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BBC R4 TV guide

BBC R4 today, and the days ahead.

The full schedule in UTC time, what is on now and next, and the same data in your app with one call.

CountryUnited Kingdom
Today41 programmes
Listings fromThis week
CategoryGeneral
On now on BBC R423:40 UTC
On now
Appetite for Distraction
23:30 to 23:48 UTC
8 minutes left
23:48Shipping Forecast
00:00World Service
04:00News Summary
04:04Yesterday in Parliament
ScheduleBBC R4 schedule

All times UTC. The same day from the API: GET /v1/channels/ch_49r3t4y7/schedule?date=2026-10-12&tz=UTC

Open in the docs
TimeProgrammeEpisodeCategoryLength
00:00World ServiceBBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.4h
04:00News SummaryNational and international news from BBC Radio 4.4m
04:04Last WordMatthew Bannister on the colourful life of Lord Archer, BBC Africa correspondent Mark Doyle and 'the best singer in America' Cassandra Wilson.30m
04:34Shipping ForecastThe latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.9m
04:43Prayer for the DayA spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Jo Moir.2m
04:45Farming TodayMarking The Archers' 75th anniversary, we're in the village that inspired Ambridge, exploring the future of the countryside, with Jeremy Clarkson o...12m
04:57Weather for FarmersThe latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers.3m
05:00TodayNews and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.3h
08:00Start the WeekFrom family secrets and Greek myth to ancient genomes, the novelist Gillian Slovo, classicist Edith Hall and geneticist Pontus Skoglund talk to Nao...45m
08:45Café HopeFounder of Brave Mind, Simon Trower, tells Rachel Burden how his experience of depression helped shape the charity's drive to use sport to support ...15m
09:00Woman's HourIn her first interview to be broadcast, Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay.1h
10:00Another Country with James RebanksIn a moment of uncertainty for the countryside we hear from rural workers in and around three English villages, exploring their inner lives and hop...45m
10:45Winnie-the-Pooh 100Read by Lenny Henry. A century after publication, Her Majesty the Queen introduces the first of five new readings.15m
11:00News SummaryThe latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.4m
11:04You and YoursFuel prices are roughly 40% higher than they were before the war with Iran began. We hear how it is increasing costs for businesses, and in turn, c...53m
11:57Weather ForecastThe latest weather forecast.3m
12:00The World at OneNews, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4.45m
12:45Farming TodayMarking The Archers' 75th anniversary, we're in the village that inspired Ambridge, exploring the future of the countryside, with Jeremy Clarkson o...15m
13:00The ArchersThere's a spanner in the works for Pip, and Alistair finds himself in trouble.15m
13:15Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen?2/4. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders star as respected novelist Florence and movie star Selina, in a sparkling comedy series about two sisters at...30m
13:45Faith, Hope and Glory1/3. It's 1953 and Gloria is now working as a teacher. With the arrival of a new member of staff at school Gloria finds herself with a friend for t...15m
14:00A Good ReadGerman historian and writer Andrea Wulf, along with author and founder of the Black British Book Festival, Selina Brown, join Harriett Gilbert to r...30m
14:30Curious Cases2/13. What conditions could cause geometric patterns to form on the surface of a liquid? Not just in a lab, but perhaps on the open sea as well? Ha...30m
15:00AI on the FarmCharlotte Smith explores how artificial intelligence is transforming agriculture.30m
15:30Art That Conquered the WorldJames Fox asks how John Everett Millais's Ophelia became one of the most famous artworks in the world.30m
16:00PMFull coverage of the day's news.1h
17:00Six O'Clock NewsThe Prime Minister has said it would be a dereliction of duty not to discuss closer ties with Europe which, he says, would boost growth in the UK.30m
17:30Room 101 with Paul Merton1/6. What items would you banish? Miles Jupp tells Paul Merton his choices - including touchscreens and people who take the aisle seat when the win...30m
18:00The ArchersIs reconciliation on the cards for Ruth, and Usha attempts a difficult negotiation.15m
18:15Front RowChristine Baranski and Richard E Grant on Coward's Hay Fever. Douglas Stuart on John of John. London Film Festival update, and are some prize-winni...45m
19:00The Briefing RoomThe ceasefire between the Saudi-backed Yemen government and the Houthi rebels is over. As the fighting for control of land and sea intensifies, why...30m
19:30BBC Inside ScienceAlso, we celebrate human achievements with this week's Nobel prizes, we visit penguin Mordor, and we remember space innovator Margaret Hamilton.30m
20:00Start the WeekFrom family secrets and Greek myth to ancient genomes, the novelist Gillian Slovo, classicist Edith Hall and geneticist Pontus Skoglund talk to Nao...45m
20:45Café HopeFounder of Brave Mind, Simon Trower, tells Rachel Burden how his experience of depression helped shape the charity's drive to use sport to support ...15m
21:00The World TonightIn depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.45m
21:45Who Are You in Winnie-the-Pooh?1/5. Children's laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce talks with Michael Morpurgo and Francesca Simon about why they particularly identify with Piglet.15m
22:00Cobalt3/5. Maita's in Zimbabawe looking for her dad. She's not ready for what she finds. Five-part thriller by Eno Mfon and Darragh Mortell, starring Sa...30m
22:30Today in ParliamentNews, views and features on today's stories in Parliament.30m
23:00Midnight NewsNational and international news from BBC Radio 4.30m
23:30Appetite for Distraction On nowMatthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention. First, he seeks answers in the works of Aldous Huxley an...18m
23:48Shipping ForecastThe latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.12m
In your appThis schedule, in four languages

Copy, add your key, run. The free key reads yesterday and today on every channel, 500 calls a day.

Get a free key
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TVG_KEY" \
  "https://api.tvguideapi.com/v1/channels/ch_49r3t4y7/schedule?date=2026-10-12&tz=UTC"

# what is on now, and next
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TVG_KEY" \
  "https://api.tvguideapi.com/v1/channels/ch_49r3t4y7/now"

# any past day (Archive plan)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TVG_KEY" \
  "https://api.tvguideapi.com/v1/channels/ch_49r3t4y7/history?from=2026-10-05T00:00:00Z&to=2026-10-06T00:00:00Z"
Free keyEvery time in UTCIds that never change
// GET /v1/channels/ch_49r3t4y7/schedule?date=2026-10-12, the first programme
{
    "data": [
        {
            "id": "ls_se3ktsta",
            "channel": "ch_49r3t4y7",
            "start": "2026-10-12T00:00:00Z",
            "stop": "2026-10-12T04:00:00Z",
            "title": "World Service",
            "sub_title": null,
            "description": "BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.",
            "category": [],
            "flags": {
                "new": false,
                "live": false
            }
        }
    ],
    "meta": {
        "count": 41,
        "date": "2026-10-12",
        "tz": "UTC"
    }
}
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