Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy comes to ITV1 & ITVX
Never seen before by a UK audience, the ITN Productions' documentary has been updated by the producers since it first aired on Peacock in the US to feature brand new developments in the trial of Dr Salvador Plascencia who has been charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine.
The one-off film examines the life of the Friends star, Matthew Perry, and the extraordinary circumstances around his tragic death and the impact he had on fans across the world.
Matthew Perry's onscreen mother and Friends co-star, Morgan Fairchild, speaks candidly about Perry's drug addiction and working with the actor on Friends.
The documentary includes unique and revealing interviews with Hollywood insiders, US Sun journalist Katy Forrester, medical professionals and Martin Estrada, the District Attorney at the Central District of California US Attorney's office at the time of Perry's death, among others.
Sasha Breslau, ITV Head of Content Acquisitions, said: ' We're pleased to bring this in-depth and fascinating film to ITVX, documenting the life of one of television's best loved actors, Matthew Perry. The film hears first hand from those who knew Matthew, as well as telling the story of his untimely passing with updated developments not seen before.'
Commissioned by Peacock/NBC, the documentary first aired on the US streamer Peacock in February this year, with Blue Ant Studios overseeing the global licensing and distribution for the film to a UK audience.
Ian Russell, ITN Productions Head of International Programmes, said: 'Matthew Perry's story is known the world over. In making this documentary, our US and UK-based production team wanted to look beneath the headlines to tell a detailed story of this Hollywood star. Matthew Perry's story is truly a Hollywood tragedy. We set out to present the complexities around his life, the tragic circumstances around his death and his place in popular culture with sensitivity and insight.'
Gerbrig Blanksma, SVP, International Sales & Partnerships, Blue Ant Studios, said: "This latest sale to ITV in the UK is testament to the timeliness of the project in addition to ITN's thorough examination of the tragic end of Matthew Perry's life. Sales have already been made in nearly 20 territories globally and we expect interest in the documentary to continue."
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
ITVX
Launched in late 2022, ITVX is UK's freshest streaming service, letting viewers stream new programme exclusives, with adverts, for free; ranging from premium dramas, documentaries, US series, comedy and reality shows to blockbuster films and much, much more. ITVX is the first streaming service in the UK to offer viewers the flexibility to access free content with ads and ad-free paid subscription, all in one place. Paying subscribers also have access to BritBox UK. ITVX live streams must-watch events, from live sport to Love Island, as they are broadcast on ITV's channels. ITVX also offers an ever-changing host of exclusive themed channels in line with viewer preferences and popularity; these constantly evolving pop-up channels provide a scheduled experience through a streaming service.
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy was executive produced by Ian Russell, Head of International Programmes ITN Productions, Mike Griffiths and Robert Palumbo. It was directed by Robert Palumbo and the production manager was Nickie Hyde. It was commissioned by Cori Abraham, SVP NBCUniversal and is distributed worldwide by Blue Ant Studios. Produced by ITN Productions, post was in-house by ITN Post.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Laurence Fox ‘paedophile' posts would not have been taken seriously, appeal told
Social media posts by Laurence Fox referring to two people as paedophiles likely would not have been taken 'seriously' by many people, the Court of Appeal has heard. The actor was successfully sued by now- Stonewall CEO Simon Blake and drag artist Crystal over a row on Twitter, now known as X. Mr Fox called Mr Blake and the former RuPaul's Drag Race contestant, whose real name is Colin Seymour, 'paedophiles' in an exchange about a decision by Sainsbury's to mark Black History Month in October 2020. Mr Fox called for a boycott of the supermarket and was called 'a racist' by the pair, as well as broadcaster Nicola Thorp, before he responded with the 'paedophile' tweets which led to the libel claims. In two judgments in 2024, Mrs Justice Collins Rice ruled in favour of Mr Blake and Mr Seymour and said Mr Fox should pay the pair £90,000 each in damages. The judge dismissed Mr Fox's counter claims against the pair and Ms Thorp over tweets accusing him of racism. The 47-year-old is now challenging the rulings at the Court of Appeal in London, attending the first day of the hearing on Monday. Patrick Green KC, for Mr Fox, said in written submissions that the judgment which found Mr Fox had libelled the pair should be quashed due to 'errors of approach' by the judge, including over whether Mr Blake and Mr Seymour were caused serious harm. Mr Green said: 'Her conclusions were in any event, plainly wrong, on any fair consideration of the evidence.' The barrister added that Mrs Justice Collins Rice had wrongly decided damages for the two men, who, along with Ms Thorp, are opposing the appeal. Mr Green said that the decision on damages did not consider the actual words Mr Fox used 'and the likelihood that many or the vast majority of readers would have not have taken them seriously, particularly in their context'. The barrister said that in one of her rulings, the judge 'ignores the actual words used, or their all important context'. He also said the judge 'failed to account adequately or at all' for an apology Mr Fox made, or alleged misconduct by Mr Blake and Mr Seymour in 'exaggerating' the harm and distress caused. Mr Fox told the original trial in November 2023 that his use of the term was 'rhetorical', and 'there was no inference at any point that I thought they were a paedophile'. 