Murray to host Fringe TV series

Al Murray is to present six hour-long TV shows from this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

The programmes, for the Paramount Comedy Channel, aim to showcase the best stand-up talent at the festival, and will follow the format of a comedy club, with Murray introducing the acts.

They come as part of a three-year deal with Avalon Television, the production arm of Murray’s agents Avalon, and will be titled The Edinburgh and Beyond Comedy Tour.

For the last five years, Avalon have been using the name for the touring stand-up show featuring a line-up of their acts.

Paramount filmed the tour this year in London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, again hosted by Murray as the Pub Landlord.

Murray, who has just recorded An Audience With… special for ITV, is to be one of the contestants in Celebrity Frame Academy next week.

A spokesperson for Paramount said: “This is part of the evolution of comedy for the small screen and it is an important step for the channel to align itself with one of the major agents in the country.

"They have a lot of talent and experience and this deal is breaking the mould between production companies and broadcasters to bring more new comedy to television.”

Published: 23 Feb 2005