BBC four

Writer Andrew O'Hagan asks what made Robert Burns one of the world's favourite poets, as Scotland celebrates the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of its most famous sons. He travels through the landscape of modern Scotland in a poetic journey to the places that inspired Burns and to discover the story of his wild and dramatic life.

Robert Burns's story has been told over and over, year after year, and with good reason. But in this programme, Scotland's national poet Jackie Kay looks beyond Burns to some of the other extraordinary, and often overlooked, poets Scotland has produced. She brings them out from Rabbie's shadow to see how they have told, and continue to tell, our nation's story. She looks at some of the poets who h

James takes on the job of duty vet at The Darrowby Show.

James is delayed, much to the annoyance of Mrs Hall, whose cooking waits for no man.

Michael Portillo ventures down under to experience one of the world's greatest rail journeys aboard the legendary Ghan Railway. His 1913 Bradshaw's Guide tells him "a transcontinental railway is being constructed" and he traces its route from the southern harbour of Port Augusta to the port of Darwin on the north coast. Along the way, Michael uncovers the history of the ambitious project, which st

Australia, a land cast adrift at the time of the dinosaurs. Isolated for millions of years, the weird and wonderful animals marooned here are like nowhere else on Earth. In the north of this island continent is the Daintree, one of the world's oldest tropical forests. It's home to the most dangerous bird on earth – the cassowary. A dinosaur-like bird standing 6 feet tall, they are formidable but t

Director and actress Rachel Ward is the last person you'd expect to join a farming revolution. Besieged by drought, bushfires and ecological despair, Rachel finds hope in the soil beneath her feet and begins a journey of discovery to regenerate the land on her Australian farm, and herself.

Soprano Joan Sutherland talks to Bernard Levin and sings scenes from some of her most celebrated roles. With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Erich Gruenberg and conducted by Richard Bonynge.

The famous Australian opera singer, introduced and accompanied by Gerald Moore.

Intertribal conflict was a familiar fixture for Australia's First Nations people, but nothing could prepare them for the conflict with the British and European arrivals over land and livelihood. In the first part of this authored series, film-maker Rachel Perkins, who has both European and First Nations ancestry, examines these first encounters following the British arrival in 1788. The British Em

In the 1820s, the colonist population doubled in Tasmania, and so too did the death count as settlers came into conflict with Tasmanian Indigenous people resisting their arrival. In the second part of this authored series, film-maker Rachel Perkins, who has both European and Indigenous Australian ancestry, examines why – despite detailed public records of the extensive conflict in Tasmania – there

The abolition of slavery in the 1830s was a defining moment for the British Empire. Buoyed by their success, the abolitionists looked to the plight of Indigenous people. Their aim: to ensure the foundation of South Australia was done differently and access to land negotiated with First Nations people. But London was literally on the other side of the planet, and on the ground, no such arrangements

Michael Portillo ventures down under to experience one of the world's greatest rail journeys aboard the legendary Ghan Railway. His 1913 Bradshaw's Guide tells him "a transcontinental railway is being constructed" and he traces its route from the southern harbour of Port Augusta to the port of Darwin on the north coast. Along the way, Michael uncovers the history of the ambitious project, which st

Dan Cruickshank travels the Nile, from magnificent Karnak to the desolate ruins of El Amarna, in search of the truth about Akhenaten, the most radical and mysterious pharaoh ever to rule Egypt, and his beautiful wife Nefertiti. They were a golden couple, rich and all-powerful, but when Akhenaten had a personal religious conversion, it changed everything. Akhenaten decided to overturn the entire re

Dan Cruickshank discovers the ingenious techniques that the ancient Egyptians used to make their pyramids, temples and mummies last forever, driven by their obsession with magic and the afterlife. The Egyptians believed they could live forever – that death was not necessarily the end. But to enjoy the afterlife depended on preserving the important things from this life – their bodies, possessions

On a journey through Ancient Egyptian art, Alastair Sooke picks treasures from its most opulent and glittering moment. Starting with troubling psychological portraits of tyrant king Senwosret III and ending with the golden mask of boy king Tutankhamun, Sooke also explores architectural wonders, exquisite tombs and a lost city – site of the greatest artistic revolution in Egypt's history where a ne

