Freeview 9 · Sky 116 · 90 programmes this week
BBC Four is the BBC's arts, culture and documentary channel. It broadcasts music performances, archive television, history documentaries and international drama. Available on Freeview and Sky. Much of its content is also available on BBC iPlayer.
Freeview 9 · Sky 116
18 programmes
Reggae at the BBC is a oneâhourâandâaâhalf mashâup of classic reggae sets from the BBCâs archives. Youâll hear Bob Marley & the Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, DesmondâŻDekker, BurningâŻSpear, Althea & Donna,âŠ
Top of the Pops aired onâŻ22âŻOctoberâŻ1999. JamieâŻTheakston hosts the chart show, playing the weekâs biggest hits. The episode includes performances by MacyâŻGray, B*Witched, ATB, Honeyz, Steps, TinaâŻTurner and ChristinaâŻAguilera. Itâs a chance to hear lateâ90s pop live.
Jamie Theakston hosts this Top of the Pops episode fromâŻ29âŻOctâŻ1999. It has the weekâs chart hits and performances by TinaâŻTurner, SimplyâŻRed, Eternal, DestinyâsâŻChild and Westlife. Itâs a tidy snapsâŠ
Top of the Pops (1985) has Peter Powell and Gary Davies host the weekly chart show. Live performances include KimâŻWilde, BryanâŻFerry, Duran
Top of the Pops special from 1984 has David Jensen and JohnâŻPeel introducing a lineâup that includes Belle and the Devotions, Queen, The Flying Pickets, BobâŻMarley &âŻthe Wailers, TerriâŻWells, The PoiâŠ
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
Gordon Buchanan returns to his home island of Mull and the nearby isles, filming otters, deer, puffins, seals and even a minke whale. The BBC Two nature short runs ten minutes and crams a lot of ScotâŠ
Leonard Sachs hosts a musicâhall revue filmed at the Leeds City Varieties. It has guests such as Ken Dodd, Barry Kent, LynâŻKennington and JohnâŻBouchier. The programme recreates VictorianâEdwardian soâŠ
When Hetty steps in for her neighbour at a creditorâs meeting, sheâs hired to track down a possible thief â just another day for the plucky amateur sleuth. Patricia Routledge stars as the sharpâwitteâŠ
In this short travelogue, Michael Palin wanders the old Great Western Railway lines and explains how the company ran a sophisticated PR machine in the interâwar years. The film offers a neat glimpse âŠ
A teacher gets pulled into school politics when a student is suspected of theft. The drama tracks the fallout, accusations and power plays that ripple through the staffroom. If you enjoy tension and âŠ
Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge) dreads her brotherâinâlaw Onslowâs birthday party. When she discovers a limousine will take her and Richard (Clive Swift) there, she gets excited.
Sorry! is a 1980s BBC sitcom starring Ronnie Corbett as Timothy Lumsden, a fortyâsomething librarian who still lives under his overâbearing mum Phyllis. In this episode his mother tries to get AuntâŻEâŠ
14 programmes
Leonard Sachs hosts a musicâhall revue filmed at the Leeds City Varieties. It has guests such as Ken Dodd, Barry Kent, LynâŻKennington and JohnâŻBouchier. The programme recreates VictorianâEdwardian soâŠ
Patricia Routledge returns as Hetty Wainthropp, a sleuth who steps in for a neighbour at a creditorâs meeting and gets hired to find a suspected thief. Sheâs joined by her assistant Geoffrey, played âŠ
Maggie Smith sits down with Michael Aspel for a cosy chat about her long career and looks at clips from a few of her favourite films. First shown in JuneâŻ1970, the 28âminute interview gives a rare glâŠ
Ian Hislop takes a witty look at the 1963 Beeching Report that saw a third of Britainâs railways ripped up and thousands forced onto the road. He travels from Cornwall to the Scottish borders, talks âŠ
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
Nature: The Classical Collection is the final instalment of a sixâpart BBCâŻFour series that pairs the great outdoors with classical music. The programme includes Vivaldiâs âSpringâ from The Four SeasâŠ
A Wild Year takes you to the remote moorland of northâeast England. Heatherâclad uplands and tuckedâin dales host red grouse and tough moorland sheep. This is the third instalment of a threeâpart serâŠ
Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev play Juliet and Romeo in the Royal Balletâs classic production, filmed for TV in 1977 and introduced by RobinâŻRay. The two legends bring Shakespeareâs tragic lovers âŠ
Margot Fonteyn walks you through the major moments in dance history, from 17thâcentury Italyâs Commedia dellâArte to Martha Grahamâs modern work in America. She uses her own ballerinaâs perspective tâŠ
14 programmes
This BBC Two documentary looks at RudolfâŻNureyev, the dancer who became balletâs first major star. RupertâŻMiles directs, and the film is part of the âLivingâŻFamouslyâ series that profiles iconic liveâŠ
A tidy selection of archival performances that highlights classical pieces you probably havenât heard before â forgotten gems and neglected composers finally getting their due. The BBC Four team has âŠ
Set on a remote moorland in northâeast England, this episode shows heatherâcovered uplands, red grouse and hardy moor
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
University Challenge is the longârunning BBC quiz where university teams battle on the buzzer. This week Oriel College, Oxford, take on Christ's College, Cambridge in a firstâround clash. If you likeâŠ
Only Connect is a quiz where teams link seemingly unrelated clues â from walls to missing links â and you need more than rote knowledge. Victoria CorenâŻMitchell hosts, and the show rewards patience, âŠ
India: Nature's Wonderland is a twoâpart BBC nature documentary that goes deep into the wild corners of the subcontinent. Wildlife presenter LizâŻBonnin, actress FreidaâŻPinto and mountaineer JonâŻGuptaâŠ
