The Assembly (British TV series)
| The Assembly | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Interview |
| Based on | |
| Directed by | Céin McGillicuddy |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Holly Ritchie |
| Running time | 22–30 minutes |
| Production company | Rockerdale Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 5 April 2024 |
| Network | ITV1 |
| Release | 26 April 2025 – present |
| Related | |
| The Assembly (Australian TV series) The Assembly (Canadian TV series) | |
The Assembly is a British television interview programme series first broadcast on 5 April 2024. Based on the French show Les Rencontres du Papotin, British celebrities are interviewed by people with autism and other learning disabilities. The series has received generally positive reviews from critics.
Format
People with autism, other forms of neurodivergence, and learning disabilities, interview well-known British personalities, with a musical or dance performance at the end of most episodes.[1] Interviewers typically ask unconventional questions; for example, Stephen Fry's interview began with "You tried to kill yourself a couple of times, are you happy to be alive now?" and continued with "Are you a top or a bottom?" and "You've done adverts for Heineken, Alliance & Leicester, Twinings Tea, Pioneer Hi-Fi, Walkers Crisps, Marks & Spencer, Honda, Virgin Media, Extra Strong Mints, After Eight Mints, Sainsbury’s, Heathrow Airport, Direct Line, EE, and finally Whitbread, is there anything you wouldn’t do for money?".[2][3] Politician Nicola Sturgeon described her appearance on The Assembly as "one of the most special experiences of [her] life".[4]
The series' format is based on the French series Les Rencontres du Papotin (The Chatterbox Encounters),[5][6] a format that had been adapted in 21 countries as of January 2026.[7][8]
Production
The series is produced by STV Studios label Rockerdale Studios, a "disability-led" production company.[9][10][11]
A pilot episode featuring Michael Sheen aired on BBC One during Autism Acceptance Week, on 5 April 2024.[1] The programme was later taken up by ITV after the BBC "could not afford to commission a full season".[12] The first full series began on 26 April 2025,[1] and the second on 8 April 2026.[2] Each series concludes with one or two episodes of outtakes and unseen footage, titled The Assembly: Unseen.[13][14][15]
Episodes
| Series | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| Pilot | 5 April 2024 | BBC One | |||
| 1 | 5 | 26 April 2025 | 18 May 2025 | ITV1 | |
| 2 | 8 | 8 April 2026 | 7 June 2026 | ||
Pilot
| No. overall | No. in series | Guest | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Michael Sheen | 5 April 2024 | |
|
Performance: "Here Comes the Sun" | ||||
Series 1 (2025)
| No. overall | No. in series | Guest | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Danny Dyer | 26 April 2025 | |
|
Performance: "Movin' on Up" | ||||
| 3 | 2 | David Tennant | 27 April 2025 | |
|
Performance: "Sunshine on Leith" | ||||
| 4 | 3 | Jade Thirlwall | 4 May 2025 | |
|
Performance: "I'm Coming Out" | ||||
| 5 | 4 | Gary Lineker | 11 May 2025 | |
|
Performance: "Nessun dorma" | ||||
| 6 | 5 | The Assembly: Unseen | 18 May 2025 | |
|
Outtakes from Series 1. | ||||
Series 2 (2026)
| No. overall | No. in series | Guest[16] | Original release date [17] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | Stephen Fry | 8 April 2026 | |
|
Performance: "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" | ||||
| 8 | 2 | Nicola Sturgeon | 10 April 2026 | |
|
Performance: "Dignity" | ||||
| 9 | 3 | Lenny Henry | 17 April 2026 | |
|
Performance: "Lean on Me" | ||||
| 10 | 4 | Anna Maxwell Martin | 21 April 2026 | |
|
Performance: Not shown | ||||
| 11 | 5 | Aitch | 22 April 2026 | |
|
Performance: "Live Forever" | ||||
| 12 | 6 | Rylan Clark | 24 May 2026 | |
|
Performance: "Pure Shores" | ||||
| 13 | 7 | The Assembly: Unseen | 31 May 2026 | |
|
Outtakes from Series 2. Performance: "Ain't Nobody" which was not broadcast in Episode 4 | ||||
| 14 | 8 | The Assembly: More Unseen | 7 June 2026 | |
|
More outtakes from Series 2. | ||||
Reception
The Assembly has received generally positive reviews from critics. Writing in The Guardian, Chitra Ramaswamy awarded the pilot four stars, and dubbed it "lovely, novel and effective".[1] Anita Singh of The Telegraph praised the first series as "a gem of a show".[18] Jack Seale from The Guardian rated the second series five out of five stars.[2] Emily Baker of The i Paper praised the show as "rare, powerful television".[19]
However, the series has faced some criticism from the autistic community, with the series accused of being patronising.[20][21]
