BBC cooks more Porridge

The new version of classic sitcom Porridge

The BBC has ordered three comedy series off the back of its recent Landmark Sitcom Season, which celebrated 60 years of the genre on the pubcaster.

The season featured an array of one-off specials, including revamps of classic comedies such as Porridge.

The prison-set show has now been ordered to series for BBC1, with a 6×30′ version in the works with BBC Studios. It is being written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, who were behind the original show that aired three decades ago.

On BBC2’s slate is Motherland, which is being directed by Graham Linehan and coproduced by Merman and Delightful Industries. It explores the life of a new mother as she navigates life with a young child.

Finally, online-only channel BBC3 has ordered A Brief History of Tim (4×22′). The show is being produced by UK prodcos Roughcut TV and Primal Media and features Tim Renkow, who uses his cerebral palsy to get away with behaving badly.

Shane Allen, BBC controller of comedy commissioning, said: “The Landmark Sitcom Season was a big, celebratory moment for BBC comedy and signalled our unrivalled commitment to the art form.

“The audience reaction to the season has been overwhelming, with well over 50 million viewers tuning in across the run, so I’m very pleased to announce three series commissions coming out of it, which demonstrate the range, ambition and quality of BBC comedy.

“These three exciting new commissions reinforce our mission to keep nurturing the very best of new talent and to cherish the great talents we’ve championed over the years.”