Programme Information

BBC Radio 1 presenter Huw Stephens

Join Huw Stephens for a two-hour variety box of Christmas classics and oddities, all from his own collection.

Producer/Laura Sayers

BBC Radio 1 Publicity

For the first time ever, comedian Alan Carr brings his popular Saturday night Going Out show to weekday BBC Radio 2. Alan and co-host Gaby Roslin dish out advice and a sympathetic ear on Christmas Eve, while advising on those all-important last-minute present-buying and preparation decisions.

And in addition to all of that, Alan plays tons of his favourite dance, pop and Christmas tracks as the countdown to the "big day" continues.

Presenters/Alan Carr and Gaby Roslin, Producer/Mark Hill

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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In his last-ever Drivetime before moving to BBC Radio 2's breakfast show in the New Year, Chris Evans presents All-Request Christmas Eve.

Presenter/Chris Evans, Producer/Helen Thomas

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Brass And Carols is hosted by poet, commentator and broadcaster Ian McMillan and features Christmas classics performed by the Black Dyke Band, Joe Stilgoe and The Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus.

Singer Stilgoe joins the band in Leroy Anderson's famous Sleigh Ride and also performs a new song of his own: Christmas Morning. The choir give the first performance of a new medley of Sheffield carols and the band and choir combine in a wonderful, traditional selection of Christmas music.

Presenter/Ian McMillan, Producer/Terry Carter

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Liza Tarbuck welcomes in Christmas Day with a look back at Christmas past, a selection of seasonal tunes and some favourite festive moments from the BBC Archives.

Presenter/Liza Tarbuck, Producer/Jessica Rickson

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

The BBC Philharmonic is conducted by Gianandrea Noseda in the composer's Creation, forming a highlight of BBC Radio 3's Haydn celebrations in 2009. The soloists are Kate Royal (soprano), Andrew Kennedy (tenor) and Neal Davies (bass-baritone).

Presenter/Catherine Bott, Producer/Tony Sellors

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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In Late Junction's Christmas Eve collaboration session, a trio of performers take listeners on a winter's journey through song, spoken word and percussion. Debs Newbold is a renowned storyteller and cabaret performer; Mary Hampton is a young folk singer from Brighton whose enchanting and often eerie folk singing mixes the traditional with the new; and percussionist and composer Dave Price is a member of the Nozferatu collective and works with Gecko physical theatre company.

Recorded at Maida Vale studios, the three performers, who have never before worked together, weave a rich aural tapestry of sounds, stories and songs. Each displaying their own speciality – and possibly venturing into areas unknown – they draw on traditional pagan winter stories and folk songs about the frosty season, adding new material and improvisations to create a unique Christmas Eve soundworld.

Presenter/Verity Sharp, Producer/Peter Meanwell

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

The Frost Collection Ep 1/6

Christmas Eve Thursday 24 December

11.30am-12.00noon BBC RADIO 4

Sir David Frost and guests discuss some of his favourite moments from television interviews he has conducted with the great, the good and the not-so-good, during 45 years as one of the world's best-known interviewers.

In this second series of reflections on the most memorable interviews of his long career, Sir David invites guests to discuss the issues raised by the interview extracts – many of which are poignant or prescient in light of what has happened since.

Since the mid Sixties, Sir David has interviewed many of the world's statesmen, leaders, entertainers and otherwise influential figures. He was perhaps the first interviewer of the television age to become as famous as the people he interviewed.

His series of filmed encounters with former President Richard Nixon, over 12 days in 1977, made worldwide news; they, and the events leading up to them, have recently been the subject of the Hollywood movie Frost/Nixon. But there are many other moments just as compelling in many dozens of interviews in the Frost archive.

The themed programmes in this series cover topics such as faith, Africa, women in power, wealth and poverty, and terrorism. Among the world leaders and public figures included in the programmes are Benazir Bhutto, Margaret Thatcher, George W Bush, Idi Amin, Indira Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Billy Graham, Desmond Tutu and Morgan Tsvangirai – with light relief provided by the likes of Bob Hope and Sir John Gielgud.

