BBC developing comedy with Fonejacker's Kayvan Novak
BBC head of comedy reveals his latest collaboration with talent from his old employer, Channel 4
The BBC is developing a comedy with Fonejacker prankster Kavyan Novak.
The Corporation's controller of comedy Shane Allen said that the BBC is working with the British Iranian performer on developing ideas for the BBC. Novak has already appeared in in the BBC Salford Sitcom Showcase pilot Homeboys. The pilot, about two twentysomething brothers still living at home, despite their parents' best efforts to get rid of them, was shot last month.
Fonejacker, in which Novak duped people over the phone, ran for two years on E4 before it was axed in 2008, only to be brought back as Fonejacker 3D, which saw Novak make use of prosthetics to play a variety of roles and take to the streets to dupe members of the public.
If his development work with the BBC comes off it will represent another scalp for Allen who has been bringing over talent from his former employer Channel 4.
Other C4 scalps brought over by Allen include Peter Kay who will be making BBC1’s Car Share, the UK”s first comedy series to be aired in full before a broadcast transmission. Allen also hopes to bring controversial comic Frankie Boyle to the BBC.
Allen was speaking at the Broadcasting Press Guild lunch.
