Set in the aftermath of an alien invasion

Here are the first pictures from Dave’s new scripted comedy We Are Not Alone.

Ghosts stars Larry Rickard and Ben Willbond have written the 90-minute one-off, set six weeks after an alien invasion, based around the culture clash between humankind and our new extraterrestrial masters.

The photo above shows Vicki Pepperdine, Mike Wozniak and Joe Thomas as Gu’un aliens with Declan Baxter as Stewart, a Clitheroe man they chose as their official human liaison.

And below are the ‘Anti-Alien Alliance’, including Amanda Abbington as Grieves, Bruce Mackinnon as Wade, and Georgia-May Foote as Elodie.

Thomas said of the show, which will air on Dave in November: ‘It’s got a really good script. It’s got a really good cast. It’s got a really good director. It’s just built up really carefully. It’s got that Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead kind of energy to it.’

That director is Fergal Costello whose credits include children’s sci-fi series Nova Jones and Gbemisola Ikumelo’s Bafta-winning comedy short Brain In Gear. 

Writer Rickard added: ‘There’s something fun in the fact our story starts where alien films normally end. 

‘Usually, aliens have tried to invade and we have found a way of fighting them off. But our story begins with, "OK, they have won. None of our attempts to stop them in any way succeeded." The aliens are going, "OK, we now run this place." 

‘Rather than it being about Earth trying to fight off the aliens, this is about the aliens going, "We are now in charge." And it turns out that it’s a nightmare. Which it would be.’ 

Made by: Big Talk
Written by: Larry Rickard and Ben Willbond
 Directed by: Fergal Costello 
 Produced by: Philip Leach 
 Commissioned for UKTV by: Pete Thornton, head of scripted, and Cherie Cunningham, Dave channel director. 
 Executive producers: Kenton Allen, Matthew Justice and Victoria Grew

Published: 28 Sep 2022