BBC One has announced the first sitcom for its next batch of Comedy Playhouse pilots.

'king Gary is described as a "larger than life working-class sitcom with a big heart, from the creative team behind the BAFTA award-winning Murder In Successville".

The pilot will star Tom Davis and Laura Checkley as childhood sweethearts Gary and Terri King, a loved up husband and wife, who have aspirations to achieve social acceptance and moderate material success in competitive suburbia.

Producers explain: "This, accompanied by drama queen Gary's constant need to impress his prehistoric old school Dad, Big Gary, and attempt to fill his big boots, equals a massive 'try hard' douchebag."

Davis and Checkley previously starred together in ITV2's spy spoof Action Team, whilst Romesh Ranganathan - whom Davis appears with in Comedy Central's Judge Romesh - also joins the cast.

'king Gary has been written by Tom Davis and James De Frond, and will also feature Simon Day as Big Gary, Camille Coduri as Denise and Ranganathan as Stuart.

The BBC says: "'king Gary is a study of how the small things in life can be blown up to absurd proportions as the pressures of the modern world, and how we think we must exist within it, spiral out of control. A big comedy about life's small and often petty dramas."

Tom Davis comments: "'king Gary is going to be my biggest challenge yet, a proper method piece, playing a big working class wally who takes his life way too seriously, whilst everyone else thinks he is a complete joke."

BBC Comedy Controller Shane Allen comments: "With 'king Gary we will get a big daft southern comedy voice in Tom Davis at the centre of a very exciting cast. The Comedy Playhouse strand has been really prolific in launching series with the very best of emerging UK comedy talent."

Announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival, 'king Gary will be shown on BBC One later this year.