Shane Allen, Controller of Comedy Commissioning, and Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, have announced the return of hit series Cuckoo and a brand-new commission out of the BBC Three Comedy Feed initiative called Flat TV.
Series three of Cuckoo re-joins the Thompson family six months after Dale’s (Taylor Lautner) dramatic departure at Christmas. Ken (Greg Davies) and Lorna (Helen Baxendale) are preparing for the birth of their new baby. Dylan (Tyger Drew Honey), much to Ken’s delight, is getting ready to fly the nest as he prepares to leave for university. Rachel (Esther Smith) is heartbroken and pining for Dale, but has managed to salvage a questionable friendship with jilted ‘bestie’ Ben (Matt Lacey). Life is slowly getting back to normal in Litchfield when a transformed Dale returns to throw more spanners in the family works. The latest instalment of the record-breaking show will be written by creators Robin French and Kieron Quirke, produced by Emma Lawson, and executive produced by Dan Hine and Ash Atalla for Roughcut TV, and Chris Sussman for the BBC. This series also welcomes the arrival of Doctor Who and Death In Paradise director, Paul Murphy.
Shane Allen, Controller of BBC Comedy Commissioning, says: “Cuckoo is the quintessential BBC Three series – a grabby concept, world-class talent and writers destined for greatness. Can’t wait to see what new heights of comedic excruciation they concoct for Ken.”
Head of Comedy at Roughcut TV, Dan Hine says: “Cuckoo is a jewel in the Roughcut crown, and we can’t wait to get cracking on the third series. We hope audiences will enjoy seeing Davies and Lautner – TV’s unlikeliest comedy duo – return as men reinvented.”
Flat TV is a double-act sitcom in which two flatmates battle against the realities of living together by imagining their lives through the prism of television. It is created by, written by and stars Tom Rosenthal (BAFTA nominated Friday Night Dinner, multi-award-winning Plebs) and Naz Osmanoglu (BAFTA and British Comedy Award-winning Horrible Histories).
Wary of the outside world and the responsibilities it entails, Tom and Naz choose instead to escape into a dream world where ordinary events play out through their favourite TV formats. Whether they’re fighting over arranging furniture in their own version of Big Brother (Big Flat) or accidentally find themselves locked out in I’m Not A Celebrity Get Me Back In The Flat – Tom and Naz manage to survive the daily grind thanks to their hyper-vivid imaginations. And because they’ve got each other.
Declan Lowney – director of the Alan Partridge movie – will head up the series, which is an in-house BBC Comedy Production produced by James Farrell (Mrs Brown’s Boys). The executive producer is Stephen McCrum (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bluestone 42).
Controller of BBC Comedy Production, Myfanwy Moore, says: “We’re delighted to be working with Tom and Naz – sadly dysfunctional human beings that play out their sorry lives through the lens of popular culture, naturally with hilarious consequences.”
Shane Allen adds: “The inventive flights of fancy device at the heart of this reminds me of the extra layer of comedy that Peep Show brought. By being able to tell a story and lampoon all genres of television it’s a clever and original narrative and sketch show hybrid.”
BBC
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