Last Word

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

Radio 4,892 episodes

Episodes

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George Martin, Nancy Reagan, Ray Tomlinson, Gillian Avery
Reeta Chakrabarti on a music producer, a US first lady, an internet pioneer and an author.
11 Mar 2016,28 mins
Tony Warren, Louise Rennison, Lord Chorley, George Kennedy, John Chilton
Reeta Chakrabarti on a TV writer, an author, a conservationist, an actor and a musician
04 Mar 2016,28 mins
Alex Timpson, Lord Avebury, Douglas Slocombe, Umberto Eco, Pascal Bentoiu
Matthew Bannister on a foster mother, a cinematographer, an author and a parliamentarian.
26 Feb 2016,28 mins
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Edmonde Charles-Roux, Norman Hudis, Antonin Scalia, Harper Lee
Matthew Bannister on a UN Secretary General, an editor, a screenwriter, a judge
19 Feb 2016,28 mins
Marvin Minsky, Margaret Forster, Peter Powell, Sir Brian Tovey, Joe Alaskey
Matthew Bannister on a computer scientist, a writer, a kite inventor, a GCHQ director
12 Feb 2016,28 mins
Terry Wogan, Lord Lucan, Frank Finlay, Denise St Aubyn Hubbard, Maurice White
Matthew Bannister on a broadcaster, an earl, an actor, a sailor, a musician
05 Feb 2016,28 mins
Lord Parkinson, Bill Mitchell, Paddy Doherty, Henry Worsley, Dr Gladys-Marie Fry
Matthew Bannister on a politician, an editor, an activist, an explorer, a folklorist
29 Jan 2016,30 mins
Glenn Frey, Lord Weidenfeld, Jeanne Cordova, Haskell Wexler, Gilbert Kaplan.
Matthew Bannister on a rock star, a publisher, a lesbian campaigner, a cinematographer.
22 Jan 2016,28 mins
David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Olwyn Hughes and Ed Stewart
Matthew Bannister on a rock star, an actor, a literary agent, a DJ
15 Jan 2016,28 mins
Robert Stigwood, Patricia Torrens, Pierre Boulez, Lord Ezra, Natalie Cole
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
08 Jan 2016,28 mins
Eric Tomlinson, Elsie Tu, Peter Dickinson, Lillian Vernon and Lemmy
Julian Worricker on a sound engineer, a campaigner, a writer, a businesswoman, a musician.
01 Jan 2016,28 mins
Some of the most memorable lives of the past twelve months
A scientist, a diver, a marchioness and a singer - memorable lives from 2015 are recalled.
25 Dec 2015,28 mins
Mick Murphy, Ahmed Chalabi, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Brajraj Mahapatra and Holly Woodlawn
Matthew Bannister on a cyclist, a politician, a singer, a king, an actress.
18 Dec 2015,28 mins
Marcus Klingberg, William McIlvanney, Setsuko Hara, Joel Elkes and John Peel
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
11 Dec 2015,28 mins
General Sir Robert Ford, Hazel Adair, Jane Wardle, Gerry Byrne and P.F Sloan
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
04 Dec 2015,28 mins
Peter Dimmock, Alix d'Unienville, Yolanda Sonnabend, Maggie Eales and George Barris
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
27 Nov 2015,28 mins
Roy Dommett, Warren Mitchell, Allen Toussaint, Cynthia Payne and Jonah Lomu
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
20 Nov 2015,28 mins
Helmut Schmidt, Pat Eddery, Julia Jones, Lord Noon and Nat Peck
Obituary series, analysing and celebrating the lives of people who have recently died.
13 Nov 2015,28 mins
Norman Moore, Diane Charlemagne, Professor David Cesarani, Colin Welland and Peter Donaldson
Matthew Bannister on a conservationist, a singer, an historian, an actor, a newsreader
06 Nov 2015,28 mins
Professor Lisa Jardine, Philip French, Ronnie Massarella, Maureen O'Hara
Matthew Bannister on a polymath, a critic, a showjumping manager, a film star
30 Oct 2015,28 mins
General John Galvin, Joan Leslie, Michael Meacher, Howard Kendall, Jerry Parr and Coleridge Goode
Matthew Bannister on a general, an actress, an MP, a football manager and a bodyguard.
23 Oct 2015,28 mins
Geoffrey Howe, Sue Lloyd-Roberts, Joe Henson, Hugh Scully and Alexander Faris
Julian Worricker on a politician, a journalist, a farmer, a TV presenter and a composer.
16 Oct 2015,28 mins
Lord Denis Healey, Carmen Balcells, Henning Mankell, Revd Kenneth Leech and Captain Bob Arnott
Lucy Ash on a politician, a literary agent, a crime writer, a QE2 captain and a churchman.
09 Oct 2015,28 mins
Brian Friel, General Mario Menendez, Tessa Ransford, John Guillermin, Ben Cauley
Matthew Bannister talks about a playwright, a general, a poet and a director.
02 Oct 2015,28 mins
Brian Sewell, Jackie Collins, Ted Smith CBE, PJ Kavanagh, Yogi Berra
Matthew Bannister on an art critic, a novelist, a naturalist, a poet and a baseball player
25 Sep 2015,28 mins
Sir David Willcocks, Merv Adelson, Mariem Hassan, Brian Close, Beryl Renwick
Matthew Bannister on a choirmaster, a producer, a singer, a cricketer, a radio presenter.
18 Sep 2015,28 mins
Sir Adrian Cadbury, Rico Rodriguez, Ieng Thirith, Margaret Harrison, Judy Carne
Matthew Bannister on a businessman, a trombonist, a Khmer Rouge leader, a charity founder.
11 Sep 2015,28 mins
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Joy Beverley, Oliver Sacks, Annette Worsley-Taylor
Matthew Bannister talks about a peer, a singer, a neurologist and a fashion promoter.
04 Sep 2015,28 mins
Bernie Passingham, Christopher Marshall, Wayne Carson, Michael Turk, Marie Dobbs, Yvonne Craig
Matthew Bannister on a union official, a researcher, a songwriter, a waterman, an author.
28 Aug 2015,28 mins
Khaled al-Asaad, Jazz Summers, Jack Gold, Manual Contreras, Dawn Wofford
Lucy Ash on an archaeologist, a music manager, a director, a show jumper and a general.
21 Aug 2015,28 mins