The Latest Podcasts from BBC Radio 4
Best of Today
Listen to selected highlights from the Today programme.
The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry
Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.
The Infinite Monkey Cage
Brian Cox and Robin Ince host a witty, irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes.
Sideways
Best-selling author Matthew Syed explores the ideas that shape our lives with stories of seeing the world differently.
Farming Today
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
Café Hope
Café Hope is our virtual Radio 4 coffee shop with Rachel Burden, where guests pop in for a brew and a chat to tell us what they're doing to make the world a better place in big and small ways. We're all about trying to make change. It might be a transformational project that helps an entire community, or it might be about trying to make one life a little bit easier. Trying is the key, because this is real life, and not everything goes smoothly. In Café Hope we hear about the struggles and the triumphs in equal measure.
Uncharted with Hannah Fry
Hannah Fry follows the numbers on thrilling journeys of data and discovery. Along the way we meet the remarkable people who dug into the data and unearthed something extraordinary.
Comedy of the Week
Brighten your week with the latest BBC Radio 4 comedy.
Westminster Hour
The big political stories with lively discussion and expert comment and analysis from politicians and journalists, 10pm every Sunday on BBC Radio 4.
The Human Subject
Humanity's journey to understanding the body has been a gory one; littered with unethical experiments, unintended consequences and unimaginable endurance. It's the story of catastrophic failures, at great human cost - but also successes which made history and saved countless lives. In The Human Subject, Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Julia Shaw investigate the threads connecting modern day medicine to its often brutal origins. With every episode they explore some of that dark history and ask - is our present day knowledge worth the suffering it took to get us here?
Illuminated
Illuminated is BBC Radio 4's home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries that shed light on hidden worlds. Welcome to a place of audio beauty and joy, with emotion and human experience at its heart. The programmes you will find in this feed explore the reality of contemporary Britain and the world, venturing into its weirdest and most wonderful aspects. This is a chance to meet voices that are not normally heard, open secret doors into concealed chambers and, above all, be transported by the art and inventiveness of the very best programme makers. Just press the switch. New episodes are available weekly on Sunday evenings. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to make sure you don't miss an episode.
The Archers
Contemporary drama in a rural setting.
Six O'Clock News
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4
Quizzes
Intelligent and challenging quiz games on BBC Radio 4. Featuring Round Britain Quiz, Counterpoint and Brain of Britain with Quizmasters including Paul Gambaccini, Kirsty Lang and Russell Davies.
Books and Authors
This podcast features Open Book and A Good Read. Open Book talks to authors about their work. In A Good Read Harriett Gilbert discusses favourite books.
Broadcasting House
The Sunday morning magazine programme with a fresh approach to the news and discussion about the big stories of the week. Presented by Paddy O'Connell.
Desert Island Discs
Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
The Archers Omnibus
The week's events in Ambridge
Profile
An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines
Loose Ends
Clive Anderson and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy
Woman's Hour
Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
Any Questions? and Any Answers?
Alex Forsyth presents topical debate in which guests from politics, business, science, arts and the media answer questions from members of the public. Anita Anand presents listeners' responses to the issues raised.
From Our Own Correspondent
Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers telling stories beyond the news headlines. Presented by Kate Adie.
Inheritance Tracks
Celebrating the music that special guests cherish and would like to bestow to future generations.
The Week in Westminster
Radio 4's weekly assessment of developments at Westminster
Saturday Live
Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.
The Kitchen Cabinet
Jay Rayner hosts a culinary panel show packed full of tasty titbits that might change the way we think about food, cooking and eating. An expert panel answers audience questions.
More or Less: Behind the Stats
Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4
Yesterday in Parliament
Five-minute reports on the key events in Parliament presented with insight and humour by BBC correspondents.
Today in Parliament
News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
The World Tonight
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective
A Point of View
A weekly reflection on a topical issue.
Add to Playlist
Jeffrey Boakye and Anna Phoebe take us on a musical journey of discovery, exploring the web of connections between tracks across the breadth of all musical styles, from pop, rock, reggae and hip-hop to classical, jazz, folk and country.
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
Download the best satirical comedy from Radio 4, every Friday. Features The News Quiz, Catherine Bohart: TL;DR and Dead Ringers.
Last Word
Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
Drama of the Week
Every Friday we bring you a new drama from BBC Radio 4 or Radio 3. Exercise your imagination with some of the best writers and actors on radio. Storytelling at its very best.
Gardeners' Question Time
A panel of horticultural experts answer gardening questions from a live audience. Recorded in a different location each week
AntiSocial
Peace talks for the culture wars. In an era of polarisation, propaganda and pile-ons, AntiSocial offers an alternative: understanding, facts, and respect. Each week, Adam Fleming takes on a topic that's generating conflict on social media, blogs, talk shows and phone-ins and helps you work out what the arguments are really about.
The Food Programme
Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
Thought for the Day
Reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news.
You're Dead to Me
The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Greg Jenner brings together the best names in comedy and history to learn and laugh about the past.
Limelight
The Limelight podcast - for fiction and drama serials you won't want to miss from Radio 4.
Front Row
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
BBC Inside Science
A weekly programme that illuminates the mysteries and challenges the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
Open Country
Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of the British Isles
Word of Mouth
Series exploring the world of words and the ways in which we use them
The Briefing Room
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news
This Cultural Life
In-depth conversations with some of the world's leading artists and creatives across theatre, visual arts, music, dance, film and more. Hosted by John Wilson.
In Our Time
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world.
Sliced Bread
The series that investigates the latest ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. Are they really 'the best thing since sliced bread'? Science presenter Greg Foot finds out. Greg speaks to experts on a bunk-busting mission to test the latest consumer trends chosen by listeners. Do they live up to the hype? Or are they just marketing BS? Greg chats to the experts, dives into the data, performs tests and crunches the numbers before putting his findings back to the listener so they can decide if it's worth spending their hard earned money on. For this brand new series of Sliced Bread, episodes will be released weekly wherever you get your podcasts. But if you’re in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode, a week earlier than anywhere else, first on BBC Sounds. If you have a suggestion for a product to investigate, you can email the team on sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or send a WhatsApp voice note via the number 07543 306807. Sliced Bread is produced by BBC Audio North for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
Nick Robinson has a conversation with, not an interrogation of, the people who shape our political thinking about what shaped theirs.
The Media Show
Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.
The Today Podcast
Will anyone be held accountable for the Grenfell Tower tragedy?
The Coming Storm
America through the looking glass - enter a world where nothing is as it seems. As America heads into a presidential election, Gabriel Gatehouse dives back into the labyrinthine rabbit warren of American conspiracy culture. Whilst liberals across the world worry about a possible return of Donald Trump, millions of Americans are convinced that their democracy has already been highjacked - by a sinister Deep State cabal. How did this happen? And who is behind it? That's the story that Gabriel Gatehouse is investigating in this series of The Coming Storm. The search for the origins of this story takes Gabriel inside a paranoid political group that tried to build its own Deep State during the Cold War, now back in fashion in the conservative backwaters of western mountain states. Gabriel meets the January 6 rioters running for office who see their detention as political imprisonment in gulags, and the militia men convinced the CIA and FBI are working against the American people. In the background lurk the tech utopian ideologues, using their vast wealth and power to fund conspiracy flavoured content as they work to create sovereign states free of all government control. And online, amateur finance bros foment distrust of government, central banks and giant financial institutions to millions of followers. What were once fringe ideas have burst into the mainstream. Conspiracy theories have become central planks of Trump's Republican Party, while Democrats run on dark warnings about the end of democracy. With both sides convinced the other is an existential threat, what are the prospects for the survival of the American political system?
Amol Rajan Interviews...
Amol Rajan interviews the era-defining pioneers, leaders and maverick thinkers who are shaping our rapidly changing 21st-century world.
In Touch
News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted
Thinking Allowed
New research on how society works
All in the Mind
The show on how we think, feel and behave. Claudia Hammond delves into the evidence on mental health, psychology and neuroscience.
The Life Scientific
Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future
Short Cuts
Short documentaries and adventures in sound presented by Josie Long.
Jon Holmes Says the C-Word
In 2023, Jon Holmes was diagnosed with cancer - which came as a bit of a surprise because quite frankly he was far too busy for all of that nonsense. After a very odd, intense, unexpected, ridiculous year, Jon realised that men don't tend to talk openly about the preposterous indignity of dealing with cancer. So he decided he would, with other men who've been through it. So here - inevitably - comes his new chatty podcast. Across the series Jon will be joined by the comedians Stephen Fry, Mark Steel, Richard Herring, Matt Forde, and Eric Idle, actors Colin McFarlane and Ben Richards, rock star and The Alarm frontman Mike Peters, and journalists Jeremy Langmead, Nick Owen, and Jeremy Bowen. Jon and his guests will demystify all things cancer in raw, honest, difficult, often absurd and - yes - funny detail, from fingers up the bum to blood tests via biopsies, surgery, catheters, stomas, feeding tubes, penis pumps (no, really) and incontinence pads. Jon wants to stop the stigma and embarrassment associated with these issues (and by "issues", we mean "body parts and what happens to them"), to raise awareness and encourage listeners to 'get checked' as Jon aims to remove the fear from the whole diagnosis and treatment process in an accessible, honest and entertaining way. Throughout the series, we will also be encouraging listeners to get involved and share their own experiences, whether it's something they have been through themselves or are supporting someone with cancer. Jon Holmes Says The C-Word aims to humanise what is often a completely de-humanising process, because, honestly, the cancer road is paved with often hilarious unexpected moments - and Jon maintains that retaining a sense of humour is all important. As Jon says: "If there had been a podcast like this when I was diagnosed - one full of other people's stories, advice and light moments to illuminate the darkness of the whole sorry process I'd have lapped it up. But there wasn't, so I spoke to Radio 4, and now there is." In Jon Holmes Says The C-Word, Jon will be wearing his heart - and, quite frankly, all of his body parts - on his sleeve.
