Comedy

UKTV announces diverse anthology series and new writers’ initiative for underrepresented talent

Anthology series 

The four-part anthology series will see UKTV team up with TriForce Creative Network, an organisation that works to remove obstacles stopping diverse and emerging talent from progressing in the industry. 

The multi-step process will use TriForce’s WriterSlam platform, which is known for discovering writers from all backgrounds, and ask for writing scripts across a range of topics and genres. 

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders to reunite for French and Saunders: Funny Women

The iconic duo will pair up once again to film on the set of their classic sketch show to talk about the wealth of female contributions to the comedy landscape across history and across the globe. 

They will discuss the women who were the very first trailblazers in the industry, to those who inspired a young French and Saunders and today’s generation of comedy stars. 

The special will be a fun and eye-opening celebration of the many women in comedy past and present. 

David Mitchell, Robert Webb and writer Simon Blackwell discuss series two of Back

Robert Webb and David Mitchell

Mitchell is Stephen, a man who has failed as a husband, a lawyer and at running his late father’s pub. Worse, he’s been usurped in his family’s affections by the charismatic Andrew (Webb), supposedly a former foster child of Stephen’s parents.

“I like to pay the comic mattress on which people jump up and down – there’s a lot of comedy and fun acting to be had from the character that things are happening to,” said Mitchell.

He described Stephen as “disappointed and self-loathing and endlessly self-doubting, also intelligent and little bit angry.”

How a parenting nightmare inspired Sky One’s Breeders

The dream occurred five or six years ago. “I knew I’d gone through this many times in real life. I was going up the stairs to shout at my children,” he recalls.     

“With each step I was talking myself down ‘You know you’re better than this and they won’t respond positively.’  

“I thought I’d got the better of my temper before I opened the children’s bedroom door, but I opened the door and exploded.”  

BBC Three commissions new entertainment show from Dane Baptiste

At its centre is the mythical NASBLAQ, a Stock index for diverse talent which controls their movement up and down the ladder of fame.

In this pilot, Dane and his cast will investigate the workings of the NASBLAQ and attempt to crack the code to success with a series of sketches, stunts, interviews and social campaigns.

US comedy series Twenties is coming to BBC Three

Credit: BBC

Written and created by Lena Waithe, Twenties is inspired by Waithe's own life and follows Hattie (Jonica T. Gibbs), an aspiring young black lesbian writer. Hattie and her friends Marie (Christina Elmore) and Nia (Gabrielle Graham) fight to realise their dreams while living in LA.

While homeless and struggling to make her dreams a reality, Hattie meets a successful writer and producer who gives her a chance and hires her as an assistant on a show.

Victoria Wood’s favourite sketches to air on BBC Two

(credit: BBC)

Chosen by Victoria herself, the sketches were listed in one of her personal notebooks discovered after her death.

The two episodes will show footage ranging across Victoria’s 40-year career, including unseen insights into her life with clips from her own personal archive.

With a magnificent back catalogue of hilarious comedy moments, Victoria Wood’s Secret List will offer viewers a unique look at Victoria’s most loved comedy sketches.

Two new After Ever After comedies from David Walliams are coming to Sky

David Walliams and Sheridan Smith (Credit: Sky)

Sky One original Jack and The Beanstalk: After Ever After was created and written by The Dawson Brother and David Walliams.

Walliams will take on the role of the feared giant, with Sheridan Smith playing The Woman with No Name, who is known as the best giant-slayer in the village, and Blake Harrison stars as Dodgy Dave, a sneaky market stall trader who originally sold Jack the magic beans.

The one-off Christmas special will tell the story of what happens after the ‘happily ever after’, with the original story ending with Jack seeming to have defeated the giant.