BBC Four

World News Today

The latest news and business developments.

World News Today: 28/09/2009

28/09/2009

BBC News Channel - World News Today, 28/09/2009

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.

Cambridge Folk Festival

Highlights from the annual Cambridge Folk Festival.

Cambridge Folk Festival: 2009

Cambridge Folk Festival: 2009: Episode 3: Lucinda Williams

Episode 3

Episode 3: Lucinda Williams

2009

Lucinda Williams

BBC Four - Cambridge Folk Festival, 2009, Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams entertains the crowd with a selection from her extensive back catalogue.

Lucinda Williams shows the Cambridge festival why she is a three-times Grammy winner, entertaining the crowd with a selection from her extensive back catalogue.

Lucinda Williams shows the Cambridge festival why she is a three-times Grammy winner. Entertaining the crowd with a selection from her extensive and award-winning catalogue, including the classic Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and newer, rockier tracks like Honey Bee, Williams demonstrates why she has established herself as one of music's most uncompromising and fascinating writers and performers. 

To music critics Williams is a pretty major star, while to her fans she has elevated herself to near-legendary status. Having released eight albums in 24 years, she is proud of having made it to the top of the music world without sacrificing her integrity or her music. It is this honesty that her fans can connect with, and this attitude that keeps them forever loyal.

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.

Artists from the world of folk, roots and acoustic music at the Cambridge Folk Festival.

Top artists from the world of folk, roots and acoustic music, live in concert or in special performance backstage at the 2009 Cambridge Folk Festival.

New. 3/4. Three-time Grammy winner Lucinda Williams ends her extensive
European tour with a performance of hits from her catalogue. Songs include Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and Honey Bee.
(Repeated on Friday at 2am)

Designing the Decades

Designing the Decades: Episode 1: Designing the 60s

Episode 1

Episode 1: Designing the 60s

Designing the 60s

BBC Four - Designing the Decades, Designing the 60s

A look at the 60s, when the Mini, stacking chairs and the Post Office Tower were created.

Series celebrating 40 years of great British designs takes a look at the 1960s, when the Mini, stacking chairs and the Post Office Tower were created.

A look at the 1960s, one of the most visually exciting periods of the last century, when British culture and pop design exploded internationally. The Mini, stacking chairs, the Post Office Tower, and the sleeve of Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band are some of the enduring classics examined. 

Includes interviews with Adam Faith, Terence Coran, Mary Quant, Tony Benn, Molly Parkin, Peter Blake and others.

Series celebrating 40 years of great British designs and the social times they mirror

1/4. A historical look at design in the 1960s. Among the subjects covered are why the mini skirt challenged taxation laws, Peter Blake's sleeve for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and how Tupperware parties became the latest fad.

Upgrade Me

BBC Four - Upgrade Me

Simon Armitage explores the obsession with upgrading to the latest technological gadgetry.

In a journey that takes him across Britain and to South Korea, poet and gadget lover Simon Armitage explores people's obsession with upgrading to the latest technological gadgetry.

Poet and gadget lover Simon Armitage explores people's obsession with upgrading to the latest technological gadgetry. 

Upgrade culture drives millions to purchase the latest phones, flatscreen TVs, laptops and MP3 players. But is it design, functionality, fashion or friends that makes people covet the upgrade, and how far does the choice of gadgets define identity? Simon journeys across Britain and to South Korea in search of answers.

Poet and gadget lover Simon Armitage explores the public's obsession with upgrading to the latest technology. He finds out whether it is design, functionality, fashion or pressure from friends that drives people to upgrade, and questions how a person's choice defines their identity. Part of the Electric Revolution strand. See panel.
(Repeated on Thursday at 12.10am)
(See also Electric Dreams tomorrow at 9pm)

