Gbemisola Ikumelo's Brain In Gear commissioned
- BAFTA-nominated short Brain In Gear has been commissioned to a full series
- Written by and starring Gbemisola Ikumelo, the comedy follows a young woman distracted by her inner monologue
- Central character Remi is constantly plagued by her contradictory alter-egos, Boss Bitch Remi and Dark Remi
Gbemisola Ikumelo will star in her own sitcom for BBC Two.
Brain In Gear, piloted in 2019 under the Comedy Shorts strand, has been commissioned to a full series by Patrick Holland, Controller of BBC Two and Shane Allen, Controller of Comedy Commissioning.
The short-form comedy series is described as "a flat-share comedy where the nightmare tenants...are the voices in your head".
Remi (Ikumelo) appears to be a perfectly normal if somewhat anxious young woman: however, she is constantly fighting and "trying her best to navigate" the contradictory advice from her inner thoughts.
The BBC explains: "The series will continue the story of Remi as she attempts to get on with her life - but otherwise normal tasks like going to work and hanging out Is made near impossible by the constant interruptions of her two alter-egos Boss Bitch Remi and Dark Remi."
The original episode, which aired on Sunday 18th August 2019 and is currently available to watch on iPlayer, received a BAFTA nomination for best short form programme.
Gbemisola Ikumelo says: "This is a legit dream coming true moment for me and I keep finding myself asking, "Did the BBC actually just give me my own show?" I'm sure It will sink in soon enough, but for now I'm just revelling in all of the exciting possibilities that are presented by this becoming a series."
Shane Allen, Controller Comedy Commissioning says: "This highly distinctive concept is ripe with comic potential and Gbemisola has fast become one of the leading comedy performers of her generation. Her range of characters is a joy to behold and we're proud to see her spread her considerable talent wings as creator, writer and co-director of this very special mini-series."
Josh Cole, Head of Comedy at production company BBC Studios says: "We are delighted to be bringing Gbemisola's brilliant vision and unique worldview to life with Brain In Gear. Gbemi will write, co-direct and play multiple characters in the series - a fitting reflection of a uniquely multitalented creative force. We love working with Gbemi and can't wait to see how her story unfolds across a series."