Reel Stories: Sting
In a screening room, Dermot O’Leary chats to some of the biggest stars in music about their lives and their careers.
It’s a nice format with the guest watching pieces of archive footage of themselves and talking about the memories the clips evoke. O’Leary is an adept interviewer and a good listener, eliciting interesting reminiscences and observations. In the episode with Sting, we get a potted history of The Police – from his perspective – and there is some great footage from the band’s early days when they stormed onto the scene at the back end of the punk era, making their mark with hits such as Roxanne and So Lonely.
Sting talks through The Police’s high points and is candid about the low points when creative tensions – he takes responsibility for his own part in those – eventually led to their break-up. He also discusses his successful solo career and there’s a very moving moment when he catches sight of his late mother on film.
Other guests in the series include Rod Stewart, Dave Grohl and Kylie Minogue.