Dead Ringers transfers to TV

Dead Ringers is to be made into a TV series.

The Radio 4 comedy, featuring impressionist Jon Culshaw, has been picked up for a BBC2 series following a successful pilot.

The show will be aired this autumn, and will be written by the same team behind the radio version.

Culshaw said: "We're doing the 8th series for radio with two programmes from Edinburgh then it's straight into the BBC2 show.

"Dead Ringers will soon be a full-time job and we're all up for it. There's a lot of fleshing out of the characters to bring them to TV and we're looking forward to doing more of that."

Bill Dare, the producer and devisor of the series, said: "I think the Radio 4 and BBC2 audiences probably have quite similar tastes and references, but there will always be some characters or ideas that only work on radio - such as Brian Perkins or The Archers. There are also some people who'll work better on TV.

"Radio writers nearly always write great TV because they are used to the freedom that radio provides - and this makes their writing particularly visual.

"The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy was one of the most visually interesting shows on TV and I'm sure Dead Ringers will be too."

The series will continue to run on Radio 4 with a new series beginning on Friday August 16.

Published: 6 Aug 2002