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 Friday 23 January 2026 with full listings and upcoming programmes.
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
Programming hasn’t started yet.
The first program is at ( UK Time )
The Elephant Man
Moving drama film. In 1884, an ambitious young surgeon is intrigued by a disfigured sideshow freak billed as the Elephant Man and takes him under his wing.
Runtime:
2 hr
The Stuarts in Exile
Dr Clare Jackson reveals why so many law-abiding Scots and English were prepared to support the catholic Stuarts.
Runtime:
1 hr
This is BBC Four
This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime:
2 hr 10 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
Top of the Pops
Kate Thornton presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 19 February 1999 and featuring Blondie, Next of Kin, Unkle ft Ian Brown, The Moffats, Blur and Lenny Kravitz.
Runtime:
30 min
Top of the Pops
Jayne Middlemiss presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 26 February 1999 and featuring The Corrs, NSYNC, Lauryn Hill, Lucid, Lenny Kravitz and Britney Spears.
Runtime:
30 min
Top of the Pops
Peter Powell introduces the pop programme, with performances from The Look, Spandau Ballet, XTC, Adam and the Ants, Bad Manners and Blondie.
Runtime:
30 min
Top of the Pops
Mark Franklin and Steve Anderson present the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 23 January 1992 and featuring 2 Unlimited, Shakespears Sister, Curtis Stigers and Genesis.
Runtime:
30 min
Top of the Pops
Noel Edmonds presents the pop chart programme, featuring Abba, Hot Chocolate, Brotherhood of Man, Sheer Elegance, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, The Four Seasons and 10CC.
Runtime:
40 min
Top of the Pops
David Hamilton presents the pop chart programme, featuring Jimmy James and the Vagabonds, Harpo, Sheer Elegance, The Rubettes, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Abba and Brotherhood of Man.
Runtime:
40 min
Carole King and James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name
Long ago and far away
A look at the songwriting partnership of legendary artists Carole King and James Taylor, with performances of some of their classic songs.
In Concert
Carole King
Footage of the singer-songwriter performing songs including I Feel the Earth Move, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and Up on the Roof for a BBC live studio performance in 1971.
Runtime:
30 min
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on BBC Four tonight?
Tonight (Friday 23 January) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, and Top of the Pops. 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 00:25 with In Concert.
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.