Sky Arts today announces a raft of documentaries uncovering brand new stories of artists past and present. One-off special The Numan Method coming this summer will chart the comeback of pop icon Gary Numan who appeared on stage at Wembley earlier this month after a 40-year hiatus. This will be followed by new series of documentaries, Lost and Found, an anthology of films spotlighting previously lost or undiscovered footage and archive material from the lives of singer-songwriter Nina Simone, poet Spike Milligan, writer Laurie Lee and singer Dame Cleo Laine.
Phil Edgar Jones, Director of Sky Arts, commented:
Getting under the skin of the process of creation is always a fascinating process and with this new raft of programming we can promise some incredible insights. In The Numan Method Gary Numan reveals how he used his neurodiverse super power to create truly original music; and with Lost and Found we'll be taking some incredible journeys into the lives, minds and themes that occupied some visionary artists. We hope this will entertain and inspire the Sky Arts audience.
The Numan Method (1x90)
On 7th May 2022, 40 years after he last played there, pioneering pop synth legend Gary Numan returned to the Wembley Arena for the comeback of a lifetime. It was his first performance at the world-famous venue since 1981, when Gary shocked his fans by announcing his retirement, stalling a meteoric rise which had included two number one hit singles and three number one albums.
New documentary The Numan Method (W/T) accompanies Gary on his road back to Wembley. With unprecedented access to Gary, his family and friends, it tells the moving story of a young man struggling to cope with the pressure cooker of fame, and unable to believe in his own immense talent.
With the amazing help and support of his wife Gemma, Gary found strategies to regain confidence, focus the superpower' of undiagnosed Asperger's and return, finally, to Wembley - now a deeply respected original artist and a stronger, happier fulfilled person.
Featuring Dave Grohl, Jean-Michel Jarre, Trent Reznor, Hans Zimmer and Gazelle Twin.
The Numan Method will air on Sky Arts, Freeview and NOW this summer.
Lost and Found (4x60)
A brand new anthology of documentaries bringing to light previously lost footage, interviews and archive material to unearth new stories about some of the most famous figures in the worlds of music, literature and art.
Featured in this series are a lost album from iconic singer-songwriter Nina Simone, discovered in an attic and brought back to life; never before aired film, interviews and scripts from inimitable comedian and poet Spike Milligan; unseen footage from the only TV interview ever given by Cider with Rosie writer Laurie Lee, and a tell-all interview with award-winning jazz, pop and classical singer Dame Cleo Laine accompanied by previously unseen footage from her own private archive.
Lost and Found documentaries will air on Sky Arts, Freeview and NOW later this year.
The Numan Method and Lost and Found were commissioned by Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland and Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment. Benedetta Pinelli and Barbara Lee are Commissioning Editors for Sky. The executive producer for The Numan Method is Sam Richards for Storyvault. The executive producers for Lost and Found are Duncan Staff and Marie Coyne for Longtail Films (Nina Simone, Laurie Lee), Sian Price for Yeti Television (Spike Milligan) and Victor Lewis-Smith (Dame Cleo Laine).
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact:
Lucy.butterfield@sky.uk
About Sky Arts
Sky Arts exists to bring more art to more people across the UK. In 2020, with the creative industries under serious threat, we threw open our doors to make the channel free for everyone to watch. We've redoubled our mission to increase access to the arts and we're committed to getting everyone involved as the industry recovers. The fact is, we need the arts now like never before, and Sky Arts brings them straight to your living room.
We have something for everyone, championing creative talent by showcasing the best in music, theatre, dance, literature, opera and visual art. From Glyndebourne to Grime and C zanne to The Style Council, we've got your passions covered. Millions of viewers tune in to hit returning series such as Portrait Artist of the Year, Urban Myths and British cultural institution The South Bank Show, but our acclaimed new programmes might take you anywhere from Pinter's house with Danny Dyer to a Scottish road trip with Samuel Johnson.
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Sky Arts is the headline sponsor of National Theatre Live in the UK, and we work with cultural partners across the country including the English National Opera, Royal Academy of Arts, Tate, Creative Industries Federation and Coventry City of Culture to name but a few.
You can watch Sky Arts for free on Freeview channel 11 and Freesat channel 147. If you've got Sky or a Now TV entertainment pass, you can also watch over 2,000 hours of shows exclusively on demand.
We're passionate about supporting the next generation of artists, so we're working with five leading Sky Arts Ambassadors - Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo, dance artist Akram Khan, conductor Charles Hazlewood, Theatre Royal Stratford East Artistic Director Nadia Fall, and sculptor Anish Kapoor - to run bursary schemes for new and emerging talent.
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