Best new sitcom ideas revealed

New comedies by The Office’s Mackenzie Crook, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh and Garth Marenghi creator Matt Holness are all being considered by Channel Five.

The station’s comedy supremo Graham Smith has revealed that these ideas are among best submitted after he appealed for new sitcoms.

He is looking for a new show aimed at those in their late twenties and early thirties that captures the "modern, smart, edgy" feel of shows such as Spaced and The Office.

The budget is relatively modest, and shared with the Paramount Comedy Channel which will also air anything developed from the scheme.

In an interview with today’s Independent, Smith reveals that he has 19 projects he is interested in. Of those, he will chose one to air in the autumn and two for next year.

They include:

• Red Light, a brothel-based comedy from Have I Got News For You producer Harry Thompson and writing partner Shaun Pye.
• A script being developed by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, details of which are not revealed
• Access All Areas, a behind-the-scenes look at rock and roll from The Office's Mackenzie Crook, pictured
• A sitcom about the staff at 10 Dowing Street called Under Number 10, devised by D creator Alison Jackson, creator of the lookalikes show Double Take.
• A show about a second-rate illusionist, created by Matt Holness (aka Garth Marenghi)

Published: 24 Jan 2005