ITV to air Des O'Connor tribute
- ITV will broadcast a documentary about Des O'Connor
- Des O'Connor: The Ultimate Entertainer charts the career of the star, who died last month
ITV is to air a tribute to Des O'Connor in mid-December.
Des O'Connor: The Ultimate Entertainer is due to air on the evening of Sunday 13th December, following the TV star's death last month.
The hour-long documentary will "provide an intimate portrayal of how Des went from Butlins Redcoat to become the ultimate entertainer".
Born in Stepney, East London, on 12th January 1932, he died in hospital on Saturday 14th November following a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire.
Producers explain: "This will be a tribute to the longest-serving prime-time TV host of all time, who topped theatre bills globally, including more than a thousand solo appearances at the London Palladium. And despite much mockery from Morecambe & Wise, he released 36 chart-topping albums."
Made by ITN, production on the programme began earlier in 2020 when O'Connor, aged 88, decided to retire from regular work.
The programme will feature contributions from colleagues, family and friends including Jonathan Ross, Jay Leno, Melanie Sykes, Bradley Walsh, Joe Pasquale, Alan Davies, Elaine Paige, Cliff Richard, Jimmy Tarbuck, Sheila Ferguson, Jodie Brooke Wilson and Adam O'Connor.
Des O'Connor
Singer, talk show host, comedian and legendary entertainer, Des O'Connor has been a mainstay of the light entertainment industry since he first made his way onto television screens in the 1950s. Acclaimed for his work on both stage and television, his successful black and white 1960s variety series - The Des O'Connor Show - was so popular that his first colour series in 1970 garnered him a massive international following, being shown all over the world and transmitted prime-time in America.
This special volume contains the best bits of this hit 1970 series, featuring a wonderful mixture of comedy and music. Terry-Thomas, Val Doonican, Dusty Springfield, Liberace, Jimmy Edwards, Lonnie Donegan, Sacha Distel, Sandie Shaw, Matt Monro, Roy Hudd, Harry Secombe and many more stars join Des and his regulars Jack Douglas (more often than not in the guise of Alf Ippititimus) and the statuesquely gorgeous Valerie Leon in over five hours of unforgettable entertainment from 1970.
First released: Monday 22nd June 2009
DVD- Distributor: Network
- Region: 2
- Discs: 2
- Catalogue: 7952988
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