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Florence Ransom (Dawn French) is a literary novelist, known for the Booker Prize winning Pennant Days. Her sister is Selina Mountjoy (Jennifer Saunders), a movie star and glamorous celebrity.

The two sisters have avoided each other for decades but, when Selina returns to Britain to promote her kiss and tell autobiography Kiss And Tell, the two are forced together once more. As Selina’s popularity outweighs Florence’s, with big bucks book deals and TV appearances, Florence vents her jealousy at her daughter Lucy and PA Mrs Ragnarrok.

But Selina turns out to be be broke and threatens to reveal her sister’s guilty secret unless Florence lets…

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A poetry show like no other – over the course of 6 series Key has performed magic, music, cookery and witchcraft; he’s delivered a baby, gone underground, up the Shard and into space.

And sometimes he finds time to read poems.

Each week Tim Key explores a different theme, with poems ranging in length and style – from the short and frivolous to the longer-form epics. But every poem, short or long, represents a vivid journey through an absurd, yet strangely compelling, imagination.Tim is accompanied by his ‘good-looking musical chimp’ Tom Basden. The pair’s mutual contempt often bubbles over into open hostility and occasional violence. But they are best friends really.

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Philip Tremayne’s friends consider him a success.

He’s written novels, produced TV programmes and made a name for himself.

But he’s dogged by a sense of failure and by the recollection of a friendship that started at prep school in the 1930s, when he first met a brilliant yet vulnerable man named Anthony. It was a friendship that was to go tragically wrong.

It was not just the sunshine and cheap wine that brought Philip Tremayne to Greece in the early 1960s. He needed somewhere to write and he wanted to distance himself from past events. Jennifer brings back those memories and her arrival marks an end to Philip’s isolation and, in a way, his happiness.

After 15 years, Philip and Jennifer have settled into marriage in the same way that he has settled into his job as a TV producer. Drink, he finds, helps considerably. So does Harriet. But in the end both Harriet and the whisky let him down. Only then, with props to help him, can Philip see the pattern that stands out so clearly in his life.

The ups and downs in the life story of Philip Tremayne.

Starring Ronald Pickup.

Told across three plays by Andrew Rissik.

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Martin Jarvis performs Just William stories by Richmal Crompton in front of an enthusiastic, invited audience.

Martin Jarvis performs full-length William stories, recorded live on stage. Described by the Daily Telegraph as ‘the wizard of the talking book’, Martin Jarvis has made the voices of William and his gang of outlaws his own.

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Don Haworth was a journalist, TV producer and critically acclaimed writer of radio drama. His first play was produced on the radio by Alan Ayckbourn in 1967. In the course of a long and distinguished career, he won three Giles Cooper Awards.

This is a collection of twelve BBC Radio dramas from the author’s four-decade career.

A View from the Mountain – A re-telling of the myth of Sisyphus, set in a remote valley in central Europe. As a boy, Joseph accidentally killed a man by rolling boulders down a mountainside. As punishment, he is sentenced to push boulders up the mountain for the rest of his life. An old quarryman and his wife live on a mountain carrying out the instructions of the Emperor. A surveyor decides to try and release them from their burden. It takes a very special sort of man to attempt, every day of his life, a task that by any ordinary human standards is impossible. But Merope’s husband, Joseph, is such a man.

A Summertime – A warm and gently humorous tale about unforeseen happiness and its passing, set on the Lancashire moors in 1939.

Challenged – Set in a remote part of the Pennines, a widowed mother and her son battle to come to terms with the passage of time when hired worker, Tom arrives. Son Harry, who has learning difficulties, is described by his school as ‘challenged’. With Tom’s encouragement he finds new confidence, but this creates fresh conflict for the trio.

Ernest’s Tower – Ernest is a fairground stallholder, who lives in the baleful shadow of his Uncle Leo. Leo allows him to lease a small stall or two, but Ernest has dreams of owning the tallest fairground tower in the country.

The Ultimate Invention – When his aged uncle, the Grand Duke, is hit by a thunderbolt, Alexander finds himself ruler of a backward, impoverished duchy. But salvation beckons in the shape of Francis Block.

An End and a Beginning – Tom is an affable man in his middle 50s. He has worked happily for many years with a pipe-laying gang. The prospect of early retirement is not something he would look forward to.

