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Dr Adam Rutherford and guests illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the science that's changing our world.
A rich selection of documentaries aimed at relentlessly curious minds, introduced by Rhianna Dhillon.
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of ideas
Historical themes, events and key individuals from Akhenaten to Xenophon.
Mayday: When James Le Mesurier fell to his death he left behind a tangle of truths and lies.
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Short documentaries and adventures in sound presented by Josie Long.
Science sleuths Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Hannah Fry investigate everyday mysteries sent by listeners.
Brighten your week with the latest BBC Radio 4 comedy, introduced by Darren Harriott.
Tim Harford and the More or Less team try to make sense of the statistics which surround us. From BBC Radio 4
Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
Programme examining the ideas and forces which shape public policy in Britain and abroad, presented by distinguished writers, journalists and academics.
David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.
Fresh ideas from the sharpest minds working toward a cleaner, greener planet
Aleks Krotoski explores the digital world
The programme that offers a female perspective on the world.
Series exploring the place and nature of faith in today's world
Insight, wit and analysis as BBC correspondents, journalists and writers take a closer look at the stories behind the headlines. Presented by Kate Adie and Pascale Harter.
Combative, provocative and engaging live debate examining the moral issues behind one of the week's news stories. #moralmaze
Award-winning current affairs documentary series investigating major issues at home and abroad
Reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news.
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.
Series focusing on foreign affairs issues
The latest news from the world of personal finance plus advice for those trying to make the most of their money.
A panel of horticultural experts answer gardening questions from a live audience. Recorded in a different location each week
A multi-award-winning conspiracy thriller, written by Matthew Broughton.
A weekly reflection on a topical issue.
Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
An insight into the character of an influential figure making news headlines
In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and major breaking news from a global perspective
Scientific principles, theory, and the role of key figures in the advancement of science.
From Altruism to Wittgenstein, philosophers, theories and key themes.
Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of the British Isles
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 big political stories with lively discussion and expert comment and analysis. Presenter Carolyn Quinn is joined by politicians and journalists 10pm every Sunday on BBC Radio 4.
Popular culture, poetry, music and visual arts and the roles they play in our society.
Presenters recommend their favourite podcasts and speak to the people who make them.
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.
Insight, analysis and expert debate as key policy makers are challenged on the latest news stories. From BBC Radio 4's Today programme
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.
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
Evan Davis hosts the business conversation show with people at the top giving insight into what matters
Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
An investigation into witchcraft, the occult and secret government operations. From H.P. Lovecraft.
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
Nick Robinson talks about what’s really going on in British politics.
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis get to grips (from a safe distance) with all things 2020 in the form of sketches and guest contributions.This week Catherine Bohart dons The Crown, Eshaan Akbar accepts responsibility and musical duo Harry and Chris take us to church...Additional voices from Emma Sidi and George FouracresWritten by the cast, with addition…
The ethical calculation families across the UK have to make about seeing loved ones this Christmas could have far-reaching and potentially fatal consequences. The government has laid down the rules, but the moral choices lie between the gaps. Those who urge caution, even a postponement of Christmas, say it’s about taking personal responsibility to …
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Front Row
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Katie Melua, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Crimes Against Christmas
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Seventeen years after achieving global success with her debut album, Katie Melua talks about her latest record Album No.8, and how she took a course in short fiction writing before embarking on the lyrics. Plus she performs a special acoustic performance for Front Row.British-Ghanaian artist Lynette Yiadom-Boakye paints 'figments': portraits of fic…
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Six O'Clock News
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02/12/2020 UK first country to approve Pfizer coronavirus vaccine
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Patients are to begin receiving Pfizer's coronavirus jab in hospitals across the UK next week.By BBC Radio 4
TEA: A dark history. Laurie Taylor talks to the historian, Seren Charrington-Hollins, about the exploitation, wars & intrigue at the heart of the history of that most 'British' hot beverage. Also, Sarah Besky, Associate Professor in the Departments of International and Comparative Labour & Labour Relations, Law, and History in at Cornell University…
Is taking a break from regular payments on your mortgage, credit card or a loan for example a good way to help you through financial difficulties?Charmaine Cozier asks what you should consider before deferring regular payments and whether there are alternatives or long term consequences for your money.We'd love to hear your questions, experiences a…
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Woman's Hour
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Sparking a love of nature; the Keira Bell judgement; Evil women; US female voters
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The Woman’s Hour Power List 2020: Our Planet is celebrating the women making a significant contribution to the environment. Today, we’re speaking to two women who strive to spark a lifelong love of nature in others. Beccy Speight is the CEO of the RSPB, the UK’s largest conservation charity and Miranda Lowe is a curator at the Natural History Museu…
02 DEC 20By BBC Radio 4
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Best of Today
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Wednesday's business with Dominic O'Connell
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Non-essential shops across all three tiers re-open in England for the first time in a month - what are retailers expecting today?(Image: Christmas lights on Regent Street, central London. Credit Press Association)By BBC Radio 4
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Farming Today
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02/12/20 - Reaction to the Agricultural Transition Plan and seasonal workers after Brexit
