Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four Winter/Spring 2008
Drama season
David Walliams, Trevor Eve, Ken Stott, Jason Isaacs, Phil Davis and Maxine Peake lead a commanding cast in a season exploring the extraordinary off-camera lives of Frankie Howerd, Hughie Green and Tony Hancock, as well as Harry H Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell – the stars of Steptoe And Son.
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Frankie Howerd – Rather You Than Me
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David Walliams takes on his "dream role" as Frankie Howerd, one of Britain's best-loved television entertainers.
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This moving, humorous and poignant story reveals Howerd's fight with his inner demons. Howerd remains an enduring and celebrated icon of British comedy and his "thrice nays" and "titter ye nots" have been immortalised in the canon of comedy catch-phrases.
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In private, however, he suffered stage-fright, bouts of depression and inner conflict about his homosexuality. His sexuality and relationship with partner Dennis Heymer – played by Rafe Spall (Room With A View) – were kept a secret until his death in 1992.
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SH3
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Hughie Green, Most Sincerely
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Hughie Green was the avuncular frontman of the hugely successful family television shows Opportunity Knocks and Double Your Money.
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Off-screen, however, his life was complex. His professional rivalry with Stars On Sunday presenter Jess Yates and his serial womanising produced an explosive secret: Green was the biological father of Paula Yates.
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With Trevor Eve (Waking The Dead) as Green and Mark Benton (The Street) as Yates, Hughie Green, Most Sincerely is an exploration of what family and fatherhood means and a parable about the destructive power of success and celebrity.
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LG
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The Curse Of Steptoe
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Steptoe And Son is a landmark in the history of British television. It gave birth to the modern sitcom and transformed its actors – Harry H Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell – into national treasures. Off-camera, however, an even stranger story was playing out.
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Starring Jason Isaacs (The State Within) as Corbett and Phil Davis (Five Days) as Brambell, The Curse Of Steptoe is the inside story of the Sixties sitcom and a poignant tale of two incompatible men bound together by success.
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CD2
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Hancock & Joan
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Starring Ken Stott (Rebus) as comic icon Tony Hancock, with Maxine Peake (Shameless) as Joan Le Mesurier, this film tells the story of Hancock's love affair with his best friend's wife, his battle with drink and his final fateful TV series in Australia.
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Only months after her marriage to Dad's Army favourite John Le Mesurier, Joan fell in love with his best friend, Tony Hancock. Hancock was newly sober and desperate to resurrect his career with the offer of a new series on the other side of the world. Though besotted with Joan, he was struggling.
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After months of turmoil, Joan gave him an ultimatum: if he made a go of Australia and stayed sober for a year, she would leave her husband. Hancock left, determined to win her over but, tragically, he never returned.
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EF/RI
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Three programmes accompany the dramas:
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The Frost Report Is Back!
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The Frost Report Is Back! is a celebration of The Frost Report, hosted by Sir David Frost. The evening takes a nostalgic look back at the sketches and humour of 40 years ago and includes a studio panel and interviews with the surviving original cast.
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Front Desk
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Marty Feldman – Six Degrees Of Separation
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In the first major profile of the comedian, Marty Feldman – Six Degrees Of Separation explores Feldman's remarkable career through his collaborations. John Cleese, Sir David Frost, Michael Palin, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Denis Norden examine his influence on the Python generation, and distinguished collaborators assess Marty's Hollywood career.
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Front Desk
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Auntie's War On Smut
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Narrated by Griff Rhys Jones, Auntie's War On Smut is a quirky and distinctive film about the death of prim Britain at the hands of innuendo. Post-war society was becoming more tolerant but the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ was not ready to open the gates to smut. This remarkable slice of social history features contributions and interviews with producers and comedians who lived through the era. (Note to Editors: this programme was originally called The Green Book).
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Front Desk
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