British Comedy Guide

Darren Boyd stars as midwife in ITV sitcom The Delivery Man

Saturday 19th April 2014, 6:55pm


Spy. Tim (Darren Boyd). Copyright: Hat Trick Productions

Darren Boyd, the star of shows including Spy and Dirk Gently, is taking on the lead role in The Delivery Man, a new sitcom for ITV.

A pilot for the programme has already been filmed, with Boyd playing a policeman who decides to change his career to become a midwife.

Other stars involved in the show include Fay Ripley (Reggie Perrin), Alex Macqueen (The Thick Of It), Dominic Coleman (Trollied), Aisling Bea (Dead Boss) and Holli Dempsey (Derek).

The Delivery Man has been written by Robert Harley and James Henry. The duo have previously worked together on projects including Green Wing, the Channel 4 comedy in which Boyd appeared as complementary therapist Jake Leaf.

The Delivery Man proves to be somewhat of a Green Wing reunion, as it is being produced and directed by the hospital comedy's creator, Victoria Pile.

The format is being developed by Moniker Pictures, the production company that was also behind the Green Wing team's 2011 university-set comedy series Campus.

The Delivery Man is one of a number of scripted projects being trialled by ITV at the moment, as the network continues to look to find a new hit show to complement the likes of Benidorm and Vicious.

As reported by BCG earlier this week, one of the other new ITV pilots in development is Semi Detached, starring Katherine Parkinson. This pilot has also been written by Green Wing alumni, Oriane Messina and Fay Rusling.

Meanwhile, Darren Boyd lends his voice to the football-obsessed central character in new animated ITV4 sitcom Warren United, which launches on Tuesday.

It is not yet known if or when The Delivery Man may be shown on television. British Comedy Guide understands that ITV1 have been conducting audience research and are set to make a decision shortly as to whether to order a series. If the comedy is commissioned, it is likely the pilot will be broadcast as part of the series proper.

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