BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie has today unveiled 10 new and returning shows reinforcing the BBC’s commitment to original comedy content across the UK.

Speaking at the festival, taking place this week at the BBC’s City of Comedy, Cardiff, Jon confirmed:

• New series Ludwig starring David Mitchell and written by Mark Brotherhood; Spent written by and starring Michelle de Swarte; Mammoth from writer and performer Mike Bubbins; Dinosaur created by Matilda Curtis and Ashley Storrie; and Things You Should Have Done created and written by Lucia Keskin.

• Hit series Bad Education, Avoidance, Peacock, Mandy and Ellie & Natasia are all returning.

Jon says: “After the success of our inaugural Comedy Festival in Newcastle Upon Tyne which allowed us to shine a light on the comedy talent in the North East, we are excited to be in Cardiff, our City of Comedy for 2023 to support comedy in Wales.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that British Comedy is hugely important to television and the national cultural landscape. It is a public service and needed now more than ever. Not only do audiences consume comedy in huge numbers - there were over 500 million requests on BBC iPlayer last year – but it has also acted as a vital talent pipeline to some of the UK’s most successful creatives.

“The BBC remains the biggest single investor in original comedy content in the UK. We’re so proud of the depth and range of our offerings which champion British creativity and I’m delighted to announce five brand new shows and five much-loved returning series.”

Speaking about the festival coming to Cardiff, Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning for BBC Wales says: “Wales has funny bones – and with the city of comedy right here in our capital city, we’re ready to prove it. We’re so proud to be this year’s hosts especially as the Welsh comedy scene is thriving and is quite possibly in the best health it’s ever been.

“We have a wealth of talented comedy writers; from established names to new writing talent looking for their first credit and there are numerous Welsh stand-up comedy performers breaking through here and across the UK. There’s also terrific on-screen performing talent and, particularly exciting is the growing number of small Welsh independent production companies now specialising in comedy production. It’s all happening and we’re delighted to be at the heart of it.”