BBC Radio Plays, radio 4, 2002
AFTERNOON PLAY, SATURDAY PLAY & CLASSIC SERIAL
1 Jan The Stone Diaries
By Carol Shields. `1927-1936 Marriage and Love'. In Bloomington, Indiana, the girls are getting excited as preparations are in hand for Daisy's wedding (2/5)
2 Jan The Stone Diaries
By Carol Shields. `1947-1964 Motherhood and Work'. In Ottawa, Daisy runs a model home and marriage, and sows the seeds for a new career
3 Jan The Stone Diaries
By Carol Shields. `1965-1977 Sorrow and Ease'. Daisy Goodwill Flett's family and friends confront her descent into anger (4/5)
4 Jan The Stone Diaries
By Carol Shields. `1985-1993 Illness and Decline'. A gardening mishap upsets Daisy's vigorous Florida retirement. Her family have to face their responsibilities (5/5)
5 Jan The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
JRR Tolkein's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley. 1: `The Shadow of the Past'. With Ian Holm, Michael Hordern and John Le Mesurier. Repeat .
6 Jan The Classic Serial: The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck's masterpiece, set in 1930s America, dramatised in three parts. 2: `The Journey West'. Shaken by Grampa's death, the Joads continue their journey to California. Repeated Saturday.
7 Jan A Rain of Stones
Thought-provoking play exploring religious fanaticism, by Nobel Prize Winner Wole Soyinka. An archaeological discovery reveals the source of the most ancient religion
8 Jan Tuesday Is Library Day
By Katie Hims. When eight-year-old Jessica discovers she has two mothers, she has to struggle to understand the controversial fertility technique that led to her birth
9 Jan The Polar Wife
Gothic comedy by Patricia Hannah. Lady Franklin comes to terms with her husband's death, after his disappearance 14 years earlier during his voyage to find the Northwest Passage
10 Jan The Happy Gathering
A funny, touching portrayal of Asian women in Britain today, by Naylah Ahmed. It is the night before a wedding, and the mother of the bride is harbouring a secret
11 Jan Damned If I Do
Mini-musical by Dick Vosburgh, Peter Vincent, Fran Landesman and Simon Wallace. New songs from songwriter Connie are laid out as a trap for her best friend Zoe
12 Jan The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkein's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts. 2: `The Black Riders'. With Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens, John Le Mesurier and Bill Nighy Repeat.
13 Jan The Classic Serial: The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck's masterpiece, set in 1930s America, dramatised in three parts by Steve Chambers. 3: `The Promised Land' Repeated Saturday .
14 Jan Apostle of Light
By John Pilkington. The life of Louis Braille, who was determined that he and the other blind children at their Parisian institution should cease to be social outcasts.
15 Jan Kings
The story of the biblical King David's reign. `True Anointed' by Sebastian Baczkiewicz. Eleazar, King Saul's chief of staff, has been sent to find a shepherd boy (1/5)
16 Jan Voices in the Room
By Bonnie Greer. Angela refuses to acknowledge that her son is schizophrenic. When Misha, a psychiatric nurse, offers the family support, Angela is reluctant to accept help
17 Jan Clearing the Rubble
Mahesh Dattani's play about the huge earthquake of January 2001 that devastated the Indian state of Gujrat. It follows the story of an English journalist near Bhuj at the time.
18 Jan John Glen Stole My Space Suit
Louise Ironside's fictional play is based on the experiences of the `Mercury Thirteen' - 13 top female pilots whom NASA trained as astronauts in the early 1960s.
19 Jan The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkein's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts. 3: `The Knife in the Dark'. With Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens, John Le Mesurier and Bill Nighy Repeat.
20 Jan The Classic Serial: Rob Roy
By Walter Scott, dramatised by Judith Adams. `Moving Northwards'. The son of a rich London merchant is banished to his family seat in the North (1/3) Repeated Saturday.
21 Jan The Skategrinder
By Celia Bryce. Living in Canada in the 1930s, ten-year-old Matty watches his immigrant Irish family struggle with the harsh winter of their new world.
22 Jan Kings
Second of five plays telling the story of the biblical King David's reign. `Hazar's Chicken' by Sebastian Baczkiewicz. A young shepherd boy is persuaded to act as David's spy.
23 Jan Not the End of the World
By Simon Smith. When Paul's marriage breaks down, unable to talk to his son about what is happening, Paul pretends he is going off into outer space as he leaves the family home.
24 Jan Ae Fond Kiss: The Love Letters of Robert Burns and Clarinda
Adapted by Alison Joseph. A passionate but doomed romance told in the intimate letters exchanged between well-to-do Edinburgh woman Agnes McLehose and poet Robert Burns.
25 Jan I Will Tell
Adapted by Rachel Gaffin from the book `Children's Wartime Diaries', collected by Laurel Holliday. Four children who lived in Europe during World War II record their experiences.
26 Jan The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkein's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 4: `The Ring Goes South'. With Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens. Repeat.
27 Jan The Classic Serial: Rob Roy
By Walter Scott, dramatised in three parts. 2: `Over the Border.' Francis Osbaldistone has quarrelled with Rashleigh. Trouble is brewing and Francis sets off for Glasgow Repeated Saturday.
28 Jan A Thousand Ships
By Mark Haddon. Jane Lapotaire stars as Helen of Troy, who recalls the pain of having a face and body so beautiful that no one could see past them to the person underneath.
29 Jan Kings
Third of five plays telling the story of the biblical King David. `The Loved One' by Sebastian Baczkiewicz. King Saul is the brink of defeat at the hands of the Philistines.
30 Jan The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Five tales by Bert Coules. 1: `The Madness of Colonel Warburton'. Watson's old commanding officer is alarming his family with his interest in spiritualism.
31 Jan The Unhearable
By Pam Leeson. Michelle is suffering from the hearing condition Meniere's disease, and wonders who is really listening to her as she faces the prospect of going deaf.
1 Feb From the Waist Up
By Judith Adams. A modern myth about transformation and joyous liberation. Three modern women find themselves in everyday encounters with fabulous beasts.
2 Feb The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkein's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 5: `The Mirror of Galadriel' Repeat.
3 Feb The Classic Serial: Rob Roy
By Walter Scott, dramatised in three parts by Judith Adams. 3: `Helen McGregor'. Francis and Jarvie have reached the Highland Line, heading for McGregor country Repeated Saturday.
4 Feb The Launch
By Simon Bovey. Jack Avery's determination to revenge the brother killed in a friendly fire incident forces a showdown when he launches a book exposing the 60-year-old cover-up.
5 Feb Kings
Fourth of five plays telling the story of the biblical King David. `Michal, Saul's Daughter' by Kate Clanchy. In David's harem, three of his wives fight over their relative status.
6 Feb The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Five tales by Bert Coules, inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and starring Clive Merrison and Andrew Sachs. 2: `The Star of the Adelphi'.
7 Feb Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man?
Comedy by Alison Joseph. Erica works in a university, researching Victorian sexology. Chris works in a lab trying to develop a sex drug for women. Can they have a future together?
8 Feb Satisfaction Guaranteed
Comedy set in the near future by Isaac Asimov, dramatised by Diana Griffiths. A US Robots employee is asked if his wife will field test a new type of housework robot.
9 Feb The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkien's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 6: `The Breaking of the Fellowship' Repeat.
10 Feb The Classic Serial: The Weather in the Streets
By Rosamond Lehmann. When Olivia, the heroine of `Invitation to the Waltz', meets up again with Rollo, she falls prey once more to his charm, and they embark on a secret affair Repeated Saturday.
11 Feb Dear Philip, Dear Kingsley
Dramatisation of the correspondence between Philip Larkin and Kingsley Amis, from their meeting in wartime Oxford to Larkin's death in 1985. With Alan Bennett and Robert Hardy.
12 Feb Kings
Last of five plays telling the story of the biblical King David. `Abishag the Virgin' by Kate Clanchy. David is dying in a fetid room, tended by his latest wife Abishag.
13 Feb The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Five tales by Bert Coules, inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. 3: `The Peculiar Persecution of Mr John Vincent Harden'. An odd metal object is found in a dead man's stomach.
14 Feb Dancing with the Dead An autobiographical play about James Whyle's research into the life of his father, who died when he was three. With Richard E Grant, Tom Smith, Peter Gevisser and Carl Prekopp.
15 Feb Going Naked Is the Best Disguise
By Steve Jacobi. The cosy world of childhood security gradually unravels as a ten-year-old boy makes disconcerting discoveries about his odd parents' secret lives.
16 Feb Voices in the Room
By Bonnie Greer. Angela refuses to acknowledge that her son is schizophrenic. When Misha, a psychiatric nurse, offers the family support, Angela is reluctant to accept help.
17 Feb Clearing the Rubble
Mahesh Dattani's play about the huge earthquake of January 2001 that devastated the Indian state of Gujrat. It follows the story of an English journalist near Bhuj at the time.
