Ooh, I'm shattered. You've really got to punch those old ladies hard if you want any bargains at the church jumble sale nowadays. I saw Vicar Simms headbutt that Mrs Knowles to get a blazer. Arthur, what are you doing in my tights?"
The ever eventful sketch show from Manchester's Comedy Store.
With:
Helen Moon
Robin Ince
Smug Roberts
Kate Ward
Producer: Graham Frost
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2002.

TUESDAY 18 AUGUST 2026

TUE 00:00 Sounds Natural (b08yr9x7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Monday]
TUE 00:30 The Pleasures of Brecht (m0006lmk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Monday]
TUE 01:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m42m)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Monday]
TUE 01:30 The Senior Partner (m0030b20)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Monday]
TUE 02:00 The Adventures of John and Tony (b007k11n)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Monday]
TUE 02:30 Dad's Army (b007jqlx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Monday]
TUE 03:00 Dr Phil's Bedside Manner (m000zmjl)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Monday]
TUE 03:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xpr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Monday]
TUE 03:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gwsjd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Monday]
TUE 04:00 Wordaholics (b01s8mns)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Monday]
TUE 04:30 A Whole 'Nother Story (b0076bj5)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Monday]
TUE 05:00 The Growing Summer by Noel Streatfeild (m0030b25)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Monday]
TUE 05:45 Short Works (m00208pn)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:45 on Monday]
TUE 06:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m44w)
5. The Truth
The body count mounts at the remote Highland loch, but gritty Steve Gardiner has a theory.
Starring Teddy Johnson and Moultrie Kelsall.
Edward Boyd's serial thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands.
Steve Gardiner …. Teddy Johnson
DI Gordon …. Moultrie Kelsall
Sally Stewart …. Tricia Scott
Judy Clark …. Janet Michael
Jacob Purdie …. WHD Joss
Captain Siegfried Bevvis …. Robert Urquhart
Produced in BBC Glasgow by Eddie Fraser.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1971.
TUE 06:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzx)
7. Butcher's Boy
Can solicitors James and Olly discover the truth behind a theft at a school?
James Rowan runs his Scottish law firm alongside his much younger nephew, Olly.
Can his no-nonsense traditional approach continue to navigate more modern times?
Starring Andrew Cruickshank and Joe Dunlop.
Written by Donald Bull.
James Rowan .... Andrew Cruickshank
Olly .... Joe Dunlop
Prinnie .... Nancy Mitchell
Thorpe .... John Kane
Julia .... Sandra Clark
Iain .... Gordon Kane
Mr Boswell .... John Dunbar
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1980.
********************************************************************************************
Restored from an off-air recording. Our warm thanks to our friends at the Radio Circle.
TUE 07:00 Yes Minister (b007k14t)
Series 2
The Whisky Priest
Facing a moral dilemma over the sale of British-made weapons, Jim Hacker tries to shun Sir Humphrey's advice.
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 …. Derek Fowlds
Major Saunders …. Anton Rodgers
Annie …. Diana Hoddinott
The Chief Whip …. Edward Jewesbury
Adapted for radio by producer Pete Atkin.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1984.
TUE 07:30 The Milligan Papers (m0030b2l)
Jonah And The Whale
Our story begins with Jonah being interviewed in Balham Labour Exchange.
Spike Milligan's version of Jonah and the Whale, where God is working in the local tobacconist's.
Madcap comedy series written by John Antrobus and Spike Milligan
Starring:
Spike Milligan
John Bluthal
Chris Langham
John Antrobus
With music from George Chisholm & His Gentleman of Jazz
Announcer Eugene Fraser
Producer Paul Spencer
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 1987.
TUE 08:00 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? (m00168r1)
Series 1
2. Bringing Up Lucy
Florence becomes obsessed with her sister Selina’s old movies – The Vixen, The Vixen 2 and The Vixen 3D.
Meanwhile Selina takes Florence’s daughter Lucy clothes shopping and Lucy interrogates her about her mysterious absent father, Jonathan.
The day ends in chaos as Florence unwittingly tells a journalist that she’d love to make a sex tape.
Stars Dawn French as Florence and Jennifer Saunders as Selina.
Written by David Quantick.
Florence .... Dawn French
Selina .... Jennifer Saunders
Mrs Ragnarrok …. Rebecca Front
Lucy .... Lisa McGrillis
All the men .... Alistair McGowan
Producer: Liz Anstee
“The leads’ natural chemistry, plus David Quantick’s witty script… make for an enjoyable comedy with series potential” The Observer.
“It’s as slick, dark and funny as one would expect – but surely this cannot be a one-off? The ending alone leaves us begging for a series” Radio Times.
“French and Saunders sparkle with a magic that is so rarely heard in new radio comedies that I’d almost forgotten it was possible” Daily Telegraph.
A CPL production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2022.
TUE 08:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xss)
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
7. Unwelcome News
Adrian Mole is meant to be writing a book to accompany his TV cookery series, but his son William must go to hospital.
Plus, he's disturbed to hear from an old flame.....
The Cappuccino Years highlights how much society and attitudes have changed since 1997 - showcasing Sue Townsend’s fearless and razor-sharp wit.
Abridged by: Sara Davies
Read by Harry McEntire
Producer: Alexa Moore
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in January 2019.
TUE 08:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gxndf)
2. Rosalie
With the family fortune lost and her father ill, Agnes is making her way in the world.
But she's already been beset with great disappointment.
What should she do?
Ellie Kendrick stars in Anne Bronte's compelling debut novel telling the story of Agnes's self-discovery and her search for love.
Adapted by Rachel Joyce.
Agnes Grey ...... Ellie Kendrick
Mrs Grey ...... Juliet Aubrey
Mr Grey ...... John Bowler
Mrs Bloomfield ..... Catriona McFarlane
Mr Bloomfield ...... David Sterne
Tom ...... Felix Lailey
Mary Ann ...... Amy Jayne Leigh
Edward Weston ...... George Watkins
Mr Hatfield ...... Luke MacGregor
Rosalie ...... Keziah Joseph
Matilda ...... Natasha Cowley
Mrs Murray ...... Karen Bartke
Nancy ...... Alison Belbin
Director: Tracey Neale.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
TUE 09:00 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m00300hy)
Series 5
S5 E1: How to Host a Perfect Pub Quiz
Kicking off a fifth series, Paul takes his audience in Boston, Lincolnshire, through an ideal range of questions for a perfect pub quiz.
He also has rounds inspired by the area, on subjects like suspension bridges, the tallest buildings in the world, and the way in which Boston avenged Lincoln. And he gets asked - again - about the Lincolnshire football club that's had three England captains, Jack Daniels, and the Lincolnshire town that used to be the capital of England.