Presenter/Sir David Frost, Producer/Paul Bajoria

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Questions, Questions Ep 1/6

Christmas Eve Thursday 24 December

1.30-2.00pm BBC RADIO 4

Stewart Henderson returns with a new series of Questions, Questions – the programme which offers answers to those intriguing questions of everyday life, inspired by current events and popular culture.

Now in its 16th series, Questions, Questions has provided informed and ingenious answers to questions such as: how do you know when a volcano is extinct? When was the conventional heart icon first drawn? How do woodpeckers keep their beaks sharp? And why do we put pork with apple and lamb with mint sauce?

Each programme is compiled directly from BBC Radio 4's well-informed and inquisitive audience, which brings its collective brain to bear on these puzzlers every week.

Some recent enquiries that sparked particularly large responses included: what happened to all the wrought iron fencing that was collected during the Second World War? Is it possible to create one sound which completely cancels out another sound? And how was the direction of writing originally established?

The array of puzzlers tackled at the start of this series of Questions, Questions include: why were pigeons singled out to deliver letters? Is there still an energy surge when everyone turns on their ovens to cook the Christmas turkey? And who owns a magician's illusions?

Presenter/Stewart Henderson, Producer/Kevin Dawson

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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A Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols

Christmas Eve Thursday 24 December

3.00-4.30pm BBC RADIO 4

For many, the annual Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols marks the beginning of Christmas, having been broadcast live from the chapel since 1928, even during the Second World War. This year it is directed by Stephen Cleobury.

It opens with a solo chorister at King's College Chapel in Cambridge singing the first verse of Once In Royal David's City, broadcast to millions on both BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.

Each year the pattern of the scripture lessons is the same, beginning with the story of the fall of Adam in the book of Genesis and concluding with the Gospel of St John.

The programme features traditional favourite carols such as O Come All Ye Faithful and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. This year's programme also features a new commission from composer Gabriel Jackson – a setting of a GK Chesterton poem, The Christ Child – as well as One Star, At Last, by the Master of the Queen's Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. The choir also sings a number of arrangements by Sir David Willcocks, former Director of Music at King's, in honour of his 90th birthday on 30 December.

Producer/Philip Billson

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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The News At Bedtime Ep 1/7

Christmas Eve Thursday 24 December

6.15-6.30pm BBC RADIO 4

The News At Bedtime is the flagship news programme from a land far, far away – yet strangely close to home.

It is introduced by twin presenters John Tweedledum (Jack Dee) and Jim Tweedledee (Peter Capaldi), who argue and disagree with everyone – and sometimes each other.

The News At Bedtime addresses the zeitgeist issues of today and once upon a time; Humpty Dumpty's great fall, the worrying story of Jack and the Genetically Modified Beanstalk and the celebrity wedding of the owl to the pussycat, to name but three.

The style is deadpan, naturalistic, probing and just plain silly. In other words, it's the Today Programme, on magic beans.

Listeners are invited to join presenters John Tweedledum and Jim Tweedledee as they run through the big stories happening this "once upon a time". The programme also has roving reporters to give listeners live updates on events from the very, very beginning right to the happy ending.

As well as Jack Dee and Peter Capaldi, The News At Bedtime includes Chris Addison, Lucy Montgomery, Vicki Pepperdine, Dan Tetsell, Lewis MacLeod and Alex MacQueen. There are cameos from Brian Perkins, Fi Glover, Charlotte Green and Peter Donaldson. It is written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

The series is broadcast on 24, 25, 28, 29, 30 and 31 December, and 1 January.

Producer/Simon Nicholls

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Midnight Mass

Christmas Eve Thursday 24 December

11.30pm-12.45am BBC RADIO 4

Midnight Mass is broadcast live from Saint Anne's Cathedral, Leeds.

The celebrant and preacher is The Rt Revd Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds. The choir of Leeds Cathedral, under the direction of Benjamin Saunders, sings a wealth of carols, old and new, for the first Mass of Christmas; the setting is Mozart's joyful Missa brevis in C (KV 259) and the organist is Christopher McElroy.

Producer/Philip Billson

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

Annabel Croft goes back to the streets of London to try to track down a homeless man she befriended while filming the BBC One documentary Famous, Rich And Homeless, broadcast earlier this year.

