Paul Sinha's TV Showdown to return for Series 2
- Paul Sinha's TV Showdown is to return to ITV for a second series
- Production is underway on new episodes, with Paul Sinha again being joined by Rob Beckett and Fay Ripley
Paul Sinha's TV Showdown is returning for a second series, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Rob Beckett and Fay Ripley are also attached to reprise their roles as team captains on the television trivia quiz an ITV spokesperson told BCG.
Production is underway on new episodes, which are expected to air later this year.
Based on the former BBC One gameshow Telly Addicts, but with two celebrity teams instead of family teams, guests on the initial run of six episodes in January and February included Jason Manford, Tom Allen, Russell Kane, Josh Widdicombe, Iain Stirling, Jessica Knappett, Adil Ray and John Thomson.
Made by Livewire Pictures, a co-venture from Hat Trick Productions (Have I Got News For You, Derry Girls), talent agent Anita Land and producer-director Guy Freeman (Fist Of Fun, Noel's House Party), TV Showdown draws upon on Sinha's status as a quiz champion and being one of the Chasers on fellow ITV gameshow The Chase.
The opening episode attracted 2.3 million viewers, a 14.5% audience share, but tended to average just under 2 million, with the final episode drawing 1.99 million viewers, a 13.6% audience share.
Sinha, who has Parkinson's disease, didn't feature in the most recent series of The Chase because of illness. But fellow Chaser Anne Hegerty has suggested that he is now well enough to return for future episodes.
He has also been commissioned to make a third series of his Radio 4 show Paul Sinha's General Knowledge.