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 27 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
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ITV1 North
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ITV1 Wales
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Challenge
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Channel 4+1
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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
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ITV2+1
ITV3+1
ITV4+1
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Movies24
Movies24+
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Really
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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
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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 — Thu 27 Aug
Programming hasn’t started yet.
The first program is at 12:50 AM (12:50 AM UK Time )
12:50 AM
Canal Boat Diaries — 00:50
Lincoln to Nottingham
Autumnal fog and an overheating engine prove to be problems for narrowboater Robbie Cumming as he navigates a Roman waterway and a tidal river.
1:20 AM
Rome: A History of the Eternal City — 01:20
Divine Gamble
Simon Sebag Montefiore charts Rome's rise to become the capital of western Christendom and its impact on the lives of its citizens, elites and high priests.
2:20 AM
Mary Beard's Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit — 02:20
Episode 4
Mary Beard takes in the mythology, history and archaeology of Rome. In the final episode, Mary tackles the biggest puzzle of all: why, and how, did the Roman Empire fall?
3:20 AM
Villages by the Sea — 03:20
Ben Robinson discovers some of the impressive and well-preserved lime kilns in Solva, Wales, and learns how this industry helped feed a growing nation.
Runtime:
30 min
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
Villages by the Sea — 19:00
Beer
Ben Robinson heads to Beer, Devon, home to beer stone, which has been quarried since Roman times and used in many of England's cathedrals and iconic buildings.
Runtime:
30 min
7:30 PM
Canal Boat Diaries — 19:30
Loughborough to Braunston
Robbie Cumming has issues with ice before taking on the famous Foxton lock flight. His destination is Braunston, the spiritual home for narrowboaters.
8:00 PM
Vasa: The Ghost Ship — 20:00
A 17th-century time machine
Film following the work of archaeologists, divers and historians as they make new discoveries about a remarkably well-preserved 17th-century galleon raised from the Baltic in 1961.
9:00 PM
Jaws — 21:00
When a great white shark begins preying on humans off the beaches of New England, a police chief, a shark expert and a grizzled fisherman head out on a perilous journey to hunt the creature down.
Runtime:
2 hr
11:00 PM
Talking Pictures — 23:00
Jaws
Celia Imrie dives into the BBC’s archives to tell the behind-the-scenes story of Steven Spielberg’s classic aquatic horror, Jaws.
Runtime:
45 min
11:45 PM
Jaws 2 — 23:45
The holiday resort of Amity is preparing for the big summer rush of tourists. Just when they thought it was safe to go back in the water, a giant, man-eating shark appears.
Runtime:
1 hr 50 min
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on BBC Four tonight?
Tonight (Thursday 27 August) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, Villages by the Sea, Canal Boat Diaries, and Vasa: The Ghost Ship. 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 01:35 with Jaws 2.
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.