Queen: 1. Ascension

Bill Bailey tells the story of rock's most flamboyant and iconic band.

In the first episode of Eras: Queen, it's the late 60s, and four outsiders with academic brains collide in London. We find out how Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John were drawn together through college friendships and a shared creative vision.

In the first half of the 70s, they played college gigs and support tours, started to refine their live show and build an audience proving they could command the attention of their growing fans. From recording demos, we go with them as they recorded their first three albums, Queen, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack.

Through rare BBC archive and new interviews from Brian May and Roger Taylor plus contributors including record executive Paul Watts, journalist Rosie Horide who followed the band in their early days and Bob Harris, an early supporter, we find out how their ascension was met with financial struggles but as a band they had a shared creative vision to take on the World.