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THE BROADCASTER EMPHASISED THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING COMEDY PROGRAMMES FOR THE PUBLIC 18:54, 21 May 2025 The BBC has announced Sophie Willan’s next project as well as a Rob Brydon sitcom in

a major comedy shake-up for the broadcaster. Ten new and returning shows were confirmed by BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie at the BBC Comedy Festival on Wednesday (May 21). Appearing at

the event in Belfast alongside Eddie Doyle, Senior Head Content Commissioning BBC Northern Ireland, Jon confirmed over half a million pounds of additional year-long funding for brand new

comedy. Seeking to produce affordable, distinctive comedy from across the UK, the money will ringfenced exclusively for production spend on new comedy in Northern Ireland for 2025/2026. Just

one week after winning the Scripted Comedy BAFTA, beating Sky Max’s Brassic, ITV’s G’wed and fellow BBC programme Ludwig, Bolton comic Sophie's next project has been announced. The

Alma’s Not Normal creator will star alongside Pearce Quigley and Monty Python legend Sir Michael Palin in Small Prophets, created by The Detectorists’ Mackenzie Crook. While Gavin and

Stacey's Rob is confirmed to be leading Bill’s Includes, a series about a middle-aged divorcee who staves off financial ruin by renting his spare rooms to students. Cunk on Eath’s Diane

Morgan is making sitcom Ann Droid about a social humanoid robot designed to keep elderly people company. 16-year-old actor Lenny Rush, who rose to fame in Daisy May Cooper’s Am I Being

Unreasonable, next project is supernatural family sitcom The Reluctant Vampire. The other new programme announced, Stuffed, stars popular Taskmaster contestant Guz Khan as an office worker

who gets an unexpected Christmas bonus and takes his family to Lapland, only to find that he has to pay the money back. Additionally, the BBC officially confirmed the return of Only Child,

Funboys, The Young Offenders and The Golden Cobra Jon said: “The BBC continues to be the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK. And for the second year running eight

out of the top 10 scripted comedies were on the BBC. "Created, written by and starring some of the UK's most brilliant homegrown talent, I’m really proud of the shows we have

announced today and can’t wait for BBC viewers to see them.” He added: “Great comedy always comes back to the fundamentals: brilliant characters, sharp jokes, a unique voice. Those are the

elements that endure – not massive sets or casts of thousands. Article continues below “Our priority is to keep our shows affordable and distinctive, because comedy doesn't need

explosions and continuous shots, it needs punchlines, authentic voices, and that gleeful point of view that no algorithm can touch.”