C4 unveils its new showcase season

Channel 4 has unveiled the line-up for its next Comedy Lab season, including shows from Perrier-winner Demetri Martin, and former MTV host Russell Brand.

This is the sixth year of the comedy pilot series, which has helped launch the TV careers of Peter Kay, Jimmy Carr and Dom Joly.

Two programmes will be broadcast each Tuesday for three weeks, starting at 11pm on February 10.

The shows are, in order:

Demetri Martin: 12:21: an insight into the comedian's thoughts during a single minute of his life as he rushes to a New York audition, described as '24 in reverse'.

Clitheroe: A 'distinctive and innovative' sketch show from TV newcomers Jalaal Hartley and Daniel Roberts.

The Russell Brand: Sick of the world, the former MTV poster-boy sets out to establish his own society, writing a manifesto and recruiting his population through a series of bizarre interviews.

Private Lives: A collection of fictional liars, egotists, neurotics and downright lunatics record their video diaries in a comedy written and performed by Laurence Rickard and George Sawyer.

Puppet Access TV: Puppeteer Raj Yagnik remakes shows from Countdown to The Bill and Antiques Roadshow to a porn film.

The Chancers: Chris and Milo set themselves the task of making a TV programme without any ideas, experience or connections

Tracy & I: In Ranjiv's Takeaway, Miles Shrigley (Gareth Tunley) pines for Tracy (Barunka O'Shaughnessy) and seeks to protect her purity, while Graham (Sean Foley) twitches at his desk.

Published: 28 Jan 2004