The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Review
On My Wavelength
This Cultural Life (Saturday, Radio 4, 7.15pm) is returning for a new series of John Wilson’s conversations with leading cultural figures. The first guest is Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale, who discusses her early experiences of writing and storytelling, growing up in rural Canada, the influence of her scientist parents, and the power of reading George Orwell.
The Reunion (Sunday, Radio 4, 11.15am) has a fabulous theme this week: the British record-breaking runners of the 1980s are reunited to relive their glory days. Kirsty Wark brings together Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram, Brendan Foster, David Moorcroft and head coach Frank Dick to discuss the secrets of their success.
Sunday’s a good day for radio. In Drama on 3: Kafka’s Dick (tomorrow, Radio 3, 8.30pm), Toby Jones stars as Franz Kafka – surely one of the most miserable writers of the 20th century – in Alan Bennett’s 1986 comedy, as he visits the suburban home of Sydney (Jason Watkins) and Linda (Fenella Woolgar). Kafka and his friend
Max Brod (Mark Heap) are back from the dead, with Kafka metamorphosing from a pet tortoise. Jim Broadbent and Don Warrington round out the cast.
Ken Bruce (Monday to Friday, Greatest Hits Radio, 10am) is back on the radio, having departed BBC Radio 2 a few weeks ago. His new daily show contains a playlist of favourite pop music from the 1970s to 1990s, as well as chat from the man himself. The PopMaster quiz is here too, of course, at 10.30am, so sharpen up that pop knowledge and make sure you’re on the ball for three in 10.
New Generation Thinkers is a scheme from BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council that chooses 10 early career academics each year to adapt their cutting-edge research for broadcast. In Free Thinking (Tuesday, Radio 3, 10pm), this year’s chosen academics are revealed and introduced in discussion with Christopher Harding. Some of their work is also presented all this week in
The Essay (Radio 3, Monday to Friday, 10.45pm).
Whenever The Young’uns are on the radio, it’s practically impossible not to stop whatever you’re doing and stand, transfixed by the power of their three earthy, gorgeously blended voices making thoroughly contemporary folk music about real people and unforgettable, complex human stories. So don’t miss The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe (Wednesday, Radio 2, 9pm), when they perform songs from their new album, Tiny Notes, a collection of songs that find hope and humanity in grief and despair.
As a spin-off, of sorts, from the Radio 4 series Sliced Bread, Toast (Thursday, Radio 4, 12.30pm) is a five-part series from business journalist Sean Farrington focusing on big ideas that seemed too good to be true, and were – ending in spectacular failure. Farrington asks: what did these ideas promise, why did people back them, and why did they fail?
And this year’s Good Friday Meditation (Friday, Radio 4, 3pm) weaves together music, Bible readings, poetry and interviews on the theme of wounded hands to lead us into Easter weekend.
It’s led by Lore Chumbley, a surgeon who has performed some of the most intricate operations on hands. When she began training for the priesthood, she became struck by the frequent presence of God’s hand in the Bible: “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” is written in Isaiah.