BBC Four

World News Today

The latest news and business developments.

World News Today: 23/01/2009

23/01/2009

BBC News Channel - World News Today, 23/01/2009

The latest news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.

The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.

BBC News Channel

An impartial and independent news service offering breaking news, analysis and insight.

A 24-hour impartial and independent news service offering breaking news, analysis and insight. It provides fast and comprehensive coverage of local, UK and international events.

Transatlantic Sessions

Folk musicians come together in what have been called 'the greatest backporch shows ever'.

Transatlantic Sessions: Series 1: Episode 2

Episode 2

Series 1

BBC Four - Transatlantic Sessions, Series 1, Episode 2

With Kathy Mattea, John Martyn, Karen Matheson, Mary Black and Emmylou Harris.

Folk musicians come together in what have been called 'the greatest backporch shows ever'. Featuring Kathy Mattea, John Martyn, Karen Matheson, Mary Black and Emmylou Harris.

Aly Bain and Jay Ungar introduce performances featuring singers, musicians and songwriters from Scotland, Ireland and North America.

In this edition, Nashville star Kathy Mattea duets with Scotland's John Martyn, Capercaillie's Karen Matheson sings with Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Ireland's Mary Black duets with American star Emmylou Harris, and Aly performs with harpist Savourna Stevenson.

Transatlantic Sessions: Series 1

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

Folk musicians come together for what aims to be the greatest backporch shows ever.

Folk musicians come together to make music in what have been called 'the greatest backporch shows ever'.

2/6. Aly Bain and Jay Ungar are joined by musicians and songwriters to perform folk music.

Seasick Steve: Bringing It All Back Home

BBC Four - Seasick Steve: Bringing It All Back Home

Bluesman Seasick Steve takes a trip back to his old stomping grounds in the Deep South.

Documentary which joins ex-hobo and festival favourite bluesman Seasick Steve on a trip back to the juke joints, roadside diners and freight-train yards of America's Deep South.

Documentary which joins former hobo and festival favourite bluesman Seasick Steve on a trip back to his old stomping grounds in America's Deep South. Filmed in Mississippi and Tennessee, the programme follows the musician into his natural habitat of run-down juke joints, roadside diners and freight-train yards, as he reflects on his past life and recent rise to fame. 

In addition to Steve's raw, stomping tunes, the soundtrack features Mississippi Fred McDowell, Robert Johnson, RL Burnside and BB King.

New. Documentary, beginning BBC4's American Folk strand, that charts the musician's rise from homelessness to the festival circuit.

Seasick Steve at Reading 2008

BBC Four - Seasick Steve at Reading 2008

Seasick Steve and his band bring their brand of delta blues to the 2008 Reading festival.

Seasick Steve and his band bring their unique brand of 'Hill Country' delta blues to the young audience at Reading festival in August 2008.

New. The artist and his band perform their brand of Delta blues.

Folk America

Folk America: Episode 1: Birth of a Nation

Episode 1

Episode 1: Birth of a Nation

Birth of a Nation

BBC Four - Folk America, Birth of a Nation

In the 1920s, the likes of the Carter Family ushered in a golden age of folk music.

Documentary series on American folk music. In the 1920s, the likes of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Blind Lemon Jefferson ushered in a golden age of folk.

Three-part documentary series on American folk music, tracing its history from the recording boom of the 1920s to the folk revival of the 1960s.

The opening part looks at how, in the 1920s, record companies scoured the American south for talent to sell. This was a golden age of American music, as the likes of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charlie Poole, Dock Boggs and Mississippi John Hurt burst onto record, eager to have a share in the new industry and the money it made, only to lapse into obscurity when the depression hit at the start of the 30s. 

Contributors include Judy Collins, Steve Earle, Tom Paxton and Pete Seeger, surviving relations of 1920s greats such as Mississippi John Hurt, the Carter Family and Uncle Dave Macon, plus three actual survivors of the era - guitarist Slim Bryant, banjoist Wade Mainer and Delta bluesman 'Honeyboy' Edwards.

Documentary series about American folk music from the 1920s to the 1960s.

I New series 1/3. Birth of a Nation. Exploring the revival of American folk music, beginning with the recording boom of the 1920s. See panel.

