BBC4

Footballers from Russia, Hungary and East Germany recall how the Beautiful Game was manipulated for political ends during the Cold War. Despite the high stakes, many courageous footballers resisted attempts by ruthless leaders from the Eastern Bloc’s totalitarian regimes to exploit their sporting celebrity for political gain, with their careers often being destroyed as a result

From Cherry Hinton Hall in Cambridge, Mark Radcliffe and Verity Sharp present the atmosphere and highlights of the Cambridge Folk Festival. Featured performers include The Chieftains, Teddy Thompson, Nickel Creek, Roddy Woomble, John Tams and Emmylou Harrisa

Peter Maniura presents a series looking at works by Shostakovich which were influenced by Stalin’s rule. The 1931 ballet The Bolt was withdrawn from the stage after just one performance. This exciting new production is a restoration and modernisation of the original ballet, and was recorded at the famous Bolshoi in Moscow. Pavel Sorokin conducts the Bolshoi Orchestra.

Extraordinary animals fight for survival on Earth’s tallest and most magnificent mountain peaks, from a family of pumas struggling in the unforgiving weather of the Andes to a never-before-seen snow leopard hunt in the Himalayas.

Daisy Goodwin presents a series about the romantic novel. This edition looks at the enormous industry romantic fiction has become today and asks why this most derided of literary genres remains so enduringly popular. She performs a scientific experiment to prove that reading romantic novels can lower stress levels and also finds that they can improve one’s sex life and sleeping patterns. Contributors include Jilly Cooper, Joanna Trollope, Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes

Sitcom about Rick Spleen, a disillusioned stand-up comedian and writer whose career has not gone to plan. Rick has agreed to present a You've Been Framed style DVD, but neither he nor his writing partner Marty can come up with any decent links. Rick is also suffering from insomnia, caused by the paperboy, Wayne, who is very punctual, very noisy and of relatively little intelligence

Dawn French interviews Julie Walters about her life in comedy

Dramatisation of Jean Rhys’s novel set in 19th-century Jamaica. The tragic story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre centres on an arranged marriage between a white Creole heiress and a brooding Englishman, who fall in love only to be torn apart by rumours, paranoia and a cultural divide

Comic topical talk show with Marcus Brigstocke

Daisy Goodwin presents a series about the romantic novel. This edition looks at the enormous industry romantic fiction has become today and asks why this most derided of literary genres remains so enduringly popular. She performs a scientific experiment to prove that reading romantic novels can lower stress levels and also finds that they can improve one’s sex life and sleeping patterns. Contributors include Jilly Cooper, Joanna Trollope, Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes