Noticias

Exclusive: Starstruck co-writer Alice Snedden is directing a Channel 4 comedy about love in the cost-of-living crisis.

Snedden is helming a one-off for Channel’s 4 Blap strand titled Break Clause, which is written and created by Jess Bray (The Outlaws) and will star BAFTA-nominee Samuel Bottomley, Lara Ricote (Live at the Apollo), Jamali Maddix (Never Mind the Buzzcocks), Lauryn Ajufo (Everything Now) and Leo Reich (Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?!).

In Break Clause, Lil and Ben get together but swiftly break up on the first night of moving in together, quickly finding themselves in a legally binding contract they can only end after a fixed term period of six months. The show was described as “the true cost of loving in a cost-of-living crisis” by Channel 4.

Break Clause has shades of Starstruck, the BBC-HBO comedy that Snedden co-wrote with its creator Rose Matafeo.

“Dodger,” the high-octane family drama based on Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” is set to return to the BBC for three specials.

Production has just wrapped in Bristol on the three one-off episodes, which include a Christmas-themed offering, with Christopher Eccleston (“Doctor Who”) returning as Fagin and Billy Jenkins (“Peaky Blinders”) returning as the eponymous child pickpocket.

Also returning for high jinks in Victorian London are Ellie-May Sheridan (“Call The Midwife”), Aabay Ali, Connor Curren, Mila Lieu, David Threlfall (“Shameless”), Alex Kingston (“Doctor Who”), Rhys Thomas (“The Fast Show”), Javone Prince (“No Time To Die”), Lucy Montgomery (“Disenchantment”), Saira Choudhry (“Life”), James Fleet (“Vicar of Dibley”), Lenny Rush (“A Christmas Carol”) and Sam C Wilson (“Hanna”).

They are joined by newcomers to the series Anita Dobson (“EastEnders”), Robert Lindsay (“My Family”), Mark Benton (“Waterloo Road”), Rufus Jones (“Home”), Matthew Holness (“Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace”) and Jane Horrocks (“Absolutely Fabulous”).

“Dodger” will air...

BBC family comedy “Dodger,” which launched on children’s channel Cbbc and migrated to the flagship BBC One channel, has gotten an official soundtrack release.

Universal International Studios and Back Lot Music released the official soundtrack, which features original music written by Joel Cadbury and Will Harper. You can stream the soundtrack now via all major global digital streaming platforms. The BBC series is inspired by Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” and takes place before the events of the classic novel and proposes a backstory for The Artful Dodger and Fagin’s gang in 1830s Victorian London.

“Dodger” is written by Rhys Thomas and Lucy Montgomery, with Charlie Higson guest writing an episode. Thomas directs alongside Hildegard Ryan. Executive producers include Thomas and Montgomery. Mark Freeland is executive producer for Universal International Studios.

Said Thomas: “The music Joel and Will composed for ‘Dodger’ is more than just a soundtrack. It’s...

Exclusive: Universal International Studios Exec Mark Freeland is hoping his upcoming Cbbc Oliver Twist spin-off Dodger can land as a rare, traditional family hit, while he revealed plans for “another epic idea with family appeal.”

The first five episodes of Dodger, which stars Christopher Eccleston as Fagin and Shameless star David Threlfall as the Chief of Police, will land on VoD player BBC iPlayer on Sunday and the first ep will premiere on the Cbbc channel at 5.30Pm.

Inspired by The Goonies, Dodger features 10 self-contained 45-minute episodes, mostly shot with a hand-held camera and each of which involves a cast of children plus the adult stars undertaking adventures that invariably end in the main character avoiding getting caught.

Speaking exclusively to Deadline, Freeland, a former high-level BBC exec, said UK family drama has become few and far between, citing rare hits such as BBC One comedy Ghosts, which is made...

The punk-rocking ladies of Peacock and Channel 4’s We Are Lady Parts came together to talk casting, Muslim representation on-screen and more at Atx Television Festival on Sunday.

Creator Nida Manzoor kicked off the conversation, moderated by Vanity Fair’s Sonia Saraiya, explaining how We Are Lady Parts came to be. Manzoor shared the show drew inspired by her music-filled childhood and strong women in her life, then explained that the series required engaging talent who knew their way around instruments – or would at least be willing to learn how to play.

