BBC Four programmes a Maggie Smith celebration evening next week

Alongside the previously confirmed re-airing of Nothing Like A Dame, BBC Four has revealed that 16 October will be a dedicated celebration of all things Maggie Smith.

The great star of stage and screen passed away late last month, sparking major tributes from theatre and film fans and institutions across the globe.

The BBC is no different: at 21:00 on the 16th, it will re-air Nothing Like A Dame, which stars Smith alongside Judi Dench, Joan Plowright and Eileen Atkins.

After that, at 22:20 the channel will broadcast The Lady in the Van, the Alan Bennett-penned film based on the play of the same name, which follows Bennett’s real-life experiences with a automobile-dwelling woman living in his drive.

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At midnight (into the 17th), the BBC will also air Alan Bennett’s 50-minute monologue Bed Among the Lentils, one of his much-loved monologues performed by Smith and based on the tale of a vicar’s wife who has an affair. It was first recorded in 1987 and, if you can’t wait until midnight on the 16th, you can watch it on BBC iPlayer now.