On Wednesday 19th of March, 2008 on BBC Four the curtain goes up on a new drama series about some of the most iconic stars on British television. They were legendary entertainers, but behind the comedy and smiles often lay self-doubt and heartache. Each drama, presented under the banner "The Curse of Comedy," explores the unhappy, often tangled lives of Harry H Corbett, Wilfred Brambell, Tony Hancock, Hughie Green and Frankie Howerd.

The series begins with "The Curse of Steptoe" a study of the complex relationship between Corbett and Brambell

"Steptoe and Son" remains a landmark in the history of British television. The series gave birth to the modern sitcom and transformed its actors - Harry H Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell - into national treasures.

Starring Jason Isaacs ("The State Within") as Harry H Corbett and Phil Davis ("Five Days," "Bleak House") as Wilfrid Brambell, "The Curse of Steptoe" uncovers an unexpected and incredible tale of life imitating art. The sitcom told the story of two rag-and-bone men trapped together for all eternity. But out of the public eye an even stranger story was playing out, of two men yoked together unable to escape their inner complexities or each other. How their personal problems helped the show achieve success is one of the most revealing stories from the annals of BBC light entertainment history.

Based on interviews with colleagues, friends and family of Harry and Wilfrid, and Steptoe writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, "The Curse Of Steptoe" explores the incredible story of life behind the scenes.

Then on Wednesday 26th March the spotlight falls on Tony Hancock in "Hancock and Joan" and the troubled comedian's alcoholism and affair with his best friend's wife.

Starring Ken Stott ("Rebus," "Messiah") as troubled comic genius Tony Hancock and Maxine Peake ("Cinderella," "Shameless") as Joan, "Hancock and Joan" charts the final year of his life. Only months after her marriage to "Dad's Army" favourite John Le Mesurier, Joan Le Mesurier fell in love with his best friend, the godfather of British sitcom, Tony Hancock. Tony was fresh out of rehab and desperate to resurrect his career with the offer of a new series in Australia. John stood by as Joan and Tony embarked on an obsessive and passionate love affair. Though clearly besotted with Joan, Tony was struggling with drink and violent depression. After months of turmoil, Joan gave him a final ultimatum: if he made a go of Australia, if he kept off the booze for a year, she would leave John and marry him. Tony left for Australia determined to win Joan over. But tragically he never returned.

Based on Joan Le Mesurier's autobiography "Lady Don't Fall Backwards" and Edward Joffe's "Hancock's Last Stand," this moving film tells the story of Hancock and Joan's love affair and its tragic end. Ben Stephenson, BBC Head of Drama Commissioning, says: "Hancock remains a much-loved national treasure and this is an extraordinary insight into the mind of a comic genius."

On Wednesday 2nd April the spotlight falls on the womanising antics and arch rivalry behind an amiable presenter's exterior in "Hughie Green, Most Sincerely."

Hughie Green was the avuncular front man of the hugely successful family television shows "Opportunity Knocks" and "Double Your Money." But behind the scenes he lived a very different life. Hughie's professional rivalry with "Stars On Sunday" presenter Jess Yates and serial womanising ultimately produced an explosive celebrity secret - Green was the real father of the late TV personality Paula Yates. Starring Trevor Eve ("Shoestring," "Waking the Dead"), "Hughie Green, Most Sincerely" is based on the inside story from Green’s family, friends and peers. The drama tells of the destructive power of success and celebrity, and explores what family and fatherhood meant to this iconic character.

Rounding the series off on Wednesday 9th April is "Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me," which explores the ambivalence about Frankie's sexuality and his ongoing battle with depression.

David Walliams stars as one of his own comedy favourites in this moving, humorous and poignant story of Howerd's fight with his inner demons, as seen through the eyes of his long-term partner Dennis Heymer. David Walliams says: "I have been a life-long fan of Frankie and his work: I even managed to get an autograph after one of his shows! Playing Howerd is, in many ways, a dream role for me. In fact, Matt Lucas and I first bonded as struggling comedians over a shared love of Frankie Howerd impressions."

Frankie Howerd is to this day an enduring and celebrated icon of British comedy, and his "thrice nays" and "titter ye not" have been immortalised in the canon of comedy catch-phrases. Behind the scenes, however, Howerd was a man riddled with professional doubts, conflicted by his homosexuality and wracked with depression. This is the first time that the true story of Howerd's inner life has been told, as he kept his sexuality and relationship with Dennis secret until his death in 1992. "Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me" is based on interviews with Dennis.

"The Curse of Comedy" - a season of dramas starts on Wednesday 19th March, 2008 on BBC Four.