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This week DEFRA released it's Agriculture Transition Plan - which lays out a timeline for introducing a new system of farm payments post Brexit. Under the new Environmental Land Management Schemes - or ELMS - farmers will no longer get paid per acre of land, but for the benefits they bring to society through things like cleaner air and water, bette…
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The World Tonight
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MPs vote in favour of toughened system of covid restrictions
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In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4
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Front Row
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Yazz Ahmed, Lucy Bailey, The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone
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Yazz Ahmed, trumpeter and composer, and winner of the Innovation Award at tonight’s Ivors Awards, joins us in the studio. Yazz’s music blends jazz, arabic scales and rhythms, electronics, and the music of Bahrain, where she spent her childhood.Francis Ford Coppola's first two Godfather films are considered cinematic masterpieces, but The Godfather …
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Six O'Clock News
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01/12/2020 Debenhams set to close putting 12,000 jobs at risk
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The department store chain Debenhams has announced it is going to close, with the loss of 12,000 jobs.By BBC Radio 4
The journalist and the critic nominate favourite booksBy BBC Radio 4
Rutherford and Fry are back in the business of solving your science queries and rooting out the quirks and conundrums of everything that is science!By BBC Radio 4
Short documentaries and audio adventures about the letters and books which reach unexpected readers - with Josie Long. From the woman who has collected 8000 strangers' diaries to the letter treasured by a political prisoner who'd never met its senders.The MotherFeaturing Cedric Jones, Sonia Sanchez and Haki Madhubuti Produced by Sarah CuddonRevolut…
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Woman's Hour
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Women's innovation in tech; Working in retail; Valerie's Life in Shoes
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Two of this year’s TechWomen100 Award winners join Jane to discuss getting more women and girls into the tech industries, including via a new app. June Angelides, an investor, speaker and mentor who founded Mums in Tech has won the Editor’s Choice award. Rav Bumbra gets the Champion award for her work recruiting women to work in tech fields and men…
01 DEC 20By BBC Radio 4
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Best of Today
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Tuesday's business with Dominic O'Connell
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The company that owns Top Shop and other clothing brands has gone into administration, putting about 13,000 jobs at risk. What will happen to Arcadia's pension scheme?(Image: a pedestrian walks past a Topshop store, owed by Arcadia group on Oxford street in London. Credit: Reuters)By BBC Radio 4
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Farming Today
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01/12/20 - Lamb exports after Brexit transition; Antibiotic use
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As businesses around the country wait to hear whether a trade deal with the EU is any closer, we’re gauging whether the farming industry is ready for the end of the Brexit transition period. One sector which would be seriously affected if there were No Deal is sheep meat exports. About half the lamb produced in the UK is exported to the EU and a No…
David Baker reveals the thinking and the values that have made Jeff Bezos the richest man on the planet, and Amazon the most wildly successful company, even in a year when the global economy faces catastrophe.Speaking to senior colleagues within his businesses, longstanding business partners and analysts, David Baker learns the secrets to Amazon's …
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The World Tonight
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Government in last minute push before Tiers vote
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In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4
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Front Row
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Henry Blake on County Lines; museums and galleries post Covid; re-reading Jane Austen's Emma
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As museums and galleries in tiers one and two prepare to reopen on Wednesday, we consider what the future might look like for these much loved institutions. Has the pandemic changed their fundamental purpose or merely accelerated shifts that had already begun? What might museums and galleries look like as physical and social entities in ten years’ …
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Six O'Clock News
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30/11/2020 Welsh pubs to be banned from selling alcohol
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An alcohol ban and a 6pm pub curfew are among tougher coronavirus restrictions in Wales from Friday.By BBC Radio 4
It’s hard to remember what normal life feels like, but for the first time since the start of the pandemic, there are reasons to be optimistic about when we might return to it. It looks increasingly likely that by the New Year at least one highly-effective Covid vaccine will be available. Despite this promising news, any new vaccines will be ratione…
Britain is in the midst of a huge Debt Crisis. Recent research by a debt charity has found that household borrowing and arrears have soared 66% since May to £10.3 billion. For many people, there seems to be no way out. Month by month they sink deeper into debt. Desmond Tutu once said: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people o…
By Matthew Broughton Episode seven of the conspiracy thriller's final series.Helen gives up on her quest and hides away with Frances in her old house in Pembrokeshire. But sometimes the darkest dangers lurk inside.A gripping thriller, Tracks was the first drama to hit the top of the iTunes podcast chart back in 2017. It went on to win Best Sound (B…
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Woman's Hour
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Women and underpaid state pensions, Women's emotional labour at Christmas, Female footballers and dementia
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It was found that thousands of married women could have been receiving underpaid state pensions. The Department of Work and Pensions has since been investigating its records and making payments. The former pensions Minister Steve Webb, who first highlighted the issue, believes that many more women, such as divorced and widowed women could be effect…
30 NOV 20By BBC Radio 4
28 NOV 20By BBC Radio 4
What does administration mean for those employed by the Arcadia Group?(Image: a man walks past the Topshop flagship store at Oxford Circus, London, part of the Arcadia Group. Credit: Press Association)By BBC Radio 4
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Farming Today
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30/11/20 Plans for a future without farm subsidies. Landscapes damaged as walkers leave footpaths.
