Saturday 9 May
BBC2 - The Birth of British Music- part 1 of 4 -'Purcell: The Londoner' - "In this series, conductor Charles Hazlewood explores the development of British music through the lives, times and music of four great composers, each with a major anniversary in 2009.
The first programme celebrates the music of Henry Purcell, one of the most seminal but mysterious figures of British musical history. Charles investigates what life would have been like for a composer in 17th-century London through a wide range of Purcell's music, from the vast but often overlooked output of tavern songs to his glorious sacred music and pioneering stage works such as Dido and Aeneas. He discovers how Purcell's work is still central to our national life today, visiting the Grenadier Guards at Wellington Barracks and attending the Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph.
Music is performed by Charles Hazlewood's own ensemble, Army of Generals, as well as renowned musicians including Sir John Tomlinson and the Choir of Westminster Abbey."
BBC2 - Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra - "Bill Bailey joins forces with Anne Dudley and the BBC Concert Orchestra for an evening of his music and comedy.
Using both contemporary and classical references, Bill Bailey explains, in his unique and hilarious way, the nuances of how the orchestra works and the lesser-known influences of various classical composers.
Also included are some of his own original works, rearranged and performed by himself and the orchestra under the guidance of musical maestro Anne Dudley."
BBC4 - Ford's Dagenham Dream - "Documentary which tells the story of the British love affair with the American dream cars made at Ford in Dagenham in the 1960s and 70s. Ford helped put the nation on wheels with its fast, sexy cars such as the Zephyr, the Cortina and the Capri, which were pure rock'n'roll and hugely appealing to the younger generation."
Sunday 10 May
BBC2 - South Pacific - part 1 of 6 - 'Ocean of Islands' - "The South Pacific islands are the most remote in the world. Their extraordinary isolation has created some of the most curious, surprising and precarious examples of life found anywhere on Earth; from giant crabs that tear open coconuts, to flesh-eating caterpillars that impale their prey on dagger-like claws.
Human culture is different too. The men of Pentecost Island celebrate their annual harvest by leaping from 20 metre high scaffolds, with only forest vines to break their fall. And on the tiny island of Anuta, possibly the most remote community of people on the planet, the locals survive entirely on what they can grow and catch.
The South Pacific's innumerable islands look like pieces of paradise, but the reality of life here is sometimes very different, with waves the size of buildings, brutal tropical storms, and, in the far south, even blizzards. This is the real South Pacific."
BBC2 - The Incredible Human Journey - Part 1 of 5 - 'Out of Africa' - Dr Alice Roberts travels the globe to discover the incredible story of how humans left Africa to colonise the world - overcoming hostile terrain, extreme weather and other species of human. She pieces together precious fragments of bone, stone and new DNA evidence and discovers how this journey changed these African ancestors into the people of today.
Alice travels to Africa in search of the birthplace of the first people. They were so few in number and so vulnerable that today they would probably be considered an endangered species. So what allowed them to survive at all? The Bushmen of the Kalahari have some answers - the unique design of the human body made them efficient hunters and the ancient click language of the Bushmen points to an early ability to organise and plan.
Humans survived there, but Africa was to all intents and purposes a sealed continent. So how and by what route did humans make it out of Africa? Astonishing genetic evidence reveals that everyone alive today who is not African descends from just one successful, tiny group which left the continent in a single crossing, an event that may have happened around 70 thousand years ago. But how did they do it? Alice goes searching for clues in the remote Arabian Desert."
Monday 11 May
C4 - Dispatches: Lost in Care - "Reporter Rageh Omaar explores the problems faced by children in care in the UK, including those who are adopted, fostered or in residential care homes. One 19-year-old reveals that she was moved 45 times after entering care at the age of four. Several teenagers describe the impact of such upheaval and reveal some harrowing individual experiences."
BBC4 - A Poet's Guide to Britain - part 2 of 6 "Sylvia Plath: Wuthering Heights" - "Sylvia Plath is one of the most popular and influential poets of recent history but her poetry is often overshadowed by her life - the story of her marriage to Ted Hughes, her mental health problems and her tragic suicide at the age of 30.
A rich and important area of her work that is often overlooked is the wealth of landscape poetry which she wrote throughout her life, some of the best of which was written about the Yorkshire moors.
Sheers explores this rich seam, which culminated in a poem called Wuthering Heights. It takes its title from Emily Bronte but the content and style is entirely Plath's own remarkable vision of the forbidding Pennine landscape."
Tuesday 12 May
BBC2 - Horizon: How Violent Are You? - "What makes ordinary people commit extreme acts of violence?
In a thought-provoking and disturbing journey, Michael Portillo investigates one of the darker sides of human nature. He discovers what it is like to inflict pain and is driven to the edge of violence himself in an extreme sleep deprivation study.
He meets men for whom violence has become an addiction and ultimately discovers that each of us could be inherently more violent than we think, and watches a replication of one of the most controversial studies in history, the Milgram study. Will study participants be willing to administer a seemingly lethal electric shock to someone they think is an innocent bystander?"
BBC1 - Ten Things You Need To Know About Sleep - "Do you get enough sleep? Many of us don't. 10 Things You Need to Know About Sleep reveals the science behind why so many find it difficult to nod off, and offers practical tips on the best ways to get a good night's sleep.
In a series of experiments, presenter Kate Silverton sets out to help those insomniacs desperate to get some shut eye, help travellers beat jet lag, and see if there is anything that can be done to stop loud and persistent snorers.
Chef Aldo Zilli discovers how the food we eat affects our sleep, while volunteers in a sleep laboratory test the effects of alcohol and coffee on the rhythm of sleep.
Record-breaking round-the-world yachtswoman Dee Caffari learns the best time to take a nap and catch up on lost sleep, while journalist Dominik Diamond finds out that less sleep can help an insomniac break bad habits.
Joe Swift from Gardeners World tries out some herbal sleep remedies, and comedian Russell Kane checks out techniques that can reduce the stress that keeps him awake at night.
Kate takes a hot bath before bed and discovers the surprising secret to a good night's sleep, as well as how a trick of the light can both wake you up and keep you asleep."
Thursday 14 May
C4 - Cutting Edge: The Homecoming - "At the age of four, journalist Rachel Roberts was placed in a children's home in Doncaster. Now, more than 30 years later, with only an old photo and fading recollections of her time there, she's searching for the other children she shared the home with to find out what became of them.Although focusing on Rachel's individual search, The Homecoming casts a wider look at the care system in general - and the long-lasting effects it can have on those caught up in it."
Friday 15 May
C4 - Unreportable World - Brazil: The Killables - "Evan Williams investigates police death squads operating in Recife, Brazil, and is immediately confronted by the murder of a boy on the street. The shooting is typical of nearly 3,000 deaths per year in the city of 'undesirables' and street kids who turn to prostitution and petty crime to survive."
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* This applies to staff members at the University of Gloucestershire only. Any recordings made are to be used only for educational and non-commercial purposes under the terms of the ERA Licence.
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