BBC Wales renews Tourist Trap and The Tuckers
- Tourist Trap is to return to BBC One Wales for a second series
- The channel has also ordered a full series of sitcom The Tuckers
- Both comedies were broadcast as part of BBC Wales's Festival of Funny in October
BBC One Wales has recommissioned two sitcoms broadcast as part of its Festival of Funny season.
Taking place across October, the season spanned television and radio, including a full series of brand new sitcom Tourist Trap, and a pilot for The Tuckers.
BBC Wales has today announced that both sitcoms will return for new series.
Tourist Trap is a semi-improvised mockumentary by Gareth Gwynn, Sian Harries and Tudur Owen. Starring Sally Phillips, it is set in the offices of tourism board Wow! Wales. Phillips plays its new chief executive, who returns to the country of her birth to helm the agency after not visiting the country since her parents left when she was 6 months old.
Meanwhile, The Tuckers is written by and stars Steve Speirs as the head of a family of petty-criminal chancers living in the Welsh valleys who are "low on cash but high on spirit".
Paul Forde, Commissioning Executive for Comedy, says: "The recent Festival of Funny demonstrated the wealth of comedy talent that exists in Wales. Tourist Trap, the first comedy on BBC Wales TV in nearly a decade was so well received by the audience that we wanted to establish it with a second run. We're also pleased to greenlight a full series of The Tuckers with a writer and performer of Steve Speirs's calibre."
Speaking to British Comedy Guide in an exclusive interview to promote the pilot, Speirs said: "The green light to do more would be fantastic because yes, as soon as my producer Owen Bell and I start chatting about The Tuckers, there's just a wonderful avalanche of ideas that seem to flow from this family. The Tuckers are coming alright.... and I for one hope they'll be around for a good while for us all to get to know them a bit better."
In addition, BBC Wales has announced the launch of a new development budget aimed at commissioning the next phase of its comedy strategy.
Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning, says: "Audiences are consuming comedy across multiple devices and platforms and we want BBC Wales to be leading the charge and developing the generation defining comedy of tomorrow. This development fund will allow us to discover and then incubate the very best of Welsh comedy talent."
Produced by The Comedy Unit, Tourist Trap also features Elis James, Mike Bubbins, Tom Price, Mali Ann Rees, Remy Beasley and Tudur Owen amongst its leading, regular cast.
The Tuckers is a BBC Studios production and the pilot co-starred Robert Pugh, Lynn Hunter, Joshua McCord, Ben McGregor and Alexandria Riley.