BBC four

A series of documentaries focusing on art, including all art forms from music and film, to painting, literature and more. The documentaries, which tell interesting and inspiring stories about various important artworks and artists, are regarded as highly original and innovative ever since the first one was aired back in 1967. Some of the most acclaimed and well-known films are dedicated to artists

A short compilation of clips from Fred Astaire's days at the RKO studio, where he formed an unforgettable partnership with Ginger Rogers. (Senderinfo).

Dancers of all kinds take over Swansea's streets, landmarks, parks and beaches to showcase the city, explore what home means and celebrate the life-enhancing joy of dance. There are solos, duets and ensembles. From ballet, Latin and contemporary to ballroom, breaking, traditional clog and Welsh folk dance. Locations range from Mumbles Pier and skateboard park to Swansea Bay and the dunes, beaches

This special episode brings together highlights from the series. From hidden forests and turbulent coasts to vast unexplored deserts. We begin in the oldest desert on earth – the Namib, in south western Africa. A pair of ostriches raise their family in the searing heat to keep them safe from predators – but time is ticking as the chicks begin to hatch. Outside the egg, the newborns won't survive l

Celebrated British naturalist Sir David Attenborough examines the diversity and origins of "Life on Earth." The film work is outstanding and the camera teams have employed techniques which remain ground-breaking to this day. The series focuses on the story of how life emerged from simple cells to the plants and animals that are abundant on every continent. Pioneering filming techniques capture bir

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

Documentary series which unearths lost civilisations and reveals the wonders of some of the world's ancient cities. More than 3,000 years ago a mysterious and ruthless civilization rose from nothing, created a brutal and unstoppable army and built an empire that rivalled Egypt and Babylon. Yet, just as it was at the height of its powers, the great empire suddenly vanished from history. This is the

Join our host, Andrew Graham-Dixon, as he takes us on an exploratory journey through the history of Scandinavian art. Focusing on a major thme from each region, he delves into the stories behind each to reveal what they tell us about the culture and era of the times they were created in. Starting off in Norway, Andrew looks at the fascinating work of one of the country's most famous dark artistic

First airing in 1957, The Sky at Night is a long-running documentary series that offers an in-depth examination of our majestic night sky. Containing a number astronomical and space-related topics, the series is a highly informative exploration of the night sky, providing viewers with incredibly detailed knowledge on items such as black holes, planets, meteor showers, stellar life cycles, and more

The 19th century saw a decisive shift in power from the countryside to the cities. With the industrial revolution transforming the British Isles, a divide opened up between the urban and the rural, forcing artists to respond to the upheaval to lives and the landscape. Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson reflects on the inspiration of JMW Turner, arguably the first environmental artist, and we encount

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

A series of documentaries focusing on art, including all art forms from music and film, to painting, literature and more. The documentaries, which tell interesting and inspiring stories about various important artworks and artists, are regarded as highly original and innovative ever since the first one was aired back in 1967. Some of the most acclaimed and well-known films are dedicated to artists

The 19th century saw a decisive shift in power from the countryside to the cities. With the industrial revolution transforming the British Isles, a divide opened up between the urban and the rural, forcing artists to respond to the upheaval to lives and the landscape. Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson reflects on the inspiration of JMW Turner, arguably the first environmental artist, and we encount

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

Hyacinth is dreading being invited to Onslow's birthday party almost as much as he dreads her agreeing to come. However, she changes her mind when she learns that Rose's new boyfriend, a well-to-do Greek businessman, will be picking her and Richard up from their home in his limousine. In true Hyacinth fashion, she decides to hold a cocktails and canapes party starting an hour before the limousine'

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

Simon Schama's epic history reaches the 18th century and the birth of modern Britain. Due to an economic explosion, the consumer society is born, agriculture becomes big business and London becomes the fastest growing city in Europe. However, many in Scotland are unhappy with the union of the Scottish and English parliaments. When Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite army advance on London, the

This film follows the life of an extraordinary woman who revolutionised modern nursing and whose legacy continues to benefit millions. Born into a rich English family, Florence Nightingale broke through social and gender barriers to pioneer a profession previously reserved for men. Dedicating her life to helping those in need, she was a trailblazer who led a group of nurses to care for wounded sol

First airing in 1957, The Sky at Night is a long-running documentary series that offers an in-depth examination of our majestic night sky. Containing a number astronomical and space-related topics, the series is a highly informative exploration of the night sky, providing viewers with incredibly detailed knowledge on items such as black holes, planets, meteor showers, stellar life cycles, and more

Martin Shaw takes a fresh look at one of the most famous war stories of them all. The actor, himself a pilot, takes to the skies to retrace the route of the 1943 raid by 617 Squadron which used a bouncing bomb to destroy German dams. And he sheds new light on the story as he separates the facts from the myths behind this tale of courage and ingenuity. Using the 1955 movie, The Dam Busters, as a ve

Dive deep into the world of the greatest lost cities of the ancient world, that have remained unexplored and shrouded in a veil of mystery to this day. We set out on an exploratory journey in an attempt to unearth some of the ancient cities, following archaeological and historical clues that could lead to significant revelations about some of the greatest civilisations that have ever existed, from

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

Everything around us – from the tiniest insect on Earth to the most distant stars of the cosmos – exists somewhere on a vast scale from cold to hot. In this series, physicist Dr Helen Czerski explores the extraordinary science of temperature. She unlocks the extremes of the temperature scale, from absolute zero to searing heat of stars – and reveals how temperature works, how deep its influence on

In April 1955 Ruth Ellis shot her lover David Blakely dead. It's a case that shocked the nation and it still fascinates today. It has its place in ushering in the defence of diminished responsibility and the eventual abolishment of capital punishment. We all think we know the story, but why, when it was seemingly such an open and shut case, does it still divide opinion on whether Ruth Ellis got th

Writer Roy Clarke is the man responsible for some of the BBC's longest running and most popular sitcoms: Open All Hours, Keeping Up Appearances and Last of the Summer Wine. Despite the success of those series, the piece he's proudest of is A Foreign Field, a one-off drama telling the story of war veterans returning to the beaches of France, remembering not just fallen comrades, but also their roma

Writer and broadcaster Stephen Smith finds out what it took to survive and prosper in the most artistic, decadent and dangerous royal courts in history. He explores Renaissance Florence under the reign of Grand Duke Cosimo Medici. Cosimo's fledgling court prized the finer things in life and some of the greatest painters, sculptors and craftsmen in world history came to serve the Grand Duke. But su

This film follows the life of an extraordinary woman who revolutionised modern nursing and whose legacy continues to benefit millions. Born into a rich English family, Florence Nightingale broke through social and gender barriers to pioneer a profession previously reserved for men. Dedicating her life to helping those in need, she was a trailblazer who led a group of nurses to care for wounded sol