Written and performed by Paul Sinha
Additional material: Oliver Levy
Additional questions: The Audience
Recorded at the Blackfriars Theatre, Boston, by Jerry Peal at Peal Sound
Mixed by Rich Evans at Syncbox Post
Producer: Ed Morrish
Executive producer: Lyndsay Fenner
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4
TUE 09:30 The Essay (b05qfqfm)
British Film Comedians
Alastair Sim
Simon Heffer presents another essay on well-loved comic actors in early British film.
Alastair Sim might best remembered for portraying Scrooge, but Simon also recalls performances in The Happiest Days of Your Life, Laughter in Paradise, Captain Boycott and An Inspector Calls.
He concludes by revealing the little-known story of how Sim played the main role - or, rather, roles in The Belles of St Trinian's - thanks to a well-known actress being unavailable....
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in April 2015.
TUE 09:45 Daily Service (m0030b2n)
Holy Women – Saint Wihtburh
Amy Scott Robinson introduces us to St Wihtburh, one of the four saintly daughters of King Anna of Anglia. This Holy Woman founded a convent in Dereham, and our service is recorded at the well which miraculously sprang up there after her body was stolen by the Abbot of Ely.
Reading - 1 Kings 17: 10-15
Music:
Father Hear the prayer we offer - Daily Service Singers
Ethelreda Rag by Arthur Wills - organist Richard Bower
Water of Life - Daily Service Singers
Tell Out My Soul - Imogen, Josephine and Clemmie at Durham Cathedral
TUE 10:00 A Good Read (m000td1j)
Adjoa Andoh & Andy Day
Actress Adjoa Andoh and CBeebies presenter Andy Day join Harriett Gilbertt to discuss their favourite books by Aminatta Forna, Virginia M Axline and Kate Clanchy.
Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Forna
Publisher Bloomsbury
Dibs - In Search of Self by Virginia M. Axline
Publisher Penguin
Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
Publisher Picador
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2021.
TUE 10:30 Happy Birthday, Neptune (b012fbvt)
On July 12th 2011, Neptune is one year old - one Neptunian year that is.
The furthest planet from the sun it's only now completed one solar orbit since its discovery in 1846, traveling so slowly each Neptunian season lasts 40 Earth years.
Too distant to spot with the naked eye, the ancients could never have known of Neptune's existence. 19th century astronomers had to climb on the shoulders of scientific giants to see it.
First a tiny blue disc, now an ice giant whose strange atmospheric features send shivers down the spines of astronomers today.
What twists and turns of fate, what scientific clues and personality clashes won the race for Neptune's discovery?
Some say Galileo spotted it 200 years earlier, secretly noting its existence in a coded Latin anagram awaiting further proof.
What secret phrase might be lurking in his notebooks awaiting discovery by 21st century scientific spoofs?
It's late spring, early summer in Neptune today. It's been that way for decades. Astronomers can only watch and marvel at the weather on Neptune and the jazzy, jerky dance of its Great Dark Spot - first in the southern hemisphere, then in the north, sometimes gone altogether.
What is it? Where does it come from? What can you ever know about a world when even the most advanced human telescopes have only studied it for a season?
Written and presented by Tracey Logan
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2011.
TUE 11:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m44w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 11:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 12:00 Yes Minister (b007k14t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 12:30 The Milligan Papers (m0030b2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 13:00 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? (m00168r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 13:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 13:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gxndf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
TUE 14:00 Hoax! (m0030b2r)
From 28/09/1993
Tim Brooke-Taylor and the audience try to spot the fibber.
Christopher Timothy, Peter Jones and John Wells tell the stories.
Devised by Ian Messiter
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1993.
TUE 14:30 Life in London (b011dg1t)
The Fancy
Tom and Jerry visit a cockfight, try to buy a horse, meet a sporting legend and lay a wager on which is better, London or the West Country.
Meanwhile, garrulous narrator Pierce Egan takes literary critic William Hazlitt to his first boxing match.
Starring Greg Wise, Mark Gatiss and James Bachman.
Pierce Egan’s 19th-century comic novel adapted by Dan Tetsell.
Corinthian Tom .... Greg Wise
Jerry Hawthorn .... Mark Gatiss
Bob Logic .... James Bachman
Plausible Jack .... Ben Graves
William Hazlitt/Tom Cribb .... Alex Mcqueen
Mrs Egan .... Alys Torrence
Pierce Egan .... Geoffrey McGivern
Music: Ben Walker
Producer: Tilusha Ghelani
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2006.
TUE 15:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jphk)
1. The Architect
The autobiographical nature of Thomas Hardy’s early novel caused much intrigue when it was first published.
Set on the wild Cornish coast (where Hardy courted his first wife), it tells the story of Elfride.
She is the beautiful daughter of a local parson, whose fate it is to be loved by two very different men.
Her first suitor is a young architect working on her father's church, but a mystery surrounds his past which - when revealed - is to cause her much anguish.
Starring Janet Maw and Michael Maloney.
Dramatised in three parts by Jane Beeson.
Elfride Swancourt ..... Janet Maw
Stephen Smith .... Michael Maloney
Parson Swancourt .... Nigel Stock
John Smith .... Alan Dudley
Mrs Smith .... Katherine Parr
Martin/Driver .... Sean Arnold
Postman .... Michael Tudor Barnes
Kate .... Jill Lidstone
Polly .... Patience Tomlinson
Pianist: Stuart Hutchinson
Director: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1982
TUE 16:00 A Good Read (m000td1j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
TUE 16:30 Happy Birthday, Neptune (b012fbvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
TUE 17:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m44w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
TUE 17:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
TUE 18:00 Yes Minister (b007k14t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
TUE 18:30 The Milligan Papers (m0030b2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
TUE 19:00 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? (m00168r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
TUE 19:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
TUE 19:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gxndf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
TUE 20:00 Hoax! (m0030b2r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
TUE 20:30 Life in London (b011dg1t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
TUE 21:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jphk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
TUE 22:00 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz (m00300hy)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
TUE 22:30 Pick Ups (b008mdd0)
Series 1
Episode 1
Dave's first job is to drive Ivy over to Blackpool.
Comedy set in a run-down taxi office in Manchester.
Written by Ian Kershaw.
Lind ... Sally Lindsay
Mike ... John Thomson
Dave ... Philip Rowson
Alan/Rebel ... Ash Tandon
Ivy ... Kathy Staff
Drunk ... Mark E Smith
With:
Claire Coleman
Producer: Paul Hardy
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2008.
