David Tennant, Danny Dyer, & More Will Face 'The Assembly' for ITV
Danny Dyer and David Tennant in "Rivals"
(Photos: Courtesy of Hulu)
ITV has found its first group of guests for its forthcoming (and extremely unique) interview show, The Assembly. An adaptation of the French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, which featured appearances from notable figures ranging from President Emmanuel Macron and Killing Eve star Camille Cottin, the format sees celebrities and other famous faces tackle what is likely the most unique interview experience of their lives as they sit down for a no-holds-barred chat with a group of autistic, neurodivergent, and/or learning disabled journalists.
The first batch of episodes will feature interviews with Rivals co-stars David Tennant and Danny Dyer, as well as Little Mix member Jade Thirlwall and the longtime, but soon-to-be-retired Match of the Day host Gary Lineker. And what they'll be asked about is genuinely anyone's guess.
In an age of interviews where most celebrities are either asked questions they’ve fielded a million times before or forced to play bizarre games and read thirst tweets in the hopes of generating a viral social media “moment,” The Assembly is both refreshingly forthright and surprisingly unpredictable. The BBC one-off pilot, which aired in 2024, featured Good Omens star Michael Sheen and was a delight in every sense of the word, producing some of the most genuinely charming moments that aired on U.K. TV last year and no small amount of online buzz. (There's singing. Sheen cries multiple times. It's perfect.)
Here's the series description.
Each episode of The Assembly sees a different celebrity forced to cast aside everything they were ever taught by their media trainers as they face their most honest, funny, chaotic – and heartwarming – interview yet.
“We’re delighted that such an esteemed group of famous faces have agreed to be part of this fresh and distinct format coming to ITV1 and ITVX soon," Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment & Daytime ITV said in a statement. "Gary, David, Jade, and Danny’s interviews with The Assembly all promise to be captivating, unmissable television with real warmth and we cannot wait to share it with our viewers.”
The Assembly format has found global success in multiple countries, with versions airing in Denmark, Poland, Spain, and Australia. Antonio Banderas appeared as part of the Spanish series's line-up, and the Australian version made headlines thanks to its buzzy chats with Jurassic Park fan favorite Sam Neill and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“We’re absolutely buzzing to be bringing The Assembly to ITV and delighted that, just like us, the team there wants to see more of telly’s most mischievous cast putting proper famous types under the microscope." Michelle Singer and Stu Richards, Executive Producers for Rockerdale Studios, said in a statement when the full series was first announced. "This show will be funny and naughty and warm and smart and, bloody hell, we’ve got ourselves all worked up now… we just cannot wait to make it.”
The four-part first season is a Rockerdale Studios production for ITV. As yet, no American distributor has been attached, but at this point I think we've all learned not to discount the global appeal of anything with Tennant involved. Fingers crossed.
