Bbc Africa 2013

Kate Humble and Simon King report from Zambia, following the lives of the animals living along the Luangwa River at a critical time in the seasons.

Professor Iain Stewart reveals how our iconic continents were created, and how their tumultuous past has shaped our life today.

Steve Backshall explores the world of insects and their close relatives, the arachnids and crustaceans, in order to find out more about their habits and secrets.

Africa, the world's wildest continent. David Attenborough takes us on an awe-inspiring journey through one of the most diverse places in the world. We visit deserts, savannas, and jungles and meet up with some of Africa's amazing wildlife.

Unraveling an epic human drama filled with suspense, political intrigue, brutal religious persecution and sheer luck – Dr Michael Scott looks at how the religious and political force of Christianity became permanently woven into the fabric of the Roman Empire becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire. This is the story of how, in less than four centuries, the little known cult of Jesus rose from a disparate collection of beliefs into a dynamic, coherent force that would one day dominate the world.

Born in Baku, Kara Karayev was one of Dmitry Shostakovich's most distinguished pupils. Karayev absorbed his teacher's influence, binding it to his own distinctive use of native Azerbaijani folk melodies and harmonies to produce music in an eclectic range of genres. The Seven Beauties is the first full-length Azerbaijani ballet, and the suite heard here brims with an exotic array of appealing rhythms and melodies. The Path of Thunder uses elements of African and Afro-American music in its exploration of the theme of forbidden love in apartheid era South Africa. Karayev's Symphony No. 3 and other orchestral works can be heard on 8.570720.

Waldemar Januszczak challenges the prevailing wisdom that civilisation stopped after the fall of the Roman Empire and argues that the Dark Ages were actually a time of great artistic achievement, with new ideas and religions provoking new artistic adventures. He embarks on a fascinating trip across Europe, Africa and Asia, visits the world's most famous collections and discovers hidden artistic gems, all to prove that the Dark Ages were actually an 'Age of Light'.

Seldom has a band on the British jazz scene created such a buzz before releasing an album, but through their live shows - and some delightfully unexpected airplay - Sons of Kemet have done just that. A super-group of sorts led by clarinetist, saxophonist and composer Shabaka Hutchings with Oren Marshall on tuba and both Tom Skinner and Seb Rochford on drums. It was in spring of 2011 at Charlie Wright's in East London that Sons of Kemet first unleashed their unique sound to a live audience and since then they have gone on to impress many with their live shows, whether it be in session for BBC Radio 3's Jazz On 3, at this year's Cheltenham Jazz Festival or in collaboration with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the 2012 London Jazz Festival.