TUE 23:00 All the World's a Globe (b007jww5)
7. From Nelson to Women's Emaciation
The emaciation of women.
Continuing the history of mankind.
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 June 1990.
TUE 23:15 2000 Years of Radio (b007jndx)
Series 1
Roman Britain Radio
It’s 55AD and ancient Britain tries to come to terms with the Roman invasion.
DJ Steve-in-the-Afternoon fights the invaders' plans to make changes to the nation's favourite radio station - Iceni Gold.
First of two series imagining the radio archive of bygone eras.
Written and performed by:
Marcus Brigstocke
Claire Downes
Stuart Lane
Al Holloway
Danny Robbins
Dan Tetsell
Producers: Paul Dodgson & Sean Grundy
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October 2000.
TUE 23:30 Chain Reaction (b05417lh)
Series 10
Bob Mortimer talks to Vic Reeves
One half of comedy double-act Vic & Bob, Bob Mortimer,
talks to
The other half of comedy double-act Vic & Bob, Vic Reeves.
Vic & Bob are best know as the creators and stars of The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer, Shooting Stars and House of Fools.
Chain Reaction is the long running hostless chat show where last week's interviewee becomes this week's interviewer.
Producer: Charlie Perkins
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2015.

WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST 2026

WED 00:00 A Good Read (m000td1j)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Tuesday]
WED 00:30 Happy Birthday, Neptune (b012fbvt)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Tuesday]
WED 01:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001m44w)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Tuesday]
WED 01:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Tuesday]
WED 02:00 Yes Minister (b007k14t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Tuesday]
WED 02:30 The Milligan Papers (m0030b2l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Tuesday]
WED 03:00 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? (m00168r1)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Tuesday]
WED 03:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001xss)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Tuesday]
WED 03:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gxndf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Tuesday]
WED 04:00 Hoax! (m0030b2r)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Tuesday]
WED 04:30 Life in London (b011dg1t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Tuesday]
WED 05:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jphk)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Tuesday]
WED 06:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001mc81)
6. The Finale
Deep in the Highlands, hardnosed investigator Steve Gardiner battles to finally confront the multiple-murderer.
Starring Teddy Johnson and Moultrie Kelsall.
Conclusion of Edward Boyd's serial thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands.
Steve Gardiner …. Teddy Johnson
Captain Siegfried Beavis …. Robert Urquhart
DI Gordon …. Moultrie Kelsall
Judy Clark …. Janet Michael
Celia Carson …. June Andrews
Radio Newsreader …. David Findlay
Produced in BBC Glasgow by Eddie Fraser.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 1971.
WED 06:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzz)
8. Hannah
Can solicitors James Rowan and his nephew Olly discover the truth behind a household theft?
James Rowan (Andrew Cruickshank) runs his law firm in Scotland, alongside his much younger nephew, Olly. Can his no-nonsense traditional approach continue to navigate more modern times?
Starring Andrew Cruickshank as James Rowan and Joe Dunlop as Olly.
Written by Donald Bull.
James Rowan .... Andrew Cruickshank
Olly .... Joe Dunlop
Prinnie .... Nancy Mitchell
Ronnie Boswell .... John Kane
Angus Kennon .... Fraser Kerr
Mrs Kennon .... Sandra Clark
Hannah .... Eva Stuart
The Senior Partner ran for two series on BBC Radio 4 between October 1980 and December 1981.
Its star, Scottish actor Andrew Cruickshank (1907 – 1988) was best known for playing Dr Cameron in the long-running BBC TV series Dr Finlay’s Casebook between 1962 and 1971.
Producer: Edward Taylor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 1980.
****Restored from an off-air recording. Our warm thanks to our friends at the Radio Circle.****
WED 07:00 After Henry (b007jnzw)
Series 2
The Teapot
Eleanor wants a video player, but how can she raise the cash?
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
The Valuer ...... Nicholas Le Prevost
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 October 1986.
WED 07:30 The Missing Hancocks (b08lh7dg)
Series 3
The Three Sons
A recreation of the missing episode 10 of series 2 of Hancock's Half Hour.
Modern morality tale which tells of the misadventures of rich, old Ebidiah Hancock and his triplet sons, all played by the Lad himself.
Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Tony Hancock …. Kevin McNally
Harry Secombe …. Andy Secombe
Bill Kerr …. Kevin Eldon
Sid James …. Simon Greenall
Kenneth Williams …. Robin Sebastian
Andree Melly …. Susy Kane
The first modern sitcom, Hancock's Half Hour made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Ray Galton and Alan Simpson on one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history.
But 20 episodes of the show are missing from the BBC Archives. All missing episodes have now been lovingly re-recreated in the BBC Radio Theatre.
The classic Hancock score newly recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Levon Parikian.
Producers: Neil Pearson and Paul Sheehan
The lost original recording was first broadcast on 21st June, 1955.
A BBC Studios production for Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2017.
WED 08:00 You Heard It Here First (m001y1hr)
Series 2
'You're no help at all Chris!'
Chris McCausland asks Iain Stirling and Su Pollard to take on Alasdair Beckett-King and Sophie Duker.
The teams must figure out what on earth is being advertised on TV - without seeing the pictures.
They also have to guess what famous objects or locations children are trying to describe, and guess the sounds their teammates recreate.....
Producer Sasha Bobak
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2024.
WED 08:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yg3)
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
8. Leave it to Mother
The fourth book in Radio 4’s serialisation of Adrian Mole’s hilarious diaries by Sue Townsend, one of our most celebrated comic writers.
As Adrian reels from his shocking news - Pauline is concerned he will miss his publisher's deadline.....
Read by Harry McEntire
Written by Sue Townsend
Abridged by: Sara Davies
Produced by Alexa Moore
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in January 2019.
WED 08:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gy165)
3. Weston
Agnes has been a governess in the Murray household for two years. Her charges are a pair of ignorant girls. She is lonely and desperate for a friend.
Ellie Kendrick stars in Anne Bronte's compelling debut novel telling the story of Agnes's self-discovery and her search for love.
Adapted by Rachel Joyce.
Agnes Grey ...... Ellie Kendrick
Edward Weston ...... George Watkins
Rosalie ...... Keziah Joseph
Matilda ....... Natasha Cowley
Mr Hatfield ...... Luke MacGregor
Nancy ...... Alison Belbin
Director: Tracey Neale.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
WED 09:00 Best Medicine (m003022t)
Series 3
3 - Horses, Breaking Bad News, Reels
Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is CEO and Founder of Devon Healing Horsemanship Louise Broadway, who champions how horses can help people for whom talking therapies haven’t worked. Intensive Care Doctor Matt Morgan argues there's more to Breaking Bad News than simply delivering it, and comedian Mel Owen shares how Instagram Reels helped lead her to not one but two life-changing diagnoses.
