Radio & TV Journalism

In this no holds barred account of life in the seconds before, during and after going on air, Newsnight presenter and leading journalist Emily Maitlis gives us the insider info on what we don't get to see on-screen. Giving us the inside scoop on her interviews with everyone from Emma Thompson to Russell Brand, and Donald Trump to Prince Andrew this is a brilliant exposé of the moments that never make the news.

An enthusiast's guide to the shows that have made Radio 4 what it is, with an addictive mix of biography, anecdote and occasional useless fact. It also explores some of the wonderful corners of the network's history that are long forgotten by all but a few.

The half millennium between the creation of the English nation in around 550 and the Norman Conquest in 1066 was a formative one. This groundbreaking series rediscovers the Anglo-Saxons through vivid portraits of thirty incredible men and women, as told by their contemporary admirers. 

Nobel prize-winner Seamus Heaney discusses the Beowulf bard; former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams focuses on St Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael Wood celebrates Penda, the much-maligned last pagan king of England; Barbara Yorke tells the story of Hild of Whitby, the powerful abbess and largely forgotten pre-feminism model; and writer David Almond investigates the oldest surviving English poet, Caedmon.

From royalty to peasants, the women behind the Bayeux Tapestry to rebellious nuns, Anglo-Saxon Portraits unravels the mysteries of a too often forgotten period in British history.

In 1922, a tiny group of men and women came together to found the BBC, using what had been a weapon of war - Marconi's wireless - to remake culture for the good of humanity. Twenty years later, when George Orwell famously quit the Corporation, he decided he was done 'doing work that produces no result'. Yet the BBC is now one of Britain's most beloved institutions. From Daleks to Desert Island Discs, the BBC has blazed a trail for British entertainment. Yet it has also always been at the forefront of global change, both breaking and covering the most important stories of the century on Panorama and BBC News. This is a stirring and monumental history of the British cultural stalwart which created modern broadcasting one hundred years ago.

For nearly 75 years, one BBC programme has been a constant factor in chronicling the way sport is covered, in all its many facets.

First broadcast in 1948, Sports Report is the longest-running radio sporting programme in the world and one of the BBC's hardy perennials. Pat Murphy has been a reporter on the programme since 1981 and here he sifts comprehensively through the experiences of his contemporaries and those who made their mark on Sports Report in earlier decades.

Drawing on unique access from the BBC Archives Unit, he highlights memorable moments from Sports Report, details the challenges faced in getting live interviews on air from draughty, noisy dressing-room areas and celebrates the feat of just a small production team in the studio who, somehow, get the show up and running every Saturday, with the clock ticking implacably on.

John Humphrys shares his feelings about the use and misuse of the English language. It shows how we use words and reveals the way we see the world.

Part of BBC Radio 3's 'The Essay' strand, The Book That Changed Me features writers, academics and other eminent professionals discussing the literary works that have had the greatest impact on their lives. This fascinating selection contains some of the best episodes from the series, including legendary songwriter Steve Earle on Truman Capote's masterpiece In Cold Blood; academic Monica Siddiqui on Austen's Pride and Prejudice; and Tony Blair's onetime strategist Alastair Campbell on Flaubert's seminal Madame Bovary.

Renowned film director Richard Eyre reveals how Angus Calder's social history The People's War evokes memories of his childhood; neurobiologist Colin Blakemore explains why he loves Darwin's lesser-known work, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals; visual artist Tacita Dean describes how Marguerite Yourcenair's Fires helped her find her voice as a writer, feminist and filmmaker; and David Simon, creator of TV's The Wire, relates how James Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men made him realise the importance of reportage. Absorbing and enlightening, this entertaining collection sheds new light on the intellectual lives of a host of famous names, and celebrates the transformative power of literature.

The BBC Radio 4 series that inspired the bestselling book Eats, Shoots & Leaves The runaway success of Eats, Shoots & Leaves brought millions of grammar geeks out of the closet and made it cool to care about punctuation. This is the radio series that started it all: five programmes in which Lynne Truss explores changing fashions in punctuation. She accompanies the founder of the Apostrophe Protection Society through Berwick Street Market on a hunt for the 'greengrocer's apostrophe', enters the classroom to hear how children learn punctuation, and finds out whether anyone punctuates text messages.

