Brian: the Life of an Ordinary Man

9.30 Microelectronics in Action (e)
9.52 Making History Families
History is all about people. But what sort of people?
(e)
10.15 Science Workshop Seeds and Plants (A)
(e)
10.38 Pages from Ceefax
11.00 Thinkabout
(e)
11.15 Near and Far: Now and Then
Contrasts. Grasslands
(e)
11.35 Scene
QPR, Askey Is Dead
(Details tomorrow at 12.35pm) (e)
12.05pm Update Europe Norwegian Oil
(e)
12.25 Seventeen
1: / Can Wait to Leave School! (e)
12.50 Maths Inset
1: Whose Mathematics?
Ideally, children should 'own' the mathematics they learn. What does this mean?
(e)

by David McKee.
King Rollo finds out which dog he likes best. (R)

Flying Things
Floella Benjamin with BEA, JAMES,
JOANNA NATASHA , SPEEDY, ZOE and children from
LOVELACE PRIMARY SCHOOL Story: The Kite Fight by PETER BONNICI
Illustrations by LISA KOPPER Storyteller Saeed Jaffrey
Musical director RICHARD BROWN Graphics CLAIRE STANLEY
Producer SHEILA FRASER (R)

Panji and the Buffalo A musical based on a traditional story from Java. Presenters Jonathan Cohen Helen Speirs with children from HENRY
FAWCETT JUNIOR SCHOOL
Producer ELIZABETH BENNETT (R) (e)

Weather followed by Watch
Conservation
Back Garden/School Garden Jaye and Louise find out how plant and animal life can be encouraged. Should gardens be looked after or left alone? How can the ladybird contribute to pest control? Presented by Jaye Griffiths and Louise Hall-Taylor Film editor RAY NICOLAIDES
Series producer JULIA DRUM (e)

In the final part of his enquiry, Ean Begg considers reactions to the series.
Thousands of viewers have written to Ean about their experiences, beliefs, and questions. Some of those writers join a specially invited studio audience, who share their views on the possibility of an afterlife with a panel of theologians. doctors, and professionals who deal with the dying and what may happen after death.
Researcher JUDITH PEERS Producer SIMON HAMMOND

Weather followed by World Snooker
Embassy World Professional Snooker Championship First Semi-final
Those who've scraped, clawed, battled and fought their way this far are on E28,500 minimum. It's day 13 and no time for superstition! For openers it should be
STEVE DAVIS defending his title - it's over 31 frames, with the opening session over seven.
DAVID ICKE is your host at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. including at
3.50 News and Weather
Regional News and Weather

Six programmes of essential facts on popular continental holiday areas. 3: Costa del Sol
Presented by Paul Heiney with John Kettley and Matthew Collins
How can you be sure of picking the right resort for next summer's holiday? The Travel Show Guide gives you the facts.
Producer JULIE BRADSHAW
Executive producer ALAN DOBSON (R) For script send crossed cheque or PO for £1.50 (payable to BBC) to: [address removed]

World Professional Snooker Championship First Semi-final
DAVID ICKE brings further news of the opening semi-final from the Crucible
Theatre in Sheffield. Television presentation
MIKE ADLEY. PETER HAYWARD Producers
KEITH MACKENZIE. KEITH PHILLIPS Executive producers
NICK HUNTER. LAN EDWARDS

String Final
Already three of Sunday's finalists have been chosen. Tonight the last place will go to a string player who will hope to repeat
Alan Brind 's success in the last competition.
Humphrey Burton introduces the five best string players in this year's competition.
Awarding the prizes tonight are violinists Dennis Simons and Kenneth Sillito , cellist Raphael Wallfisch , college professor
Peter Renshaw and the resident adjudicator
Professor Alun Hoddinott. Director ALAN TONGUE

A duel of words and wit between Frank Muir Virginia McKenna Denis Quilley and Arthur Marshall
Sue Cook .Magnus Magnusson
Referee Robert Robinson Devised by MARK GOODSON
Produced and directed by PAUL ciani

Introduced by William Woollard from the South of France, where he road-tests the latest Jaguar XJS, at last offered in fully convertible form. Jaguar's 20-year-old V12 engine is challenged by another from
BMW. Chris Goffey compares the two power plants and the cars they propel.
Car road tests can help you make an informed choice, but what about buying tyres?
Which provide the best grip, life and handling?
Also Sue Baker visits an adventure school in Scotland to learn how to drive 'cross country' and Frank Page test-drives current kit cars. Producer KEN POLLOCK
Executive producer TOM Ross BBC Pebble Mill

From Atomic Power to Zoos A hard look at the world around us with Michael Buerk and reporters John Howard and Linda Mitchell
Nature's best and worst of Britain continues this week with ... our towns. The best planned, the greenest, the safest for pedestrians. Nature names ten of the best.
The programme has already been to Durham, Dartmoor and the Western Isles on 'Site Reports'. This week there's the fourth in a series of live debates from a contentious corner of Britain.
Studio director ANDY BATTEN FOSTER Producer AMANDA THEUNISSEN Editor PETER SALMON BBC Bristol

World Professional Snooker Championship
Second Semi-final
Two men from the bottom half of the draw begin their semi-final tonight.
The opening frames, and news of the first semi-final from the afternoon session.

A series of films about our lives - now
My African Farm
Sylvia Richardson went out to Kenya in 1931 to join an expedition. She shot six buffalo, married her first husband Punch, and settled. With Derek, her second husband, she bought a 200-acre farm in the foothills of Mount Kenya, where she's lived ever since. When Derek died, he left Sylvia with six servants, seven dogs, and his daughter-in-law, June.
Sylvia's life on the farm has hardly changed in 40 years. But it is about to. She is negotiating to sell her beloved land to a group of her servants. Since independence, Sylvia has gone on ruling her staff with a rod of iron - but with an underlying affection for them. Houseboys, gardeners and cook endure her familiar tantrums and insults with understanding and loyalty. But on Christmas Day, up-country, a new spirit of toleration is in the air.... Sound recordist SARAH JEANS Film editor EDWARD ROBERTS
Producer MELISSA LLEWELYN-DAVIES Directed and photographed by MOLLY DINEEN
Editor EDWARD MIRZOEFF
An ALLEGRA film for BBCtv
0 FEATURE: page 85
* CEEFAX SUBTITLES

A cabaret concert, presented by three funny ladies:
Dillie Keane from Southsea, Adele Anderson from Birmingham,
Denise Wharmby from Hobart,
Tasmania. They entertain an uptown Bristol audience with songs on topical matters. MUSIC by DILLIE KEANE Lyrics by DILLIE KEANE and ADELE ANDERSON Staging by NICA BURNS Sound PETER ROSE
Lighting CHRIS WATTS
Design BRONWEN GROVER Director KEITH CHEETHAM Producer TONY STAVEACRE BBC Bristol

World Professional Snooker Championship
Coverage into Friday morning as the first day's play of this year's opening sessions of the semi-finals comes to a close. This will be no time to be nodding off.
DAVID VINE is your host at the Crucible in Sheffield
Commentators TED LOWE JACK KARNEHM
CLIVE EVERTON
Summarisers JOHN SPENCER
JOHN VIRGO , EDDIE CHARLTON

previewing daytime programmes
A BBC/Open University production

Discovering Physics
Producer JOHN STRATFORD (R)