Today’s radio

BOG CHILD

12 NOON, RADIO 4 HHHH Fergus and his uncle cross the Northern Irish border to dig up peat. As they dig down, they are horrified to see a small hand emerging, and realise they have disturbed the grave of a child. At first, they think the body has something to do with the Troubles; then, they realise that they have stumbled upon ancient history. Catherine Cusack stars in this ten-part adaptation of Siobhan Dowd’s award-winning novel.

THE EXTINCTION TAPES

1.45PM, RADIO 4 HHH Alabama pigtoe mussels buried themselves in the silt of the Mobile river. They fed on plankton, filtering the river’s slow-moving waters in the process. Dark secrets and forgotten history

Catherine Cusack (12 noon, R4) lurk in that river and, now the mussels have disappeared from the river, those secrets are emerging. Rob Newman begins a week-long series on lost species with a tale of muddy waters.

VELVET BLACKOUT

2.15PM, RADIO 4 HHHH

Set in 1942, this intriguing psychothriller follows the trail of Roxanne, a young woman who’s been rescued from a bombed building. She has no memory of why she was in the building, and is hazy about her past. A doctor and a policeman are convinced that there is more to her condition than shock. They think she has information vital to the British war effort, and are prepared to use unorthodox methods to get that information.

WHODUNNIT: THE CALENDAR CONSPIRACY

7.45PM, RADIO 4 HHH Children born in the summer tend to do less well in exams. They are more likely to be bullied, have learning difficulties and be excluded from school. Michael Blastland investigates a statistical mystery. SJ