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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
takes comedy seriously with a raft of new programmes
The
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s unique on-going investment in comedy continues as Jane Lush,
Controller of Entertainment Commissioning, announced a slate of
new programmes for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ at the Montreux Television Festival.
Jane
Lush said: "Comedy
is no laughing matter - but we work hard to find the most exciting
comedians, performers and writers and then use the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s portfolio
of channels to nurture them.
"ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
THREE has a particular role and I'm delighted to see some exciting
projects coming through for the channel."
New
commissions announced at Montreux on Saturday (17 May 2003) include:
Nighty
Night for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE - a
six part comedy drama written by and starring Julia Davis (Human
Remains and Big Train) -
Nighty
Night is a dark comedy drama, which could be described as a West-Country
version of Fatal Attraction.
Julia
Davis plays Jill, the co-owner of a suburban beauty salon who becomes
obsessed with a handsome doctor who lives in the house opposite,
together with his wheelchair bound wife.
Jill
claims her hospitalised husband is dying of a terminal illness and
descends on their life... and won't leave.
The show is
produced by Ted Dowd and Executive Produced by Steve Coogan and
Henry Normal.
Nobody
Likes A Smart Ass for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO -
Jo
Brand, comedian, writer and star of Comic Relief Does Fame Academy,
presents Nobody Likes A Smartass, a quiz show with teeth.
A team
of four self-confessed smartasses, including one celebrity panellist,
put their egos on the line and their expertise to the test, battling
it out against a studio audience.
Can
the combined might of the 50-strong audience knock the experts down
to size or will they be able to rise to the challenge and have the
last laugh?
Whatever
the outcome, Jo Brand is on hand to pose the challenging questions
and provide her trademark dollop of biting humour and withering
put-downs.
Guests
in the series include Janet Street-Porter, Jeremy Beadle, Michael
Winner, Gyles Brandreth and Arabella Weir.
They
are joined by a panel featuring sports journalist Danny Kelly, film
critic James King, maths guru Simon Singh, art critic Robin Simon,
music broadcaster Stuart Maconie, and history buff Shaun Wallace.
Nobody Likes
A Smartass is an RDF Media production. It is produced by Sam Anthony.
The
Boosh for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE -
The
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is in advanced talks with Baby Cow to make The Boosh - a bizarre
and hilarious comedy adventure where Howard and Vince, two zookeepers
at the dilapidated Bob Fossil's Zoo-niverse, find themselves searching
for the Egg of Mantumbi in the unforgiving arctic tundra.
Julian
Barratt and Noel Fielding are The Boosh and are newcomers to the
world of tv.
Julian
and Noel's first Edinburgh Show in 1998 won them Best Newcomer Perrier
Award. Arctic Boosh, their second, earned a Perrier nomination.
Produced
by Ali McPhail and directed by Steve Bendelack (League of Gentleman).
The
pilot of The Boosh is on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE on Tuesday (20 May 2003) at 9.30pm.
The
Crouches for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE -
Robbie Gee (Desmonds), Rudolph Walker and Mona Hammond (EastEnders)
star in an upbeat, six part contemporary comedy series for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE,
which takes an intimate yet humorous take on the trials and tribulations
of a family living in Walworth, south-east London.
Childhood
sweethearts Roly Crouch (Robbie Gee) and Natalie (Jo Martin) have
been married for 18 years.
With
two demanding teenagers, Aiden and Adele, plus live-in parents,
Langley (Rudolph Walker) and Sylvie (Mona Hammond), the pressure
on the Crouch household sometimes reaches boiling point.
Don
Warrington (Manchild) plays Roly's workmate Bailey.
Produced by
Stephen McCrum and Carlton Dixon. Executive Produced by Sophie Clarke
Jervoise.
Paul
and Pauline Calf for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE -
Following
the success of the one-off show for the launch of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE, Steve
Coogan returns in a seven part series as the chain smoking Mancunian
Paul Calf and his sister Pauline.
Produced
by Ted Dowd, the executive producers are Steve Coogan and Henry
Normal. A Baby Cow production.
Swiss
Toni for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE -
Charlie
Higson is back as Swiss Toni for a second ten part series of the
hit show.
Exclusively
for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE Swiss continues to amuse viewers with his own brand
of philosophy - "Buying a car is like making love to a beautiful
woman".
Produced
by Geoffrey Perkins for Tiger Aspect.
Wild
West for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE -
Dawn
French and Catherine Tate star in a second six part series of Simon
Nye's comedy, set in a post office in Cornwall.
Produced
by Jocinta Peel and executive produced by Sophie Clarke Jervoise.
Jonathan
Creek for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE -
Another
three, hour long episodes of the hit comedy drama starring Alan
Davies as Jonathan and Julia Sawalha as the prim but pushy Carla
Borrego, an equally determined amateur detective.
Produced
by Verity Lambert and executive produced by Sophie Clarke Jervoise.
Notes
to Editors
The
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ won two prizes at the Montreux TV Festival:
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
TWO comedy The Office, starring Ricky Gervais,
won the silver award for best sitcom;
And
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ coverage of Party at the Palace -
held to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee - won the bronze prize
in the music category.
There
was also a special mention from the judges for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE'S Rolf
On Art.
.
The
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
All the
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s digital services are now available on ,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s eight television channels, interactive services
from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½i, as well as 11 ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ radio networks.
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