Richard E Grant is to present a three-part series on Ealing Comedies on Gold. 

The documentary series promises a wealth of never-before-seen footage and stills of one of British cinema’s most iconic brands.

Grant tells the story of the film studio during its heyday and looks at the impact the modestly budgeted movies have had on British humour. He will be joined by a host of famous faces, comedy heroes and iconic filmmakers including Mike Myers, Peter Capaldi, Michael Palin, Stephen Fry, Eric Idle and Paul Whitehouse, all sharing their memories of classic movies.

The star of Withnail & I said, "Between 1939 and 1955, comedy gold was mined at Ealing with the 40 carat talents of Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway and the inimitable Joan Greenwood, to name but a few. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to present these documentaries. Ealing for me was the studio that put Britain on the cinematic map and it’s been great to have the chance to watch all the films again and chat to both my friends and the people who share my love of Ealing Comedy.”

To celebrate the new series Gold will also air a season of classic films including Passport to Pimlico, Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Lavender Hill Mob.

Richard Dean, series producer and director for Phil McIntyre TV said, “I’ve always wanted to work with Richard E Grant, and after filming with him over the past few months, it has to be said that he’s lived up to all of my expectations – he’s extremely funny, incredibly knowledgeable and completely unpredictable. I hope the Gold audience enjoys watching these three Ealing documentaries as much as we have enjoyed making them… to put it in Mr Grant’s words, ‘It’s been a blast’.

Richard E. Grant On... Ealing Comedies starts on Sunday, September 18 on Gold at 7pm.