Gogglebox to reveal unseen Frankie Howerd
The life and work of legendary comic Frankie Howerd will be celebrated in an intimate portrait for Channel 4 that features never-before-seen footage.
The 90-minute Gogglebox Entertainment documentary will feature clips from Howerd’s classic shows alongside professional and personal archive footage. Pilots, home-movie footage and unseen material from his live stand-up show will all be included in the programme, which is set to be broadcast at the end of the year.
The Unseen Frankie Howerd will also look at his extensive collection of correspondence, including exchanges with Sir Laurence Olivier, and film inside his house, much of which remains untouched since Frankie lived there.
The film also features interviews with Howerd’s famous fans and the people who were closest to him, including his agent and collaborators.
Howerd passed away in 1992 after 40 years as a comedian and entertainer. He made his first stage appearance when he was 13 years old and went on to star in BBC series Comedy Playhouse and The Howerd Confessions on ITV in the 1970s.
Gogglebox also made The Untold Tommy Cooper and the Howerd doc, like that one, is being produced and directed by Andy Humphries.
Gogglebox’s Mat Steiner said: “Frankie was a pioneer who cleared a path for some of today’s biggest comedians.” C4 head of comedy Shane Allen ordered the film.