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As we leave the EU, farmers will also be leaving the subsidies they've been receiving under the Common Agricultural Policy. Instead the Government wants to reward them for environmental schemes. Defra Secretary of State George Eustice says he wants to give farmers incentives for more sustainable land management. He says the changes will be phased i…
Earwig is a new naturalistic sketch show by BAFTA-winning comedy writer Brian Dooley (The Smoking Room).While not immediately topical, our characters will of course discuss the main talking points of the day. As people do. They say the age of the expert is over, but this is what you get when amateurs wade in on the big issues.Every episode we hop a…
Carolyn Quinn and guests discuss the latest on Coronavirus and BrexitBy BBC Radio 4
The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, says the government is listening to the concerns of Conservative MPs who think the tiered system of coronavirus restrictions is too toughBy BBC Radio 4
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Books and Authors
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Jenny Erpenbeck, Margaret Atwood on a classic dystopia, Paintings in fiction
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Jenny Erpenbeck, Margaret Atwood on a classic dystopia, Paintings in fictionBy BBC Radio 4
Whether it's a recipe book full of mouthwatering meals, a deep dive into the science of what we eat or a collection of must-try cocktails, books about food and drink have the power to educate, entertain and enthrall - all in the comfort of your own home. And this year, that's been more important than ever!The Food Programme's presenting team - Shei…
Helen Oxenbury is an illustrator of children’s books whose work has featured in many very popular titles for younger readers including the award-winning We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen.Helen has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Book Trust in 2018. She attended the Ipswich School of …
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Woman's Hour
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Bonus podcast: The Conversation 100 Women
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Celebrating the BBC 100 Women list 2020 Kim Chakanetsa and a panel of inspirational and influential women discuss whether some changes made because of Covid-19 restrictions could be seen as positive. They answer questions about bringing communities together, supporting lonely people and increasing flexibility for more inclusive employment. Shani Dh…
The determined scientist whose team designed the Oxford vaccine. Mark Coles first discovered the many talents of Professor Sarah Gilbert in July. This week, with news of its success, he takes another look at the woman behind the latest vaccine breakthrough.By BBC Radio 4
This year has shown us the importance of good robust data - as Covid-19 spread around the world it was vital to track where it was, how many people it was infecting and where it might go next. On More or Less we’ve spent months reporting on data inaccuracies and vacuums, but what makes for good or indeed bad data? I’ve been speaking to Amy Maxmen, …
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Six O'Clock News
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28/11/2020 Government appoints England vaccine tsar
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Boris Johnson names Nadhim Zahawi as minister to take charge of vaccine deploymentBy BBC Radio 4
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Woman's Hour
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Weekend Woman's Hour - Ozlem Cekic, The Crown, Lockdown Bickering
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Ozlem Cekic, one of the first Muslim women with an immigrant background to enter Danish parliament, tells us why she decided to meet up with the people who sent her racist emails. We discuss whether a new women's centre at the site of the former Holloway Women's Prison will get the go ahead. We hear from Lucy who's with Reclaim Holloway and also fr…
Money Box has found evidence of fraud in the Direct Debit system. We hear how Ursula, pictured with her son Phil, was repeatedly targeted. But how can you protect yourself against this fraud, once criminals use stolen personal details to drain your account? We get insight from Lisa Forte of Red Goat Cyber Security.Also - young people and hard up fa…
Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan, became the frontline of a war again this autumn. This resulted in Azerbaijan regaining some of the territory lost in previous conflicts – and with it, homes and landmarks that are precious to Armenians. Peter Oborne was there just as the current Russian-backed peacekeeping deal was an…
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Farming Today
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28/11/20 - Farming Today This Week: Bovine TB, urea fertiliser and "fostered" apple orchards.
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Caz Graham takes an in-depth look at Bovine TB. The disease costs taxpayers around £100 million a year, and in the 12 months to August, 38,000 cattle were slaughtered because of it in England, Wales and Scotland. Meanwhile, licences for this year's badger cull in England allowed for more than 64 thousand badgers to be killed across 17 counties. We …
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The World Tonight
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Iran’s top nuclear scientist is assassinated
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In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspectiveBy BBC Radio 4
Bernardine Evaristo discusses body image and the fashion industry. Why, she asks, do fashionable clothes still need to be marketed by "long-limbed, boy-hipped young women whose silhouettes have no womanly curves and whose body parts have no jiggle-factor?" Producer: Adele ArmstrongBy BBC Radio 4
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Front Row
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Mandolin player Avi Avital, Marina Abramović, Possessor reviewed
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Avi Avital., the world's leading mandolin player, on his new album The Art of the Mandolin, in which he performs music specially written for the instrument by Vivaldi, Beethoven and Scarlatti through to contemporary composers David Bruce and Giovanni Sollima. Yesterday the Government announced which areas of England will be in Tiers 1, 2 or 3. For …
