‘Fresh, clever and funny’
Second Act Productions for Dave
‘Lovable’, ‘well-crafted’ and ‘genuinely original’ were amongst the accolades bestowed upon the third season of Meet the Richardsons. Despite being hard to pin down in terms of genre, its elements of mock-doc, reality and sitcom are all cleverly used to form a strong, enduring connection with the audience.
One judge said the Second Act production ‘allows viewers to feel part of the show,’ while another praised its ‘fresh, clever and funny’ format. Across the board it was appreciated for its ability to hit a high gag rate whilst delving into truths about human relationships and centring on two flawed, yet lovable, characters.
This is achieved party due to a unique writing process where a normal sitcom script is accompanied by a beat sheet allowing the performers to improvise whilst heading in the direction the story needs to go.
This series benefitted from more star quality with the introduction of David and Georgia Tennant who play the ‘celebrity couple’ who want to steal their show. Consolidating to 525k adults after seven days, and capturing 3% share, the series catapulted Dave to the number one non-terrestrial channel across the timeslot.
Critics have remained warm to Meet the Richardsons, with The Times saying ‘the line between fact and fantasy is blurred so well that you often have to remind yourself this is a sitcom.’
SHORTLISTED
Brassic
Calamity Films for Sky Max
Created by Danny Brocklehurst and Joe Gilgun, the third series of Brassic was Sky’s most successful returning series ever. Using bold visual effects such as Blue Screen techniques and CG to bring explosions and foreign locations to life, Brassic never lacks ambition and is reminiscent of the best of British independent film.
Jerk
Roughcut TV & Primal Media for BBC
‘A dickhead I can’t get enough of’, was the way one judge described stand-up Tim Renkow’s central performance. The first show in the UK with a disabled lead and writer, Jerk is a true trailblazer. Shot with scale and cinematic flair, the series also punches above its weight as a scripted piece on a BBC3 budget.
Ladhood
BBC Studios for BBC
This semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy from Liam Williams reflects on lad culture and the formative experiences of youth. Set in West Yorkshire, Ladhood boasts an outstanding young cast of working-class actors who have gone on to star in features and international hit TV shows. On a tight budget, Ladhood has gone on to achieve both critical and popular acclaim.
Starstuck
Avalon Television for BBC
With over half its first-week audience watching the entire six episodes in one sitting, few series are as bingeable as Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden’s rom-com. Despite the series being available on iPplayer, the BBC1 Monday night figures flickered around the 900k mark. Committed to classic techniques, the series used a still, smooth camera, measured cut rate and a piano-led score to great effect.
The Stand-Up Sketch Show
Spirit Studios for ITV2
Creatively mixing stand-up and sketch, the series has featured routines from the likes of Joel Dommett, London Hughes and Suzi Ruffell. In its fourth series, the show is highly repeatable, with content that can be configured as both linear TV and digital short form. The Stand-Up Sketch Show is the second highest performing show after Love Island for 16–34-year-olds on the ITV Hub.
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