Harry Hill signs multi-million pound deal to stay with ITV till 2012
ITV have signed a multi-million pound deal to keep Harry Hill tied to the network. The two-year deal with production company Avalon secures more series of both Harry Hill's TV Burp and You've Been Framed for ITV. This news follows reports in January that BSkyB were attempting to poach Hill from ITV and bring the hit format of TV Burp to Sky One.
This agreement closes down the Sky rumours and guarantees ITV another two series of Harry Hill's TV Burp, one for later this year and another 2011. Both of the new series will be eight episodes long. The agreement reportedly also gives ITV the option to extend the deal to order a further series of the hit satirical show for 2011, and another for 2012, should it so wish.
Update: The Sun newspaper is reporting the TV Burp deal to be worth £5million, which equates to about £350,000 per new episode of TV Burp.
Fans are expected to welcome this news. A poll conducted by The Harry Hill Fansite in January suggested that 67% of TV Burp fans were opposed to the format moving to Sky.
Hill has confirmed he will also provide the voiceover for two further series of You've Been Framed. The show, based around humorous home videos, has seen its average ratings rise to nearly 5 million since the comic took over as presenter.
Additionally, ITV has said it will look to develop new programme formats for Hill. In 2007 the network looked to develop spoof soap opera Soapington Way for the comic, but it is not known yet whether this idea will be resurrected, or if the network will create a brand new show for Hill instead.
Speaking about today's news, Harry Hill says: "If you're a light entertainer there's really only one place to be on a Saturday night, and that's ITV."
Peter Fincham, ITV director of television, says: "Harry is one of the outstanding comedians and television entertainers of his generation. I'm delighted that ITV1 will continue to be the home of the multi-award winning TV Burp and I very much look forward to working with Harry and Avalon on new projects for the channel."