A HOLLYWOOD TRAGEDY: ITV ACQUIRES MATTHEW PERRY DOCUMENTARY

ITV has acquired the fascinating documentary, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy, arriving on ITV1 and ITVX, 9pm, on August 18th. 

Never seen before by a UK audience, the ITN Productions' documentary has been updated by the producers since it first aired on Peacock in the US to feature brand new developments in the trial of Dr Salvador Plascencia who has been charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine.

The one-off film examines the life of the Friends star, Matthew Perry, and the extraordinary circumstances around his tragic death and the impact he had on fans across the world.

Matthew Perry’s onscreen mother and Friends co-star, Morgan Fairchild, speaks candidly about Perry’s drug addiction and working with the actor on Friends.

The documentary includes unique and revealing interviews with Hollywood insiders, US Sun journalist Katy Forrester, medical professionals and Martin Estrada, the District Attorney at the Central District of California US Attorney’s office at the time of Perry's death, among others.

Sasha Breslau, ITV Head of Content Acquisitions, said: “We’re pleased to bring this in-depth and fascinating film to ITVX, documenting the life of one of television's best loved actors, Matthew Perry. The film hears first hand from those who knew Matthew, as well as telling the story of his untimely passing with updated developments not seen before.”

Commissioned by Peacock/NBC, the documentary first aired on the US streamer in February this year. In its premiere week, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy made Peacock’s Top 10 list of most-watched shows.

Ian Russell, ITN Productions Head of International Programmes, said: “Matthew Perry’s story is known the world over. In making this documentary, our US and UK-based production team wanted to look beneath the headlines to tell a detailed story of this Hollywood star. Matthew Perry’s story is truly a Hollywood tragedy. We set out to present the complexities around his life, the tragic circumstances around his death and his place in popular culture with sensitivity and insight.”

Gerbrig Blanksma, SVP, International Sales & Partnerships, Blue Ant Studios, said: "This latest sale to ITV in the UK is testament to the timeliness of the project in addition to ITN's thorough examination of the tragic end of Matthew Perry’s life. Sales have already been made in nearly 20 territories globally and we expect interest in the documentary to continue."

Commissioned by Peacock/NBC, the documentary first aired on the US streamer Peacock in February this year, with Blue Ant Studios overseeing the global licensing and distribution for the film to a UK audience.