BBC One Commissions Sitcom Pilot

BBC One announces that it has commissioned a pilot of Father Figure, a new post-watershed audience sitcom that is created, written by and starring the popular stand-up comedian Jason Byrne.

Father Figure will be a BBC in-house production that goes into production early next year. It has already enjoyed critical acclaim as a radio comedy series on BBC Radio 2.

Cheryl Taylor, Controller of Comedy Commissioning, BBC said: "Jason Byrne is a bright and bouncy performer and already much loved by comedy enthusiasts everywhere. Following a successful run on Radio 2 we're really looking forward to developing the new pilot of Father Figure for BBC One.”

Jason Byrne added: "I am delighted to finally announce that we will be making a pilot of my sitcom Father Figure. It’s been a big dream of mine and I’d never have thought I would get the chance to join the ranks of the television sitcom world.

"The characters all come from real life and the outrageous situations Tom gets into have, more often than not, actually happened to me. The people in my life will never realise that it’s them I’m writing about, unless my wife and two sons, mother, father and best mate ever watch it.

"So thank you very much BBC and let’s hope that by this time next year, the words ‘Father Figure’ roll off the tongues of thousands.”

August 09 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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Doctor Who 50th Anniversary

A special one-off drama about the creation of Doctor Who has been commissioned to mark the show's 50th anniversary.

An Adventure in Space and Time will tell the story of the genesis of the BBC sci-fi show in the early 1960s.

Its writer Mark Gatiss said: "This is the story of how an unlikely set of brilliant people created a true television original."

The 90-minute drama will air on BBC Two next year.

Gatiss said the drama would also examine how actor William Hartnell - who played the first incarnation of the Doctor - moved from hard-man roles to become "a hero to millions of children".

"I've wanted to tell this story this for more years than I can remember! To make it happen for Doctor Who's 50th birthday is quite simply a dream come true," he said.

Steven Moffat, Doctor Who's executive producer, said: "The story of Doctor Who is the story of television - so it's fitting in the anniversary year that we make our most important journey back in time to see how the Tardis was launched."

Further details about the production, including the casting, will be confirmed next year.

August 09 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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