Jordan Brookes pilots dark, mixed-media sitcom Go Home Jordan Brookes
- Surreally blending animation, puppetry, deepfake technology and home video footage, Go Home Jordan Brookes recreates the former Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner's return to his parents' house after a breakdown
- The loosely autobiographical pilot also features Jan Ravens, Lorna Rose Treen and Eddy Hare, with Sunil Patel as the voice of Brookes' childhood teddy bear
- Now is "the perfect time to commission a genre-bending sitcom" argues Brookes. "And I'm willing to change any and all aspects of this concept in order to achieve it"
Jordan Brookes is piloting an offbeat, loosely autobiographical sitcom, described as "the small town homecoming story of The Cockfields and Back To Life mixed with the surreal world of Twin Peaks", British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
In the dark, mixed-media comedy Go Home Jordan Brookes, the former Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner fictionalises his 2020 return to his parents' house in the country after he suffered a mental breakdown living in London.
Co-starring impressionist Jan Ravens as his mother and Sunil Patel as the voice of his childhood teddy bear, the boomerang generation sitcom incorporates an ambitious mix of animation, puppetry and deepfake technology, as well as home video footage of Brookes as a child.
Written by and starring the comic, Go Home also features the voices of Lorna Rose Treen and Eddy Hare, and is pitched as blending "reality, fantasy, nostalgia and something in between", all told through Brookes' "unique lens".
"Please commission this" Brookes said. "The industry's in rude health at the moment, just ask anyone. The perfect time to commission a genre-bending sitcom. And I'm willing to change any and all aspects of this concept in order to achieve it."
The synopsis explains that living in The City has left Jordan "existentially muddled". And, as he approaches 35, he's beginning to realise that he might have left it too late to decide what he wants to do with his life.
Returning to The Country and the warm embrace of his tranquil home life and lovely, doting parents, it's all very My Family. Until he finds a treasure trove of VHS tapes from his childhood.
Delving into his past to save his future, Jordan must face his demons in an attempt to find himself again and work out "where it all went wrong", with the help of his family, old friends and often troubling flights of fancy.
But is there any such thing as a fix or cure? Is there any place we can really call "home"? Why are his childhood toys talking to him? And why does Jordan have an urge to snog his mum?
"Working with Jordan on Go Home was a joy" said director Will Farrell (Sam Campbell's Beautiful Generations, Family Man from Josh Glanc). "We threw everything at it - puppetry, stop motion and deepfakes - to recreate his childhood memories, but nothing we created could match the unsettling energy of Jordan's actual home videos from his childhood, which go some way to explaining 'what's up' with Jordan.
"The short is hopefully funny and spooky, just in time for Christmas. Please commission this."
Brookes previously piloted a 2022 Blap for Channel 4 called Late Night Forever! With Jordan Brookes, a sitcom set in a coma-induced chat show of his nightmares, featuring Patel, Amy Gledhill and Debbie McGee among others.
Go Home Jordan Brookes is produced by Alex Cartlidge (Blind Love On First Date Island) and executive produced by James Stevenson Bretton for Blink Industries (Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, Sam Campbell: Get Real Dude).
Brookes is also bringing his acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show Fontanelle, a Titanic-inspired musical spectacular of sorts, to the Soho Theatre in London from 13th February to 1st March.
Prior to that, he's appearing in The Stepdads Nativity: With A Vengeance at the Bill Murray in London on 15th December. Created by Luke Rollason and Tom Penn in aid of the charity Crisis, the show also features Elf Lyons, Joz Norris, Mark Silcox, Christian Brighty, Alex Franklin, Siblings and more.