Art of Scandinavia is a BBC documentary series where art historian Andrew GrahamâDixon explores the regionâs visual culture, from its moody roots to the sleek modernism that put Denmark on the map asâŠ
Gluck: Who Did She Think He Was? is a BBCâŻFour documentary that uncovers the story of Gluck, a 1930s highâsociety portrait painter who liked to dress as a man and called her exhibitions âoneâman showâŠ
15 programmes
Art That Made Us is a BBC Two documentary series that follows how
A tribute to Dame Margot Fonteyn, first aired just after her death in 1991, mixes interviews with her colleagues and friends and extracts from her most famous ballets. The programme lets you hear theâŠ
Episode seven of Art That Made Us looks at how the two world wars forced British artists to confront devastation and question the old imperial mindset, while refugees poured fresh ideas into the scenâŠ
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
University Challenge puts university teams headâtoâhead in a fastâpaced quiz. This week Jesus College, Cambridge faces StâŻCatherineâs, Oxford, both aiming for a spot in the second round, with Jeremy âŠ
Only Connect is a brainâteasing quiz where fourâperson teams try to link seemingly unrelated clues, from connecting walls to sequence rounds. Hosted by VictoriaâŻCorenâŻMitchell, the show rewards patieâŠ
Keeping Up Appearances is a classic British sitcom about Hyacinth Bucket (Patricia Routledge) and her constant push up the social ladder. In this episode she sees a chance to impress her brotherâinâlâŠ
In this episode Timothy (Ronnie Corbett) is roped in as best man for his mate Frank, and his push to get the wedding off the ground lands him in a right pickle with his meddling mum and dad. The sitcâŠ
Historian SimonâŻSchama walks you through the rise of Britainâs empire and explains how a trading venture billed as a quest for liberty ended up built on slavery. Actors LindsayâŻDuncan and SamuelâŻWestâŠ
A featureâlength documentary about the original rebel girls of football â the Corinthians Ladies FC from Manchester â who bucked a 50âyear FA ban and won a European Cup in 1957 and an unofficial WorlâŠ
15 programmes
Gluck: Who Did She Think He Was? is a BBCâŻFour documentary that uncovers the story of Gluck, a 1930s highâsociety portrait painter who liked to dress as a man and called her exhibitions âoneâman showâŠ
Janina Ramirez and Alastair Sooke wrap up the series with a trip to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. They explore the historic Shirvanshah Palace and meet local artists. The episode gives a brief looâŠ
Liz Bonnin, FreidaâŻPinto and mountaineer JonâŻGupta guide you through Indiaâs hidden natural gems â the last Asiatic lions in Gir, gibbons swinging in Kerala and elephants roaming teaâfilled hills. FiâŠ
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
University Challenge pits university teams against each other in a fastâpaced quiz. Bright students tackle a mix of tough subjects. In this firstâround match, Balliol College, Oxford faces the UniverâŠ
Only Connect is a BBC quiz. Teams hunt for links between seemingly unrelated clues, from classic connectingâwalls to rapidâfire rounds. VictoriaâŻCorenâŻMitchell hosts, and the show mixes knowledge witâŠ
Dr. Helen Czerski guides you through the narrow temperature band that made life possible on Earth. Only a few degrees separate ice from boiling water and everything in between. She explains why that âŠ
The Ruth Ellis Files: A Very British Crime Story is a threeâpart BBC documentary. Filmmaker Gillian Pachter revisits the 1955 case of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain. In the final âŠ
Screenwriter Andrew Davies looks back at his BAFTAâwinning seriesâŻA Very Peculiar Practice, the offâbeat comedyâdrama set in a university health centre in the lateâ80s. He talks about the showâs wickâŠ
Stephen Daker, newly separated from his wife, takes a job as a GP at the offâbeat Lowlands Medical Centre. He tries to fit in with the centreâs eccentric staff and the oddball patients who make routiâŠ
14 programmes
Andrew Davies: Rewriting the Classics profiles Britainâs most famous screenwriter as he adaptsâŻLesâŻMisĂ©rables, turning the classic novel into primeâtime drama. Davies recalls his Cardiff childhood anâŠ
Dr. Helen Czerski guides you through the narrow temperature band that made life possible on Earth. Only a few degrees separate ice from boiling water and everything in between. She explains why that âŠ
Gillian Pachter returns for the final instalment of *The Ruth Ellis Files*, the threeâpart documentary that revisits the 1955 case of the last woman ever hanged in Britain. This episode concentrates âŠ
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
The schedule kicks off at 7âŻpm, broadcast in HD.
University Challenge pits university teams against each other in a fastâfire quiz. This episode sees Bangor take on Nottingham for the first time. Jeremy Paxman asks the tricky questions. If you enjoâŠ
Only Connect is a brainâteasing quiz where two teams hunt for links between seemingly unrelated clues. Victoria Coren Mitchell hosts, and the show has quickâfire rounds, a connecting wall and the infâŠ
Eve Arnold, the Magnum photographer who first photographed Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s and on the set of *The Misfits*, talks about the star and how their friendship developed. She tells the stories âŠ
Released in 1953, this comedy musical follows two showgirls on a transatlantic cruise, each chasing her own idea of love. Marilyn Monroe plays goldâdigging Lorelei Lee; Jane Russell is the sensible DâŠ
A rare 43âminute interview with Hollywood icon Jane Russell, presented by Mark Cousins. Russell talks about a tough childhood as the eldest and only girl of six siblings, then recounts her film careeâŠ