BBC 2 today announced Lethal will be the latest comedy pilot for the channel, which will air as part of the New On Two strand in 2021.
This tells us two things: more Diane Morgan beyond any return for Motherland and there will be a New on Two strand in 2021. From the announcement we fair sense of the idea behind Lethal.
It will star Diane Morgan as Becky, a woman from Bolton obsessed with America and who has always wanted to live there. But, when her visa application is denied she has to come up with a Plan B. Her Plan B is simple, marry a prisoner on death row, get her Green Card and live the American Dream.
Diane Morgan says:
“Some people will walk through the parched desert to get into America, some will cross a vast ocean, only one woman is prepared to marry a maniac to get there. And that woman is me. Well, a woman I play. But I probably would too.”
Diane Morgan has appeared in a number of much loved comedies in recent years including Cunk On Britain, Motherland and After Life. Diane also created, directed and starred as the lead character in BBC Two comedy Mandy, which started life as a Comedy Short in 2019 before a full series aired earlier in 2020 on BBC Two. You can watch Mandy for the next eight months on iPlayer here.
Pippa Brown, Creative Director Comedy at Lookout Point, recently co-wrote and produced BBC One’s The Other One and her previous producing credits include BBC Three’s Bad Education and the subsequent movie and the critically acclaimed Psychobitches, which aired on Sky Arts.
The press release also tells us more about the New on Two strand: Since launching in 2016, BBC Two’s New On Two strand has been home to a host of brand new comedy pilots on the channel. These pilots, with some going on to full series commissions, feature both emerging voices and established names too, including Lee Mack, Sophie Willan and Spencer Jones amongst others.
Given Diane Morgan’s track record, we at Cultbox are sure Lethal will become a series and look forward to seeing the pilot, hopefully sometime in 2021.