Airdate: The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment

Barry Humphries will narrate a dramatised documentary on a gang of Aussie rogues who descended on London and staged heists that created havoc during the 1960s.

The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment will be screened in October on both UKTV and BBC Knowledge as part of a Crime and Justice Season.

Humphries says: “It’s a great story. They were good old-fashioned larrikins who didn’t use guns or violence, but they still managed to get away with millions in diamonds and watches from the very best jewellery stores all over Europe, snatched from right under the noses of staff and security. We show viewers exactly how they did it.

“In their heyday they were living the high life, frequenting the best clubs and restaurants in London and gambling away their ill-gotten gains but eventually police in both Britain and Australia began to work together and that was the beginning of the end of the gang.”

Produced by the team behind Tough Nuts: Australia’s Toughest Criminals and based on the best-selling book by Adam Shand King of Thieves: The Adventures of Arthur Delaney and The Kangaroo Gang, the programme is a mixture of high-end dramatised reconstructions, interviews and archive material . It is produced by The Full Box Productions for UKTV and BBC Channels globally.

Director of Television, BBC Worldwide Australia, Deirdre Brennan said; “We are thrilled that Barry Humphries has agreed to narrate this unique dramatised documentary. The Kangaroo Gang was a charismatic group of thieves who enjoyed the good things in life – I know that Barry will capture not only this remarkable story but the cheeky mood of London in the 1960s.”

The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment is the culmination of the Crime and Justice Season which will screen across UKTV and BBC Knowledge from October 3.

On UKTV, crime lovers can enjoy a mix of some of the most original, popular and critically-acclaimed dramas to hit the small screen including the brilliantly reinvented Sherlock, gritty, hard-hitting Luther, much-loved Lewis and cult hit The Killing.

Over on BBC Knowledge viewers can delve deeper into the murky real-life world of criminals and the justice system that makes them pay for their crimes, from the Australian premiere of Louis Theroux: Miami Mega Jail to The Force ,following a UK police force as they tackle major criminal investigations, and True Stories which goes behind the gloss and the glamour of cinema legends to discover the truth behind some of the most memorable movies.

The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment will premiere on UKTV on Friday October 28th at 8.30pm as a 1 x 90’ special.

An extended 2x 60’ version will screen on BBC Knowledge on Sundays from October 30th at 9.30pm.