Beebs Channel Guide

BBC Four TV Guide

BBC Four dives into culture, history, arts and world cinema with thoughtful documentaries, acclaimed drama and curated film seasons. See what's on BBC Four on Sunday 21 December 2025 with full listings and upcoming programmes.

Heads up: you're viewing listings from Sunday 21 December 2025. Jump to today's schedule.
Channels
BBC One (BBC1) BBC Two (BBC2) ITV1 Channel 4 Channel 5 ITV2 ITV3 ITV4 E4 Film4 More4 GREAT! movies Sky Arts RTÉ One BBC Three (BBC3) CBeebies BBC News BBC Four BBC ALBA BBC Parliament BBC Scotland CBBC S4C
Dates
Sun 21 Dec Yesterday Today Wed 04 Mar Thu 05 Mar Fri 06 Mar Sat 07 Mar Sun 08 Mar Mon 09 Mar Tue 10 Mar Wed 11 Mar

Mystery Road: Origin

The gang’s true motive is revealed, but Jay alienates his colleagues, and lawyer Anousha harbours a suspicion about the old killing.
Runtime: 55 min

Mystery Road: Origin

Jay gets in harm’s way at a violent showdown, but Mary is even more at risk when she learns that the name of a witness has been withheld.
Runtime: 55 min

From Andy Pandy to Zebedee: The Golden Age of Children's Television

Nigel Planer narrates the story of the struggle to make programmes for children in the days before everything went digital.
Runtime: 1 hr

This is BBC Four

This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime: 2 hr 15 min

This is BBC Four

This is BBC Four
Daily from 7.00pm.
Runtime: 13 hr 28 min

This is BBC Four

This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime: 2 min

What We Were Watching

Christmas 1985
Grace Dent takes a televisual trip back in time to Christmas 1985.
Runtime: 1 hr

Larry Grayson's Generation Game

Christmas Day 1979
A special edition for Christmas Day 1979 with surprise guests and seasonal games for the contestants and families to play at home, starring Larry Grayson and Isla St Clair.
Runtime: 1 hr 5 min

Bruce and Ronnie Christmas Special

Bruce Forsyth and Ronnie Corbett come together for a Christmas spectacular. With special guest star Fiona Fullerton and the Jeff Richer dancers.
Runtime: 45 min

The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show

Paul Daniels presents a festive edition of his magic show, first broadcast on 26 December 1987 and featuring guest appearances by John Craven, Richard Whitmore and Michael Buerk.
Runtime: 50 min

Roy Hattersley on Philip Larkin

Roy Hattersley introduces us to Philip Larkin's poetry. With Judi Dench and Alan Bennett.
Runtime: 40 min

Monitor

Betjeman and Larkin: Down Cemetery Road
Philip Larkin talks to John Betjeman in 1964 about his life, his poetry and the city of Hull, where he lived and worked as university librarian.
Runtime: 25 min

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story

Dark and delightful
An opportunity to see Mark Gatiss's astonishing theatrical production of Dickens’s classic winter ghost story, A Christmas Carol, directed for the stage by Adam Penford.
Runtime: 1 hr 45 min i Available on iPlayer
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is on BBC Four tonight?

Tonight (Sunday 21 December) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, What We Were Watching, Larry Grayson's Generation Game, and Bruce and Ronnie Christmas Special. Check the full schedule for more details.

How can I watch BBC Four live?

You can watch BBC Four live on the official bbc.co.uk website or app. Use the 'Watch Live' button to go directly to the player.

When does programming end on BBC Four today?

Today's programming on BBC Four ends at 01:30 with A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story.

Is this TV schedule shown in UK time or my local time?

All times shown on this page are automatically converted to your local device timezone for easy viewing, though the original UK broadcast time is also displayed.

Watch BBC Four Live