The six-part series will follow twentysomething Rose (Rose Matafeo), a millennial in London juggling two dead-end jobs and navigating the awkward morning-after-the-night-before when she discovers the complications of accidentally sleeping with a film star. As well as being broadcast on BBC Three in the UK, HBO Max will be the broadcast partner for the series in the USA.
Rose Matafeo says: “The BBC have been so supportive of this project from the get-go and to be able to get this show in front of American audiences at the same time via HBO Max is truly exciting. I’m thrilled we get to make it, otherwise it would’ve technically just been a creepy fan fiction script that I submitted to the national broadcaster. The team we’ve brought together for this series are absolute dreamboats and I’m super excited to be working with them.”
Shane Allen, Controller, Comedy Commissioning at the BBC, says: “Very rarely does a comedy talent land as fully formed and instantly magnetic as Rose. Her assertive millennial female voice is the perfect fit for BBC Three given the strong track record we have in launching sitcoms that speak to a younger audience. Prepare to be utterly enchanted by her winning blend of whip smart writing and the rich character world she has created.”
Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three, says: “Comedy is a huge focus for BBC Three and it always performs really well for us. We already have some great comedy characters and writers that our audience loves and we’re really excited to add Rose’s voice to that list and introduce her to the channel.”
Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content at HBO Max, says: “The minute we were introduced to Rose and Starstruck, we knew we had something special. She is exactly the type of original, culture-forward creator we are excited to be working with at HBO Max and we are looking forward to a long partnership.”
Jon Thoday, Executive Producer, says: “Rose is an exceptional talent and we are delighted with the incredibly important immediate support from the BBC and very pleased we are partnering with HBO Max on this exciting show.”
Rose Matafeo is a comedian and actress who won Best Comedy Show at the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2018 for her solo show Horndog which has enjoyed sell-out performances around the world including at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival and a Barry Award nominated run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Starstruck was commissioned by Shane Allen, Controller Comedy Commissioning at the BBC and Fiona Campbell, Controller of BBC Three, while the Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Gregor Sharp. Executive Producers are Rose Matafeo, Jon Thoday, Richard Allen-Turner and Rob Aslett.
Rose Matafeo is on The Jonathan Ross Show on ITV1, Saturday, September 21.
