The BBC Four Thread

mike65 · 17-11-2013 3:23pm #1

The only channel I'd pay for (assuming I had to pay for access to just one channel) contains any number of gems from their imported dramas to series about things like box containers, Jonathan Meades and post-modern explorations of the postcard.

This week things get of to a strong start at 9 pm with part 1 of Light and Dark presented by Prof Jim Al-Khalili - about the Universe we can and can't see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxQTqjk-ISc

This is followed at 10pm by Time Shift which looks at the case of the spy Kim Philby and following that Mark Lawson chats with author John le Carre - BBC4 is screening the classic John Irvin directed adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy starting on Tuesday at 10 pm. So basically set your PVRs!

Patty O Furniture · 17-11-2013 6:46pm

That's a bit of a coincidence as the film is on that night as well :P

Time - 21:00 to 23:25 (2 hours and 25 minutes long).
When - Tuesday 19th November on Film4

mike65 · 21-11-2013 6:50pm

Dr Who - the first ever story on BBC4 from 10:30pm

An Unearthly Child Part one of four. The first story of the sci-fi drama, which was originally aired on November 23, 1963. Two teachers investigating the strange behaviour of a pupil find themselves in a junk yard, where they meet her grandfather and force their way inside a police box - with frightening results

All four shown tonight. One for Whovians to tape.

evilivor · 21-11-2013 6:54pm

mike65 wrote: »

The only channel I'd pay for (assuming I had to pay for access to just one channel) contains any number of gems from their imported dramas to series about things like box containers, Jonathan Meades and post-modern explorations of the postcard.

This week things get of to a strong start at 9 pm with part 1 of Light and Dark presented by Prof Jim Al-Khalili - about the Universe we can and can't see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxQTqjk-ISc

This is followed at 10pm by Time Shift which looks at the case of the spy Kim Philby and following that Mark Lawson chats with author John le Carre - BBC4 is screening the classic John Irvin directed adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy starting on Tuesday at 10 pm. So basically set your PVRs!

Best of all, BBC4 HD will be with us shortly.

sky23 · 21-11-2013 6:58pm

mike65 wrote: »

The only channel I'd pay for (assuming I had to pay for access to just one channel) contains any number of gems from their imported dramas to series about things like box containers, Jonathan Meades and post-modern explorations of the postcard.

I'm totally with you! Its a quality channel defiantly my most watched. I love my documentary's science, history etc and they defiantly have the best

AllGunsBlazing · 21-11-2013 7:03pm

mike65 wrote: »

The only channel I'd pay for (assuming I had to pay for access to just one channel)

Along with BBC2 the only channels that don't make me want to throw stuff at the telly in exasperation.

mike65 · 22-11-2013 6:04pm

mike65 wrote: »

Dr Who - the first ever story on BBC4 from 10:30pm

All four shown tonight. One for Whovians to tape.

The overnights give audiences of over 350,000. Stand by for BBC4 to show every old Dr Who they can find! :pac:

SimonQuinlank · 22-11-2013 6:12pm

Blackfish doc that was on last night at 9pm about the treatment of killer whales in captivity was excellent,as was nearly every 'Storyville' documentary I've watched.

Fantastic channel.

ben.schlomo · 22-11-2013 6:18pm

Cant beat a bit of Michael Portillo and his railway journeys too. So many excellent historical docs on it too.

AllGunsBlazing · 22-11-2013 6:34pm

SimonQuinlank wrote: »

Blackfish doc that was on last night at 9pm about the treatment of killer whales in captivity was excellent,as was nearly every 'Storyville' documentary I've watched.

Fantastic channel.

Saw that as well. Incredible to think that a whale with such a history of mistreatment and aggression towards it's handlers was still being used in shows. SeaWorld comes out of it looking very shady indeed.

Skid X · 26-11-2013 10:17pm

Coming Up - '4,000 -Year-Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog.'

