BBC Four HD

Documentary exploring the aesthetic styles associated with Ludwig II of Bavaria, the king who was considered to be handsome and loved by his people. Dan Cruickshank investigates the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein castle and the complex design of Herrenchiemsee, to assess how they are key to learning more about the enigmatic ruler

The Golden Age of Coach Travel
Season 10 Episode 6/9

The history of the coach, which offered a cheaper alternative to rail travel upon its arrival in the 1950s and gave greater freedom to people previously restricted to their own villages and towns due to limited funds. The documentary looks at the distinctive liveries employed by different transport companies and the activities of passengers, including singing and pub visits, as they travelled to destinations such as Blackpool, Margate and Torquay. Narrated by June Whitfield

The Girl Who Played with Fire - Part Two
Season 1 Episode 4/6

Frustrated by the police's determination to prove that Lisbeth is guilty of all three murders, Mikael pursues his own line of enquiry. An official helps him, but Dag suspects they are involved in the trafficking of women. Meanwhile, Lisbeth remains in hiding, horrified by the violence suffered by her innocent friend Miriam. In Swedish, Italian and French

Magnificent Desolation - Part One
Season 1 Episode 5/6

Part one of two. The documentary about the space race recalls how the success of 1968's Apollo 8 mission led to underlying questions about the space programme from politicised young Americans - but Nasa pushed ahead regardless. Competition escalated among the training astronauts and at the beginning of 1969 the crew for Apollo 11 was announced - Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins - and in mid-July crowds flooded Cocoa Beach in anticipation of the historic launch

Magnificent Desolation - Part Two
Season 1 Episode 6/6

The documentary looks back at the moment Neil Armstrong climbed down from his lunar module and became the first man to walk on the moon, followed 15 minutes later by his crewmate Buzz Aldrin - a historic moment watched live by millions of viewers around the world and a nervous team back in the Nasa control centre

Horizon: The Trouble with Space Junk
Season 51 Episode 13/19

Documentary revealing the scale of the problem of debris in space, with Earth surrounded by hundreds of millions of items moving at 17,000 miles per hour. The International Space Station had to move three times in 2014 to avoid potentially lethal chunks of junk and the Horizon team reveals how the US government is investing $1 billion to track space debris, while companies around the world are developing ways to clear up the mess, from nets and robot arms to harpoons

The Golden Age of Coach Travel
Season 10 Episode 6/9

The history of the coach, which offered a cheaper alternative to rail travel upon its arrival in the 1950s and gave greater freedom to people previously restricted to their own villages and towns due to limited funds. The documentary looks at the distinctive liveries employed by different transport companies and the activities of passengers, including singing and pub visits, as they travelled to destinations such as Blackpool, Margate and Torquay. Narrated by June Whitfield

Documentary exploring the aesthetic styles associated with Ludwig II of Bavaria, the king who was considered to be handsome and loved by his people. Dan Cruickshank investigates the mock-medievalism of Neuschwanstein castle and the complex design of Herrenchiemsee, to assess how they are key to learning more about the enigmatic ruler

MOTD: FA Cup Highlights
Action from the latest second-round ties, including Kidderminster Harriers v FC Halifax Town at Aggborough

Mike Leigh: This Cultural Life
Season 1 Episode 3/8

Film director Mike Leigh talks to John Wilson about his early life in Salford and reveals how a life-drawing class at art college proved a formative influence on his later career. He discusses his discovery of world cinema in the 1960s and the particular impact of the French New Wave, and explains his unique film-making process in which actors develop roles through improvisation

On Broadway with the John Wilson Orchestra
A concert from the 2012 Proms, in which conductor John Wilson and his orchestra are joined by the Maida Vale Singers to pay tribute to the composers and arrangers responsible for creating the Broadway Sound - among them such legendary tunesmiths as Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Frank Loesser and Leonard Bernstein. The concert includes show-stopping songs from Show Boat, On Your Toes, Brigadoon, Porgy and Bess, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. Presented by Katie Derham

Documentary about the 1970s performance art collective COUM Transmissions and its music off-shoot Throbbing Gristle, drawing on the group's rich archive of photographs and video, and exploring the ways in which lead artists Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti explored sex, pornography, and violence

