Catch up TV

Episode 01 October 2024

Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams – writers, celebrities and, many would say, geniuses – were catapulted to fame in the 1950s, sparking a friendship and rivalry that spanned nearly 40 years. Inextricably entwined and icons of their age, they were both creative powerhouses and gay men, who dealt with success and its evanescence in vastly different ways.\n\nFilm-maker Lisa Immordino Vreeland brings these two forces together in a unique and fascinating head-to-head, comparing and contrasting their trajectories through duelling voices – the writers’ own, culled from archival footage, and those of actors Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto, who portray Capote and Williams at various stages of their lives. \n\nBoth writers constructed rich, imaginary worlds and characters - Blanche DuBois and Holly Golightly to mention just two - which left indelible marks on the era. Both men also paid the price of colossal success and fame, suffering alcoholism and periods of artistic stagnation.\n

Source: BBC 4