No one can quite understand the process of commissioning a comedy at the BBC, ITV or Sky. For that matter, no one can understand the de-commissioning of a series either. Can I just selfishly insert here a mention of Whites that starred Alan Davies as an example of a series that should have been renewed for a second season but wasn’t while, at the same time, yet another season of Two Pints of Lager and a Package of Crisps has been renewed. Ok, enough of what has been renewed and what hasn’t. Time to focus on the pipeline and what new comedies are coming our way that have the most promise…..

Spy (Sky One)

• From Hat Trick Productions, Darren Boyd (Dirk Gently, Green Wing, Whites) and Robert Lindsay (My Family) star in the story of Tim, a father who is desperately trying to gain respect in the eyes of his precocious young son (from a casting standpoint, I would really like to see Daniel Roche, Ben from Outnumbered in this role, but that’s just me). Easy, right? Not so considering the way Tim decides to do this is to quit his dead-end job and is accidentally recruited as a trainee spy for MI5.

The Royal Bodyguard (BBC One)

• More from Hat Trick Productions and the greatness of David Jason, who returns to the small screen as Captain Guy Hubble, a lifelong soldier who, just prior to his retirement, finds himself in charge of Royal security. Wouldn’t be a bad gig except for the fact that Captain Hubble’s last position was that working in the car park at Buckingham Palace.

The Security Men (ITV1)

• Even more greatness from the mind of Caroline Aherne, co-creator and co-writer of The Royle Family. The series, about a group of night security guards at the Whittington shopping center who can be classified as “work-shy”, stars Dean Andrews (DS Ray Carling in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes), Peter Wight and Brendan O’Carroll (Mrs. Brown’s Boys).

Now, let’s Bring Back Whites….all the cool people are waiting.

In: Comedy