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Dara Briain forms Dara's Dull Appreciation Society for U

24/06/2026

24th June 2026, London: Dara Briain will host brand new comedy entertainment series Dara's Dull Appreciation Society (4x40') celebrating members of the public who take mundane to the max, on U's free streaming service (u.co.uk) produced by Interstellar.

Guests from across the country will showcase their seemingly dull, but actually quite interesting, collections, pastimes and passions. Dara and his board must decide who cuts the mild mustard, who is thrilling by mistake, and who earns the ultimate accolade each episode: the Golden Fleece. Dara is joined in his search by self-confessed prince of dullness John Robins, alongside two further comedian guests on the judging panel each episode. Dara's Dull Appreciation Society is produced by Interstellar.

Dara Briain says, The word dull is a lie; this is a show about great passions, dangerous obsessions and lives led with fervour, zeal and all-consuming devotion. But, y'know, for garage forecourts or antique supermarket shopping bags. There is greatness in the mundane!

John Robins says, I can't wait to grill our members to find out if they have extracted every ounce of pleasure from some of the dullest corners of the world. As someone who rates service stations based on cleanliness, choice and vibe , who maintains a Wordle spreadsheet and treats a supermarket shop like a military operation, I'm looking forward to spending time with my tribe!

Dara's Dull Appreciation Society is commissioned for UKTV by Jason Dawson, commissioning executive, and ordered by Gerald Casey, director of programming, unscripted, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Executive producers for Interstellar are David Williams and Jamie Ormerod, director of production is Sheryl Lacy and series producer is Mike Rayment.

Jason Dawson says, There's an implicit irony in just how excited we are to be working with Dara, John, and the producers at Interstellar on this joyous show. Along with the funniest comedians in the country, we're going to celebrate those eccentric everyday heroes who make the unremarkable truly remarkable and invite viewers to embrace their inner dull!

Gerald Casey says, With the winning combination of the brilliant Dara Briain as our host and the hilarious John Robins as the arbiter of all things dull, I'm sure our viewers will love this headfirst dive into the fascinating world of dullness.

Jamie Ormerod and David Williams, Interstellar, say, In a world packed with cynicism that seems to spin ever faster, we're appropriately whelmed to be making a show that slows down to appreciate the simple things in life. Dull is never boring; it's often surprising, oddly fascinating, and in the hands of Dara Briain, very, very funny too.

Dara's Dull Appreciation Society willstream on U and air on U&Dave. U is UKTV's free streaming service with over 9000 hours of content from UKTV's free-to-air channels U&Dave, U&Drama, U&Yesterday and U&W, as well as programming exclusive to U. U&Dave is UKTV's free-to-air entertainment channel that is home to Will & Ralf Should Know Better, Guy Martin: Proper Jobs and Clash of the Comics, as well as the upcoming Wagging Rights.U&Dave's first ever scripted drama commission, Hit Point, is coming to the channel and streaming service U this summer.

Dara's Dull Appreciation Society films next month and will air next year on U and U&Dave.

*ENDS*

For more information please contact:

Jasmine Brewer, Publicist, Unscripted

Audience tickets available at: https://www.sroaudiences.com/application.asp?show_id=712

About U

U is UKTV's free streaming service in the UK, offering on-demand access to programmes from UKTV's free-to-air channels: U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY and U&eden.

U is available online at and via the U app on mobile devices and tablets, as well as on smart TVs and streaming platforms including Freeview Play, Freely, Amazon Fire TV, YouView, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Freesat, Sky Glass, Sky Stream, NOW and Roku. Thousands of hours of selected U content are also available on Channel 4's streaming service.

U provides access to over 9,000 hours of programming, including exclusive original commissions, UK premieres and iconic BBC titles across drama, comedy, entertainment and factual entertainment. It was nominated for Best Streaming Service at the 2025 Edinburgh Television Festival Awards.

Programmes available on U include Bergerac, Whitstable Pearl, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Marlow Murder Club, Outrageous, The Bill, Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, Guy Martin: Proper Jobs, Bangers & Cash, Pete Wicks: For Dogs' Sake and MasterChef Australia.

U is the streaming home for UKTV's channel brands and their on-demand catalogue in the UK.

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of British television for over 30 years, with programmes spanning comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, available across its channel portfolio and its free streaming service, U (u.co.uk).

Shows from UKTV's free to air channels - U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY and U&eden - can be watched free in the UK on U, and via Freeview, Freesat, Freely, Sky and Virgin Media, with on demand access to thousands of hours of original commissions, acquisitions and archive titles. UKTV also operates dedicated FAST channels in the UK on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Prime, Pluto TV and Virgin Media.

UKTV's pay TV brands - U&GOLD and U&alibi - are available in the UK via Sky, Virgin Media and NOW. In Ireland, UKTVs channels are available via Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW.

UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity, commissioning original content and working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers across genres.

UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded producti
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