ITV's 2008 comedy line-up revealed

Soaps, princes and celebs mocked

ITV has confirmed the transmission of a uniquely linked pair of shows, airing a comedy set behind the scenes of a soap opera on one channel, while the soap itself goes out on another.

The soap opera, Echo Beach, stars Jason Donovan, Martine Mccutcheon and Ben Miller, and will be broadcast on ITV1.

Meanwhile, the companion comedy Moving Wallpaper will be a fictionalised look at what goes on during the making of the show, which is set in a Cornish holiday resort.

The cast of the spin-off includes Dave Lamb, Raquel Cassidy and James Lance.

Both programmes were announced at the launch of ITV’s early 2008 schedule; which also includes the possibly controversial satire The Palace, about two party-loving princes who have to mend their ways when the King dies.

Also in the offing are:

Thank God You're Here, a British version of the Australian improv show in which a guest star is thrust into a scene without knowing what the situation is, and ad lib their way through it. The cast includes Paul Merton and Tara Flynn.

CGI Britain, a Spitting Image-style satire featuring computer-generated caricatures, masterminded by Henry Naylor.

Teenage Kicks, an adaptation of the Radio 2 sitcom starring Adrian Edmondson as an old punk star who has to move in with his children following a messy divorce.