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 Thursday 26 February 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
Yesterday Today Thu 19 Feb Fri 20 Feb Sat 21 Feb Sun 22 Feb Mon 23 Feb Tue 24 Feb Wed 25 Feb Thu 26 Feb

Beautiful Equations

Art critic Matt Collings explores the most famous equations in science and realises that concepts of beauty and elegance have been used by many scientists to advance their work.
Runtime: 1 hr

Canals: The Making of a Nation

Liz McIvor recounts the tales of the men who built the canals - the navigators or navvies - focusing on their work on the Manchester Ship Canal.
Runtime: 30 min

Tribe (2005)

Layap
Documentary series with explorer Bruce Parry, who this week treks into the high mountains in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to live with the isolated Layap people.
Runtime: 1 hr i Available on iPlayer

Castles: Britain's Fortified History

Sam Willis looks at how castles survived into the Tudor era. But these strategic seats of power had to become palaces to impress monarchs such as Elizabeth I.
Runtime: 1 hr

This is BBC Four

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

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

Canals: The Making of a Nation

Heritage
Liz McIvor explores how the nation's canals were saved following years of postwar neglect, becoming places of tranquillity and popular for boating holidays.
Runtime: 30 min

Gareth Edwards’s Great Welsh Adventure

Episode 5
Gareth and Maureen enlist in tank school and gear up for a drive like no other. In the Brecon Beacons, they discover if they’ve finally cracked the art of narrowboating.
Runtime: 30 min

The Bridge: Fifty Years Across the Forth

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Forth Road Bridge, charting the memories of those who built it and those who operated the Forth ferries that ran until the bridge opened.
Runtime: 1 hr

The Read

The 39 Steps: The Read with John Hannah
Murder, conspiracy and espionage are the thrilling themes of Buchan’s gripping adventure novel set against the backdrop of WWI. Bafta-nominated actor John Hannah reads.
Runtime: 1 hr

The 39 Steps

A man is pursued by the police for a murder he did not commit and by an international spy ring for information he does not possess. Classic Hitchcock mystery.
Runtime: 1 hr 20 min

Calendar Girls

Comedy drama based on the true story of 12 Yorkshire ladies who find a compelling way to raise money for charity: a nude calendar. Stars Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.
Runtime: 1 hr 45 min

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on BBC Four tonight?

Tonight (Thursday 26 February) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, Canals: The Making of a Nation, Gareth Edwards’s Great Welsh Adventure, and The Bridge: Fifty Years Across the Forth. 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 01:05 with Calendar Girls.

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