Talking to writers and experts like Fay Weldon and David Crystal, she discovers the origins of the comma in Greek drama and Gregorian chant, considers the case for 'semi-colonic irrigation' and asks how a writer's choice of punctuation expresses his tone of voice.Looking into the future, she wonders if 'emoticons' will put colons, commas and apostrophes on the endangered species list. Impassioned, informative and always amusing, this is an essential listen for anyone who loves language.

David Baddiel attempts to unravel an array of life's conundrums, as suggested by the public on Twitter. In each episode he speaks to experts and the general public to make sense of common, yet little understood, subjects and impart his new-found knowledge on each topic in under 15 minutes. 

From the global economy to electricity, much loved comedian David Baddiel gets to the heart of issues that dominate random shower musings and dinner party debates. He attempts to understand areas including fracking, rugby, hacking, The Constitution, fashion and even the modern-day enigma, The Kardashians. Where do fossil fuels really come from? How do Bitcoins work? What does the International Monetary Fund actually do? Why is all my data stored in The Cloud? And when does a cry become a sob? Join Baddiel in his quest to understand these puzzling topics, and the world.

Allow yourself to be cast away in eight glorious decades of the most iconic show on radio, Desert Island Discs, with 80 of the most powerful and unforgettable interviews, revisiting every era of Desert Island Disc's storied history. Also featuring brand new material as castaways are interviewed about their experiences - did the conversation go how they expected? Would Sir Patrick Stewart still take his beloved billiards table (and a shed to keep it in, of course)? And does Hilary Devey stick by her endless supply of Cointreau?

Dame Emma Thompson, DBE, is one of Britain's most acclaimed actresses and scriptwriters. In this collection we hear - in her own words - about her early career as a comic and scriptwriter. She discusses some of her most famous works, including Fortunes of War, Sense and Sensibility, Remains of the Day and Nanny McPhee, and explains how she has managed to remain grounded during her rise to fame as an actress.

She also touches on more personal topics, including the importance of her family and friends in her life, the difficulty of being a woman in the world of Hollywood, her struggle with infertility and her charity work during the HIV and AIDs epidemic in Africa during the 1990s.

Award-winning broadcaster, bestselling author and zoologist Lucy Cooke has produced and presented numerous natural history shows on TV and radio, and has been tipped by The Times as 'the next David Attenborough'. In this BBC Radio 4 series, first broadcast under the title The Power Of..., she delves into the animal kingdom, exploring what gives certain species the evolutionary edge over their rivals.

Over the course of 8 episodes, she probes the science behind our seeming obsession with all things cute; unleashes her inner sloth to discover the surprising benefits of being slow; learns that honesty isn't always the best policy, whether you're a chimp, a squid or even a human being; and finds out why being small can give you step up on the evolutionary ladder.

She also investigates the animal communities that thrive on co-operation and peaceful behaviour, and considers why it works for them; looks at the power of celibacy and meets nature's ultimate self-cloning sisters; discovers how some species make a success out of going solo; and asks why it can pay to stir once the sun goes down - and whether future survival for many diurnal animals may depend on a nightlife.

This collection brings together history, science, philosophy and comedy to explore our age-old search for meaning. We live in an age of self-improvement and self-examination - lifehacking, wellbeing, self-care, mindfulness retreats - but this seemingly very modern phenomenon is a pursuit that dates back for millennia. 

Wealthy heiress Anna Delvey was one of the international jetset. Her Instagram account was a window on a glamorous world, filled with art launches, champagne brunches, VIP parties and stays in high-end hotels. Due to come into a $67m trust fund on her 26th birthday, she planned to establish the Anna Delvey Foundation, a multi-million dollar visual-arts centre in the heart of New York, and wined and dined the city's wealthy elite to secure investment for her project. It all sounded amazing - but it was all a lie. Anna Delvey the heiress was actually Anna Sorokin the magazine intern. Through name-dropping, networking and sheer chutzpah, this ordinary twentysomething had reinvented herself as a multimillionaire socialite - conning businesses and friends out of thousands of dollars in the process.