18 Feb John Glen Stole My Space Suit
Louise Ironside's fictional play is based on the experiences of the `Mercury Thirteen' - 13 top female pilots whom NASA trained as astronauts in the early 1960s.
19 Feb The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkein's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts. 3: `The Knife in the Dark'. With Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens, John Le Mesurier and Bill Nighy. Repeat.
20 Feb The Classic Serial: Rob Roy
By Walter Scott, dramatised by Judith Adams. `Moving Northwards'. The son of a rich London merchant is banished to his family seat in the North (1/3). Repeated Saturday.
21 Feb The Skategrinder
By Celia Bryce. Living in Canada in the 1930s, ten-year-old Matty watches his immigrant Irish family struggle with the harsh winter of their new world.
22 Feb Kings
Second of five plays telling the story of the biblical King David's reign. `Hazar's Chicken' by Sebastian Baczkiewicz. A young shepherd boy is persuaded to act as David's spy.
23 Feb Not the End of the World
By Simon Smith. When Paul's marriage breaks down, unable to talk to his son about what is happening, Paul pretends he is going off into outer space as he leaves the family home.
24 Feb Ae Fond Kiss: The Love Letters of Robert Burns and Clarinda
Adapted by Alison Joseph. A passionate but doomed romance told in the intimate letters exchanged between well-to-do Edinburgh woman Agnes McLehose and poet Robert Burns.
25 Feb I Will Tell
Adapted by Rachel Gaffin from the book `Children's Wartime Diaries', collected by Laurel Holliday. Four children who lived in Europe during World War II record their experiences.
26 Feb The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkein's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 4: `The Ring Goes South'. With Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens. Repeat.
27 Feb The Classic Serial: Rob Roy
By Walter Scott, dramatised in three parts. 2: `Over the Border.' Francis Osbaldistone has quarrelled with Rashleigh. Trouble is brewing and Francis sets off for Glasgow. Repeated Saturday.
28 Feb A Thousand Ships
By Mark Haddon. Jane Lapotaire stars as Helen of Troy, who recalls the pain of having a face and body so beautiful that no one could see past them to the person underneath.
29 Feb Kings
Third of five plays telling the story of the biblical King David. `The Loved One' by Sebastian Baczkiewicz. King Saul is the brink of defeat at the hands of the Philistines.
30 Feb The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Five tales by Bert Coules. 1: `The Madness of Colonel Warburton'. Watson's old commanding officer is alarming his family with his interest in spiritualism.
31 Feb The Unhearable
By Pam Leeson. Michelle is suffering from the hearing condition Meniere's disease, and wonders who is really listening to her as she faces the prospect of going deaf.
1 Mar Vanquishing the Gorbals
By Carmen Walton. In the 1950s, George and Mags meet and fall in love. Can their ideals survive the squalor of the Gorbals in Glasgow, one of the most deprived areas in Europe?
2 Mar The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkien's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 9: 'The Two Towers'. Repeat.
3 Mar The Classic Serial: A Suitable Boy
John Dryden's five-part dramatisation of Vikram Seth's multi-stranded Indian epic which centres around the efforts of Mrs Rupa Mehra to find a suitable husband for her daughter. Repeated Saturday.
4 Mar Double Acts - Kin
By Paula Cunningham and Mark Illis. Alice is convinced the hospital has made a mistake and switched her baby with another born on the same day. Can she prove her case?
5 Mar Double Acts - Touching the Linden Tree
By Colin Hough and Rebecca Trick-Walker. When a high-powered advertising executive gives up the rat race, he finds rural life both exasperating and inspiring.
6 Mar Double Acts - Route Number Twelve
By Cynthia Hamilton and Nicola McCartney. Lena and Joseph met on the No 12 bus in 1968. More than 30 years later, Lena makes the same journey. Can their love have survived?
7 Mar Double Acts - Milk
By Nell Leyshon and Stephen McAnena. Two parents have been forced to leave their dairy farm, and in unfamiliar surroundings, they face an even more demanding challenge.
8 Mar Double Acts - Written in Mist
By Stephanie Dale and Ieuan Watkins. Two people who grew up together are now worlds apart, but their lives are about to collide in dramatic fashion.
9 Mar The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkien's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 10: `The Choices of Master Samwise'. Repeat.
10 Mar The Classic Serial: A Suitable Boy
John Dryden's dramatisation of Vikram Seth's multi-stranded Indian epic which centres around the efforts of Mrs Rupa Mehra to find a suitable husband for her daughter (2/5). Repeated Saturday.
11 Mar Baby First
By Steve May. Michael is an evolutionary biologist who has written books on the reproductive imperative. But when he becomes a father, he has to test out his theories in real life.
12 Mar Nightcap
By Laura Watson. Nine-year-old Tom is shaken from his sleep by a ghostly presence. With Daniel Anthony, Tracy Wiles, Roger May and Joshua Phillips. Directed by Sarah Brown.
13 Mar The Nature of Vikings
By Jonathan Hall. A young British fascist and a German doctor are thrown together in an internment camp on the Isle of Man during WWII.(...My Italian friend Tino was an internee on the Isle of Man during WW2, in spite of having lived thirty years previously in London....ND )
14 Mar Coming of Age
Four plays about becoming an adult. 1: `Blackout' by Anji Loman Field. Emma lives with the secret knowledge that both her parents are alcoholics.
15 Mar My Sky Blue Trades
Comedy by Gerry McKee. Victor P McCann's part-Catholic family is determined to prevent him from experiencing any of the joys of a carefree boyhood.
16 Mar The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkien's classic fantasy epic. 11: `The Battle of Pelennor Fields'. With Ian Holm, Bill Nighy, Michael Hordern and Robert Stephens. Repeat.
17 Mar The Classic Serial: A Suitable Boy
John Dryden's dramatisation of Vikram Seth's multi-stranded Indian epic which centres around the efforts of Mrs Rupa Mehra to find a suitable husband for her daughter (3/5). Repeated Saturday.
18 Mar Facade
By David Pownall. Young William Walton, with a grand piano in his bedroom, is under the patronage of the Sitwells and part of the alternative Bloomsbury Set as he creates `Facade'.
19 Mar Far Country
By Kathryn Heyman. 1974: in the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Vanessa flies to Australia to work with an outback mission. There she meets Helen, a young aboriginal woman.
20 Mar Good Thing
By Phelim Rowland. Two young women meet in prison and instantly despise one another, yet end up duping their probation officer and working to combat vice in a seaside town.
21 Mar Coming of Age
Plays on the crisis of becoming an adult. 2: `Mother Me' by Maya Chowdhry. Leyla returns to the convent where she was left as a baby and demands to know about her birth mother.
22 Mar Cross My Heart and Hope to Fly
Three-hander by Sarah Daniels. Lyn, Dave and Chris learn to recover from loss in quite unexpected ways. With Pauline Collins, Jamie Foreman and Kerry Fox. Directed by Sally Avens.
23 Mar The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkien's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 12: `Mount Doom'. Repeat.
24 Mar The Classic Serial: A Suitable Boy
John Dryden's dramatisation of Vikram Seth's multi-stranded Indian epic which centres around the efforts of Mrs Rupa Mehra to find a suitable husband for her daughter (5/5). Repeated Saturday.
25 Mar Making Space
Three drama documentaries. 1: `Earth Song' by Nicholas McInnerny. Dr Donald Mitchell analyses Gustav Mahler's great song cycle, created the summer after his elder daughter died.
26 Mar Making Space
Three drama documentaries. 2: `The Language of Flowers' by Tim Jackson. Dr Chris Mouncey examines 18th-century religious poet Christopher Smart's `Jubilate Agno'.
27 Mar Making Space
Three drama documentaries. 3: `The End of Time' by Nicholas McInerny. How, in a WWII prison camp bathroom, Olivier Messiaen managed to compose `The Quartet for the End of Time'.
28 Mar Coming of Age
Plays about the crisis of becoming an adult. `Pilcher and Son' by Stuart Morris. Johnny is restless, and resents the fact that his future has already been mapped out by his dad.
29 Mar Letters to an Icon
Authors Will Self, Bonnie Greer and Ali Smith have dramatic encounters with icons, in a series of short plays about Dorian Gray, Shakespeare's Dark Lady and Dusty Springfield.
30 Mar The Saturday Play: The Lord of the Rings
J R R Tolkien's classic fantasy epic, dramatised in 13 parts by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell. 13: `The Grey Havens'. Repeat.
31 Mar The Classic Serial: A Suitable Boy
John Dryden's dramatisation of Vikram Seth's multi-stranded Indian epic which centres around the efforts of Mrs Rupa Mehra to find a suitable husband for her daughter (5/5). Repeated Saturday.
1 Apr The Golden Age
By Kenneth Grahame. Five orphans growing up in the countryside indulge in magical adventures when they play together. But the innocent pleasures of childhood cannot last forever.
2 Apr Cuba Libre at the Cafe Espana
By Graham Mort. Martin and Marie's holiday in Catalonia is documented by Martin in a series of daily poems. On their return, Martin takes his beloved motorbike for a last spin.
