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• 2003

• Arts and culture
• Documentary

Summary

Alan Yentob hosts the long-running arts show which encompasses a wide variety of topics, interviews and discussions. Each series usually consisting of four to seven episodes.

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The Academy of Armando

Summary

Alan Yentob chats to Armando Iannucci about his career, from groundbreaking satirical comedy The Day Today, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, to adapting Stanley Kubrick's classic movie Dr Strangelove for the stage. With contributions from key collaborators including Chris Morris, Rebecca Front, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Palin, Steve Coogan, Chris Addison, Jesse Armstrong and Peter Capaldi

Review

David Butcher

This is one of the funniest Imagine profiles you’ll see. It’s great to be reminded of highlights from Armando Iannucci’s back catalogue — The Day Today, early Alan Partridge, The Thick of It, Veep and many more. His film The Death of Stalin follows on BBC1 at 11.55pm (not Wales or Northern Ireland).

But we also get clues as to why Arm, as his friends call him, has such a comedy Midas touch. We see a script on which he has written in the margin “shorter”, “funnier” or simply “better” — and we gather this is his trademark move. In one scene, the camera finds Iannucci on the set of Avenue 5, poised over a script, briskly striking out speeches one after another with a flick of his biro.

A string of collaborators sing his praises, including Jesse Armstrong (creator of Succession), Chris Morris and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Peter Capaldi says of Iannucci’s improv-y way of working, “You can’t ever go back to acting the way you did before.” It adds up to a multi-angled portrait of a great satirist, forever worried he’s about to be found out.

How to watch

Next showing

There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

Streaming

• BBC iPlayer

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Credits

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rolenamePresenterAlan YentobSeries editorAlan YentobParticipantArmando IannucciParticipantPeter CapaldiParticipantJesse ArmstrongParticipantChris AddisonParticipantSteve CooganParticipantMichael PalinParticipantJulia Louis-DreyfusParticipantRebecca FrontParticipantChris MorrisParticipantMarina HydeParticipantNikki Amuka-BirdParticipantDoon MackichanExecutive producerTanya HudsonProducerCatherine AbbottDirectorCatherine Abbott

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All episodes

• The Academy of Armando

  Summary

  Alan Yentob chats to Armando Iannucci about his career, from groundbreaking satirical comedy The Day Today, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, to adapting Stanley Kubrick's classic movie Dr Strangelove for the stage. With contributions from key collaborators including Chris Morris, Rebecca Front, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Palin, Steve Coogan, Chris Addison, Jesse Armstrong and Peter Capaldi

  Review

  David Butcher

  This is one of the funniest Imagine profiles you’ll see. It’s great to be reminded of highlights from Armando Iannucci’s back catalogue — The Day Today, early Alan Partridge, The Thick of It, Veep and many more. His film The Death of Stalin follows on BBC1 at 11.55pm (not Wales or Northern Ireland).

  But we also get clues as to why Arm, as his friends call him, has such a comedy Midas touch. We see a script on which he has written in the margin “shorter”, “funnier” or simply “better” — and we gather this is his trademark move. In one scene, the camera finds Iannucci on the set of Avenue 5, poised over a script, briskly striking out speeches one after another with a flick of his biro.

  A string of collaborators sing his praises, including Jesse Armstrong (creator of Succession), Chris Morris and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Peter Capaldi says of Iannucci’s improv-y way of working, “You can’t ever go back to acting the way you did before.” It adds up to a multi-angled portrait of a great satirist, forever worried he’s about to be found out.

  How to watch

  Next showing

  There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

  Streaming

  • BBC iPlayer

  Details

  Languages

  Formats

  Colour

  Credits

  Crew

  rolenamePresenterAlan YentobSeries editorAlan YentobParticipantArmando IannucciParticipantPeter CapaldiParticipantJesse ArmstrongParticipantChris AddisonParticipantSteve CooganParticipantMichael PalinParticipantJulia Louis-DreyfusParticipantRebecca FrontParticipantChris MorrisParticipantMarina HydeParticipantNikki Amuka-BirdParticipantDoon MackichanExecutive producerTanya HudsonProducerCatherine AbbottDirectorCatherine Abbott

  Show more

  • Share on facebook
  • Share on twitter
  • Share on pinterest
  • Share on reddit
  • Email to a friend

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How to watch

Next showing

There are no live broadcasts scheduled for this show. But it is available via the streaming provider below.

Streaming

• Prime Video

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