BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Thursday 23 July 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—23/07/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  A Meditation on Mud by Rebecca Stott—Episode 3: The origins of mud
  3/5Award-winning author Rebecca Stott digs into the origins of mud.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—23/07/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—23/07/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—23/07/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Sideways—Stick to the Script
  Throwing away the script to unlock the brain’s creative potential.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—23/07/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Suffering and Growth
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—23/07/26 Royal Welsh Show
  The Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—23/07/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  Artworks—Who Did We Think We Were?, 3. The Festival of Britain 1951 and the Coronation 1953
  3/3Neil MacGregor on past expressions of British identity and how they shape our identity now
3. 09:30
  Artworks—Art That Conquered the World, Guernica
  James Fox asks how Picasso's Guernica became so famous.
4. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—Rapist police officer, Women in Iran, Extreme cleans, Golfer Georgia Hall
  A police officer has been uncovered as a violent rapist.
5. 11:00
  How Boarding Schools Shaped Britain—3. Modern boarding
  Nicky Campbell explores the modern boarding school experience.
6. 11:45
  A Meditation on Mud by Rebecca Stott—Episode 4: Mud and War
  4/5How the drowning mud of World War One overcame both Rebecca’s great uncles.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—23/07/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  The Bottom Line—The Bottom Line Business Awards 2026
  What was the best business move of the last 12 months and who made the biggest blunder?
3. 12:32
  Sliced Bread—Sliced Bread - Series 17, Language Learning Apps
  Can you really learn a new language from apps like Duolingo?
4. 12:57
  Weather—23/07/2026
  The latest weather forecast
5. 13:00
  World at One—Police apologise for ‘missed opportunity’ before Manchester synagogue attack
  The attacker’s phone was seized twice by detectives in months before the incident.
6. 13:45
  Buried—Dead Rabbit, 4. Caught in the Headlights
  4/11Lucy and Chris Packham join a stakeout, to see hare coursing themselves. Is it dangerous?
7. 14:00
  The Archers—22/07/2026
  Emotions run high for Tracy.
8. 14:15
  Drama on 4—The Big Payback
  By Sir Lenny Henry. A comedy drama about the reparations debate, starring Oliver Chris.
9. 15:00
  This Natural Life—Roma Agrawal
  Writer and structural engineer takes Martha Kearney to Kilburn Grange Park in London.
10. 15:27
  Radio 4 Appeal—Parkinson's UK
  Journalist Rory Cellan-Jones makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Parkinson's UK.
11. 15:30
  Feedback—Common Ground, Dead Ringers, and You're Dead To Me
  Andrea Catherwood discusses the short series Common Ground with presenter Evan Davies.
12. 16:00
  The Briefing Room—Part 1: How's the government doing on immigration?
  David Aaronovitch and guests discuss small boats, asylum seekers and illegal migration.
13. 16:30
  BBC Inside Science—Testing testosterone testing
  Will the US army benefit from testing its male soldiers for testosterone levels?
14. 17:00
  PM—Drought declared in parts of the UK
  With millions told to use less, should water companies have done more to secure supplies?
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—Andy Burnham pauses the prisoner early release scheme
  More than 5,000 prisoners including killers were due to be freed from September
2. 18:30
  P.O.V.—Series 2, S2 E6: What If This Was a Sketch Show, Though?
  6/6What if we had got the internet's funniest comedians to make a sketch show, though?
3. 19:00
  The Archers—23/07/2026
  Bert is causing concern.
4. 19:15
  Front Row—Review Show: Trainspotting the Musical, Colson Whitehead's new novel
  Plus fishing romance drama On the Sea.
5. 20:00
  At Your Own Peril—The Gamble
  Lucy Easthope explores the history of risk.
6. 20:15
  The Media Show—Andrew Neil, the PM and the press, AI actor Tilly Norwood
  Andy Burnham’s social media strategy, Andrew Neil on becoming a Youtuber, AI in Hollywood.
7. 21:00
  Loose Ends—Ruthie Henshall, Tez Ilyas, Mica Millar, Joe Pasquale, Dave McCabe
  Kiri Pritchard-McLean and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.
8. 21:45
  The Cows Are Mad—3. Dissidents
  Dissident researchers are convinced the scientific establishment is wrong on BSE.
9. 22:00
  The World Tonight—Burnham pauses early prison release scheme
  The pause comes after criticism of the scheme from survivors and victims' families
10. 22:45
  Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy—Episode 4
  4/10As Rowan gets closer to the family, she is drawn to tell them more about her own life.
11. 23:00
  Radical—Engineering the Climate: Can Injecting Chemicals in the Sky Help Save the Planet? (Professor David Keith)
  Gabriel Gatehouse explores the world of geoengineering.
12. 23:30
  Naturebang—Cuckoo Chicks and the Supernormal Stimulus
  Lessons from a cuckoo on why we want what we want, and why our desires can't be trusted.
13. 23:45
  Today in Parliament—23/07/2026
  Ministers under pressure over prisoner early release scheme. Alicia McCarthy reports.
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Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—24/07/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  A Meditation on Mud by Rebecca Stott—Episode 4: Mud and War
  4/5How the drowning mud of World War One overcame both Rebecca’s great uncles.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—24/07/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—24/07/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—24/07/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  The Briefing Room—Part 1: How's the government doing on immigration?
  David Aaronovitch and guests discuss small boats, asylum seekers and illegal migration.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—24/07/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—The Power of Idleness
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—24/07/26: Drought declared in North Wales, investing in water security, river pollution in Pembrokeshire.
  Drought is declared in North Wales and the Upper Severn catchment.

Friday 24 July 2026