Crossing Continents
Series focusing on foreign affairs issues
Great Lives
Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.
Intrigue
Worse Than Murder - A tragic case of mistaken identity that shook Britain and launched a tabloid war. One winter's night in 1969, kidnappers targeting Rupert Murdoch's wife abducted Muriel McKay by mistake; she was never seen again. Jane MacSorley investigates this shocking crime which baffled police, launched a tabloid war - and - more than 50 years on, remains unresolved. Intrigue: 'Jaw dropping', 'gripping', 'bingeable,' 'thrilling' - dramatic true stories and investigations that reveal how the world really works.
Bookclub
Led by James Naughtie, a group of readers talk to acclaimed authors about their best-known novels
Sunday
A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week
Three Million
"The best history podcast I've heard in years." - The Sunday Times "Three million is great radio... and needs to be heard." - The Observer. During the Second World War, at least three million Indian people, who were British subjects, died in the Bengal Famine. It was one of the largest losses of civilian life on the Allied side. But there is no memorial to them anywhere in the world - not even a plaque. Can three million people disappear from public memory? From the award-winning creator and presenter of Partition Voices and Three Pounds in My Pocket, this is the story of the 1943 Bengal Famine in British India - the forgotten story of World War Two. For the first time it is told by those who were there - farmers and fishermen, artists and writers, colonial British and everyday citizens. Nearly all of the testimony in the series has never been broadcast before. Eighty years on, those who lived through it are a vanishing generation. Time is running out to record their memories.
Money Box
The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.
When It Hits the Fan
Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week's biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan. When It Hits The Fan is hosted by two of the most influential and experienced people in the game; David Yelland is the former editor of the Sun and alongside him is Simon Lewis, former trouble-shooter for the Queen and Gordon Brown, as well as for major corporations like the Nat West, Vodafone and British Gas. Together they bring decades of experience in both creating and managing crises. They'll share all they know about what's keeping those big stories in and out of the news.
File on 4
Award-winning current affairs documentary series investigating major issues at home and abroad
Inside Health
Series that demystifies health issues, separating fact from fiction and bringing clarity to conflicting health advice.
Opening Lines
Producer and writer John Yorke has worked in television and radio for 30 years, and he shares his experience with Radio 4 listeners as he unpacks the themes and impact behind the books, plays and stories that are being dramatised in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
Beyond Belief
Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world
Feedback
Radio 4's forum for comments, queries, criticisms and congratulations
Moral Maze
Combative, provocative and engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze
The Long View
Jonathan Freedland presents the series in which stories from the past are compared with current events.
Life Lines
Al Smith's award-winning series set in an ambulance control room.
Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics
Natalie Haynes takes a fresh look at the ancient world, creating stand-up routines about figures from ancient Greece and Rome.
Screenshot
Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode guide us through the expanding universe of the moving image revealing fascinating links and hidden gems from cinema and TV to streaming and beyond.
Rare Earth
Tom Heap and Helen Czerski tackle a major story about our environment, work out how we got here and meet the brave, clever people with fresh ideas to help us - and nature - thrive. They won’t shy away from the big stuff - temperatures rising while wildlife declines - but this won’t be a weekly dose of doom-laden predictions and tortured hand-wringing. Rare Earth is here to celebrate the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderful.
History's Secret Heroes
Helena Bonham Carter shines light on extraordinary stories from World War Two.
How They Made Us Doubt Everything
From smoking and cancer to climate change, this is the story of how to manufacture doubt. Investigating the industry response to claims there could be asbestos in make-up, and the tactics that could be used to cast doubt over the science and create controversy.
Naturebang
Becky Ripley and Emily Knight make sense of what it means to be human by looking to the natural world... Science meets storytelling with a philosophical twist.
Seriously...
Seriously is home to the world’s best audio documentaries and podcast recommendations. Introduced by Vanessa Kisuule.
Ramblings
Clare Balding and guests share inspiring conversations while walking in the great outdoors. Fresh air and nature, wonderful views and uplifting chat, each week Clare hikes in a different part of our glorious countryside. Walking side by side is the perfect way to cover a huge range of subjects: literature, art, wildlife, nature, taking on personal or physical challenges, dealing with grief, confronting preconceptions about the kind of people who love to ramble. The conversations are as varied as the landscapes we find ourselves in. If there's a recurring theme, it's the accepted truth that 'solvitur ambulando' - 'it is solved through walking': The sense of wellness, the benefits to mental health, easy companionship, or sometimes just the sense of solitude that being alone in nature brings. Few things are better than going for a good walk. That's what we aim to share each week on Ramblings with Clare Balding.
In Our Time: Science
Scientific principles, theory, and the role of key figures in the advancement of science.
Mark Steel's in Town
Comedian Mark Steel visits towns across the UK, meets the locals, and creates a stand up show for them - and us - about the town.
In Our Time: Culture
Popular culture, poetry, music and visual arts and the roles they play in our society.
The Bottom Line
Evan Davis hosts the business conversation show with people at the top giving insight into what matters
The Covid Inquiry Podcast
Full coverage of the Covid Inquiry from its hearings in London and from around the UK. With Jim Reed, Lorna Gordon, Hywel Griffith and Jennifer O'Leary.
In Our Time: Religion
Discussion of religious movements and the theories and individuals behind them.
Things Fell Apart
If you've ever yelled at someone on social media about, say, cancel culture or mask-wearing, then you are a soldier in the culture wars - those everyday battles for dominance between conflicting values. The acclaimed writer and podcaster Jon Ronson has seen friends swallowed up in them to the extent that it's ruined their lives. Jon was curious to learn how things fell apart, and so he went back into the history of the culture wars to find some of the origin stories: the pebbles thrown in the pond, creating the ripples that led us to where we are today. He had no idea what he'd find, but he's uncovered some extraordinary people and the strangest, yet most consequential tales.
The History Podcast
Uncover new perspectives on unforgettable stories from our past. The History Podcast is the home of story-driven history series from BBC Radio 4. Each series will take you inside the most pivotal events in history, through the people who were there, to uncover new perspectives on the moments that still define us now.
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
If time is tight, what's the one thing that you should be doing to improve your health and wellbeing? Michael Mosley reveals surprisingly simple top tips that are scientifically proven to change your life.
Rory Stewart: The Long History of...
Rory Stewart with a radical take on the concepts that shape our lives.
Rory Stewart: The Long History of...
Rory Stewart examines the radical idea that understanding ignorance is as important as acquiring knowledge.
The Skewer
A twisted comedy treat. Jon Holmes brings you the week's biggest stories like you've never heard them before. The news remixed. Welcome to The Skewer. Headphones on. The multi-award winning, 'dizzying, dazzling, haunting and moving' satirical comedy returns to twist itself into these turbulent times. With contributions from brand new and diverse audio talent, The Skewer is the sound the abyss makes as it stares back at you through your ears. 'A kind of concept album made of music and news. There's simply nothing else like it.' AWARDS New York Festival 2020 Audio Production Awards 2020 British Podcast Awards 2020 Audio Production Awards 2019 (Sound Design) Audio Production Awards 2020 An Unusual production for BBC Radio 4
Rory Stewart: The Long History of...
Rory Stewart makes a radical case for embracing ignorance.
In Our Time: History
Historical themes, events and key individuals from Akhenaten to Xenophon.
The Artificial Human
Every day, we read something new about Artificial Intelligence - it'll take our jobs, it'll teach our kids, it knows more about us than we do ourselves... but how much of that is hype, and how much is, or will be reality? Part of our problem with AI is that it feels impenetrable and mysterious, especially when even those building it aren't entirely sure how it works. In a new series, Aleks Krotoski (The Digital Human, Radio 4) and Kevin Fong (13 Minutes to the Moon, BBC World Service) set out to 'solve' AI. Or at the very least, to answer our questions on all things artificial intelligence-related. These are the questions that really matter to us - is AI smarter than me? Could AI make me money? Will AI save my life or make me its slave? These questions predate the current frenzy created by the likes of Chat GPT, BARD and LlaMA. They've been in our collective psyche ever since the very first thinking machines. Now these fears and excitement are a reality. This series arrives at a critical moment.
Uncanny
From ghostly phantoms to UFOs, Danny Robins investigates real-life stories of paranormal encounters. So, are you Team Believer or Team Sceptic? Written and presented by Danny Robins Editor and Sound Designer: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme Music by Lanterns on the Lake Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4
Start the Week
Weekly discussion programme, setting the cultural agenda every Monday
Arts & Ideas
Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives – looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Broadcast as Free Thinking, Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.
Michael Spicer: No Room
Unique satire with topical and character-filled sketches which brilliantly capture everything that provokes us; culture, politics, work...and other people.
Communicating with Ros Atkins
We all communicate multiple times a day, but could we be getting better results? From a simple text or phone call to a job interview or work presentation, the way we express ourselves is important. In this series, Ros Atkins and his guests reveal their advice to improve communication, and how simple changes to the way we interact can have a big impact. Ros is joined by some of the world's best communicators to find out how they achieve what they do. We'll hear from experts in their fields, from comic Rob Brydon to legendary magazine editor Tina Brown, a top doctor to an excellent teacher, and more, to find out how they have honed their communication skills over the years. From deciding what to say and how to be persuasive, to making your point when it matters most, each episode will provide you with the skills to improve your own communication. Presented by Ros Atkins. Producer: Hannah Newton. A Listen Production for BBC Radio 4
Call Jonathan Pie
Political journalist Jonathan Pie gets a radio phone-in show and as his personal and professional worlds collide we see why he's so incredibly angry about absolutely everything.
Your Place or Mine with Shaun Keaveny
Shaun Keaveny presents the travel podcast that isn't going anywhere. Not until we're convinced these destinations are worth getting off the sofa for.
