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 Sunday 23 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 Wed 19 Aug Thu 20 Aug Fri 21 Aug Sat 22 Aug Sun 23 Aug

BBC Four Schedule — Sun 23 Aug

12:45 AM

Life on Earth — 00:45

Themes and Variations
David Attenborough looks at some of the huge variety of mammals. The tree shrew has attracted great interest as it shows how mammals may have originated.
Runtime: 55 min i Available on iPlayer
1:40 AM

Hidden Wales: Last Chance to Save — 01:40

Will Millard explores some of Wales’s hidden historic buildings, meeting the passionate individuals who are trying to save these vulnerable structures before it is too late.
Runtime: 1 hr
2:40 AM

Deep Down and Dirty: The Science of Soil — 02:40

Documentary in which gardening expert Chris Beardshaw delves into the micro-world of soil to reveal what it is, how it works and why we couldn't survive without it.
Runtime: 1 hr
3:40 AM

This is BBC Four — 03:40

This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 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

A Wild Year — 19:00

The Lake District
Cutting-edge camera techniques give a new and unique perspective on a turbulent year in the life of England's largest national park.
Runtime: 1 hr
8:00 PM

BBC Proms — 20:00

Mozart at the Proms
Soloist Felix Klieser brings his extraordinary talent to the popular Third Horn Concerto in a stunning concert that also includes Benjamin Britten and Edward Elgar.
Runtime: 1 hr 25 min
9:25 PM

What has the BBC ever done for me? — 21:25

This Is Our BBC
Romesh asks the big question on an epic journey with a host of famous faces.
Runtime: 5 min i Available on iPlayer
9:30 PM

Secret Knowledge — 21:30

The Art of the Vikings
Through interpretations of some Swedish archaeological treasures now on display in Edinburgh, Dr Janina Ramirez looks at Viking culture and its lasting influence on Britain.
Runtime: 30 min
10:00 PM

Copenhagen: A Prologue with Michael Frayn — 22:00

Michael Frayn introduces a television adaptation of his hit play Copenhagen. He explores why a meeting between two physicists 60 years ago continues to fascinate audiences today.
Runtime: 10 min
10:10 PM

Copenhagen — 22:10

Memories, motives and the greatest moral dilemma
Drama based on a pivotal meeting in 1941 between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, whose work together had paved the way for the building of the atomic bomb.
Runtime: 1 hr 30 min i Available on iPlayer
11:40 PM

Mark Lawson Talks To... — 23:40

Michael Frayn
Mark Lawson talks to Michael Frayn about his life and 50-year career writing novels, plays, philosophy, memoirs, screenplays, translations, farce, tragedy, verse and drama.
Runtime: 1 hr

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on BBC Four tonight?

Tonight (Sunday 23 August) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, A Wild Year, BBC Proms, and What has the BBC ever done for me?. 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 00:40 with Mark Lawson Talks To....

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