Unable to forget his tragic tale, Annabel tracks down James Brodie, who she met when sleeping rough on the streets of London, in this poignant follow-up. Off the streets and in rehab for his alcohol addiction, James is reunited with Annabel, who wants to help him get his life back on track.

This is the story of Annabel and James's emotional journey, which started on the streets of London but takes them to some surprising places as Annabel tries to help James beat his addiction.

Presenter/Annabel Croft, Producer/Elliot Reed

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

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Philip Studd has the latest sports news and is joined by special guests for The Headline Hour, discussing the latest big sports issues making the news.

From 8pm Matt Dawson presents The 5 Live Sport Review Of The Year. Matt and his guests review the year's big sporting stories, including Manchester United's 18th Premier League title, another dramatic men's Wimbledon final, Tom Watson's near miss in the Open and an exciting Ashes victory for England.

At 10pm Colin Murray is joined by Tim Lovejoy for Murray And Lovejoy's Sports Express. Colin and Tim take a quick-fire look at the current burning sporting issues of 2009 in a show that is also available as a podcast to download at bbc.co.uk/5live.

Presenter/Philip Studd

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

Lauren Laverne looks back on her year at BBC 6 Music, including a re-run of her extraordinary interview with metal legends Spinal Tap at Glastonbury 2009.

Presenter/Lauren Laverne, Producer/Gary Bales

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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BBC 6 Music presenters Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish

Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish present the highlights from their Saturday morning BBC 6 Music show, featuring their take on the Glastonbury Festival, MPs' expenses and the BBC's Points Of View and The Archers shows. Plus there's the best of the listener contributions to Text The Nation.

Presenters/Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish, Producer/James Stirling

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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There's a Christmas present for music fans tonight with another chance to hear Steve Lamacq's interview with "The Boss" himself – Bruce Springsteen. Recorded just before Bruce's headlining performance at this year's Glastonbury festival, the rock legend talks to Steve about his influence on music today, the second golden age of the E-Street Band and the prospect of playing in the rain in a field in Somerset.

Presenter/Steve Lamacq, Producer/Mark Hagan

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Guy Garvey, Elbow singer and BBC 6 Music presenter, explores the development of the musical encore – from the spontaneous demand for a repeat performance to the predictable delivery of a closing party piece – in a programme first broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Speaking to fellow performers and hearing from historians, Guy discovers how the encore has progressed over time. In the 17th and 18th centuries, orchestras would be applauded after each movement of a symphony, often repeating the most popular movements a number of times before moving on to the rest of the concert. The demands for more seemed to be spontaneous and unexpected.

Nowadays most encores are saved for the end of an evening and they are rarely, if ever, a repeat of what has been heard before. It could be said that they lack spontaneity or surprise.

Guy investigates how acts choose their encores, whether there is an art to the correct encore and if there are any artists trying to breathe new life into the practice.

Presenter/Guy Garvey, Producer/Ian Bent

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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DJ and 6 Mix resident Andrew Weatherall presents three of the best mix sets broadcast on the 6 Mix during 2009.

Belgium DJ duo 2 Many DJs go Back To Chicago for an hour of body-jacking acid house classics, first broadcast in July 2009.

Phil Hartnoll from Orbital then digs deep into the crates for an old skool electro mix featuring Kid Frost, Afrika Bambaataa and Roxanne Shante, originally aired in August this year.

Finally, Detroit legend Derrick May provides a final hour of up-tempo house classics from Hamilton Bohannon, Lil' Louis and KC Flight alongside new music direct from Michigan-based Greg Gow, in his seminal, rare club set broadcast in July 2009.

Presenter/Andrew Weatherall, Producer/Rowan Collinson

BBC 6 Music Publicity

Zak is on the train to Silverhill and phones Nadia, but she sounds strangely depressed and confused, in the latest visit to Silver Street. A worried Zak asks Imran to check on her but when Imran arrives there is no answer.

In London, Kuljit and Sway are arguing again when they are interrupted by Sway's phone ringing. Sway takes the call and then returns, saying something terrible has happened and he needs to get back to Silverhill...

Zak is played by Jetinder Summan, Nadia by Sohm Kapila, Imran by Narinder Samra, Kuljit by Sartaj Garewal and Sway by Nicholas Bailey.

BBC Asian Network Publicity