Watch the first double bill on BBC One at 9pm, Tuesday 23 June.
Catch up on all 12 episodes on BBC iPlayer from the same date
Alan Bennett’s critically acclaimed Talking Heads is returning to the BBC, over 30 years since its first season aired. The critically-acclaimed monologue series, which is now on the A-Level and GCSE syllabus, won several of its stars (Maggie Smith, Julie Walters and Alan Bennett himself) BAFTAs for their performances in the '80s and '90s.
The reboot was filmed at BBC Elstree Studios using existing sets and the team followed the latest government guidelines on Covid-19 to ensure that the series was made safely and responsibly.
The 10 original monologues have been remade, alongside two new monologues that Bennett wrote in 2019. Some explore the topic of isolation and will be performed by famous faces such as Jodie Comer (who stars in Her Big Chance), Martin Freeman (A Chip in the Sugar), Tamsin Greig (Nights in the Garden of Spain), Kristin Scott Thomas (The Hand of God) and Imelda Staunton (A Lady of Letters).
Explaining why the series is so relevant to audiences right now, Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, said: 'Covid-19 has laid waste to drama production in the UK, but it has also posed a challenge: how do we adhere to restrictions while still offering British viewers the chance to lose themselves in great stories at this time of national need?'