ITV
Danny Dyer faces ‘The Assembly’
Best on the Box choice for April 26th…
New ITV entertainment series, The Assembly, which will see celebrities being questioned by a remarkable group of inquisitive interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled, launches 10.05pm tonight (Saturday 26th) on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Each episode sees a different celebrity forced to cast aside everything they were ever taught by their media trainers as they each face their most honest, funny, chaotic – and heartwarming – interview to date. Carefully considered PR fluff won’t cut it on this show, and the celebrities can expect plenty of mischief and surprises once they get in the hotseat…
First to face The Assembly is Rivals and former EastEnders performer, Danny Dyer. A national treasure known for his frank, no-nonsense outlook, Danny is the ideal candidate for an interview where no area is out of bounds and no question is off the table.
“I feel like this was probably the most open and honest interview that I’ve ever given. I trusted everybody in the room, and it took a little while to win everybody over, but I think I did that. It was very emotional for me.” – Danny Dyer
David Tennant is next in the hotseat (10pm, Sunday 27th April), while later episodes will feature Jade Thirlwall and Gary Lineker.
The show’s format is an adaptation of French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, created by Kiosco TV and Quad Ten and distributed by Can’t Stop Media, which launched in 2022 on France 2. The show featured appearances from notable French figures including Killing Eve star Camille Cottin and even President Emmanuel Macron, who was memorably asked by the panel if it’s really role model behaviour to marry one’s teacher. As well as the UK, the format has already been adapted with success in Australia, Denmark, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, and is currently in production in eight other territories.
“I think the great thing about the cast of The Assembly is that they’re very, very authentic. There are no masks, as such, so I do have slight concerns about fame for some of them. The perks are great but there’s also a cruelty that comes with it – especially online. That concerns me slightly, because I really do think this show is going to blow up, and I hope they’re treated with the respect that they deserve.” – Danny Dyer
The Assembly has been commissioned as part of ITV’s Diversity Commissioning Fund. Launched in 2022, the fund reserved £80m of the content commissioning budget over the next three years to help drive change towards racial equity and disability equity, in whose stories get told and who gets opportunities in TV production. The fund is crucial to ensure that ITV commissions content about and by People of Colour and Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent people.
The Assembly launches 10.05pm Saturday 26th and 10pm Sunday 27th April on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player. Stream on ITVX and STV Player from 7am.
