BBC four

The great history of Egypt is inscribed on its monuments, temples and tombs, but hieroglyphs – the written language of the ancient Egyptians – fell silent until 1822 when a young French scholar, Jean-François Champollion, became the first person to decipher their texts for over a thousand years. Champollion's insights and the work of other scholars helped bring an entire civilisation back to life.

2022 marks the fiftieth year since an astronaut last stepped on the moon's surface. We look back at the legacy of the Apollo programme and forward to the future of lunar exploration. Maggie and Chris visit the Science Museum in London, where Maggie discovers from space curator Doug Millard that one of the museum's star attractions – Apollo 10's command module – nearly did not make it back to Earth

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

An alternative history of the Black Death of the Middle Ages and its bitter – but profoundly creative – aftermath. Contemporary artists and performers, alongside historians and curators, reveal how a century of creative renewal emerged from the chaos of plague as survivors found their voice, questioning authority and challenging status and class. Above all, writing in English was revived by works

Africa – home to the greatest wildlife gatherings on earth. But even in this land of plenty, wildlife faces huge challenges. At its heart is a vast tropical rainforest full of life. Here young chimpanzees learn how to use tools to make the most of the jungles riches. With knowledge passed down from generation to generation, they can access the best forest foods. Rivalling the jungle for it sheer a

The great history of Egypt is inscribed on its monuments, temples and tombs, but hieroglyphs – the written language of the ancient Egyptians – fell silent until 1822 when a young French scholar, Jean-François Champollion, became the first person to decipher their texts for over a thousand years. Champollion's insights and the work of other scholars helped bring an entire civilisation back to life.

Various contemporary acclaimed creatives and cultural historians look back on important works of art across 1,500 years of British history, including painting, sculpture, architecture, music, design and literature. The art pieces explored offer a look at pivotal and turbulent moments of historical changes in which they were created, such as the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution or World War I.

Join Fred Dibnah as he explores Britain's industrial history, examining the groundbreaking examples engineering that helped spark the industrial revolution and propel the country to the forefront of the world. In each episode of the six-part series, which originally aired in 1999, he visits important factories and vital structures that were hugely significant during the industrial revolution. On h

Join Robbie Cumming as he embarks on an adventure across the Midlands and North of England from the comfort of his narrowboat, along the Victorian waterways of Britain on a journey of self-discovery. Intersecting various towns and cities, this documentary follows Robbie as he navigates these winding waterways, whilst maintaining his beloved narrowboat the 'Naughty Lass'. Each leg of his journey is

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

Timothy Lumsden is a 40-something librarian, still living with his parents and under the thumb of his domineering mother Phyllis. Although Timothy has sporadic attempts at standing up for himself and abandoning his home in order to lead an independent life, all his attempts prove futile as his mother always stands in the way. It might be that the only force strong enough to break Timothy's bond wi

Queen Elizabeth I was one of the country's most intelligent monarchs, ruling a Protestant rogue state in a Catholic world. But it was her long, tangled relationship with her cousin Mary Queen of Scots that would test her the most. Elizabeth never married. Mary married twice but it ruined her. A magnet for conspiracy and intrigue, Mary tormented Elizabeth until finally executed for treason. But it

2022 marks the fiftieth year since an astronaut last stepped on the moon's surface. We look back at the legacy of the Apollo programme and forward to the future of lunar exploration. Maggie and Chris visit the Science Museum in London, where Maggie discovers from space curator Doug Millard that one of the museum's star attractions – Apollo 10's command module – nearly did not make it back to Earth

Documentary-maker David Malone delves into the secrets of ocean waves. In this elegant and original film he finds that waves are not made of water, that some waves travel sideways and that the sound of the ocean comes not from water but from bubbles. Waves are not only beautiful but also profoundly important, and there is a surprising connection between the life cycle of waves and the life of huma

