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Airdate: The Curse of Comedy

David Walliams plays Brit comedian Frankie Howerd in a series that also includes the dramatisation of Steptoe and Son.

David Walliams is the perfect choice to play British comedian Frankie Howerd in one hour dramatisation of his life.

Who else can quite match his physicality while capturing his bawdy, slap and tickle humour?

The Curse of Comedy is a series for fans of British humour. The Howerd episode airs Saturday December 27 at 8:30pm

UK TV will also air the episode on Harry H Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell, better known as Steptoe and Son on Sunday December 28 at 8:30pm.

Press Release:
David Walliams stars as one of his own comedy favourites in this moving, humorous and poignant story of Howerd’s fight with his inner demons.

The actor and comedian says: “Playing Howerd is, in many ways, a dream role for me. In fact, Matt Lucas and I first bonded as struggling comedians over a shared love of Frankie Howerd impressions.”

Frankie Howerd is to this day an enduring and celebrated icon of British comedy, and his “thrice nays” and “titter ye not” have been immortalised in the canon of comedy catch-phrases. Behind the scenes, however, Howerd was a man riddled with professional doubts, conflicted by his homosexuality and wracked with depression. He kept his sexuality and relationship with partner Dennis Heymer secret until his death in 1992.

Stars: David Walliams, Dilys Laye and Rafe Spall

THE CURSE OF STEPTOE
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
Sunday December 28 at 8:30pm

Steptoe and Son remains a landmark in the history of British television. The series gave birth to the modern sitcom and transformed its actors – Harry H Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell – into national treasures.

Starring Jason Isaacs (The State Within) as Harry H Corbett and Phil Davis (Five Days) as Wilfrid Brambell, The Curse of Steptoe uncovers an unexpected and incredible tale of life imitating art. The sitcom told the story of two rag-and-bone men trapped together for all eternity. But out of the public eye an even stranger story was playing out, of two men yoked together unable to escape their inner complexities or each other. How their personal problems helped the show achieve success is one of the most revealing stories from the annals of BBC light entertainment history.

Based on interviews with colleagues, friends and family of Harry and Wilfrid, and Steptoe writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, The Curse Of Steptoe explores the incredible story of life behind the scenes.

2 Responses

  1. I’m really looking forward to these two dramatised biographies. I did read in a UK newspaper that the Brother In Law of Harry H Corbetts first wife claimed this drama (Curse of Steptoe) was slightly misleading. Apparently it shows the cancellation of the series and this then follows the breadown of his marriage and his decision to be a stay at home Dad and nt return to acting. The complaint was that the events took place with 8 years gap and so were un-related but the findings were that dramatic licence is usual when showing a 1 hour drama. It did however say that the BBC had agreed to re-edit any future repeat screenings to show this. It will be interesting to see if they have a subtitle or something showing the passing of years.

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