Jon Petrie announces raft of new and returning shows

The BBC has announced ten new and returning shows at its comedy festival in Liverpool. 

The broadcaster's director of comedy Jon Petrie announced two new series, Hopley Hall, starring Jamie-Lee O’Donnell and Opening Up, which stars and was created by Amy Gledhill.

Returning shows include: Amandaland, Black Ops, Am I Being Unreasonable, Things You Should Have Done, Such Brave Girls and Mammoth.

Two Doors Down will also be back for an eighth series and a documentary Twenty Years Of Not Going Out will celebrate the studio sitcom. 

The BBC’s director of comedy Jon Petrie told the festival: ‘What sets the BBC apart is that we are British comedy’s biggest backer by far. And in tough times, when there is less and less scripted comedy on television, that matters even more.

‘Because the BBC does not back comedy to make money. We back it for laughs. And if we weren’t here to support comedy properly, the simple truth is there would be a lot less of it. A lot less space for original voices. A lot less room to take risks. 

‘The case for comedy is stronger than it is often given credit for. And as other channels and streamers wake up to the fact that comedy can land like no other genre, our message to them is simple. Make more. We welcome the competition. Quite literally, the more the merrier.

‘The evidence is there in the hits people watch now and the comedies they come back to again and again. Invest in comedy and the British public will do what they always do. Judge it mercilessly, insist they could have done it better, and then absolutely love it."

Petrie also highlighted recent successes: ‘Bafta-winning Amandaland drew 7.4 million viewers for its Christmas special. Small Prophets has become the BBC’s biggest new scripted launch, with 7.7 million viewers and the biggest programme on BBC Two since records began. Very different shows, but both proof that British comedy can still be ambitious, original and hugely popular.’

In the last year the BBC had eight out of the top ten comedy programmes in the market and BBC comedy reached 37 million people, with more than 231 million hours viewed. 

The BBC Comedy Festival – previously held in Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff and Newcastle -  features the likes of Alison Steadman, Diane Morgan, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Ruth Jones, James Corden, John Bishop, Lee Mack, Sir Michael Palin, Sue Johnston and the creators and producers of Amandaland.

Published: 13 May 2026