3 Apr The Spies
By David Pownall. In the political unrest following Christ's crucifixion, four Jerusalem street children are recruited by the Jewish authorities to spy on the disciples.
4 Apr Coming of Age
`Soldier Boy' by Grant Buchanan Marshall. A young soldier discovers that a bond has developed between his girlfriend and his best mate. Suddenly, a long friendship is threatened.
5 Apr A Meeting in Seville
By Paul Mendelson. If people could meet themselves when they were young, what would they tell themselves? Would they learn anything? Would they even recognise each other?
6 Apr The Falklands Play
By Ian Curteis. A first chance to hear the play - pulled by the BBC 15 years ago - telling the inside story of how the Thatcher government went to war to reclaim the Falklands.
7 Apr The Classic Serial: Nana
Two-part dramatisation of Emile Zola's novel `Nana', set in Paris in the 1860s. 1: `The Golden Fly'. After an outrageous stage appearance, Nana becomes a celebrated courtesan Repeated Saturday.
8 Apr Existence
By Edward Bond. A young petty criminal breaks into a flat, only to discover a man and a world beyond his imagination. With Jason Flemyng and Andrew Wincott. Directed by Turan Ali.
9 Apr The Pitch
By Jeremy Front. Howard wrote some of the great vintage sitcoms but his ideas have fallen out of favour. An offer of a new commission seems too good to be true. Perhaps it is... Repeat.
10 Apr Thin Woman in a Morris Minor
By Sarah LeFanu. An elderly Englishwoman driving down the coast of Spain stops to indulge her passion for swimming, only to encounter one of the many ghosts who haunt her journey.
11 Apr The Titanic Inquiry
By Bob Sherman. Gripping courtroom drama based on an inquiry set up by the United States Senate into the Titanic disaster of 1912. Directed by Ned Chaillet (1/2).
12 Apr The Titanic Inquiry
By Bob Sherman. Gripping courtroom drama based on an inquiry set up by the United States Senate into the Titanic disaster of 1912. Directed by Ned Chaillet (2/2).
13 Apr The Saturday Play: Bird of Paradise
By John Harvey. Jerzy Grabianski is a high-class burglar whose hobbies include ornithology and art. He has a firm sense of justice - as does detective Charlie Resnick.
14 Apr The Classic Serial: Nana
Two-part dramatisation by Peter Tegel of Emile Zola's novel `Nana', set in Paris in the 1860s. 2: `To Berlin'. Nana's promiscuous lifestyle catches up with her. Repeated Saturday .
15 Apr Fat Camp
By Gary Brown. Josh's self-esteem is at a low ebb when he is sent to a summer camp to lose flab. There, he meets Dan, possibly the best friend he has ever had...
16 Apr Bottle Blonde and Beautiful
By Vanessa Rosenthal. A gripping tale of everyday folk's dreams and aspirations, set in a hairdresser's.
17 Apr Trueman
By Brian B Thompson. Was the murder of a student a drug wars killing, or are more sinister forces at work? The investigation falls to Trueman, a former high-flying detective.
18 Apr In Extremis
By Neil Bartlett. It is March 1895, and Oscar Wilde consults a palm reader to help him with a momentous decision. With Sheila Hancock and Corin Redgrave. Directed by Ned Chaillet.
19 Apr A Household in Hove
By John Spurling. What was the inspiration behind Ivy Compton-Burnett's remarkable novels of family life? A look at the author's early life in Hove may provide some answers.
20 Apr The Saturday Play: Separate Tables
Terence Rattigan's classic stage play about a group of residents in a small hotel who discover that one of their number is harbouring a devastating secret.
21 Apr The Classic Serial: Mother and Son
Maria Aitken's two-part dramatisation of Ivy Compton Burnett's dark comedy of filial devotion and maternal domination. 1: `Seeking a Companion'. Repeated Saturday.
22 Apr Letters to Miss Lucie
By William Ingram. A retired miner writes to a snooty woman to complain about her behaviour. Since he is not even expecting a reply, the consequences are remarkable.
23 Apr The King's Coiner
By Philip Palmer. Isaac Newton has already made his name as the world's greatest scientist, but he faces a fresh challenge in his new job as warden of the Royal Mint.
24 Apr The Mind's Eye
By Jill Hyem. Lizzie's ailing grandmother is having nightmares. Could they be connected with the friend Lizzie met on her flight home?
25 Apr Before the Flood
By Graham White. A family is grieving over a lost son for whom there can never be a substitute - or can there?
26 Apr Goblin Market
By Abigail Docherty. Classic tale of temptation, desire and love based on the poem by Christina Rossetti.
27 Apr The Saturday Play: It's Your Movie
By John Gradwell. A phone call from an old friend is cut off before Joe can get the whole story. When his friend's sister turns up, he finds himself immersed in a dark mystery.
28 Apr The Classic Serial: Mother and Son
Maria Aitken's two-part dramatisation of Ivy Compton Burnett's dark comedy of filial devotion and maternal domination. 2: `Julius and Son'. Repeated Saturday.
29 Apr I Think I Could Turn and Live with Animals
By Amanda Dalton. A story of people and animals, and some very human obsessions. With Elizabeth Kelly, Celia Meiras, Kathryn Hunt and Nick Bagnall. Directed by Sue Roberts.
30 Apr Ice Mountain
By Hattie Naylor. Five women have climbed K2, but none have survived. The death toll rings in Beth's head as she packs for her trip to climb the cruellest mountain in the world. Repeat .
1 May Man in Snow
By Israel Horovitz. In the Alaskan wilderness, David is in charge of 20 honeymoon couples trying to conceive. In solitude, he rings his wife and seeks to conjure up their dead son. Repeat.
2 May Three Wishes
By Ben Moor. When everyone in the world is granted three wishes, Flip and George soon discover that their choices need to be made with great care. With Janice Phayre and Ben Moor.
3 May My Mother and Other Strange Creatures
A single-voice drama by Claire Bennett. 15-year-old Millie has an opinion on everything from internet chat rooms to Walsall market. But her chief concern is coping with her mother. Repeat.
4 May The Saturday Play: Agatha Christie's Cards on the Table
Dramatised by Michael Bakewell. An eccentric's idea of amusement goes horribly wrong when a murderer strikes during a game of bridge. Fortunately, Hercule Poirot is on hand. Repeat.
5 May The Classic Serial: The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris
By Leon Garfield, dramatised by Roy Apps. Young Harris decides to give his baby sister every chance in life, but his efforts produce devastating results. Repeated Saturday.
6 May Hymn
Alan Bennett talks of his early musical memories - the hymns he learned as a boy, the violin his father tried to teach him, and the concerts he attended in Leeds. However, although interesting, this can hardly be described as a radio play. Repeat.
7 May Sara
By Melissa Murray. In 1826, the daughter of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge interrupts a coach journey and decides to stay on in her room at an inn, leaving her family.Why?
8 May Breath of Fire
On May 8 1902, a volcanic eruption devastated the city of St Pierre on the island of Martinique, with a loss of 30,000 lives. This is the story of the only survivor.
9 May Bride of Heaven
By Gwyneth Powell, adapted from the writings of E M Delafield. The moving story, set in Edwardian times, of a woman under extreme pressure to find a husband. With Eleanor Bron.
10 May A Catapult and a Lady's Spin
By Sheila Goff. Forty-year-old James lives with his mother and dances twice a week at the Lizard Lounge. He meets Frances, a recent divorcee in search of a social life. Repeat.
11 May Saturday Play: In a Summer Season
By Elizabeth Taylor, dramatised by Jennifer Howarth. Kate, a well-heeled widow, causes a sensation in her conventional late-50s community when she marries a younger man. Repeat.
12 May The Classic Serial: The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Judith Adams's dramatisation of Thornton Wilder's novel which examines the reactions of superstitious 18th-century Peruvians to the death of five villagers when a bridge collapses. Repeated Saturday.
13 May The Compass Rose - a Tattoo Lexicon
By Sarah Phelps. A beautician whose world has been turned upside down tells her story. With Rosie Cavaliero, Carolyn Pickles, Paul Barnhill. Directed by Elizabeth Allard. Repeat .
14 May Faith, Hope and Charity
`Faith'. First of a trilogy by Michael Duke. Mairi has fallen in love with a man whom she has never met. Her friends, however, are sceptical, and they might be right.
15 May Escapement
By David Szalay. Phil Weston has a simple mission - to find a watch. But a seemingly straightforward challenge soon assumes nightmarish proportions.
16 May A Fairy Lost in the 20th Century
By Val Syms. An 11-year-old boy accidentally wakes a fairy who has been asleep for 700 years. When he takes her home, the fun starts.
17 May The Ayah House
By Sandra D'Arcy. Why was a young Indian girl abandoned at the London docks? With Jamila Massey, Praveen Sond, Anna Holkar, Sumitra Bhagat. Directed by Martin Jenkins. Repeat.