Documentary about the 4,000 year old 'Cashel Man' body found in Cúl Na Móna Bog

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03js0gf

An international team of experts assemble to investigate this new find, led by Ned Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland. Ned is a veteran archaeologist, and has previously investigated some of Ireland's most famous bog bodies.

Now, will "Cashel Man" help prove his theory these Irish victims were ancient kings? And what clues can the bog bodies of Europe offer to explain our ancestors' most macabre tradition - ritual murder?

Might be worth a look, Thursday at 9pm

irishfeen · 26-11-2013 11:37pm

Skid X wrote: »

Coming Up - '4,000 -Year-Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog.'

Documentary about the 4,000 year old 'Cashel Man' body found in Cúl Na Móna Bog

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03js0gf

Might be worth a look, Thursday at 9pm

I'm fairly sure that program was made by/for RTÉ and was broadcast a while back.

Skid X · 26-11-2013 11:57pm

irishfeen wrote: »

I'm fairly sure that program was made by/for RTÉ and was broadcast a while back.

Possibly, although I think that might have been a different programme about a separate 'find' in the Midlands

http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4286651&tpl=archnews&force=1

A new Northern Irish documentary ‘4000 Year Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog’ has completed post-production.
The documentary follows the forensic investigation of the ancient body found in an Irish peat bog - Cashel Man.

... ‘4000 Year Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog’ will air on BBC 4 next week on Thursday 28th November at 9pm.

irishfeen · 27-11-2013 12:09am

Skid X wrote: »

Possibly, although I think that might have been a different programme about a separate 'find' in the Midlands

http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4286651&tpl=archnews&force=1

Possibly so - I think the RTÉ programme was called Bog Bodies or something.

spank_inferno · 27-11-2013 2:24am

Im a huge fan of 'Only Connect' on monday nights.
I watch it after the much easier University Challenge on BBC 2.

Its a tough one to ace, requires real thought
Its also hosted by the always desirable Victoria Coren.

Also, regarding BBC4, I heard the beeb are mulling over closing the station down?
They have already confirmed it will no longer receive budget for original drama.

SimonQuinlank · 27-11-2013 3:10am

'Cathedrals' doc that was on tonight was quite good,and I'm not a religious person whatsoever.

Documentary on tomorrow night at 9 about the secret life of C.S. Lewis sounds very interesting.

Patty O Furniture · 27-11-2013 11:47pm

spank_inferno wrote: »

Im a huge fan of 'Only Connect' on monday nights.
I watch it after the much easier University Challenge on BBC 2.

Its a tough one to ace, requires real thought
Its also hosted by the always desirable Victoria Coren.

Thanks, I heard she had a new show coming up,
i saw her first on Have I Got News For You teamin up with Ian Hislop & giving sexy smirks over to the other panellist on Paul's team as both were sharing a bit of banter which was funny.

Found two interesting facts on her, as she's a professional poker player when she finds the time as well as married to funny man David Mitchell

Also, regarding BBC4, I heard the beeb are mulling over closing the station down?
They have already confirmed it will no longer receive budget for original drama.

Closed down? one poster back there reckons it wont be long before it goes HD?

Harry Angstrom · 27-11-2013 11:53pm

spank_inferno wrote: »

Im a huge fan of 'Only Connect' on monday nights.
I watch it after the much easier University Challenge on BBC 2.

Its a tough one to ace, requires real thought
Its also hosted by the always desirable Victoria Coren.

Also, regarding BBC4, I heard the beeb are mulling over closing the station down?
They have already confirmed it will no longer receive budget for original drama.

Great programme. I like Victoria Coren's presenting style. She doesn't take it too seriously. It always amuses me how the contestants can solve a very complicated question but they struggle to solve the obvious, such as The Four Seasons' songs on Monday night's connecting wall

mike65 · 27-11-2013 11:54pm

Its not being closed down (David Dimbleby was musing out loud about the BBC having too many of everything) and yes the HD version arrives in the next week or so,

irishfeen · 28-11-2013 12:05am

mike65 wrote: »

Its not being closed down (David Dimbleby was musing out loud about the BBC having too many of everything) and yes the HD version arrives in the next week or so,

Will it be on the Irish epg I wonder?