Buried
From a deathbed tape to a witness in protection, Buried is the award-winning true-crime series digging into some of the most disturbing environmental stories in history. "It's buried isn't it? But it's coming back." The haunting words of a witness who claimed he'd discovered a toxic chemical secret half a century ago that would affect us all. In this thrilling new investigation, Buried: The Last Witness, Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor team up with the film star Michael Sheen, who recorded the witness before he died. Together, they dig into the unseen files of a man who said he was beaten up and put under police protection, after alleging that a chemical had contaminated the food chain. It is a story straight out of a Hollywood drama: an opera-loving British gentleman clashes with an American corporate giant, claiming there was a conspiracy to silence him. Was the witness right? Science and shadows collide in this true-crime epic, as the hosts search for the truth, testing soil, food and even their own blood - to uncover what one chemical can do at its worst. Buried is a bingeable, fast-paced true-crime series exposing urgent environmental stories you've almost certainly never heard of. Husband-and-wife investigative duo Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor delve into thrilling mysteries - bringing to light never-before-heard recordings or boxes of explosive legal documents, inviting the audience to unpick crimes or scandals with them. Their stories throw them - and us - into secret worlds, be it the organised crime unfolding in our waste, or trails of toxic chemicals that go right to our plates.
Understand
Adam Fleming, host of Newscast and AntiSocial, unpicks some of the key elements of the UK election.
The Law Show
Weekly conversation that will give you an in-depth understanding of the law stories making news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it's unpicking a landmark legal ruling, explaining how laws are made or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.
In Our Time: Philosophy
From Altruism to Wittgenstein, philosophers, theories and key themes.
The Public Philosopher
Harvard political philosopher Michael Sandel examines the thinking behind a current controversy.
Being Roman with Mary Beard
Beneath the starched togas and the pungent fug of gladiator sweat there are real Romans waiting to be discovered. Mary Beard uncovers fascinating untold stories from the Empire.
Shadow World
Gripping stories from the shadows - BBC investigations from across the UK The inside story of how ancient treasures disappeared from one of the world's most famous museums. And how one man believes he uncovered a thief. BBC Culture Editor Katie Razzall reveals how a Danish gem dealer almost single-handedly identified a man he believes had been stealing precious artefacts from the British Museum. She looks at why thefts went unnoticed for so long. What begins as a whodunnit turns into a global treasure hunt as Katie tries to track down the missing gems.
The Lovecraft Investigations
An investigation into witchcraft, the occult and secret government operations. From H.P. Lovecraft.
How to Invent a Country
When did countries become countries? Misha Glenny on the borders, the stories and the people of countries worldwide.
Short Story
Brand new stories, from today’s best writers written exclusively for Radio 4 – the home of the Short Story Radio 4 is the world’s leading commissioner of new short stories. Expect excellent writing from the hottest names offering compelling snapshots of the way we live now, produced by the experts behind the BBC National Short Story Award and other in-house readings teams.
Life Changing
In this series Dr Sian Williams talks to people who have lived through extraordinary events that have set their lives on an entirely different course. This podcast is all about the human experience, how people deal with obstacles that turn their lives upside down. The journeys are not always straightforward and there are often some remarkable discoveries along the way. Would you like to appear on the podcast? Do you have an extraordinary story to tell? We'd love to hear from you: lifechanging@bbc.co.uk
Shock and War: Iraq 20 Years On
"Essential listening..." Why the US and UK went to war in Iraq and its legacy. Gordon Corera investigates. Twenty years ago a US-led coalition invaded Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The UK was America's main partner. For many it remains a war based on a lie. So why did it happen? Why was Washington so fixed on regime change in Iraq? And why did the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, commit the UK to taking part? The BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera seeks to find new answers to why the war happened and what it meant. Gordon speaks to those at the centre of the story, including some of the decision-makers and those living with the consequences. Tony Blair explains his thinking and why he promised to support George Bush. Sir Richard Dearlove, who was head of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service (also known as Mi6) at the time, defends the role of the intelligence services. The series also hears from the CIA's head of the Iraqi Operations Group, from weapons inspectors who were under pressure to find Saddam's WMD, and from Washington insiders. Gordon also speaks to Iraqis who experienced the "shock and awe" bombing campaign, the post-war instability and the arrival of ISIS. The series takes a fresh look at what really happened, revealing new information about the decision-making and the failures. And twenty years on, he explores some of the (ongoing) legacies of the invasion.
Soul Music
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact
Influenced
Helen Lewis Has Left the Chat. Have you ever been trapped in a group chat nightmare, either grabbing the popcorn or wondering how to leave without causing a scene? Who's the admin in your family group, and do they wield that power responsibly? Do you ever wonder if it's appropriate to use emojis when talking to your boss? The rise of instant messaging has made our social and professional lives faster, more casual — and more chaotic. But amid all the discussion of the effects of public social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, there has been relatively little attention paid to private social networks—the direct message and the group chat — and how they are shaping our relationships and our world. In this series, Helen Lewis looks at the secret world of instant messaging, meeting a woman who married a chatbot, discovering how Russian dissidents are fighting a propaganda war, and hearing the inside story of how Britain ended up governed from a single WhatsApp group. It's a strange new world where workplace rebellions are conducted through duelling emojis and military secrets are traded on chat forums about a children's cartoon. It's also a world where you can never be quite sure who you're talking to—and who's eavesdropping on you.
One to One
Series of interviews in which broadcasters follow their personal passions by talking to the people whose stories interest them most
A Thorough Examination with Drs Chris and Xand
Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken investigate the science of exercise and the dangers of inactivity. Is modern exercise a wellness cult? Or is it a vital cure for a world that's struggling with ill health and stuck on the sofa? Most of us might like to get a bit fitter, but how easy is it to actually start exercising and give up sedentary habits? In this series Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken examine exercise and how best to do it. How much should we be doing? How does it help our bodies? And how does our surrounding environment stand in the way of us getting fitter? Chris is challenged to examine his scepticism towards exercise. Similarly, Xand is asked to look at his new-found exercise evangelism and see what he is really running from. Recently Xand has discovered the joys of physical activity. He's running, cycling, heading to the gym and playing ping pong like never before. It's been a real transformation and a way to keep on top of things after years of unhealthy living. His twin brother Chris, on the other hand, is really feeling the aches and pains of middle age. With a busy job and a young family, he has precious little spare time for exercise. After a very active period in his 20s and 30s, Chris is now embracing his 'Dad bod' and sliding into a creaky middle age. Xand wants to help him turn things around. Can he do it?
Analysis
Programme examining the ideas and forces which shape public policy in Britain and abroad, presented by distinguished writers, journalists and academics.
The Gatekeepers
Jamie Bartlett traces the story of how and why social media companies have become the new information gatekeepers, and what the decisions they make mean for all of us. It's 20 years since Facebook launched and the social media we know today - but it all started with a crazy idea to realise a hippie dream of building a "global consciousness". The plan was to build a connected world, where everyone could access everyone and everything all the time; to overthrow the old gatekeepers and set information free. But social media didn't turn out that way. Instead of setting information free - a new digital elite conquered the world and turned themselves into the most powerful people on the planet. Now, they get to decide what billions of us see every day. They can amplify you. They can delete you. Their platforms can be used to coordinate social movements and insurrections. A content moderator thousands of miles away can change your life. What does this mean for democracy - and our shared reality? It starts in the summer of love, with a home-made book that taught the counter-culture how to build a new civilisation - and accidentally led to the creation of the first social media platform. But a momentous decision in the mid-2000s would turn social media into giant advertising companies - with dramatic ramifications for everyone. To understand how we arrived here, Jamie tracks down the author of a 1996 law which laid the groundwork for web 2.0; interviews the Twitter employees responsible for banning Donald Trump who explain the reality of 'content moderation'; and speaks to Facebook's most infamous whistle-blower in a dusty room in Oxford. He goes in search of people whose lives have been transformed by the decisions taken by these new gatekeepers: a father whose daughter's death was caused by social media, a Nobel prize winning journalist from the Philippines who decided to stand up to a dictator and the son of an Ethiopian professor determined to avenge his father's murder. Far from being over, Jamie discovers that the battle over who controls the world's information has only just begun.
Young Again
Kirsty Young takes her guests back to meet their younger selves and asks the question: if you knew then, what you know now... what would you tell yourself?
The Banksy Story
The story of Banksy's rise, the stunts, the culture and the story of how the work became so valuable.
Child
In this new look at the beginnings of life we tell the story of a child from fertilisation to first birthday through the lens of society, history, and science.
Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley
Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.
Why Do You Hate Me?
The online world can be a breeding ground for hate. But why do some people behave the way they do on social media? In each episode, the BBC's Disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring - one of the most trolled BBC journalists - dives into her inbox and investigates a different extraordinary case of online hate to find out. She meets the people at the heart of these conflicts, and in some cases brings them together, to see if understanding - even forgiveness - is ever possible.
Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn
Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn want to solve your problems. Or try, at the very least. Join Marian and Tara as they dig into their own life experience to find advice for all of us. Marian Keyes is a multi award-winning writer, with a total of over 30 million of her books sold to date in 33 languages. Her close friend Tara Flynn is an actress, comedian, and writer. Together, these two friends have been through a lot, and now want to use their own life experience to help solve your biggest - and smallest - problems. From dilemmas about life, love and grief, to the perils of laundry or knowing what to say at a boring dinner, we'll find out what Marian and Tara would recommend...which might not solve the problem exactly, but will make us all feel a bit better. Got a problem you want Marian and Tara to solve? Email marianandtara@bbc.co.uk. Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn is produced by Steve Doherty. It is a Giddy Goat Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
The Digital Human
Aleks Krotoski explores the digital world
The Gift
Without us realising, an enormous DNA database has been created online. It holds the secrets of your true identity and promises to reveal untold family connections. But what happens when online ancestry tests reveal more than you had bargained for? Across six episodes, Jenny Kleeman meets the men and women whose lives changed forever after they opened a box that contained a DNA test. Exposing scandals, upending identities, solving mysteries and delivering life-changing news - Jenny investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collide.
