Media
The traditional and the modern happily co-exist on BBC Radio 4 this Christmas and New Year.
Dame Thora Hird shares her favourite selections of prose and poetry in With Great Pleasure and in complete contrast Blur’s Damon Albarn travels to Mali to jam with local musicians in Seven Days In Mali.
A new production of the classic Through The Looking Glass (with the Two Johns, Messrs Bird and Fortune, playing Tweedledum and Tweedledee) spearheads the family drama to be followed by the modern classics of Skellig and The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe and a brand new play (The Echoing Waters) by the renowned children’s author Alan Garner.
Simon Callow stars in the 1939 classic comedy The Man Who Came To Dinner. Elizabeth McGovern also stars in the part made famous by Bette Davies in the film of the same name. Chris Langham, fresh from his success on BBC ONE’s Kiss Me Kate, leads the cast in a spirited revival of Brandon Thomas’s Edwardian farce, Charley’s Aunt.
Lovers of the Just William stories, expertly read by Martin Jarvis, have a special treat with a 30 minute story that tells of the fateful moment when William first encountered Violet Elizabeth Bott (The Sweet Little Girl In White).
As always Radio 4 signals the start of Christmas with the Festival Of Nine Lesson And Carols from Kings College, and in a new documentary listeners are taken behind the scenes to find out how the world-famous choir functions during the rest of the year.
Worship at Christmas centres on Midnight Mass from Birmingham’s Roman Catholic Cathedral and the Christmas Morning Service from St Martin-in-the Fields. Fay Weldon, the novelist and Christian convert, provides the meditation at midnight in Enduring Christmas.
Helen Boaden, Controller Radio 4 said "I’m very proud of what Radio 4 is offering over Christmas and into 2001. We know our listeners delight in finding out something new, being introduced to different experiences and enjoying witty, intelligent entertainment. On all these counts Radio 4 will not disappoint them."
January 2001 sees the 50th anniversary of The Archers and this event is celebrated with a cliff-hanging story-line told in a double length episode. As a prelude to this, Norman Painting who has played Phil Archer since The Archers began, is the castaway on Desert Island Discs on Boxing Day.
In the New Year Radio 4 tackles some of the most important issues facing society today. In January Edward Stourton chairs a series of debates on the future of the countryside (The Countryside Debates) and later on in March Max Jarrett undertakes a four part investigation of the history of racism. He uncovers how, when and why race became central to Europe’s view of the rest of the world (Race, The Dangerous Myth).
Edi Stark and Trisha McNair look at two different aspects of the medical profession. Edi turns her forensic gaze on consultants (The Consultants) whilst Trisha finds out how the next generation of doctors are being trained (Training The Doctors).
Andrew Sachs presents a personal view of the history of the Jews in Britain over the past 1000 years (Journey From Jerusalem) and Professor Barry Cunliffe puts forward some controversial views about the history of the countries on the Atlantic rim in Facing The Ocean.
Drama on Radio 4 takes listeners from the bloody battle of Hastings in 1066 to the depth of outer space.
The Bayeux Tapestry provides the inspiration for a week-long drama. Using a combination of poetry, prose and "on the spot" reporting, a panel of the famous tapestry is brought to life each day in Bayeux (the Woman’s Hour Drama slot at 10.45am). The Classic Serial on the following Sunday (March 25) will be the culmination of the project as the Battle of Hastings itself is fought. The poet, Simon Armitage and writer Jeff Young have collaborated on this enterprise and the action is reported on from the field by Kirsty Young. Christopher Ecclestone plays King Harold.
In contrast Radio 4 presents new work from three leading playwrights - Ariel Dorfman (Konfidenz), Howard Barker (Knowledge And A Girl) and Michael Hastings (The Crashed Plane). Together with the dramatisations of Peter Ackroyd’s Hawksmoor, Anthony Burgess’s Inside Mr Enderby and Bulgakov’s The White Guard it adds up to a feast of drama.
