Fishing for laughs

Hall and Wilmot angle for BBC4 show

Rich Hall and Mike Wilmot are to make a new fishing show for BBC4.

The channel has commissioned a show featuring the two comics fishing on a Scottish loch and discussing the issues of the day as part of its bid to add more comedy to its culture-filled schedule.

At the Kilkenny Comedy Festival last week, Hall joked that he only got involved with the show to help his Canadian colleague out of a financial hole - and that his agent hoodwinked him into taking the low-budget deal.

"He said it was for Four," he said. "I thought it was Channel 4 turns out to be BBC4. But it's got fishing and comedy, two things I love."

Hall and Wilmot performed together at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, mocking American politics in their show Pretzel Logic.

Rob Butler, producer of Rich Hall's Fishing Show, told MediaGuardian: "The premise is that it's two blokes talking about stuff while fishing, in the guise of fishing programme. There will be no laughter track. I don't think that anything like this has been done before."

The six-part show is expected to go out from August, and follows the addition of imported US comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm to lighten the digital channel's serious agenda.

Both comics are acclaimed award-winners, Hall picking up the Perrier in 2000 and Wilmot scooping the Barry award at the Melbourne comedy festival this year.

They share the same agent, Off The Kerb's Addison Cresswell, who will be executive producer of the new show.

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