BBC unveils 2023 TV comedy commissions
- The BBC has announced 10 TV series commissions... a mix of new and returning shows
- Mandy and Bad Education are amongst the renewed shows, whilst new series include Ludwig starring David Mitchell
- Revealing there were over 500 million requests for comedy on iPlayer in 2022, the BBC says: "It is a public service and needed now more than ever"
The BBC has unveiled a number of new TV comedies, as well as announcing the recommission of several popular shows, at the opening of the BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff.
Amongst other thing, BBC commissioner Jon Petrie announced a new comedy drama starring David Mitchell and the return of Bad Education, Avoidance and Mandy.
He said: "After the success of our inaugural Comedy Festival in Newcastle Upon Tyne which allowed us to shine a light on the comedy talent in the North East, we are excited to be in Cardiff, our City of Comedy for 2023 to support comedy in Wales.
"It's no exaggeration to say that British Comedy is hugely important to television and the national cultural landscape. It is a public service and needed now more than ever. Not only do audiences consume comedy in huge numbers - there were over 500 million requests on BBC iPlayer last year - but it has also acted as a vital talent pipeline to some of the UK's most successful creatives.
"The BBC remains the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK. We're so proud of the depth and range of our offerings which champion British creativity and I'm delighted to announce five brand new shows and five much-loved returning series."
The announcements are...
Speaking about the festival coming to Cardiff, Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning for BBC Wales says: "Wales has funny bones - and with the city of comedy right here in our capital city, we're ready to prove it. We're so proud to be this year's hosts especially as the Welsh comedy scene is thriving and is quite possibly in the best health it's ever been.
"We have a wealth of talented comedy writers; from established names to new writing talent looking for their first credit and there are numerous Welsh stand-up comedy performers breaking through here and across the UK. There's also terrific on-screen performing talent and, particularly exciting is the growing number of small Welsh independent production companies now specialising in comedy production. It's all happening and we're delighted to be at the heart of it."