Caitlin Moran comedy Raised by Wolves gets a full series
The award-winning writer will pen six more episodes for Channel 4 while fellow 4Funnies pilot Scrotal Recall has also been given a full series
Channel 4 has commissioned a full series of the Caitlin Moran autobiographical comedy Raised by Wolves.
Bosses have ordered a further six episodes of the series which is heavily based on the journalist's early life in 1980s Wolverhampton, where she and her siblings were home educated. Written with her sister Caroline Moran, the story is updated to the present day.
Raised by Wolves is jokingly described as “a sort of Benefits Street meets Caitlin Moran,” by C4’s head of comedy Phil Clarke, with the broadcaster hopeful that the warm reception that greeted the pilot episode when it aired late last year will help make for a successful series.
“Caitlin’s so busy and she’s got to write it. We are expecting the scripts to arrive at the end of this year and it will probably air next year,” Clarke told RadioTimes.com.
“We think this is a tale worth telling and we hope it resonates with people. There is a sense of her character being quite precious but also isolated as well. She sees children coming back from school and feels a bit lonely.
“Having said that, Caitlin is also one of the funniest women in the country.”
Moran said of the commission: "It was foretold in ancient legend that when two sisters from a council-estate in Wolverhampton – one brunette and over-sharey, one ginger and angry – would, one day, write a sitcom for Channel 4, and finally popularise the local sayings of 'To be fair,' 'I don't reckon', 'Alright babba' and 'Ahhhhhh, binners'. That day has now come. We now go and eat faggots and peas, to celebrate."
Raised by Wolves aired as part of C4’s 4Funnies series of pilots. Another 4Funnies pilot Scrotal Recall, has also been given a full series.
In the series, Dustin Demri-Burns, the actor best known as one half of sketch show duo Cardinal Burns, plays Dylan Witter, who discovers he has the sexually transmitted disease Chlamydia.
Each episode finds him visiting a former sexual partner to tell her that she may be at risk of contracting the disease, which can cause infertility.
The pilot episode will air as part of the series.
“This is an adult piece about sex and love. It is probably not laugh out loud but it is witty and acerbic ,” said Clarke.
He added that he also has high hopes for two other pilots from the 4Funnies season.
The first, Flack, stars Sheridan Smith as a PR woman while the second, Catastrophe, is written by and stars Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney. They play an Irish woman and an American man who "create chaos as they fall in love in London". Both pilots are leading the race for full commissions, according to C4 sources.
Another 4Funnies pilot, Sit.com, a family comedy focusing on our obsession with the internet and social media written by David Baddiel, is also thought to be highly regarded within C4 and to stand a good chance of a commission.
