The four-part series is produced by Rockerdale Studios…
ITV has commissioned a major new entertainment series, The Assembly that will see celebrities being questioned by a remarkable group of inquisitive interviewers who are autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled.
Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment & Daytime ITV:
“The Assembly is such a distinct, clever and authentic format, and one that we’re absolutely thrilled to commission for a full first series for ITV1 and ITVX. I can’t wait for The Assembly interviewers to ask our brilliant cast of celebrities a plethora of burning questions, which will no doubt make for must watch TV.”
Each half-hour episode of the programme sees a different celebrity forced to cast aside everything they were ever taught by their media trainers as they face their most honest, funny, chaotic – and heartwarming – interview yet.
The stars on the line-up – to be announced in due course – come from various corners of the showbiz world, and with each of them enjoying illustrious careers in their respective fields, the list of subject matters for our unique collective to explore is endless. No area is out of bounds and no question is off the table. Carefully considered PR fluff won’t cut it on this show.
The Assembly first aired in the UK to critical acclaim earlier this year as a 30-minute BBC pilot featuring actor and director Michael Sheen who later said, “The Assembly’s had more response than anything I’ve ever done” (The Guardian, August 2024).
“Together with ITV, Rockerdale has worked with national and local, autistic and neurodivergent organisations to ensure every element of The Assembly works for and with autistic and neurodivergent voices.” – ITV
The show’s format is an adaptation of French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, which launched in 2022 on France 2. The UK programme 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 will air on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player in 2025.
