Blue Ant Studios, an international production studio and rights business, is overseeing global licensing and distribution of ITN Productions’ 1 x 60’ film Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy. The company has inked a deal with ITV to air the documentary in the UK for the first time at 9pm, ITV1 & ITVX, August 18th.
Commissioned by Peacock/NBC, the documentary first aired on the US streamer in February this year. When compared with audience figures in the first two weeks of release, Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy was Peacock’s third most-watched documentary since 2022.
ITN Productions has since updated the film to reflect the developments in the trial of Dr Salvador Plascencia who has been charged with giving Perry ketamine.
This premium one-off film examines the life of the Friends star, Matthew Perry, the extraordinary circumstances around his tragic death and the impact he had on fans across the world.
The story of Perry’s rise to fame is interwoven with the harrowing tale of his final days, as he allegedly received ketamine from sources the U.S. Attorney claims “should have known better”.
Friends co-star and Hollywood doyenne Morgan Fairchild who played the eccentric mother, Nora Bing in the NBC series, talks candidly in the film about Perry’s drug addiction and working with the actor on Friends.
The documentary also includes unique and revealing commentary from 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 other contributors.
Gerbrig Blanksma, SVP, International Sales & Partnerships, Blue Ant Studios.: “This latest sale to ITV in the UK is testament to the timeliness of the project in addition to ITN Production’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.”
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.”
Ian Russell, ITN Productions Head of International Programmes, said: “The film got a lot of attention when it was released on Peacock in the US and I am delighted that Blue Ant has found it a home on ITV, so UK audiences can appreciate the – now updated – intricacies of this tragic story.”
Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy was executive produced by Ian Russell, Head of International Programmes ITN, Mike Griffiths and Robert Palumbo. It was directed by Robert Palumbo and the production manager was Nickie Hyde. It was commissioned by Cori Abraham, SVP NBCUniversal and is distributed worldwide by Blue Ant Studios. Post was in-house by ITN Post.
Programme synopsis:
On October 28th, 2023, the news that actor Matthew Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home shocked the world. In his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” he told his story of battling addiction, and when ketamine was found in his system, it was thought by many that he had died from an overdose. Nearly a year later, a bombshell announcement came: five people, including Perry’s live-in personal assistant, two medical doctors, and an individual authorities accused of being a Hollywood drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen,” were charged with conspiring to illegally provide Perry with ketamine. In this documentary, the story of Perry’s rise to fame is interwoven with the harrowing tale of his final days, as he allegedly received ketamine from sources the U.S. Attorney claims “should have known better.” Perry’s castmates, friends, law enforcement, and a brutally honest Perry himself tell this epic Hollywood story. For more information about the programme contact ITN Senior Publicist Jane.Marlow@itn.co.uk