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BBC to air new Amy Winehouse documentary marking tenth anniversary of her death

By | Published on Wednesday 31 March 2021

Amy Winehouse

The BBC has commissioned a new documentary to mark the tenth anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s death. The broadcaster promises that it will be an “illuminating and sensitive … celebration of the life and legacy” of the musician.

Set to air on BBC Two, Winehouse’s story will be told by her mother Janis – something that brings more urgency to the film because, due to a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, she now fears that she will lose her memory of her daughter.

“I don’t feel the world knew the true Amy, the one that I brought up, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to offer an understanding of her roots and a deeper insight into the real Amy”, says Janis Winehouse.

Commissioning Editors Max Gogarty and Rachel Davies add: “‘Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On’ promises to be a celebratory and intimate portrayal of one of the brightest musical talents the UK has ever seen. Whilst being a celebration of her musical genius and featuring rare and unheard performances, it will also offer a reinterpretation of the prevailing narrative around her rise and fall, told by those closest to her”.

The best known version of Amy Winehouse’s story, of course, is 2015 film ‘Amy’, directed by Asif Kapadia and co-produced by her label Universal Music. Janis and Amy’s father Mitch initially supported that film, but after it was completed Mitch in particular disavowed it, calling it “a negative, spiteful and misleading portrayal of Amy”.

Mitch Winehouse was also angry about how he was portrayed in that documentary and announced plans to make his own film, which to date has not been released. Although last year, appearing on Paul Danan’s ‘The Morning After’ podcast, he said that he hoped that production would be completed in “a year or two”. Initially planned to be a documentary, he added that it has now morphed into a biopic, and – as of May last year – was “at script stage”.

As well as the new BBC Two documentary, the BBC has various other programming planned to mark the tenth anniversary of Winehouse’s death. A series of interviews and performances from the BBC archive will be available on the iPlayer and Sounds apps, plus there will be new programming on Radio 1, Radio 2 and 6 Music.



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