Thursday 14th January 2016 UKTVs flagship comedy channel Gold today announced a brand new scripted comedy to its growing slate of originals.
Actor Simon Callow is cast in The Rebel (3x30) a series inspired by Andrew Birchs long-running cartoon strip in Oldie Magazine. The Rebel is produced by Retort, the FremantleMedia UK label specialising in scripted comedy, and stars Simon Callow (Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral) as leading man and rebel Henry Palmer.
Simon Callow said
The Rebel is a wildly funny, edgy and sometimes rather searing new sitcom which could hardly be more now. Henry is very very angry, and he has much to be angry about i.e. everything in the world around him. He sees himself as a fearless exposer of cant and folly. Others sometimes have a different view of him. Its a part I can relate to very very easily.
The Rebel is Henry Palmer, a near 70-year-old who looks every bit the respectable, fine, upstanding Brighton resident. Except that underneath it all hes not. For 50 years hes been putting his youthful past behind him; or perhaps more accurately, brushing it under the floral patterned carpet. In the Sixties he was a Mod, a regular visitor to Brighton on his mirrored up Vespa scooter, dressed in a Parka with a bulls-eye on the back, ready for a rumble with the Rockers on their motorbikes. Recently bereaved by the loss of his long-suffering wife, Henry shares this adjustment with his slightly impossible daughter, Cath and her utterly ineffectual husband, Jeremy. The Rebel in Henry never really went away. It was just brewing...
Adapted from his own cartoon strip series The Rebel, Private Eye cartoonist Andrew Birch, has created an anarchic, anti-establishment pensioner on steroids for the 21st Century.
UKTVs director of commissioning Richard Watsham, and general manager for Gold Steve North ordered the three-part series for the channel. The Rebel will be directed and produced by Vadim Jean (Leon the Pig Farmer, The Hogfather, The Color of Magic). Jon Rolph, Retort managing director, is executive producer, with senior commissioning editor Simon Lupton executive producing for UKTV.
Simon Lupton, Senior Commissioning Editor said
We are very excited to be working with Andrew and Retort on The Rebel, and are really looking forward to bringing such an irrepressible character to life. Henry is going to demonstrate that young people dont have a monopoly on anarchy, and I suspect hell ultimately bring out the rebel in us all. The marriage of an actor of the extraordinary calibre of Simon Callow, to a character with so much authenticity, heart and energy makes for an incredibly enticing addition to our original shows on Gold.
Jon Rolph, Managing Director of Retort, and Executive Producer, commented
Henry might be talking about his generation, but hes refusing to fade away - Andrew Birch has created an everyday hero, and one we all should want to be when we grow up. We cant wait for the brilliant Simon Callow to bring to our screens Henrys tireless rebellion against the petty, the lazy, the small-minded and the stupid things that incite us all to take a stand.
Steve North, general manager for Gold said
Gold is the home to some of comedys greatest characters who kick-back against society - they are the grown-up archetypal naughty child and it is enormous fun to watch - from Del Boy and Victor Mildrew through to Blackadder and Monty Python. Im excited that we are making The Rebel and to have Simon Callow on board to play Henry, who will be bringing warmth and charm to character I already cant wait to see.
Gold continues to attract top comedy names to the channel for its original commissions, including John Hannah, Jo Joyner, Sarah Alexander (Marleys Ghosts), Robert Lindsay and Maureen Lipman (Bull) with the shows performing strongly, pulling in audiences upwards of 300k individuals per episode.
The Rebel launches on Gold later this year and joins the line up of original scripted comedies set to launch on the channel, including Comic Strip Presents...The Red Top starring Russell Tovey and Maxine Peake, and Do Not Disturb starring Catherine Tate and Sian Gibson.
END
Notes to Editors: For all press enquiries and interview requests please contact;
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications
Gemma Pinkney, Publicist
Tamsyn Zietsman - Head of Consumer and Corporate Comms: Tamsyn.Zietsman@fremantlemediauk.com
About Gold Sky 110, Virgin 126, BT and TalkTalk 408. On demand on Sky, Virgin and Now TV
Dedicated to celebrating the best of British comedy, Gold is the nations favourite comedy channel. Much-loved comedy series such as Only Fools and Horses, The Vicar of Dibley and Outnumbered sit alongside successful commissions including Porridge: Inside Out, You, Me & Them, and the live broadcast of the final ever performance of the Monty Python Live (mostly): One Down Five to Go stage show which became the highest rating programme in Golds history earlier this year.
The perfect tonic to make you laugh whatever the time of day, Gold shows universally funny content that everyone can enjoy.
Gold.uktv.co.uk / @goldtvchannel
About Retort Retort is the FremantleMedia UK label specialising in scripted comedy, formed in January 2012 from the Scripted Comedy department of talkbackThames. Retort productions include: The IT Crowd Special (Channel 4), Birds of a Feather (ITV), BAFTA nominated Count Arthur Strong (BBC One), PhoneShop (E4) and most recently, Chewing Gum (E4).
Retort is the latest incarnation of a company that has produced some of the best and most popular sitcoms and sketch comedy of the last forty years, including ground-breaking and award-winning shows such as Brass Eye (Channel 4), Green Wing (Channel 4), Im Alan Partridge (BBC Two), Da Ali G Show (Channel 4) and many more.
About UKTV UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that accounts
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...
17/03/2026
Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...
17/03/2026
Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up
Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...
17/03/2026
Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently
The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...
17/03/2026
UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk
Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...
17/03/2026
Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...
17/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...
17/03/2026
As media organizations face mounting pressure to produce more content, faster, while maximizing value and operational efficiency, Tedial, a leading provider of ...
17/03/2026
Brainstorm, a leading manufacturer of real-time graphics, augmented and virtual production, is launching the newest version of its platform, Brainstorm Suite 7,...
17/03/2026
Limecraft today announces the release of Limecraft 2026.2, the second platform update in its 2026 release cycle. Limecraft is an AI-powered production platform ...
17/03/2026
Broadcast Solutions, a leading system integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast and media industry, showcased its latest broadcast and V...
17/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
The Multi-platform Remote Gues...
17/03/2026
Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 16, 2026
0 Comments
Sonnenfeld enhances the controlled interplay between warm and c...
17/03/2026
New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be...
17/03/2026
Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educa...
Thursday 14th January 2016 UKTVs flagship comedy channel Gold today announced a brand new scripted comedy to its growing slate of originals. 
