Stand-up comedian Russell Kane, who won the Edinburgh Comedy Award last year, is to host the pilot episode of a new BBC Three comedy show.

The currently un-titled late-night BBC Three pilot aims to showcase popular up-and-coming live circuit acts, as opposed to the BBC One showcase programmes Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Live At The Apollo, which focus more on household TV comedians. The new show will also feature sketch acts, as well as stand-up comedians.

Those set to take part in the pilot recording include Roisin Conaty, Nick Helm, Carl Donnelly, Joe Wilkinson, Hari Kondabolu, Joel Dommett, We Are Klang star Marek Larwood, double acts Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler and Peacock & Gamble, plus sketch troupes Lady Garden and Jigsaw (comprised of Dan Antopolski, Tom Craine and Nat Luurtsema).

The pilot is being produced by Avalon Television, the company behind BBC Three series Russell Howard's Good News and Lee Nelson's Well Good Show. Avalon also created the Radio 2 stand-up series Russell Kane's Whistle Stop Tour, which featured Kane in the role of host and compere.

The pilot will be recorded on the 12th of December at BBC TV Centre. Free tickets are available via www.tvrecordings.com

Russell Kane is also currently writing a novel about a comedy critic who "lacks human empathy". The Humorist is set to be released in April 2012, and is described thus: "Survivor, genius, critic. Murderer. Meet Benjamin Davids White, blessed since his infancy with an extraordinary gift: to understand humour at its deepest level. Yet Benjamin is cursed, too: in all his life, he has never laughed or smiled. At the height of his profession as a comedy critic, yet lacking any kind of human empathy, Benjamin discovers a formula that will allow him to construct the most powerful joke the world has ever known. A joke that has the power to kill...". The Humorist is available to pre-order from Amazon

Kane's debut stand-up DVD - Smokescreens & Castles - was released on Monday: Order

This show later became 'Live At The Electric'...