18 May The Saturday Play: Tango Sensations
By Tony Ramsay. The violent death of Victoria Mendez during the `Dirty War' waged on dissidents in 1970s Argentina has a profound effect on a young English teacher.
19 May Classic Serial: Bonjour Tristesse
Lisa Hunt's dramatisation of Francoise Sagan's 1950s classic. The arrival of a new woman in 17-year-old Cecile's father's life sets off a tragic chain of events. Repeated Saturday.
20 May The Closet Princess
By Lesley Bruce. The matriarch always told the women of the family to behave as if they were fine princesses. But what happened to those who took her advice? Repeat.
21 May Faith, Hope and Charity
`Hope'. Second of a trilogy by Michael Duke. Vincent's experience of the Troubles in Northern Ireland was painful. Julia has her own secret reasons for wanting to know more.
22 May Bracken Hill
By Hideo Takeuchi. During a period of food shortage in 18th-century England, seven elderly villagers find joy as well as hardship as they are forced to seek survival on a hill.
23 May Born a Fox
By A L Kennedy. Teacher Gary was attacked by a pupil eight months ago. His wife thinks he should be over it by now, but a dinner party stretches his nerves to breaking point .
24 May McLevy
Four-part series of stories about David Ashton's Victorian detective. 1: For Unto Us. It may be Christmas, but the spirit of goodwill seems not to apply to the criminal fraternity.
25 May The Saturday Play: The Go-Between
L P Hartley's classic novel, dramatised by Laurie Graham. A young boy is excited about spending his holiday in Norfolk, but finds himself drawn into a web of adult relationships.
26 May The Classic Serial: The Little Prince
French classic by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. An aviator believes he is alone in the Sahara until he meets an unusual space traveller - a child with some extraordinary tales to tell. Repeat .
27 May The Raft
By Lucy Gough. A suicidal prisoner embarks upon a strange subconscious journey, where she meets an ethereal figure who tries to restore her will to live. Repeat .
28 May Faith, Hope and Charity
`Charity'. Final part of a trilogy by Michael Duke. Robin's wife is fed up with his dull and unromantic nature. To save his marriage, he embarks upon a Good Samaritan mission.
29 May Mountaineering (no other information)
30 May The House at Tinner's Tor
By Jane Beeson. Anna returns to Dartmoor, the scene of her childhood holidays, to find an abandoned house and a ghost from the past.
31 May McLevy
Four-part series of stories about David Ashton's Victorian detective. 2: The Trophy Club. McLevy bends the rules in his efforts to solve the murder of a young prostitute.
1 Jun The Saturday Play: Reconstructing Louis
By John Sessions. At his home in Western Samoa, Robert Louis Stevenson attempts to dispel some of the romantic myths which have built up around him, as he looks back over his life.
2 Jun The Classic Serial: The Iliad
Derek Jacobi narrates Homer's epic account of the siege of Troy, translated by Robert Fagles and dramatised by Tom Holland. With Iain Glen, Christopher Eccleston (1/2). Repeat .
3 Jun Rosalind
J M Barrie's one-act classic. A young man finds himself in the home of his true love's mother - or so he thinks. But all is not quite as it seems.
4 Jun Ceremonial in Three Flats
A specially commissioned drama by John Mortimer to mark the Golden Jubilee. A group of strangers are brought together by television to witness the young Queen's coronation.
5 Jun One up One Down
By D J Britton. London is swinging in 1963, and Charlotte is looking for love. She might find it, if Marge would stop interfering. With Lucinda Cowden and Lynne Seymour.
6 Jun The Sound of Silence
By Shelley Silas. Five women meet on a silent retreat. One wants a break, one has a secret, and one is there for a bet.
7 Jun McLevy
Series of stories featuring David Ashton's Victorian detective. 3: `The Second Shadow'. Counterfeiters are at work, and McLevy is under pressure to secure rapid convictions.
8 Jun The Saturday Play: Man of All Work
Comedy with serious undertones by Richard Wright. A black man dresses as a maid to get work in 1950s Chicago. With Paterson Joseph, Nicola Hughes, Anton Rice, John Sharman.
9 Jun The Classic Serial: The Iliad
Derek Jacobi narrates Homer's account of the siege of Troy. Achilles refuses to fight after falling out with Agamemnon. Hector leads a counter-offensive against the Achaeans (2/2).
10 Jun Living Where we Live
By Stephen James. Jacques receives a letter reviving memories of an old love affair, which has affected him more than he is willing to admit.
11 Jun Selling Immortality
By Stephen Wakelam. A work by a Renaissance master seems to possess uncanny powers. Anyone who sells the painting dies soon afterwards. But it can also change lives for the better.
12 Jun Love's Work
Unique collection of real-life experiences of love and associated emotions, adapted and directed by Mick Gordon. With Elliot Levy, Kay Curram, Gabrielle Lloyd and Michael Hadley.
13 Jun The Charge of the Light Brigade
By John Osborne. With Donald Sinden, Alec McCowen, Geoffrey Palmer, Charles Dance and Joseph Fiennes. Directed by Bill Bryden.
14 Jun McLevy
Series featuring David Ashton's Victorian detective. 4: `The Burning Question'. An unsolved murder brings vigilantes onto the streets, causing difficulties for Jean Brash. Repeat.
15 Jun The Saturday Play: Madeleine
A play by John Clifford, based on an 1857 murder case. A Glasgow warehouse clerk is poisoned, and the discovery of love letters leads to the arrest of an upper-class woman.
16 Jun The Classic Serial: From Here to Eternity
An adaptation of James Jones's novel about life in Schofield Barracks, Honolulu, at the time of Pearl Harbor. With Elizabeth McGovern and Ken Cranham (1/2).
17 Jun The Case of the Vanishing Author
Detective drama by Stephen Sheridan. It's December 1926 and Agatha Christie's disappearance is baffling police. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy L Sayers join forces to find her.
18 Jun Reni and the Brownshirts
Drama unfolding the true story of a half-Jewish girl and her childhood in 1930s Berlin. Renee Goddard later came to England and became head of scripts for ATV.
19 Jun McLevy
A new four-part series of stories about David Ashton's Victorian detective. 1: `A Good Walk Spoilt'. A body is found on a golf course on the eve of a major championship.
20 Jun Pushchairs and Walking Sticks
By Rebecca Trick-Walker. When teenage mother Lisa has to move in with elderly Miss Owen, she doesn't expect to find they have much in common.
21 Jun David's Birthday
By Gillian Plowman. The prospect of a handicapped young man's return to his family brings back troubling memories for his two older sisters Repeat.
22 Jun Blithe Spy
By Marcy Kahan. A highly improbable WWII espionage adventure featuring a highly improbable spy - Noel Coward. With Malcolm Sinclair, Eleanor Bron and Elizabeth McGovern.
23 Jun The Classic Serial: From Here to Eternity
Concluding a dramatisation of the James Jones novel about life in Schofield Barracks, Honolulu, at the time of Pearl Harbor.
24 Jun Jallebies and Tea
By Bettina Gracias. A wife recently arrived in London from India feels lonely until some extraordinary visitors materialise.
25 Jun The Twenty-Nine Worst Minutes of Raymond Hej
By Ian McMillan. Erik, Raymond's dad, the only Norwegian in Barnsley, tells him the bad things in life take up only minutes. And here it is, Raymond's life, in 60-second bursts.
26 Jun McLevy
A new four-part series of stories about David Ashton's Victorian detective. 2: `Wild Justice'. McLevy is haunted by a ghost from his past, and looking for revenge.
27 Jun Deptford Wives
Based on a true story by Jennie Buckman. It is 1772, and the author of the extraordinary autobiography `The History of a Female Shipwright' battles with her publisher.
28 Jun The Paternity Test
The first of two plays by Mark Wheatley. `Contact'. When Paul decides to be a real father to his child born of a one-night stand, he finds he has responsibilities but few rights.
29 Jun The Saturday Play: A Question of Proof
By Nicholas Blake, dramatised by Michael Bakewell. Nobody liked the headmaster's nephew, but would anybody actually murder him? With Gerard Murphy, Philip Franks, Peter Acre.
30 Jun The Classic Serial: The Vicissitudes of Evangeline
By Elinor Glyn, dramatised by Georgia Pritchett. Cast out into the world to seek her fortune, Evangeline refuses to behave as young women in the early 1900s are expected to do.
1 Jul The Broken Nest
By Rabindranath Tagore, dramatised by Nandita Ghose. A newly married Bengali woman grows bored and lonely. When her husband's brother arrives, the consequences are shattering.
2 Jul Dogged Persistence
Comedy by Martin Wade, specially written for stars Joan Sims and Elizabeth Spriggs, telling the story of the relationship between two women brought together by a troublesome dog.
3 Jul McLevy
A four-part series of stories about David Ashton's Victorian detective. 3: `The Wild Spark'. A tobacco warehouse has mysteriously gone up in smoke.
4 Jul A Triton amongst the Minnows
Written by and starring Kim Hicks, recreating a journey to Australia aboard Brunel's SS Great Britain. The script is from original journals and letters kept in the ship's archive.
