Clash of the Comics, the live event that sees some comedians wrestling against each other and UK professional wrestlers, will air on British TV for the first time next month on U and U&Dave as a special produced by Expectation (1×160’).
Having previously appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Just for Laughs London and Melbourne International Comedy Festival as The Wrestling, Clash of the Comics is created by comedians Max & Ivan and its largest event to date was filmed last night at London’s Eventim Hammersmith Apollo.
Clash of the Comics features Ed Gamble wrestling against Phil Wang in the headline title match, with James Acaster issuing an open challenge to fight any comedian or wrestler who can handle him, and Maisie Adam up against multi-time champion wrestler Nina Samuels. Other comics taking part include Max Olesker, Ivan Gonzalez, Ania Magliano, Harriet Kemsley, Amy Gledhill, Sarah Keyworth, Abi Clarke, Max Fosh, Mark Silcox, Adam Kay, Rose Matafeo and Rosie Jones.
There is commentary in the venue from Greg James, Sara Pascoe and Nish Kumar and backstage reporting from Olga Koch and Matthew Crosby. Ivo Graham is the event MC and Joe Lycett oversees as Clash of the Comics’ CEO.
The television rights to Clash of the Comics have been acquired for UKTV by Jason Dawson, commissioning executive and ordered by Gerald Casey, genre general manager, comedy and entertainment, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Clash of the Comics is produced by Expectation and Ben Wicks, Tim Dean and Hannah Layton are executive producers. Clash of the Comics is directed by Ben Hardy, with Marc Shuttle as wrestling consultant and Jo Bucci as head of production.
Jason Dawson says, “Clash of the Comics has established itself as one of the most unforgettable live comedy experiences in the last decade, and Max & Ivan and Expectation are pulling out all the stops to make sure this first televised event truly brings all the chaos, hilarity, and violence it’s known for.”
Gerald Casey says, “The lineup for Clash of the Comics reads like a who’s who of the finest comedians in the country, but viewers can rest assured they’re all taking their training incredibly seriously.”
Ben Wicks says, “We are overjoyed to be working with visionaries Max & Ivan, and the wonderfully passionate people at U&Dave to bring what’s been a massive hit at comedy festivals to television. It’s the right move to make. With cliff hanger endings, outrageous storylines, and – most importantly – the funniest people in Britain demonstrating an unquenchable thirst physical violence. We see this being a huge hit in every sense – and a bingeable one at that – and we’ll fight anyone who says otherwise (providing it’s in at least 6 months-time once Max and Ivan have had time to train us properly).”
Max & Ivan’s Max Olesker says, “The grandest spectacle in the comedy universe at the UK’s most iconic comedy venue, and being broadcast thanks to the UK’s wisest, most astute and physically attractive comedy commissioners – it’s a (wrestling) match made in heaven. For a comedian who was, many years ago, the UK’s youngest professional wrestler, this has been the journey of a lifetime.”
Clash of the Comics will air on U&Dave with an exclusive debut on U. U is UKTV’s free streaming service with over 9000 hours of content from UKTV’s free-to-air channels U&Dave, U&Drama, U&Yesterday and U&W, as well as programming exclusive to U. U&Dave is UKTV’s free-to-air entertainment channel that is home to Will & Ralf Should Know Better, Guy Martin: Proper Jobs, and BAFTA-winning Big Zuu’s Big Eats. U&Dave has just announced its first ever scripted drama commission, Hit Point, is coming to the channel next year.
Pippa Considine
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