The Rise And Fall Of The Smiths

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS (320kbs-m4a/344mb/2hrs26mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

There are bands who split and reunite so often it stops meaning anything. And then there's The Smiths. Five years. Four albums. A string of hits that still sound like nothing else. And a break-up, in 1987, that's still raw forty years on.

If you're enjoying this series of The Rise & Fall podcast, there are loads of other gripping music stories to immerse yourself in, focusing on Britpop, Madchester, Indie Sleaze, Sex Pistols and Oasis. Just search 'rise and fall' in BBC Sounds, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Sounds. Produced by Tom Pooley with original music and sound design by Coach Conrad. The Commissioner was Will Wilkin, and the Commissioning Producers were Hannah Clapham and Jon Hillcock.

The full series is available exclusively on BBC Sounds.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 0. TRAILER (320kbs-m4a/3mb/1min)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

Presented by Steve Lamacq and Elizabeth Alker and built entirely from the BBC archive, this eight-part series goes back to the very beginning: a restless teenager from Stretford, a guitarist from Wythenshawe with a cassette under his arm, and the five extraordinary years that followed.
How did it all go so right? And how did it go so wrong?

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 1. IT'S TIME THE TALE WERE TOLD (320kbs-m4a/36mb/15mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

For nearly four decades, one question has followed The Smiths: why won't they get back together? Steve Lamacq and Elizabeth Alker set out to find answers, starting at the very beginning.

Before the anthems and the adulation, there was a restless, isolated teenager from Stretford who haunted Factory Records gigs with a notepad, lost himself in Oscar Wilde and kitchen-sink cinema, and harboured one apparently impossible ambition: becoming a pop star.

Almost everyone who knew him thought it was a fantasy. Drawing on archive interviews with Morrissey himself, Steve and Elizabeth tell the story of the man before the myth.

The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again [Rhino]
The Smiths - Panic [Rhino]
The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out [Rhino]
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead [Rhino]
Shawn Lee - Four Beat [Pedigree Cuts]
The Marvelettes - Paper Boy [Motown]
Sex Pistols - EMI (UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)]
New York Dolls - Looking For A Kiss {Cherry Red]

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 2. HAND IN GLOVE (320kbs-m4a/38mb/16mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

In May 1982, a young guitarist with ambitions to form his very own Mancunian Rolling Stones found himself on a bus to Stretford, cassette in hand, and a hunch about the right frontman.

Johnny Marr and Morrissey seemed like opposites. But they had Irish roots, Manchester streets, a love of 60s pop, and an unstoppable sense of purpose in common. From that first afternoon bonding over records, the chemistry was instant.

Then came a drummer on mushrooms, a bass player dragged in from a lumber yard, and the band's first unforgettable gig, with a go-go dancer thrown in for good measure.

The Smiths - You've Got Everything Now [Rhino]
Chic - I Want Your Love [Rhino Atlantic]
Bert Jansch - Finches [Ace]
Iggy & The Stooges - Search And Destroy [Revenge]
The Marvelettes - You're The One [Motown]
Buzzcocks - What Do I Get (Live) [Castle Communications]
Stanley Clarke - School Days [Epic]
The Smiths - Handsome Devil [Rhino]
The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make? [Rhino]

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 3. YOU’VE GOT EVERYTHING NOW (320kbs-m4a/45mb/19mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

24 November 1983: The Smiths take the stage on Top of the Pops, and everything changes.

In just four relentless years, the band scored hit after hit, filled venues the length and breadth of the country, and inspired a devotion that bordered on the religious, fans storming the stage at every turn.

But for all the euphoria, the pace was punishing. The cracks were already beginning to show.

The archive tells the story of The Smiths at the height of their powers.

The Smiths - This Charming Man [Rhino]
Paul Young - Love Of The Common People [Sony BMG]
The Smiths - Panic [Rhino]
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (Live In London, 1986) [Rhino]
The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now [Rhino]
The Smiths - William, It Was Really Nothing [Rhino]
The Smiths - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want [Rhino]
The Smiths - How Soon Is Now [Rhino]

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 4. THIS NIGHT HAS OPENED MY EYES (320kbs-m4a/39mb/16mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

New Year's Eve 1983: The Smiths take the stage in New York for their American debut. The band are barely in their twenties. Their manager is nowhere to be found. Someone falls off the stage. Welcome to America.

As the touring schedule grew ever more relentless, so did the excess. And as the rest of the band embraced the rock and roll lifestyle on the road, the distance between them and Morrissey quietly grew.

Meanwhile, bassist Andy Rourke was battling a personal crisis that had followed him since his teens - one that would eventually cost him his place in the band.

The hedonism, the chaos, and the fractures begin to tear at the fabric of the Smiths.

The Smiths - This Night Has Opened My Eyes [Rhino]
The Smiths - Still Ill [Rhino]
The Smiths - Miserable Lie [Rhino]
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead [Rhino]

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 5. MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING (320kbs-m4a/46mb/19mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

How do you find a record deal? Grab a label boss by the sleeve in a loading bay, as a teenage Johnny Marr discovered.

This episode tells the story of The Smiths' first manager, Manchester trouser-shop owner Joe Moss, and the signing of a Rough Trade deal that helped birth British indie as we know it. But when only two names ended up on the contract, and a verbal understanding about money was never put in writing, the seeds of a far longer drama were sown.

Archive testimony from the band and their inner circle unpicks the business decisions behind the music, and asks why things went so badly wrong.

Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You [Red Cab]
Iggy & The Stooges - Gimme Danger [MVD Audio]
The Smiths - Hand In Glove [Rhino]
The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make? [Rhino]
The Smiths - How Soon Is Now [Rhino]

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 6. BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN (320kbs-m4a/50mb/21mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

No one could accuse Morrissey of playing it safe. Two early singles drew headlines for deeply sensitive reasons. A comment about the Brighton bombing left Fleet Street incandescent. And then there was Meat Is Murder: the album that shot to number one.

But as the tabloids obsessed over every word, a very different tension was building behind the scenes. One that archive testimony from the band and their inner circle reveals in remarkable detail.

The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again [Rhino]
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder [Rhino]
The Smiths - The Headmaster Ritual [Rhino]
The Smiths - Reel Around The Fountain [Rhino]
The Smiths - Suffer Little Children [Rhino]
The Smiths - Panic [Rhino]
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead [Rhino]
The Smiths - I Won't Share You [Rhino]

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 7. I KNOW IT'S OVER (320kbs-m4a/41mb/17mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

They were recording what would turn out to be their final album, and by all accounts Strangeways, Here We Come was going remarkably well. Laughter, in-jokes, and some of the best music The Smiths ever made.

But beneath the surface, Johnny Marr had reached his limit. Five relentless years without a holiday, without a proper manager, and without any resolution to the tensions quietly pulling the band apart. Something had to give.