5 Jul The Paternity Test
`Proof'. The second of two plays by Mark Wheatley. When Carolyn reveals to Stephen that their nine-year-old son is not actually his, the consequences prove far-reaching.
6 Jul The Saturday Play: Crosswords - Arthur in Bournemouth or Many Arrived Around (7 Letters)
Romantic comedy by Jim Eldridge. A lonely Bournemouth widower and crossword compiler meets a widow who asks him to help her prove that King Arthur visited Bournemouth.
7 Jul The Classic Serial: Shirley
Charlotte Bronte's novel, dramatised by Jane Rogers. Trouble begins for mill tenant Robert Moore in 1811 when he tries to modernise. Shirley Keeldar arrives to live nearby (1/3). Repeat.
8 Jul Where the Skylarks Nest
By Jayne Kirkham. A man in a residential home is tormented by eerie visions. In order to lay the ghost to rest, he undertakes a nocturnal expedition.
9 Jul The Doctor's House
By Alan Drury. A spectre is said to haunt a small Somerset village. Gerald's circumstances make him particularly vulnerable - but what is the real secret of the Doctor's House?
10 Jul McLevy
A four-part series of stories about David Ashton's Victorian detective. 4: `Stab in the Back'. A hired killer armed with a knife roams the backstreets of Leith.
11 Jul Dazzled by the Dark
By Rebecca Bartlett. Maddy lives with her family in America. Her unmarried sister Margaret is desperate for a child. A possible solution to her problem poses an agonising dilemma.
12 Jul The Brief Chronicles of Annie Rose
Comedy by Elisabeth Lewis. A struggling actress suffers many trials and tribulations in her quest for a role more challenging than Elvis the Elf.
13 Jul The Saturday Play: Crosswords - Leonardo in Lyme Regis
Romantic comedy by Jim Eldridge. Crossword demon Stephen, now in partnership with wily widow Penny, unravels a fine-art mystery. With Wendy Craig, Geoffrey Palmer.
14 Jul The Classic Serial: Shirley
Charlotte Bronte's novel, dramatised by Jane Rogers. With Adrian Bower, Emma Cunliffe, Deborah McAndrew, Brigit Forsyth. Directed by Susan Roberts (2/3).
15 Jul Our Late Supper
By Nick Warburton. A shy middle-aged woman is forced out of her shell by an unexpected friendship with a 12-year-old girl. With Marcia Warren, Holly Grainger, Gerard McDermott.
16 Jul Huskar - an Awful Visitation
Drama-documentary by John Graham Davies. In July 1838, 26 children were drowned in a flood in a Pennine mining village. Survivors tell the story of the disaster and its aftermath.
17 Jul Lewis Carroll's Adventures in Russia
By Michael Bakewell. Lewis Carroll visits Russia in 1867 with his friend Henry Parry Liddon. As their diaries reveal, their experiences are entirely different.
18 Jul Men Are From...
By David and Caroline Stafford. Trish and Phil have the perfect relationship, and Trish is writing her own self-help manual based on the dysfunctional lives of her closest friends. Repeat .
19 Jul Moving On
By Harry Quinn and Colin Douglas. Scott is in his final year at school, set to move on to university with a well-planned career path. But in the outside world, things are changing.
20 Jul The Saturday Play: Out of Hours
By Peter Wolf. A middle-aged airline pilot faces financial difficulties when he is made redundant. A mysterious job offer could solve his problems, but what does the job entail?
21 Jul The Classic Serial: Shirley
Charlotte Bronte's novel, dramatised by Jane Rogers. With Adrian Bower, Emma Cunliffe, Deborah McAndrew, Brigit Forsyth. Directed by Susan Roberts (3/3).
22 Jul The Detox
By Rebecca Saire. Gastronomes Kate and Oliver embark upon a `cold turkey' detox - a laudable idea, but not without its drawbacks. With Samantha Bond, Roger Allam.
23 Jul To Winchester
By Nick Warburton. After their mother's funeral, a brother and sister learn that she has made a strange request, involving a journey from their Scottish family home to Winchester.
24 Jul I Decided to Kill My Brother-in-Law after Dinner By Margaret Wilkinson. Brooklyn is sweltering in the summer of 1956. Ernie is planning to murder his brother-in-law Arthur - but why?
25 Jul Sitting among the Eskimos
By Maggie Graham. A mature student in her final year is haunted by the fear of failure and a dead mother who desperately wants her to succeed. With Jennifer Black, Gayanne Potter. Repeat .
26 Jul Dead Line
By William Stanton. Ben is a writer suffering from the loss of both his inspiration and his lover. His quest to find them brings him into contact with a host of strange characters.
27 Jul The Saturday Play: The Wheatstone Pond By Robert Westall, dramatised by Martyn Read. The Wheatstone Pond has acquired a sinister atmosphere. After a tragic suicide, the pond is drained, revealing some unusual artefacts.
28 Jul The Classic Serial: City of Spades
Biyi Bandele's adaptation of his kaleidoscopic novel set in 50s London. Nigerian immigrant Johnny finds himself caught up in the new ethnic subculture. Repeat.
29 Jul The Bed and Breakfast Star
By Jacqueline Wilson, dramatised by Amanda Swift from the award-winning children's novel. Loveable, loud-mouthed, joke-cracking ten-year-old Elsa becomes the heroine of the hour. Repeat.
30 Jul The Story of Tracy Beaker
By Josephine Wilson, dramatised by Georgia Pritchett. Ten-year-old Tracy Beaker is a feisty survivor who, despite her upbringing in a children's home, realises her dream. Repeat .
31 Jul The Dare Game
By Josephine Wilson, dramatised by Amanda Swift. Ten-year-old Tracy Beaker is witty and perceptive enough to understand that although her mother loves her she cannot care for her.
1 Aug Love and Friendship
By Jane Austen, adapted by Robin Brooks. Written when Jane was only 14, this exuberant parody of the novels of the day is a wild comedy of teenage rebellion.
2 Aug Common Pursuit
By Alan MacDonald. Visiting Manchester from Canada, Jodie is involved in a road accident. The driver of the car she has hit is enraged and starts to chase her.
3 Aug The Saturday Play: Ruby
By John P Rooney, adapted from the stage play by Marie Jones. International 1950s singing star Ruby Murray meets and falls in love with her first husband Bernie Burgess.
4 Aug The Classic Serial: The Good Companions
By J B Priestley, dramatised by Eric Pringle. `The Dinky Doos' concert party are marooned in a station cafe. Enter Jess Oldroyd, Inigo Jollifant and Elizabeth Trant (1/3).
5 Aug Love in the Afternoon: The God of Love
By Michael Butt. Marcy wants to get her wayward daughter into a C of E school and seeks religious instruction from Richard, who turns out to be more interested in jazz than Jesus.
6 Aug Not like Enid Blyton
By Val Syms. It's 1956, and 11-year-olds Brenda and Pat intend to spend Sunday having adventures. But Pat's mum insists they take the baby along. Repeat.
7 Aug Tiger Leaping Gorge
By Brian Campbell. Three backpacking friends find themselves in a deep ravine in China. As the heat of the day increases, their adventure turns into something far more dangerous.
8 Aug Glorious John .By Glyn Hughes. A retired lecturer looks back on his adolescence in Manchester through a dialogue with his childhood sweetheart.
9 Aug Hungarian Birdsong
One-man show, written and performed by Niall Ashdown. When Niall and his father visit Hungary on a bird-watching trip, some interesting facts about their relationship are revealed.
10 Aug The Saturday Play: Singh Tangos
By Bettina Gracias. Anxious to immerse themselves in British culture and shake off their Indian roots, Mr and Mrs Singh take up ballroom dancing Repeat.
11 Aug The Classic Serial: The Good Companions
By J B Priestley, dramatised by Eric Pringle. Three strangers arrive out of the blue, and `The Good Companions' is created. With Helen Longworth, Philip Jackson (2/3).
12 Aug Love in the Afternoon: The Air Raid
Series of plays on the theme of love. By Peter Tinniswood. The sound of an air-raid siren is frequently heard in 1940, but Joyce's love flourishes under such conditions.
13 Aug Pongo Sadfish Blackie and Sid
By Debbie Oates. Six-year-old Sammy confides in the girl next door, divulging his secret plan to escape down the Manchester Ship Canal. But first he must turn into a fish. Repeat .
14 Aug On the Whole It's Been Jolly Good
A tribute to actor Maurice Denham, who died last month. Peter Tinniswood's monologue was originally written to celebrate Maurice's diamond jubilee in broadcasting. Repeat.
15 Aug The Kensington Pilgrims
By Michael Butt. An unlikely friendship develops between a reserved middle-aged lady and her younger neighbour.
16 Aug Billy and Elvis
ND comment - no BBC information. However I seem to recall this was about the life of a relatively unknown man - Billy, the husband of the writer - who died of a heart attack on the same day as Elvis. It was written by Val Syms.
