With Russ Abbott and Martine McCutcheon

The BBC is piloting a new sitcom from comedian Charlie Baker, as a man who sets up a business from home.

Baker wrote the series The Home Office, and will star in it alongside comedy legend Russ Abbot and EastEnders and West End star Martine McCutcheon.

He has changed his own name only slightly for the lead character, Charlie Baxter, a man who is made redundant and decides to launch his internet business from home.

However, distractions keep him from getting work done, including an interfering father-in-law and an oversexed neighbour.

The show will be recorded in front of a live studio audience and be directed by David Sant of theatre company Peepolykus – who played Cartoon Head in the Johnny Vegas sitcom Ideal.

Baker is probably best known for winning Let's Dance For Comic Relief last year, with a tap-dancing double-act with Emmerdale actor James Thornton. He has since been a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show A Short History Of Everything Else.

The Home Office is a rare venture into sitcom for the makers, Princess Productions, whose credits include Channel 4's Sunday Brunch. The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 and Got To Dance for Sky 1.

The pilot episode is being recorded at MediaCity in Salford, Greater Manchester, on October 18. See our free tickets page for details of how to be in the studio audience.

Published: 2 Oct 2012