Friday 19th November 2021
UKTV today announces it has commissioned a brand new scripted comedy, We Are Not Alone (1x120'), for its award-winning entertainment channel Dave. Set six weeks after aliens have invaded and completely conquered Earth, We Are Not Alone explores the culture clash between humankind and its new alien masters, who are trying to make sense of a planet so confusing and idiotic that its inhabitants can't even agree which side of the road to drive on. We Are Not Alone is written by Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond and produced by Big Talk (The Outlaws, Back, Friday Night Dinner.)
Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond said,
We are so excited to be bringing this project to you puny Earthlings. We've never attempted anything so ambitious or ridiculous, so we're thrilled to be joined on the adventure by such an incredible cast and phenomenal crew.
We Are Not Alone is commissioned for UKTV by Pete Thornton, head of scripted, and ordered by Cherie Cunningham, Dave channel director. Richard Watsham is director of commissioning for UKTV and Steve North is genre general manager, comedy and entertainment. We Are Not Alone is directed by Fergal Costello (Brain In Gear) and produced by Philip Leach (The Bay). Executive producers for Big Talk are Kenton Allen, Matthew Justice and Victoria Grew.
Pete Thornton said,
The premise of this highly original Special is as richly comic as it is timely. We've seen shows before about alien invasion, but none have grappled with how said aliens might try to govern and live alongside us after their (inevitably pathetically easy) victory. By observing the way we live through fresh alien eyes, Larry and Ben's remarkable script does a brilliant job of reflecting our topsy turvy world and pointing out what a bunch of idiots the human race really are - and that all things considered we might not actually be the best custodians of our increasingly fragile and damaged planet.
Cherie Cunningham said,
This is one of the most ambitious productions Dave has ever undertaken, with a hilarious script full of great characters and vivid worldbuilding. We're thrilled to be working with Big Talk on bringing We Are Not Alone to Dave viewers.
Kenton Allen, CEO of Big Talk Productions, added,
Shining a light on how stupid Humans are, through the prism of some stupid Aliens, with the amazing crew we have assembled, will be stupidly good fun.
We Are Not Alone joins a host of brand new comedy on Dave in 2022, including brand new The Island, hosted by Tom Allen, and returning Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Comedians Giving Lectures and Meet The Richardsons.
We Are Not Alone will air on Dave and UKTV Play in 2022. International distribution will be handled by BBC Studios. Big Talk is part of ITV Studios. Casting for the feature-length comedy will be announced imminently.
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For more information, please contact: Ben Duncan, Consumer Publicity Manager
About Dave
Sky 111/811, Virgin 127/194, Freesat 157, Freeview, BT & TalkTalk 19, Freesat 157 Dave is the award-winning entertainment channel home to a veritable feast of UKTV Original comedy hits from some of the biggest stars in the UK. Comedy entertainment shows like BAFTA-nominated Big Zuu's Big Eats, Outsiders, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Late Night Mash, Hypothetical, Comedians Giving Lectures, Question Team, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, The Island and British As Folk sit alongside scripted comedies such as Meet The Richardsons and Red Dwarf.
But Dave isn't just restricted to television screens. There's exclusive online content, with Youtube's Big Zuu's Wrap Clash and Who Cares? With Amelia Dimoldenberg, as well as Facebook series The Comedy Guide To Life, Bad Advice with Olga Koch and BackChat. Dave's partnership with CALM has led to exclusive commissions and innovative online and marketing campaigns such as #BeTheMateYoudWant. Dave is the proud sponsor of Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards and also crowns its yearly Joke Of The Edinburgh Fringe every August.
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.