The Pub Landlord to ask Why Do The Brits Win Every War?
- Al Murray and his alter-ego have landed a Sky History travelogue investigating British wartime victories
- Airing this autumn, the series will see the comic travelling around the UK, Europe and US
- The Landlord says: "This country is currently undefeated World War Champions of the World, fighting at all weights"
Al Murray is making a comedy series about British military victories in character as The Pub Landlord, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Murray, who made Why Does Everyone Hate The English? around Europe in 2018, is returning to Sky History for a new travelogue with the bullish title Why Do The Brits Win Every War?. As with the previous series, he will be appearing both as himself and as his most famous character, interviewing fellow comics and others about Britain's wartime exploits.
Six hour-long episodes will air in the autumn. And Murray said: "Barely a day goes by in the UK without someone mentioning one war or another, so Sky History has asked me, with the help of some of the country's friends - who used to be our enemies - to take a look at the trail of victory and defeat that leads us to the present day."
The Pub Landlord added: "This country is currently undefeated World War Champions of the World, fighting at all weights. We have a proud track record of defeating all comers, why we even had a war against the French that lasted One Hundred Years, the Hundred Year's War, and the reason it lasted a century is we were enjoying winning it so much we spun it out for the full ton.
"The Germans had two cracks at the world title, which you have to respect, but they came up short. The Americans think they defeated us, whereas what we were actually doing was dropping them before they became too much trouble: and look at what an excellent decision that was. A victory no doubt, whichever way you look at it."
Filming is set to take place around the UK, Europe and the US this summer with guest comedians and personalities from the countries visited, as Murray attempts to unpick unpick the Great British psyche in a bid to understand whether we are helped or hindered by our illustrious military past and how our regular harking back to Britain's glory days is viewed by our near neighbours and so-called "allies".
In each episode Murray will tackle Britain's relations with a different one-time military adversary, ranging from France and Germany to those who have occupied Britain at various points before being "unceremoniously ejected", such as the Romans and Vikings, finishing with that "fairest of all fair-weather friends, the Americans".
The comic was photographed in Napoleonic uniform last week recreating the Battle of Trafalgar on Swan pedalos at Canoe Lake in Southsea with Fred Sirieix, the French host of Channel 4's First Dates show.
Murray, who has a history degree from Oxford University and presents the World War II themed podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk with historian James Holland for the channel, was joined on his original travelogue by five local comedians - Andrew Maxwell in Ireland, Elis James in Wales, Fred MacAulay in Scotland, Henning Wehn in Germany and Antoine de Caunes in France. Further details of Murray's interviewees for the forthcoming series are yet to be revealed.
Why Do The Brits Win Every War? is made by Murray's management company Avalon (Starstruck, Taskmaster) and directed by Andrew Fettis (Three Men in a Boat), with Jay Taylor, Jamie Isaacs and Richard Allen-Turner executive producing, alongside Dan Korn, vice president of programming at A+E Networks UK and Diana Carter, commissioning editor and head of talent at A+E Networks UK, who commissioned the series for Sky History.
"We're thrilled to be welcoming Al Murray and The Pub Landlord back to Sky History" Korn said. "With his unique take on British history and a whole host of superb celebrity guests, this promises to be a feast for history buffs and all those who are up for a highly entertaining romp through our recent and not-so-recent past."
Isaacs added: "Al has such a skill for humorously bringing history to life and we're delighted to be working with him and the excellent team at A+E again on this new series for Sky History."
Why Does Everyone Hate The English? remains the best performing UK commission on Sky History, formerly the History Channel, rating 248% above slot average during its initial run and winning the Broadcast Digital Award for Gamechanger Programme of the Year 2019.
Murray has recently resumed his Landlord of Hope and Glory stand-up tour around the UK.