Higher channels

John Davies scans the schedules. (All times pm unless stated.) SATURDAY April 10

Kremlin Women (2.30 R4). Historian Robert Service digs into the Moscow archives.

The White House Tapes (8.00 C4). The first of three illuminating programmes on Lyndon Johnson's presidency concentrates on the conflict between LBJ and Robert Kennedy. Next week, the Vietnam war.

Coming Disasters: Asteroid Impact (8.00 C5). After last month's Horizon on asteroids, C5 responds with this off-the-peg Canadian-made documentary on the same subject. Meanwhile, in Wednesday's To the End of the World (9.00 R4) John Gribbin examines this and other "doomsday scenarios".

SUNDAY April 11

Brussels: Behind Closed Doors (1.45 C4). Compromise and control in fixing Europe-wide environmental standards. First of three inside glimpses of the EU at work.

Centurions: Ezra Pound (4.15 R3). His Cantos is discussed by Marjorie Perloff, Clive Wilmer and Charles Bernstein.

A Mathematician Reads the Newspapers (5.40 R4). John Allen Paulos of Temple U continues his scrutiny of journalistic statistics.

Sunday Feature: The Rise and Fall of English (5.45 R3). English professor John Carey considers the state and status of his subject in today's universities.

Cold War (7.10 BBC2; 6.25 in N. Ireland). "Soldiers of God" (1979-83). Moved to Sunday for its last five episodes, this week's programme focuses on Iran and Afghanistan.

The Establishment (7.30 C4). Past and present Masters of Trinity College, Cambridge, and their place among the great and good.

Class Act (10.45 R4). David Cannadine on how postwar British premiers have dealt with the subject of class.

MONDAY April 12

Sikhs (7.00 and 11.20 BBC2). Two-part documentary on Sikhism to mark the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa. The same night, a four-part series The Khalsa starts on the World Service (7.30), with repeats on R4 (Thursdays 8.00).

Mystery of the Mummies (8.00 C4). Probe on the Canary Islands by an Egyptologist and an archaeologist.

Race to Do Better and Analysis (8.00 and 8.30 R4). Part two of Ferdi Dennis's take on institutional racism is followed by a debate presented by Zeinab Bedawi.

Great Expectations (9.00 BBC2; also Tuesday 9.00). There may be quibbles, but Tony Marchant has made a pretty good fist of adapting Dickens's classic of class in two 90-minute episodes.

Equinox: Living Dangerously (9.00 C4). Why do people take risks? Experts include John Henry of St Mary's Hospital, London, and Canadian "risk expert" Gerald Wilde. First in new series.

TUESDAY April 13

University Challenge (8.00 BBC2). First semi-final: Bangor vs Oriel, Oxford.

WEDNESDAY April 14

Thinking Allowed (4.00 R4). Laurie Taylor interviews social scientist Eileen Baker in first of a new series.

Leviathan (7.30 BBC2). History magazine features Steve Jones looking at the origins of GM crops in the 1920s and Chris Eubank on the track of the original Marathon.

Reith Lectures (8.00 R4). Part two of Anthony Giddens's globalisation thesis focuses on "Risk". His lectures can also be heard on the World Service on Saturday (10.00).

Night Waves (11.00 R3). Talking of Michelangelo: a new view of the artist.

THURSDAY April 15

Curse on the Gypsies (6.00 History Channel). The world's most persecuted minority? First part of two on the Roma's history.

e-mail: Davieses@aol.com