What is Urban Myths and what happened to the controversial Michael Jackson episode? – here’s what we know
THE anthology comedy series features some very famous faces portraying even more famous faces including Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan and Cary Grant - and created waves before it even aired.
THE new Sky Arts show Urban Myths has been creating waves and it hasn’t even aired yet.
The anthology comedy series features some very famous faces portraying even more famous faces including Adolf Hitler, Bob Dylan and Cary Grant.
But what exactly is it all about? Here’s what we know.
What is Urban Myths all about?
Urban Myths is a new comedy from Sky Arts which re-imagines stories told about celebrities over the last few decades.
Now passed off as folklore, or urban myths, the series takes a tongue-in-cheek "look at remarkable stories from well-known historical, artistic and cultural figures, which may or may not have happened in real life..."
One of the stories was based on the time Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando set off on a road trip in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Titled Urban Myths: A Brand New Collection of Comedies, the series consists of eight hour-long episodes.
What are the urban myths being told?
The opening episode focuses on the urban myth that in the Nineties, Eurythmics star Dave Stewart invited legendary singer Bob Dylan to drop into his studio on Crouch Hill, Crouch End, north London, whenever he liked.
Legend has it that the cab driver dropped him off on the adjacent Crouch End Hill and knocked on the door of the house he assumed was Dave’s. As it happened, the man that owned the house was also called Dave but was out at the time but Dylan was invited in for a cuppa and to wait for him. Apparently, when Dave returned, he asked if there were any messages to which his wife replied: “No, but Bob Dylan's in the living room having a cup of coffee.”
Other stories see and 18-year-old Hitler attempting to get into art school; Cary Grant and Timothy Leary taking LSD and Salvador Dali summoning to sit for him.
There’s the aforementioned road trip; Samuel Beckett driving Andre The Giant to school; Muhammad Ali saving a suicidal man; and The Sex Pistols and the story behind the infamous expletive-filled TV interview with Bill Grundy on the Today show.
Who’s in the cast?
There is a host of famous faces portraying other famous faces in this series.
Aiden Gillen stars as Timothy Leary alongside Ben Chaplin’s Cary Grant, David Threlfall stars as playwright Samuel Beckett, and Iwan Rheon as Adolf Hitler.
Noel Clarke takes on Mohammed Ali, Eddie Marsan plays Bob Dylan and the late Carrie Fisher appears in one of the episodes, but it’s yet to be revealed who she plays.
In an episode no longer airing, Joseph Fiennes was Michael Jackson, Stockard Channing played Elizabeth Taylor and Brian Cox acted as Marlon Brando.
It was going to focus on the trio taking a road trip from New York to Los Angeles following the September 11 terror attacks.
What happened to the Michael Jackson episode and why won't it be aired?
When it was announced in February 2016 that Fiennes was to portray Michael Jackson, the actor and the director came under fire from fans of the late pop star who were angry that a white man would be cast to play the King of Pop.
They accused Fiennes’ portrayal as ‘whitewashing’ and said Jackson himself once told Oprah Winfrey that he would be ‘horrified’ if a white actor played him on screen.
But director Ben Palmer said he cast Fiennes on performance not appearance and Fiennes added: “I deal in imagination, so I don't think imagination should have rules stamped on them."
However, when photographs of the star in costume appeared, Michael Jackson's fans hit out at the portrayal.
A petition to remove the show from the air gained 20,000 signatures from when the trailer aired.
Director Ben Palmer has previously defended his casting of a white actor to play Jacko.
“We were casting Michael Jackson in 2001 and that obviously is a challenge in terms of the physical resemblance.
“We were really looking for the performance that could unlock the spirit, and we really think Joe Fiennes has done that. He’s given a really sweet, nuanced, characterful performance.”
However, on January 13, a spokesman for the show announced the episode had been pulled.
They said: “We have taken the decision not to broadcast Elizabeth, Michael And Marlon, a half-hour episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series, in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson’s immediate family.
“We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offence.
“Joseph Fiennes fully supports our decision.”
What was Paris Jackson's reaction to the portrayal of her father?
The only daughter of the late singer hit out at Fiennes’ portrayal of Michael and said it made her want to "vomit".
She also said she it was “insulting” towards her godmother Elizabeth Taylor and tweeted: “I’m so incredibly offended by it, as I’m sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.
“It angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother Liz as well.
“Where is the respect? They worked through blood sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. Shameful portrayal.”
- Urban Myths starts on Sky Arts on Thursday January 19
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