The BBC has announced five new comedies, along with a number of returning shows, coming to the UK broadcaster, with stars such as Lenny Rush, Rob Brydon, Diane Morgan, Sir Michael Palin, Guz Khan and more. Here is a bit more about each one.
Ann Droid – BBC One
Diane Morgan (Mandy, Cunk) stars as a social humanoid robot, created to keep elderly people company and monitor their health, in new BBC sitcom ‘Ann Droid‘ (w/t). Written by Diane and Sarah Kendall (Dreamland, The Other One), the six-part series will be made by Boffola Pictures and Witchcraft Industries for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
It’s 2029. Sue’s husband David passed away 18 months ago and her only son, Michael, is moving out – again – to try and fix his marriage – again. But the good news is he’s got Sue a surprise to help her live independently, a care provider with a difference. The latest D500 social humanoid eldercare robot. Created to keep the ageing population company and monitor their health, taking the pressure off the ever-stretched NHS.
It’s Sue’s worst nightmare. An overly attentive, socially inept pain in the arse. But she soon works out she can use the droid to her benefit in settling scores and doing the things her son never gets round to. What develops is a buddy comedy between an older woman and her robot who isn’t quite as advanced socially as she is technically.
The Reluctant Vampire – BBC One
BAFTA winner Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?, Doctor Who) is ‘The Reluctant Vampire‘ in a brand new supernatural comedy from Boffola Pictures for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Based on the books by Eric Morecambe, written by Rob & Neil Gibbons (Alan Partridge) this coming-of-age sitcom is about a young vampire who finds out he is not in fact a vampire at all, and has to live a double life.
Set in a timeless English village, where everything is picturesque, everything, that is, except for the vampires living in the castle on the hill who come out at night for a little drink of the locals. Val has been raised in a very typical vampire family but has always felt a bit different and hopelessly inept at rising to meet his Dad’s high standards. Following a surprise encounter with his reflection, he realises he is not undead, not in the least bit.
Now with a big secret to hide, Val must navigate finding out who he truly is, by mingling with the locals to learn the intricacies of their behaviour and what it means to be human. Caught between two worlds as he loves his Mum and Dad (not so much his jealous brother) and has full vampire duties expected of him by his father, whose obsession with the traditional way of life is tricky when they’re undead and the villagers despise them.
A heart-warming show about finding your own identity while longing to fit in, and the tensions between family life and social life, and the struggle between conformity and kicking out against the path that’s been prescribed for you.
Bill’s Included – BBC One
Rob Brydon is set to front a brand-new comedy for BBC One and iPlayer, written by Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen and produced by Baby Cow.
‘Bill’s Included‘ follows middle-aged divorcee Bill Beam (Rob Brydon), who staves off financial ruin by renting his spare rooms to students. Warm-hearted and eager but neurotic and slightly overbearing, Bill is thrilled by the youthful energy his lodgers bring – but baffled by their indifference to his laminated house rules and colour-coded cutlery. He’s torn between wanting to be part of the gang – sharing banter, keeping up with trends – and clinging to his role as a responsible adult.
The students, meanwhile, aren’t exactly living the dream: a 90-minute commute to campus, a strict bin rota, and a man in his 50s who insists on a group vote before ordering a takeaway. Still, the rent’s insanely cheap (please don’t tell Bill), and somehow, through all the awkwardness, this chaotic household starts to gel. As Bill and his mismatched lodgers navigate heartbreak, reinvention, and emotional upheaval, surprising parallels emerge between university life and midlife crisis. Can they overcome their differences, embrace their found family, and help each other muddle along? Can Bill learn to be both landlord and land…friend? Probably not, because he’ll get too excited and screw everything up, but let’s see.
Stuffed – BBC One
Guz Khan is well and truly ‘Stuffed’ this Christmas, when he stars in a new, hour-long comedy from Baby Cow and Dice Roll Productions, for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, written by Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen.
After he receives an unexpected £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, Arslan Farooqi (Khan) and his multi-faith family set off on the trip of a lifetime when they swap Coventry for the magic of Lapland. His wife Hannah (Morgana Robinson), his two daughters and brother-in-law Jamie (Theo Barklem-Biggs) are all set for the ultimate festive adventure. However, when office worker Arslan discovers the bonus was a mistake and must be repaid immediately, Christmas chaos ensues – and disaster follows the family at every turn.
Together with new holiday friend Lily (Sue Johnston), they must find a way out of this predicament and hope for a Christmas miracle that can save Arslan’s job and the family’s livelihood. ‘Stuffed’ is a modern-day Christmas caper for the whole family to enjoy this yuletide season.
Small Prophets (w/t) – BBC
The BBC has commissioned ‘Small Prophets‘ (w/t), a new comedy created, written and directed by BAFTA-winning Mackenzie Crook (Detectorists, Worzel Gummidge) and produced by BAFTA-winning Gill Isles (Car Share, Alma’s Not Normal), from Treasure Trove Productions and Blue House Productions.
The six-part series is a comic tale of eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley – Detectorists, The Full Monty) who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits dad Brian (Sir Michael Palin) and hopes for Clea to return.
That is just the way it is, until one day, Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi – magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future – in the hope they have the answer to his burning question, ‘will I ever see Clea again?’.
Michael gets help from young workmate Kacey (Lauren Patel – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Lloyd of the Flies), an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly (but not wholly) through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Mackenzie Crook). Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbours (Sophie Willan – Alma’s Not Normal, Still Open All Hours and Jon Pointing – Big Boys, Plebs) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed.
“The BBC continues to be the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK,” said BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie. “And for the second year running, eight out of the top 10 scripted comedies were on the BBC. Created, written by and starring some of the UK’s most brilliant homegrown talent, I’m really proud of the shows we have announced today and can’t wait for BBC viewers to see them. Great comedy always comes back to the fundamentals: brilliant characters, sharp jokes, a unique voice. Those are the elements that endure, not massive sets or casts of thousands. Our priority is to keep our shows affordable and distinctive, because comedy doesn’t need explosions and continuous shots, it needs punchlines, authentic voices, and that gleeful point of view that no algorithm can touch.”
In addition to these five, the BBC also announced renewals for ‘Only Child’ (Season 2), ‘Funboys’ (Season 2), ‘The Young Offenders’ (Season 5) and ‘The Golden Cobra’ (Season 2).
