Channel Dave to order 10 new comedy series
Digital channel Dave is to pilot four new comedy formats over the next few months, as it looks to increase its original comedy output to around 10 shows a year.
Amongst the pilots, none of which have been officially named yet, include an improvised comedy show filmed in front of a green screen which will involve a large amount of audience participation. The channel will also pilot a panel show and stand-up comedy formats. It is believed that the first of the pilots will be broadcast in May.
Although not confirmed, the panel show piloted by the channel may be Milton Jones's College Of Knowledge, a new TV comedy game hosted by Mock The Week star Milton Jones.
The head of Dave, Steve North, commented on the usefulness of pilots using Argumental, the channel's most successful comedy series to date, as an example. He told Broadcast magazine: "it came from a piloting process that worked really well for us. Comedy is hard to do straight off the bat and to get a winning formula is very difficult."
Argumental, which began in 2008, is Dave's most successful original commission. A panel game hosted by John Sergeant, it features Marcus Brigstocke and Rufus Hound as the captains of two teams who argue on various topics. The show has run for three series but, as reported previously, there are fears it may now be facing the axe.