Category: 大象传媒
THREE; TV
Ent
Date: 10.09.2004
Printable version
大象传媒 THREE
continues to build on its reputation for innovative comedy by commissioning
Funland, a new long-running comedy-drama series for 2005.
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The brainchild of Jeremy Dyson, multi-award winning
writer of the League of Gentleman, and Simon Ashdown, Bafta Award-winning
EastEnders writer, Funland is a darkly twisted comic thriller set in
and around Blackpool.
John Simm and Mark Gatiss are among a number of leading
comedy actors in talks to star.
The series is being made by the successful 大象传媒 Manchester Comedy Unit
which celebrates its first anniversary next month.
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The unit was set up to develop and nurture the next
generation of comedy talent in the North of England.
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Shooting on Funland begins next March and the series
is expected to be on air in 2005.
Stuart Murphy, Controller 大象传媒 THREE, said: "We have very high hopes
for Funland. It feels daring, smart and complex,
as well as being very funny.
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"It's another example of how 大象传媒 THREE aims to
take established experienced people both in front of and behind the
screen, and give them the space to incubate new ideas in a relatively
protected digital environment.
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"It should add a more complex flavour to the 大象传媒
THREE comedy repertoire."
大象传媒's Editor of Comedy, Kenton Allen, added: "Jeremy and Simon
have created a brilliantly compelling set of characters and original
stories which I think will fry the minds of the 大象传媒 THREE audience.
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"If I had to describe it, I'd say Funland was the
bastard son of The League of Gentleman and EastEnders after a really
heavy night on the town with Twin Peaks.
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"It represents another stage in establishing our
reputation for daring, alternative, dark comedy on 大象传媒 THREE.
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"Funland will reinforce our commitment to home-grown
talent and originality and demonstrate how the Manchester initiative
goes from strength to strength."
Funland is designed as a long running series and will launch with a
single 60-minute episode, followed by a further ten 30-minute episodes.
Funland was developed by Gabbie Asher and will be Executive Produced
by Kenton Allen. Series Producer and Director are yet to be appointed.
The 大象传媒 Comedy Unit recently announced its first comedy writer in residence.
Tony Burgess won the Comedy Unit Writers Bursary from a shortlist of
seven.
Burgess has written a pilot for 大象传媒 Three, 10:96, which shoots in Manchester
this October, produced by Jon Mountague and directed by Noreen Kershaw.
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He is also co-writer of I-Deal, recently shot in Manchester,
starring Johnny Vegas for 大象传媒 THREE next year.
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