In this gripping docudrama, journalist Vicky Baker and playwright Chloe Moss dig deeper into the scandal that shook New York. 

1982 was a historic year, a year in which the battle for a small group of islands in the South Atlantic dominated the news.

From the initial broadcasts of the growing Argentine threat and Mrs Thatcher's speech to the Commons informing them that a Task Force will sail, to the battles for Goose Green and Port Stanley, the Argentine surrender and the controversial sinking of the Belgrano - all these historic moments, together with all the other important events of the Falklands War, are recorded here, in live BBC Radio News coverage.

Released to mark the 40th anniversary of the conflict, this collection of recordings from the BBC Radio News team brings to life the events of the Falklands War and includes speeches and statements from journalists and survivors, as well as key political figures such as Margaret Thatcher and former President of Argentina Leopoldo Galtieri.

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Fifty years ago Fawlty Towers hit British TV screens for the first time, becoming an instant classic. Now for the first time John Cleese tells his stories from behind the scenes of his favourite moments.

From writing scripts that were so carefully planned they were double the length of similar shows', to casting, lighting, how the show was almost cancelled before it started, and other production shenanigans, these are your favourite moments from Fawlty Towers as you've never seen them before.

First Dates, Channel 4's runaway hit TV show, has captured the hearts of the nation. Each week millions of us cosy up on our sofas to watch nervous singletons arrive in the restaurant in the hope of finding love.

Now Fred Sirieix, the insatiably charming Maître'd of the First Dates restaurant, is here to help all of us - whether we're on a quest to find 'the one', or simply want to discover more about how to connect with someone and sustain the magic. With his unique take on romance, Fred reveals his recipe for a perfect date, and hopefully a perfect match.

A collection of criticisms, articles and essays written after the author returned to live in England in 1988.

Throughout its long history, crime fiction has broadened our horizons, introducing us to unfamiliar places, people and cultures and showing us new ways of looking at the world. In this fascinating series, Mark Lawson takes a global tour of the genre, putting detective novels under the magnifying glass to examine how they have depicted - and predicted - social and political change.

Focussing on famous fictional investigators - from Hercule Poirot, Jules Maigret, Van der Valk and Martin Beck; through Dalgliesh, Rebus, Jane Tennison and Harry Hole; to Benny Griessel, Tess Monaghan and Easy Rawlins - he explores what these iconic protagonists can tell us about the historic character of their nations. Through the framework of their cases, he pursues the shadows of the Second World War and the Cold War; conflicts between the politics of the left and right; the rise of nationalism; and the pressures caused by migration. He also finds out how crime novels have portrayed transitional societies in South Africa and Northern Ireland; examined the legacies of military rule in Argentina and the Castro revolution in Cuba; and tackled post-colonialism in Australia and Nigeria.

Helping Lawson with his inquiries are authors including Andrea Camilleri, who discusses the effects of both the Mafia and Berlusconi on Italian society; Brian McGilloway, who talks about the Troubles and the wave of Irish crime fiction that the peace process has provoked; and Petros Markaris, whose detective series prophesied the Greek financial crisis.

Plus, Laura Lippman and Walter Mosley reveal how they introduced the experience of women and black Americans into their work; Russian writer Boris Akunin and Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov meditate on Dostoevsky, Putin, censorship and their different approaches to crime writing; and in a special episode on TV detectives, Lawson talks to creative talent from the ITV hit Broadchurch, the Danish show The Killing and the French success Spiral about the medium's suitability as a crime scene and the rise of female investigators.

A revealing account of our times from the author who spent a decade as Editor of the Sunday Times, always in the midst of controversy.

Everybody leaves a trace. The ghosts of Button House may have been dead a long time - some of them a very long time - but they have all left their mark on the world (even if, in Robin's case, that mark is just a handprint on the wall of a cave).

Gathered together in this volume is a treasure trove of unearthed cuttings, original records and rare artefacts that explore the unseen lives of those who died at Button House: from Thomas's love letters to Pat's 'Summer Camp Rap', and from Julian's campaign promises to Lady Button's Rules of Etiquette. There are even documents dictated to the one person who can see and hear the ghosts: Alison Cooper.

