SUSAN JEFFREYS’ Radio Week

Mastertapes

SATURDAY, 10.30AM, RADIO 4

Elvis Costello will be joined by his longtime collaborator, Steve Nieve, for this programme marking National Album Day. They will play music from across the decades, focusing on Costello’s first album, My Aim Is True.

The Michael Ball Show

SUNDAY, 11AM, RADIO 2

The Coral join Michael for his brunchtime show for a live session of old hits plus tracks from their recent album, Move Through The Dawn.

A Small Town Murder

MONDAY-FRIDAY, 10.45AM,

7.45PM, RADIO 4

Meera Syal returns in another crime drama series set in the West Midlands. Meera plays family liaison officer Jackie Hartwell, who is sent to help a victim of serious assault. It seems that a serial offender is at large, who may strike again.

The Super-calculators

TUESDAY, 11AM, RADIO 4

Alex Bellos reports from this year’s Mental Calculation World Cup, held in Wolfsburg in Germany, to meet some of the fast-thinking contenders who can do complex calculations in their head in just the blink of an eye.

Ken Bruce

WEDNESDAY, 9.30AM, RADIO 2

Rick Astley will be in the Radio 2 Piano

Room for a live session of music from his new album, Beautiful Life. Rick, being a bit on the talented side, wrote every song, played every instrument and sang every note on the album.

In Tune

THURSDAY, 5PM, RADIO 3

Some of New Hampshire’s finest musicians gather in a forest ablaze with autumnal colours for a live performance enhanced by the natural acoustics of the location.

Ken Bruce

FRIDAY, 9.30AM, RADIO 2

Keala Settle – whose big hit, This Is Me, won Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards – will be in the Radio 2 Piano Room for a live session.

Trump’s Evangelicals

FRIDAY, 11AM, RADIO 4

The BBC’s White House reporter, Tara McKelvey, looks at the huge amount of support and money that American evangelical Christians are giving to Donald Trump, and questions their motives.

ARCHERS UPDATE

The Widow Pargetter, bereft of her children, paces Lower Loxley Hall, unable to see more shadows gathering in its cursed corridors.

It falls to Bert the Bard to point out that further trouble is heading her way. Disaster’s also coming to Shula, and many of us are nowhere near as sorry as we should be about that.

By the way, if you see Brian hanging around

The Bull, give him a wide berth as, what with one thing and another, he could turn into a round-dodger. Of course, as ever at this time of year, avoid Lynda, or you will end up in her Christmas show, and steer clear of Jazzer, as he’s cranky from nicotine withdrawal – though wanton Hannah has a plan for his cravings.