Spring 1987: the four of them sit down in a fish and chip shop in Notting Hill, and Johnny drops a bombshell.

The story of The Smiths' break-up, in the words of the band and the people who watched it unfold.

The Smiths - I Know It's Over [Rhino]
The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me [Rhino]
The Beach Boys - Barbara Ann [Capitol]
The Smiths - A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours [Rhino]
Cilla Black - Work Is A Four Letter Word [Parlophone]
The Smiths - I Keep Mine Hidden [Rhino]

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SMITHS - 8. A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT (320kbs-m4a/47mb/20mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 5th July 2026

The band was over. But the drama wasn't. In the years after The Smiths split, the financial fallout left some members struggling. Eventually, the four of them found themselves reunited, not on stage, but in a London courtroom.

Joyce versus Morrissey and Others.

This final episode traces the aftermath: the court case that divided old friends, the careers that followed, the glimmer of a reunion that never quite materialised, and the death of beloved bass player Andy Rourke in 2023.

Through archive testimony and the words of the band themselves, Steve and Elizabeth ask: what is the true legacy of The Smiths? And is there any chance, even now, that the story isn't quite over yet?

The Smiths - How Soon Is Now [Rhino]
Morrissey - Suedehead [Parlophone]
Talking Heads - (Nothing But) Flowers [Parlophone]
Pretenders - Don't Get Me Wrong [Rhino/Warner]
The The - The Beat(en) Generation [earMUSIC]
Electronic - Getting Away With It [Parlophone]
The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out [Rhino]

"Right", Said Ted And Myles

"RIGHT", SAID TED AND MYLES (320kbs-m4a/63mb/27mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 8th July 2026

***** English songwriter Myles Rudge joins 4 Extra's 100 CLUB - born 8th July 1926. He died in 2007 aged 81

Philip Glassborrow talks to Myles Rudge and Ted Dicks about their classic comic records like 'Hole In The Ground' and 'Right Said Fred'.

Featuring:

Bernard Cribbins
Sir George Martin

Producer: Beaty Rubens

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2004.

Legend: The Miles Davis Story

LEGEND: THE MILES DAVIS STORY (320kbs-m4a/329mb/2hrs22mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 15th May to 20th June 2026

Across the series, Clarke charts Miles's ever-evolving artform, starting with this first great transformation of a legend - when the young Miles chose to step into the unknown, seize control of his own creative destiny, and begin his journey as a leader.

Narrator, acclaimed actor and longtime fan, Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme, Da 5 Bloods) reveals the restless genius and radical evolution of Miles Davis. Growing up in a New York household where his father's jazz records were the permanent soundtrack, Clarke was captivated by Miles long before he fully appreciated the man behind the music. Across five episodes, Clarke traces a 50 year odyssey of constant reinvention - from a teenage outsider chasing the bebop revolution in 1944 to a global icon who redefined what it meant to be Black, to be cool, and to be an artist.

Blending archival recordings and legendary tracks with fresh perspectives from a range of creators, the series reveals how Miles' influence ripples far beyond the world of jazz. We discover how his "take no shit" attitude and aesthetic fearlessness impacted on the likes of Oscar-winning filmmakers, celebrated designers and music icons like Prince, Joni Mitchell, Sting and even bands like Radiohead, as well as generations of now also legendary jazz musicians that he championed early in their careers - John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Keith Jarrett and Marcus Miller, to name a few.

The series also grapples with the darker side of Miles' legacy, including the domestic abuse that left a trail of pain for those closest to him and the substance issues that took a deep toll on his health. It asks difficult questions about how to regard an artist capable of creating the most sublime aesthetic statements while engaging in brutal behaviour.

Clarke Peters, whose own creative journey as an actor was sparked by Miles's music, leads a searching investigation into a man who refused to be palatable, refused to be a "legend", and simply refused to stop moving forward.

Presenter: Clarke Peters
Series Producer: Clem Hitchcock
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Production Manager: Emily Duffy
Music Consultant: Guy Barker
Additional Music: Guy Barker
Archivist: Simon Rooks
Script Consultant: Anne Harbin
Technical Production and Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby
Commissioning Editors for the BBC: Dan Clarke and Matthew Dodd
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

LEGEND: THE MILES DAVIS STORY - 0. TRAILER (320kbs-m4a/6mb/3mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 15th May 2026

Trumpeter Miles Davis didn't just change jazz; he redefined the sound of the 20th century. But that constant reinvention came at a price. Clarke Peters explores a visionary artist, to reveal the man behind the legend: a complicated genius whose relentless pursuit of the "new" often scorched his own life and the lives of those around him.

LEGEND: THE MILES DAVIS STORY - 1. DON'T CALL ME LEGEND (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 23rd May 2026

Clarke Peters explores the life and legacy of a visionary artist whose relentless pursuit of the "new" often scorched his own life and the lives of those around him.

In September 1944, an 18-year-old Miles Davis arrives in New York with a trumpet in his hand and a secret mission. He may have first arrived in New York to take up a place at the prestigious Juilliard School, but in reality Miles was actually patrolling the smoke-filled jazz clubs of 52nd Street, chasing the high-speed sounds of his bebop heroes, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

Miles Davis Interview: From Jazz Talking by Ben Sidran, 1986.
The Arsenio Hall Show, Paramount, originally broadcast in 1989.
60 Minutes, CBS News. Originally broadcast in 1989

Featured tracks (in order of appearance)
"So What" – Miles Davis
"Blue in Green" – Miles Davis (feat. John Coltrane & Bill Evans)
"Bitches Brew" – Miles Davis
"Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" - MIles Davis
"Agitation" – Miles Davis
"Flamenco Sketches" – Miles Davis & Bill Evans
"Ko Ko" – Charlie Parker
"Salt Peanuts" – Dizzy Gillespie
"Jivin with Jack the Bellboy" - Miles Davis
"Move" - Miles Davis
"Moon Dreams" - Miles Davis
"Boplicity" - Miles Davis

LEGEND: THE MILES DAVIS STORY - 2. BACK OFF THE ROPES (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 30th May 2026

Clarke Peters explores a period when Miles Davis, the "King of Cool", was nearly knocked out for good.

By the early 1950s, Miles had hit rock bottom - scraped off a Manhattan gutter by a friend and forced to pawn his trumpet to fund a heroin habit that had swallowed his career and his reputation. Clarke follows Miles on a desperate, 20-hour bus ride back to his father's farm, where he would face his greatest demon in a brutal, solitary fight for his life. We discover how Miles used the grit and physical discipline of his boxing idols, Jack Johnson and Sugar Ray Robinson, to survive a "cold turkey" recovery and find a radical new way to play. Using a Harmon mute to create a dark, aching, and intensely intimate sound that would become his signature, Miles began a high-stakes hustle to reclaim his throne.

From the shame of a prison cell to a last-chance appearance at a major jazz festival, this is the story of a legendary artist fighting his way back from the brink to see if the world was still listening.

