Friday Night Dinner's Robert Popper creates I Hate You for Channel 4
- Friday Night Dinner creator Robert Popper has written a new Channel 4 sitcom called I Hate You
- The series focuses on the theme of "that one friend you really love - and really hate"
- C4 explain: "It's safe to say Channel 4 viewers are truly in for a treat"
Robert Popper, the creator of Friday Night Dinner, has written a new sitcom for Channel 4 called I Hate You.
The series is described as a comedy about two best friends in their 20s, and "their intense, messy friendship in today's intense, complicated world".
The show will star Tanya Reynolds - who plays Lily Iglehart in Sex Education - as Charlie, with newcomer Melissa Saint taking on the role of Becca.
Producers explain: "It's about the one friend you can say anything to and do anything with: the idiotic in-jokes, and the laughing till you almost puke, as well as the insane bickering and late-night shouting matches. It's about that one friend you really love - and really hate."
They add: "Charlie's a bit of a worrier, who thinks 99% of humans are d*ckheads, and Becca - no embarrassment gene, usually makes the wrong decision. Together they share a flat that is half spotless (Becca's room) and half 'sh*ttery' (Charlie's room). Together they're complete chaos...
"The first series sees Charlie get arrested for pick-pocketing a police officer, Becca learns the perils of jogging to jazz, the girls meet a man who believes humans came from bears, and both start dating older guys - more specifically - men in their seventies. All this plus a Lord who keeps a fly as his pet."
Robert Popper says: "Having spent ten years writing a show about a super intense family, I really wanted my next one to be about super intense friends. And, since I've never had a friend in my life, I'm hoping this will teach me how to find one."
The series is being made by Popper Pictures and Big Talk Productions, the companies which were also behind the multi award-winning Friday Night Dinner, which ended in 2020 after six series. The Inbetweeners co-creator Damon Beesley has signed up to direct.
Kenton Allen from Big Talk comments: "The opportunity to make a new show with Robert after our delightful collaboration on Friday Night Dinner makes me very happy - and the combination of Robert and Damon Beesley, two of the most brilliant comedy minds in the UK, promises to deliver something very very special."
Fiona McDermott, head of comedy at Channel 4, says: "After working with Robert and the team at Big Talk on one of Channel 4's biggest comedy successes - the beloved Friday Night Dinner it's a genuine delight to get under way on I Hate You. With a superb comedy duo at the helm in Tanya and Melissa and Damon Beesley in the directors' chair. It's safe to say Channel 4 viewers are truly in for a treat."