The Art of the Lyricist

Clarke Peters explores the art of the musical theatre lyricist.

• 60 mins

Optimism - Our Enemy

Proud pessimist Bryan Appleyard investigates the contemporary cult of optimism.

• 58 mins

The Unabomber

How a reclusive maths prodigy terrorised America - and how the media amplified his cause.

• 58 mins

Working Class Heroes and Poverty Porn

How the portrayal of the working class and poor in film and TV has changed over 70 years.

• 58 mins

Rising Voices

Fergal Keane explores the cultural landscape of the 1916 Easter Rising.

• 58 mins

Tennant Looks Back At Osborne

David Tennant explores the back story to Osborne's revolutionary play Look Back in Anger.

• 57 mins

Return to Subtopia

Gillian Darley explores "Subtopia", the blurring of space between town and country

• 60 mins

The Camera Never Lies

Bafta award-winning film-maker Molly Dineen examines the concept of truth in documentary.

• 58 mins

A Guide to the Modern Snob

Writer DJ Taylor creates a user's guide to the snob for the 21st century.

• 58 mins

The Bomb That Made Manchester?

Michael Symmons Roberts examines the myth that the 1996 bomb heralded Manchester's rebirth

• 58 mins

Gillian Reynolds: Audiophile

Critic and broadcaster Gillian Reynolds celebrates 50 years’ professional radio listening.

• 60 mins

Pevsner: Through Outsider's Eyes

Tom Dyckhoff goes in search of Nikolaus Pevsner.

• 57 mins

Roald Dahl: In His Own Words

Roald Dahl tells his own story in his own words with the help of his granddaughter Sophie.

• 58 mins

The Heath Enigma

On Edward Heath's centenary, Shaun Ley reassesses the enigmatic former prime minister.

• 58 mins

The League of Extraordinary Housewives

A history of the housewife since 1945, which explores her shifting power and politics.

• 57 mins

The Norma Percy Tapes

An archive of the most powerful people, shaping the monumental events of modern history.

• 60 mins

Lenny Bruce - In His Own, Unheard, Words

Fifty years since Lenny Bruce died, Mark Steel explores his legacy in the 21st century.

• 58 mins

Tolkien: The Lost Recordings

Joss Ackland narrates a search through BBC archives for unheard gems from JRR Tolkien.

• 60 mins

Dimbleby on Dimbleby

Jonathan Dimbleby tells the story of his legendary broadcaster father, Richard Dimbleby.

• 58 mins

Star Trek - The Undiscovered Future

Kevin Fong boldly goes in search of Star Trek's 50-year-old vision of the future.

• 60 mins

Period Drama Politics

Steven Fielding on relations between upstairs and downstairs in dramas like Downton Abbey.

• 60 mins

Don't Be Rude on the Road

Alan Dein takes a breakneck tour through the history of the public information film.

• 58 mins

The Villain in 6 Chapters

Toby Jones celebrates the mercurial world of the villain.

• 57 mins

Radio Dada

Alexei Sayle on the cultural impact of the Dada movement, 100 years since it was founded.

• 57 mins

The Black Panthers

The rise and fall of the Black Panther Party and its legacy for American black insurgency.

• 57 mins

Song of the Singer Sewing Machine

The Singer sewing machine has whirred its way through history as Maria Margaronis unravels

• 60 mins

A Natural History of the Banker

Andrew Ross Sorkin traces the reputation of UK and USA bankers through history.

• 58 mins

Speaking in Public: Archive on 4 Goes Live!

David Bramwell sets out to prove that anyone can be a good public speaker.

• 58 mins

No Platform

Andrew Hussey on the history of the 'no platform' debates raging on university campuses.

• 60 mins

Being Bored: The Importance Of Doing Nothing

Phill Jupitus explores the importance of being bored.

• 58 mins