Documentary providing the definitive exploration of Britain's funniest and most complex comic performer. From a childhood dominated by his adoring mother and bullying father to a lonely suicidal end tortured with regrets, it spans an extraordinary life and career using clips from his unforgettable performances on radio, stage, film and TV; interviews with those who knew him best, including John Schlessinger, Hugh Paddick, Sheila Hancock, Alan Simpson, Peter Shaffer, Miriam Margolyes, Derek Nimmo, Leslie Phillips and Michael Parkinson; and readings from his searingly candid diaries. The film enjoys the best of his appearances in everything from Round the Horne and Just a Minute on radio to his dominance of the Carry Ons and TV chat shows as it reveals the painful, personal truths behind the brilliant facade.

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