the times | Friday May 27 2022 15television & radio
Times Radio
Digital Only
5.00am Early Breakfast 6.00 Chloe Tilley
and Calum Macdonald with Times Radio
Breakfast 10.00 Matt Chorley 1.00pm
Ruth D avidson. Covering the big political
stories of the week, and looking ahead
to the weekend, especially in sport and
entertainment 4.00 Cathy Newman at Drive.
Friday’s headlines and discussions 7.00
Michael Portillo. Cultured conversation
and political interview 10.00 Kait Borsay
1.00am Stories of Our Times 1.30
Red Box 2.00 Highlights from Times RadioRadio 2
FM: 88-90.2 MHz
6.30am The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show 9.30
Scott Mills 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm
Steve Wright 4.15 Steve Wright — Serious
Jockin’ 5.00 Sara Cox 7.00 Tony Blackburn’s
Golden Hour. The veteran broadcaster plays a
selection of popular tracks from the past 50
years 8.00 Sounds of the 80s with Gary
Davies. Gary plays a selection of music from
the decade. Plus, boyband-turned-manband
Hanson share the music they grew up with
on My 80s 10.00 Sounds of the 90s with
Fearne Cotton. A nostalgia-drenched
celebration of the best music and pop culture
from the decade 11.00 Sounds of the 90s
with Fearne Cotton 12.00 Romesh
Ranganathan: For the Love of Hip-Hop (r)
1.00am The Craig Charles House Party (r)
2.30 The Craig Charles House Party Mixtape
(r) 3.00 Sounds of the 80s Mastermix
4.00 Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen DiscoRadio 3
FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz
6.30am Breakfast
Radio 3’s classical breakfast show, featuring
listener requests. Including 7.00, 8.00 News.
7.30, 8.30 News headlines
9.00 Essential Classics
Georgia Mann presents classical music and
the last of Kate Romano’s five sketches of
Vaughan Williams’s life and music
12.00 Composer of the Week:
Vaughan Williams Today
Donald Macleod and Alain Frogley explore
the changing attitudes to Vaughan Williams’s
music since his death. Vaughan Williams
(Symphony no. 9 — II. Andante Sostenuto;
The Lover’s Ghost; Suite from 49th Parallel
— excerpt; Nocturne: Whispers of Heavenly
Death; and A London Symphony — 1913
version — IV. Finale — excerpt)1.00pm Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert
Sarah Walker introduces highlights from
a series of recitals given by Radio 3’s
New Generation Artists in the elegant
surroundings of the Pittville Pump Room at
2018 Cheltenham Festival. With the pianist
Mariam Batsashvili and the Calidore Quartet.
Liszt (Fantasy on Themes from Mozart’s The
Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, S697);
and Tchaikovsky (Souvenirs de Florence) (r)
2.00 Afternoon Concert
Ian Skelly wraps up his week of music
making from and about Spain with the RTVE
Symphony Orchestra. Ravel (Alborada del
Gracioso from Miroirs; and Rapsodie
Espagnol); Rachmaninov (Corelli Variations;
Antonio de Cabazon (Folias Criollas);
Anon (Pavana con sua glosa); Liszt (Weinen
Klagen Sorgen Zagen); and Woyrsch
(Symphony No 1); Schumann (”Erste
Begebnung” Op74; ”Botschaft” Op74; and
”Bedeckt mich mir Blumen” Op138/4)
4.30 The Listening Service
Tom Service is joined by the musician
and comedian Vikki Stoneto to examine
whether classical music can be funny (r)
5.00 In Tune
The Brodsky Quartet perform live.
Including 5.00, 6.00 News
7.00 In Tune Mixtape
An eclectic non-stop mix of music
7.30 Live Radio 3 in Concert
The BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Alpesh Chauhan, join the pianist Stephen
Hough in Rachmaninov, plus a Richard Baker
premiere and Bruckner’s transcendental
Ninth Symphony. Live from the Barbican
London. Presented by Martin Handley.
Richard Baker (The Price of Curiosity —
BBC Commission: world premiere);
Rachmaninov (Rhapsody on a Theme of
Paganini); and Bruckner (Symphony No 9)
10.00 The Verb
Ian McMillan presents a late-night
showcase of new writing,
performance and global literature
10.45 The Essay: Adrian Edmondson
— Signs of Life
Adrian Edmondson compares Bonnie Prince
Charlie’s flight across the country with his
and Rik Mayall’s progress on tour, and
some of the battles they encountered
11.00 Late Junction
Verity Sharp shares a collaboration session,
with Sarah Angliss and duo Stick in the
Wheel. Together, the musicians respond to
the work of Ralph Vaughan Williams
1.00am Composed with Emeli Sandé
2.00 Gameplay with Baby Queen
3.00 Through the Night (r)Radio 4
FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz LW: 198kHz MW: 720 kHz
5.30am News Briefing
5.43 Prayer for the Day
5.45 Farming Today
5.58 Tweet of the Day
6.00 Today
With Nick Robinson and Justin Webb
8.31 (LW) Yesterday in Parliament
9.00 Desert Island Discs
The swimmer Ellie Simmonds selects
eight favourite recordings (3/14) (r)
9.45 (LW) Daily Service
9.45 Book of the Week:
Empire of Pain — The Secret
History of the Sackler Dynasty
By Patrick Radden Keefe (10/10)
10.00 Woman’s Hour
Presented by Anita Rani
11.00 Sketches:
Stories of Art and People
Breaking new creative ground and remaking
old traditions. Last in the series (r)
