Boris Johnson Documentary Series Set at Channel 4
As the race to choose his successor heats up, broadcaster Channel 4 has revealed plans for a documentary series on outgoing U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson.
The four-part series, with the working title “Boris,” will feature hour-long episodes, which, “through a combination of rare archive footage and with access to those with intimate knowledge of Johnson over the years… will hear from both his friends and enemies to reveal his true persona,” according to Channel 4. It will explore how the seeds of political rivalry began in the corridors of Eton where Johnson beat former prime minister David Cameron to the role of school captain, his campaign for becoming student president at Oxford, going on to examining his rise to power, from becoming mayor of London to U.K. prime minister.
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Channel 4 chief content officer Ian Katz said: “However the story of Boris Johnson’s political career ends, he has done more to change Britain and the nature of our politics than any other recent political figure. This landmark series will try answer the question of what shaped the boy who wanted to be king of the world and how he grew to believe that he could escape the laws of political gravity.”
The series was commissioned by Channel 4 head of factual entertainment Alf Lawrie and commissioning editor of factual entertainment Tim Hancock and is a 72 Films production (“The Trump Show”).
Michael Winterbottom’s drama series “This England,” starring Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, will bow on Sky in the fall.
Meanwhile, after heated debates on Channel 4 last week and ITV on Sunday, the next showdown among the Conservative party contenders for U.K. prime minister, scheduled for Tuesday on Sky News, has been canceled after former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and current Foreign Secretary Liz Truss declined to participate.
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