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 08 October 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
ITV1 West Country
ITV1 West
ITV1 Yorkshire East
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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ITV3
ITV4
E4
More4
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Sky Arts
RTÉ One
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
ITV1+1 Meridian
ITV1+1 Midlands
ITV2+1
ITV3+1
ITV4+1
LBC News
Legend
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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
BBC Four Schedule — Thu 08 Oct
Programming hasn’t started yet.
The first program is at 12:10 AM (12:10 AM UK Time )
12:10 AM
Bullets, Boots and Bandages: How to Really Win at War — 00:10
Saul David explores how wars are really fought - in the backroom of military planning. He looks at how generals have struggled to kit out their armies for battle.
Runtime:
1 hr
1:10 AM
Secrets of Bones — 01:10
Ben Garrod discovers how the skeleton has adapted for vertebrates to move on land in many ways and explores the role of the spine in both cheetahs and snakes.
Runtime:
30 min
1:40 AM
Timothy Spall: Back at Sea — 01:40
Timothy Spall and his wife Shane take their barge to three different countries and visit Rafe Spall on the Isle of Man. In Belfast, Tim visits one of his favourite pubs.
Runtime:
30 min
2:10 AM
Natural World — 02:10
A professor develops an extraordinary relationship with an octopus when he invites it to live in his home to learn about its intelligence.
Runtime:
1 hr
3:10 AM
This is BBC Four — 03:10
This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime:
2 hr 20 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 Timewatch Guide — 19:00
World War II
Saul David uses the BBC archive to examine the most important stories related to World War II, and how our understanding of them has been redefined since the war ended.
Runtime:
1 hr
8:00 PM
The Bridge at Remagen — 20:00
Courage under fire
The war in Europe enters its final stages as the Allies prepare to cross the Rhine. Hitler has ordered the destruction of all bridges across the river, but one small iron structure remains intact.
Runtime:
1 hr 55 min
9:55 PM
The Wicker Man — 21:55
British cult classic with Christopher Lee
A puritan police sergeant arrives on a Scottish island in search of a missing girl, who the Pagan locals claim never existed.
Runtime:
1 hr 30 min
11:25 PM
Ex-S: The Wicker Man — 23:25
Documentary about cult British horror film The Wicker Man. Featuring actors Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward and Ingrid Pitt, and director Robin Hardy.
11:55 PM
Timeshift — 23:55
Of Ice and Men
Documentary which looks at why the most inhospitable place on the planet has exerted such a powerful hold on the imagination of explorers, scientists, writers and photographers.
Runtime:
1 hr
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on BBC Four tonight?
Tonight (Thursday 08 October) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, A Timewatch Guide, The Bridge at Remagen, and The Wicker Man. 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 00:55 with Timeshift.
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.