BBC Radio 4 FM - Schedules Homepage Accessibility links Skip to content Accessibility Help BBC Account Notifications Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Technology Health Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live More menu Search BBC Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Technology Health Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live Close menu BBC Radio 4 Main content This week Calendar BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Tuesday 21 July 2026 Tue 14 Jul Wed 15 Jul Thu 16 Jul Fri 17 Jul Sat 18 Jul Sun 19 Jul Mon 20 Jul Today 21 Jul Wed 22 Jul Thu 23 Jul Fri 24 Jul Sat 25 Jul Sun 26 Jul Mon 27 Jul Tue 28 Jul Schedule Skip to: On air Early Morning Afternoon Evening Late Early 00:00 Midnight News—21/07/2026 National and international news from BBC Radio 4 00:30 A Meditation on Mud by Rebecca Stott—Episode 1: The walk 1/5 A scientific, historical and cultural journey unearthing the meanings of mud. 00:48 Shipping Forecast—21/07/2026 The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping. 01:00 On air Listen live Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—21/07/2026 BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. Listen live 05:00 News Summary—21/07/2026 National and international news from BBC Radio 4 05:04 Currently—The Rebirth of Orgreave Who benefits as a former mining site is regenerated? 05:34 Shipping Forecast—21/07/2026 The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping. 05:43 Prayer for the Day—21/07/2026 Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection 05:45 Farming Today—21/07/26 Farm fatalities, dry potatoes, Welsh farm subsidies, Lake District guide Farm fatalities and serious injuries remain high, yet many accidents aren't even reported. Back to top Morning 06:00 Today—21/07/2026 News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day. 09:00 Ancient Lives with Mary Beard—Being Greek, The Godfather of Athens Mary Beard and Martin Scorsese chart the rise and fall of an Athenian strongman. 09:30 Inside Health—Staying fit in the heat and do we need electrolytes? Also, running during pregnancy and how to recover. 10:00 Woman's Hour—Hysteroscopy and pain relief, author Danielle Giles Why are women still having womb explorations without being offered adequate pain relief? 11:00 Screenshot—The Swinging Sixties Ellen and Mark revisit the decade that transformed Britain's image around the world. 11:45 A Meditation on Mud by Rebecca Stott—Episode 2: Writing Mud 2/5 Rebecca explores how writers have long been fascinated by the dark side of mud. Back to top Afternoon 12:00 News Summary—21/07/2026 The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4. 12:04 You and Yours—21/07/2026 News and discussion of consumer affairs 12:57 Weather—21/07/2026 The latest weather forecast 13:00 World at One—21/07/2026 News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4 13:45 Buried—Dead Rabbit, 2. Different Killers 2/11 Could the dead animals be a Satanic sacrifice? Chris Packham steps in to investigate. 14:00 The Archers—20/07/2026 Chris has reservations about a loved one. 14:15 Our Friends in the North—Episode 9: 1995 9/10 Award winning series Our Friends in the North re-written for audio by Peter Flannery. 15:00 Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley—Lady on Trial, Christabel Russell - Scandalous Divorce 6/11 Lucy Worsley explores one of the most scandalous divorce cases of the 20th century. 15:30 Heart and Soul—Fighting for the Children of Chernobyl Adi Roche, whose faith inspired a lifetime helping children affected by the disaster. 16:00 Artworks—The Writing Life of Sylvia Plath, 1. Childhood, Youth and Motherhood 1/3 A major three-part series on Sylvia Plath, presented by Mariella Frostrup. 16:30 What's Up Docs?—How can you look after your eyes? Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the intricacies of eye health. 17:00 PM—21/07/2026 Full coverage of the day's news Back to top Evening 18:00 Six O'Clock News—21/07/2026 National and international news from BBC Radio 4 18:30 Meet David Sedaris—Series 9, 4. Eat the Rich! 4/6 Eat the Rich, A Speech to the Graduates and Best Wishes are this week's essays. 19:00 The Archers—21/07/2026 Fallon has something on her mind. 19:15 Front Row—21/07/2026 Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music. 20:00 File on 4 Investigates—21/07/2026 News-making original journalism. 20:40 In Touch—21/07/2026 News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted 21:00 The Art of Being a Zombie Ant Fungus Cultural entomologist Bridget Nicholls investigates a bizarre natural phenomenon. 21:30 The Bottom Line—Twenty Years in Business Evan Davis reflects on how the business landscape has changed since the show began in 2006 22:00 The World Tonight—21/07/2026 In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective. 22:45 Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy—Episode 2 2/10 Rowan has been washed ashore on the Island of Shearwater. She has been badly injured. 23:00 Uncanny—Summer Specials 2026, 3. Little Biter 3/3 Danny Robins hits the seaside for a spine-tingling new investigation. 23:30 Naturebang—Bull Elephants and the Importance of Dads A herd of elephants, a murder mystery, and a lesson on the importance of fatherhood. 23:45 Today in Parliament—21/07/2026 News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament Back to top Late 00:00 Midnight News—22/07/2026 National and international news from BBC Radio 4 00:30 A Meditation on Mud by Rebecca Stott—Episode 2: Writing Mud 2/5 Rebecca explores how writers have long been fascinated by the dark side of mud. 00:48 Shipping Forecast—22/07/2026 The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping. 01:00 Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—22/07/2026 BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service. 05:00 News Summary—22/07/2026 National and international news from BBC Radio 4 05:04 BBC Inside Science—How might we spot nukes in space? What’s the point of having a treaty banning nukes in space if we can’t spot them? 05:34 Shipping Forecast—22/07/2026 The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping. 05:43 Prayer for the Day—The Meaning of Success A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Steve Taylor. 05:45 Farming Today—22/07/2026 The latest news about food, farming and the countryside. Tomorrow Explore the BBC Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Technology Health Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live Terms of Use About the BBC Privacy Policy Privacy Policy Cookies Cookies Accessibility Help Parental Guidance Contact the BBC Make an editorial complaint BBC emails for you Advertise with us Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.