What to listen to on Radio 4?

[PopcornKettleBlack]

I don't listen to radio as such but I listen to the occasional Radio play, usually ghost stories, while cleaning. I've just discovered the Radio 4 documentaries and they're fascinating. I wish that I'd discovered them sooner.

It's made me wonder what other Radio 4 shows I might be missing out on. I'd appreciate any suggestions on shows or particular episodes, of any genre that you'd recommend I try.

TIA

I like Thinking Allowed (social science type info very varied), More or Less (statistics but relevant stuff to every day life) they gave all the covid stats long before Dominic Cummings' 'revelations', All in the Mind (mental health info but detailed and interesting), Law in Action (legal stuff, different subjects), A Good Read (interviewees favourite books, probably my favourite programme). The media show was very good but Amil Raj (?sp) who used to present it has moved to the Today Prog on Radio 4, he was very good.

I really like Money Box and also John Finnemore's Souvenir Program, it is so funny
I have to confess through I have mostly stopped bothering with R4 since the start of the pandemic and defected to BBC 6Music. Much more upbeat, less news and gloomy bullshit.

Almost all of what's already been mentioned. Also Desert Island Discs - some fascinating guests, often ones I'd never heard of before, like Dr David Nott. The complete backlog's available on Sounds.

Has anyone mentioned Pilgrim?

Eleanor Rising, about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Two series so far
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000p6ds

Mark Steel’s In Town - but then I do have a crush on him

Wow!
What a list of amazing programming. So varied and brilliant.

The Archers
A Fair Cop
A Good Read
Woman's Hour (thought not as good since Emma Barnett took over)
You and Yours (especially when Winifred is presenting)

The following comedies if you can find them:
Cabin Pressure
Clare in the Community (that's available on BBC Sounds)
Gloomsbury
Plum House
Dot
In and Out of the Kitchen

In Our Time!!! It’s pure gold. The whole back catalogue is on sounds. It’s a very simple format. Melvin Bragg talks to some experts about a subject. Any subject. Might be a the reign of an long dead king or it might be peculiar weather phenomena. It’s been running for yonks and there’s billions to choose from.

If you want a news programme without any of Mr Johnson's partners in crime being interviewed, the Today programme. If they are still boycotting it.

Thank you all so much for the suggestions. I'm looking forward to trying as many as possible.

Cabin Pressure! Should be able to find it on BBC Sounds.

Soul Music is an amazing series

All of what @TheSmallAssassin said plus The Food Programme.

Apologies @TheSmallAssassin actually did suggest The Food Programme!

I really like The Lovecraft Investigations and Fault Lines. Also enjoyed Where this service will… (it’s what got me into radio drama), Broken English and Body Horror which features Jill Halfpenny.

@TwoBlondes

Soul Music is an amazing series

I was once interviewed for Soul Music. Claim to fame.

GF Newman's The Corrupted - 6 series brilliant family crime/gangster/corruption/political drama spanning 50 or so years from the 1950s.

Almost all the things I'd recommend have already been mentioned but I'd also add two comedies:

Fags, Mags and Bags and the peerless Ed Reardon's Week, a new series of this began just a couple of weeks ago.

The OP mentions ghost stories - there was an interesting series exploring "ghost lore" called A History Of Ghosts that's still available on the Sounds app.

I second Ed Reardon’s Week and You’re Dead to Me. Also recommend Tom Wrigglesworth’s Hang Ups

Lots of things to try on BBC Sounds - these are ones I’ve listened to recently (mix of drama, mystery and crime):

Wyrd Sisters
McLevy
Pilgrim
Fault Lines
The Lovecraft Investigations
The Hotel
Death in Ice Valley
Paradise
The Battersea Poltergeist
Who Killed Emma
(Where is George Gibney is both moving and horrifying and won’t be for everyone)
No Body Recovered

@Notable you're my new hero! And the only other person to ever have heard of the programme

My favourites are The Life Scientific, The Long View, The Reunion, More or Less. The series about the recent Post Office case was really good. I've learnt a lot from You and Yours and Moneybox over the years too, and In Touch.

These plus
Infinite Monkey Cage
In Our Time

A History of the World in 100 Objects
Narrator has such an incredible voice

[quote TwoBlondes]@Notable you're my new hero! And the only other person to ever have heard of the programme [/quote]
Me too, I love it!

One of my favourites - Myfanwy
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0418kfw

Link to the archive on Listen Again
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008mj7p/episodes/player

I defy anyone to listen to the 'Myfanwy' episode and not be brought to tears.

Most programmes I'd recommend have already been mentioned. Classic Serial and various other adaptations.

More or Less, Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry, the Life Scientific, In Our Time (though if you don't like Melvyn Bragg, it might not suit you.) Stand Up For the Classics

Some of the comedy is great, such as It’s a Fair Cop and John Finnemore (Cabin Pressure is available in various sources online.) There's other stuff like Count Arthur Strong which I can't understand how it ever got commissioned, let alone newer series. And magazine programmes like WH are generally good, but anything like that can also have less interesting bits - but it won't last long if so!

Try it all. (Except CAS.) There's bound to be something that suits you

Life Lines is a brilliant drama.

There was an excellent episodic reading if The Nickel Boys just before Christmas. Highly recommended.

Also The Battersea Poltergeist is compelling.

Ian McKellen on Front Row. Wonderful!