Two plays based on true stories will be broadcast in February and March. Remembering Mum is a drama documentary about how children cope when a parent dies. It blends drama and interviews with bereaved children. Mike Walker’s Twenty Three Years tells the story of a man jailed for that length of time for a crime he didn’t commit.
John Le Carre returns to Radio 4 to read his latest novel The Constant Gardener as a Book At Bedtime. A few weeks later Margaret Drabble’s The Peppered Moth will be the featured book. But there is only one book with which to start the new year - and that is 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke.
One of the most successful innovations brought about by the schedule changes in 1998 was the introduction of Book Of The Week. Listeners who go out to work or want to listen to the Daily Service miss the readings. In the New Year the Book Of The Week will be repeated at 12.30am, the old Late Book slot. The resources saved by discontinuing the small number of original Late Book readings will be used to strengthen the Book At Bedtime strand.
Two new comedy series make their debuts on Radio 4. Llewella Gideon joins the small band of women writer/performers who star in their own show. The Little Big Woman Show is based on her highly successful one-woman show written with Lynn Peters. Matt Lucas and David Walliams write and star in Little Britain, a new character-comedy sketch show exploring life in Britain as it is lived today. Each show looks at a different facet of life as experienced by some less than ordinary British folk, all introduced by the voice of Tom Baker.
One of Radio 4’s most successful comedies, Old Harry’s Game, makes a welcome return with Andy Hamilton as Satan. Stephen Fry and John Bird star as the two ex BBC Radio Controllers in another series of Mark Tavener’s Absolute Power.
A major six part series sends Robert McNab on a search to find out how places have influenced visual artists in Art Atlas and Paul Barber, star of The Full Monty tries to find out why no black British actor has become an international film star (Black On Screen).
Professor Tom Kirkwood gives next year’s Reith Lectures on the subject of ageing. He looks at the physical processes involved and challenges some commonly held assumptions connected with age (The Reith Lectures).
January sees the 100th anniversary of the death of Queen Victoria and Radio 4 marks the event with a season of special programmes that examine the legacy of Victoria and her era.
Dame Thora Hird shares her favourite selections of prose and poetry in With Great Pleasure and in complete contrast Blur’s Damon Albarn travels to Mali to jam with local musicians in Seven Days In Mali.
A new production of the classic Through The Looking Glass (with the Two Johns, Messrs Bird and Fortune, playing Tweedledum and Tweedledee) spearheads the family drama to be followed by the modern classics of Skellig and The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe and a brand new play (The Echoing Waters) by the renowned children’s author Alan Garner.
Simon Callow stars in the 1939 classic comedy The Man Who Came To Dinner. Elizabeth McGovern also stars in the part made famous by Bette Davies in the film of the same name. Chris Langham, fresh from his success on BBC ONE’s Kiss Me Kate, leads the cast in a spirited revival of Brandon Thomas’s Edwardian farce, Charley’s Aunt.
Lovers of the Just William stories, expertly read by Martin Jarvis, have a special treat with a 30 minute story that tells of the fateful moment when William first encountered Violet Elizabeth Bott (The Sweet Little Girl In White).
As always Radio 4 signals the start of Christmas with the Festival Of Nine Lesson And Carols from Kings College, and in a new documentary listeners are taken behind the scenes to find out how the world-famous choir functions during the rest of the year.
Worship at Christmas centres on Midnight Mass from Birmingham’s Roman Catholic Cathedral and the Christmas Morning Service from St Martin-in-the Fields. Fay Weldon, the novelist and Christian convert, provides the meditation at midnight in Enduring Christmas.
Helen Boaden, Controller Radio 4 said "I’m very proud of what Radio 4 is offering over Christmas and into 2001. We know our listeners delight in finding out something new, being introduced to different experiences and enjoying witty, intelligent entertainment. On all these counts Radio 4 will not disappoint them."
January 2001 sees the 50th anniversary of The Archers and this event is celebrated with a cliff-hanging story-line told in a double length episode. As a prelude to this, Norman Painting who has played Phil Archer since The Archers began, is the castaway on Desert Island Discs on Boxing Day.
