Are we entering a new era for the genre?
Noel Fielding has described his Apple TV+ series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin as a “return” to Monty Python’s style of British comedy, following years of “very real and awkward” humour.
The series transforms the highwayman into a kind-hearted, soft-spoken soul, who falls in with a loveable band of misfits played by Ellie White (Wonka), Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing), Marc Wootton (Nativity!) and Duayne Boachie (Blue Story).
Greg Davies (The Cleaner), Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner) and Hugh Bonneville (Paddington) also star as the villains of the piece, while a number of famous faces pop up in cameo roles.
Speaking at a press conference, Fielding cited the large ensemble, lavish sets and silly sense of humour as elements that bring Dick Turpin closer to a style of comedy that has been largely scaled back in recent years.
He explained: “I think it’s maybe a return to British comedy in line with Monty Python, Spike Milligan, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Vic Reeves, Chris Morris – it’s more that kind of ilk.
“Obviously, The Office is amazing and I love The Office, but I guess that spawned millions of other shows that were like that – very real and awkward. And this is much more visual and whimsical and joyful.”
Of course, there have been other carriers of the flame, with the troupe behind BBC’s Ghosts also eliciting frequent comparisons with Python, but generally, there has been a greater focus on realism in recent British comedy.
The question is: could the balance be about to shift once more?
Chaudhry went on to champion the UK’s long history of producing trailblazing work in the genre.
“It’s literally an all-star cast of some of the finest British comedians,” he said. “And I think we – not to brag, I know there’s a lot of Americans in here – but we do comedy the best.
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“We’ve got the history, we’ve got the lineage and we know how to do that deadpan, the surrealist, the delusional – we can do it all. And I think people look to us around the world for comedy.”
The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin premieres globally with the first two episodes on Friday 1st March 2024, followed by new episodes weekly, every Friday exclusively on Apple TV+.
Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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