This scraper is currently BROKEN

The BBC Radio 4 web site changed format on August 29, 2017 and this scraper has not been updated to deal with the new format yet. The last show scraped was August 8, 2017.

BBC Radio’s Desert Island Discs show 1942-August 28, 2017.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr/episodes/guide (was http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/find-a-castaway)

Scraper runs on morph.io where the data is available:
https://morph.io/tfmorris/desert_island_discs_records

Record types include:

• url – link to BBC web page for the show
• alternate_name – name on show page if it differs from index page
• occupation – whatever was listed as a tag line for the guest, typically their occupation or what they’re known for
• record – one of the 9 songs/tracks they selected to bring with them
• record_keep – their favorite song/track
• book – the book they chose to bring with them (only for more recent shows)
• luxury – luxury item they selected to bring with them (only for more recent shows)

Most of the column names should be self explanatory.

• MB_ID is the MusicBrainz ID for the composer or artist.
• “principal” tells whether the main heading for the item, as specified by the BBC was the composer or performer (it varies). The MusicBrainz ID also goes with this person.

Migrated from ScraperWiki when it was abandoned: Tom Morris / BBC Desert Island Discs picks
Based on (and replaces) a pair of scrapers: Francis Irving / Desert Island Disc broadcasts & Francis Irving / Desert Island Disc records)

Database reset & completely refreshed 1 Sept 2015