BBC Four Today Sunday 22 January 2023

Terry Wogan presents another 1979 edition of the inter-regional amateur dance contest, which sees couples from Wales and the North West compete at the Top Rank Suite in Swansea, in routines covering latin, ballroom, old time and disco

Young stars of The Royal Ballet perform in a cinematic reimagining of Shakespeare’s seminal love story, combining ballet, theatre, film and music. Shot on location in Hungary, the film features the iconic original costume designs by Nicholas Georgiadis, Kenneth MacMillan’s remarkable choreography and Sergei Prokofiev’s score performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, conducted by Koen Kessel

The first of two programmes show in tribute to extraordinary fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, who died in December. This documentary reflects on her extraordinary career, looking closely at her artistry, her activism and her cultural significance. Featuring contributions from Westwood herself, as well as Pamela Anderson, Christina Hendricks and Kate Moss

Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore traces the sacred history of Istanbul. It was described as the `city of the world’s desire”, having been the focus of three faiths – Paganism, Christianity and Islam – and the stage for some of the fiercest political and religious conflicts over the past 2,500 years. Simon begins by uncovering its Greek roots and maps its transformation into the capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great

Historian Dr Janina Ramirez tells the story of the first book written in English by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. The book was written in 1373 and presents an alternative viewpoint on man’s relationship with God, which led to it being suppressed for more than 500 years. She travels from Norwich to Cambrai in Northern France, revealing how the book survived and the stories of women who championed it, and consults with academics and theologians about the book’s importance

Archaeologist and historian Richard Miles examines the collapse of the Bronze Age 3,000 years ago, and how the civilisations of the subsequent Iron Age emerged. He explores the former Phoenician cities of Byblos and Tyre and their technological contributions, including the alphabet and deep-water sailing, before heading to Israel to learn how the Assyrian war machine affected small local powers

Part one of two. Michael Scott traces the history of Sicily, from the first arrival of ancient Greek settlers 3,000 years ago to the arrival of the Byzantine Empire. He begins his journey on the slopes of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano, and discovers how the Greeks began to settle on Sicily’s east coast – planting their olives and vines and building great city states that soon came to rival even Athens itself