BBC Radio Comedy Gets Piloted for TV

LONDON: BBC One has ordered the pilot for Father Figure, a sitcom based on the BBC Radio 2 comedy series.

Comedian Jason Byrne is the creator, writer and star of the Father Figure, which follows the life of Tom, a father of two sons. Pauline McLynn (Father Ted), Michael Smiley (Luther) and Dermot Crowley (Bleak House) will also appear on the show.

The in-house production will be produced by Julie McKenzie and executive produced by Stephen McCrum for the BBC. Production will begin in early 2013.

Cheryl Taylor, the controller of comedy commissioning for the BBC, remarked: "Jason Byrne is a bright and bouncy performer and already much loved by comedy enthusiasts everywhere. Following a successful run on Radio 2 we’re really looking forward to developing the new pilot of Father Figure for BBC One."

Mark Freeland, the controller of U.K. comedy production for the BBC, commented: "I have followed Jason Byrne for years and he has made me laugh my hair off many, many times. I am thrilled that we are capturing his stand-up verve in a wonderful new sitcom pilot."

"I am delighted to finally announce that we will be making a pilot of my sitcom Father Figure," said Byrne. "It’s been a big dream of mine and I’d never have thought I would get the chance to join the ranks of the television sitcom world." 

Byrne added: "The characters all come from real life and the outrageous situations Tom gets into have, more often than not, actually happened to me. The people in my life will never realize that it’s them I’m writing about, unless my wife and two sons, mother, father and best mate ever watch it… So thank you very much BBC and let’s hope that by this time next year, the words ‘Father Figure’ roll off the tongues of thousands."