Sky 1 makes way for bold new comedies

Sky 1 makes way for bold new comedies

Twitter icon
Facebook icon
LinkedIn icon
e-mail icon
Thursday, 21st September 2017
Romesh Ranganathan and Karl Pilkington (Credit: Sky)

The channel plans to take an edgier route into comedy with new shows from Karl Pilkington and Romesh Ranganathan.

The sitcoms will been shown in a new 10pm slot that aims to be a platform for bolder comedy shows. 

Karl Pilkington's first scripted comedy will see him take on the role of himself (and the voice inside his head) in the parallel mundane life he might have led if he hadn't met Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

The comedy duo propelled Pilkington to fame while he was working as a producer on The Ricky Gervais Show, bringing him onto the show to share his points of view before becoming a main fixture on the radio show, as well as their travel series An Idiot Abroad.

The series, titled Sick of It, follows the character of Pilkington as he moves in with his elderly aunt after his long-term girlfriend dumps him. His closest companion is the voice inside his head - an uncensored alter ego who says what he truly thinks of people. 

“For most people the inner self is there to help make decisions, but mine mainly confuses me and pushes me in the wrong direction," said Pilkington. "I’d say that doing this series was inner self’s idea."

"I’ve only just realised that I’m playing myself twice but only being paid once. Like I say, my inner self doesn’t really look out for me.”

Sick of It will be Sky 1's third comedy series starring Pilkington, following on from An Idiot Abroad and The Moaning of Life.

Romesh Ranganathan will also take the lead role in his new sitcom The Reluctant Landlord, which sees his character unwillingly inherit the family pub from his father after he dies.

The series is semi-autobiographical; before he found success as a comedian, Ranganathan and his brother attempted to run his father's pub after he passed away.

“After my father passed away and I was forced to run a pub a few years ago I remember thinking: ‘The best way to turn this into a positive would be to write a sitcom based on the situation for Sky 1,’" said Ranganathan. 

“I am delighted to finally see this very specific long term plan to fruition. The production team and channel have both been incredibly supportive. I say this both because it’s true and so that they can’t distance themselves from the project if it’s a failure.”

Other shows taking to the coveted spot include six-part series Living the Dream from the makers of Cold Feet about an English family who move across the pond in pursuit of the American dream, starring Philip Glenister (Mad Dogs) and Lesley Sharp (Scott & Bailey).

an_idiot_abroad_rope_jump

You are here

The channel plans to take an edgier route into comedy with new shows from Karl Pilkington and Romesh Ranganathan.