28-11-2013 12:09am

mike65 wrote: »

Its not being closed down (David Dimbleby was musing out loud about the BBC having too many of everything) and yes the HD version arrives in the next week or so,

Currently testing but can't be tuned on a Sky box. There's a very faint BBC Four HD DOG in the top left but it can't be seen in the photo.

Photo%2027-11-2013%2022%2053%2034.jpg

mike65 · 28-11-2013 12:19am

Saw that myself earlier

Will it be on the Irish epg I wonder?

Freesat is your only man!

There is a thread on the Sat forum about this so check there.

evilivor · 28-11-2013 4:53pm

This looks interesting

BBC Four has acquired a three-part drama series to mark World AIDS Day.

Never Wipe Tears Without Gloves is set in Stockholm in the 1980s and focuses on new couple Rasmus and Benjamin, who fall in love under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic.

Based on Jonas Gardell's series of books with the same name, the drama was met with critical acclaim when it aired in Sweden last year and won the Kristallen Award for 'Best Television Drama'.

Airs monday to coincide with World AIDS Day on December 1.

mike65 · 03-12-2013 7:33pm

9 PM

Tuesday, a one off doc - The Joy of Logic

Computer scientist Dave Cliff provides a light-hearted look at the worlds of philosophy, mathematics, science and technology, all of which require a sound basis of logic. The professor creates the world's first child-run computer, and meets youngsters competing in the International Olympiad of Informatics in Brisbane, Australia, before assessing whether mankind can stay ahead in the field of logistics, or whether it is in danger of creating a machine smarter than the most logical human mind

followed by part 4 of TTSS and then a repeat of 4000 Year Old Cold Case: The Body in the Bog

Mr Pseudonym · 03-12-2013 8:15pm

Greatly looking forward to Joy of Logic. Like, actually cannot wait!

On immediately before that is Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey.

Three part series that "...follows the Earth's voyage around the sun for one complete orbit, travelling first from the July to the December solstice, and showing its effect."

evilivor · 09-12-2013 1:27pm

BBC four HD goes live tomorrow along with BBC Three HD, BBC News HD, CBeebies HD and CBBC HD.

mike65 · 11-12-2013 12:13am

BBC4 is in High Definition

Not that it made any difference for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy of course (the print deffo needs restoration), I'm just about keeping up with the who, what, when, where and why of Le Carre's tale.

stoneill · 11-12-2013 9:05am

Hidden Dangers with Suzannah Lipscomb.
My history teachers never looked that good!

Harry Angstrom · 11-12-2013 9:31am

I was watching BBC Four last night, but it wasn't in HD.....

evilivor · 11-12-2013 11:25am

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I was watching BBC Four last night, but it wasn't in HD.....

Were you watching BBC Four or BBC Four HD?

brian_t · 17-12-2013 4:52pm

neris · 17-12-2013 11:46pm

Enjoying the rerun of tinker tailor soldier spy more enjoyable then the movie

mike65 · 18-12-2013 1:05am

Yep ended tonight, when George Smiley grabbed the door handle in the cell he did so like it was Bills throat! Its great to see drama where you can have two or three people in a room just talking for several minutes with no music blaring away telling you what to think/feel.

neris · 18-12-2013 10:30am

mike65 wrote: »

Yep ended tonight, when George Smiley grabbed the door handle in the cell he did so like it was Bills throat! Its great to see drama where you can have two or three people in a room just talking for several minutes with no music blaring away telling you what to think/feel.

Hopfullt they,ll rerun smileys people in the new year

120_Minutes · 18-12-2013 11:16am

Sometimes i'll flick by it and go "really? a documentary about that?"

then it's two hours later and i've watched a documentary about motorways.

