Sketch series for Star One

British-Asian TV channel Star has commissioned its first home-grown sketch show,

The channel, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation which traditionally broadcast shows imported from India, has ordered nine half-hour episodes of Twinkle Twinkle Star.

Hosted by the relatively unknown comedy actor Omar Khan, it will mix sketches with interview with musicians.

Characters include uninterested supply teacher Mr Shah, the desperate-to-be British Kochars, would-be media magnate Rizi Sidu always on the lookout for the next big programme idea, and Jerry Springer parody Terry Tringer.

The show was created by Terry Newman – who has previously written for Rory Bremner, Roy Hudd and Alistair McGowan – with director Sam Bhattacharjee.

Newman told Chortle: ‘We’re very pleased that a station other than the usual suspects is putting their support behind British comedy. More power to them!’

He added that although the show – which kicks off on Star One on June 5 – was aimed primarily at the British Asian audience, it had a ‘wide cross-cultural appeal’.

Here is the title sequence:

And here’s a clip – suggesting the producers seems to have gone heavy on the canned laughter:

Published: 23 May 2011