Co-starring Simon Day, Romesh Ranganathan and Detectorists’ Laura Checkley

The team behind Murder In Successville are to pilot a new sitcom about a married couple to air as BBC One’s Comedy Playhouse,

Described as a ‘larger-than-life working-class sitcom with a big heart’, the show – entitled  ‘king Gary will star Tom Davis and Detectorists’ Laura Checkley.

David wrote the show with his Murder In Successville collaborator James De Frond, who will also direct.

Makers Shiny Button Productions say: ‘The story follows childhood sweethearts Gary and Terri King and their aspirations to achieve social acceptance and moderate material success in competitive suburbia. This, accompanied by drama queen Gary’s constant need to impress his prehistoric old school Dad, Big Gary, and attempt to fill his big boots, equals a massive "try hard" douchebag.

‘king Gary is a study of how the small things in life can be blown up to absurd proportions as the pressures of the modern world, and how we think we must exist within it, spiral out of control.’

The cast also includes Simon Day as  Big Gary, Camille Coduri and Romesh Ranganathan.

Davis said: ‘‘King Gary is going to be my biggest challenge yet, a proper method piece, playing a big working-class wally who takes his life way too seriously, while everyone else thinks he is a complete joke."

BBC comedy controller Shane Allen added: ‘With ‘king Gary we will get a big daft southern comedy voice in Tom Davis at the centre of a very exciting cast. The Comedy Playhouse strand has been really prolific in launching series with the very best of emerging UK comedy talent.’

The Comedy Playhouse pilots will air later this year, with the rest of the line-up expected to be announced imminently.

Produced by: Shiny Button Productions show for BBC One
Written by: Tom Davis and James De Frond
Produced by: Rupert Majendie
Executive producers: Andy Brereton, Tom Davis and James De Frond.
Commissioned by: Shane Allen, BBC controller of comedy commissioning.

Published: 22 Aug 2018