Little Britain Stars Head to HBO

LOS ANGELES, July 12:
Among a host of announcements made at the Television Critics Association (TCA)
press tour today, HBO unveiled plans for a new comedy series, executive
produced by Simon Fuller, featuring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, the stars of
the hit BBC series Little Britain.

The six half-hour episodes
of the new show will begin shooting in the U.S. this fall, with debut slated
for 2008. "We're always looking for innovative performers, and Matt Lucas
and David Walliams are two of the most exciting new comedy voices to emerge in
recent years," noted Nancy Geller, the senior VP of HBO Entertainment.
"The combination of Simon Fuller, who has an amazing track record in
exporting British talent—encompassing everything from creating the Spice
Girls to bringing David Beckham to Los Angeles—and Larry Brezner and
David Steinberg, who have brought their remarkable comedy expertise to HBO by
producing specials for Robin Williams and Billy Crystal, among many others, is
sure to produce a terrific series for our subscribers."

"The new series will
be a sketch show set in contemporary America," explained Walliams.
"We are taking some existing characters and writing new material for them,
as well as introducing new characters and ideas. We're very keen to take Little
Britain to as wide an audience as
possible, so we're looking forward to working in the States."

Lucas added: “We have
grown up with huge respect for American comedy, so going to work there with
HBO, which is the home of some great talent, will be a great experience for
both of us.”

In other programming news,
the premium network announced that the new drama Tell Me You Love Me would launch Sunday, September 9. The ten-episode
series was created by Cynthia Mort, who is also executive producer with Gavin
Polone. It follows three couples who are at different stages of their
relationships, all of whom see the same couples therapist. Carolyn Strauss, the
president of HBO Entertainment, said Tell Me You Love Me “is an intense, thought-provoking series that's
unlike anything else HBO has presented before. The show reveals characters and
relationships through everyday, telling moments in a way that broadcast TV
can't do."

In terms of returning
programming, Curb Your Enthusiasm
is back for its sixth season on September 9. The acclaimed Larry David comedy
wrapped its fifth season in December 2005. The ten-episode show returns to its
Sunday, 10 p.m. slot in the fall.

Another acclaimed HBO
comedy, Extras, ends its run
with a one-hour special written and directed by Ricky
Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The special will shoot in August, but the
debut date has not been announced. The first season of the BBC co-production
launched in September 2005, and the second season in January of this year.

On the non-scripted end,
meanwhile, HBO has renewed Real Time with Bill Maher for a sixth season that kicks off in 2008.
Currently on hiatus, the talk show will return for the second half of its fifth
season on August 24.