Featured tracks (in order of appearance)
"Right Off" - Miles Davis
"Yesternow" - Miles Davis
"Blue n Boogie" - Miles Davis
"Walkin" - Miles Davis
"Love me or Leave me" Rudy van Gelder (featuring Miles Davis)
"it Never Entered my Mind" - MIles Davis
"Oleo" - MIles Davis
"Round Midnight" - Thelonius Monk (featuring Miles Davis)
"So What" - Miles Davis

Jack Johnson, directed by Jim Jacobs, The Big Fights Inc. 1970
Clark Terry from BBC Jazz File, Miles Davis at 80, 2001

LEGEND: THE MILES DAVIS STORY - 3. MILES IN BLUE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 6th June 2026

Clarke Peters explores what many consider the apex of Miles Davis's career: 1959, the year of Kind of Blue.

It was a time of tailored suits, fast cars, and a radical new sound that redefined the 20th-century idea of cool. Clarke takes us inside the legendary Columbia studio to witness the birth of the best-selling jazz album of all time - a recording session where Miles' scrawled notes transformed the genre forever. But beneath the surface of this "sublime" era, Miles' life didn't always run as smooth as his music.

Clarke explores the uncomfortable collision of professional triumph and personal volatility, as his relationship with his soon to be wife, dancer Frances Taylor, was tested by the same uncompromising drive that fuelled his art. The episode reaches a pivotal climax just days after the album's release. Despite his global stardom, a brutal encounter with the police outside a New York club served as a savage reminder that, for a Black man in 1959 America, the "cool" was never a shield from social reality.

Tracks featured:
"There is no Greater Love" - Miles Davis Quintet
"Squeeze Me" - Miles Davis Quintet
"How am I to Know" - Miles Davis Quintet
"Ah Lei Che" - MIles Davis Quintet
"Freddie Freeloader" - MIles Davis Quintet
"So what" - Miles Davis
"All Blues" - Miles Davis
"Flamenco Sketches" - Miles Davis and Bill Evans
"Blue in Green" - Miles Davis and Bill Evans
"Bitches Brew" - Miles Davis
"Pharoes Dance" - Miles Davis

Frances Taylor from BBC Jazz File: Miles Davis at 80, 2001
Jimmy Cobb from interview with Mike Lanchin, 2014

LEGEND: THE MILES DAVIS STORY - 4. BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 13th June 2026

Clarke Peters explores a period of radical disruption as Miles Davis, the King of Cool, sets his legacy on fire.

By the late 1960s, the jazz world had become too safe, and Miles felt the heat of his "blue flame" inviting him toward the unknown once again. Inspired by the raw energy of Jimi Hendrix and the psychedelic funk of Sly Stone, Miles plugged in his horn, traded his Italian suits for leather trousers, and entered his most controversial era - the "Prince of Darkness".

Clarke investigates the high-stakes gamble behind the 1970 masterpiece Bitches Brew, an album that jazz purists initially dismissed as a "cacophonic mess" that would kill his career. Yet, while the establishment recoiled, Miles was busy inventing the future - laying the DNA for everything from rock to hip-hop. This was a time of extreme creative hunger and personal chaos, marked by a mysterious shooting in Brooklyn and a reckless life in the fast lane that eventually took a heavy physical toll.

From the studio to the massive stage at the Isle of Wight, Clarke reveals how Miles' refusal to stand still, changed the sound of the 20th century yet again.

Tracks featured:
"Trevere" - Miles Davis
"Milestones" - MIles Davis
"Iris" - Wayne Shorter
"Stella By Starlight" - Victor Young
"In a Silent Way" - Joe Zawinul
"Bitches Brew" - Miles Davis
"Pharoah's Dance" - Bennie Maupin
"John McLaughlin" - Miles Davis
"Sanctuary" - Wayne Shorter
"Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" - MIles Davis
"It's about that Time" - Joe Zawinul
"Right Off" - MIles Davis
"Yesternow" - MIles Davis
"Directions" - MIles Davis

LEGEND: THE MILES DAVIS STORY - 5. LOST AND FOUND (320kbs-m4a/66mb/29mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 20th June 2026

Clarke Peters concludes the series exploring Miles Davis's final decade. After nearly five years of reclusive silence, Miles emerges from his New York brownstone, determined to channel a new generation of musicians to spark his final reinvention of jazz. Miles is back! News of the comeback ignites the media, and packed audiences, from rock royalty to his old jazz associates, flock to his early gigs, left reeling as Miles boldly pushes the genre squarely into the electronic age.

Through albums like The Man with the Horn and the Grammy-winning Tutu, Miles and his visionary key collaborator, Marcus Miller, stubbornly defy the critics to forge a triumphant new legacy. Along the way, he crosses paths with Prince, while his late-career sonic experiments deeply inspire a burgeoning generation of hip-hop artists.

But It wasn't just the music that was rejuvenated. With the fierce support of his wife, actress Cicely Tyson, Miles battles back from the severe physical pain and exhausting excesses of the 1970s to clean up his lifestyle. Yet, as his fragile body is pushed to its absolute limits, a lingering question remains - how much longer can his flame burn? Before the final curtain falls, a man who spent a lifetime refusing to retrace his steps prepares one last, profound twist - a closing gesture that forces him to look back and finally embrace the very past he spent decades running from.

Tracks featured:
"Zimbabwe" - Miles Davis
"Gondwana" - Miles Davis
"Shout" - Miles Davis
"The Man with the Horn" - MIles Davis
"Ursula" - Miles Davis
"Fast Track" - Miles Davis
"My Man's Gone Now" - George and Ira Gerswhin, feat. Miles Davis
"Time After Time" - Cyndi Lauper feat. Miles Davis
"Tutu" - Marcus Miller feat. Miles Davis
"Portia" - Marcus Miller feat. Miles Davis
"Full Nelson" - Marcus Miller feat. Miles Davis
"I believe" - Courtney Pine
"Can I Kick It?" - A Tribe Called Quest/Lou Reed
"Airbag" - Radiohead
"Boplicity" - Miles Davis
"It Never Entered my Mind" - Rogers and Hart feat. Miles Davis
"My Funny Valentine" - Rogers and Hart feat. Miles Davis

John McLaughlin, Bill Evans and Marcus Miller from BBC Jazz File with Ian Carr, 2001.
Miles Davis from Talking Jazz with Ben Sidran, 1986
Q Tip from Red Bull Academy, 2013
Jonny Greenwood from The Adam Buxton podcast, 2016

Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story

LEGEND: THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY (320kbs-m4a/316mb/2hrs16mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 6th October to 8th November 2025

"I'm here tonight to provide proof of life to that ever elusive, never completely believable, particularly these days, us. That's my magic trick."

In Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, we uncover the magic trick to discover how a scrawny, long-haired introvert from small-town New Jersey became the iconic, muscular, and oft-misunderstood rock star of the 1980s, to the eloquent elder statesmen he is now. What can his story tell us about America today?

