Channel 4 orders Toast Of London Series 2
Channel 4 has ordered a second series of Toast Of London.
The Guardian reports that the sitcom, written by Matt Berry and Arthur Mathews, will return for another series in 2014.
Toast Of London stars Matt Berry as Steven Toast, a middle-aged, second-rate actor with a chequered past. The comedy was piloted in August 2012 as part of Channel 4's Funny Fortnight, with a subsequent full six-part series broadcast recently.
The comedy, which has a surreal edge, also stars Robert Bathurst as Toast's flatmate, Doon Mackichan as his useless agent and Harry Peacock as his acting rival, Ray Purchase.
Speaking to BCG in an interview conducted at the start of the first series, Berry explained the thinking behind creating the programme: "We deliberately set out to do something which we felt was interesting. There's no game plan for me personally, I'm interested in making something that I would personally want to see. It's all quite personal."
The first series, which finished broadcasting last month, averaged just 385,000 viewers across its run in a Sunday night slot, however it was considered a critical success. Andrew Newman from production house Objective Productions told the newspaper: "The great thing about Channel 4 comedy is that they back things they believe in editorially."
The Guardian reports that part of the reason the network has commissioned more episodes is that the series attracted an older, upmarket ABC1 audience - a viewer demographic much sought-after by advertisers.
Andrew Newman says: "I am totally chuffed they are doing another series, because it has a brilliantly strong flavour and has established a proper cult following. I hope the current fans will enjoy more madness from Toast, and hopefully more will do."
This recommission follows the news, revealed in Broadcast magazine earlier this week, that Channel 4 is trimming its comedy budget and shaking up the way it develops series in a bid to order fewer pilots and go straight to series more often.
Matt Berry will next be seen in the new documentary for The IT Crowd Night, and will appear in Vic & Bob's BBC sitcom House Of Fools early next year.
Below is a clip from Series 1 of Toast Of London in which Toast is attempting to provide a voiceover for the Navy's nuclear submarines: