BBC Four TV Guide — Sunday, 19 July 2026

Documentary following solar scientist Dr Lucie Green as she reveals how some of the UK's worst and most dramatic weather disasters occurred many years ago, despite the popular belief that the brunt of climate change has been felt in the 21st century. Considering how many people today are pre-warned about potential catastrophes due to innovations in weather prediction, the presenter learns how an 18th-century storm surge once led to a the deaths of a thousand workers in Somerset fields, a hurricane drowned a fifth of Britain's naval officers, and several brutal winters threatened to completely shut down most services in the country

Chris Packham introduces a documentary from the BBC archive that takes a look at the worst British winter of the 20th century. He also explores how this severe weather 50 years ago affected the nation's wildlife and how it would cope if another equally bad winter occurred

Petroc Trelawny and Georgia Mann present a specially curated night of musical gems from the Royal Albert Hall featuring the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductors Marin Alsop and Elim Chan. Alongside a performance of one of the best-known of all symphonies is Mussorgsky's A Night on a Bare Mountain and Richard Strauss's Don Juan

Tom Fort travels along the 92-mile-long A303 from the Hampshire town of Basingstoke to Honiton in Devon. Originally designed in the 1960s, the route has been the subject of many proposed upgrades - several of which were strongly opposed due to their potential impact on sites of historic and natural significance, including Stonehenge. The programme charts the highway's turbulent history, as well as examining the development of the region over the past 5,000 years

Profile of the Oscar-winning composer responsible for some of the best-loved film and TV scores of the past few decades. Contributors include directors Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, and Steve McQueen. In this portrait, Zimmer reveals the musical secrets of his craft - how he goes about terrifying, moving and raising people's spirits through his work