David Mitchell and Robert Webb of Peep Show fame are returning to Channel 4 with a new sketch show, which sees them partner with a host of future stars, marking a return to British sketch comedy with an innovative merging of comedy minds across generations.

Mitchell & Webb will be supported by an ensemble cast of next generation writer/performers: Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Lara Ricote, Stevie Martin, and Krystal Evans, plus a team of established and upcoming comic writers. Speaking at Channel 4’s Extrava Gander event, Mitchell joked that the sketch show genre had been put to fallow by the TV industry and now it was time for it to return, and then asked if perhaps cooking shows would be next take a 10 year break.

The six-part series will be produced by That Mitchell & Webb Company in association with Big Talk Studios (Friday Night Dinner, Back, Ludwig), which is part of ITV Studios, and helmed by the duo’s long-standing producer, Gareth Edwards.

Mitchell & Webb said: “When Channel 4 asked us to do another sketch show we were startled, bemused and available. It’s a perilous time for the industry and so it’s our hope that relaunching the trickiest genre of comedy is a brilliant piece of counterintuitive commissioning. And we’re confident that unlike Roger Moore with his shoe on the bonnet of a car teetering on the edge of a cliff in For Your Eyes Only we’re not about to give British TV comedy a final lethal nudge into the abyss. We’re looking forward to working with our brilliant new cast despite their youth and talent and would like to encourage viewers to watch the advert break carefully and do their best to buy something. It doesn’t have to be a car but, you know, a box of chocolates or an app or something.”

Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy at Channel 4, commented: “Sketch is back baby. We’re so honoured to be working with David, Robert and their contemporaries, alongside an exceptional collective of newer voices both on and off screen. Sketch shows have historically been the bedrock of generations of comedy writers and performers- giving so many household names their first credits and platforms and Channel 4 has always been at the heart of this. It’s been such a sparky and joyous journey making this show so far and we can’t wait for audiences to see it.”

Kenton Allen, Chief Executive at Big Talk Studios, added: “Sketch comedy is an incredibly valuable part of the Comedy eco-system so we’re thrilled that clever Channel 4 are doing what they are best at by supporting high risk creative endeavours in an innovative format that can reap enormous rewards for viewers across multiple platforms. David Mitchell and Robert Webb returning to their BAFTA winning sketch show roots feels like I’m witnessing a rare comedy conservation success story. Who better to lead this comedic rescue mission than two masters of the craft. Like proud zookeepers, we can’t wait to show off these magnificent specimens and their brilliant talented offspring let loose in their natural habitat.”

At the Extrava Gander event, Channel 4 also announced it has commissioned new original drama, Tip Toe, from the multi award-winning Russell T Davies (It’s A Sin, Queer as Folk, Doctor Who), produced by Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios) and executive produced by Nicola Shindler (Queer as Folk, It’s A Sin, Fool Me Once). The series will be directed by Peter Hoar (The Last of Us, Nolly).

In Tip Toe, Davies will explore the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today, examining the danger as prejudice creeps back into our lives. Problems we thought were long-gone are returning, toughened and weaponised, until no one knows truth from lies any more. The five-part series will follow Leo and Clive who live next door to each other in Manchester. Leo runs a bar on Canal Street, Clive’s an electrician, with two teenage sons. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.

Davies commented: “It’s my honour to combine my old home, Channel 4, with my second home, Canal Street. This is a show I had to write because the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker, and frankly, the fight is on.”

Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, added: “It is a huge privilege to back this remarkable new series from Russell, one of the greatest writers of our time, and the man behind some of our most era-defining hits, including Queer as Folk and It’s A Sin. We couldn’t love Tip Toe more: it is funny, gripping, full of heart, and an urgent call to arms. It perfectly represents what we’re about at Channel 4, and we are beyond thrilled to be working with Nicola, Russell and Peter again on this very special show.”

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Tags: Channel 4, comedy