Jim Moir - aka Vic Reeves - explores the influential avant-garde art movement that began as a response to the First World War and inspired generations of artists, writer and musicians, from Monty Python to punk, and from Bowie to Banksy. He restages an early Dada performance in Zurich's Cabaret Voltaire, and he is joined in his celebration of the Dadaists by satirist Armando Iannucci, screenwriter Terry Gilliam, designer Neville Brody, and artists Michael Landy and Cornelia Parker

Size Matters
Season 1 Episode 1/6

Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod explores how having a skeleton has helped vertebrates to colonise and dominate almost every habitat on Earth. He begins his journey by looking at the influence of bones on size, revealing how they are capable of supporting large animals, with the strongest bone able to withstand 109 tons of pressure

Down to Earth
Season 1 Episode 2/6

Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod explores how skeletons have adapted to allow vertebrates to move on land in different ways, such as swinging through trees, sliding along forest floors, and running across plains at speed. He looks at the spines of both cheetahs and snakes, and uncovers the role of the pentadactyl limb

Season 1 Episode 1/4

In a residential Edinburgh street one night, two brothers run into and kill an old man. Uninsured and under the influence, record shop owner Jake persuades high-flying lawyer Max to cover up the act. But their actions soon come back to haunt them. Thriller, starring Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives, with Emun Elliott and Sian Brooke

Mike Leigh: This Cultural Life
Season 1 Episode 3/8

Film director Mike Leigh talks to John Wilson about his early life in Salford and reveals how a life-drawing class at art college proved a formative influence on his later career. He discusses his discovery of world cinema in the 1960s and the particular impact of the French New Wave, and explains his unique film-making process in which actors develop roles through improvisation

Christ's College, Cambridge v St John's College, Oxford
Season 2020 Episode 1/10

Teams of distinguished graduates compete on behalf of their former universities in the academic quiz's festive incarnation, with the opening first-round match seeing Christ's Cambridge take on St John's Oxford. Among those facing questions from host Jeremy Paxman are painter and broadcaster Lachlan Goudie and poet Helen Mort for Christ's, while the St John's team includes BBC business editor Simon Jack and author John Lanchester

Not Quite Spring
Bob Ross paints a landscape depicting winter's thaw, with trees beginning to shed a layer of snow

Manchester
Season 3 Episode 2/3

Bendor Grosvenor finds a painting from the 1770s at the Manchester Art Gallery, which he believes has been misattributed to Nathaniel Dance. He feels sure it is in fact by the German painter Johann Zoffany, a favourite portraitist of the royal family under King George III. Meanwhile, Emma Dabiri investigates Manchester's support for the abolition of slavery

Historian Dr Janina Ramirez investigates the development of Anglo-Saxon art. Examining the Sutton Hoo treasures the Franks Casket, the Staffordshire Hoard and the Lindisfarne Gospels, she uncovers the secret codes and symbols that reveal the pagan past and Christian future of the Anglo-Saxon people, and discusses how their artistic development was brought to an end by the Norman invasion of 1066

Denhom Elliott stars in this adaptation of Charles Dickens' ghost story about a lonely signalman haunted by a spectral figure who appears to bring a warning of impending danger

Mark Gatiss examines the life and career of the author, trying to discover how this devout Anglican bachelor created supernatural tales that continue to chill readers more than a century on. He visits James's childhood home in Suffolk as well as Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, the two institutions where he spent most of his life, and ventures into ancient churches, dark cloisters and echoing libraries along the way as he attempt to uncover the writer's inspirations

Into the Air
Season 1 Episode 3/6

Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod uncovers the ways that the skeleton aids flight, looking at what makes the humble pigeon a skilled flier and how albatrosses manage to complete long migration journeys. He also explores why some birds have dense bones, and reveals which airborne animal he believes is the 'ultimate'

Season 1 Episode 2/4

Max tries to derail private detective Kenny, a drunken no-hoper who used to work for him, but the case has given the investigator the purpose he needs to get back on track. To make matters worse, Max is also dealing with threats from Walter's neighbour Sheila, who reveals she witnessed something on the night in question. Later, Max's wife Claire's grows suspicious of his actions and cracks begin to show in their marriage. Thriller, starring Mark Bonnar, Jamie Sives, Emun Elliott, Ellie Haddington, Ruth Bradley and Sian Brooke

Manchester
Season 3 Episode 2/3

Bendor Grosvenor finds a painting from the 1770s at the Manchester Art Gallery, which he believes has been misattributed to Nathaniel Dance. He feels sure it is in fact by the German painter Johann Zoffany, a favourite portraitist of the royal family under King George III. Meanwhile, Emma Dabiri investigates Manchester's support for the abolition of slavery

