Would I Lie To You? Gets Recommissioned

LONDON: Zeppotron, an Endemol company, has been commissioned for a fifth season of the entertainment panel show Would I Lie To You? for BBC One.

The fourth season of the series consistently won its Friday night time slot, bringing in 3.7 million viewers at its peak. Zeppotron will produce a further nine half-hour episodes. The series will be taped in spring 2011 and will air shortly thereafter. Zeppotron has also sold the format to TV3 of New Zealand, which ordered 16 half-hours.

Format creator and executive producer for Zeppotron, Peter Holmes, commented: "We’re delighted to be making another series of Would I Lie To You? The response to the last run was amazingly positive, and it’s lovely to discover that so many people have great affection for the show. Hopefully the celebrities taking part in the New Zealand version will prove to be as adept at lying as their British counterparts."

In other news from Zeppotron, Ruth Phillips has been promoted to head of comedy. In this newly created role, Phillips will focus on expanding talent relations. She will work closely with Zeppotron’s creative teams on new program ideas as well. Phillips was formerly the editor of formatted comedy at the company.

Zeppotron’s managing director, Annabel Jones, commented: “Ruth has been a driving force behind some of Zeppotron’s most popular shows. She has an outstanding track record in developing new comedy and entertainment formats and her relationship with talent is second to none. I’m extremely excited about Ruth’s involvement in the next phase of Zeppotron’s growth.”

Phillips added: “I’m incredibly fortunate to work with some of the most loved comedians of our generation and this new role will allow me to forge new links with other top onscreen talent. The company already has a strong list of comedy and entertainment credits and I’m very much looking forward to developing a wide range of new ideas with the team.”