iPlayer snooker film The Rack Pack to be shown on BBC Two
- BBC iPlayer comedy film The Rack Pack is to be shown on BBC Two
- The TV repeat follows over 1 million requests for the snooker comedy on iPlayer
- It will be shown on BBC Two on 30th April at 9:30pm, after a World Snooker Championship semi-final
The Rack Pack, BBC iPlayer's first ever comedy drama feature film, is to be broadcast on BBC Two following its success online.
A broadcast of the comedy has been set for the 30th April at 9:30pm, which will be directly after the semi-final of the World Snooker Championship.
The Rack Pack, which focuses on the glory days of the Seventies and Eighties snooker scene, was released exclusively on BBC iPlayer in January and made it into the top 20 most requested titles that month. It has now built up over 1 million requests in total, making it the most successful BBC iPlayer Original to date.
Directed by Brian Welsh, the comedy tells the story tells of the rivalry between Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins (played by Luke Treadaway), whose natural talent and showmanship transformed the image of the traditional game and captivated audiences across the country, and Steve 'The Nugget' Davis (Will Merrick) who under the guidance of manager Barry Hearn (Kevin Bishop) dominated the sport throughout the Eighties and ushered in a new era of professionalism.
The BBC says of the programme - which was written by Shaun Pye, Mark Chappell and Alan Connor: "This BBC iPlayer Original takes viewers on a rip roaring romp through the snooker scene of Eighties Britain; it is a celebration of the huge personalities of the time and an affectionate look at a gloriously nostalgic period of this very British sport."
Victoria Jaye, Head of TV Content for BBC iPlayer, says: "We're thrilled BBC iPlayer's first original drama feature film, The Rack Pack, will be shown on BBC Two. The film has been a massive hit with iPlayer audiences, attracting over 1 million requests to date. The film will be the perfect complement to BBC Two's coverage of the World Snooker Championship, delighting audiences who haven't already discovered it on iPlayer. The Rack Pack is a great example of how BBC iPlayer's role within the TV channel portfolio is transforming. No longer is BBC iPlayer just about distributing yesterday's TV, it's about originating the TV of tomorrow."