Written by the show's creators this eclectic archive is a unique chance to discover more about the beloved ghosts of Button House.

One of the BBC's most acclaimed programmes, Great Lives has been a regular Radio 4 fixture for 20 years, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. Every week, a famous name is invited into the studio to nominate a figure from the past who has inspired them, and discuss their subject with the presenter and a guest expert. Included in this special collection, marking the programme's 20th anniversary, are the very best episodes featuring the lives of entertainers - artists, comedians, clowns, magicians, sporting heroes and stars of stage and screen.

Among them, Julian Clary champions Noël Coward, Anthony Horowitz advocates Alfred Hitchcock, Penelope Keith puts forward Morecambe and Wise and David Bailey plumps for Pablo Picasso. Here, the lives of the celebrity guests are as intriguing as those of the people they pick: as is also the case with Alan Davies on Richard Beckinsale, Mica Paris on Josephine Baker, Ken Dodd on Stan Laurel, Mark Gatiss on Peter Cushing and many, many others.

From Simon Callow on Orson Welles, to Fiona Shaw on Eleonora Duse, these engaging episodes put some of the world's best-known entertainers under the spotlight, examining their achievements and probing their personalities to find out what made them so inspiring, influential and extraordinary.

Since its inception in 2001, Great Lives has been one of Radio 4's most popular programmes, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. The format is simple, but compelling: each week, a distinguished personality is invited to select an inspirational figure who has influenced them. Talking with the presenter and a guest expert, they assess the importance of their chosen candidate. 

This special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th birthday, comprises the very best episodes featuring leaders' lives, from the worlds of politics, religion, royalty, business and the military. Some are heroes, some tyrants, and several spark controversy. Among them AA Gill puts forward the case for Neville Chamberlain, Maxine Peake chooses Ellen Wilkinson, the Duke of Wellington is picked by Frederick Forsyth, and Leon Trotsky is selected by Christopher Hitchens in a hugely entertaining show that culminated in fireworks.

In these cases, and many others, the life of the invited guest is as riveting as that of their subject - who wouldn't want to listen to Ken Livingstone discussing Robert Kennedy, George Monbiot champion Thomas Paine, and Trevor McDonald on Learie Constantine?

For 20 years, Great Lives has been a linchpin of Radio 4, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. In it, a household name is invited to choose one of their heroes to discuss with the presenter and a guest expert. But will their chosen person live up to intensive scrutiny, and merit the description of having led a great life? 

In this special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, the very best episodes featuring musicians' lives are collected together. From Marvin Gaye to Lonnie Donegan, here are examples both classical and contemporary. Simon Armitage expresses his admiration for on Ian Curtis, Phill Jupitus nominates Joe Strummer, pianist Joanna MacGregor selects Nina Simone, and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo champions Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whether it's Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie or Stuart Maconie on Ralph Vaughan Williams or the lives of the proponents are every bit as interesting as those of their nominees.

Fascinating and engaging, these captivating episodes follow the ups and downs of some of the most iconic musicians of all time, separating the truth from the myths to reveal just what made them so great, and why they continue to influence and inspire us today.

For 20 years, Great Lives has been a cornerstone of the Radio 4 schedules, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. Each week, a well-known personality is invited to select someone who has inspired them. They then discuss the 'Great Life' with the presenter and a guest expert to decide whether their hero really merits the accolade. This special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, contains the very best episodes featuring authors' lives - from novelists to poets, playwrights to food writers. The eclectic selections include Armando Iannucci on Charles Dickens, Caroline Criado Perez on Jane Austen, and Rich Hall on Tennessee Williams. Two Prime Ministers, John Major and Boris Johnson, discuss the lives of Rudyard Kipling and Samuel Johnson respectively, while MP Rory Stewart champions Sir Walter Scott and Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate, nominates Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Individuals who have experienced some of society's biggest issues tell their stories - and search for answers.

From climate change, fake news and vaccine hesitancy to mental health, addiction and domestic violence, there are no shortage of societal problems facing the UK right now. But while we are aware these challenges exist, without personal experience it is hard for us to understand what it is like to struggle with them, and harder still to envision potential solutions.

