Sky 1 HD commission Yonderland from Working Title television
An 8x30’ comedy series from the lead cast of Horrible Histories
Today Sky 1 HD strengthens its position in delivering original homegrown content with the commission of the all new family comedy series, YONDERLAND. Created by the acclaimed lead cast of Horrible Histories, the 8x30’ series will be written by and star Mathew Baynton (Spy, Peep Show), Martha Howe-Douglas (The Armstrong and Miller Show), Jim Howick (Peep Show), Simon Farnaby (The Midnight Beast, The Mighty Boosh), Laurence Rickard (Psychobitches, Me and My Monsters) and Ben Willbond (Rev, The Thick Of It), and produced by Working Title Television. The show will also feature puppets from Baker Coogan, long-time collaborators with the Jim Henson Company.
YONDERLAND follows 33-year old Mum Debbie Maddox (Howe-Douglas) who unexpectedly finds herself in an extraordinary world inhabited by a collection of eccentric (and usually idiotic) characters, some of whom happen to be puppets, with only an Elf by her side.
The story begins with Debbie dropping her five year old twins off for their first day of school. For the first time in five long years, she has her days entirely to herself, and by the time she’s cleaned the house from top to bottom and become frighteningly addicted to a daytime quiz show, she starts to think she may be going mad. And perhaps she is, as a wildly enthusiastic Elf appears from a kitchen cupboard, telling her that she is needed in another world, for she is their unlikely saviour, prophesied to save the world from the dark forces that are gathering to subdue it. Debbie is convinced that there has been some kind of mistake, but nevertheless decides that whatever the Elf might need her to do can’t be any worse than watching another episode of ‘What’s in the Box?’, so she lets him drag her through a portal to the other world. As she does her best to help incompetent knights, monks who are incapable of lying and a race of people intent on firing the cleverest amongst them into the sun, the question is: can she fulfil the prophecy, and will she make it back to the real world in time for the school pick up?
Lucy Lumsden, Head of Comedy, Sky Entertainment, said: “We are delighted to give the incredibly talented Horrible Histories cast the opportunity to write and star in a brand new show for the whole family on Sky1.”
Juliette Howell, Head of Television, Working Title Television added: “This brilliant team have created a really fresh, bold and original show. We’re thrilled that it’s going to form part of Sky’s ambitious comedy output.”
YONDERLAND will be produced by Sioned Wiliam for Working Title Television, and will be exec produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Juliette Howell. The director is Steve Connelly. Lumsden and Saskia Schuster will exec produce the show for Sky.
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 STELLA, HUNDERBY, A YOUNG DOCTOR’S NOTEBOOK and SPY, for which its star Darren Boyd received both a BAFTA® Award and British Comedy Award, and factual shows such as ROSS KEMP EXTREME WORLD and the BAFTA-winning documentary FLYING MONSTERS 3D.
YONDERLAND will air on Sky 1 HD this autumn.
ENDS
Notes to editor
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