Offstage: Inside The X Factor
The fame, fortune and fallout - Chi Chi Izundu looks back at one of Britain's biggest TV shows. The X Factor promised to turn ordinary people into superstars, but at what cost? Inside The X Factor captures the emotion, the excitement and the drama of the show and features some of the captivating characters that led to its enduring success. But it also looks beyond the glitz and glamour revealing how contestants felt, the toll it took on some of them and what really happened behind the scenes.
Costing the Earth
Fresh ideas from the sharpest minds working toward a cleaner, greener planet
This Thing of Darkness
Award-winning drama exploring the psychological impact of murder. Inspired by a real forensic psychologist and her work in secure prisons.
The Reith Lectures
Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series.
Mythical Creatures
Fantasy writer Rhianna Pratchett takes us across an enchanted British Isles to discover mythical creatures that lurk in all corners of the land. She uncovers what they can tell us about our history, our world and our lives today.
Fed with Chris van Tulleken
Fed with Chris van Tulleken is a new food podcast, investigating the entangled web of forces that shape what ends up on our plates. In the first series, Planet Chicken, Chris digs into the story of one of the most widely eaten meats on earth - to try to get to the truth of why we eat so much of it, and what that means for the birds, for us, and for the planet. If there's one thing Chris knows, it's what he should and shouldn't be eating. He's across the dangers of ultra-processed foods: those nutritionally empty snacks that fill our supermarket shelves and entrance our kids. And at the same time, he's confident he knows what we should be eating: good, old fashioned whole food - recognisable ingredients, no mysterious additives, no harmful rubbish. Something like a nice wholesome roast chicken, perhaps? In fact, in the van Tulleken household that's a family favourite. But recently, Chris has been getting asked more questions - by neighbours, people on the street, even government ministers: and he's realised there's a massive gap in his food knowledge. Sure, he knows what happens in our bodies once that delicious gravy-drenched chicken dinner passes our lips: but what about everything that comes before that? Where it's from, how it was reared, how it was processed? Can he say what toll the process of getting that chicken from farm to plate might've have taken on the animal, the environment, the nutritional content? Because in a world where so much food comes via an industrialised, globalised food system; where we're subtly influenced at every turn by advertising and price tags; and where ALL food choices ultimately come with a cost of some sort - how much do any of us really know or want to know about the consequences of our dinner?
Yeti
Tales of a bipedal ape-like creature persist in the myth and legend of the Himalayas. But does the yeti really exist? Two enthusiasts are determined to find out. Andrew Benfield and Richard Horsey travel through India, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan in search of stories of yeti sightings and encounters. Over 10 episodes, they hear from villagers, yak herders, sherpas and mountaineers, who give surprisingly consistent descriptions of a mysterious, large, hairy creature. This series takes us on a journey deep into Himalayan culture as the presenters grapple with their own inner demons to try to make sense of the yeti myth.
Doctor, Doctor
We may think we know what a doctor does, but do we really understand what the job entails? Join Dr Phil Hammond as he discovers what drives those who spend their lives saving ours.
Best Medicine
Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by funny and fascinating comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. In each programme, Kiri challenges her guests to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each of them champions anything from world-changing science to an obscure invention, an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it's micro-robotic surgery, virtual reality syringes, Victorian clockwork surgical saws, more than a few ingenious cures for cancer, world-first lifesaving heart operations, epidurals, therapy, dancing, faith or laughter - it's always something worth celebrating.
The Planet Earth Podcast
Exclusive insights, untold stories and emotional memories from the acclaimed natural history storytellers that brought us the Planet Earth series and Sir David Attenborough himself
Legend
Joni Mitchell's songs have soundtracked our lives and her pioneering work changed music forever. Jesca Hoop explores her extraordinary story to reveal the life behind the legend.
Lights Out
Documentary adventures that encourage you to take a closer listen.
Fairy Meadow
In 1970, three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer was taken from an Australian beach. No-one knows what happened. Fifty years on - can the mystery be solved?
The Great Post Office Trial
An investigation of the largest miscarriage of justice in UK legal history. It's the story of how the Post Office systematically persecuted honest people, and how a small band of victims fought back in the face of impossible odds.
The Cows Are Mad
The Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the weirdest things any of us has lived through. But there was another sickness that once stalked the nation and turned things very strange for a while. In the 1990s Britain was hit by an epidemic of a fatal neurological disease in cows that also killed 178 humans. Science was split between government assurances of safety and dissidents warning of disaster. Trust in officials took a battering. Facts became blurred. And the grisly truth about our global industrialised meat industry was revealed. 30 years on, scientists and activists are still searching for answers to two big questions - where did mad cow disease originally come from and how did humans get infected? This crazy tale of cannibal cows, competing origin theories, and scientific dead ends lives on as the madness continues to spread.
All Consuming
Charlotte Stavrou and Amit Katwala explore our culture of consumption through products that have changed the world. They unravel the mysteries of marketing and the formidable forces that drive purchasing habits. From toilet paper to funerals, perfume to package holidays they'll be combing the past to see how landmark innovations have shifted the course of history. And asking what happens next?
BBC National Short Story Award
Stories shortlisted for the National Short Story Award
Best Men
Jason Manford and Steve Edge’s new podcast all about one of the most important jobs a bloke can face in his lifetime. And like all good best man speeches, it’s full of laughs and heart.
Walt Disney: A Life in Films
Mel Giedroyc steps into the magical world of Walt Disney, exploring his extraordinary life through the stories of ten of the much mythologised genius's best-loved works.
Marianna in Conspiracyland
What happened to the people who fell down the rabbit hole into a world of conspiracy theories during the pandemic?
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The Clinton Years (1997-2000)
Bill Clinton’s second term was dominated at home by the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the attempt to impeach him, but there were major events abroad with the al-Qaeda attack on US embassies in east Africa and the war in Kosovo. A fascinating social, cultural and political history of American life, through the words of British-American journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Cooke (1908 – 2004).
Welcome to the Neighbourhood with Jayde Adams
Jayde Adams and guests dive into the feisty world of community apps and messageboards, sifting through the angry neighbourhood bins to find disgruntled comedy gold.
Fever: The Hunt for Covid's Origin
Cover-ups, coincidences, and conspiracy theories: where did Covid come from? John Sudworth was the BBC's China correspondent when an unexplained pneumonia started worrying Wuhan doctors in December 2019. Since then, he's been investigating the origin of the virus that would turn into a devastating global pandemic. From the beginning, there have been claims of certainty. Many scientists say the virus that causes Covid came from nature - probably carried from bats to other animals, and then to humans in a Wuhan market. But an alternative possibility - that it leaked from a laboratory - has refused to go away. And other scientists claim there's uncertainty. For them, the mystery of Covid's origin remains unsolved. So, where did Covid come from? For every one of the millions of lives lost, for every long sufferer, for the pain, the isolation, and the incalculable economic cost, the answer matters. It might also help us prevent another - maybe even worse - pandemic. But it's a debate that's become politicised, toxic, and a bit crazy. Presenter: John Sudworth Series Producer: Simon Maybin Editor: Richard Vadon Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke
Frontlines of Journalism
Reflecting on some of the most difficult stories he's reported on, BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen look at the obstacles that stand between journalists and the truth.
Putin
To understand what Vladimir Putin might do in the future, you need to understand his past; where he's come from, what he's lived through, what he's done. Jonny Dymond tells the extraordinary and revealing story of Vladimir Putin's life with the help of guests who have watched, studied and dealt with the Russian president.
Brexit: A Guide for the Perplexed
As the UK prepares to begin leaving the EU, what are the key deals to be done? Chris Morris cuts through the jargon to discover how everyone's lives could change.
Bang On It
In this chatty new podcast, comedians Michelle De Swarte and Laura Smyth review their weeks and share what they’re obsessed with, and whether it’s worth your time. Will having cold showers every morning make you a better person? (No, they will make you cold.) Are first class train tickets worth the extra £200 quid? (Sometimes.) Is it possible to upload a selfie to Instagram without looking like a d&*k? (Probably not but won’t stop us trying.) We’re going low brow, we’re going high brow. We’re doing the hard yards so you don’t have to. Producer: Pete Strauss Exec Producer: Rich Morris Production Co-Ordinator: Katie Baum Editor: Calum Sample A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4
Boris
Adam Fleming explores the life and career of Boris Johnson with people who've known, watched, worked or dealt with him - from boy to man to prime minister.
Witch
The witch has held a place firmly in our imagination for centuries - from whispered warnings in folklore to pop-culture driven heights. But what does it mean to be a witch now? Presenter India Rakusen, creator of the podcast 28ish Days Later, is on a journey to find out.
Princess
Anita Anand and her guests explore princesses - delving into their favourite fictional, or historical, princess. From She Ra to Mesopatamian high priestess Enheduanna we get into what it means to be a princess.
A Very British Cult
The sinister life coaching company that takes over your life. Catrin Nye investigates. In early 2019 Jeffrey Leigh-Jones from Portsmouth got a life coach. Someone to mentor him in life and help him realise his business ambitions. Two years later, Jeff had sold his house, his relationship was in pieces, and he had handed over tens of thousands of pounds. And he wasn't the only one. In this eighteen-month investigation for the BBC, journalist Catrin Nye and her team expose control, intimidation and fear at a mysterious life coaching company taking over people's lives and ripping families apart. As the investigation hots up, the group fights back, and there's a surreal final showdown.
