ITV4 to launch animated football sitcom Warren United
ITV4 is set to launch a new animated sitcom this Spring, based around a football fan and his family.
Warren United will follow the adventures of an overweight kitchen salesman who struggles to juggle his two passions - football and family.
The central character in the show, 37 year-old Warren Kingsley, is described as a devoted husband and dad, as well as a diehard fan of Brainsford United, a chronically struggling club which is known to its long-suffering fans as 'the Meringues'.
The comedy has been written by Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly), David Quantick (Harry Hill's TV Burp) and stand-up comedian and football fan Dominic Holland.
A number of comic actors have lent their voices to the series, with Spy star Darren Boyd playing the lead role of Warren. Eleanor Lawrence (Common Ground) is Warren's Dutch wife Ingrid, with Morgana Robinson (House Of Fools) as Warren's sulky teenage daughter Charlie and Morwenna Banks (Absolutely) in the role of his young son Harrison.
Johnny Vegas voices Fat Baz, the manager of Brainsford United; with Nitin Ganatra (Mumbai Calling) as Warren's best friend, Dilip.
The show also has a surreal element, in that viewers will hear from two well-spoken but foul-mouthed police horses who dispense their views on match-day issues.
Warren United is a creation of Baby Cow Productions, the company behind shows including Alan Partridge, The Trip and hit new sitcoms Uncle and Moone Boy. The production outfit has a long-established in-house animation department, which has previously created the likes of CBeebies' The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas and John Bishop's World Cup Diary. The company has collaborated with Canadian animation house Smiley Guy Studios to bring this new show to the screen.
This project has been in the pipeline for a number of years, and was previously known as The Wild World Of Warren. ITV has now announced it will air this year, timed to link in with the run up to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League and this summer's FIFA World Cup.
Unlike America, the UK doesn't have a tradition of animated sitcoms for an adult audience. The last British attempt - Full English - was a huge flop for Channel 4.
Henry Normal, co-founder of Baby Cow, explains: "New animated narrative series in this country are so rare. So are comedies about football, while those about fans even rarer. On several counts, therefore, we're trying something unusual."
ITV's Angela Jain says: "ITV4 fans love their football and boasting a stellar cast, Warren United is aimed squarely at them. It is about the tricky balance of being a committed fan and a family man - which will strike a chord with many football followers. The fact it's an animated comedy series about football makes it distinctive, and we're hoping viewers will take Warren, his family and his other love - Brainsford United - to their hearts."
Warren United is expected to start on ITV4 this April.
