Thursday 12 May 2022
UKTV today announces that it has commissioned two new series of award-winning sitcom Meet the Richardsons (20x40'). Married comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont will return to give viewers a peek into their madcap daily lives. The comedy series, previously created by Lee Hupfield at Second Act, will now be produced by Manchester-based King of Sunshine Productions with Lee Hupfield and Eddie Stafford remaining at the helm to produce and direct the series. The series is written by Lucy Beaumont (Hullraisers) and Tim Reid (Car Share).
Lucy Beaumont said,
UKTV oh my gosh I can't quite believe we are going to do more series of a show that has made Johnny Vegas become my stepdad, Jon lose a hamster, my mum scrap with Beverley Callard and David Tennant walk off set. Who knows where series four will take us? (I won't be sat daytime drinking with Leeds fans as Jon would like).
Jon Richardson added,
The pedant in me would like to point out that by the time you get to series four, you aren't really "meeting" the Richardsons anymore, so much as being stuck in a relationship with them whether you like it or not. The optimist in me obviously wants to say how thrilled he is and how much he hopes people enjoy the new episodes, but I don't have an optimist in me, so perhaps it's best I keep my mouth shut. Thank you Dave, and thank you to Lucy and Tim for continuing to generate ideas which see me humiliated in front of my idols.
Meet the Richardsons at Christmas won the Best Comedy gong at the Broadcast Digital Awards last Autumn ahead of series three's return to Dave this February. The third series triumphantly ranked Dave as the #1 non-terrestrial channel in the time slot for its premiere episode which was watched by 792k. To date the third series of Meet the Richardsons has reached 2.5m individuals since its premiere in March*.
Meet the Richardsons is commissioned for UKTV by Iain Coyle, head of comedy entertainment, and ordered by Cherie Cunningham, Dave channel director. Richard Watsham is director of commissioning for UKTV and Steve North is genre general manager, comedy and entertainment. Lee Hupfield and Eddie Stafford continue as producer/directors for the series and executive producers for King of Sunshine Productions are Sohail Shah and Paul Sandler.
Iain Coyle said,
I'm delighted that we've got a whole truck full of Meet the Richardsons coming down the line. This show just gets better and better every series.
Cherie Cunningham added,
Spending time with Jon and Lucy in Meet the Richardsons is the pick me up we all need. This irreverent and relatable comedy manages to consistently find the funny in married life - we can't wait to see what more they have in store for us.
Sohail Shah and Paul Sandler from King of Sunshine Productions said,
We're really excited to be working with Jon, Lucy, UKTV, Lee and the entire fabulously talented team behind Meet the Richardsons. Making a two series order will be a lot of fun for us and, no doubt, a lot of stress for Jon!
Manchester-based King of Sunshine Productions recently welcomed Lee Hupfield as a Creative Executive, bringing his own unique world-view and talent to work with Sohail and the team.
The return of Meet the Richardsons sees a host of returning UKTV Original series on Dave this year including Hypothetical, BAFTA-nominated Big Zuu's Big Eats and Question Team.
Catch up on Meet the Richardsons series 1-3 on UKTV Play. Series three's holiday special episodes will air this summer on Dave. Series 4 will air on Dave in 2023.
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Press for Meet the Richardsons:
"It is all very charming... I happily cackled away for much of it. It is a little like the in-between bits of Gogglebox" - The Guardian
"That this entertaining mockumentary appears so natural and spontaneous is a tribute to the writing and performances" - TV Times
"It's the show that chiselled out a new comedy niche" - Radio Times
"It's a funny story, well told" - Daily Telegraph
Notes to Editors:
- Including 28-day catch up viewing and same-week repeats, Meet the Richardsons' S3 premiere was watched by 792k individuals
- To date, the third series of MTR has reached 2.5m individuals since its premiere in March (7-day)
For more information, please contact:
Gem Pinkney, Head of Consumer Comms
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and scripted drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
corporate.uktv.co.uk | press.uktv.co.uk | @uktvpress
About Dave
Dave is the award-winning entertainment channel home to a veritable feast of UKTV Original comedy hits from some of the biggest stars in the UK. Comedy entertainment shows like BAFTA-nominated Big Zuu's Big Eats, Outsiders, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Hypothetical, Comedians Giving Lectures, Question Team, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, The Island and British As Folk sit alongside scripted comedies such as Meet The Richardsons and Red Dwarf.
But Dave isn't just restricted to television screens. There's exclusive online content, with Youtube's Big Zuu's Wrap Clash and Who Cares? With Amelia Dimoldenberg, as well as Facebook series The Comedy Guide To Life, Bad Advice with Olga Koch and BackChat. Dave's partnership with CALM has led to exclusive commissions and innovative online and marketing campaigns such as #BeTheMateYoudWant. Dave is the proud sponsor of Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards and also crowns its yearly Joke Of The Edinburgh Fringe every August.