List of BBC Radio 4 programmes

This is a list of current and former programmes broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

When it came into existence – on 30 September 1967 – Radio 4 inherited a great many continuing programme series which had been initiated prior to that date by its predecessor, the BBC Home Service (1939–1967), and in some cases even by stations which had preceded the Home Service. Such inherited programmes are included in the list.

The years indicated in brackets after programme titles refer to the dates, where known, of each programme's first, subsequent, and final broadcasts – and, in cases where Radio 4 programmes began their run on stations other than the Home Service, the names of those originating stations are also shown.

Note that many of Radio 4's past comedy and drama productions have been, and continue to be repeatedly rerun on Radio 4, as well as on the digital radio channel BBC Radio 4 Extra (previously BBC Radio 7).

News and current affairs

• The Africans (2007)
• Americana (2009–11)
• Analysis (1970–)
• Any Answers? (1955–)
• Any Questions? (1948–)
• Asian Diasporas (2007–)
• The Bottom Line (2006–)
• The Briefing Room
• Broadcasting House (1998–)
• Checkpoint (1973–85) (became Face The Facts)
• The Commission
• The Copysnatchers
• Crossing Continents (2002–)
• Does He Take Sugar? (1977–98)
• Face the Facts (1984–2015)
• Farming Today (1964-)
• Farming Today This Week
• File on 4 (1975–)
• From Our Own Correspondent (1955–)
• In Business (1975–)
• In Search of the British Work Ethic (2010)
• In Touch (1961–)
• Inside Money
• iPM (2007–?)
• Law in Action
• Letter from America (1946–2004)
• Midnight News
• Money Box (1977–)
• More or Less
• Nice Work (2002–05)
• Newshour (From September 2026–)
• The Pariah Profession
• PM (1970–)
• A Point of View (2005–2025)
• The Politics of Hunger
• Profile
• Seven Days
• Six O'Clock News
• Sport on Four (1977–98)
• Straw Poll
• Straw Poll Talk Back
• Taking Issue
• Taking a Stand
• Talking Politics
• Today (1957–)
• Today in Parliament (1945–)
• United Nations or Not?
• Week in Westminster
• The Westminster Hour
• With Us or Against Us
• The World at One (1965–)
• The World This Weekend
• The World Tonight (1970–2026)
• Yesterday in Parliament (1947 Light Programme; 1957–)

Drama

• 15 Minute Drama
• A Touch of Mistletoe
• The Archers
• Cashcows
• Children of the Stones
• Classic Serial
• Dr, Finlay's Casebook
• Drama
• The Friday Play
• The Lovecraft Investigations
• Neverwhere
• Paul Temple
• Saturday Night Theatre (1943–96)
• The Stone Tape
• Talk to Sleep, 4-part comedy-drama by John Dryden
• Tracks
• Tumanbay

Arts

• The Afternoon Reading
• Back Row
• Book at Bedtime (1949–57 Light Programme; 1962–)
• Book of the Week
• Bookclub
• Bookshelf (created by Frank Delaney in 1978)
• The Film Programme
• Front Row
• A Good Read
• Kaleidoscope (1973–98)
• Loose Ends (1985–)
• The Heard
• Moving Pictures
• Open Book
• Poetry Please
• Radio Lives, (1990–96) profiles of radio personalities
• Radio Roots, profiles of radio personalities
• The Saturday Play
• Saturday Review
• Soul Music
• White Nights
• With Great Pleasure

Quizzes

• Counterpoint (1986–)
• Brain of Britain
• Masterteam, general knowledge quiz (2001–2006)
• Prompt!, theatre quiz (1986–1988)
• Round Britain Quiz
• The 3rd Degree
• Wildbrain, natural history quiz (1997–2002)
• X Marks the Spot (1998–2006)

Comedy

Science, technology and medicine

• All in the Mind (2003–)
• Another Five Numbers
• Brief History of the End of Everything
• Britain's X-Files
• Case Notes
• A Cell for All Seasons
• Changing Places
• Check Up
• Climate Wars
• The Columbia Astronauts
• Connect
• Costing the Earth
• Dial a Scientist — (~1976) (see Brian J. Ford (scientist))
• Emotional Rollercoaster
• Five Numbers
• Frontiers
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Home Planet
• The Infinite Monkey Cage
• The Life Scientific
• Land Lines
• Leading Edge
• Life as an Adult
• Life as a Teenager
• Life in Middle Age
• Lifeblood
• Living with Pain
• Living World
• Material World
• Medicine Now
• Mind Changers
• The Mozart Effect
• Nature
• Nature's Magic
• The New X-Files
• One Man's Medicine
• Patient Progress: Strokes
• Rainforests of the Deep
• Red Planet
• Reith Lectures
• Science Now (1974–1975+ (?)) (see Brian J. Ford)
• Scientists in a Shoebox
• Seeds of Trouble
• Small Dog on Mars
• Stars in Their Eyes
• Swan Migration
• Tales of Cats and Comets
• Think About It
• Tweet of the Day (2013-)
• A Twist to Life
• Unearthing Mysteries
• Walk Out to Winter
• What Remains to Be Discovered?
• Whatever you think
• Where are you taking us?
• Wild Europe
• Wild Underground
• World on the Move
• Wrestling with Words

