Muppets Among Sky 1 Highlights

LONDON: Sky 1 has landed the rights to ABC's upcoming comedy The Muppets, set to air this fall alongside a host of new British originals positioning the channel as a destination for family entertainment.

The British channel says it has upped its spend on new programs by 20 percent. As a result it will feature new U.K. drama and comedy throughout the year. New dramas will air on Wednesday nights.

The lineup includes You, Me & The Apocalypse, a co-pro with NBC; After Hours, directed by Craig Cash; new seasons of Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life, Trollied and Stella, and the U.S. import The Muppets. There's also the four-part Christmas drama Fungus the Bogeyman; the mystery series Agatha Raisin; the Harlan Coben drama The Five; and Stan Lee's first British drama, Lucky Man, co-created with Neil Biswas and starring James Nesbitt.

"I'm so excited we can offer absolutely top-quality drama all year round and I love how brilliantly unique our comedies feel,” said Adam MacDonald, director of Sky 1. “The range of original programming we have completely reflects what Sky 1 stands for—the very best of modern Britain and Ireland, and all the eclecticism, diversity and joy that implies. We know that some of the best family moments come from sitting around the TV and enjoying that time together, and we hope with this new lineup to create many more of those moments."