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', and 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: Louise Broadway, Dr Matt Morgan and Mel Owen
Written by  Edward Easton, Frances Keyton, Jordan Gray, Mel Owen, 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 The Essay (b05qfqfp)
British Film Comedians
Terry-Thomas
The columnist and historian Simon Heffer resumes his series of Essays celebrating mid-20th century British film with a focus on five popular comic actors.
The double-barrelled, single-named actor Terry-Thomas - with his monocle, his cigarette holder and the hallmark gap between his two front teeth - perfected the role of a particular type of British toff.
Simon Heffer argues that whether playing a cad, a rotten bounder or a charmer, Terry-Thomas came to represent the louche and degenerate side of the upper classes at a time when the class system was coming under attack.
Producer : Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in April 2015.
WED 09:45 Daily Service (m0030cdq)
Holy Women – Saint Werburgh
The Vice Dean of Chester Cathedral, Reverend Rosie Woodall shares the story of the patron saint of Chester, St Werburgh. This famous Anglo-Saxon Holy Woman shunned wealth and privilege and instead founded, and was Abbess over, several monastic houses and nunneries.
Music:
O Nata Lux - Tallis
Werburgh, Princess Royal of Mercia - Imogen, Josephine and Clemmie at Durham Cathedral
Justorum Anime - Stanford
Ave Maria - Simon Lindley - Imogen, Josephine and Clemmie at Durham Cathedral
WED 10:00 Archive on 4 (m001gjyp)
#TheQueue
If there was ever a written constitution of Britishness then ‘queueing’ would have its own chapter titled #TheQueue with an image of humble mourners lining the streets of London to see Queen Elizabeth II lying-in-state.
As Mark Thomas reveals through the archive though, the ‘humble queue’ may in fact be nothing of the sort. Instead, it’s a microcosmic minidrama - a place of shifting alliances, shame, anger and sometimes love and reconciliation - that speaks volumes about who we are and who we think we are.
Mark talks to Angie Hobbs, Professor of The Public Understanding of Philosophy at Sheffield University, who suggests that the queue for the Queen was the queue Britain had been training for all its life. Our queuing prowess is all part of our self-mythology, she suggests. We really aren’t the only nation who can queue.
Archive reveals queuing to be a bit like a classroom for grown-ups. Adults take on improvised roles: the queue joker, the queue grumbler, the passive-aggressive queuer. Mark finds that in truth the Brits are the most grumbling of all the nation’s queuers because they expect things to be done more efficiently than they are. He recalls the ‘passive competitiveness’ in his favourite Eddie Izzard sketch - ‘The Supermarket Queue’.
Mark talks to Stephen Reicher, Professor of Psychology at St Andrews University, who describes a rehashing of tropes from the war-years and how queueing became a shortcut to “Britishness”. He points to the way in which patience in queuing can be seen to be a bit like the Blitz spirit, fair play, stoicism - employed when a country needs to affirm a sense of national identity during national crisis.
Mark joins David Lammy MP during his constituency surgery to discuss how he observes the queues in his constituency in Tottenham North London. What’s poignant is the reality that queueing often means things aren’t working properly.
The real question Mark asks is not why we queue, but why we think we’re so good at it?
Producer: Sarah Cuddon
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2022.
WED 11:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001mc81)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 11:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 12:00 After Henry (b007jnzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 12:30 The Missing Hancocks (b08lh7dg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 13:00 You Heard It Here First (m001y1hr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 13:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 13:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gy165)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
WED 14:00 The Ultimate Choice (m001vcg7)
Series 2
3: Dad's Army v Spice Girls
Welcome to the world's most devious game of Would You Rather?
Host: Steph McGovern
Guests: Darren Harriott and Zoe Lyons
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 (b00mv1sx)
Series 3
Episode 3
The peace and tranquility of the CyberPass cafe is suddenly shaken to the core.
A huge emotional trauma engulfs them all - Neville is dumped by his girlfriend. Oh hold the front page!
Sitcom set in the Cyber Pass’ internet café.
Written by and starring Mervyn Stutter.
Merv …. Mervyn Stutter
Pam …. Lill Roughley
Dibden …. John Challis
Nev …. Gyuri Sarossy
Chantal …. Tracy-Ann Oberman
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 Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jpj0)
2. The Man of Letters
Stephen writes again to Elfride Swancourt, saying he can't wait for them to get married.
However, Elfride can't imagine being married to him now. Having met Mr Knight, she thinks Stephen is more like a brother....
Thomas Hardy's novel is dramatised by Jane Beeson
Henry Knight .... Jeremy Irons
Elfride Swancourt ..... Janet Maw
Stephen Smith .... Michael Maloney
Parson Swancourt .... Nigel Stock
Mrs Swancourt .... Vivian Pickles
Mrs Jethway .... Anna Wing
Lord Luxellian .... Christopher Scott
Unity .... Sheila Grant
John Smith .... Alan Dudley
Director: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1982
WED 16:00 Archive on 4 (m001gjyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
WED 17:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001mc81)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
WED 17:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 today]
WED 18:00 After Henry (b007jnzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
WED 18:30 The Missing Hancocks (b08lh7dg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
WED 19:00 You Heard It Here First (m001y1hr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
WED 19:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
WED 19:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gy165)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
WED 20:00 The Ultimate Choice (m001vcg7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
WED 20:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b00mv1sx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
WED 21:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jpj0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
WED 22:00 Best Medicine (m003022t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
WED 22:30 Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music (b007k0lk)
Series 1
Manufactured Bands
Mitch is still trying to prove he's the best musical satirist in the world (or at the very least on Radio 4 Extra).
After all, you can't manufacture greatness. Not with the current cloning regulations anyway.
But Mitch's nemesis, satirical stalwart Richard Stilgoe, is about to strike back. Has Robin Ince gone over to the dark side?
Mitch Benn continues his journey through the showbiz glitz and backstage litter of pop music.
With:
Robert Ince
Alfie Joey
Tash Baylis
Kirsty Newton
Special guest: Richard Stilgoe
Producer: Adam Bromley
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2004.
WED 23:00 Welcome to Wherever You Are (m00070jt)
Series 2
Episode 2
Andrew Maxwell hosts a truly global stand-up show, in which comedians perform from wherever on the planet they happen to be, to an audience in the BBC Radio Theatre, London.
With:
* Nikola Silic
* Carl Joshua Ncube
* Maysoon Zayid
Nikola Silic from Belgrade is a big name on the comedy scene in the Balkans.