These compelling documentaries, first broadcast on radio under the title 'My Name Is...', introduce us to a range of individuals who have confronted various hardships, telling their stories and following them as they ask difficult questions and endeavour to drive positive change. Among those we meet are Rachel, who has been sectioned multiple times and seeks to challenge the status quo around psychiatric treatment;

Katie, a onetime problem gambler investigating how online gambling firms target the vulnerable; 

Abi, who almost died at the hands of her violent boyfriend and now helps others stay safe;

and Fozia, a doctor horrified by the Covid conspiracy theories that leave patients afraid to come to hospital even when they're seriously ill.

We also hear from others whose stories are less harrowing, but equally absorbing.

There's Noga, a 17-year-old youth strike organiser doing everything she can to save the planet; Hamza, a basketball and martial arts coach who believes broadening access to sport can improve opportunities for disadvantaged kids;

Lucy, who's looking for love and wondering whether to ditch the dating apps;

and 11-year-old Roman, who adores Minecraft and wants to know if his parents' limits on his screen time are fair.

Offering unique insight into the lives of a host of extraordinary people, these fascinating first-person accounts highlight the complexity of the issues affecting Britons today, and provide diverse perspectives on how we can set about tackling them.

It is ninety years since the BBC made its first broadcast and the British love affair with radio began. This is a journey through that fascinating history and a celebration of the many wonderful voices that were part of it: The Goons and Kenneth Horne, comedy greats of the 1950s; John Peel, Alan Freeman and other heroes of the pirate stations; all the way up to some of the much-loved voices of today.

William and Jordan are from very different worlds.

William's an etiquette expert, with his tongue firmly in his teacup and unparalleled knowledge of table linen. Jordan's a TV and radio presenter, the patron saint of Burnley and an expert in all things common. Together they've entertained millions of listeners worldwide with their hit podcast Help I Sexted My Boss.

Now, they've pooled all of their wisdom on how to get through life's most awkward moments.

From candlelight suppers to picky teas, first dates to flatmate dramas, Help I Sexted My Boss is full of both useful and useless advice. This is your indispensable guide to navigating the trepidation and challenges of modern life.

With his landmark series In Our Time, Melvyn Bragg introduced an audience of over 2 million to big ideas across the realms of science, religion, culture, history and philosophy. Now, in A History of Ideas, he looks at the fundamental concepts that underpin our world, and the great thinkers who explored them. 

He is joined by experts from a wide range of fields to discuss the biggest questions we ask ourselves, such as 'What does it mean to be free?', 'How do I tell wrong from right?', 'What makes us human?' and 'How can I know anything at all?' Each of his guests attempts to answer these questions using their specialist expertise.

Wide-ranging, entertaining and inspiring, this stunning series puts the big ideas in their historical context, showing us that they are not merely academic abstractions, but essential tools for living.

Since 2006, The Bottom Line has given listeners the view from the top on business. Hosted by the BBC's former economics editor, PM and Dragon's Den presenter Evan Davis, with a panel of guest experts, it cuts through the confusion, statistics and spin to provide essential insight into the business issues that matter. 

This collection brings together 17 of the best and most informative episodes, specially chosen by Evan Davis - including 'Upside-down Management', which won the 2013 Wincott Radio Journalism of the Year Award. Each one is full of invaluable advice on succeeding in business, from those who've made it.

Three dramatic true stories, this is investigative journalism at its very best.

In these three gripping series, prominent journalists investigate fascinating human stories, shining a light on history and politics and deepening our understanding of the word we live in.

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel tells a shocking tale of sex, death and power, as Carrie Gracie delves into the mysterious murder that led to the toppling of charismatic Chinese politician, Bo Xilai, and the rise of his greatest rival, President Xi Jinping. The story of the killing of British businessman and fixer Neil Heywood in Chongqing in 2011 is one the authorities do not want told. Gracie was warned off making this programme, her phones were tapped and her emails hacked. But she would not be silenced. Here, she uncovers a tragedy 'with no heroes but only villains and victims', and takes us into the dark heart of Chinese politics.

