Prepare to be introduced to Spoot

Harry Hill is piloting a comedy about a fictional sport for Radio 4.

Spoot! will see the comedian rediscovering the hitherto unrecorded pastime which, 'like all proper sports, involves getting a ball through a hole'.

Allegedly based on rules found in the 4,000-page Book of Spoot, the show promises ‘exciting commentary, detailed analysis, controversial judging and lame continuity jokes, which will be provided by a selection of pundits and commentators’.

Radio 4 suggests: ‘Listeners will soon pick up the simple complexity of the game’s rules, and cheer on their favourites as they appear to be about to score a point.’

Hill is currently enjoying a prolific moment in his television career with several broadcasters, after more than a decade working exclusively for ITV. 

He is currently presenting Sky One's spoof cookery programme Harry Hill's Tea Time, and he will host the panel show Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule on ITV from next year.

The comic has just filmed a documentary on Damien Hirst for Sky Arts – after previously painting the artist for a portrait that went on display at the Royal Academy last year.

And he is developing a sitcom with the BBC based on his comic memoir Livin’ The Dreem: A Year In My Life…Probably.

However, he is not the only comedian trying to introduce his own sport into the wider public consciousness.

In 2014, Marek Larwood invented Volfsball, a non-contact cross between football, cricket and basketball for which he runs a league, and which was adapted to feature in Adam Riches's 2015 Edinburgh Fringe show Coach Coach.

Tickets for the recording of the Spoot! pilot on December 1 at the Shaw Theatre in London are available here.

- by Jay Richardson

Published: 7 Nov 2016