ITV nabs pioneering show from BBC as first episode branded 'breath of fresh air'

Despite a hugely positive reception from viewers, BBC was not too keen on one project which allowed ITV to air the series starring acting legend Michael Sheen to TV fans instead

ITV has taken the rights to a huge new entertainment project straight from the BBC.

With the end of the year fast approaching, channels are now looking to get the best shows they can to keep viewers watching over the festive period. The BBC is set to get pulses racing as The Traitors makes a comeback on New Year's Day, while Channel 4 will air the latest series of Celebrity Hunted, including former Strictly pro Giovanni Pernice.

As a result, this has left ITV with a big choice to include entertainment in its New Year schedule. The channel is already set to see The Masked Singer return to screens early next year, but now a new show will hit the airwaves after being nabbed from the BBC.

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The show, titled The Assembly, will air on ITV1 and its streaming platform, ITVX. A pilot for the show was already filmed - starring acting legend Michael Sheen as a celebrity interviewee.

Michael Sheen starred in the pilot episode for The Assembly(Image: BBC/Rockerdale Studios)

Basing the premise of the show on French smash hit Les Rencontres du Papotin, the programme sees celebrities and famous faces get a grilling by a group of everyday people. The difference is that the panel is made up of people who are neurodivergent, autistic or have other learning difficulties or disabilities.

No questions are prepared in advance and, with the unpredictable nature of the show, viewers are in for a treat as the celebrities try their best to keep the conversation going. Viewers of the pilot have also responded well to the show, with Chitra Ramaswamy from The Guardian calling it a "breath of fresh air".

The pilot received a warm welcome from viewers before ITV commissioned a series(Image: BBC)

Speaking about the format, Michael - who has starred in the likes of Quiz, A Very Royal Scandal and Staged - was left dumbfounded following the taping of the episode. "The Assembly’s had more response than anything I’ve ever done," he said in an interview with The Sun.

Now, the show is set to hit ITV screens, after the channel picked the series up for a four-episode season to test the waters from the public. Speaking about their decision to air the show, ITV's Director of Entertainment and Daytime Katie Rawcliffe said viewers will love the blunt questions being asked.

I can’t wait for The Assembly interviewers to ask our brilliant cast of celebrities a plethora of burning questions, which will no doubt make for must-watch TV," she beamed. It comes as ITV tries to diversify the shows it is producing within its entertainment section, whilst also allowing unheard voices to come to the fore.

A four-episode series has now been commissioned by the channel(Image: BBC/Rockerdale Studios)

Production company Rockerdale Studios worked together with local organisations that support neurodivergent people to make sure that interactions were 100% real. They also ensured that participants were treated well and able to take breaks as and when they needed to.

"This show will be funny and naughty and warm and smart, and, bloody hell, we’ve got ourselves all worked up now," Michelle Singer and Stu Richards from Rockerdale Studios squealed. "We just cannot wait to make it."

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