Join Fred Dibnah as he explores Britain's industrial history, examining the groundbreaking examples engineering that helped spark the industrial revolution and propel the country to the forefront of the world. In each episode of the six-part series, which originally aired in 1999, he visits important factories and vital structures that were hugely significant during the industrial revolution. On h

Join Robbie Cumming as he embarks on an adventure across the Midlands and North of England from the comfort of his narrowboat, along the Victorian waterways of Britain on a journey of self-discovery. Intersecting various towns and cities, this documentary follows Robbie as he navigates these winding waterways, whilst maintaining his beloved narrowboat the 'Naughty Lass'. Each leg of his journey is

Documentary-maker David Malone delves into the secrets of ocean waves. In this elegant and original film he finds that waves are not made of water, that some waves travel sideways and that the sound of the ocean comes not from water but from bubbles. Waves are not only beautiful but also profoundly important, and there is a surprising connection between the life cycle of waves and the life of huma

Fred Dibnah visits the North East, which is rich in railway history. At Bowes Railway he sees an early engineering project by George Stephenson, which was a stationary engine that pulled coal wagons uphill with a rope. At Darlington Railway Museum he admires Stephenson's original Locomotive No 1, the first to run from Darlington to Stockton. At the National Railway Museum, York, he rides on a repl

Join Robbie Cumming as he embarks on an adventure across the Midlands and North of England from the comfort of his narrowboat, along the Victorian waterways of Britain on a journey of self-discovery. Intersecting various towns and cities, this documentary follows Robbie as he navigates these winding waterways, whilst maintaining his beloved narrowboat the 'Naughty Lass'. Each leg of his journey is

For decades, UFOs have intrigued the world, but many scientists avoided studying them. In the United States, after highly publicised sightings of unidentified objects by US Navy pilots, UFOs are moving out of the shadows and into the light as NASA pledges to study them scientifically. So what does science have to say? Though some are identified as balloons, drones, weather phenomena or optical ill

In the second episode, our cameras pick up and follow the projects' next major construction milestones. We get up close and personal with the world's largest land-based crane during the biggest lift on the project to date. We learn how the team has created an extensive flood defence system to protect the site from the worst imaginable weather events – including a once-in-10,000 year storm surge –

Sherlock has his mind palace, Morse his music – every detective has an edge. For most, it's forensic science. This three-part series provides a rare and fascinating insight into the secret history of catching murderers, charting two centuries of the breakthroughs that have changed the course of justice. Surgeon and writer Gabriel Weston explores this rich history through some of the most absorbing

Join Robbie Cumming as he embarks on an adventure across the Midlands and North of England from the comfort of his narrowboat, along the Victorian waterways of Britain on a journey of self-discovery. Intersecting various towns and cities, this documentary follows Robbie as he navigates these winding waterways, whilst maintaining his beloved narrowboat the 'Naughty Lass'. Each leg of his journey is

Fred Dibnah visits the North East, which is rich in railway history. At Bowes Railway he sees an early engineering project by George Stephenson, which was a stationary engine that pulled coal wagons uphill with a rope. At Darlington Railway Museum he admires Stephenson's original Locomotive No 1, the first to run from Darlington to Stockton. At the National Railway Museum, York, he rides on a repl

In the second episode, our cameras pick up and follow the projects' next major construction milestones. We get up close and personal with the world's largest land-based crane during the biggest lift on the project to date. We learn how the team has created an extensive flood defence system to protect the site from the worst imaginable weather events – including a once-in-10,000 year storm surge –

The fascinating field of forensics is put under the microscope as Gabriel Weston examines the history of the science of crime. From the use of DNA to reconstruct a killer's face to hair analysis that tells where a victim lived, cutting edge technology is used alongside historical context to present the cases in terms of their culture, history and the technology of the time. Whether analysing finge

Fred Dibnah examines the skill of the shipbuilders and machine engineers who turned Britain into a great manufacturing nation. In Bristol, Fred visits the SS Great Britain and pays tribute to the designer and his hero, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Fred also travels to Scotland to take a voyage on the paddle steamer Waverley. Back in England, he visits the Windermere Steamboat Museum, the Long Shop Mus