“A lot of the actors didn’t play their instruments,” she said, before adding that brother Shez Manzoor, who co-writes the series’ original numbers with sister Sanya, taught the actresses how to play over Zoom lessons.

The series stars Anjana Vasan, Sarah Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole and Lucie Shorthouse. Only a couple of the actresses had...

Christopher Eccleston will lead the cast of Dodger, a new story set in the world of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. The series, produced by NBCUniversal International Studios, is a ten-part family adventure that will air next year on Cbbc and BBC iPlayer.

Eccleston will play Fagin, with David Threlfall cast as the chief of police, Billy Jenkins as the titular Dodger, and Saira Choudhry as Nancy. Filming is underway in Manchester. Aabay Ali, Ellie-May Sheridan, Mila Lieu, Connor Curren, Sam C Wilson, Tanya Reynolds, Lucy Montgomery, Frances Barber, Javone Prince and Rhys Thomas are also in the cast.

Set before the events of Oliver Twist, the show will follow the exploits of the infamous pickpocket, the Artful Dodger, and Fagin’s gang as they find ingenious ways to survive the grim and exploitative conditions of early Victorian London in the 1830s.

The series is written by Rhys Thomas and Lucy...

NBCUniversal streamer Peacock and Channel 4 have revealed the first look at their British comedy We Are Lady Parts, from writer/director Nida Manzoor.

The series will air as a Peacock original in the U.S. but was first commissioned by Channel 4 in 2019 after it started life as a comedy pilot via the UK broadcaster’s Blaps strand. A premiere date was not disclosed.

Formerly known as Lady Parts, it follows the eponymous Muslim punk band, featuring geeky Phd student and lead guitarist Amina Hussein and fierce and enigmatic front-woman Saira.

Saira uses Amina’s desperation to find a husband as leverage, offering to hook-up dates for her if she agrees to join the band. Amina has never, ever met girls like this before, and soon gets swept up in their joyful anarchic energy.

Featuring original punk songs and cover tracks, the series stars Lucie Shorthouse (Momtaz), Faith Omole (Bisma...

Exclusive: The BBC is heading back to the Dickensian-era for its latest family comedy. The British public broadcaster has ordered Dodger from NBCUniversal International Studios.

The series is a family adventure comedy set in 1830s Dickensian London and tells the story of the Artful Dodger, the infamous pickpocket character from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist.

The character, whose name was Jack Dawkins, is the leader of a gang of child criminals, trained by Fagin. He was described by Dickens as a “snub-nosed, flat-bowed, common-faced boy” with the “airs and manners of a man”.

The Artful Dodger has been portrayed by a slew of child actors over the years, most recently by Wilson Radjou-Pujalte in BBC period drama Dickensian.

Dodger is written by Rhys Thomas, best known for his roles in comedies including The Fast Show, Sirens and Nathan Barley, who also co-wrote spoof music doc series The Life of Rock with Brian Pern.

British broadcaster Channel 4has unveiled its latest programming slate including a Muslim punk comedy, a three-part doc series about Russian President Vladimir Putin and a reality series set within a Namibian tribe.

The shows were announced by Channel 4 at the start of the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

NBCU-backed Working Title Television is making Lady Parts, a six-part comedy about an all female Muslim punk band. From writer/director Nida Manzoor, the half-hour series follows the eponymous band, featuring geeky Phd student and lead guitarist Amina Hussein and fierce and enigmatic front-woman Saira. Saira uses Amina’s desperation to find a husband as leverage, offering to hook up dates for her if she agrees to join the band. Amina has never, ever met girls like this before, and soon gets swept up in their joyful anarchic energy. But will she be the key to the band’s success? And...

Working Title Television UK has hired former BBC exec Mark Freeland has Head of Television Comedy, effective immediately. Based in London, he will work closely alongside Andrew Woodhead, Managing Director of Working Title Television. Freeland was previously Controller, Fiction & Entertainment at the BBC, a role he started in 2007. Since 2014, he led the Comedy, Drama and Entertainment production teams for BBC Studios. During that time, he was a member of BBC Television…...

Kate Moss and Jennifer Saunders have joined the cast of David Walliams's upcoming BBC One comedy.

Walliams's book The Boy in the Dress is being adapted to television for the Christmas period, following his BAFTA-nominated Mr Stink.