In each episode, Laura takes us to the front row of a live performance that reveals a different side of The Boss, and hears him across the decades in his own words from the archive. We'll also hear from fellow worshippers in the Church of Springsteen and disciples from the E Street Band, including drummer Max Weinberg, tributes from those influenced by Bruce, such as Bryce Dessner from The National, as well as Freehold town historian Kevin Coyne and music critics and biographers such as Richard Williams, Eric Alterman, Steven Hyden, Warren Zanes and Diane H. Winston.

The Bruce Springsteen Story comes from the production team behind BBC Radio 4's award-winning Joni Mitchell Story, and the podcast Soul Music – "...the gold standard for music podcasts..." (Esquire).

Producers: Eliza Lomas and Mair Bosworth
Sound Design and Original Music: Hannis Brown
Series Developer: Mair Bosworth
Production Coordinator: Stuart Laws
Additional Research: Sarah Goodman
Series Editor: Emma Harding
Commissioning Editors: Daniel Clarke and Matthew Dodd

LEGEND: THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY - 0. TRAILER (320kbs-m4a/5mb/2mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 6th October 2025

How did the greats become the greats? And what did it cost them to get there? Legend is the award-winning music biography series from BBC Radio 4 exploring the lives of pioneering artists who shaped modern music.

In Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, we discover how a scrawny, long-haired introvert from New Jersey became the iconic, muscular – and oft-misunderstood – rock star of the 1980s, and ultimately the eloquent elder statesmen he is now. What does his story reveal about America today?

Across the series, Laura Barton takes a front-row seat at five key gigs which illuminate a different side of The Boss. She travels to Asbury Park in 1971 to hear how teenage Bruce began to learn his magic trick at The Upstage Club. She hears about his nerve-wracking London Hammersmith gig in 1975, the electrifying final night of the Born in the U.S.A tour in 1985, and his emotional homecoming show at St Rose of Lima school gym in 1996. Lastly, Laura heads to Milan to witness the final concert of his 2025 Land of Hope and Dreams tour.

Featuring Bruce in his own words across the decades, alongside voices from the E Street Band, devoted fans, biographers, and critics.

LEGEND: THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY - 1. MY HOMETOWN (320kbs-m4a/55mb/24mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 11th October 2025

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend.

Bruce's story begins in the small factory town of Freehold, New Jersey. His father, Douglas, is distant. The love from his Grandmother Alice is fierce. His life changes forever when he hears Elvis and The Beatles, and learns the guitar.

Laura travels to 23rd January, 1971. Bruce is 21 years old. This wiry figure with long curly hair takes the mic at the Upstage Club, Asbury Park. There is a vast distance between this scruffy boardwalk town venue and the stadiums he will one day fill, but Springsteen has a plan. Off stage, Bruce is a shy and introverted teenager. But when he plays, the transformation is startling. People liken it to Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk. This is where he finds his congregation - his vision of community forms here.

LEGEND: THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY - 2. BORN TO RUN (320kbs-m4a/65mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 18th October 2025

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend.

Bruce's story continues in Asbury Park, New Jersey, where he's living above a beauty parlour, broke, writing songs amongst the hairdryers. It's here he writes his first album, Greetings From Asbury Park. And in 1975, when New York is in turmoil and America in crisis, Springsteen releases his landmark album, Born To Run. This launches him to stardom.

London Hammersmith, 1975. Bruce's wildest dreams come true when the opportunity comes to perform in the home country of his greatest musical heros. But what follows is far from the Springsteen shows of exuberant legend. And this newfound fame soon comes to replace Freehold, New Jersey, as the town he wants to flee.

LEGEND: THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY - 3. BORN IN THE USA (320kbs-m4a/65mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 25th October 2025

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend.

Bruce's story continues in rural Holmdel, New Jersey, alone with a four-track tape recorder. He goes back into his childhood, drives the streets of his early years, searching for answers. Looking for meaning. The seminal album, Nebraska, is what comes out.

What happens next is an unravelling. And then a rebuilding. The Bruce who returns is unrecognisable. "He's got muscles now. Does that mean we have to get muscles now?!" - Warren Zanes. The album Born In The USA, with the anthemic album track and hit single Dancing In The Dark, takes Bruce stratospheric.

In October, 1985, after two years and 156 shows, the Born In The USA tour comes to a close at the Coliseum Los Angeles. Four sold out nights of 80,000 people. The final night is one of melancholy and of joy. And a foreboding of change to come.

LEGEND: THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY - 4. THE PROMISE (320kbs-m4a/65mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 1st November 2025

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend.

Bruce is living in Hollywood, L.A, making music without his long-time bandmates. It's a time of Bruce being far away from his roots - and from some of his most loyal fans. But a homecoming concert in his school gym in Freehold, New Jersey marks a turning point.

LEGEND: THE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STORY - 5. THE LAND OF HOPE AND DREAMS (320kbs-m4a/65mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 8th November 2025

How did Bruce become The Boss, and what did it cost him to get there? Laura Barton explores the extraordinary life story of Bruce Springsteen, taking a front-row seat at five important gigs to reveal the life behind the legend.

In our final chapter, we trace Bruce's journey to his latest tour - The Land of Hope and Dreams - where he speaks out on stage against the President of the United States. How did Bruce become the kind of artist who wears his politics so openly? And what impact has this had on his fan base?

Laura travels to Milan in the heat of July for the last stop on the tour at San Siro Stadium, where she meets fans who've journeyed from around the world to witness this moment.

The Rise And Fall Of Madchester

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER (320kbs-m4a/393mb/2hrs48mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

How Manchester started to rebuild itself through a new sound. Presented by Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell.

A BBC Audio Production.

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 1. WILDERNESS (320kbs-m4a/43mb/18mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

Manchester in the late 1970s is a city in retreat. Industry is collapsing and jobs are disappearing. Whole neighbourhoods feel abandoned. Out of that stillness comes a stark, unsettling new sound. Joy Division capture the mood of a city that has lost its rhythm. Their music is tense, mechanical and unflinching. When Ian Curtis dies in May 1980, just as the band stand on the brink of America, it feels like the end of something fragile and important. A month later, Love Will Tear Us Apart is released. But this story does not end there.

Tony Wilson, television presenter and cultural instigator, has already opened a club night called The Factory. Within two years, the surviving members of Joy Division return as New Order and take a huge gamble to open a cavernous nightclub by the canal. On opening night at The Haçienda, a white grand piano sits in the middle of a vast, echoing room. Almost nobody dances.

Episode 1 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester tells the story of how a broken industrial city began to rebuild itself through sound. From the Russell Club in Hulme to the birth of Factory Records, from the stark poetry of Joy Division to the uncertain promise of the Haçienda, this is where Manchester finds a room… and the faintest hint of a new pulse.

