Billy Connolly is back on screens tonight with the second part of his thought-provoking documentary.
The much-loved entertainer, who has been a leading name in comedy for decades, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013. In recent years, Connolly cut back on his workload but pressed through pain to make a two-hour documentary for BBC Scotland.
In the second part of the Made In Scotland series, Connolly talks candidly about ageing, living and working with the neurological disorder. He also reflects on his career and his childhood.
Here is what to expect from Billy Connolly: Made in Scotland:
What is the documentary about?
Connolly, 76, takes viewers on a journey – his journey – from his life as a welder in Glasgow to his life and career as The Big Yin, one of the country’s best-loved comedians.
Throughout the documentary, Connolly chats candidly on camera as well as talking to friends and fans. There are also chats from pals including Ross Noble and novelist Val McDermid.
He also talks frankly about mortality, revealing that he can “feel his life slipping away” as he finds himself at the “wrong end” of life.
In a clip Connolly said: “There is no denying it, I am 75, I have got Parkinson’s and I am at the wrong end of the telescope of life.
"I am at the point where the yesteryears mean more than the yesterdays. Because it is back there in my childhood and youth when I go to all those things that made me that live keenest in my memory now.
“My life, it’s slipping away and I can feel it and I should. I’m 75, I’m near the end. I’m a damn sight nearer the end than I am the beginning. But it doesn’t frighten me, it’s an adventure and it is quite interesting to see myself slipping away.”
The documentary also features archive footage of a young Connolly performing, even as a teen, and photos from childhood as he regales stories. There is also footage of his most recent tour, when he talked about his diagnosis on stage. Connolly described feeling “rooted to the floor” and “scared to move” like he once did.
In an emotional moment, Connolly also discusses how he feels about his condition, even asking for filming to be stopped for a moment.
“The Parkinson’s is annoying because it isn’t going to go away,” he says. “All my life I’ve got sick, the flu, pneumonia and they all went away. This is going anywhere [and] it’s going to get worse.
“It takes a certain calm to deal with and I sometimes don’t have it. I get angry with it but that doesn’t last long. But the good things are there, the love we have for people is still there.”
When is it on?
Billy Connolly: Made In Scotland airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Two.