Carl Joshua Ncube performs whilst metres from the Victoria Falls.
Maysoon Zayid is one of America’s first Muslim women comedians and widely believed to be the first person to perform stand-up in Palestine and Jordan.
Producer: Richard Morris.
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2019.
WED 23:30 Dial M for Pizza (b007k3c1)
Series 2
Episode 6
Foul play at the panto and Mr Makeaslotofmistakes is now Mr President - scary!
Another helping of piping hot comedy with spicy sketches with Brenda Blethyn, Robert Bathurst and Morweena Banks.
Written by James Hendrie and Ian Brown.
Serving up the pizza fun:
Robert Bathurst
Brenda Blethyn
Morwenna Banks
Mike Grady
Jonathan Kydd
Producer: David Tyler
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 1988.

THURSDAY 20 AUGUST 2026

THU 00:00 Archive on 4 (m001gjyp)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:00 The Wolf Far Hence by Edward Boyd (m001mc81)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Wednesday]
THU 01:30 The Senior Partner (m0030fzz)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:30 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 After Henry (b007jnzw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:30 The Missing Hancocks (b08lh7dg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Wednesday]
THU 03:00 You Heard It Here First (m001y1hr)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Wednesday]
THU 03:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yg3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Wednesday]
THU 03:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08gy165)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Wednesday]
THU 04:00 The Ultimate Choice (m001vcg7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Wednesday]
THU 04:30 Getting Nowhere Fast (b00mv1sx)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Wednesday]
THU 05:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jpj0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Wednesday]
THU 06:00 Whodunnits (b0076lcv)
Peter Whalley - The Absent Guest
When an absent guest of a dinner party is discovered murdered, one by one, the remaining guests become suspects...
Peter Whalley’s sharp and tense whodunnit.
Ian .....Robert Pickavance
Lynn.....Deborah Findlay
Mike.....John Thomson
Julie......Katy Cavanagh
Claire....Denise Welch
Alan.....John Kazek
Director: Pauline Harris
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2004.
THU 07:00 Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful (b007jvq2)
Series 1
Episode 1
Ken Handley's got a problem. A big problem. Ken Handley's in advertising.
How will his pitch go to a motorway services chain?
Starring Martin Jarvis.
Guy Jenkin and Jon Canter’s satire set in the competitive world of advertising.
Ken Handley ...... Martin Jarvis
John 'Sandy' Beach ...... Christopher Godwin
Freddie ...... Lockwood West
Sheila ...... Sheila Steafel
June ...... Wendy Richard
Hitch Hiker ...... Vincent Brimble
Portly ...... Richard Bebb
Runcie ...... Simon Jones
With:
John Baddeley
Norma Ronald
David Tate
Michael Jayston
Bill Tatchell
Producer: Pete Atkin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1982.
THU 07:30 The Burkiss Way (b007jqxd)
Series 3
Son of the Burkiss Way
Film 77 presents the premiere of the BBC's first ever motion picture for radio
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 December 1977.
THU 08:00 The Train at Platform 4 (m001394s)
Series 1
Cat
It's Friday night and everyone's looking forward to their weekend plans.
But the journey home is struck with disaster when a celebrity cat goes missing on the train.
Artemis Montmorency Wolfhandle the Third is potentially the new face of Kitty Krunch Cat Food - but is set to miss a crucial audition if the train crew can't track her down.
Meanwhile, Dev's plans for a hot date are thrown into turmoil when he learns the bitter truth about his receding hairline.
Our heroes are the long-suffering train crew who manage to scrape through every shift like a dysfunctional family.
Comedy legends Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis's sitcom, set in the claustrophobic carriages of a cross-country rail service.
Sam …... Rosie Cavaliero
Gilbert ..…. Kenneth Collard
Dev …... Ali Shahalom
Tasha …... Amy Gledhill
Cat Lady ...... Freya Parker
American ...... Hugh Dennis
Passenger ...... Steve Punt
Producer: James Robinson
A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in January 2022.
THU 08:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yd0)
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
9. An Education
The fourth book in Radio 4’s serialisation of Adrian Mole’s hilarious diaries by Sue Townsend.
Adrian is unexpectedly responsible for son Glenn's education and finds him a private tutor.
Read by Harry McEntire
Written by Sue Townsend
Abridged by: Sara Davies
Produced by Alexa Moore
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in January 2019.
THU 08:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08h0656)
4. Mirth and Mourning
Governess Agnes Grey is falling in love but she has a rival.
Ellie Kendrick stars in Anne Bronte's compelling debut novel telling the story of Agnes's self-discovery and her search for love.
Adapted by Rachel Joyce
Agnes Grey ...... Ellie Kendrick
Edward Weston ...... George Watkins
Rosalie ...... Keziah Joseph
Matilda ...... Natasha Cowley
Director: Tracey Neale.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
THU 09:00 Icklewick FM (m001w188)
Series 1
3. The Festival
Amy and Chris are reporting all the action live from the 233rd Icklewick Agricultural Festival! As the festival’s newly crowned “Lady Muck”, Amy is preoccupied with her upcoming performance at the closing ceremony. Whilst first time camper, Chris is trying his best to embrace the countryside in all its beautiful, harrowing glory. Ever the renaissance man, Mr Patel has decided to try his hand at hospitality, which should be simple as long as his customers remember to eat around the teeth.
The extortionate cost of a festival pint sets Simon Toke spiraling but will he make it back in time to interview Toploader, and will Amy be able to overcome her nerves and save Icklewick from another year of blight?
Mr. Patel has managed to get a special sponsor for this episode. ChemNice. Just nice chemicals. Nothing weird.
Created and written by Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill with additional material from the cast.
Starring:
Tom Burgess
Tai Campbell
Janice Connolly
Colin Hoult
Ed Night
Nimisha Odedra
Benjamin Partridge
Nicola Redman
Mark Silcox
Sound Design and Music by Jack Lewis Evans.
The Line Producer is Laura Shaw.
Produced by Benjamin Sutton.
Icklewick FM is A Daddy’s SuperYacht Production for BBC Radio 4.
THU 09:30 The Essay (b05qfqfr)
British Film Comedians
Tony Hancock
Tragedy and comedy have often shared the billing in Simon Heffer's series on British comic actors in mid-20th century film, but never more so than in the case of Tony Hancock.
Hancock is warmly remembered for playing a self-deluded failure, a man whose life has been an odyssey of constant frustration. His role in film was less successful and Simon Heffer pinpoints why.
Simon also considers the strengths and weaknesses of Hancock's two (largely forgotten) films - The Rebel and The Punch and Judy Man - and the demise of a brilliant performer whose influences are still apparent today.