As good as any Dickens novel, this is the triumphant and tragic story of the greatest architectural dynasty of the 19th century. Dan Cruickshank charts the rise of Sir George Gilbert Scott to the very heights of success, the fall of his son George Junior and the rise again of his grandson Giles. It is a story of architects bent on a mission to rebuild Britain. From the romantic heights of the Midl

Abseits des Bürgerkriegsgetümmels suchen drei Männer die Kriegskasse einer Südstaatendivision: der wortkarge Kopfgeldjäger Joe (Clint Eastwood), sein gerissener Kumpan Tuco (Eli Wallach) und der brutale Zyniker Sentenza (Lee Van Cleef). Von Gier getrieben, belauern sie sich gegenseitig, paktieren mal mit diesem, mal mit jenem und machen selbst vor Mord nicht halt…\n\nAuch im letzten Teil seiner be

Fred Dibnah examines the skill of the shipbuilders and machine engineers who turned Britain into a great manufacturing nation. In Bristol, Fred visits the SS Great Britain and pays tribute to the designer and his hero, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Fred also travels to Scotland to take a voyage on the paddle steamer Waverley. Back in England, he visits the Windermere Steamboat Museum, the Long Shop Mus

As good as any Dickens novel, this is the triumphant and tragic story of the greatest architectural dynasty of the 19th century. Dan Cruickshank charts the rise of Sir George Gilbert Scott to the very heights of success, the fall of his son George Junior and the rise again of his grandson Giles. It is a story of architects bent on a mission to rebuild Britain. From the romantic heights of the Midl

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,

A collection of hits from one of pop music's greatest geniuses – Prince, aka 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince', aka 'the Unpronounceable Symbol', and more. Whichever alias he assumed, Prince was always fascinating as both a performer and songwriter, and here are the best of his own appearances on a selection of BBC shows, alongside a rich selection of performances from artists who covered his

James Brown had the Apollo. Jimi Hendrix had Monterey Pop. And Prince had Syracuse, New York's Carrier Dome – the site of his 30 March 1985 Purple Rain Tour performance that was beamed to millions live via satellite and captured for posterity as a Grammy-nominated concert film. For the first time, this powerful performance by Prince and The Revolution has been entirely remixed and remastered, and

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,

Denmark, 1755. Retired army captain Ludvig Kahlen battles the elements, the prejudice of naysayers and the hostility of the local nobility when he resolves to settle on the remote peninsula of Jutland and cultivate its uninhabitable heathland, from which many have failed to yield crops for centuries. Having obtained official backing from the king, Kahlen is promised a noble title if he should succ

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

Timothy Lumsden is a 40-something librarian, still living with his parents and under the thumb of his domineering mother Phyllis. Although Timothy has sporadic attempts at standing up for himself and abandoning his home in order to lead an independent life, all his attempts prove futile as his mother always stands in the way. It might be that the only force strong enough to break Timothy's bond wi

The roof of the Royal Albert Hall nearly comes off in this special Prom dedicated to northern soul, curated by Wigan's Stuart Maconie and Manchester's Joe Duddell. A celebration of raw, rare American soul music that first obsessed young people across the north and the Midlands in the 1960s and 70s, inspiring an all-night dance culture. Epic new arrangements of northern soul anthems are performed b

Two-part series in which Richard E Grant follows in the footsteps of artists who have lived, loved and painted on France's glorious Cote d'Azur. Revealing the intertwined relationship between modern art and the development of the French Riviera as an international tourist haven, Grant explores how impressionist painters Cezanne, Monet and Renoir first discovered the region in the 19th century, whe

When a music score is uncovered deep within the storerooms of the Louvre, musical historians scramble to realise the potential of this piece of papyrus. The text's grammatical features give us a clue to the composer's identity: Carcinus, an author cited by Aristotle in his Rhetoric. His name is engraved on a wall in the Parthenon, and the story of his life offers an insight into the history of Gre