E4 series about a Jewish family

Inbetweeners actor Simon Bird is to star in a new E4 sitcom about a Jewish family.

He and stand-up Tom Rosenthal, son of sports commentator Jim, have just finished shooting the pilot episode Friday Night Dinner, which will be broadcast on E4 next year.

The pair – both former Chortle Student Comedy Award finalists – play brothers Adam and Jonny, who go to their parents’ house every Friday evening for a formal meal. Green Wing’s Tamsin Greig and Paul Ritter, who played Martin in the recent Pulling special, play the parents.

Peep Show producer Robert Popper wrote the half-hour pilot, which he described as ‘fast-moving and quirky’.

It is not the only forthcoming sitcom about young Jewish men’s relationship with their family currently being developed. Simon Amstell is shooting the six-part series Grandma’s House, which he also co-wrote, for BBC Two next year, which, similarly, is based on visits to the family home in Essex.

Popper also has several other projects in the pipeline including:

• A broadcast pilot for BBC Three for Bone Bag, which he describes as a ‘mental and surreal hidden-camera prank show’ featuring kids’ TV star Ross Lee
• A Radio 4 series with regular collaborator Peter Serafinowicz, based on The Other Side, their spoof radio station that broadcasts from the afterlife.
• A BBC2 pilot sketch show for double act Lorna Watson and Ingrid Oliver.

Meanwhile, a series of prank calls Popper made to an email spammer as Robin Cooper, of the Timewaster Letters, is currently running on the BBC website. Here’s the latest:

Published: 3 Dec 2009