Main content

Illuminated Episodes

  1. 15/12/2024

    The crazy tale that Karaoke was invented in Stockport and stolen by the Japanese.

  2. Voices from the Bog

    Old voices offer new perspectives on the discovery of Lindow Man and Woman, 40 years on.

  3. Dark Crossing

    A cross-Atlantic journey turns into a gripping psychological thriller.

  4. The Last of the Blind Piano Tuners

    A sonic portrait of a disappearing craft through the lives of four blind piano tuners.

  5. The Sun Does Shine

    The story of Anthony Ray Hinton who spent years on death row for crimes he didn't commit.

  6. Reclusion

    Will Self meditates on his withdrawal from city life and the meaning of reclusion.

  7. Rebirth

    What happened when Clive Hammond's heart stopped beating?

  8. We Are Not Alone

    In 1980s America, John P Timmerman recorded thousands of UFO stories in shopping malls.

  9. The Suitcase

    Folk singer Sean Cooney opens his special suitcase full of stories of love, hope and joy.

  10. Lasting Lessons

    Five 17-year-olds volunteer for six months at a hospice. How will they fare?

  11. A Man Without Bees

    Why are all the bees dying? Simon Mitambo from Kenya's 'Land of Bees' looks for answers.

  12. Reaching for Rossini

    Young opera singers and their teachers reveal the beauty of Italian 'bel canto' singing.

  13. Infinite Scroll

    The writer and sleep-deprived parent of a newborn, Ross Sutherland, stares into infinity.

  14. Sybil Phoenix, A Civil Life

    A radio portrait of Sybil Phoenix, the first black woman to receive an MBE, in 1972.

  15. The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag

    A poetic meditation on alcohol, psychosis, crime and prison.

  16. The Psychology of a Second Life

    Broadcaster Jaz Singh explores the psychology behind secret second lives.

  17. Becoming German

    British Jews are taking back the German citizenship that was stripped from their forebears

  18. Shifting Soundscapes

    Sound artist Alice Boyd retraces the steps of legendary field recordist Martyn Stewart.

  19. Brood X

    Stories and memories of four summers when the Brood X cicadas came to town.

  20. The Beauty of Everyday Things

    Poet Ian McMillan explores the beauty of everyday things, places and encounters.

  21. How Much Can You Say?

    "The north London heroin trade is almost folklore at this stage."

  22. 'Am I Home?' - Life in a Dementia Village

    How a pioneering dementia village and its constructed 'fake' reality comforts sufferers.

  23. Strandings

    We've always drawn meaning from the arrival of stranded whales. What's their message now?

  24. John Meagher: The Divil's Own

    Comedian John Meagher investigates his nightmares and Northern Ireland's 'satanic panic'.

  25. Fragments - The London Nail Bombings

    The London nail bombings of 1999 viewed through some of the striking images of the events.

  26. Welcome to Illuminated

    What to expect from 大象传媒 Radio 4鈥檚 home for creative and surprising one-off documentaries.

  27. Herv茅's Way: The Story of a One-legged Pilgrim

    The amputee who recovered his will to live walking a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

  28. 08/12/2024

    Documentary adventures that encourage you to take a closer listen.