‘It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” says UKTV CEO Marcus Arthur, a grin spreading across his face. The gift in question is Gold, the network’s flagship channel, whose audience share last year grew by 7%. Highlights included The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out, Gold’s most popular show of the year, watched by 829,000 people, with original drama Murder, They Hope in second place, watched by 687,000, and returning scripted series The Cockfields (490,000) in third.
The three-part series is set in the eponymous working-class market town in the East Midlands.
Morgana Robinson stars as the tired and truculent matriarch Maxine, who manages a local chip shop.
Maxine is trying to ride out her divorce and search for a new flame, but her dullard ex-husband Terry (Mathew Horne) is trying ever more desperately to win her back. Meanwhile her vulnerable son Leslie (Jai Hollis) has just come out as gay.
Creator and writer Nathan Foad (The Young Offenders) said: “Making Newark, Newark is my wildest dream come true.
The new series will see the return of Les Vegas (Sanjeev Bhaskar), Emily Verma (Natalie Dew), and will welcome new character Donna Vegas, Emily’s estranged mother, played by Tracy-Ann Oberman.
Series one ended with Les running back to the sea, this time with daughter Emily in tow, as they try to evade the ruthless One Eyed Man (Hugh Bonneville).
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.
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.
The documentary will reveal never-before-seen footage of rehearsals and what really occurred behind the scenes.
Produced by Expectation, the special will see Dawn French and Richard Curtis partner talk about their favourite moments from the sitcom with writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, producer Jon Plowman and James Fleet, who played Hugo Horton, and guest stars such as Hugh Bonneville, Kylie and Joanna Lumley.
Dawn French commented: “It was a total treat to revisit such a happy place and time for this documentary. Part of my heart is still, and forever will be in Dibley.”
In 2020, UKTV’s network share grew by 3.2% to achieve 4.63%, reaching over 18 million viewers a week, and grew its SOCI by 4%.
UKTV Play increased direct-to-consumer views by 42%, with shows such as Red Dwarf: The Promised Land, The Bill: The Early Years, Meet The Richardsons, EastEnders and Hypothetical topping the VOD service.
The three-part series follows Emily Verma (Dew), a 27-year-old living the high life in London after flying the nest from her seaside hometown, Sandylands.
When Emily hears her father Les Vegas (Bhaskar) is lost at sea, she returns to her childhood home and reconnects with her old best friend Tina (Harriet Webb) and quickly befriends her oddball next door neighbours Derek Swallows (Walliams) and his wife Jeannie (Sophie Thompson).
The 3x30’ series is written by David Earl and Joe Wilkinson, with Steve Bendelack (Little Britain, Friday Night Dinner) directing.
Wilkinson stars as Simon who is fast approaching 40. To celebrate the big birthday, Simon takes his girlfriend Donna (Morgan) home to the Isle of Wight for the first time, to mark the occasion back at the Cockfield family home.
The pair try to survive the long weekend as they share the house with Simon’s ever-doting mother Sue, (Sue Johnston) and controlling stepdad Ray (Bobby Ball).
Britain’s Greatest Comedian will count down the UK’s top 30 comedians as voted for by the public and a selected comedy jury.
The jury will consist of famous experts, comedians, producers, actors and performers who will all be responsible for the final ranking.
