The Stage

C4 to broadcast Blunkett’s taped diaries

Published Wednesday 23 August 2006 at 13:15 by Liz Thomas

David Blunkett returns to Channel 4 this autumn almost a year after the controversial drama documentary A Very Social Secretary charting his fall from grace premiered on More4.

This time the former home secretary has chosen the station to broadcast details from his time in the cabinet the form of a two-part Dispatches special, to coincide with the publication of his memoirs recording his time in government, The Blunkett Tapes.

The broadcaster will also air Myra Hindley drama Longford, which stars Jim Broadbent, Samantha Morton and Andy Serkis. Mark Strong features in police corruption piece Low Winter Sun.

Meanwhile The Charlotte Church Show begins this autumn, a programme which sees the star take part in sketches, hidden camera tricks and interview guests. Channel 4 comedy head Andrew Newman said: “There is one great bit where Charlotte enters a lookalike competition and the judge tells her, “You’ve got this gift of looking just like her but you can’t sing.”

As The Stage exclusively revealed, the broadcaster is also launching a new comedy entitled Star Stories this autumn. Billed as a spoof in the style of The Comic Strip, the series sends up stars such as George Michael, David Beckham and Jude Law.

Russell Brand will front his own show on E4 and is being lined up for another gig on the main channel late in the year. Director of programmes Kevin Lygo said that he felt that Brand had grown enormously and was ready for his own vehicle.