Comedy

Stone me!

The Colour of Magic, Sky

Lenny Henry’s Race Through Comedy, will chronicle and celebrate British TV comedy over the years and focus on iconic shows that have highlighted Britain’s mix of multiculturalism.

Henry is a fellow of the RTS and has previously been recognised for his work in helping to raise awareness of issues surrounding diversity within the television industry. 

Melvyn Bragg was talking at a special live edition of The South Bank Show, featuring four of the UK’s leading TV writers – Jed Mercurio (writer and creator of hit police corruption thriller Line of Duty); Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith (black comedy anthology Inside No. 9); and Heidi Thomas (period drama Call the Midwife) – discussing their craft.

Written by Gaby Hull (Cheat), the six-part series revolves around Kim Noakes (Williams), a misfit whose father died under suspicious circumstances when she was young.

Following his death Noakes was taken away by her mother to a life of rural seclusion and bizarre survival techniques.

Now all grown up, Noakes enters the real world and embarks on a secret mission to honour her father’s memory.

When Noakes walks into the bar of socially awkward Nicky and his brother Dave, it sets in motion a series of events that puts their lives in danger.

The six-part series will pick up after the end of series eight, where Jenny (Fay Ripley) prepared herself for the rest of her cancer treatment with husband Pete (John Thomson) by her side.

David (Robert Bathurst) was slowly rebuilding his life after becoming homeless, while Adam (James Nesbitt) and Karen (Hermione Norris) were coming to terms with their new romantic relationship and the impact it had on the rest of the group.

Comedy, the late, great Tony Hancock would often tell his dinner guests, was simply “frustration, misery, boredom, worry – all the things people suffer from”.

This may go some way to explaining the success of a crop of deceptively simple, single-camera comedy-dramas that have all but replaced our more traditional idea of the sitcom in the television schedules.

Overseen by Gary Davey, the current Managing Director of Sky UK, Sky Studios will build on the broadcaster’s recent run of successful drama series including Chernobyl and the RTS award-winning Save Me.

The new Europe-wide development and production capability has received backing from Sky’s new owners, Comcast, and will create new productions for outlets including Sky channels, NBC Broadcast and Cable, and Universal Pictures.

The unlikely crime fighting trio, Detective Inspector Rabbit (Matt Berry), Sergeant Strauss (Freddie Fox) and Mabel (Susan Wokoma), band together to track down a serial killer who leaves mysterious markings on their victims.

The 3x30’ series is written by David Earl and Joe Wilkinson, with Steve Bendelack (Little Britain, Friday Night Dinner) directing.

Wilkinson stars as Simon who is fast approaching 40. To celebrate the big birthday, Simon takes his girlfriend Donna (Morgan) home to the Isle of Wight for the first time, to mark the occasion back at the Cockfield family home.

The pair try to survive the long weekend as they share the house with Simon’s ever-doting mother Sue, (Sue Johnston) and controlling stepdad Ray (Bobby Ball).

The first series proved a hit with viewers and was nominated for a Royal Television Society Programme Award earlier this year. 

The show, which is filmed in a gig environment, sees two teams made up of comedians, hip hop legends and celebrity hip hop lovers battle it out in front of a live audience.

Hosted by Rizzle Kicks' Jordan Stephens, the two teams will once again be led by TV presenter Maya Jama and rapper Lady Leshurr, with new guests joining the trio each week.