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Categories: Documentaries

  1. The Ladies' Man of Opera

    The surprising and touching story of how Richard Strauss' marriage inspired his music.

    BBC Radio 4

  2.

    Ghost Music

    Archaeologist Christine Finn taps her foot to ancient sounds not heard for millennia.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  3.

    The Light Switch Project

    What happens when you switch on a light? Toby Jones discovers it is a question without end

    BBC Radio 4

  4.

    Sylvie Simmons: The Rock Chick

    Islington-born Sylvie Simmons talks to Nick Barraclough about her life as a rock writer.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  5.

    The Chemist of Life and Death

    How chemist Fritz Haber saved billions from starvation - and pioneered gas warfare too.

    BBC Radio 4

  6.

    Into the Music Library

    An exploration of the strange (and strangely familiar) sound world of 'Library Music'.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  7.

    Voodoo Wasps and Zombie Worms

    Could infection by parasites be at the root of human behaviour and even mental illness?

    BBC Radio 4

  8.

    Loud Organs His Glory

    The story of the great Victorian organ builder 'Father' Henry Willis.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  9. The RSC at 50

    James Naughtie follows the Royal Shakespeare Company as it celebrates its 50th birthday

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

    Show available episodes

  10. The Cuckoo

    A fascinating insight into one of Nature's greatest cheats.

    BBC Radio 4

  11.

    The Communist Cosmos

    Angus Roxburgh explores the years when the Soviet Union ruled space.

    BBC Radio 4

  12.

    The Biggest Radio on Earth

    Dr Lucie Green reports on plans for a radio telescope the size of a continent.

    BBC Radio 4

  13.

    Is Surgery Scientific?

    Surgery is a craft and historically has not been subject to scientific scrutiny until now.

    BBC Radio 4

  14. Science Betrayed

    Dr Adam Rutherford investigates topical science stories

    BBC Radio 4

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  15. The Story of Economics

    Michael Blastland lays out the history of economic ideas

    BBC Radio 4

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  16. The Search for Growth

    Stephanie Flanders sets out on the search for growth in Britain's economy

    BBC Radio 4

    Show available episodes

  17. Fingerprints on Trial

    Claudia Hammond asks how much we can trust fingerprint evidence.

    BBC Radio 4

  18. In Doubt We Trust

    Mark Vernon examines how desire for certainty has affected people's ability to doubt

    BBC Radio 4

    Show available episodes

  19. Liberty, Fraternity, Anarchy - Le Punk Francais

    Andrew Hussey explores how France played a pivotal role in the explosion of 1970s punk.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  20.

    The Smell of Money

    Materials scientist Mark Miodownik asks whether we could live without cash.

    BBC Radio 4

  21. Genius Unrecognised

    Tony Hill looks at the genesis of five inventions that define our world today

    BBC Radio 4

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  22. The Foghorn: A Celebration

    Peter Curran celebrates the powerful role of the humble foghorn.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  23. The Chaplin Archive

    Exploring the vast archive of Chaplin's unfinished scripts, letters and press cuttings

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

    Show available episodes

  24. Not Just Funny Animal Voices

    The life of Johnny Morris, told by his friend and former co-presenter Terry Nutkins.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  25.

    Scientists of the Subprime

    Ehsan Masood examines how science could help prevent future banking crises.

    BBC Radio 4

  26.

    Bleep Bleep Bloop: Music and Video Games

    Paul Bennun explores the world of music composed for video games.

    BBC Radio 4

  27.

    In Denial - Climate on the Couch

    Jolyon Jenkins investigates the psychology of climate change - why aren't we more worried?

    BBC Radio 4

  28. A History of Ancient Britain

    Neil Oliver's epic story of how Britain and its people came to be

    BBC Two

    Show available episodes

  29. Europe: Driving on the Right

    Chris Bowlby looks at how the far right is influencing mainstream European politics

    BBC Radio 4

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  30. The Music That Melted

    Under a full moon and the Northern Lights, Richard Coles hears the Ice Music of Norway.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  31. Bosphorus

    Edward Stourton explores the life and history of the Bosphorus

    BBC Radio 4

    Show available episodes

  32. In Pursuit of Happiness

    Claudia Hammond looks at the government's plan to measure the nation's happiness.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  33.

    A Coat, a Hat and a Gun

    A reappraisal of Raymond Chandler, the Englishman who invented the PI as we know him.

    BBC Radio 4

  34.

    Do We Really Need the Moon?

    Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock explores the moon's relationship to our planet.

    BBC Two

  35.

    Hey Mr Salinger

    Joanna Smith Rakoff explores JD Salinger's relationship with fans who wrote him letters

    BBC Radio 4

  36.

    The Honest Musician's Fear of Accidental Plagiarism

    What happens when a songwriter accidentally copies someone else's song?

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  37. The Secret History of Social Networking

    Rory Cellan-Jones traces its roots

    BBC Radio 4

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  38. What We Leave We Carry: The Legacy of John la Rose

    Burt Caesar on John La Rose, founder of Britain's first black publishing house.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  39.

    A Family Business: The Chaplin Legacy

    Tim Brooke-Taylor views Chaplin's legacy in the theatre of his grandson James Thierree.

    BBC Radio 4

  40.

    Australian Wanted in Woodhall Spa

    Chris Ledgard explores the tradition of overseas cricketers playing for amateur UK clubs.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  41.

    The Teetotaller's Guide to Boozing

    Sarfraz Manzoor looks at the life of a teetotaller in the UK.

    BBC Radio 4

  42. Ancient Worlds

    Archaeologist and historian Richard Miles explores the roots of civilisation.

    BBC Two

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  43. Gods and Monsters: Homer's Odyssey

    Poet Simon Armitage follows in the footsteps of one of his personal heroes, Odysseus.

    BBC Four

  44.

    The Dog and the Whale

    Tucker the sniffer dog takes a boat trip to save the whales.

    BBC Radio 4

  45.

    "Right", Said Ted and Myles

    How did comedy actor Bernard Cribbins become a Top 10 pop star?

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

  46.

    Dam Busters Declassified

    Martin Shaw retraces the 1943 raid which used bouncing bombs to destroy German dams.

    BBC Two

  47.

    Jane Goodall: Beauty and the Beasts

    Film about Jane Goodall, whose work with chimps transformed our understanding of them.

    BBC Four

  48. Big Game, Little Game

    Mark Stephen charts a job swap between gamekeepers from the Kalahari and the Angus Glens

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

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  49. The Brown Years

    Steve Richards tells the inside story of Gordon Brown's time as prime minister

    BBC Radio 4

    Show available episodes

  50. Scientists Go To Hollywood

    Adam Rutherford talks to the scientists who've left the lab for Hollywood.

    BBC Radio 4 Extra

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