BBC iPlayer announces Funny Valentines 2016 line-up
- The BBC has announced 3 comedy shorts for its Funny Valentines 2016 strand
- Harry Hill, Adil Ray, Stephen Mangan and Suranne Jones star
- The shows will be on BBC iPlayer from Sunday 7th February at 9pm
BBC iPlayer has announced three comedies for its Funny Valentines 2016 line-up.
The romance-themed strand of comedy shorts debuted last year, with one of them - Elephant, starring by Nick Helm and Esther Smith - now BAFTA nominated. The BBC reports that last year's episodes - which you can still watch on iPlayer until 13th February - have received 1.3m requests (views) to date.
This year's offerings feature stars such as Stephen Mangan, Harry Hill, Adil Ray and Suranne Jones.
The three episodes will be published on iPlayer on Sunday 7th February 2016 at 9pm.
The BBC's Shane Allen says: "This is an eclectic trio of shorts from some of the biggest names in comedy engaging in pioneering and truly experimental work. BBC iPlayer has fast become the crucial creative playground and this second year of Funny Valentines is a testament to the ambition in finding new forms of content with big names for the audience."
The new shows are:
Substitute
Written and directed by Rhys Thomas (Brian Pern), Substitute tells the story of Carly (Suranne Jones) and Zach (Stephen Mangan), whose life is turned upside down on Valentine's Day by the arrival of a hapless online grocery delivery man.
Writer/producer Rhys Thomas says: "BBC iPlayer is a great platform for experimental comedy where the limitations of schedules and durations are out of the window. Suranne was so funny in Brian Pern, I couldn't wait to make another comedy with her and here it is, at the earliest opportunity. And she's joined by the brilliant Stephen Mangan, a dream team to work with."
Harry Hill's Look At Love
Harry Hill is a man. A man looking at women and love and romance. Also, what happens when Eros's arrow strikes, the dance of love and how marriage - and babies - ripen. With his international team of experts, Harry Hill prises open the safety deposit box of love and peers in.
Harry Hill says: "I've always enjoyed Valentines Day or 'V.D.' for short - I remember sending over 200 cards in February 1983 - well, before the days of Tinder one had to cast the net wide. So imagine my excitement when the BBC asked me to take a closer look at LOVE. We all seek it, yet it is entirely odourless - except in rare cases - just what is it? I think I've nailed it in this 10-minute documentary."
Darling Rafi
Adil Ray, the star of Citizen Khan, introduces his new character Rafi, a 30-something year-old reluctant carer who endures the loud mouthed curmudgeon Bert (Ted Robbins) and the overbearing interference of his well-meaning mother Mary (Harvey Virdi). It is Valentine's Day and Rafi is forced to role-play the perfect date scenario with this unlikely pair - and inevitably it doesn't go to plan.
Adil Ray says: "I'm really excited about stepping into Rafi's trainers and having some fun. He's a dreamer and a big kid and I hope people love him. BBC iPlayer feels like a great space to give everyone a little taste. I'm even more delighted he doesn't have a beard so I'm spending less time in the make-up chair!"