BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Saturday 31 October 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—31/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  
  Three Hundred Years of Gulliver's Travels—Horses and Apes
  
  5/5 Ian Hislop celebrates the 300th anniversary of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels.
3. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—31/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—31/10/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:30
  
  News Summary—31/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:33
  
  Shipping Forecast—31/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
7. 05:43
  
  Prayer for the Day—31/10/2026
  
  Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection
8. 05:45
  
  Life Without—Life Without Plankton
  
  No plankton means no fish and chips. But that is only the beginning of the story.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  
  News and Papers—31/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 06:07
  
  Ramblings—Upper Swaledale, North Yorkshire
  
  Clare meets Karen Skeel who runs a bed and breakfast halfway along the Coast to Coast.
3. 06:30
  
  Radio 4 Appeal—Carers Trust
  
  Comedian Jenny Eclair makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Carers Trust.
4. 06:34
  
  Farming Today—31/10/2026
  
  The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
5. 07:00
  
  Today—31/10/2026
  
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
6. 09:00
  
  Saturday Live—31/10/2026
  
  Radio 4's Saturday morning show brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people.
7. 10:00
  
  Curious Cases—Series 25, Too Cute
  
  5/13 Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain ponder why we find tiny baby animals so adorable.
8. 10:30
  
  Artworks—The Guitar Story, 4. Not Fade Away
  
  4/4 John Wilson explores the story of the guitar as a driver of social and cultural change.
9. 11:00
  
  The Week in Westminster—31/10/2026
  
  Radio 4's assessment of developments at Westminster
10. 11:30
  
  From Our Own Correspondent—31/10/2026
  
  Insight and analysis from BBC correspondents around the world
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  
  Money Box—31/10/2026
  
  The latest news from the world of personal finance
2. 12:30
  
  The Matt Forde Focus Group—The Politics of Trick-or-Treat (Halloween Special)
  
  Hand over the sweets or face the consequences: is this how modern politics really works?
3. 13:00
  
  News—31/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
4. 13:10
  
  Any Questions?—30/10/2026
  
  Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Horam in East Sussex.
5. 14:05
  
  Any Answers?—31/10/2026
  
  Listeners respond to the issues raised in the preceding edition of Any Questions?
6. 14:45
  
  The Archers—30/10/2026
  
  There’s a surprise visitor for Alan.
7. 15:00
  
  Spotlight—Peter O'Toole Is Unwell
  
  Rob Brydon stars as Peter O'Toole in Terry Johnson's debut drama for BBC Radio 4.
8. 16:30
  
  Woman's Hour—31/10/2026
  
  Highlights from the Woman's Hour week
9. 17:00
  
  PM—31/10/2026
  
  Full coverage of the day's news
10. 17:30
  
  Political Thinking with Nick Robinson—31/10/2026
  
  Nick Robinson talks to people who shape our political thinking about what shaped theirs.
11. 17:55
  
  Shipping Forecast—31/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
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Evening
1. 18:00
  
  Six O'Clock News—31/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 18:15
  
  Loose Ends—Rick Wakeman, The Tiger Lillies, Oz Clarke, Nadine Shah, Allyson June Smith
  
  Stuart Maconie and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.
3. 19:00
  
  Profile—31/10/2026
  
  An insight into the character of an influential person making the news headlines
4. 19:15
  
  The Infinite Monkey Cage—Series 35, Ghosts - Isy Suttie, Laurence Rickard, Ciarán O'Keeffe and Chris French
  
  Jessica Fostekew and Adam Rutherford investigate the spooky science behind ghosts.
5. 20:00
  
  Archive on 4—Border Crossing
  
  Horatio Clare boards a lorry to ask if we’ve lost the art of agreeing to disagree.
6. 21:00
  
  Uncanny—Uncanny Halloween Special
  
  Danny Robins, Ciaran O'Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow visit The Tower of London - after dark.
7. 22:00
  
  News—31/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
8. 22:15
  
  The Food Programme—Food and Magic
  
  Exploring the unique connection between food and magic.
9. 23:00
  
  Stand-Up Specials—Randy Feltface's Human Handbook, 1. The Pliocene
  
  1/4 Randy Feltface in his brand-new series about humans - from the perspective of a non-human.
10. 23:30
  
  Brain of Britain—Brain of Britain - Semi-final 2, 2026
  
  General knowledge quiz. Spotlights on Virago Press, Lee Miller and giraffes.
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Late
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—01/11/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:15
  
  Take Four Books—Andrew Meehan
  
  James Crawford speaks to acclaimed Irish writer Andrew Meehan about his novel Hey Man.
3. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—01/11/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—01/11/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:30
  
  News Summary—01/11/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:33
  
  Shipping Forecast—01/11/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
7. 05:43
  
  Bells on Sunday—St Mary’s Church in Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire
  
  Bells on Sunday comes from St Mary’s Church Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire.
8. 05:45
  
  In Touch—Navigating Motherhood with Sight Loss
  
  In Touch hosts a discussion on attitudes towards blind mothers.

Sunday 1 November 2026