BBC four

Alastair Sooke reveals the astonishing range of our medieval sculpture, from the imposing masterpieces of our Gothic cathedrals to the playful misericords underneath church stalls. He shows how the sculpture of the era casts a new light on medieval Britain, a far more sophisticated, fun-loving and maverick place than we in the modern world commonly believe. But despite the technical and emotional

James Fox uses art to explore how humans began to try to understand nature for the very first time. From the Song dynasty in China and the Islamic world, through to the Scientific Revolution and the advent of the industrial era, James shows the very different ways in which humans came to both appreciate and understand nature, whilst at the very same time beginning to dominate and control it. With

Join presenter Richard Miles in this three-part documentary series which explores the history of archaeology, tracking the breakthroughs and developments throughout the years of discovery. Beginning around 2,000 years ago, Richard looks at the difficulties faced by early archaeologists tasked with proving biblical truths. The 18th and 19th centuries coincided with the peak of European empires and

Join our host, railway expert and transport historian Tim Dunn, as he takes us on a journey to explore the fascinating architecture that was created along the railway lines of the UK and Europe. From ground-breaking designs, challenging structural engineering and Victorian grandeur to simple single storey brick constructions and from viaducts to stations, bridges, tunnels, hotels, swimming pools a

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

Leonard Rossiter gives one of his finest deadpan comedy performances as Reginald Perrin. In the first series, he is a frustrated and bored fruit dessert sales executive who yearns for something more than exotic mango flavourings to spice up his middle-aged life. In a desperate attempt to realise his dreams, the father-of-two fakes a beach suicide and returns as his long-lost best friend from South

Leonard Rossiter gives one of his finest deadpan comedy performances as Reginald Perrin. In the first series, he is a frustrated and bored fruit dessert sales executive who yearns for something more than exotic mango flavourings to spice up his middle-aged life. In a desperate attempt to realise his dreams, the father-of-two fakes a beach suicide and returns as his long-lost best friend from South

9am, 20th January 1607. A massive wave devastated the counties of the Bristol Channel. It came without warning, sweeping all before it. The flooding stretched inland as far as the Glastonbury Tor. Two hundred square miles of Somerset, Devon, Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire were inundated. Up to two thousand people died. Yet for four hundred years the Killer Wave of 1607 has been forgotten. Tonigh

Professor Jim Al-Khalili takes a sharp-witted and refreshingly optimistic look at how we have created machines that can simulate, augment, and even outperform the human mind – and why we shouldn't let this spook us. Following in the footsteps of BBC Four's award-winning maths films like ''The Joy of Stats' and 'The Joy of Data', and the recent "Joy of Winning" this latest gleefully nerdy adventure

9am, 20th January 1607. A massive wave devastated the counties of the Bristol Channel. It came without warning, sweeping all before it. The flooding stretched inland as far as the Glastonbury Tor. Two hundred square miles of Somerset, Devon, Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire were inundated. Up to two thousand people died. Yet for four hundred years the Killer Wave of 1607 has been forgotten. Tonigh

In his mission to uncover the craft and engineering skills that helped to build Britain, Fred looks to the Middle Ages and the transformation of an Englishman's castle into his home. Carpenters were the great engineers of this time, and Fred visits Stokesey Castle, the oldest moated and fortified house in England, to scale the walls and examine the technique of "jettying" – making the bedroom a bi

Ben Robinson unearths the ancient past of Greyabbey, a small village on Northern Ireland's beautiful Strangford Lough. The village name comes from Grey Abbey, its Cistercian abbey-monastery. This is a story of life from the sea – of the moneymaking kelp industry and ingenious methods of catching fish. The village has some of the most impressive archaeological remains in Northern Ireland, including

Dan Snow and a team of experts embark on the adventure of a lifetime, traversing the great Colorado River as it weaves through the Grand Canyon in antique wooden boats. Journeying into the past, Dan and the team are recreating one of the wild west's most fascinating adventures, sailing along the mighty river in a nod to yesteryear. Each section of the river creates its own problems, and against on

