One-off special for Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer’s spy comedy

Nick Mohammed and David Schwimmer’s spy comedy Intelligence is to return for an hour-long special.

And Jennifer Saunders will be joining the cast in the role of Joanna Telfer-Fotheringham

Broadcaster Sky says of the episode, which will air in April: ‘The latest threat to our gang at the Government Communications Headquarters is personal. With the future of CySec at stake, the team have to go rogue to save their reputations and their jobs.’

The show, which was created by Mohammed, also stars Jane Stanness, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Gana Bayarsaikha, and has so far run for two seasons, in 2020 and 2021.

News of the special came as Sky confirmed a fifth series of Brassic – as originally reported last summer – and released the first trailer for  Dreamland, the Margate-set sitcom starring Freema Agyeman and Lily Allen.

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Sky today also announced that Danny Dyer is to star in a new comedy about masculinity, written by Plebs star Ryan Sampson; Big Boys star Jon Pointing and Famalam’s Danielle Vitalis will star in a new romcom called Smothered; and James Nesbitt and Timothy Spall will play two different Santas in a Christmas comedy special.

Of Brassic’s return, executive producer  David Livingstone, said: ‘Who can believe it. Series five. The only way to go on is to be more audacious and more ambitious than ever. Nobody is resting on their laurels. Five will be our best yet. It’s classic Brassic.’

Series five was originally announced last August, even before series four aired.

Dreamland is based on four sisters living in the Kent resort and is described as ‘a dark comedic exploration of multi-generational female relationships’.

Gabby Best and Aimee-Ffion Edward play the other siblings, with Frances Barber as their mum and Sheila Reid as their nan. Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe plays the husband of Agyeman’s character, while Samantha Bond makes a guest appearance.

The six-part series is based on Sky’s 2018 Bafta-winning short of the same name, which was written by Sharon Horgan, whose production company Merman is making the series. But for the full series – which will air on Sky Atlantic – there is a new writing team comprising Emma Jane Unsworth, Gabby Best, Sharma Walfall and Sarah Kendall.

Of all today's announcements,  Jon Mountague, director of comedy at Sky Studios said: '2023 is going to be a blistering year for comedy on Sky. With returning favourites like Brassic and a crop of box fresh shows, with undeniably dynamic talent, Sky continues to be the home of UK comedy.'

Published: 2 Feb 2023