The four-part series delves into over 60 hours of Theroux’s catalogue of innovative and distinctive documentaries, exploring topics such as mental health, those engaging in unusual lifestyle choices and people who live on the fringes of society.

The documentary features interviews with Theroux and sees him catch up with some of his most famous contributors whose lives have panned out in some surprising and unexpected ways.

Theroux examines home film footage and news archive to scrutinise stories of human psychology, discover how people handle adversity and see how the world has evolved over the past three decades.

“For years I’ve wanted to go back and make sense of the programmes I’ve made, find out what happened to some of the contributors, update their stories, and see what all these many hours of making TV might add up to,” said Theroux.

Lockdown gave him the opportunity to go back and “make sense” of the programmes he had made and update previous stories.

He added: “I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to do with this new series. I think we’ve been able to make the whole add up to more than the sum of the parts and to bring out surprising themes and commonalities.

“And, if nothing else, it was an interesting review of how my haircuts and glasses have changed over the years.”

Emma Loach, Commissioning Editor at BBC, said: “Underpinning Louis’ journalism is a personal touch to his documentaries - an ability, using humour, to get past people’s outer layers and to discover their underlying vulnerability, grief and humanity.

“This personal, introspective series will allow viewers to see Louis as they’ve never seen him before, as he reflects on his fascinating and varied career.”