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 Tuesday 27 January 2026 with full listings and upcoming programmes.
Heads up: you're viewing listings from Tuesday 27 January 2026. Jump to today's schedule.
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Dates
BBC Four Schedule — Tue 27 Jan
Programming hasn’t started yet.
The first program is at ( UK Time )
Man in Space — 00:30
First transmitted in 1966, Horizon reports from the spacecraft centre in Houston, Texas.
Face the Music — 01:10
Joseph Cooper invites viewers to test their musical wits against Camilla Jessel, Robin Ray and Edward Boyle. With guest musician Mitsuko Uchida.
Runtime:
30 min
Horizon — 01:40
Astronaut Tim Peake's video diary of the two years leading up to his arrival at the International Space Station in December 2015.
Runtime:
1 hr
Art of Persia — 02:40
Episode 2
Samira Ahmed reveals how Iran preserved its distinctive language and culture despite the Arab conquest of Persia.
This is BBC Four — 03:40
This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime:
1 hr 50 min
This is BBC Four — 05:30
This is BBC Four
Daily from 7.00pm.
Runtime:
13 hr 28 min
This is BBC Four — 18:58
This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime:
2 min
Great British Railway Journeys — 19:00
Wakefield to Leeds
From Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Michael visits the National Coal Mining Museum for England at Caphouse Colliery. He heads across to Leeds to investigate the origins of the Leeds West Indian Carnival.
Runtime:
30 min
Wainwright Walks — 19:30
Helm Crag
Julia Bradbury explores the work of fell walker Alfred Wainwright. Here she climbs Helm Crag, defined by the rock formations at its summit nicknamed the Lion and the Lamb.
Yes, Prime Minister — 20:00
A Conflict of Interest
Classic sitcom. When a scandal breaks in the City, Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey cannot agree on who should be the new governor of the Bank of England.
Yes, Prime Minister — 20:30
Power to the People
Classic political sitcom. Jim Hacker meets a local councillor who has radical ideas about local government. The PM likes what he hears, unlike Sir Humphrey.
Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell — 21:00
Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch argues that rather than being a thug, Thomas Cromwell was a principled and pioneering statesman who laid the foundations for the modern British state.
Runtime:
1 hr
Philip Larkin and the Third Woman — 22:00
Sir Andrew Motion discovers an unpublished poem by Philip Larkin when he visits Hull to meet one of the poet's ex-lovers, Betty Mackereth, speaking of her love for the first time.
Runtime:
30 min
The Great American Buffalo — 22:30
Episode 1
Ken Burns recounts how the collision between two opposing views of the natural world saw the buffalo, which had numbered in the tens of millions, driven to the brink of extinction.
Runtime:
1 hr 55 min
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on BBC Four tonight?
Tonight (Tuesday 27 January) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, Great British Railway Journeys, Wainwright Walks, and Yes, Prime Minister. 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 The Great American Buffalo.
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.