Sky has unveiled seven original comedy shorts at the Edinburgh Television Festival written by and starring the likes of Rosie Jones, Desiree Burch and Jordan Stephens, while ordering Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir (working title) and greenlighting a fifth season of Brassic.
The seven shorts, which will air on Sky Arts and YouTube in 2023, explore everything from dating anxiety and rural life to pub quizzes and imaginary friends. Scroll down for full details below.
The others onboard include the likes of Jess Fostekew and Jordan Brookes.
Sky Comedy Shorts have been a traditional avenue for comedy talent, with Sharon Horgan’s Dreamland featuring Lily Allen coming from the program along with Samson Kayo’s Bloods.
Sky Comedy Shorts were commissioned by Jon Mountague, Director of Comedy at Sky Studios for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content at Sky UK & Ireland. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Tilusha Ghelani.
“Sky’s comedy shorts programme is testament to the huge writing and performance talent in the UK and it’s incredibly fulfilling to see past shorts transfer to full series,” said Mountague.
Meanwhile, comedic ornithological series Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir will follow the prolific artist and his wife as they explore some of Britain’s best beauty spots, joined along the way by a few famous friends
And Brassic,from This is England star Joe Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst, meanwhile, is returning for a fifth season, as it fast becomes one of Sky’s most established scripted shows.
The shorts
- Life’s A Pitch: A neurotic, self-destructive copywriter goes to increasingly idiotic extremes to save face and keep up appearances as his work life spirals out of control. Written by Nathan D’Arcy Roberts, starring Jordan Stephens, Aurie Styla, Alex Theo, Shazia Mirza and Ruairi McInerney.
- Diane from Accounts (w/t): A charity worker who has always been hardworking, dependable but ultimately invisible, makes one fateful decision that turns her life upside down. Who knew being bad could be so good! Written by Desiree Burch and Jayshree Patel (based on an idea by Desiree Burch and Grace Ofori-Attah), starring Desiree Burch.
- Past Caring: Three very different women, Rosie, Jen and Maureen, share one similarity: they are all carers. We join these women on one of their few nights off, where they come together for some time away from their duties, which invariably involves Rosie trying, and failing, to flirt with a ‘fit girl’. However, can they ever really separate themselves from being carers? Written by and starring Rosie Jones and Jen Brister. Additional cast includes Maureen Younger alongside Leslie Ash.
- Real Friends: Cassie and Mr Whippy have grown up together; they’ve sat in detention together, suffered puberty together, been bullied together and are soon to be unemployed together. Only snag is, one of them is real and the other is not. And now Mr Whippy, for her own survival, is fighting to remain relevant in Cassie’s life when she meets a … man. This mix of animation and live action comedy is written by and stars Rachel Stubbings and Jess Fostekew. Additional cast includes Daniel Lawrence Taylor, Luke McQueen and Alison Spittle.
- Seen: Dating is never easy but for Jordan, it leaves him a warbling mass of uncertainties. A clueless newborn in the body of a young man. This ‘existential Mr. Bean’ sees Jordan attempt to calm himself, which leads to a spiral of anxiety dreams from visions of cattle slaughter to a flashback of his ex- girlfriend half joking that she can’t imagine him having parents. For Jordan, it’s hard to know which vision is worse. Written by and starring Edinburgh comedy award winner Jordan Brookes. Additional cast includes Nimisha Odedra and Kieran Hodgson.
- Silo: Two very different Londoners, Marcus and Dipesh suddenly find themselves in rural Norfolk, the last place their missing business partner and brother-in-law’s phone was active. Drenched in urban arrogance, they find rural life to be nowhere near as idyllic and time-warped as Countryfile would have you believe. Written by Tom Neenan, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Sunil Patel. Starring Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Sunil Patel. Additional cast includes Tom Neenan, Sarah Hadland and Mark Heap.
- Six Foot Something (w/t): Meet Folake…6 foot fabulous and loving it while on a basketball scholarship in the states… less so now she’s in London and broke. So her next move ends up being a secret business fulfilling the fantasies of men with ‘tall women fetish.’ Written by Yemi Oyefuwa. Casting to be announced.S