11.30 Believe It!
Richard Wilson decides to hold the
party to end all parties (3/4)
12.01pm (LW) Shipping Forecast
12.04 Over the Top
A party in the archives to celebrate excess
1.00 The World at One
1.45 Metamorphosis
The mystery behind the nervous system
of the cockroach. Last in the series
2.00 The Archers (r)
2.15 Drama: Lusus
Boonies by Samantha Newton (4/4)
2.45 Living with the Gods
A focus on rites of passage (8/30) (r)
3.00 Gardeners’ Question Time
Experts answer listeners’ queries
3.45 Short Works
Wrecking Ball Swing by Trezza Azzopardi
4.00 Last Word
4.30 More or Less
Numbers and statistics (1/6) (r)
5.00 PM
5.54 (LW) Shipping Forecast
6.00 Six O’Clock News
6.30 The News Quiz
Topical comedy panel game (6/8)
7.00 Past Forward: A Century of Sound
A 1990 innovation that allowed blind people
to access newspapers (3/10) (r)
7.15 Screenshot
A preview of Baz Luhrmann’s new
Elvis biopic. Last in the series
8.00 Any Questions?
Political debate from the Princess
Theatre, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset8.50 A Point of View
A reflection on a topical issue
9.00 Archive on 4: Tuning In
Dominic Sandbrook tells the story of how
British radio began in 1922 (r)
10.00 The World Tonight
News round-up with Julian Worricker
10.45 Book at Bedtime: Love Marriage
By Monica Ali (10/10)
11.00 Great Lives
Anna Maxwell Martin proposes 1950s
strongwoman Joan Rhodes (8/9) (r)
11.30 Today in Parliament
12.00 News and Weather
12.30am Book of the Week:
Empire of Pain — The Secret
History of the Sackler Dynasty (r)
12.48 Shipping Forecast
1.00 As BBC World ServiceRadio 4 Extra
Digital only
8.00am Dad’s Army 8.30 Married 9.00
Guess What? 9.30 Millport 10.00 The Red
Telephone Box 11.00 Podcast Radio Hour
12.00 Dad’s Army 12.30pm Married 1.00
Lady in a Fog 1.30 A Change in the Weather
2.00 Clock Dance 2.15 Vanity Fair 2.30 The
Frontline Prince 3.00 The Red Telephone Box
4.00 Guess What? 4.30 Millport 5.00 Says
on the Tin 5.30 Don Biswas — Neurotopical
6.00 The Nightwatchman 6.15 Never Trust a
Rabbit 6.30 Sounds Natural 7.00 Dad’s
Army. A French general visits 7.30 Married.
Robin meets a woman from his old life 8.00
Lady in a Fog. Odell’s investigations finally
begin to reveal connections 8.30 A Change in
the Weather. By Eric Pringle. Last in the
series 9.00 Podcast Radio Hour. Chris
Pearson and Ella Watts suggest Sci-Fi Audio
Drama 10.00 Comedy Club: Don Biswas —
Neurotopical. Performance from the Frog and
Bucket Comedy Club in Manchester 10.30
A World of Dowie. John Dowie checks into a
boarding house in order to read the Gideon’s
bible 10.55 The Comedy Club Interview.
Sarah Campbell is interviewed by the BBC’s
new AI archive system 11.00 Comedy Club:
Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking.
