Jason Manford opens the Money Pit on Dave

LONDON, 27th May 2015: Comedian and actor Jason Manford is joining forces with UKTVs leading comedy entertainment channel Dave for The Money Pit. The series is an exciting new entertainment format that sees ordinary people risk their own money to invest in the bright ideas and small businesses of hopeful entrepreneurs.

Manford will play ringmaster, as dozens of amateur investors - with anything from £100 to £20,000 to invest - decide which entrepreneurs, inventors, local tradespeople, artisans and tech creators to back. In return, theyll get a share of the company or a special reward.

Fast-paced and funny, its the power of the crowd - as entrepreneurs compete for investors cash in The Money Pit. Theres everything to play for - because investors can change their minds right up to the end of each episode, when there will be frantic, last minute movements of money as the crowd flocks to one entrepreneur and abandon another.

The show taps into the popular trend of crowd-funding, bringing it to life in an intense, arena-style setting that will see rivalries develop between strong-willed investors who fancy themselves able to spot the next big thing and entrepreneurs fighting for funds.

Manford said,

Im inviting all those people with some spare cash that theyre thinking of hiding under the mattress, or sticking on the 3.15 at Haydock Park to join me in The Money Pit instead. Its their chance to invest in real life entrepreneurs who could make them serious money. Who knows, if they back the right one they might be able to buy a race horse of their own - or a really big mattress!

The Money Pit is made by Liberty Bell Television, with Michele Carlisle and Jamie Isaacs as executive producers and Pat Doyle series producing. Catherine Catton from UKTV commissioned the series as Dave continues to expand its original programming.

Isaacs said,

This series really turns things on their head, because - for once - its the man or woman in the street who get to play God. You dont have to be rich and nasty to spot a good investment opportunity - this is all about the wit and the wisdom of the crowd.

Catherine Catton, Senior Commissioning Editor for UKTV adds,

We are thrilled to be working with Jason Manford who will bring wit, warmth and energy to this interesting new show that seeks to bring the excitement and jeopardy of crowd-funding to life.

Steve North, General Manager for Dave said,

Its exciting to launch a new entertainment format which combines intelligence with Daves witty humour to deliver a series which our audience will love. We have had a huge success with original series on Dave with commissions like Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish and Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled coming back again and again.

-ENDS-

For more information please contact: Gemma Pinkney, Publicist

About Dave HD Sky 111/232, Virgin 128, HD: 129, Freeview 12

Dave proudly presents a plethora of original commissions; Crackanory, Ross Noble Freewheeling, Dave Gormans Modern Life is Goodish, and Dara O Briain: School of Hard Sums, all laden with the biggest names in British comedy. Not to mention a brand spanking new series with QI favourite Alan Davies in Alan Davies As Yet Untitled. If that wasnt enough to whet your appetite we also have a stack of national treasures like QI, Red Dwarf X, Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You, plus the Red Bull trilogy of Cliff Diving, X-Fighters and the Soap Box races. And of course, we still have Top Gear. Obviously we have to add, Dave is the UKs most watched non-PSB channel broadcasting to over 27 million people per month, featuring hit US shows including the sharp-witted and sharp-suited Suits, the ludicrously addictive Lizard Lick Towing and the wonder that is Storage Hunters, the gift that keeps on giving.

www.joindave.co.uk / @join_dave

About UKTV UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers every month.

UKTVs eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% of the British commercial TV market. The companys most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £278m, and EBITDA of £67.4m. It invested a record £125m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.

Now celebrating its 22nd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.

corporate.uktv.co.uk / press.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press

LINK:	http://corporate.uktv.co.uk/news/article/jason-manford-opens-money-pit...
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