New comedy based on Julian Assange case

Fonejacker star Kayvan Novak is to star in a new BBC Four comedy based on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Called Asylum, the show is described as ‘a satirical comedy about a government whistle-blower and a millionaire internet entrepreneur trapped together in a London embassy’.

Assange has been holed up in Ecuador’s London embassy for more than two years, where he sought political asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden. There he faces sex allegations which he fears could eventually lead to him charged with spying in the US.

Asylum was created by Novak and his Facejacker producer Tom Thostrup and is written by newcomers Peter Bowden and Thom Phipps.

It will air as part of the BBC’s Taking Liberties season, marking the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. Programmes across TV and radio will examine the document’s history and influence as well as the current state of democracy - including a day of live events on Democracy Day, January 20.

The season also includes a one-off special provisionally titled Rory Bremner’s Coalition Derby, in which the veteran satirist and impersonator explains the formation of the current government. The half-hour show will air on BBC Two

The second series of Jessica Hynes’s sitcom Up The Women also forms part of the series. The story of the suffragettes of the Banbury Intricate Craft Circle has been promoted to BBC Two for BBC Four for its six new episodes.

On BBC Three, Jolyon Rubinstein – half of the The Revolution Will Be Televised duo – will present a comic documentary suggesting a new contract between Britain’s rules and people, Magna Carta 2.0. The show promises to include his usual audacious stunts.

And on Radio 4, stand-up Paul Sinha presents the The Sinha Carta will explain what is in the charter, as well as what’s been taken out that shouldn’t have been and changes he would like to see made.

There will also be a Horrible Histories special on CBBC, starring Ben Miller as King John

Outside of comedy, programmes include historian David Starkey looks at the origins of the Magna Carta, Michael Cockerell going behind the scenes at the House of Commons and a political documentary thriller set in Zimbabwe.

The BBC’s director-general Tony Hall said: ‘The BBC should be the place where the great events in our nation’s history are commemorated. Michael Cockerell, David Starkey, Melvyn Bragg, Amanda Vickery, Nick Robinson and Helena Kennedy QC amongst others will be presenting a season of programmes examining what Magna Carta’s key themes of freedom, power and justice mean to Britain and the world today.’

Published: 17 Nov 2014