17 Aug Inappropriate Behaviour
By Robert Shearman. Tipsy and tearful at her wedding reception, Helen insults Jeremy, one of the guests. Thus begins a long-lasting and very unusual friendship.
18 Aug The Classic Serial: The Good Companions By J B Priestley, dramatised by Eric Pringle. `The Good Companions' concert party has hit rock bottom, and the manager is threatening to leave. (3/3)
19 Aug Love in the Afternoon: Sea Wyf and Biscuit
Third in a series of plays on the theme of love. By Shaun McKenna, based on J M Scott's novel. Four shipwreck survivors are pitched into a struggle for survival in the ocean.
20 Aug The Rocks Below
By Beatrice Colin. On a small Scottish island in the 1950s, a pair of identical twins are forced to come to terms with a long-concealed secret Repeat .
21 Aug An Odd Body
First of a three-part detective series by Sue Rodwell. A controversial American preacher receives death threats when he visits the UK to take part in a television debate.
22 Aug A Tender Prayer
By Lucy Catherine. Travis and Jen's poker dice game aboard a draughty train full of stateless drunks leads to a dark adventure in unknown territory.
23 Aug Jessie Kesson: A Good Crack at Life
Adapted by Jenny Lee. On the day that she receives her honorary doctorate from Aberdeen University, novelist Jessie Kesson looks back over her astonishing life.
24 Aug The Saturday Play: Unknown Assailant
By Patrick Hamilton. The evil genius Ralph Gorse continues to exploit human weakness, in this case the snobbery and greed of a retired gamekeeper and the naivete of his daughter.
25 Aug The Classic Serial: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Patricia Hannah's dramatisation of Muriel Spark's classic tale of flawed idealism and betrayal in an Edinburgh girls' school in the 1930s (1/2).
26 Aug Love in the Afternoon: The Road to Lichfield
By Penelope Lively, dramatised by Jill Hyem. When Anne's father falls ill, she regularly visits him in Lichfield, where she meets someone much more suited to her than her husband.
27 Aug The Go-Slow Club
By Tracy Aston. George can't cope with the pace of modern life any more. He knows he needs help - but can the Go-Slow Club provide it? With Mark Heap, Doon Mackichan, Debra Penny. Repeat.
28 Aug An Oddbody
`Old Dog'. Second in a three-part detective series by Sue Rodwell. A vulnerable old man is attacked and burgled. He seems lonely, so Gwen introduces him to her mother.
29 Aug Reprise
By John P Rooney. Teacher Rory knows the love poetry of W B Yeats by rote, but the poems mean nothing until he meets the mysterious Veronique.
30 Aug Catching up with Clifford
By Glenn Mitchell. The story of a music hall comedian and entertainer blessed with the gift of creating havoc wherever his career took him.
31 Aug The Saturday Play: Greyfriars
By Ronald Frame, following the adventures of an Edinburgh policeman and his dog. Petty thieves and housebreakers ensure that a policeman's lot is not a happy one.
1 Sep The Classic Serial: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Patricia Hannah's dramatisation of Muriel Spark's classic tale of flawed idealism and betrayal in an Edinburgh girls' school in the 1930s (2/2) Repeated Saturday.
2 Sep Love in the Afternoon: The Girl Because
Fifth in a series of plays on the theme of love. By Emma Pearson. Tom decides to introduce his girlfriend to his estranged father. A shock awaits all three of them.
3 Sep Voyages
By Michael Hastings. A boy's fascination with collecting used bus tickets leads him to the discovery, 50 years later, that life is full of unfulfilled dreams.
4 Sep An Odd Body
`Dead Heads and Chutney'. Last of a three-part detective series by Sue Rodwell. A respectable elderly lady is found dead from natural causes - or was it murder?
5 Sep Red Feathers
Romantic comedy by Hilary Fannin about a music teacher with an odd sense of percussion and a French horn player who has lost a lip. With Owen Roe, Naomi Radcliffe.
6 Sep The New Look
`Tailor's Tacks'. The first of a trilogy of plays by Juliet Ace about Mattie Jones's childhood in South Wales. It is 1946 and Mattie is often hearing things she should not. Repeat.
7 Sep Paths of Glory
By Humphrey Cobb, adapted by Mike Walker. A young lawyer finds himself defending three soldiers in a First World War court martial. Are they cowards or scapegoats?
8 Sep The Classic Serial: New Grub Street
By George Gissing, dramatised by Tony Ramsay. Harold Pinter narrates the story of a group of struggling writers endeavouring to balance artistic integrity with market forces (1/3). Repeated Saturday.
9 Sep Love in the Afternoon: Courtin' Miss Lucie
Last in a series of plays on the theme of love. By Lisselle Kayla. An innocent Trinidadian nurse falls for the dangerous charms of a Jamaican bus conductor in Cardiff in the 1950s.
10 Sep Whitlock's Walk
Thriller by John Burrows. Two British athletes expose one of the great confidence tricks of the 20th century at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
11 Sep The Twin Towers: A Memorial in Sound
A soundscape memorial to the World Trade Center, depicting the noises and voices which made up the everyday life in the Twin Towers before the horrific events of 11 September. Broadcast Saturday.
12 Sep A Meeting in Seville
By Paul Mendelson. If people could meet themselves when they were young, what would they tell themselves? Would they learn anything? Would they even recognise each other? Repeat.
13 Sep The New Look
By Juliet Ace. A trilogy of plays about Mattie Jones's childhood in South Wales. 2: `Beeny's Camiknickers'. In the winter of 1947, Mattie spends most of her time in the bakery. Repeat.
14 Sep The Saturday Play: Ice Blonde
By Nancy Crane. Eunice Parker's big break comes when `The Writer' chooses her to track down a tough-guy detective, but there are many obstacles to overcome on the way.
15 Sep The Classic Serial: New Grub Street
By George Gissing, dramatised by Tony Ramsay. Harold Pinter narrates the story of a group of struggling writers endeavouring to balance artistic integrity with market forces (2/3). Repeated Saturday.
16 Sep Chasing the Rainbow
`Tums, Bums and Meat Samosas' by Lekha Desai Morrison. Shushila retreats into a fantasy world where she has supernatural powers. But then her mother-in-law keels over.
17 Sep After the Break
By Ian Curteis. Master spy George Blake escaped from prison with the help of small-time criminal Sean Bourke. But is their enforced exile in Russia better than being in jail?
18 Sep About Colin
Comedy by Robert Shearman. Two very different ladies keep meeting for lunch in a variety of different restaurants, their only link being Colin Repeat.
19 Sep Aire and Angels
By Louise Gooding. The 17th-century poet John Donne's earliest love poems were inspired by his longings for the young niece of his employer. With Samuel West. Repeat.
20 Sep The New Look
By Juliet Ace. A trilogy of plays about Mattie Jones's childhood in South Wales. 3: `Celluloid Lady'. It is 1948 and Mattie is now fascinated by Mona Morgan. Repeat.
21 Sep The Saturday Play: The Rocky Road to Wexford
By Peter Roberts. Anna Cassidy, once a promising flautists, is led to pick up her flute once more by a chance meeting. With Janet Maw, Peter Meakin and Richard Derrington. Repeat.
22 Sep The Classic Serial: New Grub Street
By George Gissing, dramatised by Tony Ramsay. Harold Pinter narrates the story of a group of struggling writers endeavouring to balance artistic integrity with market forces (3/3). Repeated Saturday.
23 Sep Chasing the Rainbow - Jeevan Sathi, Life Partner
By Ashok Patel. As Meena's father tries to put their lives back together following her mother's death, Uncle Nathu finds out Meena's secret.
24 Sep A Week Like Any Other
By Natalya Baranskya, translated by Tracy Spottiswoode. Moscow, 1969: As well as coping with work, children and food queues, Olga tries to get a life. With Samantha Spiro.
25 Sep The Picture Palace
By Louise Oliver. A long-forgotten jewel of a cinema is about to glitter again as two lovers rediscover its magic, with a little help from Clara the Usherette.
26 Sep Autumn Journal
Sam West reads Louis MacNeice's poetic masterpiece describing his thoughts and feelings between August and December 1938, containing reportage, ethics, love poems and politics.
27 Sep Blind
By Juliet Ace. Mattie Jones' South Wales childhood. 1953: 15-year-old Mattie has to spend her Saturdays cooking for her grandfather and her blind aunt, Catherine Jane.
28 Sep The Saturday Play: A Surfeit of Lampreys
By Ngaio Marsh, dramatised by Michael Bakewell. The glamorous Inspector Alleyn investigates when the unpleasant head of a spendthrift aristocratic family meets a gruesome end.
29 Sep The Classic Serial: Watership Down
By Richard Adams, dramatised in two parts by Neville Teller. 1: When the prophet Fiver predicts the destruction of their warren, not all the rabbits are prepared to listen. Repeated Saturday.
30 Sep Chasing the Rainbow - This Sweet Bitter Earth
By Anita Franklin. In 1959, Sam Love, a private investigator and jazz musician from New York, is sent back to his roots in New Orleans by a rich white woman seeking her daughter.
