21 June 2019
Stand-up stars Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster are back with another series of the bonkers theoretical comedy show Hypothetical (8x60'). It's the show that asks the questions that no one else has asked, and no one knows how to answer - questions such as "how would you stop the assassination of JFK if you were a cat?", "how much would you have to be paid to wear boxing gloves for a year?", and of course, "big hat or small hat?". Josh poses the tricky hypotheticals to a panel of four comic guests, and James dishes out the points on a seemingly random basis.
Hypothetical reached 4.5million viewers across the eight episodes of its first series and is one of UKTV Play's most popular shows of 2019.
Josh Widdicombe said:
I am absolutely delighted Dave have turned the hypothetical Hypothetical second series into a reality. I know no one outside of the industry really reads these quotes so I would like to take this chance to say the success of the show is all down to the team's hard work and late nights. Now that's done I look forward to James and I publicly taking all the credit for the show when it comes out.
James Acaster said:
The second series of Hypothetical is going to be bigger, braver and more hypotheticaler than before! Widdicombe called me up and told me to suit up in my finest corduroys because it's time to ask the questions most folk are too scared to ask to the people most folk are too scared to gaze upon. I've been wearing the big hat and the small hat on alternate days in preparation. I've got a pocketful of points and I'm keen to dish them out! They're weighing me down! I'm lugging these points around everywhere with me and I need to lighten the load! I'll give them to whoever I can! As long as they give me a satisfying answer to a hypothetical question.
Hypothetical is produced by Hat Trick Productions, commissioned for UKTV by Joe McVey, commissioning editor, and ordered by Richard Watsham, director of commissioning and Luke Hales, Dave channel director. Hypothetical is executive produced by McVey alongside Stu Mather at Hat Trick Productions, series produced by Danny Carr and produced by Sophie Le Good.
Joe McVey said:
Great news for people who want life hacks from comedians, Hypothetical is back. This is of no use if you need parenting tips or advice on how to get your tax return done in time however, it's more of a 'how to live for a year without shoes' kind of thing. On second thoughts, this is of no real-world use to any of us. Why have we done this? Because it's funny. That's why we did this and I'm happy we did.
Luke Hales said:
We are so pleased to be bringing Hypothetical back for another hilarious series, not only because it was a massive success for us but on a personal level, as a viewer it is one of my favourite things on TV. The comedians genuinely have zero prep time and having to improvise on the spot makes for some of the funniest moments I have seen on telly in years. On Dave we are committed to working with the best comic talent and making the funniest and most original comedy on British TV and this really does deliver on all of those fronts.
Stu Mather said: "We're absolutely thrilled that Hypothetical is back for another series on Dave. It's been a pleasure developing the show with Joe and the team at UKTV and in exchange for their support, we promise to put more of the country's best comedians into increasingly stupid hypothetical situations. We can't wait to get started."
With the return of Hypothetical, Dave continues to assert its commitment to being the home of big name British comic talent, with Taskmaster, Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, Meet The Richardsons, Dave Gorman: Terms and Conditions Apply, Judge Romesh, and scripted comedies Sliced and Porters. Expedition with Steve Backshall, UKTV's co-production with BBC, airs later in the year.
Hypothetical will be back on Dave later this year.
Praise for the first series of Hypothetical:
"Some of the finest belly laughs a panel show has seen" - Sunday Times Culture
"Triumphant" - The Guardian
"Will make you laugh" - Radio Times
**** "Very funny" - Daily Mail
**** "Could this become the new Taskmaster?" - Daily Express Saturday Magazine
**** "Increasingly absurd" - Mail on Sunday Event
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For more information please contact:
Ben Duncan, Publicist, UKTV
About Dave
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Ever since it was knee high to a TV remote, Dave had an idea. It wanted to be the first place viewers would come for brand-new, award-winning entertainment from the biggest and brightest stars and production companies in the UK. And in the years since, it has launched some of the most exciting and best-loved titles on TV.
There are names like BAFTA and Emmy-nominated Taskmaster - now in its ninth series -, Judge Romesh, Hypothetical, Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier and Comedians Giving Lectures. And of course there's Dave Gorman, whose inquisitive mind is returning to the channel for Terms and Conditions Apply. It's not just in front of the camera where the comic genius lies either, with a wealth of scripted treasure such as Sliced, Porters and the globally popular Red Dwarf.
Dave's not content just to make you laugh and share gags with your mates though. Expedition with Steve Backshall and Hurricane Man are showing you regions and aspects of the earth never before seen on TV. Red Bull Soapbox continues to delight with its boundless capacity for invention. And stepping away from the TV entirely, Dave's partnered with CALM to launch the "Be The Mate You'd Want" campaign and the "Conversations Against Living Miserably" podcast.
Reaching 20million viewers a month, Dave's come a long way, but it's only just getting warmed up.