Two-hour special coming soon

Paul Merton is to pay tribute to some of his comedy inspirations in a two-hour Channel 5 documentary.

The show will cover his love of vintage stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, as well as more modern comedians including Victoria Wood and Jo Brand.

‘It’s a pleasure to bring some of the best comedians of the past 100 years out of retirement and into your homes for a fantastic fun-filled festival of laughter,’ the Have I Got News For You regular said in a statement.

The programme, Paul Merton’s Comic Heroes, is being made by Spun Gold Media, whose managing director Daniela Neuman added: ‘Paul will reunite viewers will some of their favourite comedians and clips, as well as uncovering hidden treasures in a programme which will be lots of fun and bring us joy – the perfect commission for these difficult times.’

Merton previously made the series Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood and Paul Merton’s Silent Clowns for the BBC, as well as writing the book Silent Comedy about his beloved genre.

Spun Gold’s previous shows include Britain’s Great Gay Buildings with Stephen Fry,  Celebrity Carry On Barging and several Royal documentaries,

Published: 7 May 2020