BBC Wales orders range of new comedy

BBC Wales has commissioned new comedy programming as part of a festival of comedy across its services, running from November.

The programming includes sitcom pilot Mammoth, written by and starring comedian and actor Mike Bubbins (Tourist Trap: The Unexplainers). 42 years after being engulfed by an avalanche on a school skiing trip in 1979, Tony Mammoth (played by Bubbins) is miraculously brought back to life. Playing his best friend is Fresh Prince of Bel Air star Joseph Marcell.

Comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean will be hosting four new stand up shows Live From Aberystwyth Pier, showcasing up-and-coming Welsh talent, with production by Little Wander.

Long-running BBC Radio Wales sitcom Bravo 2 Charlies starring Martin Trenaman (The Inbetweeners), will make its TV debut. Production is by Giddy Goat Productions and Leopard Productions.

Up-and-coming Welsh comedian Priya Hall has turned a former BBC Radio Wales show into a TV short called Beena and Amrit, with the help of writer Sarah Breese and production through 16 Media. Priya plays Beena and Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.42) plays her mother.

There are also two separate series of short form films Backwashed and Vandullz featuring writers and performers who have previously worked with BBC Sesh – BBC Wales’ platform to help develop creative talent across Wales with content aimed at 18-34 year olds. Vandullz is produced through Little Wander and written by Leila Navabi and Siôn Edwards (alumni of BBC Writersroom). Backwash is written by Rachel Harper & Garyn Williams (BBC Writersroom & BBC Sesh) and produced by The Rubber Chicken.

Golden Cobra, a new animated short film will also be shown. The comedy is about a delivery driver at an Indian takeaway on his first night on the job. Written by Adam Llewellyn and James Prygodzicz, the production company is Beastly Media

It also includes a second series of In My Skin, which follows the story of Bethan (Gabrielle Creevy: The Pact), a Welsh teenager leading a double life as she negotiates a mentally ill mother, an abusive father, friendships, and sexuality.

Sketch show Age of Outrage also returns with a six part series, produced by Small and Clever, that makes light of the frustrations of modern life.

All of the TV programmes will be made available in a Festival of Funny collection on BBC iPlayer.

Paul Forde, Commissioning Editor for BBC Wales says: “It’s great to be producing comedy again after the pandemic derailed our plans in 2020. I’m really proud of the range of different comedies that we’ve managed to cover in this Festival of Funny season.”