Witless Returns To BBC Three

BBC Three has confirmed that comedy show Witless is to return for a second series.

Starring Kerry Howard as Leanne and Zoe Boyle as Rhona, the two flatmates find their lives thrown into chaos having been forced into witness protection.

Written by Lloyd Woolf and Joe Tucker, the first series saw unwitting Leanne, and uptight Rhona, given new identities and left to fend for themselves in a grubby flat in Swindon. If being in 'wit-pro' wasn't difficult enough, the girls were faced with two teenage underlings, the self-styled 'DJ Sound as F***' and 'Appraisal', sent by a criminal gang to track them down.

The flatmates become involved in the criminal world they were trying to escape, with the debut series finishing on a cliffhanger. Series two will now see the two women facing their toughest challenge yet – as they are on the run, again.

Kerry Howard said: "I'm beyond thrilled to get the chance to play the wonderfully playful puppy that is Leanne again. It's such a pleasure to be working with everyone on this show – it has been a dream job and Zoe Boyle is a joy to work with. I cannot wait to read the scripts to see what Rhona and Leanne have to deal with this time – who knows what our mastermind writers Lloyd and Joe will come up with for this next series! They have absolutely nailed the art of a cliff-hanger. Let the drama and comedy roll on."

Shane Allen, Controller of Comedy Commissioning, added: "Witless has proved an instant smash hit for Three. The hooky narrative, superb performances and filmic execution landed it in the sweet spot for audiences who built and grew across the run. The cliff-hanger ending makes for an equally hilarious and gripping second series."

Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, commented: "We love Witless at BBC Three, and can't wait to see what Leanne and Rhona get up to. BBC Three is home to the best new British comedy."

Ben Farrell, CCO, Objective Fiction, said: "We're absolutely delighted to be continuing Leanne and Rhona's adventures in Witless. The next five episodes will be taking the story to a new level of thrills, twists and funnies that made series one so distinct."

The 5x25' series was commissioned by Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, and Gregor Sharp and Kate Daughton, Commissioning Editors, BBC Comedy.

The series will be produced by Objective Fiction, part of Objective Media Group. Andrew Chaplin returns as director, and executive producers are Ben Farrell, Joe Tucker and Lloyd Woolf for Objective Fiction.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP/LM)