Folk America at the Barbican

Folk America at the Barbican: Episode 1: Hollerers, Stompers and Old-Time Ramblers

Episode 1: Hollerers, Stompers and Old-Time Ramblers

Hollerers, Stompers and Old-Time Ramblers

BBC Four - Folk America at the Barbican, Hollerers, Stompers and Old-Time Ramblers

With Seasick Steve, The Wiyos, Cedric Watson, Bijoux Creole, CW Stoneking and Diana Jones.

Seasick Steve, The Wiyos, Cedric Watson and Bijoux Creole, CW Stoneking, Diana Jones and Allison Williams And Chance McCoy perform a concert at London's Barbican Centre.

Hosted by maverick bluesman Seasick Steve, this concert from the Barbican in London showcases an exciting revival of the old-time musical traditions first recorded in the American South in the 1920s. 

It features Appalachian mountain string band music, vaudeville swing, junk shop blues, creole dance tunes and folk country ballads, all delivered via energetic performances with a fresh twist. An eclectic line-up of young and emerging talent includes CW Stoneking, The Wiyos, Allison Williams and Chance McCoy, Diana Jones, and Cedric Watson and Bijoux Creole.

London concerts centring on American folk music from the 1920s to the 1960s

Folk America at the Barbican: Hollerers, Stampers and Old-Time Ramblers

New. Concert from London's Barbican 
Centre, featuring Seasick Steve , the Wiyos and Cedric Watson.

Desperate Man Blues

BBC Four - Desperate Man Blues

The story of a pioneer in the preservation of 78rpm records and American roots music.

Documentary about Joe Bussard, musician, broadcaster and pioneer in the preservation of 78rpm records and the roots music produced in pure and undiluted form in the 1920s and 30s.

Joe Bussard is a cultural scavenger, musician, broadcaster and a pioneer in the preservation of 78rpm records and the roots music produced in pure and undiluted form in the 1920s and 30s. 

Bussard has rescued priceless shellac artefacts from attics and basements across the US for more than 50 years, amassing a vast collection of more than 25,000 rare discs. At 65, Bussard has the enthusiasm and energy of a 16-year-old and will happily spin 75-year-old records all day for anyone who will listen, all the while giving a running commentary on the music and performer, reliving the day it was made and relating his tales of how he came to rescue the records.

New. A profile of Joe Bussard , an avid champion of US roots music.

The New Avengers

Classic British secret agent fantasy adventure series.

The New Avengers: Series 1

The New Avengers: Series 1: Episode 9: Faces

Episode 9

Episode 9: Faces

Faces

BBC Four - The New Avengers, Series 1, Faces

A plastic surgeon brainwashes down-and-outs and uses them to replace government officials.

70s adventure series. A brilliant plastic surgeon has begun to recruit down-and-outs to brainwash and then use to replace high-ranking government officials.

A brilliant plastic surgeon has begun to recruit down-and-outs to brainwash and then use to replace high-ranking government officials. Steed becomes involved when a friend of his dies after being switched.

Prominent figures are being replaced with brainwashed victims.

Cowards

Cowards: Episode 1

BBC Four - Cowards, Episode 1

Comic scenarios from Russian roulette at the dinner table to socially-awkward judges.

Sketch show offering a comic slant on human frailties, with scenarios ranging from Russian roulette at the dinner table to socially-awkward judges, employing songs and animation.

Cowards is a new 4-man sketch show packed with surprise and invention.

Scenarios include disaffected judges, office bullying via Skype, Russian roulette at the dinner table, a jobseeker aiming to become Mick Hucknall’s PA and a dog with a secret – all delivered with the unique Cowards brand of joyful deadpan absurdity.

The team of Tom Basden, Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key and Lloyd Woolf have honed their voice over two acclaimed Edinburgh Festival shows, a returning series on Radio 4 and the first online sketch show for BBC3. Their highly-accomplished TV debut is a thrilling new arrival in the comedy landscape.

With top comedy director Steve Bendelack (League of Gentlemen, Little Britain, The Royle Family, Mighty Boosh) at the helm, Cowards is a funny, visually-arresting show performed with skill and subtlety by four of the best young writer-performers around.

Sketch show offering a unique comic slant on human frailties

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Folk America

Episode 1: Birth of a Nation

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Folk America at the Barbican

Episode 1: Hollerers, Stompers and Old-Time Ramblers

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