Olivia Colman and the Mighty Boosh star Julian Barratt are to feature in a new comedy pilot, Flowers, for Channel 4.
Bafta-winning former Peep Show star Colman, who will return in the second series of ITV murder mystery Broadchurch in the new year, will play the mother of twentysomething twins in the sitcom about the ultimate dysfunctional family.
Barratt will play Colman’s husband in the comedy, written and directed by Will Sharpe, who will also appear as the family’s “home help”.
Sharpe was one of the co-directors of low budget indie film Black Pond, starring Chris Langham and Simon Amstell, which was nominated for the Bafta outstanding debut award in 2012. Currently a non-broadcast pilot, filming has just finished on the opening episode with Channel 4 hopeful that it will progress to a full series.
Channel 4 head of comedy Phil Clarke said: “It is really dark, funny and challenging – everything a Channel 4 family sitcom should be.
“It’s possibly the most dysfunctional family you will ever come across and yet somehow they still manage to function as a family. The humour is very dark but at times it’s really broad as well. It’s a very original piece – I don’t think there’s anything like it anywhere else.”
Clarke said the pilot, which is being made by Kudos, the production company behind Broadchurch, was in many respects a traditional sitcom.
“They have twins, a son and a daughter, the nanny lives at the house as well; they have neighbours and there are builders in. If it goes to a full series the builders will probably always be there,” he said.
“It’s got all the classic sitcom things and yet it is absolutely not like anything else I have read for a very, very long time.”
Clarke said he “really loved” Black Pond, a black comedy about a family who are accused of murder when a stranger comes to dinner. “Black Pond is a much darker film, this is more out and out funny,” he added.
Source: theguardian.co.uk – Olivia Colman to star in new comedy pilot Flowers
