More from Bad Education, Avoidance, Mandy and Peacock

The BBC has ordered new series of  Bad Education, Romesh Ranganathan sitcom Avoidance, Allan ‘Seapa’ Mustafa’s personal trainer comedy Peacock and Diane Morgan’s Mandy.

Six new episodes of all the shows were announced at the BBC’s Festival of Comedy in Cardiff today, alongside a raft of new programming.

Bad Education’s core cast of teachers are retuning including Layton Williams, Charlie Wernham, Vicki Pepperdine and Mathew Horne.

It comes after the fourth series – the first without co-creator Jack Whitehall in a lead role – attracted 1.1 million viewers to BBC Three and iPlayer.

Meanwhile Ranganathan will again be united with Jessica Knappett  Mandeep Dhillon and Lisa McGrillis  in the second season of  BBC One comedy Avoidance.

The broadcaster says: ‘If series one was about a break-up and rebuilding a broken home, series two is about falling in love, messy reconciliation and a baby.’

Knappett also writers the show with its creators Ranganathan and Benjamin Green, who said in a statement: ‘We are absolutely delighted to bring back the dysfunctional Nadar family and get our incredible cast back together.

‘We feel we should warn fans of the show that unfortunately Romesh will be wearing a lot of lycra in series two. Sorry.’

Speaking of lycra, Mustafa is returning to BBC Three as Andy Peacock, the personal trainer and ‘man out of time’. Now the proud owner of a body-positive fitness business and in an actual adult relationship, Andy’s life is on the up. Only his ego can mess things up now…

Finally, Mandy will be back for six new 15-minute episodes for BBC Two.

Morgan said: ‘Bigger hair! Longer cigarettes! Mintier pig! Expect all this and more in the third epic season of Mandy. Now in 3D (where available) – you’ll believe you’re actually inside Mandy’s small back bedroom! Get your free goggles in the Radio Times.’

Speaking in Cardiff, the BBC’s director of comedy Jon Petrie said: ‘It’s no exaggeration to say that British comedy is hugely important to television and the national cultural landscape. It is a public service and needed now more than ever.

‘Not only do audiences consume comedy in huge numbers - there were over 500 million requests on BBC iPlayer last year – but it has also acted as a vital talent pipeline to some of the UK’s most successful creatives.

‘The BBC remains the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK. We’re so proud of the depth and range of our offerings which champion British creativity and I’m delighted to announce five brand new shows and five much-loved returning series.’

Published: 24 May 2023