Disaster Trolls
What happens when tragedy makes you a target? Why would anybody accuse terrorism survivors of being liars and "crisis actors"? The BBC's disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring investigates how people caught up in the Manchester Arena bombing and other UK terror attacks, are targeted with extreme conspiracy theories, online abuse and threats. Some are even hunted down offline. It's a phenomenon we might usually associate with the US, and the billion dollar damages ruling against Alex Jones for claiming the Sandy Hook school shootings were faked. But Marianna uncovers shocking evidence that British trolls are also blighting the lives of people right here in the UK, who now want answers and justice.
The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is a former probation officer, DJ and poet celebrated for his witty and profound take on modern life. He writes in the shed in his garden, and in this podcast he invites guests to join him to talk about poetry, creativity, music, art, sheds, sherry and the countryside.
Breaking Mississippi
This is the explosive inside story of James Meredith's battle to smash the system of white supremacy in the most racially segregated state in 1960s America. By becoming the first black person to apply to the all-white university of Mississippi - Meredith will draw in the KKK and JFK - and trigger the largest number of troops ever deployed for a single disturbance on US soil. Across 10 episodes and with US public radio journalist Jenn White as our guide - James Meredith takes us from his childhood in rural Mississippi where racism runs deep - to a pivotal flashpoint in US civil rights history that will be described as the last battle of the American Civil War. This could be our last opportunity to hear James Meredith tell this story in his own words and in a way that's never been heard before.
Gaslight
Atmospheric drama from BBC Radio 4 with bonus scenes for BBC Sounds, featuring original music by Imelda May. Have you ever wondered where the term 'gaslighting' comes from? Find out in this dark reimagining of the classic 1938 stage thriller by Patrick Hamilton. Jonathan Holloway's modern adaptation is set in the present, with a deliciously vintage feel. Directed by Johnny Vegas, it stars James Purefoy, Rebecca Night, Lacey Turner and Cathy Tyson.
Nazis: The Road to Power
The story of how in just 13 years, Hitler led a fringe sect with less than a hundred members and outlandish ideas to be the dominant force in German politics.
Four Thought
Series of thought-provoking talks in which the speakers air their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society
The Flipside with Paris Lees
Hosted by Paris Lees, this science and storytelling podcast hears two stories from opposite sides of the coin and uses science to ask questions about elements of the human experience we take for granted. From why we forgive or why we devote ourselves to a cause, to what makes someone family and what a new language can reveal about ourselves. With international stories explored through social science, Paris Lees reflects on what makes us human.
The Witch Farm
It's 1989, rural Wales, a lonely old farmhouse in the shadow of the imposing Brecon Beacons mountains. Young, pregnant Liz Rich and her artist husband Bill rent an isolated farmhouse in the Welsh countryside, with Bill's teenage son Laurence. They're hoping for a fresh start, but the house holds dark secrets, and the family's new life becomes a terrifying ordeal that will change them forever. Their dream home has become a haunted nightmare - but what is real and what is in their minds? Written and presented by Danny Robins, creator of The Battersea Poltergeist, Uncanny and West End hit 2:22 - A Ghost Story, The Witch Farm stars Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid's Tale) and Alexandra Roach (No Offence), with original theme music by Mercury Prize-nominated Gwenno. This 8-part series interweaves a terrifying supernatural thriller set in the wild Welsh countryside with a fascinating modern-day investigation into the real-life mystery behind what has been called Britain's most haunted house.
Nuremberg: The Trial of the Nazi War Criminals
The story of the trial of the most notorious Nazi war criminals through dramatic reconstruction, telling it from ground-level up, through the eyes of a Russian interpreter, the American prison psychologist, a French reporter, the British Court Liaison Officer and others from the thousands of individuals tasked with fighting 'the last battle of WWII'. Starring Natalie Dormer, Freddie Fox, Kate Phillips, Alex Kingston, Ed Stoppard and Henry Goodman.
Oti Mabuse's Dancing Legends
Professional dancer Oti Mabuse explores the extraordinary people who have changed the course of dance.
Wireless Nights
Jarvis Cocker explores the human condition after dark, with stories of night people
Room 5
What happens when a diagnosis changes everything? One afternoon, Helena Merriman walked into a doctor's surgery and was given a shock diagnosis. In this series, she interviews people who – like her-were changed by a diagnosis. Told through an immersive sound design, this intimate series shines a light on misunderstood conditions, asking how we cope when our bodies and our minds no longer behave as we want them to.
Dead Competitive
Comedian Kerry Godliman takes a journey into the world of dog shows, on the hunt for answers, after the death of an Irish setter in 2015. It’s a playful investigative podcast, which follows all leads into the wondrous world of dog showing, while trying to make sense of the death of a beloved pet.
The Untold
A series documenting the untold dramas of 21st-century Britain.
Please Protect Abraham
In Hackney, 2007, 15-year-old Abraham saves a stranger from a brutal attack. That split-second decision and act of astonishing bravery changes his life forever. Journalist Sam Holder has been following Abraham's story for years. Together with Abraham's friends and family, they retrace how this young boy finds himself in fear of his own life. This multi-award-winning series explores the protections in place for witnesses of violent crimes, the obligations for witnesses to give evidence in court, and what can be done if someone feels their life is at risk.
Why Do We Do That?
Why Do We Do That? An anthropologist's guide to the modern world. There are lots of everyday things which, when you think about them, are pretty weird. Like kissing, doomscrolling and sitting down to go to the loo. Social media may tell you to blame the latest influencer who went viral. Your therapist might tell you to blame your parents. But palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi is here to tell you to blame your great, great, great, great, great, etc. grandparents. For some stuff at least. In this series, Ella is joined by some wonderful guests to dive into the cultural, historical and evolutionary story of everyday human habits and behaviour. Photo: Sarah Cresswell / The Times / News Licensing
One Dish
What's the one dish that holds a special place in your heart? Andi Oliver and her special guests are on a quest to discover the stories and science behind our favourite foods. From jollof rice to rice pudding, they'll unpack its secrets, from its earliest history to the chemical reactions that make it taste so good. With psychologist and nutritionist Kimberley Wilson popping in to give some scientific insight, Andi and her guest will share stories and food memories - and, of course, they'll tuck into the dish itself. All before leaving you with some top tips to perfect your own version.
Fortunately... with Fi and Jane
A frank look behind the scenes with broadcasters Jane Garvey and Fi Glover as guests from Radio, TV and podcasting share stories they probably shouldn't. Released every Friday.
Elon Musk vs Twitter
What happened when Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, tried to buy Twitter? Comedian Bec Hill finds out.
The Boy in the Woods
The Boy in the Woods, six-year-old Rikki Neave, had been strangled and left naked. His body was positioned in a distinctive star shape. People on the council estate where he lived told police they had seen his mother, Ruth, hitting and shouting at Rikki. He was on the Social Services Register of children at risk. All the people closest to Rikki were in trouble and all of them were known to the authorities who offered help. It didn't work. The day before he died his mother begged a family aid worker to take him into care, saying she would kill him. Winifred Robinson has been following this case for more than 20 years. She's always felt it held the key to what goes wrong in the lives of society's most vulnerable children. Police built a case against Rikki's mother but this investigation uncovers how crucial evidence was never brought before the court. Ruth Neave was jailed for seven years for child cruelty while Rikki's killer was left at large. The series exposes how this happened and what it took for the truth to emerge. Original police interview tapes, evidence from forensic scientists and others who have never spoken to the media before, help piece together what happened.. Close friends of Rikki, who were themselves vulnerable children, reveal for the first time how his death came to shape all their lives. And as the net closes in on the real killer, who was himself a boy of only 13 at the time, how he goes on the run, taunting police from abroad. We hear from a teacher who alerted police to this boy at the time of Rikki's death, noticing his obsession with the case. We've recorded the first interviews with a family aid worker who was with Rikki, the day before he died and with a troubled teenager who was alongside his mother on the day he was killed. As the verdict is delivered, the jurors share with us how they weighed the evidence that convinced them they had looked into the eyes of a killer. Winifred Robinson, the reporter, and Sue Mitchell, the series producer, are an award-winning BBC documentary team. They have worked together for 20 years on high profile cases, interviewing the father of James Bulger. His son's killing provoked huge interest in Rikki's case.
The Listening Project
Capturing the nation in conversation, in partnership with the British Library.
The People vs J Edgar Hoover
An examination, half a century on from the first director of the FBI's death in office in 1972, of how Hoover's iron grip still permeates contemporary America.
The Queen Remembered
Drawing on archive material, interviews with historians, friends and leading public figures, James Naughtie presents a special podcast marking the life of Her Majesty the Queen.
Torn
Gus Casely-Hayford unpicks the hidden histories behind what we wear by exploring ten key moments in fashion spanning the globe and five centuries. From the start of the global trade in cotton, to the accidental invention of artificial dyes, to Nike Air Jordans, Casely-Hayford reveals the historical weight we carry through our clothes and the statements we make just by getting dressed in the morning.
No Place But the Water
A family run a hotel at the edge of the water. But the food is running out and the water keeps rising. When there is no place but the water, where do you go? A drama series set in a future flooded world. Written by Linda Marshall Griffiths.
The Joe Wicks Podcast
The UK’s favourite fitness coach is back with series two of his podcast. Joe will be speaking to inspirational friends and some of his favourite people to ask them what's the secret to keeping themselves feeling mentally and physically strong in the face of life’s little challenges. It might be going for a new personal best on the running machine, or cosying up with a good book; every guest will share something that works for them in the hope it might inspire you to try something new. This is sunshine in a podcast. Joe Wicks is here for you, and he won’t stop until you’re feeling fit and happy.
39 Ways to Save the Planet
BBC Radio Four, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society, presents 39 ideas to relieve the stress that climate change is exerting on the planet.
Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV
The dumbest genre in entertainment, or the one that tells us the most about ourselves? Since its conception, reality TV has divided its viewers. Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV is a 10-part audio documentary written and presented by journalists Pandora Sykes and Sirin Kale. They've been fans of reality TV since they first watched Big Brother as pre-teens and they've spent a fair amount of time defending reality TV when people are snobby about it, or dismiss its importance in our wider culture. But they've also been troubled by what they've seen in the genre: the exploitation; the lack of aftercare; the impacts of sudden fame. Using interviews with the creators, producers and stars of some of the most iconic reality shows of the last two decades, and leading cultural critics of today, Unreal explores how reality TV has shaped entertainment, fashion, beauty, celebrity and even politics - and some of the ethical issues raised by the format. Producer: Hannah Hufford Executive Producer: Pandora Sykes Executive Editor: James Cook Content Producer: Hannah Robins Technical Producer: Giles Aspen
The Likely Dads
Former Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent hosts a new comedy discussion series about being a dad in the 21st century, featuring regular panellists Russell Kane and Mick Ferry.
Lusus
What happens when your neuroses come to life? What shape will they take? Lusus is a brand new psychological horror podcast starring Morfydd Clark and Ncuti Gatwa.
What Really Happened in the Nineties?
Cancel culture, Brexit, identity politics. How did we get here? Did we miss something? Robert Carlyle is here to show us that we did. And it happened in the '90s.
War on Truth
What's fake, what's real? Stories from the information war over Ukraine. BBC disinformation reporter Marianna Spring speaks to people caught up in the battle for the truth.
Pretty Vacant
International money-laundering meets the UK housing crisis in this grittily satirical fable about shady dealing and thorny moral dilemmas.
Scientifically...
Home of the best science programmes from BBC Radio 4, from the ingenuity behind everyday objects to the biggest questions facing our planet. Released weekly, this podcast is introduced by Dr. Alex Lathbridge.
Made of Stronger Stuff
Our bodies reflect change in the world around us. Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken ask - one body part at a time - how much control do we have?
28ish Days Later
What do you really know about the menstrual cycle? In this award-winning podcast India Rakusen explores the whole bloody story, discovering facts that could change your life. Periods are just the beginning.
Death by Conspiracy?
Gary Matthews became increasingly entranced by conspiracy theories about the pandemic - until he caught Covid and died. BBC disinformation reporter Marianna Spring investigates.
Think with Pinker
Professor Steven Pinker has spent his life thinking about thinking. Now he wants us to join him. For this series Professor Pinker has created a critical thinking toolkit which he hopes will help all of us make better decisions about - well, everything. Steven will be joined by some big thinkers, and people who have to deal with the consequences of irrationality, as he sets out to steer us away from common fallacies and logical traps set by our own animal brains. Think with Pinker is produced in partnership with The Open University.
Fake Psychic
If you wanted to speak to the dead in 1960’s America, there was one man who was ready to help. A showman with big ambitions. A man who before your very eyes could bring back the dead. Vicky Baker investigates the story of Lamar Keene, a renowned psychic who confessed to being part of an underground network that he called the "psychic mafia". From the team who brought you Fake Heiress, this is a story about the art of the con, belief, retribution, and possibly atonement.
The Hackers
Gabriella Coleman, a digital anthropologist most famous for her work with the Hacktivist collective Anonymous, interviews the most influential actors in each era of the evolution of hacking culture from the 1970s to the present day, unveiling how they have moulded the digital world, pop culture and global politics.
Male Order
Aleks Krotoski investigates sperm donors and why people put themselves and their future children at risk by going online to find them.
Walking on Jupiter
A true story about surviving suicide – narrated by Stephen Graham.
DEADHOUSE
The BBC and Darkfield present an unnerving trilogy of immersive binaural experiences. Meet yourself in the DEADHOUSE. DEADHOUSE is a trilogy of immersive audio horror shorts, all for a single listener, lying down, with their eyes closed. Headphones are essential. The listener becomes the subject while the binaural sound surrounds and creeps towards them. Their familiar environments slip away, to be replaced by other, less comfortable, worlds that feel unnervingly real. Each episode is for the cold and the callous amongst us, and takes a look at the separation of mind and body. ‘There is music at the limits of my hearing. There are demons at the edge of my vision. There are ghosts in the machine’ - Edgar Allen Poe
Paul McCartney: Inside the Songs
Paul McCartney talks about his life and song-writing through the prism of 10 key lyrics, including The Beatles’ classics All My Loving, Eleanor Rigby and Penny Lane. This is a unique insight into the life and art of Paul McCartney from his book The Lyrics, read in an entertaining and intimate way by the man himself. Produced by John Wilson.
A Summer of Swallows
A regular podcast from Today on Radio 4, following Britain's swallows throughout the summer, and through their breeding season. Emily Knight, plus experts, listeners and swallow-lovers all over the country, get to know these iconic birds. Episodes are occasional – depending on the swallows Produced by Emily Knight and Eliza Lomas This podcast feed also includes episodes from the earlier series, Planet Puffin. All things puffin. Both the silly and the serious; the scientific and the cultural.
The Birthday Cake Game
Comedic quiz hosted by Richard Osman posing one question - do you know how old people are? Three guests battle to prove they're the best at working out ages.
The Film Programme
The latest releases, the hottest stars and the leading directors, plus news and insights from the film world
Front Row: Archive 2012
Magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
Tricky
Four people. One topic. No filter. Tricky is a safe space where important conversations happen with no fear of cancellation - nothing is off limits and no one goes unheard.
Pieces of Britney
Britney Spears: pop icon. Pandora Sykes pieces together what we know about her story, and what it tells us about sex, entertainment, and how we treat women in the public eye. In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney's incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi. Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost seven years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye. Britney's public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to a mute symbol of a supposedly rotten system. Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney's remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life. Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise. These are some of the stories that have been told about her - but The Narrative is hers to finish. Presenter: Pandora Sykes Dramatist: Katie Hims Sound: Peter Ringrose Producers: Anne Isger & Sasha Yevtushenko A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4
Descendants
Descendants looks into our lives and our pasts and asks how we are connected to slavery. And, in turn, who does that mean our lives are connected to?
Sneakernomics
We follow in the footsteps of mavericks, hustlers and dreamers, who've made, and been made, by trainers. We hear their tales of boom and bust, fame and infamy, hope and heartbreak
The Northern Bank Job
It was the biggest bank heist in British and Irish criminal history. Belfast writer Glenn Patterson has unfinished business with the 2004 Northern Bank robbery.
The Battersea Poltergeist
A paranormal cold case, re-investigated through a thrilling blend of drama and documentary. The true story of one of Britain's strangest hauntings, with Dafne Keen and Toby Jones. Presented by Danny Robins.
Out of the Ordinary
Documentary series uncovering stories from the left field. Presented by Jolyon Jenkins
How to Vaccinate the World
Scientists are racing to create a vaccine to end the Covid-19 pandemic.But creating a workable vaccine is just the start. Tim Harford is your guide to this epic global undertaking.
Homeschool History
Fun history lessons for all the family, presented by Horrible Histories' Greg Jenner. Full of facts and jokes, the series brings to life a broad range of historical topics, many linked to the school curriculum. Homeschool Histories is made by the producers of the much-loved Radio 4 podcast You're Dead To Me.
The Disrupters
Kamal Ahmed and Rohan Silva lift the lid on the realities of starting your own business, as leading entrepreneurs reveal their stories of risk, ambition and failure.
Grounded with Louis Theroux
Stuck at home, Louis is using the lockdown to track down some high-profile people he's been longing to talk to - from all walks of life and on both sides of the Atlantic.
Two Minutes Past Nine
Twenty-five years on from the largest domestic terror incident in American history, journalist Leah Sottile investigates the legacy of the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Don't Log Off
Alan Dein connects with strangers across the world via social media, exploring the things that unite people across cultures and borders.
A History of the World in 100 Objects
Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.
Cook The Perfect...
Jenni Murray and Jane Garvey are joined by leading chefs and food writers who share their secrets for perfect home-cooked dishes. From BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
Tracks
A multi-award-winning conspiracy thriller, written by Matthew Broughton.
The Orgasm Cult
This podcast is now the subject of a legal complaint by Nicole Daedone, Rachel Cherwitz, OneTaste Incorporated, the Institute of OM LLC and OM IP Co. In the search for wellness, how far would you go? Nicole Daedone, the charismatic co-founder of wellness company One Taste believed that orgasm would one day sit alongside yoga and meditation as the self-care practice for the modern empowered women. Except that now the FBI is making enquiries in to One Taste over allegations including sex trafficking, prostitution and violations of labour law. How did Orgasmic Meditation go from hippy beginnings to a sleek, million-dollar operation? How did this wellness practise – touted as the next big thing everywhere from Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop to the New York Times – lead to isolation, debt and abuse? Why is women’s health and pain still not taken seriously by conventional medicine? The Orgasm Cult is a story about people desperate for connection and how far they would go to find it. Join Nastaran Tavakoli-Far as she investigates One Taste through exclusive interviews with former employees and asks big questions about the wellness industry.
The Piper
When strange music makes a girl vanish, a detective and her daughter uncover a terrifying force. Thriller starring Tamzin Outhwaite. Soundtrack by Bat For Lashes’ Natasha Khan.
The Secret Life of Teachers
Step inside Mehreen Baig’s virtual staffroom to hear what the UK’s teachers really think. As the new term begins amid a global pandemic, we get the uncensored views of what it’s really like behind the school gates from the people who spend more time with our children than we do.
World at One
Forty-five minutes of news, analysis and comment, with Sarah Montague.
Children of the Stones
The Stones are calling you. Do you feel the shiver? Mia Brake and her archaeometrist father Adam move to Milbury, a village framed by an ancient stone circle. But all is not right in Milbury. The stones emit a strange power. Children of the Stones is a new adaptation of the cult 1977 television series - described by comedian Stewart Lee as 'the scariest programme ever made for children.' Producer/director: Simon Barnard Writers: AK Benedict and Guy Adams, based upon the television serial by Jeremy Burnham and Trevor Ray. Sound Designer: Richard Fox Music: Edwin Sykes A Bafflegab Production for BBC Radio 4
Brexit: A Love Story?