The story follows a 12-year-old boy who enjoys cross-dressing, and how his family and friends react to it at home and school.

Billy Kennedy will make his debut as main character Dennis, while Tim McInnerny, Meera Syal, Steve Speirs, James Buckley and Felicity Montagu will also star, alongside Walliams himself.

The one-hour special will be filmed in London later in the autumn by King Bert Productions and BBC In-house Comedy.

Walliams said: "We have put together a dream cast for this, the first of my children's books - and for many still my best. It is a funny and poignant story about what it is to be different. I hope it will make everyone who sees it,...

Myfanwy Moore has been named as the BBC's new controller of UK comedy production.

She will take control of the BBC's in-house comedy department across both TV and radio.

Moore was previously editor of new comedy at the BBC from 1997 to 2005, developing shows including Little Britain, That Mitchell and Webb Situation and The Dave Gorman Collection.

She returns to the BBC after working at ITV as commissioning editor of comedy. During her time at ITV she had been responsible for its recent scripted comedy output including Birds Of A Feather, Plebs, Vicious and The Job Lot.

From 1995 to 1997, she also launched the Paramount Comedy Channel as Director of Programmes.

Moore said of her new role: "I have loved my time at ITV, but as any comedy geek knows, running BBC in-house comedy - the birthplace of so many well-loved and enduring shows that have shaped popular culture - is an...

China’s Wanda Cinema Line To Add 80 IMAX Theaters Wanda Cinema Line, Asia’s largest movie theater owner, will add 80 additional IMAX theaters to its locations throughout China, the company confirmed today. Rollout will start in 2016 and will bring Wanda’s IMAX commitment to 210 theaters in the territory. Under the terms of the agreement, up to 40 of the 80 additional theaters will install IMAX’s next-generation laser projection system. Wanda Cinema Line was one of IMAX’s first exhibition partners in China, dating to 2007. The parties signed a revenue-sharing deal in the territory in 2011. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond recently said he plans to more than double the company’s footprint in China over the next five years. At a November Bloomberg conference, he said: “I feel like I’ve got the wind at my back. … I’m a huge China bull.” In 2012, Wanda Group expanded heavily into the U.S., acquiring...

BBC One’s ‘Gangsta Granny’ Rounds Out Cast Julia McKenzie, Joanna Lumley, Rob Brydon and Miranda Hart will star in Gangsta Granny, BBC One’s 60-minute adaptation of David Walliams’ best-selling children’s novel. The comedy-drama tells the story of young Ben (Reece Buttery), who is bored while staying with his dull grandma (McKenzie). Then one day, Grandma tells Ben a story that she was once an international jewel thief, and together they go on a wild adventure. Directed by Matt Lipsey, Gangsta Granny will be produced by Jo Sargent and executive produced by Mark Freeland. It begins filming Sunday for broadcast at Christmastime Pathé Takes On ‘Suffragette’ Pathé has boarded Suffragette, the newly-titled Ruby Films drama that’s also backed by Film4 and the BFI. Carey Mulligan stars in the project that was known as The Fury when Deadline broke the news of her talks. At the time, it was with Focus,...

BBC Two has announced plans for a tribute show about late comedian Felix Dexter.

Dexter, who was well loved for his roles on shows such as The Real McCoy and Citizen Khan, passed away last week aged 52. He had been suffering from multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer.

Fast Show creator and friend Paul Whitehouse said: "It's great that the BBC are showing this tribute to Felix. He was brilliant, funny and challenging and deserves to be remembered as such, even though he was a Gooner."

BBC comedy controller Mark Freeland said that the BBC was proud to be able to show the tribute, which would highlight "what a fantastic comedy actor he was".

Dexter rose to fame on the flagship '90s comedy series The Real McCoy before going on to appear in TV shows including The Fast Show, Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge and Absolutely Fabulous.

Miranda Hart and Joanna Lumley are to star in a BBC adaptation of Gangsta Granny.

David Walliams's best-selling children's novel will be turned into a one-off 60-minute film for BBC One, following the success of the TV adaptation of Mr Stink.

Julia McKenzie (Marple) will star as the title character in the comedy drama, which begins filming on Sunday (October 27), for a broadcast at Christmas.

The project has been co-written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Gnomeo & Juliet) with Walliams.