Upgrade Me 9.00pm BBC4: Documentary
Few people today are immune from the desire to upgrade their gadgets. But what's driving this onward rush? Poet and writer Simon Armitage kicks off BBC4's Electronic Revolution season with a thoughtful and highly engaging programme about our seemingly unstoppable "hedonic treadmill of consumption", as one consumer psychologist describes our continual purchase of products that we believe will make us happier. But does it?
Describing a drawer as filled with "the archaeology of my upgrading", talking about MP3 players that allow music to be "mainlined directly into your imagination" and looking to a future where technology "won't just be at our fingertips but in our fingertips", Armitage has a felicitous turn of phrase. And whether unveiling the joys of an old-fashioned record player to incredulous pre-teens or exploring the latest advances at Samsung's HQ in South Korea, he's endlessly curious to explore the human dimension to our interaction with technology. (Gill Crawford)

Watching the Dead

24/09/2009

BBC Four - Watching the Dead

Documentary which explores television's fascination with forensic science dramas.

Documentary which explores television's fascination with forensics, revisiting classic shows like Quincy and looking at the appeal of contemporary dramas such as Waking the Dead.

Documentary which explores television's fascination with forensics, revisiting classic shows like Quincy and Marius Goring's The Expert and looking at the appeal of contemporary dramas such as Silent Witness, Waking the Dead and CSI.

The film examines how scientific advances like genetic fingerprinting have been reflected in the crime drama, finds out how pathology got so sexy, how accurate the science shown on screen actually is, and how TV cops solved crimes before DNA.

Contributors include Sue Johnston from Waking the Dead, Tom Ward and William Gaminara from Silent Witness, and old Quincy himself, Jack Klugman. Plus comment from crime writers, scientists and detectives.

The appeal of TV forensics shows, from Quincy and The Expert to more contemporary dramas, including Silent 
Witness and CSI. With contributions from Sue Johnston and Tom Ward. 
Shown last Thursday

The Cell

The Cell: Episode 1: The Hidden Kingdom

Episode 1: The Hidden Kingdom

The Hidden Kingdom

BBC Four - The Cell, The Hidden Kingdom

How scientific and religious dogma were overturned by the discovery of cell.

Adam Rutherford tells the story of the biological cell. He explores how centuries of scientific and religious dogma were overturned by the discovery of the cell.

In a three-part series, Dr Adam Rutherford tells the extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and of life itself. Every living thing is made of cells, microscopic building blocks of almost unimaginable power and complexity. 

The first part explores how centuries of scientific and religious dogma were overturned by the earliest discoveries of the existence of cells, and how scientists came to realise that there was, literally, more to life than meets the eye.

Adam Rutherford tells the story of science's quest to discover the secrets of the cell

Dr Adam Rutherford tells the extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and of life itself

1/3. Dr Adam Rutherford examines years of scientific research about cells, and how scientific and religious dogma were overturned by the discovery of the microscopic building blocks from which every living thing on Earth is made.

The Cell: Episode 2: The Chemistry of Life

Episode 2

Episode 2: The Chemistry of Life

The Chemistry of Life

BBC Four - The Cell, The Chemistry of Life

How scientists sought to reveal the magic ingredient that could spark chemicals into life.

Adam Rutherford explores how scientists delved deeper into the world of the cell, seeking to reveal the magic ingredient that can bring chemicals into life.

In a three-part series, Dr Adam Rutherford tells the extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and of life itself. Every living thing is made of cells, microscopic building blocks of almost unimaginable power and complexity. 

This episode explores how scientists delved ever deeper into the world of the cell, seeking to reveal the magic ingredient that can spark a bundle of chemicals into life. Their discoveries have brought us to the brink of being able to create life for ourselves.

The Cell: Episode 3: The Spark of Life

Episode 3: The Spark of Life

The Spark of Life

BBC Four - The Cell, The Spark of Life

Adam Rutherford reveals how scientists are close to the creation of a new life form.

Adam Rutherford reveals how scientists are close to repeating what has happened only once in four billion years - the creation of a new life form.

In a three-part series, Dr Adam Rutherford tells the extraordinary story of the scientific quest to discover the secrets of the cell and of life itself. Every living thing is made of cells, microscopic building blocks of almost unimaginable power and complexity. 

The final part reveals how our knowledge of cells has brought us to the brink of one of the most important moments in history. Scientists are close to repeating what has happened only once in four billion years - the creation of a new life form.

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