You know we’re leaving the EU but this is the story of how the UK got here. Mark Mardell uncovers the fractious yet intriguing story of Britain’s relationship with the EU.
Power Out
If this is power, then power out. What happens when the power system we’re hooked up to fails? When things we thought were solid, that we thought would protect us, fail? A new thriller about power and protest on a dying planet. Starring Vinnie Heaven and written by Sarah Woods.
GrownUpLand
"Now I’m a grown up… do I have to get married? Do I have to scrimp and save?? Do I have to host a dinner party??? GrownUpLand poses the most frustrating questions. Luckily, Sophie Duker, Heidi Regan and Ned Sedgwick are here to guide you through the bewildering pursuit of adulthood. Through stupid challenges, useful facts and personal stories of rich victory and miserable failure, your guides will ensure you don’t feel alone in your hopeless endeavour to be a legit grown up. Plus, every week a special guest candidly shares their experiences, from failed dates and drunken mistakes to moments of clarity and pet hates. And the very handsome Steve Ali, a refugee from Syria now a writer and silversmith in the UK, helps to put a listener’s dilemma into perspective. Co-created by Deborah Frances-White for The Spontaneity Shop and BBC Radio 4. Produced by Al Riddell."
Go Wild
Nature documentaries to inspire your next outdoors adventure. Introduced by Harriet Noble. Discover the joy of wild swimming, the secrets of outdoor cooking and the tranquillity of canoeing down a river. Whether you’re an intrepid explorer or a weekend micro adventurer we have a Radio 4 programme for you.
Bloodsport
The story of the systematic doping of the 2012 and 2014 Olympics by the Russian state set against the ongoing attempts to catch the cheats.
Museum of Lost Objects
Tracing the histories of antiquities and landmarks that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria, India and Pakistan.
You'll Do
Comedians and real-life couple Catherine Bohart and Sarah Keyworth want to know what makes relationships work. Forget the idealised romance of Hollywood movies, relationships are complex and unpredictable. And sometimes they're really, really hard. You'll Do is a weekly podcast celebrating the nitty gritty, the ups and the downs, and the peculiarities of building a life with other people.
The NHS Front Line
Recordings with frontline staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary, taking you behind the scenes on the wards as they plan for the onset of COVID-19 and then cope as the patients arrive.
Now Wash Your Hands
Comedy corona-cast as Jon Holmes, Jake Yapp, Salma Shah and Natt Tapley drop in on isolated home-bound guests.
The Californian Century
Stanley Tucci imagines the story of modern California as a movie screenplay, tracing the dramatic history of the state from Hollywood to Silicon Valley.
Best of Natural History Radio
The BBC Natural History Unit produces a wide range of programmes that aim to immerse a listener in the wonder, surprise and importance that nature has to offer.
Saturday Review
Presenter Tom Sutcliffe and guests offer sharp, critical discussion of the week's cultural events
Girl Taken
Across the world people were presented with what appeared to be a heart-breaking but straightforward story of a father and his motherless daughter struggling to get to Britain. But behind those headlines lay a far more sinister truth. BBC Journalist Sue Mitchell and former soldier Rob Lawrie discover that the little girl appears to have simply vanished. Can they find her in time?
Smart Consumer
Spending and stuff from the team at You and Yours.
Only Artists
Only Artists from BBC Radio 4 brings two artists together to talk about their creative work. The agenda is theirs, the conversation is free-flowing, and there is no presenter. The title derives from the art historian EH Gombrich, who began his highly influential book The Story of Art with the famous line “There really is no such thing as art. There are only artists”. Here are some of them…
Beyond Today
Beyond Today is the daily podcast from Radio 4 that asks one big question about one big story in the news - and beyond. Tina Daheley, Matthew Price, and a team of curious producers search for answers that change the way we see the world. They speak to the BBC’s unrivalled global network of reporters, plus occasional special guests, to tell stories about identity, technology, and power - where it lies and how that is changing.
Body Horror
What price a new body? Welcome to 2050, where the booming transplant industry can cater for all your wildest desires
Making History
Popular history series where the past connects with the present.
Fake Heiress
The rise and fall of Anna Delvey, who conned New York high society into believing that she was a multi-millionaire heiress. Vicky Baker and Chloe Moss dig deeper into the scandal.
A Point of View: A Point of View: Clive James
Clive James presents reflections on topical issues ranging from politics to pop culture in this award-winning series of BBC Radio 4's A Point of View. These programmes were first broadcast between 2007 and 2009.
Muslim Pride
Sayeeda Warsi discusses navigating same-sex attraction and faith with five Muslim men and women. The two are often painted as opposites, but the reality is more complicated.
Science Stories
Surprising stories from the history of science told by Naomi Alderman and Philip Ball.
This is Capitalism
Capitalism is the hidden economic wiring which puts money and markets at the centre of our lives. This collection of programmes includes David Grossman’s story of the explosive growth of modern capitalist power told in 10 parts - The New Age of Capitalism - plus many others.
Late Night Woman's Hour
Emma Barnett and Lauren Laverne and guests in intimate, frank and funny Late Night Woman’s Hour.
The Voices of...
Musicians talk about their life and work.
When Greeks Flew Kites
Monthly series in which historical novelist Sarah Dunant delves into the past for stories and moments that help frame the present, bringing to life worlds that span the centuries.
Forest 404
Can you feel loss for something you've never known? An environmental thriller starring Pearl Mackie, Tanya Moodie and Pippa Haywood. With theme music by Bonobo. Written by Timothy X Atack and directed by Becky Ripley. Each episode comes with its own talk and soundscape. Plus, take part in The Forest 404 Experiment to see how you respond to sounds of nature.
FutureProofing
Series examining the implications - social and cultural, economic and political - of the big ideas that are set to transform the way society functions
Mastertapes
John Wilson talks with musicians about a career-defining album, and a live audience also puts questions. Featuring exclusive live performances.
Tweet of the Week
Weekly podcast in which five stories of birds and birdsong are told by the people inspired by them.
Tweet of the Day
Discover birds through their songs and calls. Each Tweet of the Day begins with a call or song, followed by a story of fascinating ornithology inspired by the sound.
iPM: We Start With Your Stories
A weekly companion to PM where the expertise and insights of the BBC Radio 4 audience shape a programme that sees news differently. Presented by Luke Jones.
Fatwa
The hidden story of the 1989 fatwa issued by Ayatollah Khomeini against Salman Rushdie.
Tara and George
Series exploring the lives of two people in their late 40s who sleep rough in London's Spitalfields.
New Year Solutions
As global warming threatens the future of our society, Jo Fidgen tackles the ways in which ordinary people can make a difference.
We Need to Talk About Death
Joan Bakewell and her panel discuss death and dying, exploring the choices open to us and confronting the questions we fear the most.
Voices of the First World War
Dan Snow brings together the sound archive collections of the Imperial War Museums and the BBC to tell the story of World War I through the voices of those who were.
Desert Island Discs: Desert Island Discs Archive: 2016-2018
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island.
How to be a Muslim Woman
British Muslim women speak to Sayeeda Warsi about their lives, revealing some of the many other ways it’s possible to be a British Muslim woman in 2018.
A History of Delusions
Experimental psychologist Daniel Freeman explores cases of delusion.
Addicted to Sex
Can you really be addicted to sex or is it just an excuse for bad behaviour? Sangita Myska meets the men and women who suffer from porn and sex addiction.
David Baddiel Tries to Understand
David Baddiel tries to make sense of some apparently puzzling topics.
Life Lessons
Young UK adults talk about the issues that matter most to them - and why they should matter to all of us
TEZ Talks
Comedian Tez Ilyas presents a stand-up show about life as a British Muslim.
Home Front - Omnibus
Omnibus editions of the epic drama series tracking the fortunes of characters on the home front as they try to maintain normality while Britain is involved in the First World War.
Home Front
Drama serial tracking the fortunes of a group of characters on the home front as they try to maintain normality while Britain is involved in the First World War.
The Long Road to Baby
A post-IVF exploration into the alternative ways to become parents.
Morality in the 21st Century
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks explores what morality means in the 21st Century. He speaks to some of the world’s leading thinkers, together with voices from the next generation: groups of British 6th form students.
Sweet Reason
Evan Davis presents a series in which he looks for reasonable ways to address the most divisive of issues.
The Home Babies
Becky Milligan tells the story of how one woman, in her sixties, discovered a secret which lay beneath the ground of an old Mother and Baby Home in the west of Ireland. Standing up to the state, church and local opposition, she doggedly went on until she found out the truth. It is a moving and shocking story which sparked headlines around the world.
National Health Stories
On 5 July 1948, for the first time anywhere in the world, healthcare in Britain became free for all. Sally Sheard reveals the characters, innovations and heroic standoffs that have shaped the NHS.
Chinese Characters
Series of essays exploring Chinese history through the life stories of key personalities.
The Eddie Mair Interview
Eddie Mair speaks at length to people with interesting things to say, for Radio 4's PM.
Will Self's Great British Bus Journey
Will Self takes a 1,000-mile tour of the UK by bus and coach, exploring urban Britain and British identity at a time of flux.
At Lunch With...
Politicians and public figures talk candidly and engagingly over lunch with reporter Becky Milligan. This is the off-the-record lunch, on the record. These interviews are broadcast on Radio 4’s PM programme.
Living with the Gods
Neil MacGregor explores the role and expression of shared beliefs in communities around the world. Produced in partnership with the British Museum.
The Reservoir Tapes
Short story series by Jon McGregor set in the Peak District.
Punt PI
Steve Punt turns private investigator, examining little mysteries that perplex, amuse and beguile
Funny from the Fringe
A daily podcast full of features, news and interviews with the hottest comedians from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, hosted by award-winning comedian Phil Ellis.
