Keith Richards to curate entire weekend of BBC programmes

Keith Richards
Keith Richards (Image credit: Getty)

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will curate an entire weekend of programming on BBC Four later this month.

He’ll pick all shows over the course of three as-yet-unnamed days, which will also feature specially-filmed in-depth interviews with the Stones icon which have been complied by director Julien Temple.

He was behind the film Keith Richards: The Origin Of The Species which aired on BBC2 back in July, with a 75-minute director’s cut of the documentary also planned for the weekend.

Richards says: “No one has taken over a TV channel before. Let’s see how it flies.”

Temple adds: “The programming will be interwoven with a uniquely relaxed, wide-ranging and intimate interview in which Keith shares his legacy, world views, life philosophy and survival strategies with viewers.

“It’s an open invitation for the audience to get to know Keith in-depth over three nights in a way that has never been seen before.”

The full schedule will run from 7pm until 4am over the weekend – but won’t be released in advance, although the BBC have confirmed that Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, The Man Who Would Be King, along with horror films The Sorcerers and I Walked With A Zombie will be broadcast.

There will also be archive footage featuring Johnny Cash and Richards with Jimi Hendrix, along with never seen before Rolling Stones material.

Head of music TV commissioning Jan Younghusband says: “BBC Four is very much the musician’s channel so we were thrilled when Keith agreed to curate a weekend of programming, giving viewers a truly original experience.”

Final dates for the weekend will be released in due course.

The Rolling Stones will take part in the Desert Trip festival in California in October, alongside Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters and The Who.

Rolling Stones album in the can says Keith Richards

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.

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