'I was diminishing the ridiculousness of calling me a racist,' he said. And on Monday, Mr Green said it was clear Mr Fox was being rhetorical. The barrister told appeal judges: 'He's not saying 'I am a racist and they are paedophiles' and everyone understood it in that way.' Adrienne Page KC, for Mr Blake, Mr Seymour and Ms Thorp, said in written submissions that Mr Fox's appeal was 'lacking in merit'. She continued: 'The 'paedophile' tweets did not embody the appellant's opinions about Mr Blake and Mr Seymour. 'They conveyed factual imputations of the most serious defamatory character.' The barrister added there was 'no meaningful retraction or apology' by Mr Fox. She later said: 'Whichever way one looks at it, the judge was fully entitled to reach the factual conclusions that she did on the serious, real-world, reputational impact of the appellant's tweets, for the reasons which she gave. 'There was nothing wrong with her analysis in fact or law.' Ms Page added that Mr Fox's case at trial had been 'largely devoted to hypothesising, as already noted, a series of different scenarios as to the various ways or settings in which his tweets may have appeared to different readers'. 'After very careful and conscientious evaluation, the judge was, unsurprisingly, not persuaded of this on the facts,' she continued. Ms Page continued that the sums of £90,000 in damages awarded to the pair were 'unexceptionable'. The hearing before Lord Justice Dingemans, Lady Justice Elisabeth Laing and Lord Justice Warby is expected to conclude on Tuesday.
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Star Wars movie reclassified due to this classic scene
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace has been reclassified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) from a universal (U) rating to parental guidance (PG). The change was made due to "moderate violence" in a lightsaber fight, starship dogfights, and laser weapons, including a scene with brief "bloody detail". The reclassification was revealed in the BBFC's 2024 annual report and applied to the film 's cinema re-release last year. Other films also saw rating changes, with A Star Is Born moving from U to 12 due to implied suicide, and US TV comedy series Fraser from PG to 12 for language and drug references. These updates coincide with the BBFC classifying the highest number of films in its 112-year history in 2023, following new guidelines on sex scenes, violence, and drug misuse.
Daily Mirror
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
ITV drama to be hit with parent lock and 'trigger warning' over 'satanic' scenes
Inspector Morse is reported to have been handed a "trigger warning" on some episodes on its streaming platform ITVX ITV 's beloved Inspector Morse is set to include a new "trigger warning" on some of its episodes, causing quite a stir among fans online, with some labelling the move as "woke". The popular crime series will reportedly now feature a pre-warning before streaming on ITV's online platform, ITVX. One episode in question, titled Day of the Devil, will even come with a parental lock due to its potentially distressing content, including "satanic images". The broadcasting network has reportedly extended its warning to other past episodes, particularly those featuring crime and violence. The show, which aired for an impressive 13 years and spans eight series, remains a hit to this day. With streaming now popular across all age groups, it's crucial for internet giants to take necessary precautions. The contentious episode follows Inspector Morse, portrayed by John Thaw, and his reliable sidekick detective sergeant Robbie Lewis, played by Kevin Whately, as they track down a devil-worshipping cult involved in a serious rape offence, reports the Express. One particularly chilling scene depicts a Satanist being burned to death during a black mass. Senior MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke expressed his outrage about the alleged update to The Sun, warning that "Britain would soon be laughed at," for appearing overly sensitive. He declared: "This is another example of soft-touch Britain seeping into everything. We're just going to be laughed at as a country if things like this continue, because nobody's prepared for the real world." The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment. Previous alerts have formerly broadcast warnings over "programming that contains politically sensitive or distressing themes, content, or language has carried appropriate warnings since our launch". In more recent developments, Netflix found itself at the heart of controversy over a sequence that reportedly left "many millions of women hot under the collar". A moment from Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice, featuring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy emerging from lake waters back in 1995, has now been removed. It's understood the romantic drama's famous sequence was axed to prevent any "objectifying men" accusations being levelled at the streaming giant. According to The Sun, Netflix "did not want a repeat" of Poldark where Aidan Turner's shirtless scene sparked considerable controversy. A source revealed to the publication: "It is also credited for sparking subsequent moments of male objectification on screen - like Aidan Turner's famous topless scything scene in Poldark."
