BBC Three orders three more comedy pilots

Thursday 21st February 2008, 8:02am

According to Broadcast Magazine, BBC3 has commissioned three new 30-minute comedy pilots with a view of developing each into a full-length series.

Nancy and The Punks is the working title of the pilot from Angel Eye Productions. It's a single-camera Scottish sitcom about fans of a series of teen novels. The fans, who have chatted about their passion online, meet up in real life when the novels are turned into a movie. They also have to deal with the unpleasant side of the books' author at the film's premiere.

The pilot, which will be filmed shortly, will star Samantha Blakey, Ophelia Lovibond and Scottish stand-up comedian Greg McHugh. Written by Ben Bond and Jon Hunter, the pilot script will be directed by Misha Manson-Smith and produced by John O'Callaghan and Kelly McGolpin.

Barely Legal is a Scottish sketch show aimed at showcasing young talent. The pilot, which has already been filmed, was written by children as young as 14, and features actors as young as 17. The pilot, which was funded by The Comedy Unit, was produced by Gavin Smith and directed by Will Andrews.

Life Spam is the third of the pilots commissioned by BBC Three controller Danny Cohen and BBC comedy commissioner Lucy Lumsden. It is a sketch show vehicle for comedienne Alice Lowe, who is probably best known for playing the role of Liz Asher in Darkplace. Lowe's more recent credits include Hot Fuzz and Angelo's. The comedienne will be writing and starring in the pilot, which is being produced by Rob Brydon's production company Jones the Film (Lowe worked with Brydon on Annually Retentive).

The three pilots will air on BBC Three later this year.

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