BBC One renews comedies

Second series for Djalili and Armstrong & Miller

Omid Djalili and Armstrong and Miller have both landed second series of their BBC One shows.

The corporation has commissioned another six half-hour episodes from Anglo-Iranian Djalili following the success of his Saturday-night run.

His show attracted just under 3.5 million viewers, against tough opposition from ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… get Me Out Of Here. And on December 15, his show was scheduled opposite the X-Factor final, squeezing his ratings to 2.2million.

However, the show received some critical acclaim, with the Guardian calling him ‘probably one of the most subversive, let alone funniest, comedians around’.

BBC commissioner Lucy Lumsden said: ‘Omid is a talented and distinctive performer, we're so pleased to have another series following his successful debut on BBC One’

And Djalili added: ‘I am very grateful for the opportunity to develop more material for a second series and look forward to working with the great team I had for the first one.’

Acting BBC One controller Roly Keating announced the second series of Armstrong and Miller at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch today.

The sketch show ended its seven-episode Friday-night series with a very respectable 3.7 million viewers last month.

Keating also confirmed the third series of Jack Dee’s Lead Balloon for BBC Two, as revealed by Chortle earlier this month.

Published: 24 Jan 2008

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