Ro Noble takes the lead from Twitter for new Dave comedy

The king of improvisation, Ross Noble, has been asked to do a travelogue by UKTV's entertainment channel Dave. The only problem is that Ross doesn't like travelogues.

They're too set up, pre-planned and frankly a bit obvious.

In Ross Noble Freewheeling (6x60), an exclusive new commission produced by North One Television, Ross wants to do things his way. And his way is the random way. So Ross is putting his fate completely in the hands of the public as he calls on fans through social media to decide every step of his journey.

Just like his stand up Noble is throwing out the script, along with the guidebook, and crowd-sourcing the sort of experiences and people that you never normally hear about. The sort of things you'd least expect to be the basis of comedy.

Ross is renowned for improvising entire gigs and even riffing for hours on odd items as simple as a till receipt. Now liberated from the stage, literally anything and anyone could find themselves entwined in one of Ross' comic scenarios. Of course it will also show that things don't always go according to plan.

Ross Noble Freewheeling is a very modern comedy documentary that avoids well-trodden paths and traditional travel show fodder. If he has to go to a tourist attraction, Noble is more likely to be found hanging around by the bins than enjoying the view. He's more likely to be found doing a best man speech for a couple he's never met or trying to convince a group of teenage goths to get a spray tan.

Ross Noble Freewheeling is an anti-travelogue, a revealing comic journey and a fascinating insight into modern Britain.

Noble commented, I can't promise this programme will be either insightful or that revealing but it's definitely a programme.

The series was ordered by UKTV's Senior Commissioning Editor, Richard Watsham and General Manager for Dave, Steve North. North Ones John Quinn and James Woodroffe are on board to executive produce the series with Watsham executive producing for UKTV.

Watsham added: Ross Noble is the ultimate comic improviser but even so it's a brave thing to do to put yourself in the hands of the fans and take whatever is thrown at you. This format absolutely plays to his strengths however and I'm confident that the combination of innovation and humour with a really modern feel will appeal to a broad audience.

North said: Ross Noble Freewheeling takes Ross off the stage and sets him loose on the real world; it's a whole new twist on comedy on Dave. Social media is integral to the success of the show and we will be looking at innovative ways of engaging with his fans so they drive the editorial - Ross really is in the hands of the public.

Executive producer, Quinn added: This is the perfect vehicle for Ross a journey where anything could happen next completely reflects his free-form comedy.

James Woodroffe added, I'm slightly worried this could be my last job in TV.

Ross Noble Freewheeling will appear exclusively on Dave in the autumn.

ENDS

For more information contact:

Kerry Parker

Senior Corporate Communications Manager, UKTV

0207 745 3036

kerry.parker@uktv.co.uk

Laura McTurk

Publicity Manager

0207 7299 6261

kerry.mcturk@uktv.co.uk

Notes to Editors

About Dave (www.joindave.co.uk)

Satirical and edgy, Dave is the home of witty banter. Featuring the best in contemporary entertainment including QI, Mock the Week and Top Gear, Dave also showcases popular original series, such as Dave's One Night Stand, Jo Brand's Big Splash, Al Murray's Compete for Meat, Red Dwarf: Back to Earth and Carpool, all laden with the biggest names in British comedy.

Where to find Dave: Sky channel 111, Virgin TV channel 128, Freeview 12.

About UKTV (www.uktv.co.uk)

UKTV is a major industry player and one of the most important and successful multichannel providers in the UK. Formed in 1997, it is an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. (NYSE: SNI) .

Attracting over 41 million viewers each month, the network consists of 10 distinctive channel brands Watch, Gold, Dave, alibi, Yesterday, Blighty, Eden, Home, Really and Good Food offering a broad range of quality programming across entertainment, lifestyle and factual. UKTV currently operates 25 broadcast streams when its eight multiplexes and five HD channels are taken into account, and 11 highly successful websites. The network also runs video on demand (VOD) services on Sky and BT Vision and is part of TalkTalk on YouView. In addition, UKTV recently launched its own On Demand' services with Dave On Demand and Yesterday On Demand.

UKTV's successful programming strategy combines high profile original commissions and key acquisitions with quality content from the BBC.

All UKTV channels are distributed on Sky and Virgin Media. Dave, Really and Yesterday are also available on Freeview.

LINK:	http://uktv.co.uk/network/item/aid/656121...
	See more stories from uktv

Most recent headlines