WiththeimminentreleaseofRoseMatefeo’sbrandnewromcomStarstruckonBBCThreeattheendofApril,thiscomingyearmarksawatershedmomentinbroadcastinghistorywithmostBBCThreecomedyeitherstarring,writtenbyorcreatedbywomen.BBCThreewillbethefirstUKchanneltoachievethislandmarkinfemalerepresentationwith58%oflong-formscriptedcomedywrittenbywomen.UpcomingtitlesincludeLazySusan,StarstruckandEllieandNatasiaplusthesecondseriesofbothInMySkinandBacktoLife.Inadditiontothis,theBBCtodayannouncesfournewBBCComedySlicesforBBCThree,allofwhicharewrittenbyand/orstarfemaletalent:Ladybaby,Amicable,DinosaurandBritney,whichresultsinthemajorityofcomedyprogrammesonBBCThreenowbeingfemaleled.KateDaughton,outgoingHeadofComedyattheBBC,says:“BuildingonthehugesuccessofPhoebeWaller-BridgeandDaisyMayCooper,thismarksamonumentalachievementandistestamenttothefactthemostpioneeringandexcitingnewvoicesincomedyareincreasinglyfemale.”KateleavestheComedyCommissioningteamtodayhavingmadeatremendousimpactoverseeingaraftoffemalefirsttitles.SinceKate’sarrivalin2017shehascommissionedandnurturedFleabag,Mum,Ghosts,Gavin&Stacey:ChristmasSpecial(2019),ThisTimeWithAlanPartridge,BacktoLife,TheGoesWrongShow,OutofHerMind,TwoDoorsDown,InMySkinandManLikeMobeen.AlongsidetheforthcomingWitchfinder,Alma’sNotNormalandStephenMerchantseriesTheOffenders(w/t).ShaneAllen,DirectorofBBCComedy,says:“Fiveyearsagotherewerestillarticlesaskingwhereallthefunnywomenwere.Thathoaryoldnonsensecanfinallybedispensedwithonceandforall.It’salevelplayingfieldwiththemostvibrantanddynamicworkcomingthroughfromfemaleswritersandwriterperformerswhoareelevatingtheartformofcomedyandexpandingitshorizons.AsforKateDaughton,nolongerwillshecurseatmeforloudsneezingintheoffice.Partlybecauseshe’sleavingandmostlybecausewe’venotbeenintheoffice.Trulybereft;indenialthatshe’soffandwe’reluckytohavehadherforsolong.”CharlotteMoore,ChiefContentOfficer,says:“Kate’simpeccabletaste,whipsmartcomedybrainandbeguilingwayswithtalenthavehadatransformativeimpactonthecomedyoutputinhertimehere.ThefactthatBBCThreecanclaimtobethefirstUKchannelwithamajorityoffemaleledandwrittenscriptedcomedyisinlargepartdowntohervisionandpassionforbackinggenredefiningfemalecreatives.She’llbesorelymissedbutthankfullyleavesbehindaterrificlegacyofshowsahead.
