Heavy Entertainment gets a full run

Nick Helm has landed his own BBC Three series – one of three new shows unveiled by the channel today.

Controller Zai Bennett confirmed that Helm’s variety show Heavy Entertainment has been picked up for a full series after being piloted in the Comedy Feed strand last year.

The show, which mixes stand-up, sketches, audience interaction, songs and poetry, has been commissioned for six half-hour episodes. It will be made by the BBC’s in-house comedy department with Saurabh Kakkar as executive producer and Rupert Majendie as producer.

Also commissioned is the dating show Sexy Beasts, following two pilots earlier this year. The show uses Hollywood prosthetics to transform people before they go on a first date to see if they can make a connection on personality alone. Six half-hour episodes have been ordered from Lion TV Scotland.

BBC Three has also announced a pilot of a ‘hybrid comedy, entertainment and murder mystery show’, Murder In Successville.

Written by George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler Moore, the show is set in a fictional town brimming with stars such as Gordon Ramsey, Cheryl Cole, the Cowells and the Beckhams which has an ‘unfortunately high incidence of celebrity homicide’.

Murders are investigated by DCI Sleet, played by character comedian Tom Davis, who each week enlists the help of a real celebrity guest sidekick. The celebrity townsfolk are played by a mix of impressionists and comedians, including Morgana Robinson.

Bennett – who is due to leave BBC Three to run Sky Atlantic next month following the announcement the corporation wanted to make his channel online only – also confirmed a third series of The Revolution Will Be Televised for six more episodes and and two Backchat specials with Jack and Michael Whitehall, as previously reported on Chortle.

The controller said: ‘BBC Three is committed to bringing the best in entertainment to its audiences so I’m delighted to announce this raft of exciting new and returning shows. BBC Three discovered the brilliant Nick Helm and Heavy Entertainment promises to be just as quirky and special as [his sitcom] Uncle.

‘Murder In Successville takes murder mystery to a whole new level and I can’t wait to see what happens in this weird and wonderful place.

‘ Backchat was a big hit for the channel last year so I’m delighted that Jack and Michael are returning with two specials and Sexy Beasts was a real talking point when the pilot aired so I have high hopes for the series. And what can I say about [The Revolution Will Be Televised’s] Heydon and Jolyon other than look out, they’re back!’

Published: 1 May 2014