Margaret Thatcher’s relationship with former US president Ronald Reagan will be examined in a Plimsoll Productions two-parter for BBC2.
The Special Relationship (w/t) will explore the pair’s friendship forged in adversity, built on ideological affinity and strong mutual attraction.
It will be fronted by Telegraph editor-turned-historian Charles Moore, the author of Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, who spent years learning about Thatcher, having read many of her secret and personal papers.
Moore will explore the ups and downs of the duo’s complex friendship. He will make the case that their bond shifted the power dynamics of the 1980s, helping to reshape East/West relations and drive the Cold War towards a turning point, before the fall of the Iron Curtain and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.
Richard Klein and Denys Blakeway are exec producers with Chris Durlacher serving as series producer. Chris Durlacher will also direct.
The Special Relationship was commissioned by Patrick Holland, director factual, arts & classical and Clare Sillery, head of commissioning of documentaries, history & religion.
Holland said: “The status of the ‘special relationship’ has been a constant in post-war political analysis. This series promises to be a fascinating and timely exploration of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan’s chapter in this history, when the relationship was at the centre of such seismic shifts in the global order.
“As Thatcher’s biographer, Charles Moore is perfectly placed to share his take on the dynamic between these two world leaders, exploring how they learnt from each other as they sought to change their worlds.”
It follows BBC Studios’ BBC2 five-parter Thatcher: A Very British Revolution, which aired to 1.6m (6.7%) in May 2019.