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 19 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 Sat 15 Aug Sun 16 Aug Mon 17 Aug Tue 18 Aug Wed 19 Aug

BBC Four Schedule — Wed 19 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

Villages by the Sea — 19:00

Cushendall
Ben Robinson travels to Cushendall in Northern Ireland to explore the Curfew Tower and schoolhouse, built by its forward-thinking 19th-century merchant landlord.
Runtime: 30 min
7:30 PM

Canal Boat Diaries — 19:30

Sheffield to Keadby
Robbie begins his 300-mile adventure across the north of England and the Midlands. He is forced to make a running repair while on the Tinsley lock flight.
Runtime: 30 min i Available on iPlayer
8:00 PM

Remembers... — 20:00

Simon Sebag Montefiore Remembers... Rome: A History of the Eternal City
Simon Sebag Montefiore talks about the challenges they faced filming in Rome, and about his joy at telling audiences the stories of a city he so clearly loves.
Runtime: 15 min
8:15 PM

Rome: A History of the Eternal City — 20:15

City of the Sacred
Simon Sebag Montefiore uncovers the central role played by religion in the power of the city of Rome. Every event in ancient Rome revolved around religion.
Runtime: 1 hr i Available on iPlayer
9:15 PM

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit — 21:15

Episode 3
Mary Beard explores the mythology, history and archaeology of Rome. In this episode, she takes an in-depth look at the question of identity and citizenship within the Roman Empire.
Runtime: 1 hr i Available on iPlayer
10:15 PM

I, Claudius — 22:15

Reign of Terror
Drama series chronicling the reigns of Roman emperors. With Tiberius retired to Capri, Sejanus plans to tighten his grip on Rome and divorces his wife for Livilla.
Runtime: 50 min
11:05 PM

I, Claudius — 23:05

Zeus, by Jove!
Drama chronicling the reigns of four Roman emperors. Claudius has hopes of a return to a republic when Caligula insanely proclaims himself and his sister as gods.
Runtime: 55 min
12:00 AM

The Australian Wars — 00:00

Episode 1
Sydney was the first frontier war battleground. No treaty between European occupying forces and the First Nations people meant conflict, and the first recorded massacre followed.
Runtime: 55 min
12:55 AM

Canal Boat Diaries — 00:55

Sheffield to Keadby
Robbie begins his 300-mile adventure across the north of England and the Midlands. He is forced to make a running repair while on the Tinsley lock flight.
Runtime: 30 min i Available on iPlayer
1:25 AM

Rome: A History of the Eternal City — 01:25

City of the Sacred
Simon Sebag Montefiore uncovers the central role played by religion in the power of the city of Rome. Every event in ancient Rome revolved around religion.
Runtime: 1 hr i Available on iPlayer
2:25 AM

Villages by the Sea — 02:25

Cushendall
Ben Robinson travels to Cushendall in Northern Ireland to explore the Curfew Tower and schoolhouse, built by its forward-thinking 19th-century merchant landlord.
Runtime: 30 min
2:55 AM

Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit — 02:55

Episode 3
Mary Beard explores the mythology, history and archaeology of Rome. In this episode, she takes an in-depth look at the question of identity and citizenship within the Roman Empire.
Runtime: 1 hr i Available on iPlayer
3:55 AM

This is BBC Four — 03:55

This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 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 19 August) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, Villages by the Sea, Canal Boat Diaries, and Remembers.... 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