Religion and ethics

• Bells on Sunday
• Beyond Belief
• Bigots and Believers
• The Choice
• Church Going
• The Daily Service (1925 Daventry 5XX; 1929 National Programme; 1939–)
• Devout Sceptics
• Four Noble Truths
• A Higher Place (2002)
• In the Footsteps of Moses
• Lent Talks
• The Long Search (1977)
• Missionaries
• The Moral Maze (1990–)
• Prayer for the Day
• The Real Patron Saints
• Something Understood (1995–)
• Sounding the Divine
• Sunday
• Sunday Worship
• Ten to Eight (1965–70)
• Thought for the Day (1970–)
• Words from the Cross

History

• A History of the World in 100 Objects (2010–)
• The Norman Way (2004)
• Apprentice
• Back to Beeching
• The Child Migrants
• City of the Sharp Nosed Fish
• Creme de la Crime, documentary about famous crimes with Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis
• The Dark Origins of Britain
• The Decade of Self-doubt
• Document
• Falkland Families
• For What It's Worth
• Great Lives
• Heroes and Villains
• A History of Human Folly
• In Our Time (1998–)
• Lend Me Your Ears
• The Long View
• Making History
• Mapping the Town
• Memory Like Shells Bursting
• Reconciling Histories
• The Reunion
• The Roman Way
• The Routes of English
• The Secret Museum
• Soldier, Sailor
• Spies R US: the history of the CIA
• The Telemark Heroes
• This Sceptred Isle (1995–)
• The Three Voyages of Captain Cook
• Tiger Tales
• Voices of the Powerless
• What If..?
• Why Did We Do That?

Factual and Documentaries

• Archive on 4
• Between Ourselves
• Breakaway (1979–98)
• Cartoon Clichés
• Chetham's School of Music
• Community Caring
• Cutting a Dash
• A Dance through Time
• Darcus and Dickens
• Deep Blue
• Desert Island Discs (1942–), long-running show in which a guest picks their favourite records
• A Different World
• Down Your Way
• Excess Baggage
• Feedback: Radio series
• File on 4, documentary reports
• The Food Programme
• Four Corners
• Four Thought
• Herbs: Pure and Simple
• Home This Afternoon (1964–70)
• The House I Grew Up In
• Gardeners' Question Time (1947–), long-running horticultural advice from a panel of experts
• Go 4 It
• Going Places
• Great Lives
• Home Truths (1998–2006)
• In Living Memory
• In Our Time (2002–)
• In Touch
• An Indian in Bloomsbury
• Is It On?
• It's My Story: Physician, Heal Thyself
• Last Word
• The Learning Curve
• Let's Pretend
• Lights Out (2018 - 2023)
• Lives in a Landscape
• The Message
• Nothing to Do But Drink
• On the Ropes
• On Your Farm
• Open Country
• Painted Fabrics
• Poisoned Angel: the Story of Alma Rosé
• Public Records, Private Lives
• Questions, Questions
• Reel Histories
• The Reunion
• Short Cuts
• Soundtrack
• Subterranean Stories
• Thinking Allowed
• This Sceptred Isle (1995–1996, 1999, 2001, 2005–2006)
• Traveller's Tree
• Travels with my Anti-Semitism (1999), David Cohen
• Veg Talk
• Weekend Woman's Hour
• Winnie the Pooh Lost and Found
• Wireless Nights
• Woman's Hour (1946 Light Programme; 1973–), magazine program aimed at women
• Word of Mouth
• A World in Your Ear
• You and Yours (1970–)

Conversations

• Chain Reaction, light-hearted interviews with each guest becoming the following week's host
• Genius, members of the public present ideas to make the world better
• In Conversation With, interviews, mainly with comedians
• Loose Ends (1986–)
• Midweek
• Never the Same Again (1986–95)
• Off The Page
• Ramblings (19 April 1998-) a walking chat show presented primarily by Clare Balding with the first series (April 1998-September 1999) being presented by Jeremy Jessel alongside other guest presenters in future series.
• Room 101, in which celebrities pick their most-hated things
• Start the Week
• Stop The Week (1974–1992)
• That Reminds Me, reminiscences from celebrities
• Where Are You Taking Us? (1973?)-1974? (also see Brian J. Ford (presenter))

Miscellaneous

• After Eden
• After Happy Ever
• Listen with Mother (1950 Light Programme; 1973–82)
• Pick of the Week
• Radio 4 Appeal
• UK Theme (1973–2006)
• Saturday Live
• Shipping Forecast (1925 Daventry 5XX; 1929–39 National Programme; 1945 Light Programme; 1967 Radio 2; 1978–)
• Test Match Special (1956 Third Programme; 1967 Radio 3; 1994–)
• Weather Forecast (1922 London 2LO; 1925 Daventry 5XX; 1929–39 National Programme; 1945–)