Producer : Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in April 2015.
THU 09:45 Daily Service (m0030b5m)
Holy Women – St Wite
Reverend Virginia Luckett is a regular walker of St Wite’s Way. The Saxon Holy Woman spent her life in prayer on the Dorset coast and, according to legend, saved seafarers from impending doom by lighting beacons along the cliffs. She was martyred by Danish Vikings during a 9th Century raid and is now honoured as patron saint of Dorset. Virginia reflects on how she has found inspiration in St Wite's life and faith.
Reading - Hebrews 12
Music:
Kingdom Come - David Lyon, Yvonne Lyon, Gareth Davies-Jones
Ain’t no Grave - Cageless Birds & Molly Skaggs
I want Jesus to Walk with me - Holmes Brothers
THU 10:00 Great Lives (m001pf6t)
Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore and London Zoo
Sir Stamford Raffles is championed as the pioneering founder of London Zoo.
It's a famous name.
There's Raffles Hotel and Raffles Hospital, plus the rafflesia, the largest flowering plant in the world, an ant, a butterflyfish and a woodpecker, as well as the Raffles Cup, a horse race in Singapore.
He was born in 1781, and as an agent of the East India Company, Thomas Stamford Raffles rose to become lieutenant governor of Java during the Napoleonic war.
He's also often named as the founder of Singapore and also London Zoo. But how did he achieve so much so fast?
Recorded on location at London Zoo with Matthew Gould, CEO of the Zoological Society of London; and Stephen Murphy of SOAS University of London and Natasha Wakely, who talks about Matthew Gould's second choice, Joan Procter, first female curator of reptiles, who famously used to take a Komodo dragon for walks on a leash.
Presented by Matthew Parris.
Produced at BBC Bristol by Miles Warde.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2023.
THU 10:30 Found in Translation (b012f5qj)
Former stand-up comic Anna Chen goes in search of the Chinese sense of humour.
Comics, historians and a Chinese Elvis all give their take on what makes the Chinese laugh and why.
China isn't a nation you would automatically associate with comedy and laughter, unless it's to do with badly translated instructions. Anna Chen would like to change your mind. She says China invented the political joke: 'With 4,000 years of often repressive rule, you'd need some sort of outlet'.
Texts written in the middle ages are full of mockery of authority. Crosstalk was a rambunctious art form which lampooned corrupt officials and country bumpkins. The Communist authorities put the dampers on crosstalk by requiring practitioners to 'praise', rather than 'satirise' - a death sentence if ever there was one.
But increased leisure time has an effect on culture, and we're starting to see the emergence of some sharp, rebellious, youthful satire in China. Guo Degang has revitalised the crosstalk form and now plays to packed theatres. Han Han is China's most popular blogger and gets away with comments such as this one about party officials:
'The only thing they have in common with young people is that like us, they too have girlfriends in their 20s.'
In Found in Translation, Anna Chen reveals the history and the future of Chinese comedy - and she'll even throw in a gag or two.
Presenter: Anna Chen
Producer: John Byrne
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2011.
THU 11:00 Whodunnits (b0076lcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 12:00 Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful (b007jvq2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 12:30 The Burkiss Way (b007jqxd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 13:00 The Train at Platform 4 (m001394s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 13:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yd0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 13:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08h0656)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
THU 14:00 Dilemma (b01qwglw)
Series 2
Episode 2
Sue Perkins sets moral and ethical posers for:
Josie Long
Owen Jones
Clare Grogan
Andrew Maxwell
This is the panel show posing finely-balanced dilemmas as Sue cross-examines their answers.
The panellists' dilemmas include a catering faux pas, putting a value on human life and/or robots, keeping the back yard tidy and hearing the patter of tiny feet.
Devised by Danielle Ward.
Producer: Ed Morrish
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2013.
THU 14:30 Snap (b00td5sb)
Series 1
Episode 1
When a couple have history, how can they ever be history?
Molly and Doug are separating but as he's only moving a few streets away, can they make a clean break?
Starring Rebecca Lacey and Paul Venables.
Paul Mendelson’s sitcom about life for a couple after they've split.
Molly …. Rebecca Lacey
Doug …. Paul Venables
Kaz …. Soumaya Keynes
Ryan …. Jessie Sullivan
Scarlet …. Rebecca Front
Mrs Lonsdale …. Marlene Sidaway
Ansel …. Richard Firth
Producer: David Ian Neville
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2003.
THU 15:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jpjg)
3. Elfride Decides
Stephen and Henry decide to take the train to Endelstow to ask Elfride to choose between them....
Thomas Hardy's novel dramatised in three parts by Jane Beeson
Henry Knight .... Jeremy Irons
Elfride .... Janet Maw
Stephen Smith .... Michael Maloney
Parson Swancourt .... Nigel Stock
Mrs Swancourt .... Vivian Pickles
Lord Luxellian .... Christopher Scott
Unity .... Sheila Grant
Mrs Jethway .... Anna Wing
Blacksmith .... George Parsons
Jack .... John Livesey
Director: Cherry Cookson
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 1982.
THU 16:00 Great Lives (m001pf6t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
THU 16:30 Found in Translation (b012f5qj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
THU 17:00 Whodunnits (b0076lcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
THU 18:00 Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful (b007jvq2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
THU 18:30 The Burkiss Way (b007jqxd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
THU 19:00 The Train at Platform 4 (m001394s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
THU 19:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yd0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
THU 19:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08h0656)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
THU 20:00 Dilemma (b01qwglw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
THU 20:30 Snap (b00td5sb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
THU 21:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jpjg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
THU 22:00 Icklewick FM (m001w188)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
THU 22:30 A Look Back at the Nineties (b007jqm8)
1996
Coming out to parents with a twist, an unusual Blue Peter appeal - and is the end of the world nigh..?
Recorded in 1993 - the comedy team 'look back' at 1996 - a year that was yet to happen,
Starring:
Brian Perkins
Kate Robbins
Special guest: Hugh Dennis
A satirical review set on New Year's Eve 1999 - the Sony Gold award-winning comedy recalls the events from 1995 to 1999.
Predicted by 'Spitting Image' writers Mark Burton, John O'Farrell and Pete Sinclair.
Producer: Caroline Leddy
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1993.
THU 23:00 Fresh from the Fringe (m001ptf9)
Fresh from the Fringe: 2023 - Part 1
Highlights of some of the best comedy acts at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Hosted by David O'Doherty
With performances from:
Dan Rath
Kuan-wen Huang
Micky Overman
Pierre Novellie
Lou Wall
Adam Rowe
Producer: Sasha Bobak
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2023.