Historian Dr Janina Ramirez investigates the development of Anglo-Saxon art. Examining the Sutton Hoo treasures the Franks Casket, the Staffordshire Hoard and the Lindisfarne Gospels, she uncovers the secret codes and symbols that reveal the pagan past and Christian future of the Anglo-Saxon people, and discusses how their artistic development was brought to an end by the Norman invasion of 1066

The Property Line
Season 1 Episode 11/24

American artist Bob Ross demonstrates how to paint a scene that marks the line between home and the edge of a winter forest

Manchester v Queen's Belfast
Season 2020 Episode 2/10

Jeremy Paxman asks the questions as teams of famous alumni from Manchester and Queen's Belfast compete for a place in the semi-finals. The Manchester team consists of actor Adrian Edmondson and war surgeon David Nott, while Queen's is represented by Kate Devlin, writer of a book on sex and robots, and poet Miriam Gamble

The Charity Shop
Season 1 Episode 4/6

Hyacinth feels harassed by a combination of working at a charity shop, trying to impress Councillor Nugent and worrying about Rose's love life. To cap it all, Daisy informs her that a strange woman in Daddy's bedroom claims to be his fiancee. Starring Patricia Routledge

Who Will Buy?
Season 2 Episode 4/6

A persistent door-to-door salesman makes grouchy Victor Meldrew see red - and an unending stream of junk mail through his letterbox threatens to push him over the brink into insanity. Richard Wilson, Annette Crosbie and Angus Deayton star

Party
Season 1 Episode 5/6

The girls celebrate Japanese-style at their work party, and Bren enters right into the spirit of things - but not as much as her mother, who turns up unexpectedly. Comedy, starring Victoria Wood, Julie Walters and Jack Smethurst

Mark Lawson Talks to Liz Smith
An interview with the veteran British actress, who appeared in The Royle Family, The Vicar of Dibley and Lark Rise to Candleford. The star reflects on her lonely childhood and the struggle she faced as a single mother to pay the bills while trying to make her name in showbusiness, eventually getting her lucky break thanks to film director Mike Leigh when she was 50 years old

Play for Today: Hard Labour
A downtrodden cleaning lady struggles to hide a terrible secret from her neglectful daughter and husband. Drama, written and directed by acclaimed film-maker Mike Leigh, starring Liz Smith, Clifford Kershaw and Polly Hemingway, with an early appearance from Ben Kingsley

Mike Leigh: This Cultural Life
Season 1 Episode 3/8

Film director Mike Leigh talks to John Wilson about his early life in Salford and reveals how a life-drawing class at art college proved a formative influence on his later career. He discusses his discovery of world cinema in the 1960s and the particular impact of the French New Wave, and explains his unique film-making process in which actors develop roles through improvisation

Season 1 Episode 3/4

Angie and Jake's budding relationship hits a problem when he begins to have suspicions about her, although she soon explains away his worries. Instead, she plants doubts in his mind about why his brother controls the finances of his record shop. Is there more to the business than it first appears? Thriller, starring Mark Bonnar, Jamie Sives and Ruth Bradley

Season 1 Episode 4/4

Max sits in on Angie's police interview and the truth about Walter's death is getting closer to being revealed. To protect his brother, the lawyer orders Jake to leave the country with Angie, telling him he will sort everything out. But Angie is still not convinced they can trust Max. Having uncovered Sheila's guilty secret, Max thinks he finally has the upper hand over his blackmailer, and with the tables finally turned, Max offers Sheila a tempting deal to bring matters to a close - once and for all

Mark Lawson Talks to Liz Smith
An interview with the veteran British actress, who appeared in The Royle Family, The Vicar of Dibley and Lark Rise to Candleford. The star reflects on her lonely childhood and the struggle she faced as a single mother to pay the bills while trying to make her name in showbusiness, eventually getting her lucky break thanks to film director Mike Leigh when she was 50 years old

An Arctic Winter Day
Season 1 Episode 12/24

Bob Ross produces an image of a lonely cabin comfortably nestled on the edge of a glass-smooth frozen pond

