New on Two comedy pilot Semi-Detached goes to series

Following a one off episode broadcast earlier this year Semi-Detached is set to return to the channel for a full series starring Lee Mack.

“Semi-Detached stands out from the crowd with its combination of intricate plotting and sustained comic action and we’re knocked out by the amazing cast that have come on board to bring David and Oliver’s sparkling scripts to life.” – Gregor Sharp, Commissioning Editor for the BBC

Written by David Crow and Oliver Maltman, each episode of Semi-Detached plays out in real time and is exactly like 24, except instead of following a government agent as he saves the planet, the series follows a perennial loser called Stuart (Lee Mack) as his life goes down the pan in a suburban cul-de-sac. Each episode of Semi-Detached will give viewers an incredibly fast moving, half-hour window into Stuart’s world.

All Stuart wants is a quiet life as a wedding DJ but his family seems to have other ideas. On top of barely coping with a (much younger) partner April (Ellie White) and a new born baby, Stuart also has to look out for his jailbird brother Charlie (Neil Fitzmaurice) and his promiscuous, drug-taking Dad Willie (Clive Russell).

Then there’s the ex-wife Kate (Samantha Spiro), who lives across the cul-de-sac with their teenage daughter Madonna (Sarah Hoare) and Kate’s husband Ted (Patrick Baladi) who thinks he’s better than Stuart because he sells fish to sushi restaurants.

The six part series of half-hour episodes follows the successful one-off special which was transmitted as part of New on Two comedy pilots. The production will be produced by Happy Tramp North for BBC Two.

“David Crow and Oliver Maltman have not only written the funniest scripts I have ever read, they’ve also effortlessly managed to make the whole series play out in real time. And with an incredibly funny cast headed up by Lee Mack, we’re confident that Semi-Detached is going to be a genuinely laugh out loud series. Or your money back.” – Neil Webster, Executive Producer Happy Tramp North