ITV2 announces new sitcom Cockroaches
ITV2 has announced it has commissioned Cockroaches, a six-part sitcom described as a post-apocalyptic romantic comedy.
The comedy, which has been written by Bad Education co-writer Freddy Syborn, is set after a nuclear war.
The channel explains: "Tom and Suze are two nineteen-year-olds both dreaming of the future. When nuclear war strikes, they do the thing we'd all do if we knew we were about to die. They have sex. Unfortunately, they then survive. Awkward.
"Ten years later, they emerge from the basement in Suzes' house as two twenty-nine year olds wandering the wasteland where England used to be."
The comedy will star Daniel Lawrence Taylor and Esther Smith, both of whom also appear in BBC Three sitcom Uncle.
ITV2 comments: "Cockroaches is a comedy about what happens after a nuclear holocaust. It's about those things that can survive anything: laziness, boredom, ex-boyfriends who are still stupid. And love.
"It's also about those absurd ideas on which our society is built. Like, how do you decide who's in charge? Do you re-establish the idea of money? What do you teach children? Is Cannibalism really such a bad idea if you're really really hungry?
Cockroaches is being produced by Big Talk Productions, the production company behind hit sitcoms including Rev and Him & Her.
Starring alongside Daniel Lawrence Taylor and Esther Smith will be various sitcom stars. Nigel Planer (The Young Ones) and Caroline Quentin (Men Behaving Badly) both have roles.
Jaime Winstone (Made In Dagenham), Dan Renton Skinner (House Of Fools), Sarah Daykin (Chickens) and Tom Davis (Murder In Successville) will also appear.
Additionally, writer Freddy Syborn's friend and Bad Education co-writer Jack Whitehall will make a cameo appearance as Oscar, the unhinged and insufferable ex-boyfriend of Suze.
Cockroaches is directed by Ben Taylor (Cardinal Burns, Cuckoo) and produced by Clelia Mountford (A Young Doctors Notebook).
ITV's Angela Jain comments: "I never thought I'd be happy to say we have Cockroaches at ITV2. I am absolutely delighted to have this new series join the channel as we continue our push into scripted comedy."
Elaine Bedell, Director of Entertainment and Comedy for ITV, adds: "Cockroaches is a sharp new scripted comedy with a talented young cast, which we're very happy to have on ITV2."
ITV2 is currently investing in more scripted comedy. The award-winning Plebs will return to the channel later in the year, and the channel will broadcast the second series of The Job Lot this autumn.
Cockroaches will be transmitted later in the year.