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Formatted Popular Factual | Won | [22] |
| 2026 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Factual Entertainment | Nominated | [23] |
References
- 1 2 3 4 Ramaswamy, Chitra (5 April 2024). "The Assembly review – Michael Sheen is grilled by 35 neurodivergent young people … and it's pure TV joy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 Seale, Jack (8 April 2026). "The Assembly review – TV has rarely seen anything like this delightful gem". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Singh, Anita (8 April 2026). "No-holds-barred The Assembly is back – interrogating Stephen Fry on sexuality and cocaine". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ↑ Singh, Anita (10 April 2026). "Divorce, Alex Salmond, her never-changing hairstyle – Nicola Sturgeon gets The Assembly treatment". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 15 April 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Goldbart, Max (11 December 2024). "The Assembly, Groundbreaking Interview Format That Featured Michael Sheen Going Viral On The BBC, Moves To ITV For UK Series Version". Deadline. Archived from the original on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Hogan, Michael (23 May 2026). "'Are they your real teeth?' How TV's best – and most gloriously blunt – chatshow ripped up the rulebook". The Guardian.
- ↑ Collard, Nathalie (27 January 2026). "Facteur A: Plus qu'une simple émission de télé" [Facteur A: more than a simple television programme]. La Presse (in Canadian French).
- ↑ Savage, Michael (14 June 2025). "'It's not tokenistic': how The Assembly became an international hit". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Harrison, Jody (19 March 2026). "Nicola Sturgeon announced as star guest on new series of hit TV show". The Herald. Archived from the original on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Cooper-Fiske, Casey (11 December 2024). "ITV to launch new show The Assembly after BBC pilot featuring Michael Sheen". The Standard. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Yossman, K. J. (5 April 2024). "How The Assembly Producers Convinced Michael Sheen to Participate in a Three-Hour Grilling With 30 Neurodivergent Journalists: 'It's an Interview Without a Safety Net'". Variety. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Craig, David. "The Assembly producer says series moved to ITV because BBC 'couldn't afford it'". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 12 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Muir, Ellie (11 May 2025). "Inside ITV's The Assembly, the most groundbreaking TV show of the year". The Independent. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ Mensah, Katelyn. "The Assembly season 2 confirms line-up of stars - including comedy legends". Radio Times. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ ""My stomach went": Rylan Clark admits he felt nervous ahead of 'favourite ever' interview". Digital Spy. 23 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ "Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, Anna Maxwell Martin to star in season two of "powerful" chat show". Digital Spy. 19 March 2026. Archived from the original on 8 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ "What time is The Assembly on ITV1 and ITVX?". ITV Press Centre. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
- ↑ Singh, Anita (26 April 2025). "The Assembly, review: Danny Dyer braves a bracingly direct grilling, with charm and an open heart". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 19 July 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Baker, Emily (2 May 2026). "There's nothing on TV like The Assembly". The i Paper. Archived from the original on 24 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
- ↑ Midgley, Carol (9 April 2026). "Move over Claudia Winkleman, this series could be the saviour of the chat show". The Times. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Atropa, Madeleine (3 April 2025). "Despite The Reviews, The Assembly Does A Disservice to Autistic People". The Everyday. Archived from the original on 28 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Knight, Lewis (25 March 2026). "Adolescence, Celebrity Traitors, and EastEnders win big at esteemed television awards ceremony". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 13 April 2026.
- ↑ "Bafta TV awards 2026 nominations: full list". The Guardian. 24 March 2026. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
External links
- The Assembly at itv.com
- The Assembly at IMDb