With Archbishop Cormac Murphy O'Connor.
Producer Steve Peacock
John Humphrys and Sue MacGregor.
6.25,7.25,8.25 Sports News
7.48 Thought for the Day With DrMonaSiddiqui.
The conclusion of a series surveying 1,000 years of spoken English as reflected in the dialects of Britain. 6: AwRigh'tLuwie?
Ben Elton eschews the charge of affecting a " mockney" accent when he joins Melvyn Bragg in discussion with Professor John Wells and Dr Lynda Mugglestone. Are we developing a new sort of standard English based on the accents of south-east England - so-called "Estuary English"? Is it a dialect, is it a necessity in show business and where does it leave "traditional" dialects? Producer Bella Bannerman. Repeated at 9.30pm
Pokemania. Every day, tens of thousands of schoolchildren buy, sell and swap highly priced cards depicting exotic mutated creatures. Nigel Cassidy traces the Japanese origins of the craze. Producer Neil Koenig
With Jenni Murray and guests.
Drama: "The Red Room", dramatised by Robin Brooks. Part 8.
Drama repeated at 7.45pm
Canada. There has been a series of shocking revelations about abuse suffered by American Indian children in Canadian boarding schools. The schools, mostly church-run on behalf of the government, have now been closed down. But thousands of native Americans are seeking legal redress and, as a result, a number of church dioceses today face bankruptcy. Rosie Goldsmith investigates. Producer Charles Haviland. Editor Maria Balinska
By Penelope Lively. 4: Help comes James's way in the unexpected shape of a long-forgotten manuscript and a Victorian boy called Arnold.
For details see Christmas Day. Further cast details across the week
With Trixie Rawlinson and John Waite.
With Nick Clarke.
Shortened repeat from Saturday 23 December6.10am
Repeated from yesterday 7pm
A four-part detective story by David Ashton , set in Victorian Edinburgh. 2: The Trophy Club. Blocked ateveryturn in his efforts to solve the murder of a young prostitute, and convinced that the killer is from the highest level of Edinburgh society, McLevy bends the rules -with bitter consequences.
Director Patrick Rayner
With Peter White. EditorChris Burns
Repeated from Christmas Eve 7.55am
3: Living by the Small Printby Fay Weldon.
A sparky tale of a young woman with an eye fora bargain. For details see Boxing Day
3: A Story of Sex and Shopping. From Cinderella to Thomas the Rhymer, fairytales are often about desire - and the price paid for instant gratification. For details see Boxing Day
Michael Rosen presents the programme about words and the way we speak. Seasonal Cheers This week he examines the way the experts convey the flavour of whisky. Plus a look at the origins of the word Hogmanay, and the words we use to toast one another. Producer Elizabeth Abrahams
From King James's School in Knaresborough, a group of 14- and 15-year-old students puts a series of science questions to a panel of experts, with subjects ranging from atomic structure to global climate change. With Quentin Cooper. Producer John Watkins. E-MAIL: scirad@bbc.ac.uk
With Eddie Mair and Nigel Wrench.
Fergal Keane continues his travels across America. For details see Boxing Day (R)
Simon Bligh hosts the stand-up programme, featuring the pick of the current comedy circuit and future talent. This week's programme includes Radio 4 favourite Boothby Graffoe , the irrepressible Andy Parsons and comedian-turned-Hollywood-star Omid Djalili. Producer Mario Stylianides
A kiss underthe mistletoe. Repeated tomorrow 2pm
Strangers in Paradise. Francine Stock meets the film-makers who do notfeel at home in Hollywood, including Roman Polanski, David Lynch , Steven Soderbergh and Mike FiggiS. Producer Stephen Hughes
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Nine ghost stories, dramatised by Robin Brooks.
For details see Boxing Day.
Repeated from 10.45am.
Further cast details across the week.
A short passage in Matthew is the Bible's only reference to Herod's slaying of children in Bethlehem following the birth of Jesus. The Christian calendar marks this event with Holy Innocents
Day on 28 December. Faynia Williams examines how the incident fits into the Christmas story. Producer Richard Bannerman
The Ill-Adapted Male. Is there a crisis of masculinity? The argument that men's essential nature was fixed millennia ago on the savanna, leaving them ill-suited to the demands of soft-skilled modern life, has gained sudden popularity. Rosalind Gill asks why, and explores the origins of fashionable accounts of male angst. Producer Michael Blastland
Paul Arnold joins a team of archaeologists digging at a Neolithic site in northern Spain as they try to understand how the prehistoric hunter-gatherers became some of the first farmers.
E-mail: [email address removed]
Repeated from 9am
With Roger Hearing.
By Thomas Hardy. Part9. For details see Christmas Day
Last in the currrent series of the acclaimed sketch show, featuring the best of Ireland's comedy talent. Written and performed by Barbara Bergin , Pom Boyd , Jason Byrne , Ian Coppinger ,
Mark Doherty , Kevin Gildea , Patrick McDonnell ,
Colin Murphy and Paul Tylak. Producers Bill Dare and Steve Lock
Maureen Lipman reinterprets the monologues, letters and songs by Joyce Grenfell. Today's programme includes The Wedding Is On
Saturday, about prenuptial nerves; the biography Life Story, and the songs When You Go and It's
Almost Tomorrow. Final part. For details see Boxing Day
3: Looking-Glass Room. What is it about mirrors that disturbs US SO? For details see Boxing Day (R)
By Tony Hawks. Part 4. For details see Christmas Day(R)