Featuring archive interviews from Tony Wilson, Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner, Ian Curtis and Stephen Morris and a new interview with Mike Pickering.

The Stone Roses - Love Spreads [Silvertone]
Happy Mondays - W.F.L. (Vince Clarke Remix) [London]
The Stone Roses - Fools Gold [Silvertone]
Happy Mondays - Hallelujah [Factory]
Happy Mondays - Step On [EMI]
Buzzcocks - Boredom [Cherry Red]
Joy Division - Transmission (The Factory, Manchester 1980) [London]
Joy Division - Digital [Rhino]
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart [Virgin]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 2. MOVEMENT (320kbs-m4a/51mb/22mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

Manchester finds its rhythm. From the birth of Blue Monday to the reinvention of the Haçienda.

March 1983. New Order take to the stage on Top of the Pops to perform their new single, Blue Monday. The machines misfire, the sequencer slips and Bernard Sumner glances upwards as if waiting for help that never comes. On national television, it looks like chaos. Within weeks, Blue Monday becomes the biggest selling 12 inch single in British history. Inside the Haçienda, the early nights are sparse and uncertain. The building is vast, expensive and half empty. Almost nobody dances. But beyond Manchester, in the clubs of Chicago and New York, a new sound is transforming dance floors into places of collective release. That pulse begins travelling across the Atlantic, carried by DJs, white labels and restless curiosity.

As house music seeps into Hulme community centres and Moss Side blues parties before reaching the city centre, the rules begin to change. Door policies loosen. Guitars make room for groove.

Episode 2 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester charts the moment Manchester finds its rhythm. From the uneasy birth of Blue Monday to the early reinvention of the Haçienda, this is the story of how a city that had stood still began, tentatively at first, to move.

Featuring archive interviews from Bernard Sumner, Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Shaun Ryder, Ian Brown and Tony Wilson alongside new interviews with Mike Pickering, Angela Matthews and Steve Atherton.

Happy Mondays - Loose Fit [Factory]
Hey! Elastica - Eat Your Heart Out (12" Version) [Virgin]
Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know? [EMI]
Evelyn Thomas - High Energy [BMG]
New Order - Blue Monday [Factory]
New Order - Leave Me Alone [Rhino]
Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It [Trax]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 3. TWENTY FOUR HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (320kbs-m4a/48mb/20mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays release their first records on the very same day.

In 1985 two Manchester bands release their first records on the very same day. The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays barely register beyond the city. They are promising, scruffy... and largely ignored. But elsewhere in Manchester, something far more seismic is taking shape. In community halls, tower blocks and semi-legal parties, imported house records from Chicago and Detroit begin changing the temperature in the room. A new chemical arrives and with it a new way of feeling. Strangers embrace. Dance floors dissolve old boundaries. The Haçienda, once awkward and half empty, starts to pulse.

Episode 3 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester tells the story of the moment when guitars collided with house, when ecstasy rewired a generation and when Manchester stopped documenting its decline and started losing itself in the dark.

Featuring archive interviews from Noel Gallager, Liam Gallagher, Shaun Ryder, Bez, Peter Hook, Mani, Chris Jam, and Tony Wilson alongside new interviews with Angela Matthews, Mike Pickering and Kermit.

Deskee - Let There Be House [RCA/Legacy]
Happy Mondays - Delightful [London (Because Ltd)]
Happy Mondays - Freaky Dancin' [London]
T-Coy - Carino [LTM Recordings]
New Order - Dreams Never End [Rhino]
A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray [Rham!]
808 State - Pacific 707 [ZTT]
The Stone Roses - Sally Cinnamon [Revolver]
Happy Mondays - 24 Hour Party People [London]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 4. LOOSE FIT (320kbs-m4a/58mb/25mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

Baggy jeans, bucket hats and loose jumpers become the Madchester Uniform.

By 1989, Manchester is no longer underground, it is now unavoidable. Baggy jeans, bucket hats and loose jumpers become a uniform. Market stalls and record shops replace boutiques and fashion houses. The look travels as fast as the music and the city has found its silhouette. The Happy Mondays record Bummed in a blur of ecstasy and mischief, then quietly redraw the indie rulebook by handing a track to a club DJ for remixing. The Stone Roses release their debut album to modest chart impact, but something else is happening beneath the numbers.

Coaches roll out of Manchester bound for Blackpool. Inside the Empress Ballroom, chandeliers shake as a crowd bounce before the band even appear. Within weeks, Madchester is on prime time television. The Late Show. Top of the Pops. Living rooms across Britain are introduced to a city no longer asking for permission.

Episode 4 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester captures the moment the movement breaks through. When fashion becomes identity, when dance becomes pilgrimage and when Manchester steps from dark rooms into the national spotlight.

Featuring archive interviews from Mani, Clint Boon, Shaun Ryder, Ian Brown, John Robb, alongside new interviews with Leo Stanley, Mike Pickering, Tim Booth from James and Steve Atherton.

James - Hymn From A Village [EMI]
Inspiral Carpets - Joe [Mute]
Happy Mondays - Hallelujah [Factory]
Happy Mondays - Delightful [London (Because Ltd)]
Happy Mondays - W.F.L. (Vince Clarke Remix) [London]
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored [Silvertone]
The Stone Roses - Waterfall [Silvertone]
Fingers Inc. - Never No More Lonely [Clone]
The Stone Roses - This Is The One [Silvertone]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 5. WORLD IN MOTION (320kbs-m4a/43mb/19mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

Madchester becomes too big to contain.

1990 does not begin quietly. London burns during the Poll Tax riots. Strangeways prison erupts in Manchester. Margaret Thatcher stands outside Downing Street for the last time. Britain is shifting politically, socially and culturally. At the very same moment, Madchester explodes into the mainstream. The Happy Mondays release Step On as smoke rises over the city. Ecstasy fuels a new chemical confidence. Indie and rave collide. What began in dark rooms is now national news.

Then comes an unlikely coronation. The Football Association asks New Order to write England's 1990 World Cup anthem. World in Motion goes to number one and Manchester owns the summer. At Glastonbury, The Happy Mondays arrive with a thousand mates and a bootleg pass printer. In the charts, The Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans surge forward. And in Widnes, on a former chemical works surrounded by factories and wind, tens of thousands gather for Spike Island. The Stone Roses take the stage as fireworks burst overhead. The sound system falters. The crew threaten to strike. The wind shifts... but it barely matters.

This is the peak. The moment Madchester becomes too big to contain.

Episode 5 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester tells the story of the year politics, football, rave and pop culture collided.

The Charlatans - The Only One I Know [Beggars Banquet]
James - Come Home [Fontana]
John Kongos - He's Gonna Step On You Again [See For Miles]
New Order - World In Motion [Factory]
LFO - LFO [Warp]
Happy Mondays - Judge Fudge [Concert Live Ltd]
Inspiral Carpets - Move [Mute]
The Stone Roses - Sally Cinnamon [Revolver]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 6. SHOOT YOU DOWN (320kbs-m4a/55mb/24mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

The movement that once felt unstoppable begins to fracture under its own weight.

