Fern Brady, Darren Harriott and Ivo Graham to discover what makes us British As Folk

British As Folk

Wednesday 5 May 2021

UKTV today announces Fern Brady, Darren Harriott and Ivo Graham will host British As Folk (6x60'), a brand-new fact ents format produced by STV Studios. The three comics will travel across the nation discovering and interrogating the stereotypes and traditions that make up British life today and, in the process, create their very own 'brutally honest' guide to the UK.

Fern Brady said:

As stand ups who travel the length and breadth of the country we generally have a clearer picture of what various towns and regions in the UK are like than the average person. That's why it was so cool to host this show with Darren and Ivo as we represent a good cross section of different regions of the UK as well as all being from totally different class backgrounds. Even though I knew the premise of the show was looking at British identity and stereotyped towns the production team have really surprised us at every location so far with the activities we're doing. As a Scot I was convinced they'd get Glasgow wrong until I found myself doing working class yoga with a load of painter decorators and electricians on a council estate, white water rafting while attempting to interview a comedian and learning wilderness survival skills with a guy who makes his own knives up a mountain.

Darren Harriott said:

I'm delighted to be co-hosting a travelogue on Dave with Fern and Ivo. Getting out of the flat is a massive bonus, never mind Glencoe, Cornwall, Yorkshire and the Welsh Valleys! And big thanks to Dave for all the food on the way, but please remember the camera puts on at least 20 pounds, nothing to do with Cornish cream, Welsh rarebit, Scotch Whisky and Yorkshire puds - I hope I'm not getting paid in food?

Ivo Graham said:

Travelling around the country with Fern and Darren has been a delight, although as the designated driver of our hired Nissan Elgrand, I have found that their constant stream of unbroadcastable comedy gossip makes it quite difficult to concentrate on the road.

British As Folk will be executive produced for UKTV by Mark Iddon, commissioning editor and was developed by Natalie Rose. It is ordered for Dave by Steve North, genre general manager, comedy and entertainment and Richard Watsham is director of commissioning. The series is directed by Marcus Liversedge, series producer is Alex Gilman and executive producer for STV Studios is Rosy Marshall-McCrae.

Mark Iddon said:

I'm really excited to see what these three uncover on their journey. They have such great chemistry together and I can't think of a better ensemble to be taking on what makes us British As Folk.

Steve North said:

We're huge fans of Fern, Darren and Ivo here at Dave and it's a privilege to welcome them to the channel. British As Folk is sure to be a brilliant addition to the channel's biggest ever slate of brand-new shows that we're announcing today.

Craig Hunter, creative director of factual at STV Studios, said:

As fearless young comedians, Fern, Ivo and Darren are all too aware of the labels placed on them and the labels they can place on others. They're the perfect trio to explore why British culture is entrenched in stereotypes, and if these age-old perceptions are still relevant in 2021. British As Folk is a deep dive into what it means to be British in these remarkable times, and we're delighted to be bringing the series to Dave, undoubtedly its natural home."

British As Folk joins a swathe of brand-new original comedy entertainment programming announced today that is coming to Dave this year. David Mitchell's Outsiders, Richard Ayoade's Question Team and Tom Allen's The Island will all air later in the year, as well as a third series of Meet The Richardsons, a second and third series of Comedians Giving Lectures, hosted by Sara Pascoe, and a new run of Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled. Next month, BAFTA-nominated Big Zuu's Big Eats and scripted sitcom Sliced will return for their second series.

For more information please contact:

Gem Pinkney, Head of Consumer Communications

Ben Duncan, Publicist

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, BT, 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.

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