New ITV show 'is not a sitcom'

Ben Elton is to star in his own TV series for the first time in 12 years.

The ITV series Get A Grip, will be based on his latest live show (Review) but it won't be stand-up.

The channel’s entertainment boss Paul Jackson said: ‘He plays a suburban family man in an ensemble cast. It's not a sitcom, it's something a little bit different.

‘Ben Elton is still one of the funniest men around’

Elton, 47, has written ten novels, but his last TV sitcom, Blessed starring Ardal O’Hanlon, was a flop. He last appeared on the BBC’s Man From Auntie, which ran from 1990 to 1994.

Published: 28 Aug 2006