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´óÏó´«Ã½ Three has commissioned a pilot developed through the ´óÏó´«Ã½ College of Comedy training scheme for writers. It's the first since the scheme was developed, making an immediate impact within a year.

The Inn Mates is the work of Manchester-based writer and comedian John Warburton and was developed during his year with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ scheme.

The script focuses on a group of people, some friends and some strangers, who eat Sunday lunch at The King's Ransom.

With the pub as a central location, the show also goes out and about to follow the lives of the regulars who include a happily married couple, an unhappily married couple, a son trying to forge a relationship with his sperm-donor dad, a free and easy young woman in search of true love, two old women who haunt the smoking shelter, and a pair of community support officers whose dramatic fantasies will never be matched by reality.

Micheál Jacob, Creative Head of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ College of Comedy, said: "This is great news, both for the college, and particularly for John, whose writing is funny, warm and very much the product of a unique voice.

"I hope that we'll see more original work from the first year's college writers on screen, and this year's group are well on the way to creating exciting new projects."

John Warburton said: "I am incredibly chuffed the ´óÏó´«Ã½ have decided to pilot this. Over the last 20 years I have spent a great deal of time drinking in pubs in the name of research and this means I can now claim the whole lot back against tax.

"The College of Comedy is a superlative scheme, it has been invaluable to me as a writer in terms of learning and support."

College of Comedy is the brainchild of Mark Freeland, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Head of Comedy.

Mark added: "The aim of the scheme is to train writers for the future. To get a pilot out of the College within year one is outstanding and makes us even more determined to get new comedy voices on air."

The Inn Mates has been commissioned by Danny Cohen, Controller of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Three, and Cheryl Taylor, Controller of Comedy Commissioning, and will be made by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Comedy North in Manchester. Executive producers are Micheál Jacob and Jon Mountague of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Comedy North.

Notes to Editors

When the scheme was launched in 2008, it attracted support from many leading writers, including Armando Iannucci, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, Simon Nye, Jeremy Dyson, Susan Nickson and Hugo Blick, some of whom did sessions for the college.

The scheme is designed for people who have already begun their careers and can demonstrate some achievement, such as broadcast material, a script commission or performance of their work.

The scheme is currently in its second year and candidates have been given writer and producer mentors for their original work, which will be showcased when the scheme ends in March 2010. There will be one residential workshop and ad hoc events during the year, with sessions from leading writers, producers and directors.

CS