Events at the Salamander Hotel – A hard-up travelling salesman and his cronies evolve a novel strategy for cutting their accommodation costs when times are difficult: ‘We ought to form a stack.’ ‘What’s that in the name of God? ‘American thing Alvin knows about.’ ‘One guy pays for a room and the rest move in for free.’ ‘And why do you call it a stack? ‘ ‘Double bed. Three guys lie side by side lengthways, then four width ways across them, then three more lengthways. surmounted by another four across….’ But more serious entanglements are to follow.

Dragon – In this allegorical story reflecting on the nature of power and war, the legend of St George and the Dragon Is turned on its head.

Emma Harper – Tussles in a Theme Village – Ex-headmistress Emma Harper writes a column for a village newspaper. But when she’s poached by the local radio station, her gossip programme causes controversy, anger and revenge…

Bill Bosun – Speedily to School – Passengers love country school bus driver Bill Bosun, despite his speed making journeys both a hazard and an adventure. But his weakness is an unwillingness to see anyone in a jam. Against instruction, he waits for late pupils and gives lifts to all kinds of folk and their dogs, ducks and hens. The children adore him, but the school governors and local councillors have a different view. Bill’s future is in their hands.

Stan Rooker – Night Receptionist – Late one Saturday night, a good Samaritan Wilfred Parkin brings a man with a strange problem to the hospital reception. But Stan Rooker seems strangely reluctant to call the doctor.

Jack Acorn – Disputed Inheritance – When Fred Melthorpe inherits an estate from his estranged father, he also inherits Jack Acorn, the general factotum. But Jack’s not all he seems, so unpleasant discoveries are set to be made.

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A unique collection of authentic eyewitness accounts chronicling the events of the First World War from Sarajevo to the Armistice

In this selection of historic recordings from the BBC Archives, British, French and American servicemen recall their harrowing experiences of the conflict. German officers also tell their stories, their misery palpable in defeat. Inevitably the horrors of the Western Front dominate and the battles of the Somme and Passchendaele evoke bitter memories. But the war was fought on many fronts – on land, at sea and in the air – its scope illustrated with reminiscences of Russia, Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Palestine, the Austro/Italian line, the Battle of Jutland and the Royal Flying Corps’ ‘bloody’ April of 1917.

Also included among the many memorable voices are participants from both sides of the Easter Rising, conscientious objectors defending their beliefs and women contemplating their lasting grief. With diplomats, politicians and poets offering a range of differing opinions, the honesty and intimacy of these recollections brings the period vividly to life.

This exclusive compilation concludes with a post-script on 1919 and the Treaty of Versailles, followed by a sequence of First World War poems read by Stephen Moore, Tim Pigott-Smith, Juliet Stevenson and Samuel West..

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Henry Normal presents a comic and poetic look at his family life – centred around his son, Johnny, who was diagnosed with “mildly severe” autism.

Through stand-up and poetry, Henry explores what this means for Johnny, for himself, and his wife, Angela.

Recorded with an audience in Henry’s hometown of Brighton, the show paints just one portrait of life with autism; there are many versions of it, and this is Johnny’s.

Henry Normal is a multi-award winning writer, producer and poet. He starred in Channel 4’s Packet of Three, co-wrote The Royle Family and The Mrs Merton Show, and founded Baby Cow productions with Steve Coogan, which produced Gavin & Stacy, The Trip and Camping.

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Seven true stories of remarkable travel and adventure by intrepid women, compiled, and written by Julia Keay.

Travellers and explorers they were, the seven Victorian women profiled here possessed nothing in common. One was a society hostess, another what she termed ‘The Writer’, yest another was an archaeologist with a penchant for haute couture. Anna Leonowen’s experiences in Siam were the basis for the musical The King and I, Alexandra David-Neel became a Buddhist lama, Daisy Bates devoted her life to the Aborigines, Kate Marsden was driven by a burning need to save lepers in Siberia. Between them, they covered the world, journeying in Russia, the Middle East, India, Australia and Central Asia.

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Victorian detective mysteries, written by David Ashton, based on

In 1833 he became Edinburgh’s first detective and handled 2,220 cases

Brian Cox stars as the Edinburgh detective in the BBC Radio 4 series.

Inspired by the real-life memoirs of a Victorian Inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.

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Feisty pensioner sitcom starring Thora Hird

“Old people should value the future – they’ve got less of it”.

Straight-talking Hilda Springett is one determined widow.

She’s organising a collection for her overseas charity whilst giving a pep talk to her pal Emily.

Plus making holiday plans – and halting Social Services from sending Tommy to a care home.

Starring Dame Thora Hird as Hilda.

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