WiththeimminentreleaseofRoseMatefeo’sbrandnewromcomStarstruckonBBCThreeattheendofApril,thiscomingyearmarksawatershedmomentinbroadcastinghistorywithmostBBCThreecomedyeitherstarring,writtenbyorcreatedbywomen.BBCThreewillbethefirstUKchanneltoachievethislandmarkinfemalerepresentationwith58%oflong-formscriptedcomedywrittenbywomen. UpcomingtitlesincludeLazySusan,StarstruckandEllieandNatasiaplusthesecondseriesofbothInMySkinandBacktoLife. Inadditiontothis,theBBCtodayannouncesfournewBBCComedySlicesforBBCThree,allofwhicharewrittenbyand/orstarfemaletalent:Ladybaby,Amicable,DinosaurandBritney,whichresultsinthemajorityofcomedyprogrammesonBBCThreenowbeingfemaleled. KateDaughton,outgoingHeadofComedyattheBBC,says:“BuildingonthehugesuccessofPhoebeWaller-BridgeandDaisyMayCooper,thismarksamonumentalachievementandistestamenttothefactthemostpioneeringandexcitingnewvoicesincomedyareincreasinglyfemale.” KateleavestheComedyCommissioningteamtodayhavingmadeatremendousimpactoverseeingaraftoffemalefirsttitles.SinceKate’sarrivalin2017shehascommissionedandnurturedFleabag,Mum,Ghosts,Gavin&Stacey:ChristmasSpecial(2019),ThisTimeWithAlanPartridge,BacktoLife,TheGoesWrongShow,OutofHerMind,TwoDoorsDown,InMySkinandManLikeMobeen.AlongsidetheforthcomingWitchfinder,Alma’sNotNormalandStephenMerchantseriesTheOffenders(w/t). ShaneAllen,DirectorofBBCComedy,says:“Fiveyearsagotherewerestillarticlesaskingwhereallthefunnywomenwere.Thathoaryoldnonsensecanfinallybedispensedwithonceandforall.It’salevelplayingfieldwiththemostvibrantanddynamicworkcomingthroughfromfemaleswritersandwriterperformerswhoareelevatingtheartformofcomedyandexpandingitshorizons.AsforKateDaughton,nolongerwillshecurseatmeforloudsneezingintheoffice.Partlybecauseshe’sleavingandmostlybecausewe’venotbeenintheoffice.Trulybereft;indenialthatshe’soffandwe’reluckytohavehadherforsolong.” CharlotteMoore,ChiefContentOfficer,says:“Kate’simpeccabletaste,whipsmartcomedybrainandbeguilingwayswithtalenthavehadatransformativeimpactonthecomedyoutputinhertimehere.ThefactthatBBCThreecanclaimtobethefirstUKchannelwithamajorityoffemaleledandwrittenscriptedcomedyisinlargepartdowntohervisionandpassionforbackinggenredefiningfemalecreatives.She’llbesorelymissedbutthankfullyleavesbehindaterrificlegacyofshowsahead.”
