Billy Connolly s Big Send Off. Preview - Wednesday 7 May on ITV

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Billy Connolly's Big Send Off

Starts Wednesday 7 May at 9pm on ITV

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Death has always been a subject of interest to comedian and actor Billy Connolly and across this two-part series, he looks it squarely in the face.

Visiting his home town of Glasgow as well as different parts of the USA, Billy aims to get an insight into the rich variety of attitudes, belief systems, rituals and customs relating to death that are woven into different cultures and communities.

In his trademark curious, humorous and candid manner Billy examines the death industry', and how and where we lay our loved ones to rest, as he tackles a subject considered by many to be the last taboo.

Along the way, Billy shares his own thoughts on death, what he hopes will happen at his own funeral and how he would like to be remembered.

Billy s quest brings him into the company of people from diverse backgrounds. Learning what death means to different communities, he immerses himself in a range of experiences, witnessing a voodoo ceremony, visiting a drive-through funeral parlour, meeting a dying man and talking frankly about death with his pal Eric Idle.

Video transcript

I had a funny week, on the Monday I got hearing aids, on the Tuesday I got pills for heartburn which I have to take all the time. And on the Wednesday I got news that I had prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. They told me on the phone, they said, Look we've had the result and it's cancer. And I said, Oh no-body's ever said that to me before.' And Pamela was standing behind me and gave me a bit of a cuddle but I wasn't unduly worried."

The Parkinson's was strange because it was a man in a hotel who spotted it. He said excuse me Billy, I'm a big fan and I don't want to depress you or anything but I'm a surgeon from Tasmania and I think the way you walk', no he said your gait would suggest you have early on-set Parkinson's Disease, see your doctor' and he was right.

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