Inbetweeners stars Simon Bird and Joe Thomas join Sky 1 HD in Chickens
6 x 30 series run on SKY 1 HD
LONDON, Thursday 22 February, 2012: Sky 1 HD today announces a full series order of brand new comedy CHICKENS. Produced by Big Talk Productions (Rev., Him&Her, Friday Night Dinner) and written by and starring Simon Bird, Jonny Sweet and Joe Thomas CHICKENS (6 x 30) will go into production in December for broadcast in Summer 2013. CHICKENS was commissioned by Sky’s Head of Comedy, Lucy Lumsden, and will be executive produced by Big Talk CEO Kenton Allen.
Lucy Lumsden commented: “We have fallen in love with those naughty Chickens and think our customers will do too. We are delighted to give such a talented bunch a home on Sky 1 HD.”
Kenton Allen added: “Winning our first commission for Sky1 HD is a very significant moment for Big Talk. I know that Simon, Jonny and Joe will play a huge role in the future story of British Comedy and it's particularly thrilling that Sky1 HD are helping them make the big leap forward with their own authored series - we are all very excited!”
Bird, Sweet and Thomas have been writing together since meeting at university and taking their show to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007 and 2008.
Simon Bird, Jonny Sweet and Joe Thomas said: “We’re delighted to be joining the Sky family to be making a series of our First World War sitcom, Chickens. It was the war to end all wars, and we hope this will be the comedy to end all comedies.”
CHICKENS is a sitcom about three young men in a world of women. As the Great War rages, our nation’s heroes are fighting the good fight on foreign soil. But in one sleepy English village three fellows remain: George (Thomas) is a conscientious objector; Cecil (Bird) is a reject from the army on health grounds; and then there’s Bert (Sweet), an amoral philandering scaredicat.
They couldn’t be more different but in the eyes of their neighbours they’re all the same: chickens. So in a world of (quite sexy) women, children and the infirm these twenty-something chaps have only each other for company and nothing else in common. The women of the village are bound to treat them with contempt – any man worth his salt should be off doing his duty. But with every other man abroad can George, Cecil and Bert claw themselves back into the good books of the ladies on the home front?
CHICKENS is also about three young men on the wrong side of history. Every day they live in fear of being labeled as cowards, an argument they’ve already lost in the mere act of still being in England.
Sky 1 HD’s CHICKENS is part of Sky’s commitment to increase its investment in original British content by 50% over the next three years. By 2014, Sky expects to invest £600 million a year in British programmes across its portfolio of channels.
This commitment follows the success of home-grown content such as entertainment hits GOT TO DANCE, AN IDIOT ABROAD and A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, dramas such as STRIKE BACK and MAD DOGS, comedies such as TROLLIED and THIS IS JINSY, and factual shows such as ROSS KEMP EXTREME WORLD and the BAFTA-winning documentary FLYING MONSTERS 3D. Other forthcoming highlights include SPY starring Darren Boyd and Robert Lindsay; Craig Cash’s THE CAFE; Ruth Jones’ STELLA; Charlie Brooker’s A TOUCH OF CLOTH starring Suranne Jones and John Hannah;; and STARLINGS starring Lesley Sharpe and Brendan Coyle.
CHICKENS will be filmed in December and will air on Sky 1 HD in Summer 2013.
For further information please contact
Chris Aylott - Head of PR, Sky 1 HD
T: 020 7032 2893
E: chris.aylott@bskyb.com
Notes to editor
About Sky
Sky entertains and excites more than 10.4 million homes through the most comprehensive multichannel, multi-platform television service in the UK and Ireland. Sky continues to break new ground with its own portfolio of channels: Sky 1 combines its commitment to UK production with the best of the US; Sky Living pushes ahead with fresh and innovative entertainment formats; Sky Arts is the UK's only dedicated arts channel brand; Sky Atlantic is the home to HBO and other iconic drama and comedy, Sky Sports is still raising the bar in sports broadcasting; Sky News remains a pioneer in television news; and Sky Movies is leading the way in High Definition and on-demand.
Sky also works with dozens of other broadcasters on the satellite platform, as well as online and on mobile through the ground-breaking Sky Go service. Sky has also led the UK into the age of high definition television, launched Europe's first 3DTV channel, Sky 3D, and offers customer even more flexibility and choice through Sky Anytime+, its internet-delivered video on demand service. Since launching Sky Broadband and Sky Talk in 2006, the company has also been the UK's fastest-growing home communications provider.
Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates, not least by increasing participation in, and access to, the arts, supporting grassroots sports, and taking positive action on the environment.
About Sky 1 HD:
Sky 1 HD is the most watched non-terrestrial channel in Sky homes, attracting more than 20m unique viewers every month and, according to the latest tracker results (October – December, 2011), was the third highest valued channel amongst all Sky subscribers behind only BBC1 and ITV1.
Sky 1 HD distinguishes itself from rival networks with original drama and comedy, talked about entertainment formats, distinctive factual programming and award-winning exclusive US drama.
About Big Talk:
Big Talk Productions is one of the UK's leading film and television production companies. It has an impeccable track record in developing talent such as Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright whose cult television series Spaced paved the way for Big Talk’s first hit films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.
In 2010 two new six-part comedies were broadcast to record audiences and huge critical acclaim: the BAFTA-winning Rev. (BBC Two), starring Tom Hollander, and ratings triumph Him & Her (BBC Three) starring Russell Tovey and Sarah Solemani.
In 2011 Channel 4 broadcast Big Talk’s first co-production with Popper Pictures, Friday Night Dinner starring Tamsin Grieg, Paul Ritter, Simon Bird & Tom Rosenthal.
Also broadcast in 2011 were second series of Rev. and Him & Her, along with The Pranker starring Ross Lee (with Running Bare Films for BBC Three), King Of (C4), Show Me The Funny (ITV) and Threesome (Comedy Central) - a sitcom by Tom MacRae, starring Amy Huberman, Emun Elliot and Stephen Wight.
All four sitcom series have been recommissioned and Big Talk will shoot second series of Friday Night Dinner and Threesome and a third series of Him&Her in 2012.
Big Talk Productions has also made its mark in US TV; NBC commissioned a series based on their Channel 4 show Free Agents. Starring Hank Azaria, it aired in the US from September 2011. Big Talk are shooting a US pilot of Friday Night Dinner also for NBC, written by Greg Daniels (King Of The Hill, The Office) and starring multi-award winning actors Alison Janney (The West Wing) and Tony Shaloub (Monk).
In film, recent releases include Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, starring Michael Cera and directed by Edgar Wright, which has been hailed as a ‘modern masterpiece’. Paul, written by and starring Simon Pegg & Nick Frost and directed by Greg Mottola has been a huge theatrical hit worldwide.
Attack the Block, the debut feature written and directed by Joe Cornish, was also released in 2011 to stellar reviews and Ben Wheatley (Kill List) has recently completed principal photography on Sightseers, Big Talk’s next feature, written by and starring Alice Lowe and Steve Oram and Executive Produced by Edgar Wright whilst Jeremy Lovering is in post-production on low-budget psychological horror film In Fear. Both will release this year via Big Talk's relationship with Studio Canal.