BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Tuesday 5 May 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—05/05/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  The Dark Frontier by Jeffrey Marlow—Episode 1: A Portal to Another Realm
  1/5Marine microbiologist Professor Jeffrey Marlow explores the deep ocean.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—05/05/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—05/05/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—05/05/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  The Documentary—How to Spend Billions – Fast: Carney’s Defence Deadline
  Inside Canada's sprint to hit NATO’s 2% by 31 March 2026
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—05/05/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Gifts of the garden
  Spiritual reflection with Fr Philip Blackledge of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Melrose.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—05/05/26 Ash tree propagation, clinical waste on beach, DIY bat monitoring
  A new growing technique which could help save the ash.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—05/05/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  The Gift—Series 3, 1. Twins, Part 1
  1/6The special bond between two twin sisters is tested in an almost inconceivable way.
3. 09:30
  All in the Mind—Toxic work behaviours, mind blanking, and why spending time with friends makes you more yourself
  Facing impolite emails, tackling knowledge theft, and mind blanking.
4. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—Baby sleep influencers. Christine Dawood, Selena Kay & Cerys Hogg, David Attenborough
  We look at concerns around the unregulated industry of so-called baby sleep influencers.
5. 11:00
  Screenshot—Teachers
  Ellen and Mark head back to class to learn how teachers have been depicted in film and TV.
6. 11:45
  The Dark Frontier by Jeffrey Marlow—Episode 2: Woods Hole
  2/5Marine microbiologist Professor Jeffrey Marlow explores the deep ocean.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—05/05/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  You and Yours—Call You & Yours: How does your family afford the cost of care?
  Call You & Yours: How does your family afford the cost of care?
3. 12:57
  Weather—05/05/2026
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  World at One—Who has the upper hand in Hormuz?
  US claims the "lane is clear" after Iran insists "we have not even begun yet".
5. 13:45
  Naturebang—Riverbeds and the Sedimentation of Ideas
  What if all the ideas surrounding our lives are like pieces of sediment in a river?
6. 14:00
  The Archers—04/05/2026
  Leonard has a proposition for Carol.
7. 14:15
  Takeover—Series 1, Episode 3
  3/4High-stake deals and sibling rivalry set in the world of the super wealthy.
8. 15:00
  History's Heroes—Charles Dickens and the Train Crash
  How did Charles Dickens rescue passengers from a railway disaster?
9. 15:30
  Beyond Belief—Inked
  Giles Fraser and the panel discuss the spiritual side of tattoos.
10. 16:00
  Artworks—Uneasy Listening
  Celebrating the challenging music of Stockhausen, Cage and Feldman and why it's overlooked
11. 16:30
  What's Up Docs?—Why do you snore?
  Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are exploring why we snore.
12. 17:00
  PM—US says the ceasefire with Iran is still holding despite yesterday's skirmishes
  US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says Iran ceasefire still holds despite clashes.
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—Four activists from Palestine Action are found guilty of criminal damage
  They broke into the UK factory of an Israeli defence firm
2. 18:30
  Nature Table—Series 5, 5: Mind-controlling Caffeine & Kinky Lamprey
  5/6Fish, caffeine and tomatoes wow the guests.
3. 19:00
  The Archers—05/05/2026
  Ruth has a lot to think about.
4. 19:15
  Front Row—Antony Gormley in 2D
  Antony Gormley on drawing. Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. Career Women cinema.
5. 20:00
  File on 4 Investigates—Duped in Dubai
  The investment course that didn't deliver.
6. 20:40
  In Touch—Video Games: A Call for Regulation
  In Touch discusses updates within the accessible video gaming space.
7. 21:00
  Crossing Continents—Serbia: Under the Canopy
  A disaster at a Serbian station sparked mass protests. What is its political legacy?
8. 21:30
  Great Lives—Peter Cook picked by Jon Harvey aka Count Binface
  Comedian Jon Harvey picks Peter Cook as his hero for Great Lives.
9. 22:00
  The World Tonight—05/05/2026
  In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
10. 22:45
  The Prisoner by Sally Carson—Episode Seven
  7/10The sequel to Sally Carson’s rediscovered masterpiece Crooked Cross.
11. 23:00
  Uncanny—Cold Cases, Case 5: The Sandown Clown
  5/12Danny Robins investigates the bizarre mystery of the Sandown Clown - who, or what, was it?
12. 23:30
  Soul Music—I Will Always Love You
  Written by Dolly Parton... sent stratospheric by Whitney Houston.
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Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—06/05/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  The Dark Frontier by Jeffrey Marlow—Episode 2: Woods Hole
  2/5Marine microbiologist Professor Jeffrey Marlow explores the deep ocean.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—06/05/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—06/05/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—06/05/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  BBC Inside Science—Why is Europe the fastest-warming continent?
  We explore the mechanisms causing Europe's warming twice as fast as the global average.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—06/05/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Unremitting joy
  Spiritual reflection with Fr Philip Blackledge of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Melrose.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—06/05/26 Weedkiller glyphosate and its use on crops. Sounds of the soil.
  Should the weedkiller glyphosate be banned for use on crops before harvest?

Wednesday 6 May 2026