Courtauld v Goldsmiths
Season 2020 Episode 3/10

Jeremy Paxman asks the questions as teams of famous alumni from Courtauld Institute of Art and Goldsmiths, University of London, compete for a place in the semi-finals. The Courtauld team, which features artist Jeremy Deller and writer and poet Lavinia Greenlaw, goes up against the team from Goldsmiths, which features Hairy Biker Dave Myers and author Helen Cross

The Secrets of the South
Season 1 Episode 1/3

Exploring the wildlife and culture of the Southeast Asian nation. The first episode examines the south of the country, a popular tourist destination for Westerners, and examines the role of spirituality in daily life. Narrated by Sophie Okonedo

Season 2 Episode 6/6

The adventurer concludes his journey in Japan, where he heads straight for the Naha Navy base to learn more about the Battle of Okinawa. He then takes a ferry to the mainland, meeting up with 12-year-old train fanatic Tarquin, who takes him on a motorbike tour of the local area and introduces him to his father. He also visits Hiroshima on the anniversary of the Peace Memorial ceremony, rides one of the country's most renowned rollercoasters, and explores Mount Fuji, before finishing his trip in Tokyo

Season 1 Episode 1/3

The actor journeys to southern Italy, in the footsteps of great authors whose work was inspired by the country, its culture and history. Reading key passages from the books as he goes along, Richard learns about the lives and experiences of the authors. His journey gives him fresh insights into the people and diversity of the region and its distinctive and captivating landscapes. He also discovers examples where books have had a direct effect on the area's prosperity

What We Were Watching: Christmas 1995
Grace Dent embarks on a trip back in time by setting the remote control for December 1995 and serving an irreverent look back at the festive viewing options that faced the nation

Sensing the World
Season 1 Episode 4/6

Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod explores how skeletons have evolved to help animals sense the world around them, revealing why predators like wolves have their eye sockets at the front of their skulls, whereas many prey creatures have a wider fields of vision. The presenter also looks at the hearing abilities of the grey owl, and another animal's flexible nose

How to Make: The Trainer
Season 1 Episode 1/3

Designer and materials engineer Zoe Laughlin dismantles and dissects three classic items to understand the wonders of form, function and material that go into making them, before building her own truly bespoke versions step by step. Here she makes modern classic the training shoe, meeting some of the UK's leading designers and manufacturers, as well as young inventors working on sustainable creations such as material made by bacteria and self-deodorising fabrics

The Secrets of the South
Season 1 Episode 1/3

Exploring the wildlife and culture of the Southeast Asian nation. The first episode examines the south of the country, a popular tourist destination for Westerners, and examines the role of spirituality in daily life. Narrated by Sophie Okonedo

Season 1 Episode 1/3

The actor journeys to southern Italy, in the footsteps of great authors whose work was inspired by the country, its culture and history. Reading key passages from the books as he goes along, Richard learns about the lives and experiences of the authors. His journey gives him fresh insights into the people and diversity of the region and its distinctive and captivating landscapes. He also discovers examples where books have had a direct effect on the area's prosperity

Snow Birch
Season 1 Episode 13/24

American artist Bob Ross paints a scene depicting a tree forest perfectly mirrored in the cold stillness of winter

Nottingham v Sheffield
Season 2020 Episode 4/10

Jeremy Paxman hosts the fourth match of the festive quiz featuring teams of famous graduates. The Nottingham team, with explorer Levison Wood and ecologist Helen Roy, fight it out against the Sheffield team, which includes news presenter Kylie Pentelow and Daily Telegraph columnist Michael Deacon

Something's Coming
Season 1 Episode 2/3

The presenter explores how a new generation of composers transformed musical theatre by embracing more gritty, challenging subjects, from the mean streets of 1950s New York in West Side Story to the Dickensian London of British blockbuster Oliver! Neil learns the stories behind Broadway hits Fiddler on the Roof and A Chorus Line, and celebrates the ground-breaking work of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. He also reveals the 'secrets' of some classic numbers with the help of performers Robert Lindsay and Frances Ruffelle

A distinguished Korean War veteran is brainwashed into becoming a remote-controlled killing machine. When he returns to America a hero, an old friend begins to suspect something is terribly wrong. Political thriller, starring Laurence Harvey, Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh and Angela Lansbury

