Peter Capaldi
Cricklewood Greats

Cricklewood Greats

  • TV comedy
  • BBC Four
  • 2012
  • 1 episode

Spoof documentary written by and starring Peter Capaldi which explores the greatest stars of Cricklewood's legendary film studios. Also features Kelly Adams, Ben Aldridge, Cavan Clerkin, Hazel Douglas, Tim Downie and more.

Cricklewood Greats. Image shows from L to R: Peter Capaldi, Terry Gilliam. Copyright: BBC

Key details

Genre
Comedy
Broadcast
2012
Channel
BBC Four
Episodes
1
Creator
Peter Capaldi
Stars
Peter Capaldi, Kelly Adams, Ben Aldridge, Cavan Clerkin, Hazel Douglas, Tim Downie, Andrew Hawley, Henry Lloyd-Hughes and more
Writers
Peter Capaldi and Tony Roche
Director
Peter Capaldi
Producers
Adam Tandy and Paul Schlesinger
Company

Cricklewood Greats is a spoof documentary and personal journey of discovery, which reveals the greatest forgotten stars of the legendary Cricklewood Film Studios, featuring clips from the many films that were produced in this iconic North London landmark.

Cricklewood Film Studios doesn't really exist. In fact, every frame of footage has been lovingly restored from the vaults of Peter Capaldi's fertile imagination.

The show will take viewers from the early silent movie experiments of Arthur Sim, through the 1930s comedies of Florrie Fontaine and the glory years of the "Thumbs Up" movies, to the 1970s exploitation horror movies starring Lionel Crisp, and the ultimate folie de grandeur of Terry Gilliam's Professor Hypochondria's Magical Odyssey which finally destroyed the studios in the early 1980s.

Peter Capaldi says: "It's weathered many a storm but the British film industry is, thankfully, still afloat. However, more than a few souls have been thrown overboard along the way and I'm therefore delighted that BBC Four has allowed me to explore the lives of some of these now forgotten icons of British cinema. Finally, the role of Cricklewood Studios and its greats will be recognised. It's a privilege to be able to shine the spotlight on them once more."

Additional details

Production
Studio
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Sunday 5th February 2012 at 9pm on BBC Four
Episode length
40 minutes
Most recent repeats
  • Tuesday 3rd February 2015 at 12:30am on BBC4
  • Friday 29th August 2014 at 2:10am on BBC4
  • Monday 25th August 2014 at 11:10pm on BBC4

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