BBC4 has bought the rights to air the US sitcom Flight Of The Conchords in Britain.

The series started life on Radio 2 in 2005 – two years after the musical comedy duo billed as ‘New Zealand’s fourth most popular folk parodists’ were nominated for the Perrier award at the Edinburgh Fringe.

The pair, Jermaine Clement and Bret Mckenzie, were snapped up by prestigious cable channel HBO, and their sitcom started airing in the States on June 17.

Now BBC Four has bought the rights to the 12 half-hour episodes, which also feature stand-ups Rhys Darby as their manager and Kristen Schaal as their obsessive fan, for broadcast this autumn.

The series, shot as a low-key documentary, charts their unsuccessful attempts to crack the US market, and features many of their quirky songs.

BBC4’s acting controller George Entwistle said: ‘Jermaine Clement and Bret Mckenzie have already proved to be a huge success with their Radio 2 comedy series, and have won several awards for their innovative variety of stand-up

‘We are sure Flight Of The Conchords will go down very well with our audience.’

Here’s a clip from the latest episode to air on HBO: