HIGHLIGHT: Bach: The great Passion Simon Russell Beale stars as Bach in James Runcie’s drama set in 1727, as the composer works on his St Matthew Passion.
Saturday 2.30pm, Radio 4
TELEVISION: Good Friday 9am (BBC1) Fern Britton’s Holy Land Journey The presenter travels to Jerusalem in search of the story of Jesus’s final days.
1.05pm (C5) Ben-Hur Charlton Heston stars in Hollywood’s epic version of the book that was subtitled The Story of the Christ.
2.40pm (BBC1) King of Kings Jeff Hunter stars as Christ in the 1961 film narrated by Orson Welles.
6.05pm (C5) Last Days of Jesus Historians give a fresh reading of events, using archaeological evidence.
Saturday 5.45pm (BBC2) Easter from King’s Music, poetry, and Gospel readings from King’s College, Cambridge.
Easter Day 10am (BBC1) Easter Day Sung eucharist live from Hereford Cathedral.
11am (BBC1) Urbi et Orbi Pope Francis’s Easter message and blessing, live from St Peter’s Square, Rome.
5pm (BBC1) Songs of Praise The story of how people from Greater Manchester came together to perform a Passion play.
7pm (BBC4) Messiah at the Foundling Hospital A drama documentary about how Handel’s Messiah has helped to save the lives of thousands of children.
9pm (Nat Geographic) The Story of God with Morgan Freeman The actor talks to people who say that they can prove the existence of God.
10pm (Nat Geographic) Riddles of the Bible A new series that travels the world to find out whether the stories in the Bible are based on real events (1/3).
RADIO: Good Friday 5pm, Easter Monday 4pm (Premier Christian Radio) Oliver Parks: The Easter riots A new two-part drama documentary that places Easter themes into contemporary fiction. (Also available as a podcast on www.thingsunseen.co.uk.)
Good Friday 9.45am (R4 LW) Daily Service A dramatic retelling of the death of Jesus, from St Martin-in-the-Fields.
2pm (R3) Afternoon on 3 A performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion from Manchester.
3pm (R4) Good Friday Meditation The Rector of St James’s, Piccadilly, the Revd Lucy Winkett, explores the loneliness of Jesus on the cross.
8pm (R2) At the Foot of the Cross Diane Louise Jordan hosts a meditation for Good Friday.
Easter Day 6.35am (R4) Sunrise Service from St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta.
7.10am (R4) Sunday Emily Buchanan explores the part played by religion in British rural life.
8.10am (R4) Easter Sunday Worship An Easter sung eucharist live from Norwich Cathedral.
8pm (R2) Easter Glory The Revd Kate Bottley introduces music and reflections for Easter Day.
3pm (R3) Choral Evensong live from Norwich Cathedral.
4.30pm (R4) Great Lives Matthew Parris’s guests discuss the life of St Teresa of Calcutta.
Wednesday 3.30pm (R3) Choral Evensong from the Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, Texas.