Gold to profile comedians in new series 'The Interviews'
TV channel Gold has announced a new factual comedy commission.
The Interviews will focus on the careers and personal stories of comedians, using their most memorable moments from British TV chat shows and beyond to build up a full auto-biographical profile.
The six-part series, narrated by Dawn French, will focus on Kenneth Williams, The Two Ronnies, Les Dawson, Spike Milligan and the double-act Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.
Actor Oliver Reed, who long battled alcoholism and famously appeared drunk on Michael Aspel's chat show, will also be the subject of a profile.
The channel explains: "By mining the archives, each episode pieces together their lives, as told down the years to the master interviewers, Parkinson, Harty, Wogan, Bragg, Ross, Norton, as well as inquisitors, such as Michael Aspel, Des O'Connor, and Mavis Nicholson.
"Away from the chat show studios, other footage from highly personal documentary interviews and radio specials will give audiences a rare insight into the fascinating lives of these icons."
John Quinn of production company North One, says: "The best biographies feature those closest to the subject, the ones who really knew them best. We have just extended that logic, limiting ourselves solely to first-person testimony.
"The wealth of archive footage where the subjects discuss their extraordinary lives really did exceed all our expectations. From traditional talk-shows to more in-depth documentary films, the likes of Kenneth Williams, Oliver Reed and Spike Milligan never flinch from the truth - these are really moving and honest self-portraits."
Commissioning Editor Iain Coyle comments: "The Interviews is a unique way of doing biography through chat show appearances, as the guests' stories are told straight from the horse's mouth.
"We are delighted Dawn French will add her warm and authoritative voiceover which will bring each episode together. It is a privilege for Gold to have the opportunity to craft, with North One, a compelling show that perfectly captures the personalities of our comedy legends."
General Manager of Gold, Steve North, added: "The Interviews features some of the sharpest and most inventive comic minds ever to grace the sofas of our infamous TV chat shows. From Les Dawson's one-liners and gruff persona to the unpredictable and rebellious nature of Spike Milligan's interviews, the Gold audience is in for a rare, enthralling and hilarious treat.
"This commission complements Gold's other brand new series, Bob Monkhouse: The Million Joke Man, and is a signal of our commitment to originating brand new and exclusive content for Gold."
The Interviews will premiere on Gold in June 2015. In the meantime, BBC Two will broadcast Talking Comedy, its own archive show featuring footage of comedians appearing on chat shows, from Friday this week.