In Tunnel 29, Helena Merriman recounts the incredible story of Joachim Rudolph, who, in the early 1960s, joined a group digging a tunnel under the Berlin Wall, and helped smuggle out 29 people. It's a story of the young people who risked everything, the spy who betrayed them, and the terrible price paid by those who were caught - and of the love that developed between the refugees who found freedom. Based on interviews with the tunnellers, thousands of documents from Stasi archives, and recordings from the tunnel, it is an astonishing tale of one of the most daring escape attempts of the 20th Century.

Mayday investigates the extraordinary case of James Le Mesurier, an ex-British army officer found dead in an Istanbul street in 2019. The co-founder of the White Helmets - a civil defence force who pull survivors from bombed-out buildings in Syria - he was a hero to many, awarded an OBE for his efforts. But he also attracted deep suspicion, and accusations of being a spy, faking rescue videos - and involvement in appalling atrocities... Talking to Le Mesurier's widow, friends and colleagues, Chloe Hadjimatheou attempts to discover who he really was and how he died, and unravel a tangle of truth and lies. Also featured is a special extended version of The Canister on the Bed, exploring the events of the Douma massacre. In addition, bonus programme Mayday: The Evidence Gatherers reveals how a Western-funded NGO, responsible for extracting over a million documents from Syria allegedly containing evidence of torture and genocide, is now fighting a disinformation war.

NB: Contains strong language and scenes which some listeners might find upsetting

Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel
Presented by Carrie Gracie
Produced by Maria Byrne and Neal Razzell
Sound mix by James Beard
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13-17 March 2017

Tunnel 29
Written, presented and produced by Helena Merriman
Translation and additional research: Sabine Schereck
Editor: Richard Knight
Joachim Rudolph's original interviews voiced by Mark Edel Hunt
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 October-1 November 2019

Mayday
Produced, written and presented by Chloe Hadjimatheou
Editor: Emma Rippon
Researcher: Tom Wright
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Sound design and mix: Neil Churchill
Additional mixing Graham Pudifoot
Editing assistance: Robbie Wojciechowski
Arabic translation and additional research: Vanessa Bowles and Abdul Kader Habak
Turkish researcher: Nevin Sungur
Narrative Consultant: John Yorke
Original music: Nick Mundy and Bu Kolthoum
End track: Zamilou by Bu Kolthoum
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 9-20 November 2020

Mayday: The Evidence Gatherers
Produced, written and presented by Chloe Hadjimatheou
Editor: Emma Rippon
Researchers: Orla O'Brien and Lara Al Gibaly
Executive producer Maggie Latham
Production Coordinator: Gemma Ashman
Sound design and mix: Neil Churchill
Commissioner for Radio 4: Richard Knight
Prof Paul McKeigue and Ivan played by Mark Fleischman
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 7 April 2021

Stand-up comedian Jacob Hawley explores every corner of the UK drugs scene, from nightclubs to prisons.

In his first BBC radio series, New Comedy Award finalist Jacob Hawley examines one of the most important issues affecting young people today, looking into every aspect of British drug culture to discover its scope and effects. As a recreational drugs user for almost a decade, Jacob thought he knew more than most about the topic - but was shocked by how much he still had to learn.

Beginning with a debate about legalisation, these 16 episodes examine the highs and lows of drug use and abuse, from psychedelics, ayahuasca and chemsex to addiction, County Lines gangs and drugs behind bars and on the streets. Jacob visits a rehab clinic to talk to recovering addicts, meets families who have lost loved ones to drugs and speaks with dealers and policemen to canvass opinions from both sides of the law. In addition, he probes the murky world of doping and performance-enhancing drugs, investigates prescription drug abuse and antidepressants, and looks at the damaging effects of one of the most widely-used drugs in the world: alcohol.

His guests include controversial scientist Professor David Nutt; 'Acid Countess' Amanda Feilding, grime artist and DJ Faze Miyake and Olympic gold medal winner Luke Campbell - and, in a special episode live from the BBC 6Music Festival, Jacob catches up with actor and presenter Tyger Drew-Honey, who discusses his struggle with drink and drugs.

