It’s like being a kid in a candy store attending the BBC Comedy presentation Monday in Liverpool. Showing a number of clips for shows that are coming up in the not-too-distant future, you get the sense that Shane Allen, Controller for Comedy at the BBC, is keen on maintaining the channel’s dominance in the comedy genre. As head of comedy commissioning, Allen is responsible for the commissioning of all comedy programs to the BBC channels.

Key elements that contribute to each commissioning decision are to ensure that all developing programs appeal to the varied audiences of all BBC channels and attract the best comic writers, producers and performers to the BBC to broadcast their talent. He works closely with the each individual channel controllers to ensure that the content he develops is consistent with the genre strategy and editorial policy.

Also a part of the genre presentation were Rev co-creator/writer, James Wood, and series co-creator/star, Tom Hollander. Both were there to hype the 24 March premiere of series 3 on BBC Two.
 

It’s been some time since Rev has aired with their being almost two years since series 2. Both Wood and Hollander spoke of the differences between Rev and earlier comedies that centered around the church as an institution in Father Ted and Vicar of Dibley feeling that Rev is steeped more in reality with Father Adam Smallbone being more of an ‘everyman’ with crazy characters surrounding him. Evidently, it’s working as Hollander mentioned how he had recently been mistaken for a real vicar on the street with the individual asking to be blessed. Not wanting to disappoint the man, he went ahead as opposed to trying to explain that he wasn’t a vicar, but just an actor.

Also appearing on behalf of Mr. Sloane, a new comedy series we screened yesterday that will command your attention in May 2014, were creator/writer, Robert Weide (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Nick Frost, who stars as Jeremy Sloane (with an ‘e’, like Sloane Square).
 

Up tomorrow, more drama and on to factual/non-fiction offerings.