Thorny family comedy-drama Flowers takes root at Channel 4

24 February 2016

 

 

Picture by Des Willie

 

 

Writer/director Will Sharpe said: "I feel very lucky to be making Flowers with Kudos, Channel 4 and Seeso. They've been really supportive and pushed me to make bold decisions on a show that aims both to celebrate and challenge the traditional family sitcom format. The characters in this show are all trying to break free in some way. In part, it's a comedy about the different ways of feeling trapped or alone and how difficult it can be to admit that's how you're feeling.”

Channel 4’s Deputy Head of Comedy, Nerys Evans said: “Flowers is the kind of deliciously dark world we love at Channel 4. The word ‘dysfunctional’ doesn’t come close to describing quite how brilliantly peculiar the Flowers family are. Will Sharpe’s wonderful writing and direction coupled with an amazing cast has led us to an unbelievably original piece and we are delighted to have it on the channel.”

Naomi de Pear, who developed and produced the series for Kudos said: ‘Flowers is perhaps the saddest comedy I’ve come across but it’s also very silly. Working with the very talented Will, Channel 4, Seeso and the extraordinary cast to bring to life this emotional and unique vision about the awful and funny pain of being in a family has been brilliant fun. Flowers has an other-worldly quality to it, even though it’s about real characters and real emotions.’

Evan Shapiro, Executive Vice President, Digital Enterprises, NBCUniversal said: "If Augusten Burroughs wrote a sit-com, it might be Flowers. Will's dark, bizarre, tragic comedy is singularly delicious, made even more so by Julian and Olivia and the amazing cast. Flowers is the epitome of a 'Seeso show’.”

The series is produced by Kudos (Humans, Utopia, Broadchurch,) and was commissioned by Phil Clarke, Channel 4’s Head of Comedy, in association with NBCUniversal's Digital Enterprises’ new ad-free comedy streaming platform Seeso (Evan Shapiro, Kelsey Balance and Dan Kerstsetter). It was Executive Produced by Kudos joint-CEO Diederick Santer with Naomi de Pear who produced for Kudos.

It will air on Channel 4 in the UK and Seeso in the States this spring