The Stage

Channel 4 develops The Comic Strip-style celebrity sketch show

Published Wednesday 14 June 2006 at 14:55 by Liz Thomas

Exclusive: Channel 4 is developing a sketch show in the vein of hit eighties series The Comic Strip Presents but this time parodying celebrities in the news.

Entitled Star Stories, the programme is being made by The Last Word and Derren Brown producer Objective Productions and is due for broadcast later this year.

Director of programmes Kevin Lygo told The Stage: “There will be six different comic actors and each week there is a half hour story on some real people that have been in the headlines. So maybe Brad and Angelina, Sadie, Sienna and Jude - in a style a bit like The Comic Strip.”

He added that it would be a “light hearted look” at news “based on stories in .”.

There will initially be six half-hour episodes and it could launch on E4 before transferring to the terrestrial channel. The independent production house is also going to branch out into comedy panel gameshows and has hired writer and producer Jim Pullin to spearhead development. Pullin, who has worked on They Think It’s All Over and has written for Jonathan Ross and Jack Dee, will work with Objective’s head of comedy, Phil Clarke, and head of comedy development, Ben Farrell.