BBC Three has bought the rights to La La Land, a prank comedy/reality show starring British comedian Marc Wootton which was made for the US TV network Showtime.

The 6-part series sees Wootton playing three characters struggling to find fame and fortune in Los Angeles. The series observes as these characters are placed in real situations with real people, using the pretense they're being filmed for a documentary.

Shirley Ghostman, Wootton's psychic medium character, is one of the people the series follows, whilst the comedian's new creations are aspiring documentary maker Brendan, and charismatic East-London cab driver Gary.

The show received favourable reviews from the American press when it was broadcast at the start of the year, although many of the reviewers pointed out the concept was quite similar in format to Sacha Baron Cohen's movies Borat and Bruno.

La La Land is currently being adapted for a British audience, with Mighty Boosh star Julian Barratt providing a more British voiceover for the episodes. BBC Three is expected to begin broadcasting the series towards the end of the month. According to Broadcast Magazine, the British transmission will include a storyline cut from the US version. The controversial scenes see Brendan, the documentary film maker inspired by Michael Moore, disguise himself as one of Barack Obama's Kenyan cousins.

Wootton's previous TV shows include High Spirits With Shirley Ghostman; sketch show Marc Wootton Exposed; and My New Best Friend, a British Comedy Award winning 2003 Channel 4 show in which members of the public had to try and pass off Wootton (playing various obnoxious characters) as their new best friend.

To find out more about La La Land and watch preview clips please see our guide to the show: