Cue At the Castle Gate. Almost as enduring as the BBC itself, The Sky at Night is one of the longest-running TV programmes anywhere. First shown in 1957, it’s like a hand reaching out from the past, albeit with butter-fingers. Many of the episodes, somewhat pleasingly, have been lost forever, the romantic legacy of a bygone era.
We can only imagine what was contained within them.
And that rather neatly encapsulates what The Sky at Night stands for. The science, the explainers, the expert insight is illuminating and educational, but at its heart is something altogether more nebulous, even sentimental: that feeling when you’re gazing at the stars and your mind drifts so deeply into the outer bounds of the universe that it’s all you can do to remain upright.
The late Sir Patrick Moore missed one episode between the show’s inception on April 24, 1957 and his death on December 9, 2012, and it’s a tribute to the amateur astronomer that it’s taken four avuncular experts at the top of their respective fields – Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Pete Lawrence, Chris Lintott and George Dransfield – to pick up the mantle.
Come for the untold stories, the facts, the deep dives on subjects as divergent and open-ended as extra-terrestrial life, space weather and astronaut training, but if there’s anything you take away from it, let it be curiosity and the urge to pick up a telescope or a pair of binoculars every once in a while.
Read on as we explain how to watch The Sky at Night from anywhere.
Yes. Viewers in the UK can watch The Sky at Night FREE of charge on BBC Four and the BBC iPlayer streaming service. You’ll need a TV licence, naturally.
Traveling outside the UK? You can use a VPN to watch your usual streaming services from anywhere.
If you’re keen to watch The Sky at Night but you’re away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, you can always use a VPN to access it (assuming you’re not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.
Use one of the best VPNs to watch The Sky at Night from anywhere:
Viewers in the UK can watch The Sky at Night for FREE on BBC Four and via the BBC iPlayer streaming service.
All you need is an account, a TV license and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!
Outside the UK? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you’d normally stream at home.
The Sky at Night hasn’t been picked up for broadcast in the US, Canada or Australia.
A VPN will help you tune in if you’re a Brit spending time abroad. NordVPN is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth NordVPN review.
Maggie Aderin-Pocock
Pete Lawrence
Chris Lintott
George Dransfield
The Sky at Night hasn’t been cancelled, but it isn’t uncommon for months to pass between episodes.
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Cue At the Castle Gate. Almost as enduring as the BBC itself, The Sky at Night is one of the longest-running TV programmes anywhere. First shown in 1957, it’s like a hand reaching out from the past, albeit with butter-fingers. Many of the episodes, somewhat pleasingly, have been lost forever,…
