ITV2 orders new comedies featuring diverse talent
- ITV2 has ordered four comedy pilots featuring black, Asian, and minority ethnic talent
- Sorry, I Didn't Know is a panel show hosted by Jimmy Akingbola; Dropperz is a sitcom about a grime group
- YouTube sitcom All About The McKenzies gets a new TV pilot; whilst Jason Lewis presents What's The Facts
ITV2 has ordered four new comedy pilots featuring BAME (black, Asian, and minority ethnic) talent.
The pilots will be broadcast in the run up to the MOBO Awards, which will air on the channel in November. This is the second year in which ITV2 has run the season, with last year's pilots having proved a success.
ITV2's Rosemary Newell says: "This year's Fresh season is the perfect opportunity to bring some fantastic new comedy and entertainment to our viewers from some exceptionally talented stars of the future."
Entertainment Commissioning Editor Asif Zubairy adds: "We have four incredibly funny, edgy and innovative comedy and entertainment shows and are excited to be bringing these to the ITV2 audience. I'm thrilled that we are continuing our strong ties with BAME talent and offer a much-deserved platform for talent both on and the screen."
The pilots are:
A panel show 'with a twist', hosted by actor Jimmy Akingbola (Mick in Rev, Basil in Ballot Monkeys).
Sorry, I Didn't Know sees two teams of comedians take viewers on a tour of black history across the globe. The channel says: "Insightful, educational, bold, tongue-in-cheek and above all very funny, the teams will battle over four rounds as they unveil some interesting historical facts."
Chizzy Akudolu, Jo Martin, Jimmy James Jones, Toby Williams, Paul Chowdhry and Judi Love will be the guests.
Fraser and Minnie Ayres from Triforce Productions say: "We're incredibly excited to be working with ITV2 to bring a fresh look to the comedy panel show format with Sorry, I Didn't Know. Their support for new production companies and their commitment to increasing access and diversity is truly pioneering."
A new pilot for a family sitcom conceived, written, directed and starring Samuell Benta.
The comedy follows a man who has ambitions of Hollywood superstardom but, following the breakdown of his relationship with the mother of his child, finds his dreams confined by the walls of his parent's home. The show has already been successful as a series of shorts on YouTube, with omnibus episodes broadcast by London Live in 2014.
ITV2 explains: "The McKenzies are a warm if eccentric West Indian family spanning three generations, and able to turn the smallest drama into a crisis."
Sugar Films is now working with Benta to create the new pilot for ITV2. Executive Producer Pat Younge says: "When you find a fresh and exciting young talent like Samuell Benta, it's so important to have proactive and willing partners like ITV Entertainment and ITV2. All About The McKenzies has been a sensation online and it's really exciting to bring the YouTube spirit to prime-time on a mainstream UK channel."
Dropperz is a brand new mockumentary centred around a struggling grime group whose last shot at success doesn't go according to plan. Using their archetypical record label boss's house as the backdrop for their much-needed video, the band soon find themselves in hot water when their dog kills the much-loved family pet rabbit. Dropperz have a problem. They still have to record their music video but must also find a replacement rabbit or face being dropped from their label.
The pilot stars Adam Deacon, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Guz Khan, Letitia Hector and Alexis Caley.
Femi Oyeniran from production company Purple Geko says: "At Purple Geko we are committed to creating diverse scripted content and working with fresh talent. New writer Ed Wiles's Dropperz exemplifies this commitment, with BAFTA award-winning actor Adam Deacon spearheading a cast of new onscreen talent. This project with ITV marks an exciting time for us, as we continue to grow and build on our expertise of producing authentic youth-skewed content for broadcasters and online platforms."
What's The Facts is a faux-factual and far-fetched mockumentary, offering the audience 'facts' so surreal they could even be true. Using a documentary-making approach to entertainment, this programme aims to prove "beyond doubt" that not only is every one of the seven billion humans on this earth connected, but also every animal, object, building or event - always by six simple, often surreal, steps.
Presented by Jason Lewis, the show's weird and wonderful connections "could range from Lady Diana's wedding dress to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory via Aboriginal tribesmen, or how a Suffolk Line Dancing club is tied to Quantum Physics via the girl group Little Mix."
Jazz Gowans from Transparent Television comments: "Applying the 'rigorous' WTF?! approach to matters of national and no importance whatsoever, this is a unique piece of entertaining television. We hope viewers begin to see the world in a whole new light - from the sublime to the ridiculous."