THU 23:30 Sophie Willan's Guide to Normality (b09xkrkf)
Series 1
Do Monogamy
Break out comedy star Sophie Willan from BBC2's Alma's Not Normal, continues her 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 episode, Sophie looks at monogamous relationships.
Producer: Suzy Grant
A BBC Studio production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in March 2018.
THU 23:45 What's the Story, Ashley Storrie? (m001h435)
Series 1
3. The Big Sleep
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.
The family have moved home, and Ashley is sworn to secrecy to avoid any repercussions, "the cat is fine, thank you" is the party line.
She and her parents are starting all over again on the other side of the city, where Ashley diagnoses her father's problems and inherits a surrogate father, the Captain of the SS Enterprise.
Written and performed by Ashley Storrie
Produced by Julia Sutherland
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in 2023.

FRIDAY 21 AUGUST 2026

FRI 00:00 Great Lives (m001pf6t)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 on Thursday]
FRI 00:30 Found in Translation (b012f5qj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 on Thursday]
FRI 01:00 Whodunnits (b0076lcv)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:00 Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful (b007jvq2)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 on Thursday]
FRI 02:30 The Burkiss Way (b007jqxd)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 on Thursday]
FRI 03:00 The Train at Platform 4 (m001394s)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 on Thursday]
FRI 03:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001yd0)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 on Thursday]
FRI 03:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08h0656)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 on Thursday]
FRI 04:00 Dilemma (b01qwglw)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 on Thursday]
FRI 04:30 Snap (b00td5sb)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 on Thursday]
FRI 05:00 A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy (b007jpjg)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 on Thursday]
FRI 06:00 A Study in Sin by Michael Robson (m0030b3x)
Gemma and Desmond Yates appear to have settled into an idyllic country life.
But with the arrival of a stranger named Hobart, Gemma's world explodes into a nightmare of menace, intrigue and death…
Starring Karen Ford and John Pullen.
Written by Michael Robson
Gemma Yates .... Karen Ford
Hobart .... John Pullen
Griffin .... Gabriel Woolf
Collinge .... Timothy Bateson
Sarah .... Peggy Ann Wood
Louise .... Joanne Pearce
Mrs Norton .... Sally Lahee
Guy .... Norman Bowler
Penhallow .... David Ponting
Desmond .... John Abineri
Director: Shaun MacLoughlin
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 1981.
FRI 07:00 Flying the Flag (b00dhkzf)
Series 4
In Custody
‘We are representatives of Democracy in this benighted place, William. We enshrine the values of liberty, tolerance and free speech. By the way, why is that woman chained to the embassy railings..?'
Ambassador Mackenzie must tackle the delicate issue of a Briton being held hostage.
Starring Dinsdale Landen.
Eastern Bloc embassy sitcom written by Alex Shearer.
HM Ambassador Mackenzie …. Dinsdale Landen
William Frost …. Peter Acre
Helen Waterson …. Moir Leslie
Colonel Surikov …. Christopher Benjamin
Spiro …. Stephen Greif
Producer: Neil Cargill
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1992.
FRI 07:30 Beyond Our Ken (m0030b3z)
Series 5
Episode 5
Kenneth Horne has adventures with the Foreign Legion and Hornerama looks at affluence.
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 November 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 (m001h4g7)
Series 3
The Confession of Ben Bailey Smith aka Doc Brown
TV writer, rapper and actor, Ben Bailey Smith takes the hot seat to reveal his tales of shame to Stephen Mangan.
With stories from restaurants, fast food joints and Norwegian comedy clubs.
The comic and intrusive chat show, in which Stephen Mangan interrogates celebrity penitents about their stories of shame, guilt and embarrassment.
Each episode, Stephen entices a different eminent 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 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001y93)
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
10. A Fateful Night
The fourth book in Radio 4’s serialisation of Adrian Mole’s hilarious diaries by Sue Townsend, one of our most celebrated comic writers. Read by Harry McEntire.
This diary starts in April 1997. Adrian is no longer a spotty teenager, but a balding 30 year old, recently separated from Jo Jo, the mother of his son William. He later meets a surprise older son called Glenn. What hasn't changed is his desire for a literary career and admiration for Pandora Braithwaite.
The Cappuccino Years highlights how much attitudes have changed in the 21st century and, once again, showcases Sue Townsend’s fearless and razor-sharp wit.
When Pandora stays over with Adrian in Archie Tait's old house, there are terrible consequences...
Read by Harry McEntire
Written by Sue Townsend
Abridged by: Sara Davies
Produced by Alexa Moore
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in January 2019.
FRI 08:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08h0c9f)
5. Seaside
Agnes's father is seriously ill so she returns home with a heavy heart.
Conclusion of Anne Bronte's compelling debut novel starring Ellie Kendrick.
Adapted by Rachel Joyce
Agnes Grey ...... Ellie Kendrick
Mrs Grey ...... Juliet Aubrey
Edward Weston ...... George Watkins
Rosalie ...... Keziah Joseph
Director: Tracey Neale
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2017.
FRI 09:00 Olga Koch: OK Computer (m001mls4)
Series 2
3. Friendship
This week Olga and ALGO try to understand the true meaning of friendship.
Comedian and computer scientist Olga Koch returns for a second series of her comedy and STEM stand-up show, joined by her trusty 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 The Essay (b05qfqft)
British Film Comedians
Sid James
In the final programme celebrating comic actors from mid-20th century British film, Simon Heffer turns his gaze on a man whose priapic laugh alone merits an entire radio series.
Sid James was at the heart of the phenomenally successful Carry On films and one of the most recognisable comic actors of his day.
Throughout the 1950s and '60s, the many roles he played were all, in essence, the same. As Simon Heffer puts it: "To say Sid had range as an actor would be to do him an injustice".
But Sid was not, by birth, a wise-cracking Cockney geezer. His roots go back to Johannesburg, where he started life as Solomon Joel Cohen and started work in a hairdressing salon.
Producer: Beaty Rubens
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in April 2015.
FRI 09:45 Daily Service (m0030b41)
Holy Women – St Rita
Dr Pia Matthews shares the tragic yet powerful story of peacemaker Saint Rita. Her tireless work and prayer brought conflicts in her Italian community to an end, but at great personal cost.
Reading – Romans 5:1-5
Music:
All my hope on God is founded - Daily Service Singers
Motet - Alleluia Tollite, Gregorian - Leeds Cathedral choir 
Make me a channel - Daily Service Singers
FRI 10:00 Soul Music (b00mk6tc)
Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme, by Thomas Tallis
Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
When Vaughan Williams wrote his Tallis Fantasia in 1910, he changed the course of British music. Here at last was a piece of music which was no longer under the Teutonic influence, but which drew on old English hymn tunes and folk idioms for its themes. As the string music builds to a climax, interviewees tell how this music has brought solace and hope in times of tragedy and changed the course of their lives.
