Front Row

The legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is back with his fifth solo album The Age of Everything, which he's described as the most cathartic album he's ever written. He joins Samira to talk about road-testing these songs before recording them, why he auctioned off his whole guitar collection and what keeps him making music after five decades in the spotlight.
As French Impressionist Claude Monet's letters are published in English for the first time, Samira discusses what we learn about the man behind the paintings, with editor Teresa Krasny and art critic Charlotte Mullins.
The first of our interviews with the authors of the Booker Prize shortlist: Rebecca Perry talks about her novel May We Feed the King.
And after the news of author Jeffrey Archer's death, we revisit a memorable Front Row interview with him.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Lucy Collingwood

Two of the young stars of Saturday Night Live UK on bringing live satire back to television.
Director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, Captain Philips, United 93) on how the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 inspired his new film, Uprising.
The British Museum has taken steps to quell public dissent over long queues and ticket cancellations for the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition.
And novelist Sarah Hall on the rebelliousness of modern nature writing.
Presenter: Samira Ahmed

Susannah Clapp and Nick Hilton join Tom Sutcliffe to review Tom Cruise as a prosthetic laden billionaire oil tycoon in the film Digger, who is out to save humanity after causing a global catastrophe.
They also discuss Sky legal drama War – where Sienna Miller and Dominic West play a power couple who are getting divorced.
And they offer their verdicts on The Standard of Living, Dear England writer James Graham’s play about the life of economist John Maynard Keynes, played by Rory Kinnear.
Plus chair of judges, and former Front Row presenter, Kirsty Lang talks about the 2026 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction's shortlist which has been announced today.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Claire Bartleet

Sherwood and Homeland star David Harewood talks to us about his lead role in Channel 4's new legal drama Pierre, which is co-written by John Donnelly and playwright Roy Wiliams.
Actor Simon Russell Beale discusses playing Liberace on stage in I'll Be Seeing You, the new play from Martin Sherman (who wrote Bent and Mrs Henderson Presents), a sparkling fantasia which follows a young writer struggling to create a play about the flamboyant superstar with a carefully constructed public image, who was awarded £8,000 in damages after an article strongly hinted he was a homosexual. The production - directed by Alan Cumming and Ben Occhipinti - is at Pitlochry Festival Theatre until 11 October.
An avatar of acclaimed Chinese-American pianist Yuja Wang is performing at the Southbank Centre in London between now and January with audience members donning a VR headset and wandering around the stage to observe her at close range. The Guardian's critic Erica Jeal, who described the performance as "like Disney's Fantasia on steroids" tells us more about the experience.
And we discuss the rise of the cultural logging platform - such as Letterboxd and Storygraph - which help us curate what the films we watch and the books we read and which help us share recommendations with each other.
And Bill Buckley pays tribute to broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, his colleague on the much-loved TV show That's Life!, who has died at the age of 86.
Presenter: Kirsty Wark
Producer: Mark Crossan

Tom Sutcliffe hosts the ceremony for BBC National Short Story Award and Young Writers Award 2026, in partnership with University of Cambridge, live from BBC Broadcasting House in London.
As well as the announcements of the winners of both awards, Tom is joined by judges David Almond, Tahmima Anam and Saba Sams to discuss the key ingredients for a standout short story. They also recommend the short story writers and collections which they love to read.
Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe
Producer: Lucy Collingwood