BBC four

What is the allure of the classic espionage story? As Andrew Marr argues in the conclusion to his series about the books we (really) read, the British spy novel is much more than a cloak-and-dagger affair. Rather, these books allow readers to engage with some pretty big questions about the human condition – principally, who are you? What or who would you be willing to betray? And for what cause wo

Michael Portillo ventures deep underground onto London's newest railway: the Elizabeth Line. Emerging into the sunshine in Bedford Square, he recalls the choking smogs which plagued the capital during the 1950s. Back on the Elizabeth Line, Michael travels east to Stratford to visit the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, where pioneering director Joan Littlewood produced groundbreaking plays such as Oh

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

Brian Cox looks at our attempts to answer one of the most profound questions we can ask – are we alone in the universe? With scientists sending space probes to the furthest reaches of our solar system and beyond, the scientific search for alien life has begun. Inspired by a childhood love of science fiction, Brian still hopes to hear from ET. In this film, he explains why this search deserves to b

Michael Portillo continues his rail exploration of the east of England, beginning with the seafront at Felixstowe, where in January 1953 the town was engulfed in the worst flooding to hit England in the 20th century. In Ipswich, Michael inspects new flood defences and is invited to operate the barrier which protects the town centre. From Orford, Michael makes tracks for what was Britain's most sec

England's south west peninsular is the nation's holiday jewel in the crown, with long sandy beaches, breathtaking sea cliffs, fishing villages, caravan and campsite parks, wild moors and tourist town hotspots. There are 630 miles of unbroken pathways, snaking along the coastlines of Dorset, Cornwall and Devon, which are part of the national trail network. Explorer Paul Rose embarks on a mammoth tr

Indien, Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts: Die Sergeanten Daniel Dravot (Connery) und Peachy Carnehan (Caine) sollen wegen Betrug, Schmuggel und Hehlerei des Landes verwiesen werden und fliehen ins entlegene Bergland Kafiristan. Dort, wo es sagenhafte Schätze gibt, wollen sie reich werden. Das Volk empfängt die Weißen mit Hochachtung und verehrt sie als Götter. Selbstüberschätzung bringt die Abenteurer a

Relive some of the greatest film performances from a host of esteemed actors and actresses, as this series delves into the archives to celebrate their revered careers. Featuring interviews with stars at the height of their careers, each episode tells the story of an esteemed individual, focussing on their remarkable contribution to film. First airing in 2013, the series has profiled a number of di

Im September 1944 springen in den Niederlanden 35.000 alliierte Fallschirmjäger hinter den feindlichen Linien ab, um sechs Rheinbrücken zu besetzen. Doch im Zielgebiet liegen starke deutsche Panzerverbände. Das Unternehmen „Market Garden“ endet in einem Fiasko, bei dem 17.000 Soldaten sterben…\n\n„Gandhi“-Regisseur Attenborough († 2014) drehte mit Stars in Kompaniestärke: Sean Connery, Michael Cai

Michael Portillo continues his rail exploration of the east of England, beginning with the seafront at Felixstowe, where in January 1953 the town was engulfed in the worst flooding to hit England in the 20th century. In Ipswich, Michael inspects new flood defences and is invited to operate the barrier which protects the town centre. From Orford, Michael makes tracks for what was Britain's most sec

Professor Brian Cox fulfils a childhood dream by going behind the scenes at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), mission control for Mars 2020 – one of the most ambitious missions ever launched that may finally reveal if life ever existed on the red planet. In 1980, a young Brian Cox wrote to JPL asking for photos from some of their missions to the planets. The pictures they sent him from Voyag

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

Travel back in time with a compilation of legendary performances of classic acts straight from the archive of one of the most popular music chart shows in history. Top of the Pops was broadcast weekly from 1964 until 2006, welcoming the greatest stars who performed their biggest hits. This special brings you unforgettable musical moments of pop and rock icons like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles,

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

An unrivalled talk-show host, Michael Parkinson was the voice of British conversational television for almost 40 years, inviting famous people from business, politics, sports and entertainment to discuss their lives and careers. In this series, Michael remembers some of his most entertaining and memorable guests from the 1970s and 1980s. Guests include Richard Burton, Orson Welles, Kenneth William

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