Gangsta Granny follows schoolboy Ben (Reece Buttery), who becomes bored after being forced to stay with his grandma.

However, she soon tells him the story of when she used to be an international jewel thief, before they join forces to complete the big heist she never completed.

Lumley will portray the Queen, while Walliams and Hart will play Ben's parents Mike and Linda.

Rob Brydon will play nosy neighbour Mr Parker,...

Sir David Jason will reprise his role of Granville for an Open All Hours Christmas special.

Lynda Baron and Maggie Ollerenshaw will also return as nurse Gladys Emmanuel and Mavis in the 30-minute one-off episode Still Open All Hours.

"I'm really excited to be bringing back Open All Hours," said Jason. "I am sure there is an audience out there who would like to see what Granville has been getting up to in the corner shop.

"It will be a great family show for Christmas, and a fitting tribute to the legacy of Arkwright."

Granville will be seen running the grocery store with his son, having inherited it from his uncle Albert Arkwright (Ronnie Barker).

Roy Clarke, who wrote the original series, will return for Still Open All Hours.

"This has been fun - a great opportunity to work with David Jason again and to suggest how things at that corner shop might look today,...

The Wrong Mans achieved BBC Two's best comedy launch in eight years last night (September 24).

James Corden and Mathew Baynton's comedy action series was seen by an average of 3.1 million and an audience share of 13.5% at 9pm. It also peaked at 3.4m.

This is BBC Two's best opener for a new comedy series since Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Extras in 2005.

Execitive producer Mark Freeland said: "A huge thank you to everyone who watched The Wrong Mans last night. Do catch it on the BBC iPlayer and when it repeats on Sunday night on BBC Two.

"Things go spectacularly wrong for Phil and Sam from here on in, so if you think you're having a bad time of it, The Wrong Mans proves there's always someone else deeper in where you really don't want to be."

James Corden has named 24 and the Bourne films as influences on the six-part series.

To (incorrectly) paraphrase LL Cool J, don’t call it a network. The idea of TV is definitely shifting, especially given Netflix’s 14 Emmy nominations this year, and Hulu is helping push that concept even further, to the point that it doesn’t relate to the traditional network model.

“We’re not really a network, we’re not really a studio,” Hulu acting CEO Andy Forssell told reporters during the Television Critics Association press tour Wednesday. “We’re a distributor at heart.” Forssell says Hulu goes out “looking for voices,” as opposed to networks that try to find shows that fit their point of view.

The first footage from David Walliams and Catherine Tate's new BBC One sitcom Big School has been released by the broadcaster.

Big School is co-written by Walliams and centres around a dysfunctional staff room and the unrequited love of Walliams's chemistry teacher Mr Church and Tate's French teacher Miss Postem.

Mr Church is just about to quit the school, but stops himself from handing in his notice after falling in love at first sight with Miss Postem.

The show's ensemble cast includes Life on Mars star Philip Glenister as lothario gym teacher Mr Gunn, Frances de la Tour as no-nonsense headmistress Ms Baron and The Thick of It actress Joanna Scanlan as drama teacher Mrs Klebb.

Daniel Rigby (Eric and Ernie) and Steve Speirs (Cemetery Junction) will also star.

BBC Comedy's Mark Freeland said that it had been an "absolute privilege" working with Walliams and the cast.

Big School...

After the success of last Christmas' BAFTA-nominated Mr Stink, another adaptation of a David Walliams novel is coming to BBC One.

Gangsta Granny tells the story of schoolboy Ben, who is bored beyond belief after he is made to stay at his grandma’s house; all she wants to do is stay in and play Scrabble and eat cabbage soup. What Ben doesn’t know about his grandma is that she was once an international jewel thief, and for her entire life, she has been plotting to steal the Crown Jewels. Now, she needs Ben’s help…

David Walliams says: “Gangsta Granny has proved to be the most popular of all my books. It is an adventure story about two unlikely thieves, Granny and her grandson, Ben. It should make for exciting family viewing at Christmas.”

Shane Allen, the Controller of BBC Comedy Commissioning said: “The story delivers on David...

BBC One have announced the commission of David Walliams’s popular children’s book Gangsta Granny for Christmas 2013.

The TV special was commissioned by departing controller of BBC One Danny Cohen, as well as newly appointed BBC head of Comedy Shane Allen. The production will be In-House and is scheduled to be screened later this year.

