Channel 4's '10 O'Clock Show'

David Mitchell, Lauren Laverne, Jimmy Carr & Charlie Brooker

Channel 4 have secured Jimmy Carr, Charlie Brooker, Lauren Laverne and David Mitchell for a new hour-long topical comedy series, provisionally known as The 10 O'Clock Show.

The foursome worked together on Channel 4's successful Alternative Election Night special earlier this summer, which attracted the lucrative 16-34-year-old demographic. The production company behind that special, Zeppotron, will also produce this spin-off.

Darren Smith, Channel 4's Entertainment & Comedy Commissioning Editor:

"The success of the Alternative Election Night proved that there is an appetite for a show that mixes comedy and the news agenda together in a way that produces genuine insight as well as laugh-out-loud moments. [The] 10 O'Clock Live will provide a fresh and unashamedly intelligent take on current affairs from a young perspective."

That all sounds fine to me. I'm a fan of everyone involved and must admit I watched more of the Alternative Election Night special than the serious-minded BBC/ITV/Sky coverage. Channel 4 have been after a decent topical comedy show for many a year, keen to find a UK version of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The last success they had was The 11 O'Clock Show in the late-'90s -- but even that was primarily a hit because it introduced Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G to the world. Of course, that show was comedy genius compared to the more recent Tonightly, with Jason Manford.

Will The 10 O'Clock Show broadcast every week night, or just once a week? My guess is the latter, if only because the quality of writing would be higher and I just can't envisage Carr, Mitchell, Laverne and Brooker agreeing to tie themselves down for five days a week for a few months. And it's likely Channel 4 would want this show to air two or three seasons every year, a la Have I Got News For You. They're all very busy people, with many TV/radio projects on the go, so is that too much to ask? Maybe the money's just too good to turn down, so worth their extra commitment?

It's not known when The 10 O'Clock Show will be broadcast, but are you interested in this show? Will it fill a gap in the market? And what did you make of the Alternative Election Night it's based on?

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