BBC Wales launches its Festival of Funny season next month, showcasing Welsh comedy talent across TV, Radio and BBC iPlayer.
From November through to January, BBC Wales will be showing brand new comedy programmes, with some familiar faces, as well as up-and-coming talent across its services. This is part of an ongoing commitment from BBC Wales to support and develop the next generation of comedy writers and performers.
Kicking off the festival on BBC One Wales is sitcom pilot Mammoth (pictured), written and starring comedian and actor Mike Bubbins (Tourist Trap; The Unexplainers). 42 years after being engulfed by an avalanche on a school skiing trip in 1979, Tony Mammoth (played by Bubbins) is miraculously brought back to life. Playing his best friend is Fresh Prince of Bel Air star Joseph Marcell.
Expect to laugh and cry in equal measure with the second series of BAFTA award-winning comedy drama In My Skin, which follows the story of Bethan (Gabrielle Creevy: The Pact), a Welsh teenager leading a double life as she negotiates a mentally ill mother, an abusive father, friendships, and sexuality.
As well as comedy drama, the sketch show Age of Outrage returns with a six part series that makes light of the frustrations of modern life. And from mid-November, comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean will be hosting four brand new stand up shows Live From Aberystwyth Pier, showcasing up-and-coming Welsh talent, alongside more established comedians.
Long-running BBC Radio Wales sitcom Bravo 2 Charlies will make its TV debut starring Martin Treneman (The Inbetweeners), alongside two separate series of short form films Backwashed and Vandullz featuring writers and performers who have previously worked with BBC Sesh - BBC Wales’ platform to help develop creative talent across Wales with content aimed at 18-34 year olds. Golden Cobra, a new animated short film will also be shown.
Based on her experiences of growing up in an Indian family in the south Wales valleys and her relationship with her mother, up-and-coming Welsh comedian Priya Hall has turned a former BBC Radio Wales show into a TV short called Beena and Amrit with the help of writer Sarah Breese. Priya plays Beena and Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.42) plays her mother.
There will be more to look forward to in the New Year with the second series of sitcom The Tuckers, about the close-knit family, determined to survive through any means necessary, starring and written by Steve Speirs, which returns to BBC One Wales.
And to sum up the variety of comedy content, all of the TV programmes will be made available in a Festival of Funny collection on BBC iPlayer.
On BBC Radio Wales, there will be a collection of comedy programmes including a new series of The Leak, a fictional topical show led by comedian Tom Price, an award-winning musical sitcom The Musical Life Of…and a brand new Aberystwyth Stand-Up Show, hosted by Kiri Pritchard McLean.
On BBC Radio Cymru, Welsh language panel show Chwalu Pen with Mari Lövgreen is full of laughs, (now available on BBC Sounds into the New Year), along with Uffern Iaith y Nefoedd, a language based panel show with the linguist Gruffudd Owen, also available on BBC Sounds.
Up-and-coming Welsh comedian Priya Hall, who co-wrote Beena & Amrit says: “I’m so excited to see Beena and Amrit on BBC One Wales this winter as part of the Festival of Funny. Having the chance to adapt a former BBC Radio Wales drama into a TV show was such an awesome experience and to act in it alongside the great Meera Syal was a dream come true. Also, writing the script with Sarah Breese was such a fun process so I hope everyone enjoys watching it!”
Paul Forde, Commissioning Editor for BBC Wales says: “It’s great to be producing comedy again after the pandemic derailed our plans in 2020. I’m really proud of the range of different comedies that we’ve managed to cover in this Festival of Funny season. It demonstrates the wealth of comedy talent that is currently available to us in Wales, both new and established.”
PROGRAMMES LIST
Comedy Drama /Sitcom
Mammoth
42 years after being engulfed by an avalanche on a school skiing trip in 1979, Tony Mammoth is miraculously brought back to life. Things can’t have changed that much since 1979…could they?
Written by and starring Mike Bubbins (Tourist Trap; The Unexplainers)
In My Skin
Back for its second series, BAFTA award-winning series sees Bethan (Gabrielle Creevy) embark on her last year of school, entering an exciting new relationship and planning to fly the nest, all while still desperately trying to hide the reality of her home life.
Written by: Kayleigh Llewelyn
The Tuckers
Second series written and starring Steve Speirs, about the close-knit Tucker family, who are determined to survive through any means necessary.
Sketch show
Age of Outrage
A six part sketch series which follows the original pilot from 2020 that makes light of the frustrations of modern life.
Stand up shows
Live from Aberystwyth Pier
Kiri Pritchard-McLean hosts four new stand up shows. Filmed at Aberystwyth Comedy Festival, it includes both emerging talent and established comedians.
Production company: Little Wander
Comedy shorts
Beena and Amrit
Recently graduated Beena (Priya Hall) moves back in with her mother, Amrit (Meera Syal: Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.42) and finds the mother/daughter roles being reversed. Not only is her mother intercepting her parcels for herself, but she’s playing up to Grandma and sponging off Beena. Add in a nosey neighbour, and Beena quickly feels like she’s the only normal person.
Written by Priya Hall & Sarah Breese
Bravo 2 Charlies
PC Dennis Babb (Martin Treneman) and PC Lee Cushion’s (Rhys ap Trefor) of North Wales Traffic Police gets their day disrupted and duties put on hold as a malfunction with their patrol vehicle’s electronics system leaves them trapped inside with no way of escape.
Written by: Matt Leys and Martin Treneman (The Inbetweeners), who also stars in the show.
Vandullz
Up and coming Welsh indie band; Vandullz are on the brink of their big break. But will the pressures of life on the road force them to give up before they've even started? Featuring actors who have all come through BBC Sesh.
Written by: Leila Navabi and Siôn Edwards (alumni of BBC Writersroom)
Backwashed
This short film sees the returners, the misfits, the dregs get together at the post-grad SU bar, where the only students drinking are the ones who have nowhere better to go and no-one better to be with.
Written by: Rachel Harper & Garyn Williams (came through BBC Writersroom & BBC Sesh)
Golden Cobra
Golden Cobra is a short-form animated comedy about a delivery driver at an Indian takeaway on his first night on the job.
Written by: Adam Llewellyn and James Prygodzicz
Transmission dates to be revealed in due course...
Radio Content
BBC Radio Wales:
Aberystwyth Stand-Up Show (Monday 25th October, 1830)
Tadiwa Mahlunge, Cerys Bradley, Leila Navabi and Tudur Owen in a night of stand-up comedy from the Aberystwyth Comedy Festival. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean.
The Leak (Monday 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd November, 1830)
Tom Price and guests are back for a new series of Radio Wales’ topical comedy. As the show’s (entirely fictional) drone plummets to Earth from the stratosphere, taking in the news as it goes, Tom and his guests zoom in on the events that are shaping Wales and the world. And in a special Green Leak for the COP26 Summit (Tx: 01/11/21) the team attempt to solve the climate crisis using only the power of comedy.
The Musical Life Of… (Monday 29th November / 6th, 13th, 20th December)
The award-winning musical sitcom returns for a third series to reveal the untold stories (with some artistic licence) of Wales’ greatest men and women. In this series Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson, Welsh pirate Black Bart, footballer Neville Southall and the wizard Merlin receive the Musical Life Of… treatment.
BBC Radio Cymru/BBC Sounds:
Chwalu Pen
Mari Lövgreen challenges team captains and special guests in a merrymaking panel quiz show.
Uffern Iaith y Nefoedd
Panel show with linguist Gruffudd Owen, who leads the teams through a host of challenges and linguistical questions with the aim of making them laugh! With team captains, Mari Beard and Richard Elis.