Fronted by the same team who made Mr Stink – which has secured a BAFTA nomination – the script will be written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley, who also co wrote Gnomeo & Juliet & Black Books. David Walliams will also be lending his writing hand too.

Speaking in a BBC press release, David Walliams talks about his excitement of seeing Gangsta Granny being made for TV;

“Gangsta Granny has proved to be the most popular of all my books. It is an adventure story about two unlikely thieves, Granny and her grandson, Ben. It should make for exciting family viewing at Christmas.

BBC Three army comedy Bluestone 42 has been picked up for a second series, it has been confirmed.

The Richard Hurst (Secret Diary Of A Call Girl) and James Cary (Miranda) show about a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan has pulled in strong ratings for the broadcaster, and BBC Three boss Zai Bennett has ordered a new run of episodes.

"I'm incredibly proud of this bold, brave and hugely funny comedy drama series which has been enjoying big audiences on BBC Three," said Bennett.

"The cast, crew and writers have played an absolute blinder in this important series which completes and complements BBC Three's already extensive coverage of the war in Afghanistan."

Mark Freeland, head of BBC in-house comedy, said: "In-house comedy is at its best when we try extraordinary and slightly scary things. I believe Bluestone 42 is both.

"We tried to excite audiences, as well as respect the...

Catherine Tate Set For ‘Big School’ The Office’s Catherine Tate is set to star in a new BBC One sitcom created by David Walliams, who’ll also star. Big School is a six-part comedy set in a secondary school about a dysfunctional staff room, unrequited love and interactive white boards. Walliams will play a chemistry teacher who has taught at Greybridge School for years, Tate plays the school’s enthusiastic new recruit, who despite being a French teacher has never actually been to France. Also starring are Life On Mars’ Philip Glenister, The History Boys’ Frances de la Tour, The Thick Of It’s Joanna Scanlan and Cemetery Junction’s Steve Speirs. Big School is a BBC Production in association with Bert Productions. Jo Sargent is producing and Mark Freeland is exec producer. Ka-Ching: Tom Stoppard Pens Radio Play Based On Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon...

Catherine Tate and Philip Glenister will star opposite David Walliams in new BBC One sitcom Big School.

The sitcom, first announced in August, is co-written by Walliams and is set in an urban secondary school.

Walliams will play chemistry teacher Mr Church, while Tate is cast as enthusiastic new French teaser Miss Postern.

Life on Mars star Glenister will play Mr Gunn, a lothario gym teacher, with The Thick of It's Joanna Scanlan starring as interfering drama teacher Mrs Klebb.

Also cast in Big School - which was originally titled Autumn Leaves - are Frances de la Tour (The History Boys) as no-nonsense headmistress Ms Baron, Steve Speirs (Extras) as miserly geography teacher Mr Barber and Black Mirror's Daniel Rigby as music teacher and wannabe rock star Mr Martin.

"Led by David Walliams, it's an absolute privilege to work with such a brilliant cast and off-screen production team,...

Life's Too Short will end with a one-hour special rather than run for a second series, confirming previous rumours.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's comedy, starring Warwick Davis, will bow out with a special starring Val Kilmer co-produced by the BBC with Backlash Productions and HBO.

> Stephen Merchant too exhausted to think of 'Life's Too Short' series two

Davis said: "I am thrilled to be able to step back into Warwick's shoes again for this special.

"Ricky and Stephen's scripts are always a gift to play and the inclusion of Val Kilmer is nothing short of genius."

Gervais added: "I can't wait to work on the Life's Too Short special with the likes of Keith Chegwin.

"It will make a nice change from working on The Muppet Movie opposite weird little things with squeaky voices."

> 'The Only Way Is Essexmas' edges out 'Life's Too Short' in ratings...

Dougray Scott is the latest actor signed up for James Corden's new TV comedy project The Wrong Mans.

Scott, whose credits include Mission Impossible II, My Week with Marilyn and Desperate Housewives, joins an all-star cast.

Previously confirmed for the series are Dawn French, who will play Corden's mum, Silent Witness star Emilia Fox and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels actor Nick Moran.

Prometheus star Benedict Wong, Dan Renton Skinner (best known for playing Angelos Epithemiou on Shooting Stars), The Thick of It actress Rebecca Front and Him & Her's Sarah Solemani will also appear in the series.

