...AND THE BEST RADIO
SUNDAY WORDS & MUSIC: LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, RADIO 3, 5.30PM
At the darkest time of the year, Radio 3 explores the effect of light in art and across all cultures, from John Donne’s A Nocturnal Upon St Lucy’s Day (today is Lucia Day, the Scandinavian Christian festival) and the aurora borealis to Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights, plus music by Mahler, Arvo Pärt and Brian Eno.
MONDAY A PROMISED LAND RADIO 4, 9.45AM & 12.30AM, MON-FRI
The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, reads from his autobiography, A Promised Land – his journey to becoming the first African American to occupy the White House and his term in office. In the first episode we hear of the ‘fun’ of early campaigning, Hurricane Katrina and Michelle Obama’s (pictured with her husband) reservations about the campaign.
VILLAGE CHRISTMAS BY LAURIE LEE RADIO 4 EXTRA, 2PM
Laurie Lee is best known for Cider With Rosie, his evocative recalling of a Gloucestershire childhood after the First World War. Sir Derek Jacobi reads Village Christmas, which includes pieces discovered by Lee’s daughter Jessy, about his home village of Slad and a changing London in the 20th Century.
TUESDAY DRAMA: DOT AND THE RUSSIAN DOSSIER RADIO 4, 2.15PM
Ed Harris’s wartime comedy set in 1941 finds desk-bound Dot (Fenella Woolgar) leaving her job in the personnel department of Whitehall’s War Rooms to embark on a perilous mission involving espionage and double-crossing that could change the course of the war.
LIVING BRITISH RADIO 4, 4PM
As we embark on leaving the EU amid a pandemic, Adrian Chiles wonders how selfsufficient we are in the UK. For one week he attempts to eat, drink, dress and travel using only British products and services. Not so easy when so much of our food, clothing and vehicles come from abroad. Still, there’s always home-grown TV and music (even if we watch and listen on Chinese devices).
WEDNESDAY THE COLD SWEDISH WINTER RADIO 4, 11.30AM
The return of Danny Robins’s sitcom about a British stand-up comedian (Adam Riches) living in the tiny village of Yxsjö and featuring top Swedish comic actors. This series even tackles the Swedes’ unusual approach to the pandemic. Do check out the show’s tonguein-cheek video Why Sweden Is Better Than Britain (take note, Gavin Williamson).
SATURDAY GRAHAM NORTON RADIO 2, 10AM
There’ll no doubt be a few sniffles as Graham Norton departs his Saturday-morning slot after ten years. In his final show, he talks to Alan Davies about his brave memoir Just Ignore Him and to actor Tahar Rahim about TV series The Serpent (from New Year’s Day), plus he’ll dispense more wise words and advice in Grill Graham.