When composers Herbert Howells and Ivor Gurney heard the premiere of Vaughan Williams' Tallis Fantasia in Gloucester Cathedral in 1910, it's said that they walked the streets of Gloucester all night because of the sheer excitement of possibility that this new piece had awakened in them.
This programme tells how the beauty and richness of Vaughan Williams' Tallis Fantasia awakened a life long love of classical music in a nine year old boy at bedtime; how it served as comfort for an artist in despair and how it brought solace to a grieving father
Contributors:
Michael Kennedy
Ian Clarke
EM Marshall
Rolf Jordan
Peter Phillips
Harry Atterbury
Colin Wood
Producer: Rosie Boulton
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2009.
FRI 10:30 Tanning Tales (b0367j1l)
Kit Hesketh Harvey explores the meteoric rise of the spray tan.
From Katie Price to Kate Middleton, no well-dressed woman, or man, would now be seen without one.
While social position used to be judged on accent and clothing, it now comes down to skin tone; with burnt umber tones being more prevalent in the north and subtle olive tones more common in the south. But, as one tanning expert bluntly explains to Kit, there's one thing we can all agree on: brown fat looks better than white.
As one who modelled himself on Adam Ant and the New Romantics of the 80s, Kit is not unfamiliar with the muddy, fake-tan look that could be achieved 30 years ago with a bottle of sticky brown liquid.
However, he remains a spray tan virgin. In the hands of celebrity tanner James Read, aka The Tantalist, will Kit agree to don a paper thong and discover what all the fuss is about?
Seemingly recession proof and, most importantly, the safest way to achieve the sun kissed look, fake tan has become the fastest growing sector of the cosmetics industry with a retail value of over 100 million pounds in the UK alone.
Kit talks to those who have shaped the industry to discover if this is a trend that's here to stay and why we all now wish to be beyond the pale.
He also visits Liverpool, the fake tan capital of Britain, where over half the population are sneering at the vagaries of the weather and are tanned all year round.
Produced at BBC Birmingham by Lucy Lunt
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2013.
FRI 11:00 A Study in Sin by Michael Robson (m0030b3x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 12:00 Flying the Flag (b00dhkzf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 12:30 Beyond Our Ken (m0030b3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 13:00 The Confessional (m001h4g7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 13:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001y93)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 13:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08h0c9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
FRI 14:00 The Museum of Curiosity (m001k7sj)
Series 17
Episode 5
The Professor of Ignorance John Lloyd and his curator Anna Ptaszynski welcome:
* Journalist Isabel Hardman
* Cop-turned-comedian Alfie Moore
* Physicist Dr Jessica Wade
It’s an episode full of discovery, deception, and a very frustrated bee.
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 (b0076bn3)
Series 3
Progressive Rock
There's much excitement on the Isle of Cumbrae over a make-over for Millport from a national newspaper.
Irene fears the worst and worries the town's unique charm will be ruined by nosy media-meddlers. Is now really the time for her to leave?
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/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 There Are Such Things (m001gxdq)
Darkly imaginative exploration of the life and career of Bela Lugosi, one of the cinema's great 'Kings of Horror'.
A war veteran and an established classical stage actor in his native Hungary before he came to Hollywood to be chewed up and spat out by the movie moguls, Lugosi spent his troubled life fleeing his most famous creation, Count Dracula.
Written by Mark McDonnell and Steven McNicoll.
Starring:
Mark McDonnell
Steven McNicoll
Julia Duncanson
Gavin Mitchell
Director Patrick Rayner
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2001.
FRI 16:00 Soul Music (b00mk6tc)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:00 today]
FRI 16:30 Tanning Tales (b0367j1l)
[Repeat of broadcast at 10:30 today]
FRI 17:00 A Study in Sin by Michael Robson (m0030b3x)
[Repeat of broadcast at 06:00 today]
FRI 18:00 Flying the Flag (b00dhkzf)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:00 today]
FRI 18:30 Beyond Our Ken (m0030b3z)
[Repeat of broadcast at 07:30 today]
FRI 19:00 The Confessional (m001h4g7)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:00 today]
FRI 19:30 The Diaries of Adrian Mole (m0001y93)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:30 today]
FRI 19:45 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (b08h0c9f)
[Repeat of broadcast at 08:45 today]
FRI 20:00 The Museum of Curiosity (m001k7sj)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:00 today]
FRI 20:30 Millport (b0076bn3)
[Repeat of broadcast at 14:30 today]
FRI 21:00 There Are Such Things (m001gxdq)
[Repeat of broadcast at 15:00 today]
FRI 22:00 Olga Koch: OK Computer (m001mls4)
[Repeat of broadcast at 09:00 today]
FRI 22:30 The Mark Steel Lecture (b007qw7m)
Series 3
Ludwig van Beethoven
A profile of the influential German composer - Ludwig van Beethoven.
Mark Steel's comic lectures about the lives of historical figures whose ideas and enthusiasm shaped their generation.
With:
Martin Hyder
Carla Mendonca
Producer: Lucy Armitage
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2002.
FRI 23:00 I've Never Seen Star Wars (b014gmfm)
Series 4
Ian Hislop
Marcus Brigstocke invites Private Eye editor and broadcaster Ian Hislop to try new experiences, including buying his first ever pair of jeans.
Whether the experiences are banal or profound, the show is about embracing the new and getting out of our comfort zones.
The title comes from the fact that the show's producer and creator Bill Dare had never seen the film Star Wars.
Producer: Bill Dare
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2011.
FRI 23:30 The Show What You Wrote (b06r5d0m)
Series 3
Work and Play
Return of the themed sketch show made entirely from contributions sent in by the public.
The best ideas have been chosen from thousands of submissions from new writers resulting in a show like no other.
Work and Play are the subjects.
It features someone being really challenged about their age, a club that doesn't play anything so clichéd as music, and some naughty fun...
With:
Jason Manford
Janice Connolly
Gavin Webster
Fiona Clarke
Written by: Ben Behrens, Dave Bibby, James Bugg, Keith Carter, Lou Conran, Stu Cooper, Rob Gilroy, Dan Hobson & Jon Bridle, Daniel Hooper, Scott Kingsnorth, Steve Nelson, Christopher Stanners and Claire Wetton.
Producers: Ed Morrish and Paul Sheehan
A BBC Radio Comedy production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2015.