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 Saturday 04 July 2026 with full listings and upcoming programmes.
Channels
BBC One (BBC1)
BBC Two (BBC2)
ITV1
ITV1 Anglia
ITV1 Anglia West
ITV1 Border
ITV1 Central East
ITV1 Central West
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ITV1 North
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ITV1 West
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ITV1 Yorkshire West
STV Central
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UTV
Channel 4
Channel 5
BBC Three (BBC3)
Film4
BBC Four
CBeebies
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ITV2
ITV3
ITV4
E4
More4
GREAT! movies
Sky Arts
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Al Jazeera English
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BBC Scotland
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Bloomberg TV Europe
CBBC
Challenge
Challenge (IE)
Channel 4+1
Court TV
Dave ja vu
DMAX
DMAX+1
Drama+1
E4 Extra
E4+1
Eden
Eden+1
Euronews English
Film4+1
Food Network
Food Network+1
GREAT! action
GREAT! action+1
GREAT! mystery
GREAT! mystery+1
GREAT! romance
GREAT! tv
GREAT! tv+1
ITV Quiz
ITV1+1
ITV1+1 Granada
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ITV1+1 Midlands
ITV2+1
ITV3+1
ITV4+1
LBC News
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Movies24
Movies24+
Newsmax TV
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Really
Really+1
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RTÉ One+1
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two+1
S4C
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Sky Mix (IE)
Sky News
STV Central+1
STV North+1
Talking Pictures TV
TG4
TLC
TLC+1
True Crime
True Crime Xtra
True Crime+1
Virgin Media Four
Virgin Media One
Virgin Media One+1
Virgin Media Three
Virgin Media Two
W+1
Yesterday+1
Dates
BBC Four Schedule — Sat 04 Jul
Programming hasn’t started yet.
The first program is at 12:10 AM (12:10 AM UK Time )
12:10 AM
The Whistle Test Years — 00:10
Bob Harris introduces clips from 1975. Including performances by Little Feat, Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance, Richard & Linda Thompson, John Lennon, Billy Joel and Jackson Browne.
Runtime:
40 min
12:50 AM
Top of the Pops — 00:50
Jamie Theakston presents the pop chart programme, featuring Pet Shop Boys, Donell Jones, Point Break, Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott, Eurythmics, Scooch and Manic Street Preachers.
Runtime:
30 min
1:20 AM
Top of the Pops — 01:20
Jamie Theakston presents the pop chart programme, featuring Donell Jones, Nu Generation, Super Furry Animals, Hi-Gate, Manic Street Preachers, Scanty Sandwich and Britney Spears.
Runtime:
25 min
1:45 AM
Top of the Pops — 01:45
Janice Long presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 3 July 1986. Featuring The Housemartins, Samantha Fox, Claire & Friends, Sly Fox, Gary Numan, Bucks Fizz and Wham!
Runtime:
35 min
2:20 AM
Top of the Pops — 02:20
Nicky Campbell presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 6 July 1989 and featuring Sonia, Monie Love and The Beautiful South.
Runtime:
30 min
2:50 AM
BBC Four Sessions — 02:50
Loudon Wainwright III plays tracks from his album Here Come the Choppers alongside such classics as One Man Guy and Hard Day on the Planet. From 2005.
Runtime:
1 hr
3:50 AM
This is BBC Four — 03:50
This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime:
1 hr 40 min
5:30 AM
This is BBC Four — 05:30
This is BBC Four
Daily from 7.00pm.
Runtime:
13 hr 28 min
6:58 PM
This is BBC Four — 18:58
This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime:
2 min
7:00 PM
Natural World — 19:00
Africa's Lion Kings
A pride of lions has rewritten the rules - they have learnt to take down elephants.
Runtime:
5 min
7:05 PM
Life on Earth — 19:05
The First Forests
The story of life, from the first primitive cells to the plants and animals of today. In this programme, David Attenborough looks at the first land flora.
8:00 PM
Voyages of Discovery — 20:00
The Making of Captain Cook
Paul Rose tells the true story of an eventful voyage as he explores how Captain James Cook's discoveries changed the world.
Runtime:
1 hr
9:00 PM
Starter for 10 — 21:00
James McAvoy stars
Comedy starring James McAvoy as a 1980s working-class boy stumbling through university. He tries to achieve his ambition to appear on University Challenge.
10:30 PM
Keeping Up Appearances — 22:30
Violet's Country Cottage
Sitcom about an etiquette-obsessed snob. When Hyacinth and Richard go to stay in a country cottage, events take several unexpected turns.
Runtime:
30 min
11:00 PM
One Foot in the Grave — 23:00
Dramatic Fever
Margaret joins the local amateur dramatic society and takes Victor to a Bergerac party. Meanwhile, Margaret's mother manages to get stuck in the bath with wallpaper paste.
Runtime:
30 min
11:30 PM
Woolly Mammoth: Secrets from the Ice — 23:30
From bones to body
Professor Alice Roberts on the natural history of the woolly mammoth, revealing adaptations that helped the species evolve from their origins in the tropics to surviving in Siberia
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on BBC Four tonight?
Tonight (Saturday 04 July) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, Natural World, Life on Earth, and Voyages of Discovery. 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 00:30 with Woolly Mammoth: Secrets from the Ice.
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.