Channel Dave to broadcast Unspun With Matt Forde
- Unspun With Matt Forde is a new political comedy series for channel Dave
- Launching in September, the producers are aiming to deliver a "fearless weekly satirical show"
- Host Matt Forde says "I can't wait to start making Unspun"
Channel Dave has ordered Unspun With Matt Forde, a new political comedy show.
The series, which will comprise of six hour long episodes, is set to air on the channel from September.
The channel explains: "In a time of unprecedented national and global upheaval, the most exciting voice in political comedy, Matt Forde, brings an up-to-date, fearless weekly satirical show to inject comedy into the heart of politics. Recorded the day before airing, the show will feature reactions to our fast-changing news agenda, interviews with leading political figures and additional reporting from international comedians. Unspun With Matt Forde will bring a brand new, critical style of entertainment to the UK in a time where political satire has never been more essential."
Matt Forde is a stand-up comedian who previously worked as an advisor to the Labour Party. He also hosts a show on talkSPORT with Jon Richardson, and presents The Political Party, a monthly live show in which he interviews politicians. The podcast linked to the format has been downloaded over 500,000 times.
Unspun With Matt Forde has been in development for some time, with a non-broadcast pilot featuring guest Alan Johnson having been recorded earlier this year.
Talking about the series, Matt Forde says: "I'm simultaneously horrified and entertained by the state of British politics so I can't wait to start making Unspun. It was either do this or become Shadow Environment Secretary and I wanted to do something credible."
Commissioner Richard Watsham adds: "Firstly, I'd like to thank all those people who voted in the referendum for giving us so much material to work with, there's never been a better time to make a political talk show. It's a significant step for the maturity of UKTV originations that we can take on such a topical and frankly, important series."
Steve North, head of Dave, comments: "In a year of major steps for Dave - with a move into sport, the successes of Taskmaster and Dave Gorman Modern Life Is Goodish and the imminent arrival of Red Dwarf XI and Zapped!, we are incredibly excited to make a giant leap into the turbulent world of politics. 2016 isn't short of political stories and now more than ever it's important that satire has a voice on TV. Matt Forde will entertain audiences by bridging the gap between comedy and politics in Unspun in the Autumn."
Jon Thoday, from production company Avalon, concludes: "It's great that UKTV are reacting so swiftly to bring comedy to the current turmoil we face in Great Britain with Matt Forde and Unspun, a programme that fills such an obvious gap in our broadcasting landscape."
Unspun With Matt Forde will launch in early September.