Out Now on DVD – Legends of Comedy

Taken from the highly acclaimed BBC Four series ‘The Curse Of Comedy’ Legends includes three of the four plays (Hancock and Joan is missing).  All actors put in great performances portraying the cracks beneath the success.  With Frankie Howerd it was his sexuality and Walliams puts in such a good performance you could be forgiven for thinking Howerd was still alive.  It’s a pity Hancock and Joan is not included as it was insight into a tortured genius.  However it does not detract from the enjoyment.  If you like to get behind the stars that made us all laugh this is a must see.

Summary

These three compelling dramas reveal the extraordinary and often turbulent off-camera lives of some of Britain’s favourite comedians. Based on the testimonies of friends, colleagues and family members, these fascinating portrayals uncover the turmoil and heartache found behind the laughter.

Frankie Howerd, Rather You Than Me

Frankie Howerd is to this day an enduring and celebrated icon of British comedy, well known for his camp persona and classic catchphrases. However behind the scenes, Howerd was racked with depression and self loathing. In this compelling one-off drama, David Walliams (Little Britain) gets to play one of his own comedy favourites, telling the moving, humorous and poignant story of Howerd’s fight with his inner demons.

The Curse Of Steptoe

Steptoe and Son was one of the most successful comedy series ever, giving birth to the modern sitcom and transforming its actors into national treasures. It told the story of two rag-and-bone men, Harry H Corbett (played by Jason Isaacs) and Wilfrid Brambell (Phil Davis), trapped together for eternity. But off-screen, a stranger story would mirror fiction, as the two men find themselves unable to escape their inner complexities or each other.

Hughie Green, Most Sincerely

Starring Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead), this fascinating drama tells the inside story of Hughie Green, the avuncular front man of Opportunity Knocks and Double Your Money. Hughie’s professional rivalry with Stars On Sunday presenter Jess Yates (Mark Benton) and serial womanising ultimately produced an explosive celebrity secret. This drama tells of the destructive power of success and celebrity, and explores what family and fatherhood meant to this iconic character. These three compelling dramas reveal the extraordinary and often turbulent off-camera lives of some of Britain’s favourite comedians. Based on the testimonies of friends, colleagues and family members, these fascinating portrayals uncover the turmoil and heartache found behind the laughter.