BBC four

Michael Portillo's postwar journey from Merseyside to Teesside resumes at Brayford Pool in Lincoln, where England's oldest canal, the Fossdyke, meets the city of Lincoln. The larger-than-life figure of one of Britain's most celebrated poets, Philip Larkin, rushing towards the platform at Hull Paragon Station leads Michael to investigate his life and work. And alongside the Humber estuary, Michael

A gentle sitcom set in the fictional village of Grantleigh, and the aristocratic family seat of the fforbes-Hamilitons. The widow of the deceased Lord of the Manor is Audrey, who inherits the Grantleigh Manor, which has been in her family for hundreds of years. But her husband's debts have left the estate bankrupt and Audrey has no option but to sell up. The new Lord of the Manor is Richard DeVere

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

In the Medieval and Tudor world there was no question in peoples minds about the order of God's creation – men ruled and women didn't. A King was a warrior who literally fought to win power then battled to keep it. Yet despite everything that stood in their way, a handful of extraordinary women did attempt to rule medieval and Tudor England. In this series historian Helen Castor explores seven que

Sam Willis explores how, by the Wars of the Roses, castles were under attack from a new threat – the cannon – but survived into the Tudor era only to find their whole purpose challenged. What had once been strategic seats of power now had to keep up with the fickle fashions of the court and become palaces to impress monarchs such as Elizabeth I. Just as castles seemed to have lost their defensive

In his acceptance speech for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama stated: 'I believe that force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, as it was in the Balkans'. When the Arab Spring-driven demonstrations against the Syrian regime were brutally put down, Obama, stung by failure in Libya, did not want to be dragged into another war in the Middle East. But when the Syrian regime began to c

America's unwillingness to act after the chemical attack caused Syrian rebels to despair; no-one would come and save the day, leaving a vacuum that would be filled by the forces of Isis, turning Syria into hell on earth. Obama's conclusion was that there was no scenario where intervention in Syria would give a desired outcome. With over half a million killed and millions of refugees fleeing Syria'

In the Medieval and Tudor world there was no question in peoples minds about the order of God's creation – men ruled and women didn't. A King was a warrior who literally fought to win power then battled to keep it. Yet despite everything that stood in their way, a handful of extraordinary women did attempt to rule medieval and Tudor England. In this series historian Helen Castor explores seven que

Sam Willis explores how, by the Wars of the Roses, castles were under attack from a new threat – the cannon – but survived into the Tudor era only to find their whole purpose challenged. What had once been strategic seats of power now had to keep up with the fickle fashions of the court and become palaces to impress monarchs such as Elizabeth I. Just as castles seemed to have lost their defensive

Former politician-turned-travel journalist Michael Portillo takes to the tracks around the British Isles, armed with a copy of the definitive 19th century Bradshaw railway guide, to see how life has changed over the years. Stopping off at busy city interchanges, commuter town stations and village request stops on country lines, Michael meets and chats to people with fascinating stories to tell of

Michael Portillo's postwar exploration of Merseyside to Teesside finds him in York, a paradise for rail enthusiasts. In the company of some of the most famous locomotives ever built, he recalls the controversy surrounding their relocation from London to a freight depot in York. Michael crosses the magnificent Knaresborough viaduct, with its castellated walls and four beautiful arches over the rive

Alastair Sooke follows in the footsteps of Rome's mad, bad and dangerous emperors in the second part of his celebration of Roman art. He dons a wetsuit to explore the underwater remains of the Emperor Claudius's pleasure palace and ventures into the cave where Tiberius held wild parties. He finds their taste in art chimes perfectly with their obsession with sex and violence. The other side of the

Professor Mary Beard is known for her explorations of the ancient world, but here looks back on her more recent past, and the making of her acclaimed four-part 2016 series Ultimate Rome. She explains how the series wasn't just an education for her in regard to the Roman Empire, but also provided her with some valuable lessons in the art of film-making, and reveals some behind-the-scenes stories th

In this first episode, Mary Beard reaches back to the myths and legends of the origins of Rome to gain an insight into the deep-rooted psyche of the people of Rome – a city born through fratricide and rape. But from the very beginning, Rome was also an asylum for outcasts and exiles and because of this, it adopted a uniquely inclusive approach towards its neighbours and defeated enemies. The expan

Alastair Sooke follows in the footsteps of Rome's mad, bad and dangerous emperors in the second part of his celebration of Roman art. He dons a wetsuit to explore the underwater remains of the Emperor Claudius's pleasure palace and ventures into the cave where Tiberius held wild parties. He finds their taste in art chimes perfectly with their obsession with sex and violence. The other side of the

In this first episode, Mary Beard reaches back to the myths and legends of the origins of Rome to gain an insight into the deep-rooted psyche of the people of Rome – a city born through fratricide and rape. But from the very beginning, Rome was also an asylum for outcasts and exiles and because of this, it adopted a uniquely inclusive approach towards its neighbours and defeated enemies. The expan

Former politician-turned-travel journalist Michael Portillo takes to the tracks around the British Isles, armed with a copy of the definitive 19th century Bradshaw railway guide, to see how life has changed over the years. Stopping off at busy city interchanges, commuter town stations and village request stops on country lines, Michael meets and chats to people with fascinating stories to tell of

Former politician-turned-travel journalist Michael Portillo takes to the tracks around the British Isles, armed with a copy of the definitive 19th century Bradshaw railway guide, to see how life has changed over the years. Stopping off at busy city interchanges, commuter town stations and village request stops on country lines, Michael meets and chats to people with fascinating stories to tell of

Oscar-winning fantasy based on the classic comic strip, portraying the early years of the Man of Steel. After his birth on the planet Krypton, Superman grows up on Earth. He becomes a journalist, but must juggle his job with his secret identity as a powerful superhero and his battles with arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. Luthor plans to lay waste to the west coast of America and Superman is the only one w

There are very few famous personalities who have not sat on the interview couch with veteran broadcaster Michael Parkinson, for an in-depth conversation exploring their childhoods, early career starts and professional successes and occasional failures. World leaders, top sports people, filmmakers, legendary actors, political campaigners, business chiefs and famous musicians have shared stories and

Edinburgh is often described as the "Athens of the North" but its most famous detective Inspector Rebus views Scotland's capital in quite a different light – it is a crime scene waiting to happen. As his creator Ian Rankin prepares to write the last ever Rebus case, the award-winning author re-visits the key locations from the books. From the city's "pubic triangle" and the home of Scotland's most