Hollywood actor Michael Sheen, who played David Frost in the Hollywood movie Frost/Nixon is to celebrate the legendary interviewers five decades in television in a special documentary for BBC Radio 2.
The doc, which is the latest to be made by radio indie Made in Manchester, will include a brand new interview with Sir David as he remembers the turning points in his pioneering career.
Hello, Good Evening and Welcome: The David Frost Story is part of Radio 2’s 60s season and looks at David’s work on ground-breaking shows like That Was The Week That Was and The Frost Report.
Co Producer Ashley Byrne says: “People don’t often realise it but Sir David’s contribution to both journalism and entertainment in Britain and America has been huge.
“Sir David’s talent spotting helped to launch the careers of many household names including The Two Ronnies while his entrepreneurial skills saw him co-found both London Weekend Television and TV-AM as well as his own production company – Paradine Productions.”
David Frost has produced eight films (including The Slipper and The Rose), he’s written more than a dozen books and was orchestrating global charity music concerts long before Live Aid was ever thought of. He planned and organised the 1979 UNICEF Gift of a Song Concert in New York which was beamed all around the world with acts like The Bee Gees, Rod Stewart and Abba supporting the cause.
Co Producer Andrew Edwards adds: “Sir David is the only person ever to interview the past 7 US Presidents and his interview with Nixon would go on to be the most widely watched news interview in the history of television. He also interviewed every UK Prime Minister from Harold Wilson to Gordon Brown.”
Ashley Byrne continues: “Michael Sheen is a perfect presenter for this programme. Having studied Sir David so closely for Frost/Nixon, he quite literally knows him inside out. And of course, he’s such a wonderful mimic, that he drifts effortlessly into ‘Frost-speak’ every now and then too.”
The programme includes archive of David’s interview with Robert Kennedy (just weeks before he was assassinated) and of course his famous interview with disgraced US President Richard Nixon.
The hour-long tribute which airs at 10pm tonight (June 9th 2010) includes anecdotes from Ronnie Corbett, Sir Michael Parkinson, Dame Cleo Laine, actress Shiela Steafal, Reggie Perrin creator David Nobbs, singer-songwriter Julie Felix, Bee Gee Robin Gibb and former Coronation Street/Carry On and Randall and Hopkirk deceased star Kenneth Cope.