BBC - Commissioning - Comedy on BBC One

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Comedy on BBC One

• See all BBC One briefs

Controller: Shane Allen

Overview

The BBC One audience expects and deserves gold-standard talent, top-drawer writing, and the highest production values, and we’re always looking for the right ideas and the right people on and off screen to deliver on these expectations.

We continue to make the development of new scripted Comedy for BBC One a high priority. We want to create a mix of pre- and post-watershed commissions that will appeal to a broad audience, which are also ambitious, distinctive and fresh as there's a real appetite for studio audience and single-camera shows (Outnumbered, Royale Family) which demonstrate the perfect alchemy of premise, writing and casting.

For online and red button content ideas for Comedy please visit the service strategy page for BBC iPlayer, red button and programme pages.

The Audience

BBC One shows need to appeal to a mainstream audience. Accessible ideas that promote both the unity and diversity of that audience are always welcome.  Our viewers want to see their own experiences reflected and celebrated in our comedy mix, and we need to offer more pieces that bring a comic perspective on all aspects of British life to our viewers from all corners of the nation.

What's been working well gallery

Miranda – Written and performed by Miranda Hart, the series instantly hit with audiences, tapping into the much sought-after female audience and re-energising pre-watershed comedy for BBC Two. It drew in 2.4m (10% share) for its first episode and growing to an unprecedented 4.3m (16% share) in series two. The third series of Miranda launched on BBC One, pulling in a whopping 7.6m (28.8%) across the series with a staggering 9.4m (37.8%) tuning in to the Christmas special.

Mrs Brown’s Boys – Brendan O’Carroll’s engaging comic creation is a bold departure for comedy on BBC One. Cheeky and irreverent, it offers a risque sensibility to the audience while retaining the traditional values of a warm family studio comedy. Launching in the new 10.35 pm comedy slot with 2.6m (16.4%) growing to an average of 2.9m (19.9%) in the first series Mrs Brown's Boys quickly became a ratings winner with an average of 7.6million viewers for the third series and 8.9million (36.9%) for the Christmas special.  Mrs Brown's Boys will be returning to your screens later in the year. 

Citizen Khan – A brand new family-based studio audience sitcom set in the capital of British Pakistan - Sparkhill, Birmingham. Citizen Khan follows the trials and tribulations of loud-mouthed, tight-fisted, self-appointed community leader Mr Khan (Adil Ray) and his long suffering family. Created by Adil Ray, the character Mr Khan has already featured in BBC Two comedy series Bellamy’s People, on Radio Four’s Down the Line and on his own online series on the BBC Comedy website and was commissioned following a successful staged presentation at the BBC’s first Salford Sitcom Showcase. Citizen Khan opened with 3.6m audience (21.5%) in the post-watershed slot.

Not Going Out – Created by and starring the loveable Lee Mack, Not Going Out has continued to grow with each series. Now transmitting its sixth series it regularly draws in over four million viewers (17.3% share) in a post-watershed slot and represents a smart contemporary take on a classic flat share scenario.

Comedy - BBC One Pre & Post Watershed Scripted Comedy - 6 x 30'

Tariff range: Comedy Two up to Comedy Three with more opportunities available with a lower price tag. For more information on Tariffs please take a look at the Tariffs page.

We want pre- and post-watershed ideas which are brimming with confidence, quality and originality, and which are underpinned with a real understanding of the whole of the BBC One audience.

Personality-led projects are always welcome – they can make an instant connection with an audience such as Miranda Hart in Miranda, Lee Mack in Not Going Out, Adil Ray in Citizen Khan and Brendan O'Carroll as Mrs Brown. We’d also like to see warm, distinctive, real-world ideas which will need to be funny and fresh, as well as scoring highly against these challenging benchmarks:

• Can the BBC One audience fall in love with the characters and the world?
• Could this show appear on any other channel? Why is it right for BBC One?
• Will the project attract the biggest names or showcase key talent? Our audience want to see the best.
• Will it bring in a new audience whilst satisfying core viewers? It needs to be broad.

Comedy - BBC One Sketch Shows / Scripted Entertainment

Tariff range: Comedy Two and Three. For more information on Tariffs please take a look at the Tariffs page.

BBC One has a great tradition of anointing and crowning Britain’s comedy royalty - the channel has elevated talent such as Lucas and Walliams, Catherine Tate, and most recently Brendan O'Carroll as Mrs Brown to the status of national comedy touchstones. We want this heritage to continue. So we are asking:

• Who are the new, strong, voices in sketch comedy/stand-up? Where is the talent that can bring a distinctive identity to the screen, and what can they do at the top table of British comedy?
• Who is the next performer/stand-up with the stature to break through?
• Who will get the BBC One audience talking/engaging/laughing?
• We aren't just talking about sketch comedy. We're keen to consider any projects that are driven by the connection between comedy talent and audience, and which can be imaginatively and successfully produced. That includes ideas that straddle the boundary between Comedy and Entertainment. However, pure stand-up ideas should be pitched via the Entertainment genre.

Where are the opportunities available?

There are a range of opportunities for series and some specials in the In-house Guarantee, Independent and WoCC in future years.  We are always looking to build on the production activity in the Nations

How should I submit my ideas and who should I pitch to?

All proposals should be submitted via the e-commissioning system to the relevant genre controller or commissioner. Take a look at the Who's Who for the latest comedy commissioning team contacts.

Want to know more about the broader BBC One service strategy?

If you would like to know more about the BBC One channel strategy, please visit the BBC One page.