It is possible that only one per cent of the wonders of ancient Egypt have been discovered, but now, thanks to a pioneering approach to archaeology, that is about to change. Dr Sarah Parcak uses satellites to probe beneath the sands, where she has found cities, temples and pyramids. Now, with Dallas Campbell and Liz Bonnin, she heads to Egypt to discover if these magnificent buildings are really t

Über das berührende Schicksal von Teenagern, die aus Konzentrationslagern gerettet werden und in England ins Leben zurückfinden. Keine Wachtürme, keine Suchscheinwerfer, keine Krematorien: Die 300 jungen Holocaust-Überlebenden, die 1945 nach England gebracht werden, wissen zunächst nicht, wie ihnen geschieht. Die Einsamkeit am Lake Windermere und der Psychologe Oscar Friedmann sollen helfen, die E

The story of the pioneering project to rehabilitate child survivors of the Holocaust on the shores of Lake Windermere. In the year that marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Holocaust, this powerful documentary, which accompanies the BBC Two drama, The Windermere Children, reveals a little-known story of 300 young orphaned Jewish refugees, who began new lives in England's L

Along the banks of the Nile stand some of the most spectacular buildings in the world – the temples of ancient Egypt. The great gateway of the temple at Edfu is higher and wider than the facade of St Paul's Cathedral, and at Karnac, man is dwarfed by the forest of vast columns in the main hall. Introduced by Cyril Aldred from the 1972 Tutankhamun Exhibition at the British Museum.

Mummies are the best-known relics of the ancient Egyptian civilisation. Together with the elaborate tombs of the pharaohs, they have created the impression that the Egyptians were a death-centred people with a very materialistic view of the after-life. In fact, their beliefs varied from age to age and from class to class within their society, and they were never really as sure about the next world

When the horse-drawn chariot was introduced in the 18th century BC, it created a larger revolution in warfare than did the invention of the tank in our day. Not only was a formidable armoured weapon introduced into battle, but it also caused great social changes. The pharaoh himself now took to the field at the head of his armies – composed henceforth of professionals, as distinct from conscripted

Dan Cruickshank travels the Nile, from magnificent Karnak to the desolate ruins of El Amarna, in search of the truth about Akhenaten, the most radical and mysterious pharaoh ever to rule Egypt, and his beautiful wife Nefertiti. They were a golden couple, rich and all-powerful, but when Akhenaten had a personal religious conversion, it changed everything. Akhenaten decided to overturn the entire re

Dan Cruickshank discovers the ingenious techniques that the ancient Egyptians used to make their pyramids, temples and mummies last forever, driven by their obsession with magic and the afterlife. The Egyptians believed they could live forever – that death was not necessarily the end. But to enjoy the afterlife depended on preserving the important things from this life – their bodies, possessions

On a journey through Ancient Egyptian art, Alastair Sooke picks treasures from its most opulent and glittering moment. Starting with troubling psychological portraits of tyrant king Senwosret III and ending with the golden mask of boy king Tutankhamun, Sooke also explores architectural wonders, exquisite tombs and a lost city – site of the greatest artistic revolution in Egypt's history where a ne

The real side of boat life with Robbie Cumming. Robbie runs aground on the Rochdale Canal – will he make it to Manchester?

Adventurer Paul Rose explores the 79 miles of the Yorkshire Wolds Way, arguably Britain's least well-known national walking trail. The trail starts at the Humber Estuary and ends at the Yorkshire seaside resort of Filey. On the way, Paul takes in the views of the Yorkshire Wolds from the top of the Humber Bridge, learns to ride a penny farthing and searches out the spots made internationally famou

Fletch is about to be released from prison, will he be able to stop himself from going back? First he has to say goodbye to Mr MacKay the prison officer who has been the bane of his life. Follow-on from Porridge.

Lionel takes Jean to meet his father – who has a surprise announcement.

The King's proclamation has been sent around the country. Soon, over 200 MPs will return to Westminster to aid Charles; he simply has to run down the clock. Pym tries to pass parliamentary bills limiting the King's power. But in the Lords, the casting votes are held by the bishops, who are loyal to Charles. Pym knows that, in order to succeed, he must remove them. In mid-December, Pym's group goes

A portrait of anonymous blogger turned best-selling author Aubrey Gordon.

The story of two women who fall in love in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.