Joseph Fiennes is barely recognizable – as himself, anyway – in full Michael Jackson drag in this first trailer for Urban Myths, Sky Arts’ upcoming (and, judging by this clip, pretty hilarious) eight-episode comedy series based on bizarre celebrity tall tales.
Debuting January 19 in the U.K., Urban Myths offers such believe-it-or-not stories as a post-9/11 road trip taken by Jackson (Fiennes), Elizabeth Taylor (a dead-ringer Stockard Channing) and Marlon Brando (Brian Cox). Other 30-minute episodes chronicle such legendary incidents (or maybe just legends) as Cary Grant tripping on LSD with Timothy Leary; Salvador Dali schmoozing with Alice Cooper; Samuel Beckett driving Andre the Giant to school; a teenage Adolf Hitler getting rejected from art school; Bob Dylan hanging out with Dave Stewart; Muhammad Ali rescuing a suicidal man; and the Sex Pistols’ definitely real profanity-laced TV appearance.
The series came under some fire last year with the announced hiring of Fiennes as the African-American Jackson, but with Game of Thrones‘ Iwan Rheon also appearing in this clip as a smug young Adolf, the oddball casting seems rather of a piece.
Though she doesn’t appear in this clip, Carrie Fisher has a small role in the Michael Jackson episode, as if anyone needed another reason to tune in. And extra points to any old Cheech & Chong fans for recognizing the “Where’s Dave/I’m Dave” jokes.
