Channel 4 wants fifth look at Peep Show

Ben Dowell
Wednesday March 21, 2007
MediaGuardian.co.uk

Peep Show: Channel 4 wanted to ensure it could secure Mitchell and Webb for a fifth series

Channel 4 has commissioned a fifth series of the cult comedy series Peep Show before the fourth series has even finished filming.

Such was the confidence of the channel in the comedy starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb that it asked the production company Objective Productions to give them another six-part outing.

However, Channel 4 is hoping that the show performs better in the ratings; the most recent series hovered around the 1.3 million mark at 10pm on Friday nights.

"It is such a good show and we didn't want to get into a situation where we couldn't get Robert and David when we wanted them," said a senior Channel 4 executive of the show, referring to the duo's other commitments, including their BBC2 sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look, which usually attracts in excess of 2 million viewers.

Peep Show is unusual for its filming technique, with the camera viewing the world from the perspectives of the various characters.

"People who love it love it and rightly so, but for the next two series we will be hoping for it to do in ratings terms what it has always done in terms of its sheer quality."

Andrew Newman, the Channel 4 head of comedy and entertainment said of the Peep Show recommission: "In terms of writing, performance and all over style, Peep Show has always been a work of sheer quality - of course we'd love it if the ratings caught up with the show's and it's star's formidable reputation but part of Channel 4's public service remit is to commission and produce excellent programmes and Peep Show fulfils that 100%".

Last December, Peep Show beat Extras to the best comedy prize at the British Comedy Awards.

At the previous year's awards, Ricky Gervais lambasted the TV industry for failing to vote for Peep Show.

"It's the best show on television today," he exclaimed, adding that it was a "debacle" that the show did not win a gong.

His comments were used in the poster campaign for series three, which still failed to attract big ratings.

Channel 4 has also asked Objective to make four more episodes of Star Stories and is expected to continue with the format of mock biopics of assorted celebrities on an "ad hoc basis".

Stars who could be the butt of the next round of satirical shows include the rock stars Robbie Williams and Paul McCartney, but the channel has refused to confirm any of the names.

The first series poked fun at figures including George Michael, David Beckham and Madonna.

Virgin Media to back Big Brother

Virgin Media has been confirmed as the sponsor of Big Brother 8 with the company's mobile arm to be the main service promoted.

Virgin Media has signed on for the main summer series - as revealed by MediaGuardian.co.uk - but not next year's Celebrity Big Brother version.

Channel 4 has not yet announced if there will be a Celebrity Big Brother in 2008. However, it is understood that Virgin Media will be given first refusal on extending the sponsorship if the trouble-laden show runs without a hitch this summer.

"Of course we had worries [about this year's Celebrity Big Brother], we would have been foolhardy if we didn't," said James Kydd, the managing director of marketing at Virgin Media.

"We spent a lot of time talking to Channel 4 about how they were sorting out their internal processes to make sure there wouldn't be any sort of escalation again. But Big Brother is always controversial, it is the nature of the beast. We just wanted to be reassured that there wouldn't be a situation that got out of control again."

Carphone Warehouse pulled out of its £2.5m a year sponsorship of Big Brother following the Shilpa Shetty racism row in January.

The Big Brother sponsorship package includes branding and advertising opportunities across TV, video-on-demand, online, radio and mobile.

"The sponsorship will be split between our mobile and media services," added Mr Kydd. "What Big Brother does is give a fantastic opportunity to bring to life quadplay in action and the core 16-34 demographic BB reaches is a bullseye for mobile. Virgin Mobile will be the lead sponsor but we will absolutely push Virgin Media messaging."

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