Perfect for Janeites everywhere, this enticing collection brings together for the first time six special recordings that offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the life of the celebrated author. Taking us on a journey from her earliest teenage writings, to her love affair aged 20, to the scandalous arrest of her aunt which shook her family, these fascinating programmes offer a closer look at Jane Austen and those around her, as seen through her letters, writings and final home. Juvenile Jane - Jane Austen's delightfully precocious and revealing early works are celebrated by Austen expert Janet Todd and writer and illustrator Posy Simmonds. Anna Maxwell Martin reads extracts from three stories: 'Frederick and Elfrida', 'Henry and Eliza' and 'Love and Freindship'[sic]. Minuet - The story of Jane Austen's real-life romance with an impassioned but impoverished young Irishman, which fueled her desire to become a writer. Helen McCrory stars as Jane Austen and John Light as Tom Lefroy in this original drama by Harriet O'Carroll. A City Full of Swindlers - 1799, Bath. Accused of shoplifting a piece of lace, Jane Austen's aunt is arrested and imprisoned... Narrated by Cassandra Austen (Lucy Black), this shocking tale reveals Georgian Bath to be a much less decorous place than it appears in her sister Jane's novels. Based on a true story, Jenny Howarth's entertaining drama also stars Tim Pigott-Smith and Pamela Miles.

Portrait of Elizabeth - Inspired by the Portrait of Elizabeth Bridges Austen at the Jane Austen's House Museum, Chawton, Sophia Hillan's short story is told from the point of view of Jane's elder brother Edward's wife. It is 1808, and Elizabeth has just given birth to her 11th child. Suffering from fever and unaware that she is dying, she rails at the thought of having Jane attend her. But why is she so angry with her sister-in-law? Read by Laura Carmichael. No Ice in Weymouth - This 5-part series is a portrait of the family, social and professional world of Jane Austen, as seen through her letters and novels. Beginning in 1813, when Pride and Prejudice is about to be published, it concludes in 1815 in the months leading up to the publication of Emma. Starring Susannah Harker as Jane and Oona Beeson as Cassandra. A Quire of Paper: A Poem for Jane Austen and Her House - In 2016, Maura Dooley was poet-in-residence at the Jane Austen's House Museum, where Austen lived for the last eight years of her life. This atmospheric programme interweaves the sounds of the house, garden and village with specially composed poetry set against the rich history of this iconic place.

In this fascinating collection of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive, John Betjeman (Poet Laureate 1972) talks about his life and career as one of the foremost poets of the 20th Century. 

The interviews included are:

Asian Club, broadcast on BBC Radio, 7 July 1959 (featuring Arthur Russell and studio audience);

People of Today, broadcast on BBC Radio, 24 December 1959 (featuring Irene Slade);

Omnibus, broadcast on BBC TV, 5 November 1972 (featuring unnamed interviewer);

Parkinson, broadcast on BBC TV, 17 February 1973 (featuring Michael Parkinson);

Desert Island Discs, broadcast on BBC Radio, 12 April 1975 (featuring Roy Plomley);

Parkinson, broadcast on BBC TV, 5 November 1977 (featuring Michael Parkinson);

John Betjeman: A Tribute, broadcast on BBC TV, 5 June 1984 (featuring unnamed interviewers);

Time Enough! Or Not Enough Time, broadcast on BBC TV, 8 May 1994 (featuring Jonathan Steadall). 

Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary.

Kate Adie joined the BBC in 1969 and since then has reported from many of the world's trouble spots including Northern Ireland, the Middle East, Tiananmen Square and the first Gulf War. She gives an insight into the modern world of news, where reporting the facts is not as simple as it seems.

Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, TV presenter: Lenny Henry is a multi-talented Renaissance man with a wide range of interests. But there are a few things (and people) he just doesn't get, despite their iconic status - and in What's So Great About...?, he explores them to find out what makes them so appealing.

He questions the mystique surrounding Method Acting; discusses the benefits of Life Coaches with Phill Jupitus; hears about the joy of Maths from Carol Vorderman and asks Simon McBurney and Fiona Shaw to persuade him of the genius of Samuel Beckett. He also investigates the art of Jackson Pollock, meets stars from the world of Snooker to discover the lure of the cue and chats about Chaucer with Terry Jones.