We are more than proud to announce that ITV1 has given the green light to a new Russell Tovey sitcom set in an unemployment office called The Job Lot, written by our very own Claire Downes, Stuart Lane and Ian Jarvis.
The broadcaster has ordered six hour-long episodes of The Job Lot – making it the first mainstream comedy it has commissioned since Benidorm in 2007.
ITV1 has vowed to make a ‘big splash’ in comedy, after several fallow years.
The Job Lot is being made by Big Talk Productions, whose credits include Rev and Him & Her, which also starred Tovey. It also made the stand-up talent hunt Show Me The Funny for ITV last year.
Set in a West Midlands job centre, the show will also star Miranda’s Sarah Hadland, stand-up Jo Enright (also recently seen in Life’s Too Short), Sophie McShera from Downton Abbey and Tony Maudsley from Benidorm.
It is written by Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane.
Executive producer Kenton Allen said: ‘Kenton Allen said: ‘The moment I read the script I immediately thought The Job Lot was a comedy idea that captured the spirit of these times and could be the answer to ITV’s ambitions to reignite primetime comedy on ITV1.’
CONGRATULATIONS CLAIRE, STU AND IAN!