Comedian Baxter to make TV return

The Stanley Baxter Show ran for eight years on BBC One

Comedy legend Stanley Baxter is to return to television more than 10 years after retiring to host a one-off Christmas special for ITV1.

The hour-long show will feature a mix of archived and new performances, as well as Baxter talking about his life.

Comedians including Rory Bremner and Victoria Wood will also discuss how the 82-year-old influenced them.

ITV said that the show, Stanley Baxter Now and Then, will be a "truly unique television event".

Lifetime achievement

The broadcaster's controller of entertainment, John Kaye Cooper, commissioned the show.

"For over two decades Stanley's award-winning shows were pure comedy gold, and we are thrilled he has agreed to return to our screens for this rare treat," he said.

ITV added that Glasgow-born Baxter, whose show is set to be a highlight of the channel's Christmas schedule, will "give a multi-character performance with new material".

The Stanley Baxter Show ran for eight years on BBC One between 1963 and 1971, while he was on ITV with his Picture Show from 1972 to 1975.

It earned him a Bafta award for best light entertainment performance in 1975, while he won a lifetime achievement prize at the British Comedy Awards in 1997.