ITV2 orders time-travelling sitcom

ITV2 has commissioned a new sitcom about a struggling four-piece South London jazz band who travel back in time to the 1920s.

Timewasters has been created by Daniel Lawrence Taylor, the star of last year’s comedy Cockroaches and formerly half of the Ginger & Black double act.

He also stars in the six half-hour episodes alongside Kadiff Kirwan, from Chewing Gum and Crims, Skins actor Adelayo Adedayo and Samson Kayo  from The Javone Prince Show.

The band travel to the past via a urine-sodden lift in a dilapidated block of flats, but get stuck in the Jazz Age – where they discover that being young and black is a lot less genteel than Downton Abbey had led them to believe. 

Taylor said: ‘You don’t see that many black people in period dramas, or in time machines, so I thought I’d try to write about both. There are so many great people on board and I can’t wait to get started.’

Kenton Allen, chief executive of programme-makers Big Talk said: ‘Daniel Lawrence Taylor's audacious idea of four time traveling dudes from South London going "black to the future" has been a joy to make from start to finish. 

 It's a brilliant concept with a cracking cast bringing Daniel's script to life.’

Guest stars include Kevin Eldon, who plays John Logie Baird, the inventor of television. Josh Cole is producer, George Kane director and Barunka O’Shaughnessy  script editor.

Published: 24 Aug 2016