Seth MacFarlane Sings Sinatra at the Proms
A celebration of Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday year, aired from the Royal Albert Hall in 2015. The John Wilson Orchestra is joined by Family Guy and American Dad creator Seth MacFarlane to perform a selection of memorable songs from Sinatra's years with Capitol Records, including Let's Face the Music and Dance, Come Fly with Me and I've Got You Under My Skin. Also taking to the stage are actor-singer Jamie Parker and jazz musician Claire Martin. The evening is hosted by Clemency Burton-Hill. and star of The Wire, Clarke Peters

Food for Thought
Season 1 Episode 5/6

Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod explores how vertebrates capture and devour their food, looking at adaptations in their skeletons that help them eat. The presenter examines the jaws of a sperm whale, finds out which animal has teeth that weigh 5kg each, and reveals which creature uses its skull as a suction pump

Sex
Season 1 Episode 6/6

Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod explores the role skeletons play in aiding reproduction, looking at the ways courtship, competition and copulation have been improved by having bones. On his journey, he meets baseball players and drops a 10kg weight on a sheep's skull

Something's Coming
Season 1 Episode 2/3

The presenter explores how a new generation of composers transformed musical theatre by embracing more gritty, challenging subjects, from the mean streets of 1950s New York in West Side Story to the Dickensian London of British blockbuster Oliver! Neil learns the stories behind Broadway hits Fiddler on the Roof and A Chorus Line, and celebrates the ground-breaking work of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. He also reveals the 'secrets' of some classic numbers with the help of performers Robert Lindsay and Frances Ruffelle

Manchester
Season 3 Episode 2/3

Bendor Grosvenor finds a painting from the 1770s at the Manchester Art Gallery, which he believes has been misattributed to Nathaniel Dance. He feels sure it is in fact by the German painter Johann Zoffany, a favourite portraitist of the royal family under King George III. Meanwhile, Emma Dabiri investigates Manchester's support for the abolition of slavery

UCLAN v Loughborough
Season 2020 Episode 5/10

Jeremy Paxman asks the questions as teams of distinguished graduates from University of Central Lancashire and Loughborough compete in this festive edition. Among those taking part for UCLAN are sports presenter Richard Askam and children's book illustrator Kate Pankhurst, fighting it out for a place in the semi-finals against a Loughborough team that includes cricketer Monty Panesar, and poet and performer Kate Fox

Sounds of the 70s - New Wave
Season 1 Episode 10/10

Performances by new wave bands from the BBC archives, including Elvis Costello, the Police, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Squeeze, Blondie, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Cars, Patti Smith and Iggy Pop

Top of the Pops: Christmas 1988
Pet Shop Boys, Enya, S-Express, Aswad, Fairground Attraction, Yazz, Robin Beck, Wet Wet Wet and the Hollies feature among the top hits and videos from 1988, while Cliff Richard sings Mistletoe and Wine, that year's Christmas Number one. Introduced by Bruno Brookes, Gary Davies and Anthea Turner

The Australian musician performs at an empty Alexandra Palace, London. Filmed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the setlist features classic tracks including Into My Arms, The Mercy Seat and The Ship Song, as well as rarities that some fans will be hearing performed live for the first time

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds perform songs from their album Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!, as well as tracks from their back catalogue including The Mercy Seat, Red Right Hand, God Is in the House and Stagger Lee. Recorded at LSO St Luke's in London

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
From Television Centre in London's Shepherd's Bush, Bob Harris introduces a concert performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. First aired in 1978

Archive performances by classic Southern rock acts on shows including The Old Grey Whistle Test, In Concert and Wogan. Featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Charlie Daniels Band, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Delaney & Bonnie with Eric Clapton, Dickey Betts, formerly of the Allman Brothers Band, the Marshall Tucker Band, Black Oak Arkansas, Greg Allman with Cher, and Edgar Winter

Top of the Pops: Christmas 1988
Pet Shop Boys, Enya, S-Express, Aswad, Fairground Attraction, Yazz, Robin Beck, Wet Wet Wet and the Hollies feature among the top hits and videos from 1988, while Cliff Richard sings Mistletoe and Wine, that year's Christmas Number one. Introduced by Bruno Brookes, Gary Davies and Anthea Turner

Sounds of the 70s - New Wave
Season 1 Episode 10/10

Performances by new wave bands from the BBC archives, including Elvis Costello, the Police, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, Squeeze, Blondie, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Cars, Patti Smith and Iggy Pop

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds perform songs from their album Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!, as well as tracks from their back catalogue including The Mercy Seat, Red Right Hand, God Is in the House and Stagger Lee. Recorded at LSO St Luke's in London