In the New Year Radio 4 tackles some of the most important issues facing society today. In January Edward Stourton chairs a series of debates on the future of the countryside (The Countryside Debates) and later on in March Max Jarrett undertakes a four part investigation of the history of racism. He uncovers how, when and why race became central to Europe’s view of the rest of the world (Race, The Dangerous Myth).
Edi Stark and Trisha McNair look at two different aspects of the medical profession. Edi turns her forensic gaze on consultants (The Consultants) whilst Trisha finds out how the next generation of doctors are being trained (Training The Doctors).
Andrew Sachs presents a personal view of the history of the Jews in Britain over the past 1000 years (Journey From Jerusalem) and Professor Barry Cunliffe puts forward some controversial views about the history of the countries on the Atlantic rim in Facing The Ocean.
Drama on Radio 4 takes listeners from the bloody battle of Hastings in 1066 to the depth of outer space.
The Bayeux Tapestry provides the inspiration for a week-long drama. Using a combination of poetry, prose and "on the spot" reporting, a panel of the famous tapestry is brought to life each day in Bayeux (the Woman’s Hour Drama slot at 10.45am). The Classic Serial on the following Sunday (March 25) will be the culmination of the project as the Battle of Hastings itself is fought. The poet, Simon Armitage and writer Jeff Young have collaborated on this enterprise and the action is reported on from the field by Kirsty Young. Christopher Ecclestone plays King Harold.
In contrast Radio 4 presents new work from three leading playwrights - Ariel Dorfman (Konfidenz), Howard Barker (Knowledge And A Girl) and Michael Hastings (The Crashed Plane). Together with the dramatisations of Peter Ackroyd’s Hawksmoor, Anthony Burgess’s Inside Mr Enderby and Bulgakov’s The White Guard it adds up to a feast of drama.
Two plays based on true stories will be broadcast in February and March. Remembering Mum is a drama documentary about how children cope when a parent dies. It blends drama and interviews with bereaved children. Mike Walker’s Twenty Three Years tells the story of a man jailed for that length of time for a crime he didn’t commit.
John Le Carre returns to Radio 4 to read his latest novel The Constant Gardener as a Book At Bedtime. A few weeks later Margaret Drabble’s The Peppered Moth will be the featured book. But there is only one book with which to start the new year - and that is 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke.
One of the most successful innovations brought about by the schedule changes in 1998 was the introduction of Book Of The Week. Listeners who go out to work or want to listen to the Daily Service miss the readings. In the New Year the Book Of The Week will be repeated at 12.30am, the old Late Book slot. The resources saved by discontinuing the small number of original Late Book readings will be used to strengthen the Book At Bedtime strand.
Two new comedy series make their debuts on Radio 4. Llewella Gideon joins the small band of women writer/performers who star in their own show. The Little Big Woman Show is based on her highly successful one-woman show written with Lynn Peters. Matt Lucas and David Walliams write and star in Little Britain, a new character-comedy sketch show exploring life in Britain as it is lived today. Each show looks at a different facet of life as experienced by some less than ordinary British folk, all introduced by the voice of Tom Baker.
One of Radio 4’s most successful comedies, Old Harry’s Game, makes a welcome return with Andy Hamilton as Satan. Stephen Fry and John Bird star as the two ex BBC Radio Controllers in another series of Mark Tavener’s Absolute Power.
A major six part series sends Robert McNab on a search to find out how places have influenced visual artists in Art Atlas and Paul Barber, star of The Full Monty tries to find out why no black British actor has become an international film star (Black On Screen).
Professor Tom Kirkwood gives next year’s Reith Lectures on the subject of ageing. He looks at the physical processes involved and challenges some commonly held assumptions connected with age (The Reith Lectures).
January sees the 100th anniversary of the death of Queen Victoria and Radio 4 marks the event with a season of special programmes that examine the legacy of Victoria and her era.
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