New documentary asks does Edward Carson deserve his reputation as the man who ruined Oscar Wilde?

But now a new documentary is set to examine the less well-known role of Edward Carson in the downfall of playwright Oscar Wilde.

The programme is part of a specially commissioned series by BBC NI showcasing the work of some of Northern Ireland’s best-loved local artists.

Other programmes in the series will focus on the career of Neil Hannon from Divine Comedy as well as visual artist Rita Duffy and poet Derek Mahon.

To be broadcast on February 1 at 10.45pm on BBC One, ‘Edward Carson And The Fall Of Oscar Wilde’ examines the legendary court confrontation between the two men.

In the late Victorian age Carson was known as the greatest lawyer of his generation. In 1895, he was engaged by the Marquess of Queensberry to lead his defence against Oscar Wilde’s action for criminal libel.

Carson’s epic clash with Wilde at the Old Bailey led to the playwright being prosecuted for ‘gross indecency’ and subsequently imprisoned.

In the new documentary, Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland tells the story and asks does Carson deserve his reputation as the man who ruined Oscar Wilde?

All of the programmes in ‘The Season of Arts’ collection will start to be made available via the Northern Ireland category on BBC iPlayer from January 22.

The season will also give audiences the chance to watch previously broadcast documentaries and programmes, featuring artists as diverse as Seamus Heaney and Snow Patrol.

Eddie Doyle, head of content commissioning, BBC NI, said: “We recognise the value and importance of the arts and have always been keen supporters and partners of the sector here in Northern Ireland.

“We wanted to provide our audiences with some new content and help to bring the arts to them during this challenging time, while also providing another chance to see some acclaimed arts programmes we have broadcast in the past.”

To be broadcast on BBC One on January 26 at 10.45pm is ‘Neil Hannon: Thirty Years Of The Divine Comedy’.

In this film, Hannon looks back on his 30-year career to date with the popular music ’90s group, The Divine Comedy.

In the documentary, scripted by Hannon himself, he invites us into his ‘mind palace’, the place inside his head where his career lives, populated with props and costumes, to remind both him and us how it all began.

Previously broadcast content to be made available again on BBC iPlayer includes ‘Seamus Heaney And The Music Of What Happens’.