With John Wilson.

Bestselling author Walter Mosley discusses his novel All I Did Was Shoot My Man, which continues his thriller series featuring New York City Private Investigator Leonid McGill. In this latest installment McGill is trying to help a woman he put in prison.

TV documentary-maker Phil Agland revisits the Baka tribe of Cameroon, West Africa, 25 years after he first filmed them in their isolated home in the jungle. He discusses his shock at what he found on his return, which he documents in his film Baka: A Cry From The Rainforest

Rory Gallagher has been described as Ireland's first rock star. This year marks the 40th anniversary of his solo career which began with the release of his first album in 1971. Rock critic Neil McCormick explains why Gallagher was inspirational to his generation.

And, following Hugo and The Artist, the latest cinema release with a canine star is Red Dog, an Australian film based on Louis de Bernieres's novel about the legendary true story of the red dog who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian outback in search of his long-lost master. Natalie Haynes reviews.

Producer Jerome Weatherald.

With Mark Lawson.

Novelist A S Byatt discusses a new exhibition Picasso and Modern British Art at Tate Britain, which examines Picasso's relationship with the country and how British artists including Francis Bacon, David Hockney and Henry Moore have responded to his work.

As a child, Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo sang for the Sistine Chapel choir, before making his debut at La Scala in Milan at the age of 23. Grigolo explains why he likes to cross over from classical to pop, from Keane's Bed-Shaped to La Donna E Mobile, and why he never talks to his wife before a concert.

Kate Saunders reviews a new French film Hadewijch, about a young Christian fanatic who befriends a group of Muslims and finds herself being led down paths which put her life in danger.

And with David Guetta's single Titanium doing well in the charts, David Quantick considers how chemical elements and the periodic table have inspired a variety of songwriters.

Producer Jerome Weatherald.

With Mark Lawson.

Andrew Miller last night won the Costa Book of the Year with his historical novel Pure, set in pre-revolutionary Paris. Mark talked to the author just after hearing the news.

National Theatre Director Nicholas Hytner announces his plans for the year ahead.

Jens Lapidus is a Swedish criminal defence lawyer and author. His debut novel is Easy Money, set amongst gangsters and criminals in the Stockholm underworld. He told Mark how he made the transition from criminal defence to crime writing.

New film Acts of Godfrey, starring Simon Callow and Harry Enfield, is written entirely in rhyming couplets. Poet Paul Farley gives his verdict in rhyme.

Producer Katie Langton.

Mark Lawson reports on this year's Academy Award nominations, announced today, with comments and critical assessment from film critics Chris Tookey and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, and contributions from the following nominees:-

Kenneth Branagh: best supporting actor;

Meryl Streep and Viola Davis: best actress;

Stephen Daldry: best director;

J.C.Chandor: best original screenplay;

Peter McDonald: best short live-action film;

Lucy Walker: best documentary;

David Vickery: best visual effects

Producer Timothy Prosser.

Kirsty Lang examines how writers from India and Pakistan are tackling social and political shifts, with Booker-winner Aravind Adiga, Aatish Taseer, Mohammed Hanif and Moni Mohsin.

All have published fiction in the past year with a focus on complex current issues in their respective countries, including terrorism in Pakistan and the huge social changes brought about by India's economic boom.

They also reflect on the differences between readers in the Indian subcontinent and those who live outside it, and discuss how - as Aravind Adiga reveals - a warm critical reception in the UK is no guarantee of critical praise at home.

Producer Rebecca Nicholson.

It's the Boxing Day Quiz, as question-master Mark Lawson poses cultural brain-teasers to test the knowledge of two teams.

Historian Antonia Fraser, actor Dan Stevens and crime-writer Mark Billingham compete against playwright Roy Williams, comedy performer and writer Natalie Haynes and actor Michael Simkins.

Producer Claire Bartleet.

With Kirsty Lang.

Meryl Streep is hotly tipped for Oscar success for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in the forthcoming film The Iron Lady. She discusses how she mastered Thatcher's famous voice, why she decided to donate her fee for the film to charity and how she feels about her daughters following her into the acting profession.

Director Shane Meadows continues the story of a group of young skinheads who first appeared in his film This is England, set in 1983. This is England 88 is the second in a series of television sequels, and stars Vicky McClure as Lol, now struggling to cope with life as a single mother. Dreda Say Mitchell reviews.

Reviewers Georgia Coleridge and Damian Kelleher offer their pick of the year's children's books, ranging from picture books to teenage fiction.

Producer Nicki Paxman.

With Mark Lawson.

Writer and comedy performer John Cleese reflects on his career, including the rivalries between the Monty Python team, the creation of Fawlty Towers and the film A Fish Called Wanda. He also discusses breaking taboos, morality in comedy and the multi-million dollar divorce settlement which led to his recent show The Alimony Tour.

Producer Claire Bartleet.

With Kirsty Lang.

Vermeer's Women, a new exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, features four works by the Dutch master, including The Lacemaker from the Louvre in Paris, on show in the UK for the first time. Tracy Chevalier, whose novel Girl With A Pearl Earring was inspired by a Vermeer painting, reviews the show.

The actor Paddy Considine, known for films including In America, Dead Man's Shoes and Hot Fuzz, has written and directed his first feature film. Tyrannosaur is loosely based on Considine's own father, and stars Peter Mullan as a man plagued by violence and rage, whose life changes when he meets a religious charity shop worker. Paddy Considine discusses the film and the difficulties he faces coping with Asperger's Syndrome, diagnosed last year.

Mohammed Hanif, Pakistan-born journalist and writer of the prize-winning A Case of Exploding Mangoes, talks about his new novel Our Lady of Alice Bhatti, the story of a junior nurse in downtown Karachi. He explains the art of being a sit-down comedian, and why Pakistan's secret service asked him to name his sources.

Orlando Bloom, star of three Pirates of the Caribbean films, reprises his swashbuckling skills as the villainous Duke of Buckingham in a new 3D film of The Three Musketeers. He reflects on his experiences in major film franchises, and the perils of too many swords and sandals roles.

Producer Philippa Ritchie.

With Mark Lawson.

Actor and writer James Corden reflects on his career so far, and admits that some of the work he produced after his initial successes was sub-standard. Corden has just published an autobiography, and is touring in the acclaimed National Theatre production One Man, Two Guvnors.

Justin Lee Collins and X Factor winner Shayne Ward star in Rock of Ages, a new musical touted as 'Mamma Mia! for men'. The show weaves a narrative around 80s rock anthems. David Quantick reviews.

Leeds enjoys a special place in the history of British cinema: it was once the centre for the manufacture of film projectors. This has inspired a new work from Turner Prize nominee Lucy Skaer. She and cinema projectionist Alan Foster give Mark a guided tour in the Lyric Picture House, Armley, Leeds,

Producer Georgia Mann.