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 Friday 09 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
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
BBC Four Schedule — Fri 09 Oct
Programming hasn’t started yet.
The first program is at 12:55 AM (12:55 AM UK Time )
12:55 AM
Ancient Worlds — 00:55
The Greek Thing
Richard Miles explores the power and the paradox of the 'Greek Thing' - a blossoming in art, philosophy and science that went hand in hand with political discord.
1:55 AM
Ex-S: The Wicker Man — 01:55
Documentary about cult British horror film The Wicker Man. Featuring actors Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward and Ingrid Pitt, and director Robin Hardy.
2:25 AM
A Timewatch Guide — 02:25
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
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
6:58 PM
This is BBC Four — 18:58
This is BBC Four
Programmes start at 7.00pm.
Runtime:
2 min
7:00 PM
Top of the Pops — 19:00
Jayne Middlemiss presents the pop chart programme, featuring Madison Avenue, Lonestar, The Charlatans, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Southside Spinners, Bentley Rhythm Ace and Billie Piper.
Runtime:
30 min
7:30 PM
Top of the Pops — 19:30
Jamie Theakston presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 2 June 2000 and featuring Billie Piper, Bon Jovi, Sia, Belle & Sebastian, Chrissie Hynde, Travis and Sonique.
Runtime:
30 min
8:00 PM
Top of the Pops — 20:00
Noel Edmonds presents the pop chart programme, featuring Smokie, Danny Mirror, Deniece Williams, Steve Gibbons Band, The Emotions, The Stranglers, Baccara, Yes and David Soul.
Runtime:
30 min
8:30 PM
Top of the Pops — 20:30
Mike Read and Tommy Vance present the pop chart programme. Featuring Kim Wilde, Sade, Wham!, Stephanie Mills, Paul Young, Alison Moyet, The Style Council and Stevie Wonder.
Runtime:
40 min
9:10 PM
The Genius of Funk — 21:10
Selection of some of funk's best artists from the BBC archives and beyond, beginning in the 1970s. With Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang, Average White Band and Herbie Hancock.
Runtime:
1 hr
10:10 PM
Glastonbury — 22:10
Cymande and Black Uhuru
British funk pioneers Cymande make their long-awaited Glastonbury debut, then reggae royalty Black Uhuru step up with a set spanning more than five decades.
Runtime:
30 min
10:40 PM
Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande — 22:40
Sampling superstars
The incredible story of a band you may never have heard of but whose sound has influenced generations with their irresistible rhythms and message of peace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on BBC Four tonight?
Tonight (Friday 09 October) on BBC Four, you can watch This is BBC Four, Top of the Pops, The Genius of Funk, and Glastonbury. 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 00:10 with Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande.
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.