Yahoo News BBC announces special for Autism Acceptance Week starring Michael Sheen
The BBC has announced a new TV special, set to air during Autism Acceptance Week.
Titled The Assembly, the episode will arrive on BBC and iPlayer in April. It will feature around 35 people who are autistic, neurodivergent or learning disabled interview Good Omens star Michael Sheen.
No question or subject will be off the table, promising viewers half an hour of "chaos, delight" and plenty of revelations.
Related: Good Omens' Michael Sheen announces new project with BBC
"I was thrilled to be asked to be a guest on The Assembly. It’s such a fresh and exciting idea and I can’t wait for what I’m sure is going to be a surprising and challenging experience," Sheen said in a statement.
"I really don’t know what to expect, which is both exhilarating and a little bit terrifying."
The Assembly is an adaptation of the French show Les Rencontres Du Papotin, which has seen neurodivergent journalist's interview the likes of politician Emmanuel Macron and Call My Agent’s Camille Cottin.
Related: Michael Sheen's new BBC drama with It's a Sin star confirms release date
It went on to become France's most watched unscripted show of 2022, with its success leading to adaptations in Spain, Denmark and Poland.
The BBC's adaptation, executive produced by Michelle Singer and Stu Richards' Rockerdale Studios, has worked with national and local autistic and neurodivergent organisations to "ensure every element of the show works for and with autistic and neurodivergent voices".
"The Assembly has been the most remarkable project that most of us have ever worked on," Singer and Richards said.
"And sure, it's brilliant representation of a part of society we rarely see given agency on our screens but, far more than that, it's also mischievous, funny, profound, and can turn from one to the other in a heartbeat."
The Assembly will arrive on BBC and iPlayer in April.
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