Recently discovered home movie footage from 1936 offers a unique and novel insight into what people in Germany were thinking and experiencing. In these prewar days, Germany was on a high and the Hitler Youth seemed like fun and games, but Nazi control was soon to become an all-pervading force, militarising the nation. The rise of anti-Semitism is explicit and grotesque, shocking even though we now

Play for Today is a British anthology series that originally aired from 1970 to 1984. Featuring a number of original television plays and adaptations of stage plays and novels, the series produced more than three hundred episodes of high-quality drama. During its run, the show received numerous awards and nominations for superb writing and exemplary performances from the starring cast. Notable act

Dan Snow and a team of experts embark on the adventure of a lifetime, traversing the great Colorado River as it weaves through the Grand Canyon in antique wooden boats. Journeying into the past, Dan and the team are recreating one of the wild west's most fascinating adventures, sailing along the mighty river in a nod to yesteryear. Each section of the river creates its own problems, and against on

Recently discovered home movie footage from 1936 offers a unique and novel insight into what people in Germany were thinking and experiencing. In these prewar days, Germany was on a high and the Hitler Youth seemed like fun and games, but Nazi control was soon to become an all-pervading force, militarising the nation. The rise of anti-Semitism is explicit and grotesque, shocking even though we now

In his mission to uncover the craft and engineering skills that helped to build Britain, Fred looks to the Middle Ages and the transformation of an Englishman's castle into his home. Carpenters were the great engineers of this time, and Fred visits Stokesey Castle, the oldest moated and fortified house in England, to scale the walls and examine the technique of "jettying" – making the bedroom a bi

A series exploring some of the most fascinating coastal communities of Britain. Presented by archaeologist Ben Robinson, the series takes the viewer to picturesque locations which are rich in history and culture. These former fishing villages are increasingly attractive to holidaymakers, but looking into the past throws a light on significant events, as these places were medieval ports, important

Fred Dibnah is on a mission to uncover and explain the construction skills that went into the building of Britain, and in this episode he travels to Scotland to demonstrate the engineering and design skills that shaped Scottish baronial style. At Glamis Castle, Fred demonstrates how a simple sandstone tower house was transformed 400 years ago into a great house with more than a passing resemblance

Ben Robinson travels to Johnshaven, a once-important Scottish fishing village. When its skilled sailors were press-ganged into the Royal Navy in the late 18th century, it had to diversify into the flax and jute trade – which fed into the jute capital, the nearby city of Dundee. Ben discovers the ruins of an old cloth mill used to make cloth for sails and later coarse linen sacking, a product vital

A great maritime mystery lies deep beneath the waters of the Channel Islands. On the morning of 19 February 1917, German submarine UC-18 opened fire on Royal Navy Q-ship the Lady Olive. As the U-boat drew near to assess the damage it had inflicted, the Lady Olive counter-attacked. Both vessels were said to have sunk. For decades, divers and historians have searched to discover their fate and under

Um die (letzte) Jahrhundertwende machen die Banditen Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) und Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) mit dreisten Eisenbahnüberfällen von sich reden. Ihr kühnster Plan besteht darin, den Pazifik-Express gleich zweimal auszurauben. Beim ersten Mal geht alles gut, beim zweiten Mal warten Gesetzeshüter im Zug…\n\nGeorge Roy Hill verfilmte die authentische Geschichte der Outlaws mit Humo

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

Ein Filmteam fällt über das englische Dörfchen St. Mary her. An vorderster Front zwei alternde Diven, die sich einen gnadenlosen Kampf um ihr Comeback liefern. Der Streit hat mörderische Folgen: Die Sekretärin des Bürgermeisters stirbt durch einen Giftanschlag, der offensichtlich Hauptdarstellerin Marina (Elizabeth Taylor) galt. Chefinspektor Craddock (Edward Fox) geht mit seiner Tante, einer gew