Hot Picks: Black Ops

This high-concept comedy thriller is co-created, written by and stars Gbemisola Ikumelo (Brain In Gear; A League Of Their Own) and Hammed Animashaun (Black Mirror; The Wheel Of Time), and features Bafta-winning actor and producer Akemnji Ndifornyen (Famalam; The Queen’s Gambit).

It tells the story of two community support officers who join the Met Police in the hope of cleaning up their east London community, but find themselves facing a dangerous gang leader.

BBC Studios exec producer Josh Cole calls it a “cocktail of genres” with silly and serious sides.

“It achieves the rare thing of being both properly thrilling and comedic,” he says. “There is a sense of danger and nail-biting unpredictability throughout, but it also has a strong comedy tone. We don’t see that combination often.”

It also stands out for having three black leads, which Cole says is both “incidental” and “integral” to the character-based comedy.

“It is influenced by the classic cop comedy and the history of iconic cop double acts, but it’s not Bad Boys,” he says, adding that while the show is not a spoof, it does send up police shows such as Line Of Duty.

Cole says what will appeal most to audiences is the “relatable and loveable” double act of the two rookie cops – feisty Dom (Ikumelo) and naïve Kay (Animashaun) – and “their dynamic in this murky, crimeridden world, for which they are completely unprepared”.

“With Gbemi and AK at the helm, and the terrific Hammed as one of our leads, it has all the ingredients for a break-out hit”

BBC Studios commercial and partnerships director, comedy, Jonathan Blyth says BBCS is working to support talent at much earlier stages of development, in a bid to champion the next generation of “cult comedy characters”.

“We’re after more of those brilliant, laugh-out-loud, accessible but contemporary comedies. We’re always striving to be at the forefront of British comedy,” he says.

Blyth sees international demand for genre-fluid series and believes Black Ops has “great global potential”.

“With Gbemi and AK at the helm, and the terrific Hammed as one of our leads, it has all the ingredients for a break-out hit.”

He expects the scale of production to entice streamers, and the “strong comedic and narrative arc” to appeal to local broadcasters who want to attract co-viewing audiences.