Barbados was supposed to save them. In early 1992, The Happy Mondays are flown to the Caribbean to record their next album. Fresh from the success of Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, this should be consolidation. Instead, Shaun Ryder drops his methadone at Manchester airport, the studio fills with smoke rather than songs and the budget disappears pound by pound. A sun lounger is sold for drugs. Back home, the gold rush continues. James score a number two single with Sit Down and a wave of new bands flood the charts. A&Rs circle the city nightly, desperate for the next Madchester success.

But at The Hacienda, the mood has changed. Security tightens as gangs move in. Tony Wilson announces the club's temporary closure. When it reopens, it does so under suspicion and noise complaints from new city centre flats rising around it. Meanwhile, the Stone Roses vanish into courtrooms and contracts. By 1992, Factory Records is running on fumes. The Hacienda is bleeding money. And in a final, almost absurd twist, Shaun Ryder sells the master tapes of Yes Please! for £50, a moment that tips the label into bankruptcy.

Episode 6 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester is the story of the comedown and how the movement that once felt unstoppable begins to fracture under its own weight.

Happy Mondays - Step On [EMI]
Paris Angels - Fade [Virgin]
James - Sit Down [Fontana]
New Fast Automatic Daffodils - Fishes Eyes [Play It Again Sam]
Nightmares On Wax - Aftermath [Warp]
Korda - Move Your Body (To The Sound) [Z]
New Order - World (The Price Of Love) [Centredate]
Happy Mondays - Monkey In The Family [London]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 7. REGRET (320kbs-m4a/42mb/18mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

Madchester dissolved. The Hacienda is fading. Is the party over?

In 1995, after five years of court cases, silence and mounting expectation, The Stone Roses are finally back. The Second Coming has been released, and a Glastonbury headline slot awaits. Then on a rare day off in America, guitarist John Squire falls from his bike and breaks his collarbone. The momentum snaps.

Meanwhile, Britpop storms the charts. Blur and Suede set the tone and Oasis inherit Manchester's swagger and carry it into a different decade. Then, on 15 June 1996, a bomb detonates in Manchester city centre. The physical damage is vast. The city rebuilds quickly, shinier and safer, the rough edges that once nurtured experimentation begin to disappear.

By the time The Stone Roses limp onto the stage at Reading Festival in August 1996, expectation outweighs belief and the performance falters. Within months, the band are finished. The Happy Mondays have already collapsed under the weight of addiction and excess. Factory Records is gone. The Hacienda is fading. The party is over.

Episode 7 of The Rise and Fall of Madchester charts the slow unravelling of a movement that once felt unstoppable. This is the story of how Madchester dissolved and how the city it transformed, moved on without it.

The Stone Roses - One Love [Sony]
The Stone Roses - Love Spreads [Geffen]
The Stone Roses - Begging You [Geffen]
The Stone Roses - Driving South [Geffen]

THE RISE AND FALL OF MADCHESTER - 8. WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR (320kbs-m4a/52mb/22mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast 23rd March 2026

In the final episode Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell discuss what Madchester stood for and the legacy that still lives on.

As Tony Wilson once told Newsweek Magazine in 1990 - "If there is any idea at all, it is about community and collective strength. There is power in people being lovely to each other."

It might be more than 30 years ago but today, Madchester both made its mark and left its mark. Madchester did more than just transform the music of its own city – it rewrote the rule book on how a movement could emerge, free of music industry controls, and produce the sort of bands, DJs and records that labels could never create. It brought dance culture to the masses and laid the foundation for Britpop.

In this final episode of the The Rise and Fall of Madchester, presenters Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell share their take on what it stood for, who it influenced, the changes it brought about and the legacy that still lives on, featuring archive interviews with Tony Wilson, Mani, Shaun Ryder and Noel Gallagher.

"The Rise & Fall of Madchester" is a BBC Audio Production for BBC Sounds.
It was presented by Steve Lamacq and Alison Bell.
It was produced in Salford by Catherine Earlam.
The Editor for BBC Audio was Helen Hobday.
It was written by Philip Smith, Catherine Earlam and Steve Lamacq.
Technical Production by Philip Smith.
The Commissioner was Will Wilkin, and the Commissioning Producer was Hannah Clapham.

The producers wish to thank all the contributors and archive interviewers and interviewees.

Happy Mondays - Hallelujah [Factory]
808 State - Pacific 707 [ZTT]
The Fall - Hit The North [Beggars Banquet]
The Stone Roses - She Bangs The Drums [Silvertone]
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored [Silvertone]
The Stone Roses - What The World Is Waiting For [Silvertone]

The Documentary - Agony And Ecstasy: A History Of Penalty Shootouts

THE DOCUMENTARY - AGONY AND ECSTASY: A HISTORY OF PENALTY SHOOTOUTS (320kbs-m4a/61mb/26mins)
BBC World Service broadcast: 25th June 2026

As the knockout stage of the men's World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA draws closer, so too does the dreaded penalty shootout. Why do penalties bring so much drama and anxiety to both players and fans when they are used to decide tied games in knockout football?

Former South African captain Amanda Dlamini looks back at the history of the shootout with penalty expert and author Ben Lyttleton. South African internationals Nomathemba Ntsibande and Gabriela Moodaly‑Salgado take us through their penalty routines, while West Ham United Women's sport psychologist Dr Adrienn Szabadics explains the psychology behind the penalty shootout.

We hear from 1999 Women's World Cup winner Brandi Chastain about her winning penalty at that tournament, and the coach of Amanda's former club in Johannesburg, Alexia Cassar, tells us about the role coaches play in preparing for shootouts.

Finally, commentator Andrés Cantor reminisces about the 2022 World Cup final, while South Africa goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams, who is playing in this year's World Cup, gives us an insight into how he once saved four out of five penalties in a single shootout.

Presenter: Amanda Dlamini
Producer: Tim O'Callaghan
Sound engineer: Cameron Ward
Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: Lionel Messi of Argentina scores a penalty past Hugo Lloris of France during the FIFA World Cup 2022 final between Argentina and France at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Credit: Tom Jenkins/Getty Images)

Good Bad Billionaire - Roger Federer: The Billion-Dollar Backhand

GOOD BAD BILLIONAIRE - ROGER FEDERER: THE BILLION-DOLLAR BACKHAND (320kbs-m4a/85mb/37mins)
BBC World Service podcast: 29th June 2026

Roger Federer isn't just one of the greatest tennis players of all time - he's also one of the richest. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng follow his journey: from a fiery, racket-smashing junior in Switzerland to the calm, composed global icon who conquered Wimbledon, and the world of endorsements.

