BBC four

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 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

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

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 BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Ben Gernon perform Bruch's First Violin Concerto and Dvorak's Symphony No 9, 'From the New World'. Bruch's romantic violin concerto is performed by Jennifer Pike, who first gained attention in 2002, when at 12 years old, she won the BBC Young Musician competition. She is now in demand as a soloist around the world. Dvorak wrote his Ninth Symphony on a j

As part of a season of programming marking Sir David Attenborough's 90th birthday, four of his favourite films are brought together as the renowned naturalist looks back on his personal highlights. First transmitted in 1989, Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives showcases the world's major fossil sites. In a number of specially shot interviews, Attenborough introduces extracts from the series where he revea

Renowned ballet dancer Dame Darcey Bussell introduces us to a gem from the BBC's dance archives, The Magic of Dance, which was first transmitted in 1979 to great acclaim and is presented by celebrated ballet dancer, the unforgettable Margot Fonteyn. Darcey describes her favourite moments of the series, including a tap masterclass with the ever-cool Sammy Davis Jr, a beautiful routine by celebrated

Documentary series in which historian Bettany Hughes travels to India, Greece and China, introducing us to three very different thinkers – Buddha, Socrates and Confucius, and evaluating the contribution they have made to different philosophical and religious traditions. Hughes interviews several experts in Buddhism, classical philosophy, and Confucianism, and visits several of the ancient sites as

The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Ben Gernon perform Bruch's First Violin Concerto and Dvorak's Symphony No 9, 'From the New World'. Bruch's romantic violin concerto is performed by Jennifer Pike, who first gained attention in 2002, when at 12 years old, she won the BBC Young Musician competition. She is now in demand as a soloist around the world. Dvorak wrote his Ninth Symphony on a j

Long-running general knowledge quiz that tests the intellectual powers of the brightest undergraduates in Britain. Launched in 1962 and hosted by Bamber Gascoigne, the show achieved cult status with teams from two different rival colleges pitting their wits against each other each week. The questions are as varied and as tough as they can be, and competitors risk having hard-earned points deducted

British quiz show, presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell, in which teams compete in a tournament of finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues. Each episode features two teams of three people competing in four rounds of gameplay. Each of the four rounds involve connections but they are not obvious or easy. The four rounds are ''What is the Connection?'', ''What Comes Fourth?'', ''Connect

Series which unearths lost civilisations and reveals the wonder of some of the world's greatest lost cities. In the Lambeyeque valley in northern Peru lies a strange lost world – the ruins of 250 pyramids, including some of the world's biggest, made out of mud bricks. The Lambeyeque people were haunted by a terrible fear and believed that building pyramids was essential to their survival. Their ob

Leonardo da Vinci is considered by many to be one of the greatest artists who ever lived. Yet his reputation rests on only a handful of pictures – including the world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. As the National Gallery in London prepares to open its doors on a remarkable exhibition of Leonardo's work, Fiona Bruce travels to Florence, Milan, Paris and Warsaw to uncover the story of this

Presented by Andrew Graham-Dixon, British Art at War tells the story of how three British artists responded to the cataclysm of World War One. In the years preceding 1914, David Bomberg, Walter Sickert and Paul Nash set out to paint a new world, but, as the century unfolded, found themselves working in the rubble. David Bomberg is now recognised as the most startlingly original British painter of

In the first of a new series of their city adventures, Janina Ramirez and Alastair Sooke head to Lisbon, rapidly becoming one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations. Winding through the city's cobbled streets, from its steep hills to the picturesque shore line, the cultural riches they encounter reveal the city's fascinating history. From a spectacular monument, to the maritime globetrottin

This episode traces the story of Britain during the 18th century, a period that saw an explosion of creativity and a country with enough money, from trade and conquest, to pay for it. But the money had a dark side: sculptor Thomas J Price visits Harewood House to see the elaborate Robert Adam-designed interiors, Joshua Reynolds portraits and Thomas Chippendale furniture that were paid for by the s