Channel 4 announces its spring comedy offerings
Channel Four has published details of its spring lineup. The broadcaster's schedule over the next few months is brimming with drama and 'factual entertainment features' however there will be a noticable lack of comedy from C4 this quarter.
As we've reported previously, the fourth series of multi award-winning and critically acclaimed Peep Show will be part of the schedule (it starts in April). Starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb, Peep Show follows the private worlds of Mark and Jeremy, two twenty-something flat-mates living in south London. Having proposed by accident to Sophie (Olivia Colman), Mark now faces the horror of having to actually go through with the wedding. Or will he...? And, when Jeremy's beautiful ex "visa wife", Nancy (Rachel Blanchard), unexpectedly turns up again, how far will he go to win her back? Also this series, Mark spends a horrific weekend with Sophie's argumentative parents, tries to get his gym instructor sacked, and also gets involved in a spot of arson. Meanwhile, Jeremy performs some "handy" work for a male pop star, does something pretty unspeakable to a dog and, worst of all, sleeps with Sophie's mother!
Other 'comedy' on Channel Four this spring includes The Friday Night Project, which returns in May for a new series with presenters Justin Lee Collins and Alan Carr still at the helm and The Law of the Playground which is back for a second series looking at what we all used to get up to at school and in the playground.
Probably more of interest to BSG readers will be The 50 Greatest Comedy Characters which celebrates the funniest comedy creations of all time. Featuring both British and American comedy characters, this three-hour special combines choice archive clips as well as exclusive interviews with the actors, comedians, producers and writers who made these creations possible. From Basil Fawlty to Frank Spencer, Alf Garnett and David Brent, all of comedy's finest creations feature. The show has exclusive interviews include Terry Jones, Catherine Tate, Ardal O'Hanlon, Leslie Neilsen, Richard Wilson, Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Sandra Bernhard and Andrew Sachs.
Other than that the only major comedy the broadcaster has announced is the final 8th season of American sitcom Will and Grace and a new show called Perfect Night In in which Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and then Simon Pegg and Nick Frost take turns to talk viewers through their favourite ever clips and TV moments.
The broadcaster has also released details of what it will be showing on E4. The new comedy shows are the prank phone call show Fonejacker and Funny Cuts which will be showing ten brand new short comedy films offering highly-prized airtime for the next generation of comedy writers and performers.