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CHANNEL 4 COMMISSIONS NEW COMEDY SERIES ‘DISABILITY BENEFITS’ STARRING ROSIE JONES
Category: News ReleaseWritten by Rosie Jones and Peter Fellows, Channel 4 has commissioned Disability Benefits from Merman Television and 2LE Media, which first came to life as the award-winning Channel 4 Comedy Blap of the same name.
Having had her state benefits cut to shreds after being made redundant, a young woman with very little left to lose begins to build an illegal drugs empire. But Emily (Rosie Jones) isn’t your average street-dealing dope peddler – she’s sharp, funny, biting, highly educated – and on top of all that, she has cerebral palsy.
People have underestimated Emily her entire life. If they’re not patronising her for completing the most menial of tasks, they’re pretending she’s not there. What better disguise could there be for criminal activity than to be entirely written off by the same broken system which exists to protect the law?
Rosie Jones says: “I am incredibly excited to be making Disability Benefits for Channel 4. It has always been my dream to have my own sitcom and now it is coming true! Bring it on!!”
Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy for Channel 4 says: “Rosie is a National Treasure at Channel 4, with her distinctively funny and powerful work felt across all genres. So making her first sitcom alongside the huge talents of Peter, Merman and 2LE is the perfect next step for this special force of nature. Disability Benefits adds to an increasingly exciting slate of Channel 4 Comedy shows for next year and beyond.”
Clelia Mountford, Executive Producer and co-founder of Merman Television said: “We are delighted to be working with Rosie, Peter, 2LE and Channel 4, to bring Disability Benefits to a series, following the award-winning success of the original comedy Blap last year. Rosie has a truly unique voice and storytelling ability, alongside impeccable comedic timing, and we are proud to be working with her on her first scripted TV project.”
Tom Thostrup, Executive Producer and Managing Director of 2LE said: “Rosie exudes big criminal mastermind energy in real life so we’re very excited about working with her to bring that to the screen in Disability Benefits.”
Disability Benefits (6x30’) was commissioned for Channel 4 by Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy and Laura Riseam, Comedy Commissioning Editor and co-produced by Merman Television and 2LE Media. Executive producers are Clelia Mountford and Sharon Horgan for Merman Television and Michael Livingstone and Tom Thostrup for 2LE. The series producer is Charlie Laurie from Merman.
The series commission follows the award-winning Comedy Blap of the same name, which was created by Rosie Jones, Peter Fellows and Tom Thostrup and which won ‘Best Newform Drama Series’ at the C21 International Drama awards last year alongside Sophie King winning Best New Scripted Director at Edinburgh TV Festival’s New Voice Awards 2023.
Channel 4’s Comedy Blaps have historically been a development breeding ground for several series commissions, including We Are Lady Parts, which has been commissioned for a second series on Channel 4, Stath Lets Flats, Home and Dead Pixels (E4).
Transmission details for the series will follow in due course.
*ENDS*
For more information, please contact:
Harriet Wilson, Publicity Lead, Drama, Comedy & Acquisitions, Channel 4
hwilson@channel4.co.uk
To watch the original Disability Benefits Blap, please click here:
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/disability-benefits
About Channel 4:
Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer.
The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For over 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.
Through a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with around 300 creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country.
In 2020, Channel 4 launched its Future4 strategy to become a digital-first public service media company and to continue to deliver significant impact for UK audiences and investment into the UK creative economy.
Across its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is turbocharging its efforts to find, nurture and develop talent across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills, Channel 4 is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people, and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions.
Channel 4 has the UK’s biggest free streaming service plus 11 television channels including: Channel 4, E4, E4 Extra, More4, Film4, 4Seven and The Box Plus Network. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 37 Oscar wins and 88 BAFTA wins in its history.