A New Life in Europe: The Dhnie Family
The story of one Syrian family heading for Europe in search of a better life. For the last two years, the Dhnie family has been living as refugees in Jordan. In August, the family decided there was no future for them there and little prospect of returning to Syria. They packed up their lives and set off for the EU. Manveen Rana documents the twists and turns of their journey in a series of reports for BBC Radio 4’s The World at One.
The Invisible College
Lessons in creative writing from a ghostly array of great novelists, poets and playwrights such as Ted Hughes, W.B. Yeats and Allen Ginsberg. Presented and produced by Cathy FitzGerald.
Quake
Drama in 12 short parts. Inspired by the digital transformation in disaster response.
Midweek
Lively and diverse conversation with weekly guests
Body on the Moor
A body is found on the moor, with no clue as to who the man was. And he died from poisoning. Who is he? Why was he there? Jon Manel follows the police inquiry for BBC Radio 4.
Mars
A season of programmes from Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra exploring the Red Planet of our dreams and, maybe, our futures...
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1976-1980
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
The High Street Abduction
How a toddler was snatched by two teenage girls in a busy High Street store.
The New World
Are we at a series of global tipping points? Radio 4 explores the paradigm shifts that are taking place across the globe, from the arrival of the post-truth society to the potential departure of globalisation, taking in shifting demographic sands, the backlash against the political elite and pivot of power to the East along the way.
Shared Experience
Fi Glover hosts a series in which her guests discuss things they have in common.
Recycled Radio
Welcome to the chopped-up, looped-up, sped-up world of Recycled Radio, where old programmes are reused to explore a series of weighty subjects.
A History of the Infinite
Adrian Moore journeys through philosophical thought on infinity over the last two and a half thousand years.
The Human Zoo
The Human Zoo explores the foibles, quirks and behaviour of that most fascinating of species - us
Natural Histories
Brett Westwood explores our relationship with nature and its impact on human culture and society, complimented by comedy sketches and the Natural History Heroes series. UK Only.
The Report
The current affairs series combining original insights into major news stories with topical investigations
Putting Science to Work
Jim Al-Khalili and guests work out how science can best be put to work to solve a pressing problem facing society.
Incarnations: India in 50 Lives
The history of India told through the lives of 50 phenomenal people.
Laura Barton's Notes from a Musical Island
Music writer Laura Barton visits four corners of Britain and listens closely to the music found in different landscapes.
UK Confidential
Martha Kearney, in conversation with former government ministers, reveals the truth behind the headlines of previously secret government files that have been released to the public
The Educators
Sarah Montague interviews the people whose ideas are challenging the future of education.
Desert Island Discs: Archive 2011-2015
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island.
In Pod We Trust
Miranda Sawyer presents a round-up of the best spoken word audio podcasting from around the world
Self Drives: Maxwell's Equations
Will Self goes on a 600-mile road trip from Edinburgh to Cambridge on the trail of physicist James Clerk Maxwell, who pioneered the theory of electromagnetic waves
Lives in a Landscape
Documentary series telling original stories about real lives in Britain today
Computing Britain
Hannah Fry looks back at 75 years of computing history to reveal the UK's lead role in developing the technologies we rely on today
Who Killed Elsie Frost?
Elsie Frost was murdered on 9 October 1965 in Wakefield in the UK. She was 14. The murderer hasn't been caught. iPM investigates this unsolved case.
A History of Ideas
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the work of key philosophers and their theories.
The Robert Peston Interview Show (with Eddie Mair)
Late-night interview programme. Robert Peston and Eddie Mair join forces to spring surprise guests on each other.
Napoleon: The Man and the Myths
Historian Andrew Roberts presents a series, recorded partly on location in Paris, which dispels some myths about Napoleon Bonaparte.
Across the Board
Dominic Lawson conducts a series of interviews over a game of chess.
Codes that Changed the World
Aleks Krotoski tells the story of the languages that have been used to talk to machines.
Healthy Visions
Five experts set out their ideas for the future of public health in Britain.
Tales from the Ring Road
Documentary series. Anne-Marie Duff narrates stories of life and death on the UK's ring roads.
Self Orbits CERN
Will Self goes on a 50-kilometre walking tour of the Large Hadron Collider at Cern, just outside Geneva.
Front Row: Archive 2014
Magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
Frontiers
Programme exploring new ideas in science and meeting the scientists and researchers responsible for them, as well as hearing from their critics
The Frequency of Laughter: A History of Radio Comedy
Grace Dent presents a conversational history of radio comedy, from 1975 to 2005.
Germany: Memories of a Nation
Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, explores 600 years of Germany's complex and often challenging history using objects, art, landmarks and literature.
Hidden Histories of the Information Age
Aleks Krotoski explores technological innovations and cultural events from the age of communication.
21st Century Mythologies
Peter Conrad dissects the popular culture of his era, as French semiotician Roland Barthes did 60 years earlier in his Mythologies.
Radio 4 on Music
From Armstrong to Zappa - music documentaries from the Radio 4 archive.
1914: Day by Day
Historian Margaret MacMillan chronicles the road to war in 1914.
Intelligence: Born Smart, Born Equal, Born Different
Adam Rutherford charts the rise, fall and rise of the genetics of intelligence over the last hundred years
Woman's Hour Power List 2014 – Game Changers
Which ten women in the UK have done most to game-change the way power operates in the UK, whether in culture, business, politics or campaigns? Emma Barnett, chairs our 2014 panel. From BBC Radio 4
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: Alistair Cooke's Letter from America Rediscovered
Highlights from lost recordings from the 1970 and 80s.
Pop-Up Ideas
Tim Harford presents a series of talks inspired by ideas in anthropology, culture and the social sciences
Front Row: Archive 2013
Magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
A History of Britain in Numbers
Andrew Dilnot, chair of the UK Statistics Authority, brings to life the numbers that highlight the patterns and trends that have transformed Britain
Seven Ages of Science
A history of science in Britain from the Restoration to the present day. Weaving science back into everyday life, Lisa Jardine shows how the concerns of the scientist are the concerns of us all
Cultural Exchange
Creative minds talk about the cultural work that inspires them, an arts project for BBC Radio 4. Each Cultural Exchange podcast contains the curator’s recommendation.
Techno Odyssey
Poet Paul Farley reimagines technology we rely on but take for granted
1913: The Year Before
Michael Portillo explores the cultural, political and economic upheaval forgotten in the familiar images of Edwardian and Georgian calm before the brutal shock of the Great War
Disability: A New History
Drawing on new research, Peter White presents a history of disability in the 18th and 19th centuries.
My Own Shakespeare
Public figures talk about the piece of Shakespeare that inspires them most.The pieces are read by well known actors. From BBC Radio 4
The Value of Culture
Melvyn Bragg explores the history of the idea of culture, and its value today.
In Alistair Cooke's Footsteps
Alvin Hall travels the USA revisiting the insights and observations of Alistair Cooke's Letter from America, on subjects as diverse as jazz, immigration and the American Dream
China: As History Is My Witness
Carrie Gracie presents a series exploring what ten great lives from Chinese history reveal about China today
The Reith Lectures: Archive 1976-2012
Series of annual radio lectures on significant contemporary issues, delivered by leading figures from the relevant fields
Excess Baggage
Travel magazine, featuring travellers' tales, experiences and anecdotes
Front Row: Archive 2011
Magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
Inheritance Tracks: Inheritance Tracks 2008-2011
Celebrating the music that special guests cherish and would like to bestow to future generations.
Tracing Your Roots
Series exploring the practice of researching family history, one of the UK's most rapidly growing pastimes
The House I Grew Up In
Series revisiting the childhood neighbourhoods of influential Britons
Desert Island Discs: Archive 2005-2010
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Desert Island Discs: Archive 2000-2005
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island.
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The Bush Jr Years (2001- 2004)
The 9/11 attacks, the war on terror and invasion of Iraq defined George W Bush’s first term. A fascinating social, cultural and political look at American life from Alistair Cooke
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1996-2000
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1991-1996
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The Clinton Years (1993-1996)
Bill Clinton’s first term encompassed controversies from the Israeli-Palestinian Oslo accords and gays in the military to the North American Free Trade Agreement and an attempt at healthcare reform. A fascinating social, cultural and political history of American life, through the words of British-American journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Cooke (1908 – 2004).
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The Bush Sr Years (1989-1992)
George Bush’s presidency, the Panama invasion, the Soviet bloc collapse and the first war in Iraq. Alistair Cooke's fascinating look at American life.
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1986-1991
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The Reagan Years (1981-1988)
Ronald Reagan’s presidency, from Reagonomics and the invasion of Grenada in his first term, to the Iran-contra scandal and reconciliation with Soviet leader Mihail Gorbachev in his second. A fascinating social, cultural and political history of American life, through the words of British-American journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Cooke (1908 – 2004).
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1981-1985
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Desert Island Discs: Fragment Archive 1970-1986
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: From Nixon to Carter (1969-1980)
From America’s great hope after Nixon’s election victory, to disillusionment after Watergate through to President Carter’s election. A fascinating social, cultural and political history of American life, through the words of British-American journalist and broadcaster, Alastair Cooke (1908 – 2004).
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1971-1975
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
The Reith Lectures: Archive 1948-1975
Series of annual radio lectures on significant contemporary issues, delivered by leading figures from the relevant fields. Please note that relatively few recordings survive from this period.
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1966-1970
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Desert Island Discs: Fragment Archive 1960-1969
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The Early Years (1940s, 1950s and 1960s)
The assassinations of John F Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy through to Vietnam and America’s shame at the My Lai massacre. A fascinating social, cultural and political history of American life, through the words of British-American journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Cooke (1908 – 2004).
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1961-1965
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1956-1960
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island.
Desert Island Discs: Fragment Archive 1942-1959
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island
Desert Island Discs: Archive 1951-1955
Guests are invited to choose the eight records they would take to a desert island.