Great channel esp for music stuff.

evilivor · 18-12-2013 1:24pm

120_Minutes wrote: »

Sometimes i'll flick by it and go "really? a documentary about that?"

then it's two hours later and i've watched a documentary about motorways.

Great channel esp for music stuff.

True.

The Road was one of my faves - but then the Storyville slot is never less than interesting.

mike65 · 08-01-2014 6:46pm

Everyone favourite topic this er weather

Wednesday 9.30 - 10.30

Hurricanes and Heatwaves: The Highs and Lows of British Weather
Documentary focusing on the evolution of the weather forecast, from print via radio to TV and beyond, featuring an insight into how the Met Office and the BBC have always used the latest technology to bring the holy grail of accurate forecasting that much closer. Yet, as hand-drawn maps have been replaced by weather apps, the bigger drama of global warming has been playing itself out, as if to prove that people were right all along to obsess about the weather

mike65 · 10-01-2014 6:50pm

With Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads over (great series that), BBC4 re shows a series that hasn't been on terrestrial screens for many years - Ever Decreasing Cricles, Richard Briers is the suburban everyman who locks horns with new neighbour Peter Egan, Penelope Wilton is his stoical wife.

Thursdays at 8 pm.

Skid X · 10-01-2014 6:52pm

mike65 wrote: »

With Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads over (great series that), BBC4 re shows a series that hasn't been on terrestrial screens for many years - Ever Decreasing Cricles, Richard Briers is the suburban everyman who locks horns with new neighbour Peter Egan, Penelope Wilton is his stoical wife.

Thursdays at 8 pm.

One of the most underrated Sitcoms ever, I think. Good to see it back on the BBC.

Skid X · 15-01-2014 5:41pm

Looks like an interesting film documentary on Monday Jan 20th (9pm & 1.50am), it has good reviews.

Project Nim

Documentary about a chimpanzee who formed the focus of an unusual experiment in the 1970s. The ape was raised as a child by a family in an attempt to disprove the accepted wisdom that only humans are capable of using language. But the study was placed in jeopardy as the animal became stronger and more aggressive when it grew to adulthood

evilivor · 15-01-2014 6:24pm

Skid X wrote: »

Looks like an interesting film documentary on Monday Jan 20th (9pm & 1.50am), it has good reviews.

Project Nim

It's good - they showed it last year, or the year before, too.

It's followed with a new Storyville film though: Big Brother Watching Me: Citizen Ai Weiwei

mike65 · 19-01-2014 3:52pm

John Boorman on BBC4 -

9 pm Point Blank, lee MArvin stars in this "elliptical" thriller followed by
10.30 pm Me and Me Dad: A Portrait of John Boorman

A profile of the film-maker - who directed titles including Hell in the Pacific, Excalibur and Deliverance - produced by his daughter Katrine over a four-year period. The film provides an insight into Boorman's adventures in Hollywood, as well as his childhood and marriages, and why film is the only thing he ever truly loved

Harry Angstrom · 21-01-2014 12:28am

mike65 wrote: »

John Boorman on BBC4 -

9 pm Point Blank, lee MArvin stars in this "elliptical" thriller followed by
10.30 pm Me and Me Dad: A Portrait of John Boorman

A profile of the film-maker - who directed titles including Hell in the Pacific, Excalibur and Deliverance - produced by his daughter Katrine over a four-year period. The film provides an insight into Boorman's adventures in Hollywood, as well as his childhood and marriages, and why film is the only thing he ever truly loved

The only bad thing about John Boorman is that he gave the world Charley Bore-man.

PeterDuggan · 21-01-2014 1:32am

The RTE drama "Amber" has been picked up by BBC4 for transmission later this year.

mike65 · 26-01-2014 11:59pm

Did anyone just catch this?

An audio-visual poem to the power of steel and the people who make it.

