Cunk star Diane Morgan, Monty Python‘s Michael Palin and Pirates of the Caribbean actor Mackenzie Crook all feature in a 10-strong comedy slate at the UK’s BBC.
BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie unveiled the shows today the BBC Comedy Festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where is also revealed more than £500,000 ($672,000) in additional funding for new comedy.
The slate includes Ann Droid (working title), a sitcom vehicle for Morgan; Small Prophets, which is from BAFTA winner and Detectorists star Crook, and stars the likes of Palin and recent BAFTA winner Sophie Willan among others.
Also on the slate is supernatural family sitcom Reluctant Vampire, starring Am I Being Unreasonable?‘s Lenny Rush and from the writers of Alan Partridge; Bill’s Included, a comedy starring Gavin and Stacey‘s Rob Brydon about a middle-aged divorcee renting rooms to students; Christmas special Stuffed, starring Man Like Mobeen star and creator Guz Khan.
There are also recommissions for Only Child, Funboys, The Young Offenders and Golden Cobra. Rounding off the slate is Leonard and Hungry Paul, a light comedy-drama starring Laurie Kynaston, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell and Alex Lawther that we revealed yesterday ahead of the BBC Comedy Festival.
“The BBC continues to be the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK,” said BBC comedy chief Jon Petrie. “And for the second year running eight out of the top 10 scripted comedies were on the BBC. Created, written by and starring some of the UK’s most brilliant homegrown talent, I’m really proud of the shows we have announced today and can’t wait for BBC viewers to see them.”
Petrie appeared to take a swipe at the BBC’s streaming rivals, who have been accused of pushing up prices in the UK by paying large sums to secure scripted talent and create visual effects for big-ticket productions.
“Great comedy always comes back to the fundamentals: brilliant characters, sharp jokes,a unique voice. Those are the elements that endure – not massive sets or casts of thousands,” he said. “Our priority is to keep our shows affordable and distinctive, because comedy doesn’t need explosions and continuous shots, it needs punchlines, authentic voices, and that gleeful point of view that no algorithm can touch.”
Here’s a full rundown of the BBC’s new slate.
Ann Droid
Diane Morgan stars as a social humanoid robot, created to keep elderly people company and monitor their health. Morgan and Sarah Kendall (Dreamland, The Other One) are writers on the six-part series, which is from Boffola Pictures and Witchcraft Industries for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. BBC Studios, which owns part of former BBC Comedy chief Shane Allen’s Boffola, handles international sales.
Synopsis: It’s 2029. Sue’s husband David passed away 18 months ago and her only son, Michael, is moving out–again-to try and fix his marriage-again. But the good news is he’s got Sue a surprise to help her live independently, a care provider with a difference: The latest D500social humanoid elder ‘carerobot’. Created to keep the ageing population company and monitor their health, taking the pressure off the ever-stretched NHS, it’s Sue’s worst nightmare. An overly attentive, socially inept pain in the arse. But she soon works out she can use the droid to her benefit in settling scores and doing the things her son never gets round to. What develops is a buddy comedy between an older woman and her robot who isn’t quite as advanced socially as she is technically.
Bill’s Included
BBC One and BBC iPlayer sitcom from Alan Partridge producer Baby Cow, starring Rob Brydon and written by Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen. Further casting to follow. BBC Studios is selling internationally.
Synopsis: Bill’s Included follows middle-aged divorcee Bill Beam (Rob Brydon), who staves off financial ruin by renting his spare rooms to students. Warm-hearted and eager but neurotic and slightly overbearing, Bill is thrilled by the youthful energy his lodgers bring–but baffled by their indifference to his laminated house rules and colour-coded cutlery. He’s torn between wanting to be part of the gang-sharing banter, keeping up with trends-and clinging to his role as responsible adult.The students, meanwhile, aren’t exactly living the dream: a 90-minute commute to campus, a strict bin rota, and a man in his 50s who insists on a group vote before ordering a takeaway. Still, the rent’s insanely cheap (please don’t tell Bill), and somehow, through all the awkwardness, this chaotic household starts to gel.
Small Prophets
Small Prophets (w/t) is a six-part comedy created, written and directed by the BAFTA-winning Crook (Detectorists, Worzel Gummidge) and produced by Gill Isles (Car Share, Alma’s Not Normal), from Treasure Trove Productions and Blue HouseProductions. Sphere Abacus has international distribution rights.
Synopsis: A comic tale of eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley) who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits dad Brian (Michael Palin) and hopes for Clea to return. That is just the way it is, until one day dad Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi – magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future – in the hope they have the answer to his burning question, ‘will I ever see Clea again?’. Michael gets help from young workmate Kacey (Lauren Patel),an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly (but not wholly) through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Crook). Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbours (Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed.
Stuffed
Hour-long Christmas special starring Guz Khan, aking to a British National Lampoon’s Vacation, according to its writer and creator, Andy Milligan. from BBC Studios-backed Baby Cow and Khan’s Dice Roll Productions, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. BBC Studios has international distribution rights.
Synopsis: After he receives an unexpected £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, Arslan Farooqi (Khan) and his multi-faith family set off on the trip of a lifetime when they swap Coventry for the magic of Lapland. His wife Hannah (Morgana Robinson), his two daughters and brother-in-law Jamie (Theo Barklem-Biggs) are all set for the ultimate festive adventure. However, when office worker Arslan discovers the bonus was a mistake and must be repaid immediately, Christmas chaos ensues – and disaster follows the family at every turn. Together with new holiday friend Lily (Sue Johnston), they must find a way out of this predicament and hope for a Christmas miracle that can save Arslan’s job and the family’s livelihood.
The Reluctant Vampire
Another from Boffola Pictures, the series stars BAFTA winner Lenny Rush and is for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Based on the books by Eric Morecambe and written by Rob & Neil Gibbons (Alan Partridge), the coming-of-age sitcom is about a young vampire who finds out he is not in fact a vampire at all, and has to live a double life.
Synopsis: Set in a timeless English village, where everything is picturesque – everything, that is, except for the vampires living in the castle on the hill who come out at night for a little drink of the locals. Val has been raised in a very typical vampire family but has always felt a bit different and hopelessly inept at rising to meet his Dad’s high standards. Following a surprise encounter with his reflection, he realises he is not undead, not in the least bit. Now with a big secret to hide, Val must navigate finding out who he truly is, by mingling with the locals to learn the intricacies of their behaviour and what it means to be human. Caught between two worlds as he loves his Mum and Dad (not so much his jealous brother) and has full vampire duties expected of him by his father, whose obsession with the traditional way of life is tricky when they’re undead and the villagers despise them.
