Jon Richardson’s efforts to restore a rural Yorkshire pub are to be captured in a new series for More 4.
The documentary will follow the comedian – who previously created a boozer called The Dog and Bastard in the garage of his Hebden Bridge home – as he works to bring The Plough at Fadmoor, North Yorkshire, back from closure.
Set on the fringes of the picturesque North York Moors, the pub shut suddenly in 2011 with plans put forward to transform it into two homes and four holiday lets – to the dismay of locals.
Richardson became a shareholder in the community company set up to save the watering hole, which dates back to 1782, after he heard of its plight
Programme-makers Full Fat TV say that the series will show him getting to know the local rural community and ‘put in his fair share of elbow grease as everyone mucks in to complete the renovation, as well as tackling the myriad challenges cropping up’.
Richardson said: ‘I love pubs so much that I turned my garage into one, but it didn’t scratch the itch so now I’ve ended up owning one. Or a share of a crumbling one, anyway.
‘When I first heard about The Plough, I had to go and see it and then when I met the amazing people working to rescue it, I couldn’t resist getting involved. Like a good pint, they are lively and cool with good heads on them, and they make you feel better about the world.
‘Pubs are the beating heart of their communities and we’re, hopefully, going to have a great time bringing The Plough back to its former glory. I know it’s going to be hard work, but I’m ready to roll my sleeves up and watch other people getting their hands dirty.’
Peter Jones, chairman of Fadmoor Community Pub Limited, said: ‘We have a lot of work to do to renovate this derelict pub, which has been closed for 14 years, and bring it back to life as a thriving community pub at the heart of this village.
‘We look forward to sharing this journey with Jon and More4 viewers, especially as Jon has offered to buy the first round when we open.’
The series – which has the working title A Yorkshire Pub With Jon Richardson – comes after Jeremy Clarkson’s attempts to reopen a Cotswolds pub as The Farmer's Dog were charted in the latest series of this Amazon Prime Video hit Clarkson’s Farm.
It was ordered by Jayne Stanger, senior commissioning editor for Channel 4 and will air as two four-episode series, although broadcast details have not yet been confirmed.
Stanger said: ‘This is a dream commission: a much-loved comedian with a passion, a fantastic community brimming with brilliant characters, plus a mission to save one of the most-cherished British traditions – the humble local pub’
And Colette Foster, CEO of Birmingham-based Full Fat TV and one of the executive producers of the series, added: ‘We'd been reading about the decline of pubs, however it was the rise of community pubs halting that decline that really inspired us - locals buying pubs at risk of closure and repurposing them to offer services for the entire community as well as a pint.
‘We were delighted when Jon said he wanted to invest in The Plough, allowing us to follow him and the Fadmoor community as they bring this special local in a spectacular part of Yorkshire back to life.’
Made by: Full Fat TV
Series producer: Kylie Raynor
Senior producer: Lina Hashweh
Executive producers: Catherine Welton, Sam Wilson and Colette Foster
Commissioned by: Jayne Stanger and Jo Street at Channel 4
