The BBC has announced further casting for Funboys, a new comedy for BBC NI, BBC3 and BBC iPlayer from This Country producer Simon Mayhew-Archer with Jamie Demetriou joining the series amongst others.
Made by Mayhay Studios, Funboys is a 4×30 comedy series about three “emotionally-unassembled” young men in small-town Northern Ireland. The series will air on BBC NI, BBC Three, BBC One and BBC iPlayer this February.
Funboys sees friends Callum (Ryan Dylan), Jordan (Rian Lennon) and Lorcan (Lee R James) attempt to navigate through the hardships of life. From first girlfriends to dead pet pigs, the lads are put through the psychological ringer. But will their shared love of innocent fun and wholesome mucking about land them in hot water?
Funboys, filmed and set in Northern Ireland, with support from Northern Ireland Screen takes a fly-on-the-wall approach, “prioritising authentic, naturalistic comedy whilst exploring modern themes of male vulnerability, religious dogma and handjobs.”
Joining the previously announced Ryan Dylan, Rian Lennon and Lee R James are Ele McKenzie, Jamie Demetriou, Brian Devlin, Owen Colgan, Paul Bazely, Richard Croxford, Emer O’Connor, Amanda Hurwitz, James Martin, Vanessa Ifediora, Walter Chigui and Brendan Quinn.
Executive producer and story writer, Simon Mayhew-Archer of Mayhay Studios says: “Rian, Ryan and Lee are three of the funniest, most inventive people I’ve worked with and I really hope this show brings as much happiness to others as it has to me.”
Jamie Demetriou says: “The Funboys pilot blew me away. Their dedication to making something genuinely funny and specific is deeply exciting and very rare. Getting to see it in person on set was a career highlight for me.”
Rian Lennon says: “We were very lucky to have such a uniquely funny assortment of actors who understood the show’s specific tone. Each person brought their own colour and verve and the result is a lovely collaborative finger painting of silly wholesome comedy that we’re very excited to stick up on the nation’s fridges.’
Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy Commissioning says: “Rian, Ryan and Lee have a completely original and hilarious comic vision, so we’re delighted to see their debut series arrive on screen and to have exciting new Northern Irish voices on the BBC.”
Eddie Doyle, Head of Commissioning for BBC Northern Ireland, says: “It’s been fantastic to see this project develop from a BBC iPlayer short we co-commissioned with BBC Comedy, into a four part network series. Rian, Ryan and Lee are uniquely brilliant in their comedy and Funboys is quite unlike anything else out there.”
Funboys (4×30) is a Mayhay Studios production for BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Three and BBC iPlayer with support from Northern Ireland Screen. Written by Rian Lennon and Ryan Dylan, the story writer and executive producer is Simon Mayhew-Archer, the director is Rian Lennon and the producer is Leah Draws. The series was ordered by Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy and Eddie Doyle BBC Northern Ireland’s Head of Commissioning and the commissioners for the BBC are Navi Lamba and Seb Barwell. Mary McKeagney is Commissioning Editor for BBC Northern Ireland.
Jon Creamer
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