March 5th, 2010 2 comments

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Catherine Tate – A celebration of the TV sidekick

A celebration of the TV sidekick
Tuesday, 21:00 on BBC Four

Narrated by Catherine Tate (Donna Noble to David Tennant’s Dr Who), Sidekick Stories looks at the role of the assistant/companion on television, from drama to sitcom, and light entertainment to children’s programmes.

What are the literary antecedents of the TV sidekick – and who’s the greatest of them all? What’s the dramatic function of the game show hostess? Did the That’s Life reporters feel emasculated? How do you create a memorable robot? And what’s it like playing straight man to a puppet?

We examine the role of the companion in Dr Who (the man with the most sidekicks in TV history) and reveal the hidden talents of the magician’s assistant. There’s Edward Hardwicke on how to play Dr Watson; Andrew Sachs on the enduring appeal of Manuel, and Isla St Clair on life as ‘principal boy’ to Larry Grayson’s ‘dame’.

The show also features Ian Carmichael (Lord Peter Wimsey; Jeeves and Wooster) in his last ever television interview.

Credits

Narrator Catherine Tate
Participant Andrew Sachs
Participant Edward Hardwicke
Participant Tony Robinson
Participant Elisabeth Sladen
Participant Robert Llewellyn
Participant Marshall Lancaster
Participant Isla St Clair
Participant Matthew Corbett
Participant Roy North
Participant Debbie McGee
Participant Matthew Sweet
Participant Kim Newman
Participant David Quantick
Participant Val McDermid

Director Rachel Boyd
Producer Rachel Boyd
Executive Producer John Moulson