BBC4 makes Frankie Howerd biopic

Published Tuesday 27 November 2007 at 13:30 by Matthew Hemley

Exclusive: BBC4 is developing a 60-minute film about the life and work of comedian Frankie Howerd as part of a raft of new biographical dramas being planned for 2008.

The channel is understood to be keen to follow the success it has had with recent biopics on music hall legend Marie Lloyd and television chef Fanny Craddock, both of which attracted good audiences, and has lined up the Howerd drama alongside one-offs on the actors behind comedy classic Steptoe and Son, Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett, and the television gameshow host Hughie Green.

Last week, the channel also announced a drama about Tony Hancock, starring Rebus actor Ken Stott and Maxine Peake.

BBC controller of drama production John Yorke told The Stage that biographical dramas are an important part of BBC4’s schedule.

He said: “BBC4 found there is a real appetite for biopics about the recent past and it suddenly became a really exciting area. You do people like Fanny Cradock and Isabella Beeton who people might remember from their childhood - because that is BBC4’s demographic - and it is a really interesting area. It is just about getting the right subject matter, but comedians like Howerd have fairly colourful stories anyway.”

Yorke also said that the biopics could normally be made on lower budgets than other dramas.

He added: “You can make films for £500,000. It is not easy and the writing has to be brilliant. Although it means you sometimes have to sacrifice the bigger names to star in them, what you find is, if it is the right project, they will come and do it.”

Howerd, who died in 1992, was best known for his work in the TV series Up Pompeii. He also appeared in some of the Carry On movies and was awarded an OBE in 1977.

Casting for the new biopics has not yet been announced.