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 Wednesday 05 August 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 ITV1 Granada ITV1 Meridian East ITV1 Meridian North ITV1 Meridian South ITV1 North ITV1 Tyne Tees ITV1 Wales ITV1 West Country ITV1 West ITV1 Yorkshire East ITV1 Yorkshire West STV Central STV North UTV Channel 4 Channel 5 BBC Three (BBC3) Film4 BBC Four CBeebies BBC News BBC ALBA ITV2 ITV3 ITV4 E4 More4 GREAT! movies Sky Arts RTÉ One Al Jazeera English BBC Parliament BBC Scotland Blaze 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 ITV1+1 Meridian ITV1+1 Midlands ITV2+1 ITV3+1 ITV4+1 LBC News Legend Legend Xtra Legend Xtra+1 London Live More4+1 Movies24 Movies24+ Newsmax TV PBS America Quest Red+1 Quest+1 Really Really+1 Rewind TV RTÉ Kids Jr RTÉ News RTÉ One+1 RTÉ Two RTÉ Two+1 S4C Sky Arts (IE) 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
Yesterday Today Thu 30 Jul Fri 31 Jul Sat 01 Aug Sun 02 Aug Mon 03 Aug Tue 04 Aug Wed 05 Aug

BBC Four Schedule — Wed 05 Aug

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

Great British Railway Journeys — 19:00

York to Skipton
Michael Portillo’s journey finds him in York, a paradise for rail enthusiasts. He discovers the gardens at Harlow Carr in Harrogate and checks into the headquarters of Yorkshire Tea.
Runtime: 30 min
7:30 PM

Wainwright Walks — 19:30

Blencathra
Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the work of Britain's greatest fell walker Alfred Wainwright. Julia climbs her first mountain, Blencathra, and tackles Sharp Edge.
Runtime: 30 min i Available on iPlayer
8:00 PM

Treasures of Ancient Rome — 20:00

Pomp and Perversion
A look at the artistic legacy of Rome's mad, bad and dangerous emperors, including Claudius's pleasure palace and the cave where Tiberius held wild parties.
Runtime: 55 min
8:55 PM

Mary Beard Remembers... Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit — 20:55

Professor Mary Beard is known for her explorations of the ancient world, but here looks back on her more recent past, and the making of her acclaimed four-part 2016 series Ultimate Rome.
Runtime: 15 min i Available on iPlayer
9:10 PM

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit — 21:10

Episode 1
Mary Beard takes in the mythology, history and archaeology of Rome. In the first episode, Mary reaches back to the myths and legends of the origins of Rome.
Runtime: 1 hr i Available on iPlayer
10:10 PM

I, Claudius — 22:10

What Shall We Do about Claudius?
Livia engineers the downfall of Julia, who is banished. Tiberius is recalled to Rome. Claudius finds a friend in Herod, king of the Jews.
Runtime: 55 min
11:05 PM

I, Claudius — 23:05

Poison Is Queen
Drama series chronicling the reigns of the Roman emperors. The Imperial Army on the Rhine has been wiped out, and Tiberius is sent to avenge the defeat.
Runtime: 50 min
11:55 PM

Treasures of Ancient Rome — 23:55

Pomp and Perversion
A look at the artistic legacy of Rome's mad, bad and dangerous emperors, including Claudius's pleasure palace and the cave where Tiberius held wild parties.
Runtime: 1 hr
12:55 AM

Wainwright Walks — 00:55

Haystacks
Julia Bradbury explores the work of Britain's well-known fell walker and author Alfred Wainwright. She is in the Western Lakes to walk to the summit of the Haystacks fell.
Runtime: 30 min i Available on iPlayer
1:25 AM

Wainwright Walks — 01:25

Blencathra
Series in which Julia Bradbury explores the work of Britain's greatest fell walker Alfred Wainwright. Julia climbs her first mountain, Blencathra, and tackles Sharp Edge.
Runtime: 30 min i Available on iPlayer
1:55 AM

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit — 01:55

Episode 1
Mary Beard takes in the mythology, history and archaeology of Rome. In the first episode, Mary reaches back to the myths and legends of the origins of Rome.
Runtime: 1 hr i Available on iPlayer
2:55 AM

Great British Railway Journeys — 02:55

York to Skipton
Michael Portillo’s journey finds him in York, a paradise for rail enthusiasts. He discovers the gardens at Harlow Carr in Harrogate and checks into the headquarters of Yorkshire Tea.
Runtime: 30 min
3:25 AM

This is BBC Four — 03:25

This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime: 2 hr 5 min
5:30 AM

This is BBC Four — 05:30

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on BBC Four tonight?

Tonight (Wednesday 05 August) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, Great British Railway Journeys, Wainwright Walks, and Treasures of Ancient Rome. 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 18:58 with This is BBC Four.

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