Russell Brand was invited onto Radio 4's Start the Week to join a discussion on Revolution. But was he out of place on the panel of experts? Some listeners saw it as little more than blatant promotion of his latest book. The programme's editor, Rebecca Stratford, explains the thinking behind her decision.

Surround sound has long been enhancing mainstream cinema, and it's now made an appearance in BBC radio drama. And you don't need a 5.1 surround sound speaker set to hear it. So how does it work? All is revealed in a behind the scenes laboratory at BBC Research and Development, where the authentic sounds of World War 1 are brought to life.

John Humphrys recently declared on Feedback that UKIP is Britain's fourth political party - leading listeners to wonder if the Green Party ranked anywhere in his poll. With the 2015 General Election around the corner, how does the BBC determine which parties appear in its political debates? Breaking down the stats and figures behind the selection process is the BBC's Chief Political Advisor, Ric Bailey.

And how did two Radio 4 programmes get repeated minutes after their original broadcast?

Produced by Will Yates