Divorcee Carol has a fruit surplus 11.30
Mitch Benn Specials. Last in the seriesRadio 5 Live
MW: 693, 909
5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 5 Live
Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Chiles
on Friday 1.00pm The Question of Sport
Podcast 1.30 The Question of Sport Podcast
2.00 Elis James and John Robins4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport: The
Friday Football Social 9.00 5 Live Sport. The
latest news from the French Open 10.00
Stephen Nolan 1.00am Hayley HassalltalkSPORT
MW: 1053, 1089 kHz
5.00am Early Breakfast 6.00 talkSPORT
Breakfast with Alan Brazil 10.00 Jim White
and Simon Jordan 1.00pm Hawksbee and
Jacobs 4.00 talkSPORT Drive with Andy
Goldstein and Darren Bent 7.00 GameDay
Countdown 10.00 Sports Bar 1.00am
Extra Time with Martin KelnerTalkRadio
Digital only
5.00am James Max 6.30 Jeremy Kyle 10.00
The Independent Republic of Mike Graham
1.00pm Ian Collins 4.00 Rob Rinder 7.00
The News Desk 8.00 The Best of Piers
Morgan Uncensored 9.00 The Talk 10.00 The
James Whale Show 11.00 The Best of Piers
Morgan Uncensored 12.00 The James Whale
Show 1.00am Darryl Morris 4.00 The Talk6 Music
Digital only
5.00am The Remix with Chris Hawkins 5.30
Chris Hawkins 7.30 Lauren Laverne 10.30
Mary Anne Hobbs 1.00pm Craig Charles
4.00 Steve Lamacq 7.00 The People’s Party
with Afrodeutsche 9.00 Tom Ravenscroft
11.00 The Ravers Hour 12.00 6 Music’s
Indie Forever 1.00am 6 Music’s Emo Forever
2.00 Focus Beats 4.00 Ambient FocusVirgin Radio
Digital only
6.30am The Chris Evans Breakfast Show
with Sky 10.00 Eddy Temple-Morris 1.00pm
Tim Cocker 4.00 Gaby Roslin 7.00 Ben Jones
10.00 Stu Elmore 1.00am Emma NolanClassic FM
FM: 100-102 MHz
6.00am More Music Breakfast 9.00
Alexander Armstrong 12.00 Catherine Bott
4.00pm John Brunning 7.00 Smooth
Classics at Seven 8.00 The Classic FM
Concert with John Suchet. Lehár (The Merry
Widow — Overture); Brahms (Symphony No
2 in D Op 73); Marquez (Danzon No 2); Reade
(The Victorian Kitchen Garden — Suite); and
Vaughan Williams (Piano Concerto in C)
10.00 Smooth Classics 1.00am Katie
Breathwick 4.00 Bill OvertonRadio choice
Ben DowellCrowdS cience
World Service, 8.30pmWhy do metals and
minerals — especially
something as valuable as
gold — show up in some
places and not others, when
they could just have easily
been spread about evenly?
It’s a question asked by
the listener Martijn, and
the presenter Marnie
Chesterton, above, is here
to provide the answers in a
programme subtitled Why
Can’t I Find Gold in My
Back Yard? Is it pure
chance that all those atoms
of gold accumulated in one
place? Or are other factors
at work? The programme
examines the workings of
Earth’s geology as well as
the theory that precious
metals came here on the
back of a meteorite.our tv newsletter
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the only shows you need to watch
thetimes.co.uk/bulletinsI
f you haven’t yet seen Big Boys, I
strongly suggest you do. It’s one of
the most funny, tender, profound
sad-happy comedies I’ve seen this
year and is worth anyone’s time,
not just because it tackles the themes
of grief, coming of age and sexuality
with a beautifully light touch, but
because the cast give the impression
that they love performing it.
It is based on the writer Jack Rooke’s
life, losing his father to cancer when
he was 15, suffering depression as a
result, struggling to come out as gayto his mother and being unable even
to comfort-masturbate because
relatives kept telling him that his dad
was watching over him from heaven.
When things got too melancholy,
Rooke lifted them with witty bathos.
In a great bit of casting, he is played
by Dylan Llewellyn (James in Derry
Girls). Rooke, who acts as narrator,
acknowledged at the beginning that
Llewellyn is better-looking than
him, but if you can’t cast someone
attractive as yourself when you’re
the writer, when can you?
Jon Pointing put in a lovely
performance as Jack’s (straight, wide
boy, wannabe ladies’ man) friend
Danny at the fictional Brent
University. I do heartily recommend it
to teenagers starting higher education
in September, because it served as a
vital reminder that university can
sometimes be really quite crap, and
you won’t be the only one feeling that
you’re not having “the time of your
life”. Camille Coduri was fabulous as
Jack’s mother, as was Katy Wix as the
overgrown student who never left and
is now the head of ents. It wears its
humour effortlessly without being
endlessly crude. OK, occasionally it
was a little bit crude. If you’re sensitive
maybe skip over the fruitier
descriptions of the gay club dark room.
Regular readers will know I tend to
be irritated by Who Do You Think
You Are? because it indulges yet morecelebrity navel-gazing and egotism,
and there’s quite enough of that
already. But I’ll make an exception for
Sue Perkins, who strikes me as a very
good egg indeed. And, sure enough,
it was one of the better WDYTYAs,
containing a couple of harrowing
revelations from her family’s past.
Hearing stories like that of Perkins’s
grandfather was a reminder for some
of us to check our developed-world
privilege. His mother died when he
was a baby, then his father died
and, an orphan, he was put in the
workhouse at the age of six. “It’s the
stuff of Dickens,” Perkins said. Sadly,
she was right.
On the other side of her family was
a traumatic tale of refugees fleeing
back and forth over borders between
Nazi and Soviet rule. They were
subjected to medical examinations by
the Nazis (a cover for racial profiling)
and deemed “below average or mixed
race”, but — worse — one of their
children was deemed worthy of
execution for being deaf. Dear God.
Perkins had roped in her comedy
partner and best friend, Mel Giedroyc,
to go through the family photos
because it would just make Perkins’s
mother cry, so we didn’t meet any
members of her family. But it turned
out that Perkins, unbeknown to her,
hails from Lithuania — just like
Giedroyc. It could be coincidence, of
course, but it felt like kismet.A tender, poignant tale of troubled teenage years
KEVIN BAKER/CHANNEL 4Carol
Midgley
TV review
Who Do You Think You Are?
BBC1
{{{{(Big Boys
Channel 4
{{{{(Dylan Llewellyn plays the lead in this autobiographical comedy