E4 greenlights Drifters sitcom while ITV orders The Job Lot
Channel 4 Comedy Commissioning Editor, Fiona McDermott has commissioned a new comedy series called Drifters from Bwark Productions, the company behind hit series The Inbetweeners.
Channel 4 describes Drifters as “a comedy drama about three twenty-something young women experiencing their first slice of the real world post University - making terrible decisions, but having a brilliant time doing it.” According to McDermott said: "Drifters promises to be a really funny sitcom about really funny girls.”
The sitcom is written by and stars Jessica Knappett, who was one of the three female leads in The Inbetweeners Movie. Alongside her is Lydia Rose Bewley (another Inbetweeners Movie alumni) and Lauren O'Rourke. The story, set in Leeds, also sees veteran comic Bob Mortimer feature as the father of Knappett’s character.
There was more news on the comedy front this week as ITV announced plans for a new sitcom called The Job Lot. Set in a busy West Midlands Job Centre, the series stars Sarah Hadland (Miranda), Russell Tovey (Him & Her), Sophie McShera (Downton Abbey), Tony Maudsley (Benidorm), Jo Enright (Life’s Too Short), Martin Marquez (Hotel Babylon), Angela Curran (This is Jinsy), Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions) and Tamla Kari (Inbetweeners Movie).
Produced by Big Talk Productions, The Job Lot is from the Midlands-based writing team of Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane. Kenton Allen, Chief Executive at Big Talk and Executive Producer said: "The moment we read the script I thought The Job Lot was a wonderfully warm comedy that brilliantly captured the spirit of these times. As a boy from Birmingham, it seems a long time since we’ve had an original comedy from the beating heart of the UK. The Midlands renaissance starts here and I can’t wait for the ITV audience to get to know all these brilliant characters".
The Job Lot was commissioned by Elaine Bedell, ITV's Director of Comedy & Entertainment and Comedy Commissioning Editor, Myfanwy Moore. "We're proud to be the home of this joyful, modern and warm sitcom. I’m pleased we’re able to support new writers, while working with such an impressive cast,” said Moore.
Full information on the productions mentioned above can be found on Production Intelligence, the online database of advance productions from The Knowledge:
