BBC One comedy gets the green light

Peter Fincham, Controller of BBC ONE, and Lucy Lumsden, Controller, BBC Comedy Commissioning, have given the go ahead for six new comedy pilots.
The shows will be made this year and will combine some of the best on and off screen comedy talent including Jennifer Saunders, Ronni Ancona, Fred Barron and Simon Nye.
The commissions come from both in-house and independent comedy producers.
Peter Fincham said: "Piloting these shows is a great way for BBC One - and a breadth of amazing comedy talent - to try new ideas out.
"Some may work perfectly as one offs, while others may sustain longer runs.
"This is all about getting the best comedy for the BBC ONE audience."
Lucy Lumsden added: "Comedy on BBC ONE is a hard nut to crack but, if we get it right, we have shows that are loved by our viewers for many years to come.
"These pilots give our artists the breathing space they need to experiment with their ideas."
(GB)