1 Oct The Listening Heart
David Constantine's play recreates the period during which Beethoven realised he was losing his hearing, against a background of the music he composed at the time.
2 Oct The Beautiful Couple
By Carolyn Pertwee. When a couple book into the hotel room where they spent their honeymoon 37 years ago, they are not prepared for the effect it will have on their marriage.
3 Oct Boxed
By Mark Homer, Carolina Giammetta and Ray Kilby. Suzie is beginning to feel good again after an acrimonious split with her long-term boyfriend - until he turns up on her doorstep.
4 Oct The Cowboy and the Tenderfoot
By Alan Wilkinson. The story of Owen Wister, an educated young man from the East who wrote `The Virginian', a classic tale of the American West. With William Hope and Kerry Shale.
5 Oct The Saturday Play: Any Other Name
By Ellen Dryden. When a teacher disappears under suspicious circumstances, her family are very anxious, as are the police. Then the family receives a most unusual tape recording.
6 Oct The Classic Serial: Watership Down
By Richard Adams, dramatised by Neville Teller. 2: The rabbits need some females for their new home. Their only hope is to rescue some does from the neighbouring warren.
7 Oct Elsie and the Child
A week of stories by the Potteries novelist Arnold Bennett. A child's affection for Elsie, the housemaid, turns the conventions and etiquette of an Edwardian household upside down.
8 Oct The Limits of Dominion
The second of five stories by the Potteries novelist Arnold Bennett. A young engineer is offered the chance to make his fortune, but his father stands in the way.
9 Oct The Fish
The third of five stories by novelist Arnold Bennett. Actor Reginald Sark finds fame and fortune when he attracts the attention of doyenne Emily Flyfax. But can he repay her?
10 Oct Mr Jack Hollins against Fate
By Arnold Bennett, dramatised by Don Haworth. Minnie and her young soldier husband defy the wishes of her wealthy father. He moves to disinherit them, until fate intervenes.
11 Oct Last Love
By Arnold Bennett, dramatised by Ted Moore. Piano teacher Miss Osyth fears she has missed the opportunity for love, until Alexis Beaumont arrives in the isolated village.
12 Oct I Left my Heart in 1960
A love story with music, by Ronnie Smith. Ever since 1960, when he first met Laura at the youth club, truck driver Bobby has always believed that stardom is just around the corner.
13 Oct The Classic Serial: Flashman at the Charge
George MacDonald Fraser's two-part dramatisation of his own novel. 1: Harry Flashman suffers the ill fortune of being caught up in the Charge of the Light Brigade.
14 Oct The Bull beneath the Earth
By David Calcutt. Archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans uncovers the lost remains of the palace of Knossos on Crete, but can he penetrate the mysteries of the human heart?
15 Oct The Museum
Dramatisation of a prizewinning short story by Leila Aboulela. A Scottish student develops a crush on a Sudanese girl, but she disapproves of his looks and his views on Africa.
16 Oct Brave Swimmer
By Noel Grieg. A 14-year-old Kosovan refugee saves a drowning boy off Brighton beach. Now a hero, can he rekindle his dream of becoming an Olympic swimmer?
17 Oct A Good Death
By Julia Blackburn, with Herman Makkink. When her mother becomes ill, Anna starts writing to her old friend Tom and her daughter Saskia to explore her family's turbulent history.
18 Oct Dot's Net
By Neil Monaghan. Dorothy is an unashamed Luddite in matters of information technology and refuses to use her online computer - until her home help accidentally switches it on.
19 Oct The Saturday Play: Sister of Death
By Helen Kluger. A fading film star looks to her former understudy for support, forming a partnership which has horrifying consequences.
20 Oct The Classic Serial: Flashman at the Charge
George MacDonald Fraser's two-part dramatisation of his own novel. 2: Harry Flashman finds himself riding with the descendants of Genghis Khan against the might of Imperial Russia.
21 Oct The Starving Girl of Llanfihangel
By Mary Cooper. It is 1869, and in a remote Welsh farmhouse lies a 12-year-old who takes no food nor drink. As pilgrims come to see the girl, an ambitious minister investigates. Rpt.
22 Oct The Ideal Heroine
By Alison Joseph. It is 1894, and Henry James is devastated by the death of his great friend and fellow writer Constance Fenimore Woolson.
23 Oct Waiting to Fly
By Andrew Holland. As her son lies dying of aids, a mother is forced to confront the demons of her own past. With Penny Downie, Peter Marinker, Chris Pavlo, Simon Donaldson.
24 Oct The Prison Father
By Caspar Walsh, based on a true story. A successful businessman struggles to come to terms with the memory of his father, whose legacy constitutes a dark secret.
25 Oct Starved for Love
By Chrissie Gittins. In 1934, two newly-weds travel to Blackpool to offer themselves as a `starving bride and groom', a popular seafront attraction.
26 Oct The Cuban Missile Crisis: 40 Years On: The Saturday Play: Cuba
By Liz Lochhead. It is 1962, and Soviet missile bases have been discovered in Cuba. Two young Scottish girls truly believe that the planet is about to be engulfed by nuclear war.
27 Oct The Classic Serial: The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic, dramatised in four parts by Melissa Murray. 1: Prince Myshkin is on his way home to Russia after spending years abroad trying to treat his epilepsy.
28 Oct A Glitch in the System
By Carolyn Sally Jones. Rachel and Steve have exchanged the rat race for a life of rural self-sufficiency. But the local GP brings news which tests their relationship to the limit.
29 Oct Casting Shadows
By Mark Burgess. On a summer's afternoon in 1962, three distinguished residents of Brighton - Max Miller, Laurence Olivier and Terence Rattigan - share some theatrical gossip.
30 Oct The Typist Who Flew to Australia: Amy Johnson
Fact-based drama by Helen Cross. Amy Johnson became a national heroine when she flew unaccompanied to Australia. What forces drove her to claim a place in the history books?
31 Oct Double Vision
By Annie McCartney. Soon after the death of her husband Gareth, Meredith is visited by a man whom she never knew existed - Gareth's twin brother Simon. The results are devastating.
1 Nov: Going Troppo
By Mervyn Stutter. Copeland Spode has been marooned on a desert island since 1939, with nothing but his ukulele for company. But rescue is at hand
2 Nov: The Saturday Play: The Birthday Party
A production of Harold Pinter's classic from the BBC archives, recorded in 1970. A guest in a boarding house is threatened by the appearance of two mysterious strangers
3 Nov: The Classic Serial: The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic, dramatised in four parts by Melissa Murray. 2: Having also suffered in the past, Prince Myshkin feels an empathy with Nastasya.
4 Nov: Taming the Wart
By Colin Haydn Evans. The true story of the discovery - and loss - of an alternative cure for cancer.
5 Nov: Curriculum Vitae
By David Pownall. In the early 1960s, inbred suspicion hampers an idealistic young graduate's mission to recruit workers for a new car plant in Liverpool
6 Nov: Box Story
Written and performed by Bobby Baker. Bobby delves into a selection of boxes unleashing the ills of the world, hoping to conquer them with a combination of hope and humour
7 Nov: Conversation on the London Train
By Don Haworth. A chance meeting on a train offers a life-changing opportunity to two ordinary people. With James Quinn, Christine Mackie, Judith Davis, Matthew Lewney
8 Nov: Generation Electric By Christopher Green. Chrissie and Diane are the undisputed disco queens of Rotherham. But when one of them ducks out of Saturday night, their lives take a very different turn
9 Nov: The Saturday Play: The Officers' Ward Dramatised by Mike Walker from the novel by Marc Dugain. A World War One casualty wakes up in the officers' ward with a dawning realisation that his life has been changed forever
10 Nov: The Classic Serial: The Idiot Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic, dramatised in four parts by Melissa Murray. 3: Recovering from an epileptic fit, Prince Myshkin analyses his feelings for two very different women.
11 Nov: The Tears of War
By Charlotte Fyfe. Utilising the First World War I writings of young poet May Cannan, this is the true story of her love affair with war hero Bevil Quiller-Couch
12 Nov: Life Cycles
By Jonathan Davidson. Three interconnecting stories about a cyclist enjoying the Yorkshire Dales, a Tour de France competitor, and a woman who wants to ride around the world
13 Nov: St Brice's Day
By Tony Coult. In 1002, King Aethelred ordered the notorious St Brice's Day massacre of all Danes living in Britain. For Aelfwyn, the event would leave a lasting legacy
14 Nov: Putting the Kettle on
By Simon Brett. No other details.
15 Nov: Till the Words Come Back
By Val Symes. Eleven-year-old Liam is loved by some and hated by others. Everyone agrees, however, that he can't stop talking. But when he gets run over by a bus, things change
16 Nov: The Saturday Play: Solitude
By William Trevor. Vilana's parents protected her from the consequences of an event she caused as a child. Now she needs to find someone who will listen to her story
17 Nov: The Classic Serial: The Idiot
Fyodor Dostoyevsky's classic, dramatised in four parts by Melissa Murray. 4: Nastasya and Aglaya talk over their feelings for Prince Myshkin, whose health is on a knife-edge.
