New show for the BBC

Frankie Boyle is returning for the BBC in a one-off comedy show about the Scottish referendum.

But they are keeping him off broadcast TV – instead making Frankie Boyle’s Referendum Autopsy exclusively for the iPlayer.

The show will be filmed in front of a studio audience at Glasgow’s Britannia Panopticon shortly after the referendum vote on September 18.

It will be a mix of stand-up, review, discussion and audience interaction – and feature fellow comics as well as experts and high profile figures to challenge Boyle's opinion.

As part of the format, Boyle will also propose some other motions that he wants the studio audience to vote on.

Ruth Phillips who is executive producer of the show for indie Zeppotron said: 'We're delighted to be working with the searingly funny, utterly original Frankie Boyle and can't wait to bring his take on such a significant event to BBC iPlayer. We'll see Frankie both venting at his brilliant best and also challenged on his views, all to great comic effect.'

Victoria Jaye, the iPlayer's head of TV content said: 'The Scottish Referendum is one of the most significant political events of our time and we want BBC iPlayer to draw on the power of comedy to reflect on its outcome in a special, one-off event.

'Frankie is uniquely placed to create this for us, as one of the leading voices in modern satire - he proved a real audience draw starring in one of our iPlayer Original Comedy Shorts earlier in the year.'

In that sketch he starred alongside Bob Mortimer in a spoof cookery show.

BBC One in Scotland previously aired the two-part Blethering Referendum, fronted by Sanjeev Kohli; and next Tuesday BBC Two in Scotland will air What's Funny About the Indyref? a sketch show written by new writers aged 16-25 and inspired by the ballot.

Frankie Boyle’s Referendum Autopsy will be produced by Nick Vaughan-Smith and directed by Barbara Wiltshire. The executive producers are Ruth Phillips and Peter Holmes for Zeppotron, and Shane Allen, controller of comedy commissioning for the BBC. It was commissioned by Victoria Jaye.

Published: 4 Sep 2014