BBC four A series of documentaries focusing on art, including all art forms from music and film, to painting, literature and more. The documentaries, which tell interesting and inspiring stories about various important artworks and artists, are regarded as highly original and innovative ever since the first one was aired back in 1967. Some of the most acclaimed and well-known films are dedicated to artists 2026-08-11 Documentary which follows presenters Dick Strawbridge and Alice Roberts as they explore the spectacular British landscapes that inspired children's author Arthur Ransome to write his series Swallows and Amazons.The landscapes he depicted are based on three iconic British waterlands. The beauty and drama of the Lake District shaped by ancient glaciers and rich in wildlife and natural resources, the 2026-08-11 2026-08-11 Join our host, railway expert and transport historian Tim Dunn, as he takes us on a journey to explore the fascinating architecture that was created along the railway lines of the UK and Europe. From ground-breaking designs, challenging structural engineering and Victorian grandeur to simple single storey brick constructions and from viaducts to stations, bridges, tunnels, hotels, swimming pools a 2026-08-11 2026-08-11 A gentle sitcom set in the fictional village of Grantleigh, and the aristocratic family seat of the fforbes-Hamilitons. The widow of the deceased Lord of the Manor is Audrey, who inherits the Grantleigh Manor, which has been in her family for hundreds of years. But her husband's debts have left the estate bankrupt and Audrey has no option but to sell up. The new Lord of the Manor is Richard DeVere 2026-08-11 The story revolves around Hyacinth Bucket, a housewife from a lower class whose only aim in life is to impress others with her etiquette and social skills and climb the social ladder. She is terrified that her background will be revealed one day, and goes above and beyond to hide it. She insists her inharmonious surname is pronounced Bouquet. All her attempts as a rule lead to awkward comic situat 2026-08-11 The story of an epic 1930s quest to find the origins of the earliest Irish men and women on the island of Ireland using archaeology. Ardal goes back to world-famous archaeological sites to see how Ireland had some of the most important finds in Europe at the time. Further beneath the surface, Ardal discovers how both in Northern Ireland and what was then called the Irish Free State, archaeology wa 2026-08-11 On the Pacific front, towards the end of World War II, Japan's imperial armed forces launched 'kamikaze' attacks – suicide missions by aircraft laden with bombs. It was a mad operation with no hope of returning alive, but the nation went wild, and the attacks continued for ten months, literally until the very last day of the war. Close to 4,000 Japanese airmen died, and nearly 7,000 Allied militar 2026-08-11 First airing in 1957, The Sky at Night is a long-running documentary series that offers an in-depth examination of our majestic night sky. Containing a number astronomical and space-related topics, the series is a highly informative exploration of the night sky, providing viewers with incredibly detailed knowledge on items such as black holes, planets, meteor showers, stellar life cycles, and more 2026-08-11 We love talking about the weather – is it too hot or too cold, too wet or too windy? It's a national obsession. Now scientists have started looking to the heavens and wondering what the weather might be like on other planets. Today, we are witnessing the birth of extraterrestrial meteorology, as technology is allowing astronomers to study other planets like never before. They began with our solar 2026-08-11 Artist and writer Matt Collings takes the plunge into an alien world of equations. He asks top scientists to help him understand five of the most famous equations in science, talks to Stephen Hawking about his equation for black holes and comes face to face with a particle of anti-matter. Along the way he discovers why Newton was right about those falling apples and how to make sense of E=mc2. As 2026-08-12 2026-08-12 The story of an epic 1930s quest to find the origins of the earliest Irish men and women on the island of Ireland using archaeology. Ardal goes back to world-famous archaeological sites to see how Ireland had some of the most important finds in Europe at the time. Further beneath the surface, Ardal discovers how both in Northern Ireland and what was then called the Irish Free State, archaeology wa 2026-08-12 2026-08-12 2026-08-12 Ben Robinson visits Culross, a stunning example of a 17th-century Scottish royal burgh village. Culross was a major centre for Scottish coal mining and boasts the very first place in the world to have a mine shaft that extended under the sea floor. Entering this village is like stepping back in time 400 years, with many of the interesting details and decorations of the buildings remaining. It is a 2026-08-12 2026-08-12 In the third and final part of the series, Alastair Sooke charts the decline and fall of the Roman Empire through some of its hidden and most magical artistic treasures. He travels to Leptis Magna in Libya shortly after the overthrow of Gaddafi and finds one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world and the cradle of later Roman art. Sooke discovers glorious mosaics which have never been fil 2026-08-12 In the second episode, Mary Beard explores the physical world of the Roman Empire, and finds surprising parallels with our own world. Setting out in the footsteps of the emperor Hadrian, she discovers a vast empire bound together by a common material culture, and a globalised economy of such scale that evidence of its side-effects can still be seen today, thousands of miles away from Rome. Mary un 2026-08-12 2026-08-12 2026-08-12 In the third and final part of the series, Alastair Sooke charts the decline and fall of the Roman Empire through some of its hidden and most magical artistic treasures. He travels to Leptis Magna in Libya shortly after the overthrow of Gaddafi and finds one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world and the cradle of later Roman art. Sooke discovers glorious mosaics which have never been fil 2026-08-12 A remarkable journey into the secret world of one of the most endangered and least understood animals on earth – bats. With cutting-edge night-vision cameras and ultrasonic detectors, this programme follows a greater horseshoe bat roost for four months during the summer of 2019, capturing the hidden life of the colony as never before. Witness the birth of a new generation of pups and follow their 2026-08-12