Catastrophe star working with Father Ted's Arthur Mathews

Rob Delaney is piloting a black comedy for Channel 4 with Father Ted co-creator Arthur Mathews, Chortle can reveal.

The UK-based American comic stars in Frank, which he co-wrote with Mathews, who also co-wrote Toast Of London with Matt Berry.

Filming on the dark comedy-drama began in March in London, directed by Catastrophe's Jim O’Hanlon.

Details of the plot have yet to emerge. But Delaney posted an intriguing Instagram photo of himself during production, dressed in Union Jack underpants and bare thighs at a power plant.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv4KYkLAZIt/

Margot Gavan Duffy, whose credits include Two Doors Down and This Is Jinsy, produces for Avalon, the production arm of the company that also managers Delaney,

Speaking on the Ireland Unfiltered podcast in December, Mathews revealed that Frank was one of 'a few pilots' that Channel 4 had commissioned from Delaney.

Delaney, who is currently guest presenting for BBC 6 Music on Sundays will next be seen playing a producer in Fair and Balanced, a biopic of Fox News boss Roger Ailes, starring John Lithgow as Ailes, Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman.

Following his breakout role in Deadpool 2, the Boston-born comic has been decidedly unlucky with his film work, left on the cutting room floor of both Detective Pikachu and Rocketman, in which he was to have played Elvis.

- by Jay Richardson

Published: 21 Jun 2019