Andy Hamilton (I)

In an election where the Tories, to use Lynton Crosby's terminology, keep dropping dead cats on to the table, here come the creators of Drop The Dead Donkey. As they did with their 1990s news-com, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin have written scripts with gaps, to be filled at the last minute with oven-hot satire. The action flips between various shades of panic on board the Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and Ukip battle buses. A strong cast is led by Ben Miller, Sarah Hadland and the lord high chancellor of topical zingers, Hugh Dennis.

This election satire promises to be so topical, it will only be written in the hours before it's broadcast.

Wherever they aim their comedy sights, it's certainly bound to liven up what's been a distinctly laugh-free election campaign.

What we do know is the show will be written by those clever bods Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, who brought us Drop the Dead Donkey and Outnumbered. A ringing endorsement if ever there was one.

And it will star the likes of Hugh Dennis, Trevor Cooper, Sarah Hadland, Ben Miller and Hattie Morahan. So far, so good.

The trailer features the cast as confused, gormless politicians, all effectively scratching their heads and wondering what to say. So it's all looking rather authentic.

The five half-hour episodes, broadcast in the run up to the May 7 election, will intercut between the campaign buses of the four main parties - Conservative, Labour, Liberal ­Democrats and UKIP, who don't really need to be satirised.

On each bus, cameras follow the staff including analysts, interns, IT geeks, social media monitors, empathy consultants (seriously?) and even bus drivers as they deal with the latest crisis or drama. A crisis or drama that we will have only just heard about in real life.

Radio Times review

Bored and unamused by the election? Well, this new comedy from Drop the Dead Donkey and Outnumbered creators Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin may cheer you up. It takes you onto the battle buses of the Tories, Labour, Ukip and Lib Dems (the Greens appear to have been snubbed), with key scenes written and performed close to transmission. The idea is to insert highly topical material at the very last minute, something which worked so stunningly in Drop the Dead Donkey.

And with great performers like Ben Miller, Hattie Morahan and Sarah Hadland to call on and a rich collection of characters including press officers, empathy consultants, special advisers (aka "spads"), IT wizards, social media monitors, political analysts, interns and of course bus drivers, chances are this may well get your vote.

Ballot Monkeys: all too believable & all the funnier

Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin's election campaign comedy lives up to the hype with help from an impressive comedy cast.

Andy Hamilton: how to write a political comedy

Ahead of Ballot Monkeys, a new series poking fun at the General Election, Drop the Dead Donkey co-creator Andy Hamilton reveals his 10 golden rules.

Ballot Monkeys: A sitcom in poll position

Ballot Monkeys, a new five-part comedy series that hitches a ride with the party apparatchiks on the general election battle buses, will be shot at the last-possible moment to make sure its satire is absolutely up-to-the-minute. It's an exciting concept that would nevertheless have most writer-directors swinging from the trees with nerves. Not Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin.

How we made Drop the Dead Donkey

Andy Hamilton: "I'm glad we didn't call it Dead Kuwaitis Don't Count - as Saddam invaded Kuwait the week it launched."

This bizarre but brilliant one-hour special showcases the talents of acclaimed actress Jane Horrocks as a mimic and comedy performer, in a series of sketches written by, among others, Victoria Wood and Andy Hamilton.

What We Did On Our Holiday review

What We Did On Our Holiday is proof of the adage 'never judge a book by its cover'. Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin's movie is not the film its trailer makes it out to be, it's a lot more surprising and ambition than the sedate fare you'd expect based on the promos.

What We Did On Our Holiday review

If you like Outnumbered, you'll love this, as there's more than enough surprises to justify Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin taking their tried and tested approach with child actors to the big screen.