BBC Reveal Babs Trailer

The BBC have just released the first trailer for their new Barbara Windsor biopic. The 90 minute drama, apparently to be called Babs, will be broadcast later this year to tie in with Barbara's 80th birthday. Having just written that I can't quite believe she will turn 80 this year! Anyway, Babs will be scripted by former EastEnders writer Tony Jordan, a man with a fine pedigree in drama productions at the Beeb. 

The biopic will start in the 1990s, presumably at the height of Barbara's renaissance in Albert Square and look back at her life and career. I'm not quite sure how they will depict all of Barbara's colourful and dramatic life in just 90 minutes however as it's on the BBC at least there won't be advert breaks.  The production will feature at least three different actresses playing Barbara from her early life and career right through to middle age and EastEnders stardom.

There has been a kind of Barbara biopic before with the Terry Johnson play Cleo, Camping, Emmannuelle and Dick which eventually became the ITV drama Cor Blimey. That told the story of Barbara's affair with her Carry On co-star Sid James and also featured a terrific performance by Adam Godley as the sublime Kenneth Williams. Samantha Spiro was terrific as Babs in both the stage and television productions and I can't wait to see her tackle the role again. I'll also be interested to hear how much of Barbara's Carry On career will feature and how many of the actors will be depicted in the show. How much of Barbara's infamous private life is covered will also be up for speculation!

You can view the trailer here:

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