BBC4 controller Richard Klein has announced a raft of new commissions, ranging from “a year-long focus on comedy and two new series exploring the history and art of France to Dr Michael Mosley experiencing Pain, Pus And Poison, and an insight into the early life and career of the Young Montalbano.”

According to Klein: “BBC4 is in really great shape at the moment, with share continuing to increase. We”ve had a great critical and audience response to recent programmes, from Food Glorious Food to the Big Science season; and of course, the much anticipated return of The Killing III, which launched with over a million viewers. Looking ahead, there”s much to look forward to and I”m delighted that we have acquired Parks And Recreation, one of America”s smartest comedy series. To accompany this, the channel is taking a year-long look at comedy, with a drama from Nigel Williams about PG Wodehouse and films celebrating some of our oldest jokes, exploring what makes us laugh and showcasing popular comedians, from Richard Prior to Simon Amstel.”

The Wodehouse drama will star Tim Pigott-Smith and Zoe Wannamaker. Entitled An Innocent Abroad, it tells the story of how, in the summer of 1941, PG Wodehouse, “became a pawn in the biggest propaganda battle of WW2 as the German Foreign Office tried to persuade the Americans to stay out of the war on the eve of Operation Barbarossa and the British to persuade America to join the Allies and save a beleaguered nation.”

An Innocent Abroad is written by Nigel Williams, directed by Tim Fywell and produced through BBC Northern Ireland Drama and by Kate Triggs for Great Meadow. The exec producers are Robert Cooper for Great Meadow and Stephen Wright for the BBC.