Hunderby’s Rufus Jones and Alexander Macqueen are among the cast of BBC Four’s Eric, Ernie & Me.

The one-off film is about the comedy writer Eddie Braben, who will be played by Stephen Tompkinson (DCI Banks, Drop The Dead Donkey). It promises to celebrate the man behind Morecambe and Wise’s greatest successes, culminating in their iconic 1977 Christmas Show, whilst also showing the pressure and pain he went through to help create the screen work of Britain’s most beloved double act. In the roles of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise are Mark Bonnar (Catastrophe, Psychoville) and Neil Maskell (Humans, Utopia).

Rufus Jones (Hunderby, W1A) is the double act’s long-term producer John Ammonds and Alexander Macqueen (Hunderby, The Thick of It) is the BBC’s head of light entertainment Bill Cotton, while Liz White (Ackley Bridge, Our Zoo) plays Braben’s wife Deidree.

Stephen Tompkinson says: “Thanks to Eddie Braben, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise became the most beloved comedy double act since Laurel & Hardy. The intimate utopia Eddie created for the boys has left us with everlasting joy and sunshine.

“To be able to tell this beautifully crafted piece by Neil is a rarity that reminds us how lucky we were that these three gentlemen bonded together and the efforts that went behind holding generations eternally grateful. For this project to have the blessings of the Braben, Morecambe and Wise families, makes us constantly aware of what an honour it is to portray these comedic legends.”

Eric, Ernie & Me started filming this week in Bristol and Cardiff.