18 Nov: Music at Night
By Don Taylor. Living alone in his Norfolk cottage, he is used to going for a walk after dark. But one night he hears music coming from a remote cottage and decides to investigate
19 Nov: London, Europe
Written by and starring Dave Lamb. Dave always tries to do the right thing - which gets him into endless trouble, especially with his girlfriend and his best mate
20 Nov: Anton in Eastbourne
By Peter Tinniswood, written as a tribute to Paul Scofield, who stars. Mr Anton arrives, expecting to meet a young lady. He knows her stories well, but does he know his own?
21 Nov: The Painter and the Fishergirl
By Carol McGuigan, based on American artist Winslow Homer's 1881 visit to Britain. Two worlds collide as a painter meets the young woman who changes his life
22 Nov: Beside the Seaside
By Roy Kerridge, dramatised by Lynne Truss. In the swinging 60s, Frank Coker rules the roost amid Brighton's criminal fraternity. Unfortunately, Dave Learner doesn't know this
23 Nov: The Saturday Play: Mr Bensley's Pram
Dylan Ritson's play tells the true story of an extraordinary wager accepted in 1907 by Harry Bensley. Disguised in an iron helmet, Bensley had to push a pram around the world
24 Nov: The Classic Serial: Just So Stories
Nandita Ghose's dramatisation of Kipling's much-loved series of tales. With James Fleet, Alice Ford, Sakuntala Ramanee, Trevor Laird. Directed by Geni Hall-KennyRepeated Saturday
25 Nov: Evaristo's Epitaph
By Patrick Carroll, based on a true story. The inscription on a tombstone in a Cornish churchyard tells the tale of a remarkable friendship between a master and an African slave
26 Nov: The Man who Had 10,000 Women
By Mark Lawson. On the day of the death of novelist George Simenon, creator of Maigret, a Parisian detective is asked to investigate the mysteries of the late author's life
27 Nov: Night Visit
Jean Binnie's play is based on the legendary 1945 meeting which took place in Leningrad between the great Russian poet Anna Akhmatova and a young British diplomat, Isaiah Berlin
28 Nov: Ladies' Night at Finbar's Hotel
An imaginative Irish comedy that divulges the hidden secrets of each guest staying at Finbar's Hotel - a hotel where just about anything can happen
29 Nov: Love Letters
By A R Gurney. The bitter sweet relationship between staid lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and lively artist Melissa Gardner unfolds in a series of letters
30 Nov: The Saturday Play: Testimonies
Patrick O'Brien's story of secret passion, set in a remote Welsh valley in the 1950s. With Philip Madoc, Alan Moore, Manon Edwards, Islwyn Morris. Directed by Geni Hall-Kenny
1 Dec: The Classic Serial: My Family and Other Animals
Janys Chambers's dramatisation of Gerald Durrell's classic comic tale, set on the sunny island of Corfu in the 1930s. 1: Meet the Family... Plus a Few Animals
2 Dec: Look no More Backward
By Judith French. A painting of a child seen on a market stall causes Kathleen to relive a life-changing experience of finding an abandoned baby. With Marcia Warren, Mark Saban
3 Dec: Maigret - A Man's Head
Georges Simenon's Parisian detective takes on one of his most famous cases in a dramatisation by David Cregan. With Nicholas Le Prevost, Julian Barnes, Ron Cook, Paul Birchard
4 Dec: Written to Death
By Lesley Glaister. Middle-aged and recently widowed Ellen finds solace in a writers' group. But fiction can be more revealing than she intends
5 Dec: Poor Echo
By Matthew Dunster. Three women overhear the same story in the hairdresser's and react in very different ways. With Emma Atkins, Colum Convey, Brigit Forsyth, Katy Cavanagh
6 Dec: Agnes Beaumont by Herself
By Stephen Wyatt, based on a true story. In 1674, a 22-year-old Puritan and protege of John Bunyan is accused of murder. With Katy Cavanagh, Adrian Scarborough
7 Dec: The Saturday Play: Foreign Bodies: Offside in Bohemia
By Melanie Garrett Fraser. A private eye starts to investigate the disappearance of a French novelist at a convention in Prague, only to discover more than he bargained for
8 Dec: The Classic Serial: My Family and Other Animals
Janys Chambers's dramatisation of Gerald Durrell's classic comic tale about his eccentric family and his natural history escapades on the sunny island of Corfu in the 1930s (2/2)
9 Dec: Racer
By Kevin Fegan. A mix of poetry and interviews based on the Isle of Man TT Races, featuring a high-speed journey seen through the eyes of a rider lapping the circuit
10 Dec: Maigret - The Bar on the Seine
Georges Simenon's Parisian detective investigates an old murder - and a new one - in a dramatisation by Alison Joseph. With Nicholas Le Prevost, Julian Barnes, Ron Cook
11 Dec: Paper Flowers
By Aisha Khan. Zair returns to Pakistan in 1949 with his new English fiancee. But as preparations for the wedding get under way, tension mounts between Jane and Zair's first wife
12 Dec: Who Shot Shelley?
By David Britton. 1812. Tremadoc in north Wales is not ready for the arrival of the radical young poet who preaches free love and atheism. And the authorities want him silenced
13 Dec: The Great Smog
No other details in schedule.
14 Dec: The Saturday Play: Foreign Bodies: The Laughing Policeman
Dramatised by Bert Coules from the novel by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. Detective Superintendent Martin Beck investigates a mass kinning on a Stockholm bus
15 Dec: The Classic Serial: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Marcy Kahan's dramatisation of Mark Twain's classic tale, following Huck and the runaway slave Jim on their journey down the Mississippi on a raft (1/3)
16 Dec: Man in the Flying Lawn Chair
Devised by the 78th Street Theatre Lab. In 1982, a Los Angeles truck driver tied 45 weather balloons to his lawn chair and cut himself loose. He climbed higher than he intended
17 Dec: My Friend Maigret
Georges Simenon's Parisian detective investigates a murder on the seductive island of Porquerolles, and meets some old acquaintances. With Nicholas Le Prevost, Julian Barnes
18 Dec: Take a Pinch of...
By Rommi Smith. A black woman discovers that her real father is a white man who has built an international reputation as a racist comedian
19 Dec: Full English
By Brian B Thompson. Terry and Inna meet through a Russian internet dating agency. When she visits him in London, what will she find - a hero in paradise or a slob in slacks?
20 Dec: The Man on the Pillar
By Justin Butcher. An exploration of the exotic world of visions and miracles through the eyes of a preacher and healer who spent thirty years living on a pillar
21 Dec: The Saturday Play: The Northern Irish Man in C S Lewis
By Brian Sibley. A look at the early life of C S Lewis and how his upbringing in County Down inspired his writings. With Geoffrey Palmer, Dario Angelone, Jack Logue, Doreen Keogh
22 Dec: The Classic Serial: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Marcy Kahan's dramatisation of Mark Twain's classic tale, following Huck and the runaway slave Jim on their journey down the Mississippi on a raft (2/3)
23 Dec: Blue Veils and Golden Sands
By Martyn Wade. The story of composer Delia Derbyshire, a pioneer of electronic music who worked in the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for 10 years. With Sophie Thompson
24 Dec: Maigret - Madame Maigret's Own Case
Georges Simenon's Parisian detective's wife finds herself entangled in a case of murder when two human teeth are found in a bookbinder's furnace. With Nicholas Le Prevost
25 Dec: Abominable Bestiary: Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak's classic children's picture book, adapted for radio by Peter Wolf. With Alex Slater, Paul Rhys, Helen Longworth, Burt Caesar. Directed by Marc Beeby
26 Dec: Abominable Bestiary: By the Coast of Coromandel
By Lavinia Murray, featuring Edward Lear's nonsensical characters on a quest to find their creator. With Derek Jacobi, Floella Benjamin, Samantha Spiro, Joanna Monro
27 Dec: Joanna
By Neil Brand. An old piano recalls the hands that have caressed her over the course of a century, and the love affairs she has witnessed. With Haydn Gwynne, Sara Crowe
28 Dec: The Saturday Play: Waterloo Bridge
By Mike Walker. A woman is about to jump off Waterloo Bridge when a middle-aged man makes her an offer she cannot refuse. With James Fleet, Claudie Blakley, Carolyn Backhouse
29 Dec: The Classic Serial: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Marcy Kahan's dramatisation of Mark Twain's classic tale, following Huck and the runaway slave Jim on their journey down the Mississippi on a raft (3/3)
30 Dec: The Magic City
First of a two-parter by E Nesbit, dramatised by Peter Kerry. After 11-year-old Philip builds a model city, he and 10-year-old Lucy find themselves running for their lives
31 Dec: The Magic City
Second of a two-parter by E Nesbit, dramatised by Peter Kerry. Forced to prove himself, Philip and Lucy set off on their second task - to relieve the islanders of the great fear
