BBC four

African American writer and poet Maya Angelou goes on a pilgrimage to Burns Country in Scotland. She is welcomed to Ayrshire by a group of Burnsians who hold a party in her honour to celebrate Rabbie Burns's genius. They sing his songs and read his poems, while Angelou, in return, performs one of her own works. Originally broadcast to commemorate the bicentenary of Burns's death in 1996, it is an

With Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne, Derek Fowlds, Anthony Carrick, Dennis Lill, Jeffry Wickham. Sitcom about the premiership of Jim Hacker, one-time government minister now elevated to Number 10. When Hacker's predecessor decides to publish his memoirs, Jim tries to suppress a chapter in which he appears in an unfavourable light. The chapter is then leaked to the press, along with the informatio

Elevated to the highest governmental office in unusual circumstances, the Rt Hon James Hacker MP sets about implementing his dream of reshaping Britain, introducing a host of exciting reforms, reinvigorating the economy and cementing his place in political history as a bold public benefactor and inspiring leader. Nothing less than a root and branch upheaval of the stuffy Whitehall machinery will d

Archaeologist Julian Richards visits a team working on one of the most impressive Anglo-Saxon graveyards ever discovered, on a US air force base in Suffolk. A warrior is discovered buried beside his horse, encircled by graves holding children, some buried with full-size weapons. As the bones and grave goods are removed and analysed, Julian takes a journey back 1,400 years to find out about the war

As Hetty Wainthropp (Patricia Routledge) reaches retirement age at 60 and faces an uncertain future financially, she decides that the life of a pensioner is not for her and opens a detective agency instead. Armed only with her no-nonsense Lancashire attitude and her notebook, she embarks on a series of criminal investigations. Aided by her teenage sidekick and reformed thief, Geoffrey, and her dev

The Bayeux Tapestry is a remarkable and unique work of art that has survived for almost 1,000 years. Made in the 11th century, it tells the story of William of Normandy's claim to the English throne, culminating in the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings. Surprisingly for an object of its size, the Bayeux Tapestry is not mentioned in any contemporary records. So where does it com

Little more than 100 years ago, Scottish mountains standing at more than 3,000 feet were virtually unknown. Today they are familiar terrain to many thousands of climbers, thanks to Victorian adventurer Hugh Munro's determination to list the high peaks which now define the highlands and islands of Scotland. This documentary tells the story of the magnificent peaks that bear his name and the people

The Bayeux Tapestry is a remarkable and unique work of art that has survived for almost 1,000 years. Made in the 11th century, it tells the story of William of Normandy's claim to the English throne, culminating in the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings. Surprisingly for an object of its size, the Bayeux Tapestry is not mentioned in any contemporary records. So where does it com

Documentary that showcases pioneering images capturing the dazzling array of mysterious creatures that live in China's most beautiful landscapes. Beneath billowing clouds, in China's far south west, rich jungles nestle below towering peaks. Jewel-coloured birds and ancient tribes share forested valleys where wild elephants still roam. How do these forests exist? Perhaps the rugged landscape holds

Broadcaster and journalist Samira Ahmed takes viewers on a remarkable journey to places rarely seen, as she travels through Iran, telling the story of a complex and fascinating people, their culture and their history. Samira gives a remarkable account of the clash between two powerful civilisations and explains how Iran preserved its distinctive language and culture despite the Arab conquest of Pe

Unique behind-the-scenes look at Tim Peake as he prepares to become Britain's first astronaut on board the International Space Station. For the past two years, Tim has been filming a video diary for Horizon showing the risks, pressures and rigorous training required to launch into space. Horizon also talks exclusively to his wife and two children as they prepare to wave him goodbye on his voyage t

Eight days, three hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds. That is the total duration of the most important and celebrated space mission ever flown – Apollo 11 – when humans first set foot on the moon. It was a journey that changed the way we think about our place in the universe. But we only saw a fraction of what happened – a handful of iconic stills and a few precious hours of movie footage. Now it is ti

A series examining horizon-broadening stories from the perspective of science and philosophy. Each item is a comprehensive examination of a certain topic or issue, diving into the heart of the story to uncover the truth about a particular subject. The series has investigated a wide variety of stories, from the perceived link between the MMR vaccine and autism, to the decline in Switzerland's estee

Unique behind-the-scenes look at Tim Peake as he prepares to become Britain's first astronaut on board the International Space Station. For the past two years, Tim has been filming a video diary for Horizon showing the risks, pressures and rigorous training required to launch into space. Horizon also talks exclusively to his wife and two children as they prepare to wave him goodbye on his voyage t

Broadcaster and journalist Samira Ahmed takes viewers on a remarkable journey to places rarely seen, as she travels through Iran, telling the story of a complex and fascinating people, their culture and their history. Samira gives a remarkable account of the clash between two powerful civilisations and explains how Iran preserved its distinctive language and culture despite the Arab conquest of Pe

From Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Michael visits the National Coal Mining Museum for England at Caphouse Colliery. He pauses to admire the tall spire of Wakefield Cathedral and its resident peregrine falcons before heading to the banks of the River Calder. In a vast factory, he finds the headquarters of a shirt manufacturer, Double Two, a pioneering wartime business co-founded by a Jewish refugee fr

Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the Lake District landscape that inspired the great British fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guidebooks. Julia is in the village of Grasmere for a climb up Helm Crag, defined by the collection of rock formations at its summit – a feature that has lent it the nickname of the Lion and the Lamb. The rocks make for a su

Elevated to the highest governmental office in unusual circumstances, the Rt Hon James Hacker MP sets about implementing his dream of reshaping Britain, introducing a host of exciting reforms, reinvigorating the economy and cementing his place in political history as a bold public benefactor and inspiring leader. Nothing less than a root and branch upheaval of the stuffy Whitehall machinery will d

Elevated to the highest governmental office in unusual circumstances, the Rt Hon James Hacker MP sets about implementing his dream of reshaping Britain, introducing a host of exciting reforms, reinvigorating the economy and cementing his place in political history as a bold public benefactor and inspiring leader. Nothing less than a root and branch upheaval of the stuffy Whitehall machinery will d

Thomas Cromwell has gone down in history as one of the most corrupt and manipulative ruffians ever to hold power in England. A chief minister who used his position to smash the Roman Catholic church in England and loot the monasteries for his own gain. A man who used torture to bring about the execution of the woman who had once been his friend and supporter – Anne Boleyn. Diarmaid MacCulloch, pro

From Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Michael visits the National Coal Mining Museum for England at Caphouse Colliery. He pauses to admire the tall spire of Wakefield Cathedral and its resident peregrine falcons before heading to the banks of the River Calder. In a vast factory, he finds the headquarters of a shirt manufacturer, Double Two, a pioneering wartime business co-founded by a Jewish refugee fr

Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the Lake District landscape that inspired the great British fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guidebooks. Julia is in the village of Grasmere for a climb up Helm Crag, defined by the collection of rock formations at its summit – a feature that has lent it the nickname of the Lion and the Lamb. The rocks make for a su

Thomas Cromwell has gone down in history as one of the most corrupt and manipulative ruffians ever to hold power in England. A chief minister who used his position to smash the Roman Catholic church in England and loot the monasteries for his own gain. A man who used torture to bring about the execution of the woman who had once been his friend and supporter – Anne Boleyn. Diarmaid MacCulloch, pro

Documentary that showcases pioneering images capturing the dazzling array of mysterious creatures that live in China's most beautiful landscapes. Beneath billowing clouds, in China's far south west, rich jungles nestle below towering peaks. Jewel-coloured birds and ancient tribes share forested valleys where wild elephants still roam. How do these forests exist? Perhaps the rugged landscape holds

Michael Portillo continues his post-war exploration of north west England in Bradford, Shipley and Hebden Bridge. In Centenary Square in Bradford, Michael encounters Bradford's literary giant JB Priestley, author of An Inspector Calls. In the Bradford Royal Infirmary, Michael traces the hospital's pioneering history of chemotherapy and learns how new drugs to impede the spread of cancer are being

Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the Lake District landscape that inspired the great British fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guide books. Julia starts her walk in the quiet, mysterious valley of Mardale, where the local village was lost forever when the valley was flooded to create the Haweswater reservoir. The history continues as she climbs 2,50

Brian believes we are at the start of a new age of space travel, where space flight is on the verge of becoming routine. In this episode, he explores the latest science and takes a new look at his old films and asks: how far can we go in our exploration of the cosmos? Brian begins in Russia's cosmonaut training facility in the outskirts of Moscow, where he dons a spacesuit to discover what "the ri

Former Royal Marine and expedition leader Bruce Parry sheds the trappings of a western existence and journeys to meet some of the world's oldest and most remote tribes. Daring to go where other presenters fear to tread, he immerses himself in the traditions and practices of these indigenous people. In this series, he travels to the so-called 'Cradle of Mankind', the Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia

What is it about stories of magic, epic adventure, and imaginary worlds that has turned fantasy fiction into one of the world's most popular forms of storytelling, regularly filling the bestseller lists and entrancing adults and children alike? In the second episode of his series that deconstructs the books we (really) read, Andrew Marr argues that these stories are filled with big ideas. Yes, the