With over 20 Grand Slam titles and more than $100 million in prize money, Federer's sporting success was extraordinary, but it wasn't enough to make him a billionaire. So how did he do it? The answer lies off the court: luxury sponsorships, savvy brand management, and a game-changing investment that paid off hundreds of millions.

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires? Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire.

Good Bad Billionaire - Toto Wolff: Mercedes's Billion-Dollar F1 Boss

GOOD BAD BILLIONAIRE - TOTO WOLFF: MERCEDES'S BILLION-DOLLAR F1 BOSS (320kbs-m4a/104mb/45mins)
BBC World Service broadcast: 27th May 2026

Toto Wolff is the most successful team principal in Formula One history. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng find out what drives him. From losing his father and abandoning his own racing dreams, Toto Wolff redirected his love of risk and need for control into venture capital, making millions during the early tech boom.

But Toto Wolff couldn't stay away from motorsport. After a crash that almost killed him, he got involved in the business of the sport, ultimately transforming Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One into one of the most valuable teams in the sport, alongside his driver and friend Lewis Hamilton.

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires? Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire

Good Bad Billionaire - David Geffen: The Hollywood Power Broker

GOOD BAD BILLIONAIRE - DAVID GEFFEN: THE HOLLYWOOD POWER BROKER (320kbs-m4a/109mb/48mins)
BBC World Service podcast: 12th January 2026

David Geffen is the money man behind Crosby, Stills and Nash, Guns N' Roses, Cher, Shrek, Gladiator, and even Cats the musical. Journalist Zing Tsjeng and BBC business editor Simon Jack tell the remarkable story of the Brooklyn boy who conquered Hollywood and became an entertainment mogul. From starting in a New York agency mailroom to the heart of Laurel Canyon’s hippie-rock scene, David Geffen rubbed shoulders with almost every major cultural figure of the 20th century. Joni Mitchel wrote a song about him, and Cher dated him. Then he moved from the music industry to movies, founding DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and building one of the world’s most valuable art collections.

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires?

Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire

Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine - Last Chance To See

DOUGLAS ADAMS & MARK CARWARDINE - LAST CHANCE TO SEE (320kbs-m4a/400mb/2hrs53mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 11th May to 15th June 2026

Series in which writer Douglas Adams and conservationist Mark Carwardine go in search of weird, exotic endangered animals.

With Peter Jones.

Producer: Gaynor Shutte

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in October/November 1989.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE - 1. RALPH, THE FRAGRANT PARROT OF CODFISH ISLAND (320kbs-m4a/67mb/29mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 11th May 2026

First in a series of six quests in search of weird, exotic and endangered animals.

The duo head to New Zealand in search of the endangered Kakapo.

He is large, green and has forgotten how to fly, which is worrying as there are fewer than 50 kakapos left.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE - 2. GONE FISHING! (320kbs-m4a/68mb/30mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 18th May 2026

Douglas and Mark go in search of a tragic Chinese 'river princess': the Yangtze River dolphin.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE - 3. ANIMAL, VEGETABLE OR MINERAL? (320kbs-m4a/67mb/29mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 25th May 2026

Douglas and Mark go in search of a secretive - and confusing - creature in the Amazon: the Manatee.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE - 4. THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND (320kbs-m4a/68mb/29mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 1st June 2026

Douglas and Mark go in search of a 'flying fox' near Mauritius Island: the Rodrigues Fruit Bat.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE - 5. A MAN-EATING, EVIL-SMELLING DRAGON (320kbs-m4a/61mb/26mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 8th June 2026

Douglas and Mark search for a slightly terrifying creature, with terrible breath: the Komodo Dragon.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE - 6. THE SULTAN OF JUAN FERNANDEZ (320kbs-m4a/68mb/30mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 15th June 2026

Douglas and Mark visit Robinson Crusoe Island, near Chile, to find: a Juan Fernandez Fur Seal.

It's A Funny Business - Eric Morecambe

IT'S A FUNNY BUSINESS - ERIC MORECAMBE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 16th May 2026

**** Eric Morecambe joins BBC Radio 4 Extra's 100 Club - born on 14th May, 1926. He died in 1984 aged 58.

Much-loved comedian Eric Morecambe looks back to his early days in showbiz, supporting Luton FC and meeting his comic-partner Ernie Wise.

Series in which some of the country's greatest comedians reminiscence with Mike Craig.

Producer Mike Craig.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in July 1976.

Good Bad Billionaire - Peter Jackson: Lord Of The Films

GOOD BAD BILLIONAIRE - PETER JACKSON: LORD OF THE FILMS (320kbs-m4a/106mb/46mins)
BBC World Service broadcast: 15th February 2025

How did Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson become one of only four filmmakers worth a billion dollars, and one of just three billionaires from New Zealand? BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng find out how a childhood obsession with movies led to a booming film industry in Jackson's homeland. From Bad Taste to King Kong and The Hobbit, he went from shooting home movies and directing low budget horror films to running a major special effects house and creating some of cinema's biggest hits. Simon and Zing look back at the life of a Wellywood legend, before deciding if they think he's good, bad, or just another billionaire.

We'd love to hear your feedback. Email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or drop us a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176.

To find out more about the show and read our privacy notice, visit www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire

Good Bad Billionaire - George Lucas: Box Office Billions

GOOD BAD BILLIONAIRE - GEORGE LUCAS: BOX OFFICE BILLIONS (320kbs-m4a/91mb/39mins)
BBC World Service podcast: 10th October 2023

In the podcast that uncovers how the world's 2,668 billionaires made their money and asks if they are good or bad for the planet, Simon and Zing follow George Lucas' journey from cult filmmaker to master of a cinematic galaxy. Find out how he harnessed the force of Star Wars to make him one of the richest filmmakers in the world, despite directing just six movies.

We'd love to hear your feedback. Email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or drop us a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176.

To find out more about the show and read our privacy notice, visit www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire

Good Bad Billionaire - Cristiano Ronaldo: Football's First Billionaire Player

GOOD BAD BILLIONAIRE - CRISTIANO RONALDO: FOOTBALL'S FIRST BILLIONAIRE PLAYER (320kbs-m4a/100mb/44mins)

BBC World Service broadcast: 17th June 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo grew up in poverty on the remote island of Madeira, but became football's first billionaire player, and one of the most recognisable people on the planet. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng trace Ronaldo's rise from a homesick kid playing for the academy at Sporting CP, to global superstardom at Manchester United and Real Madrid, where relentless training and record-breaking performances turned him into a sporting and commercial machine.

Zing and Simon explore the business of modern football: from mega transfers and billion-dollar brand deals, to tax battles and legal disputes. Ronaldo leveraged social media fame to build his CR7 empire, so is he the ultimate self-made success story, a divisive global brand, or simply the most effective monetiser of talent in sporting history?

