Following the launch of the new-look, free-to-air TLC at the start of the year, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) UK & Ireland has added more comedy entertainment to its broad offering.
Hosted by comedian Ed Gamble, Unacceptable is a brand-new original format produced by Ranga Bee Productions, will see two competing teams of comedians battle it out to convince a live studio audience of their most outrageous views.
Each week team captains, comedy stars Richard Ayoade and Joanne McNally, will welcome a star-studded line-up of guest-comedians onto the show to give their daft, niche, unwise or unacceptable opinions that the whole team must then defend. Using a live ‘swingometer’ to track how many audience members they win over with their razor-sharp wit and persuasive punchlines, each team will battle to outdo the other and secure the unwavering support of the studio crowd. Expect outrageous views, put to the test by Ed Gamble who will introduce a series of challenges to force the teams to practice what they preach. The 6x60 series will air on TLC this summer.
TLC viewers can also look forward to more of the hugely popular Mock the Week, as WBD confirms series 2 for the free-to-air channel in September 2026. The UK’s much-loved topical, satirical panel show, which returned to TLC in February 2026 with new one-hour episodes, has already become a hit with fans of the original series and those new to the comedy format.
Produced by Angst Productions, the 11x60 second series, including Christmas and end of year specials, will again be fronted by host Dara Ó Briain and include some of the nation's favourite comedians, including series regular Rhys James and new and returning comedy talent. Expect more of ‘If this is the answer, what is the question?’, ‘Wheel of News’, ‘Picture of the Week’, and ‘Scenes we’d like to see’, as well as ‘Between the lines’.
Graham Lafferty, SVP Content Strategy & Networks, UK&I, Warner Bros. Discovery said: “We’ve added some really exciting new programmes to TLC as part of the move to free-to-air earlier this year - particularly through local comedy formats with Mock the Week and the upcoming Zero Stars series with Roisin Conaty and Sara Pascoe. We are delighted to build further on this by announcing the commission of Unacceptable for TLC, working with Ranga Bee Productions. With Ed Gamble as host and Richard Ayoade and Joanne McNally as team captains, we think this is a great addition to TLC’s line-up.
“We are also hugely excited to confirm a second series of Mock the Week for TLC this Autumn. Now over halfway through its first run, Mock the Week has been a huge success with premiere audiences on TLC averaging over 600K, growing to over 1million with repeats during the week. We are thrilled that host Dara Ó Briain will be back with Rhys James as a series regular, alongside a number of the great comedians that have made this new-look series such a success for TLC.”
Romesh Ranganathan and Benjamin Green, Exec Producers and Co-Founders of Ranga Bee, said: “We are delighted to be making Unacceptable for TLC. It’s a new format that allows comics to debate the sort of opinions they normally only discuss backstage. With Ed helming and Richard and Joanne leading the teams, it’s going to be an incredibly sharp and funny series. We realised that as comedians rarely admit they’re wrong, the only option was to create a show that lets the people decide.”
Unacceptable host, Ed Gamble, added: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be hosting this brand-new format for TLC. It’s always been my dream to see some of the biggest comedy legends around expose and justify opinions that really should’ve stayed in the group chat. Dreams can come true!”
Dan Patterson, Executive Producer at Angst Productions, said: "It’s been a thrill to see the return of Mock the Week and we’ve been delighted by the reaction of fans to the series in our new-look home of TLC. The one-hour format is giving us the additional time and freedom to dig into a news agenda that continues to deliver and introduce new rounds which have been a real success. With Dara and Rhys at the helm, and the usual array of top comedic talent set to join the show, we look forward to bringing more episodes to TLC later this year.”
Mock the Week host, Dara Ó Briain, added "What? Another series? I thought we’d solved all the world’s problems in this series. Oh, all right. Bring me more news!”
The series were ordered by Graham Lafferty and commissioned by Charlotte Reid for Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland.