Storyville: The Big Melt - How Steel Made Us Hard

Documentary featuring footage from the BFI National Archive, telling the story of Sheffield and its steelworks, including what it was like in the furnaces and how the industry has helped shape national heritage. The clips are set to music recorded at the city's Crucible Theatre on the opening night of Doc/Fest in June 2013, featuring Jarvis Cocker and members of Pulp, the City of Sheffield Brass Band and Richard Hawley,

Sadly no repeat in the immediate future as far as I can see.

mike65 · 31-01-2014 12:15am

The Bridge ends this weekend and a new import takes over the slot - its Belgian!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/salamander.html

Trailer here

http://vimeo.com/51049098

Yamanoto · 31-01-2014 12:25am

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

The only bad thing about John Boorman is that he gave the world Charley Bore-man.

The Guardian review of Charley Boorman: Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means made me chuckle.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2009/oct/19/charley-boorman-bear-grylls-ferrell

You know, he's that grinning idiot with the teeth and the bulging eyes, who used to be Ewan McGregor's sidekick and then somehow got his own gig. Having a famous mate, and a famous dad (John, the film director), that seems to have been what got him the job. Unless it's for his insightful observations on the road . . .

– Charley on riding a motorbike through Sulawesi: "Here I am on a motorbike, and it's beautiful, beautiful countryside, just stunning."

– Charley on boatbuilding: "Beautiful, I like it, that's amazing."

– Charley on a Toyota Land Cruiser: "Beautiful, just beautiful."

– Charley on riding a motorbike through Sulawesi, part 2: "It's beautiful, just riding along the coastline, up and down the mountains, and all sorts of different places. It's – very, very, very beautiful here."

– Charley on the view: "Look at that, incredible, it's just so beautiful here."

– Charley on the weather: "The weather's just so beautiful here."

– Charley on riding a motorbike through Sulawesi, part 3: "We'll just ride and ride and ride, and it's going to be beautiful."

They may as well have sent Bernard Matthews. I'm glad you're having a lovely holiday Charley, and I admire your enthusiasm, but I don't really understand why this is on television. You need to tell me interesting stuff, entertain me, or amuse me. Or do something extraordinary. And I'm not sure this is extraordinary – your team of fixers calling ahead to arrange for you to borrow beautiful Harley-Davidsons and Toyota Land Cruisers. Or, when that doesn't happen, taking the bus or a plane like everyone else. It's all so very uninteresting.

Dozen Wicked Words · 31-01-2014 10:15am

mike65 wrote: »

The Bridge ends this weekend and a new import takes over the slot - its Belgian!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/salamander.html

Trailer here

http://vimeo.com/51049098

Trailer was a bit naff, the really obvious bullet point graphics and the music particularly, but I'll give it a go, two different languages to listen to again whilst reading the subtitles. Lovely.

Alun · 31-01-2014 3:27pm

mike65 wrote: »

The Bridge ends this weekend and a new import takes over the slot - its Belgian!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/salamander.html

Trailer here

http://vimeo.com/51049098

Great! I'm looking forward to a foreign language program where I'll be able to understand what they're saying. I wish the subtitles were optional instead of hard coded though, they're pretty off-putting when you're trying to listen to what they're saying.

mike65 · 31-01-2014 3:35pm

Also coming soon "the Life of Rock" a major new documentary series by Simon Day Brian Pern (and Nigel Havers, Vic Reeves, David Arnold, Peter Gabriel, Paul Whitehouse, Bob Mortimer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRUCKRJr1PQ

Dozen Wicked Words · 31-01-2014 5:09pm

Alun wrote: »

Great! I'm looking forward to a foreign language program where I'll be able to understand what they're saying. I wish the subtitles were optional instead of hard coded though, they're pretty off-putting when you're trying to listen to what they're saying.

You are probably a fairly tiny minority though, a nice big bit of black card along the bottom of your TV should get rid of the subtitles nicely! Incidentally, Is Dutch an easy language to learn? Is the Belgian variation the same.

The BBC Four Thread

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