[Left: Rebecca Front / Right: Sarah Solemani]

The Wrong Mans has been written by Corden and Mathew Baynton, who will play a duo that get caught up in a conspiracy after they discover a ringing phone at a crash scene.

The original concept was developed when Baynton and Corden worked together on Gavin & Stacey.

Exec producer Mark Freeland...

The six-part comedy-thriller comes on the heels of the companies’ first co-production deal for the fourth season of The Thick Of It. Branded a Hulu Exclusive Series, The Wrong Mans stars James Corden and Mathew Baynton as two office workers who become caught up in a deadly criminal conspiracy after one answers a ringing phone at the scene of a horrific car crash. It is directed and produced by Jim Field Smith (Butter), and executive produced by BBC In-House Productions Head Of Comedy Mark Freeland and Hulu’s Charlotte Koh. It is set to premiere next year in the U.S. on Hulu and the Hulu Plus subscription service. “BBC Worldwide Americas has been an invaluable partner for us as we build a strong library of popular UK series that U.S. viewers can find only on Hulu and Hulu Plus, and we are extremely happy to expand our relationship...

The Earl of Grantham is doing one for the kids. Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville will play the title role in BBC One children’s novel adaptation Mr. Stink. The family comedy is based on the book by comic actor David Walliams, best known as half of the Little Britain duo. Walliams and Simon Nye are adapting. BBC In-house is producing. The story follows a lonely 12-year-old girl who befriends a local tramp, Mr. Stink. When she invites him to hide out in her yard, she must try to conceal him while coping with her complicated family. Harish Patel (David Schwimmer’s Run Fat Boy Run) and Walliams also star. Bonneville may be stiff-upper-lipped as Downton‘s Robert Crawley, but he’s no stranger to comedy. He recently starred in BBC Olympics mockumentary Twenty Twelve which also ran on BBC America and won the 2011 British Comedy Award for best sitcom.

The BBC has commissioned a second series of comedy series Mrs Brown's Boys. BBC One controller Danny Cohen and comedy commissioning controller Cheryl Taylor green lit the second run following strong ratings for the Brendan O'Carroll sitcom. Based on a stage show about Dublin matriarch Agnes Brown (O'Carroll), the show also featured O'Carroll's real life family members in the extended cast. "This is unbelievable! I'm just thrilled that the BBC continues to have confidence in the show," said the comic. "The support we have had from all involved, from Danny Cohen and Mark Freeland and BBC Scotland, makes us just so excited to get back there and do it all again. "Producer Stephen McCrum promised me that he would be faithful to the (more)...

Come Fly With Me has been recommissioned for a second series, it has been announced. The airport-based mockumentary, starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, will return to BBC One after the success of its first series, which was the best-performing comedy show over the Christmas period, The Independent reports. Mark Freeland, head of in-house comedy at the BBC, said: "After such a flying start on BBC One, it's great news that Matt (more)...

London -- "The Office" and "Extras" creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant have unveiled their new project, "Life's Too Short," a 30-minute single-camera comedy pilot for BBC2.

The show centers on Warwick Davis, Britain's pre-eminent little person actor who has appeared in such boxoffice hit franchises including "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter." Gervais and Merchant appear in minor roles.

The observational comedy follows Davis in his day-to-day life, complete with the frustrations he faces, in his first major role for the BBC.

"We're having so much fun working with Warwick. Pound for pound he is one of the funniest men I know," Gervais said.

The pilot will be produced by Charlie Hanson with Michelle Farr for the BBC's in-house comedy production unit and will be executive produced by Gervais and Merchant, with Mark Freeland.

BBC2 controller Janice Hadlow said the project was part of the network's comedy mission.

The BBC has announced plans to screen a prequel to the sitcom Only Fools And Horses. Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips, written by Only Fools creator John Sullivan, will start shooting on location in London next month. The 90-minute comedy drama will centre on the earlier years of the Trotter family, as was previously rumoured, focusing on the relationships between Joan Trotter; Del-boy's useless father Reg; the safe-cracker, Freddie Robdal; and the young Del-boy himself. BBC head of comedy Mark Freeland said of the commission: "'Once upon a time in Peckham...' How incredibly tantalising. Nearly 30 years since Only Fools And (more)...