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires? Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire

Good Bad Billionaire - Steven Spielberg: Directing Dreams And Deals

GOOD BAD BILLIONAIRE - STEVEN SPIELBERG: DIRECTING DREAMS AND DEALS (320kbs-m4a/99mb/43mins)

BBC World Service broadcast: 10th June 2026

Steven Spielberg always felt like an outsider, but became the most commercially successful movie director in history. His hits, including ET, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park, sent him on his way to becoming one of the first entertainment billionaires. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng chart the filmmaker's rise, from a movie-obsessed outsider with an 8mm camera, to the chaos of Jaws - a production he feared would end his career – to rewriting Hollywood's rulebook by inventing the modern blockbuster. With his new film Disclosure Day on the horizon, Zing and Simon explore if Steven Spielberg's sentimental storytelling and blockbuster dominance elevated cinema or narrowed it, and if his dealmaking instincts make him a creative visionary, a shrewd operator, or both?

Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics, and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires? Here's how to contact the team: email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire

The Global Story - The Battle To Save James Bond From Becoming Slop

THE GLOBAL STORY - THE BATTLE TO SAVE JAMES BOND FROM BECOMING SLOP (320kbs-m4a/66mb/29mins)

BBC World Service broadcast: 4th June 2026

Casting is finally underway for a new James Bond. But why has it taken five years to even begin the search?

Since Daniel Craig retired as Bond in 2021, there have been reports of a behind-the-scenes David and Goliath battle between the family business which has held creative control of the franchise since the 1960s and its new owners, Amazon. It is now up to Jeff Bezos's tech giant to decide who will play 007 – and how to run the series.

In an era when Hollywood studios are desperate to eke out every last dollar from movie franchises, can James Bond retain its mystique and appeal to a new generation of cinema goers?

We speak to Wall Street Journal enterprise reporter Erich Schwartzel.

Producer: Lucy Pawle and Xandra Ellin

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Executive producer: James Shield

Senior news editor: China Collins

(Photo: Daniel Craig at the world premiere of the Bond film, No Time to Die, London, 28 September, 2021 Credit: Neil Hall/European Pressphoto Agency)

Guitar Greats - 10. Carlos Santana

GUITAR GREATS - 10. CARLOS SANTANA (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 19th March 2026

Carlos Santana talks about his life and career. Presented by Alexis Korner. First broadcast in 1983.

Santana - Samba Pa Ti Live) [Polydor]
Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield - Sonny Boy Williamson [Sony Music Distribution]
Santana - Soul Sacrifice (Live At Woodstock) [Columbia]
Santana - Evil Ways [CBS]
Santana - Black Magic Woman [CBS]
Santana - Every Step Of The Way [Columbia / Sony Music Distribution]
Santana - Welcome [Columbia / Sony Music Distribution]
Santana - Samba Pa Ti (Live) [Polydor]
Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin - A Love Supreme [Columbia / Sony Music Distribution]
Santana - Maria Caracoles [Sony Music Distribution]
Santana - Well All Right [Columbia]
Santana - Changes [Sony BMG]

The Documentary - Paul McCartney: Beatles And Beyond

THE DOCUMENTARY - PAUL McCARTNEY: BEATLES AND BEYOND (320kbs-m4a/115mb/50mins)
BBC World Service broadcast: 30th August 2025

The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs celebrates the life and legacy of Sir Paul McCartney, from his Liverpool roots to Beatlemania and beyond.

It's a musical journey that moves from the late 1950s to McCartney's skiffle start with John Lennon in The Quarrymen, all the way through to his long solo career, taking in Mersey Beat; the rise of the Fab Four to 1960s icons; and Wings' 1970s success.

We learn how The Beatles could only have come from Liverpool, and how a visit to McCartney's old grammar school led to a significant legacy: the formation of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).

Joining Susanna to celebrate McCartney's musical career are author of recent biography Fly Away Paul, Lesley-Ann Jones; veteran songwriter and member of 10cc, Graham Gouldman; LIPA founding principal and chief executive, Sir Mark Featherstone-Witty; Beatles historian and author, David Bedford; lifelong Beatles enthusiast Jean Catharell; BBC Radio Merseyside broadcaster Paul Beesley; Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge; plus two LIPA alumni - award winning composer Hannah Peel, and singer-songwriter and guitarist Natalie McCool.

Plus, an intimately familial contribution from McCartney's younger brother, Mike McCartney.

Presenter: Susanna Hoffs
Producer: Lewis Borg-Cardona
Editor: Steve Levine
A Magnum Opus Broadcasting production for BBC World Service

(Photo: Sir Paul McCartney in front of a self-portrait hanging on a wall. Credit: Mike McCartney)

The Beatles Story

THE BEATLES STORY (320kbs-m4a/10hrs/1.34gb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 1st to 29th April 2026

Rich in archive and first hand source interviews, including the group themselves, the series is an important historical artefact produced shortly after they split in 1970 & documenting a social and cultural phenomenon.

More importantly than that it's a great listen. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

THE BEATLES STORY - 1. THE BIRTH OF THE LIVERPOOL SOUND (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 1st April 2026

The Birth of the Liverpool Sound. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period from 1960 - Spring 1961. Presenter: Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 2. GETTING IT ON WAX (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 1st April 2026

Getting It On Wax. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period Summer 1961 - Summer 1962. Refs. to the Cavern club in Liverpool. Presenter: Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 3. CHART SUCCESS & THE PACKAGE TOURS BEGIN (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 8th April 2026

Chart Success & the Package Tours Begin. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period from Autumn 1962 - Summer 1963. Presenter Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 4. THE START OF BEATLEMANIA (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 8th April 2026

The Start of Beatlemania. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period from August 1963 - January 1964. Interviewers: Klas Burling & Chris Denning. Presented by Brian Matthew

THE BEATLES STORY - 5. THE WORLD SURRENDERS (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 15th April 2026

The World Surrenders. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period 1964. Actuality of press conferences. The film 'A Hard Day's Night'. Presenter Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 6. LIFE AND REWARDS OF SUCCESS (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 15th April 2026

Life and Rewards of Success. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period from Summer 1964 - Spring 1965. Presented by Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 7. WHEN THE TOURING HAD TO STOP (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 22nd April 2026

When the Touring Had To Stop. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period from July 1965 - August 1966. Presented by Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 8. THE PSYCHEDELIC CHAPTER (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 22nd April 2026

The Psychedelic Chapter. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period 1967. Refs. to Brian Epstein's death, Sergeant Pepper album. Presenter: Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 9. MEDITATIONS AND CORPORATION (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 29th April 2026

Meditations and Corporation. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period from December 1967 - December 1968. Refs. to Apple. Presenter: Brian Matthew.

THE BEATLES STORY - 10. HELLO, GOODBYE OR COME TOGETHER (320kbs-m4a/60mins/137mb)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 29th April 2026

Hello, Goodbye or Come Together. Various interviews with and about the Beatles covering the period 1969. Refs. to the film 'Let It Be', John & Yoko's Amsterdam bed-in. Presented by Brian Matthew.