E4 acquires Suburgatory

16 February 2012

Escape is not an option.

E4, Channel 4's digital channel, has today announced it has acquired the U.K. premiere broadcast rights to Suburgatory from Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. The 22-episode series will receive a U.K. premiere on E4 in 2012 The announcement was made by Gill Hay, Head of Acquisitions at Channel 4, and Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television.

The new half-hour comedy series was picked up for a full 22-episode season by the ABC Television Network in the U.S. after three episodes and ranks as the network's #1 new comedy series among Adults 18-49. Suburgatory stars Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under, Law & Order, Thirteen), Jane Levy (Shameless, upcoming Fun Size), Carly Chaikin (The Last Song), Allie Grant (Weeds), Rex Lee (Entourage), with Alan Tudyk (Knocked Up, Death at a Funeral, 3:10 to Yuma) and Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Brothers & Sisters, In the Motherhood). Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live, Mean Girls) is a recurring guest star.

Quote from Head of Acquisitions C4, Gill Hay

We are incredibly excited that Suburgatory will join our comedy line up on E4, reinforcing our commitment to offer our viewers the best of US Comedy. Suburgatory is whip smart, snarky and sweet in equal measure and as such is a perfect fit for E4.

Quote from Jeffery R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television

Suburgatory perfectly fits the audience composition of E4.  We are pleased that viewers in the U.K. will have the opportunity to see this funny comedy that also has a lot heart.

George Altman (Sisto) is a handsome architect in his late 30s and single father to 16-year-old Tessa Altman (Levy). They live together in New York City, where Tessa is perfectly at ease navigating the urban jungle she grew up in. But when George discovers an unopened packet of condoms in his daughter's room, he does what any single father would do: He panics.

Bubblewrapping her entire life, George transports Tessa from the "mean streets" of the city, to the "clean streets" of suburbia in hopes of giving Tessa a better life away from the temptations the city has to offer. Right? Wrong.

As Tessa negotiates a brand-new world of moms who want to be her friend, malls, blonde and bronzed teens, tight jeans, sugar-free Red Bull, whiter-than-white teeth, lip gloss and so much mascara as to render blinking impossible, she learns animal print is in fact a colour, any skirt below mid-thigh is too long and requires hemming, and plastic is king. (Or queen.) Trapped behind the endless white picket fences of the 'burbs, this 16-year-old indie kid is in her own unique version of hell. Forget purgatory - this is suburgatory.

Suburgatory was created by Emily Kapnek (Hung, Parks and Recreation, As Told by Ginger), who also serves as executive producer of the series, which is produced by Warner Bros. Television and distributed around the world by Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.