Browse the full BBC Four TV guide for Wednesday, 21 October 2026. 12 programmes listed , including 8 tonight. UK listings updated daily — scroll down to tonight's highlights or use the day tabs above to browse the weekly schedule.
Early Morning
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00:20 30m
Secrets of Bones
S1 · E6 · SexThe role skeletons play in aiding reproductionEvolutionary biologist Ben Garrod explores the role skeletons play in aiding reproduction, looking at the ways courtship, competition and copulation have been improved by having bones. On his journey, he meets baseball players and drops a 10kg weight on a sheep's skull -
00:50 30m
Gareth Edwards' Great Welsh Adventure
S2 · E2 · TenbyGareth and Maureen get a castle to themselves for a nightSir Gareth and wife Maureen get a castle to themselves for a night - perfect to mark their 49th wedding anniversary. Plus, they go wildlife spotting and get competitive at golf in Tenby -
01:20 1h
Ancient Worlds
S1 · E5 · The Republic of VirtueThe origins of the Roman republicRichard Miles travels to Sicily and North Africa to explore the rise of the Roman republic, from its fratricidal mythical beginnings to its emergence as a powerful empire. Beginning in a cluster of hill villages, the Romans achieved the domination of the Mediterranean after defeating Carthage, and the historian argues that, as the territorial expansion started and the violence increased, Rome became its own worst enemy -
02:20 55m
The Normans
S1 · E1 · Men from the NorthThe expansion and unchecked ambition of the Norman empireProfessor Robert Bartlett travels from Britain to Jerusalem via Sicily, examining the expansion and unchecked ambition of the Norman empire, and how its impact still resonates in modern culture and politics. He discovers how, under the leadership of Scandinavian raider Rollo, these descendants of the Vikings first established themselves in northern France and became an unstoppable force of Christian knights and warriors
Tonight's Highlights
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19:00 30m
Secrets of Skin
S1 · E1 · AdaptabilityBen Garrod examines the evolution of skinBiologist Ben Garrod examines the evolution of skin - the largest organ in any creature's body - across all species of the animal kingdom, beginning by looking at how that of vertebrates has allowed them to conquer the planet. -
19:30 30m
Gareth Edwards' Great Welsh Adventure
S2 · E3 · LlandudnoGareth and wife Maureen head to the seaside resort of LlandudnoGareth and Maureen are in the coastal resort of Llandudno as a heatwave hits, but squeeze in everything from ice-creams and strolls on the pier to a nerve-wracking abseil down the Great Orme. Finally, they spend a day with hill farmer Gareth Wyn Jones who tests how they measure up as traditional Welsh hill farmers, giving them tasks including working with a sheep dog and shearing. -
20:00 50m
Asteroids: Spark of Life?
Exploring the link between the asteroids that hit Earth and human lifeExploring if the destructive impacts of asteroids on Earth four billion years ago may have provided the essential ingredients needed for life to ignite on the planet. Scientists examine the deep past embedded in South African and Australian rocks, the surface of the moon, and asteroid dust taken from space and ancient impact craters to develop this revolutionary theory -
20:50 10m
Building Sights
County Arcade, LeedsA look at the County Arcade in Leeds, designed by Frank Matcham in 1900Personal reflections on the best of 20th-century British architecture. In this edition, writer Alan Bennett wanders through the architecturally exotic County Arcade in Leeds, designed by Frank Matcham in 1900. First broadcast April 9, 1991 -
21:00 1h
The Planets
S1 · E2 · The Two Sisters - Earth & MarsProfessor Brian Cox reveals the solar system was once home to two blue planetsProfessor Brian Cox continues his tour of the solar system revealing that it was once home to not one, but two blue planets. Today, Mars is an arid desert world that long ago had the same potential as Earth. Which begs a big question - did life get a start on both worlds? -
22:00 15m
Alison Steadman Remembers - The Singing Detective
The actress reminisces on Dennis Potter's influential 1986 dramaThe actress reminisces on Dennis Potter's influential 1986 drama, from working with leading man Michael Gambon and the pride of working on a piece that got everyone talking to the controversy of the infamous outdoor sex scene -
22:15 1h 5m
The Singing Detective
S1 · E3 · Lovely DaysMarlow is tortured by memories of his motherMarlow is shocked when one of his fellow patients dies. As his mental state becomes increasingly fragile, he is also haunted by childhood memories of his mother, who has begun to appear as one of the characters in the pulp fiction tale he is composing in his head. Meanwhile, psychiatrist Dr Gibbon has questions for Nicola. Surreal drama from 1986, written by Dennis Potter and starring Michael Gambon -
23:20 1h 10m
The Singing Detective
S1 · E4 · CluesNicola has an offer for PhilipNicola tells Philip a film company wants to adapt his book but he remains suspicious, wondering why they would go to her rather than approach him directly. Tormented by memories of his childhood, the hospitalised writer resolves to uncover the guilty party in fiction and reality - while in the story playing out in his head, the fictional Marlow is pursued by two mysterious men