Third Series Of Episodes Commissioned
Saturday, 22 September 2012 - Reported by John Bowman
A third series of the award-winning comedy Episodes has been commissioned by BBC Two.
The show - starring Tamsin Greig as Beverly Lincoln, Stephen Mangan as Sean Lincoln, and Matt LeBlanc as a stylised version of himself - will enter production in London and Los Angeles next year and will again be written by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik. As with the second series, it will comprise nine episodes.
In January this year, LeBlanc won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series - Comedy or Musical for the seven-part first series of Episodes, which was shown in the UK from 9th January to 20th February 2011. The programme was nominated for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical but lost out to Modern Family.
The show, which is a Hat Trick/Crane Klarik production for the BBC and Showtime Networks, will be executive-produced by Jimmy Mulville, Crane, Klarik, and Sharp.
The show - starring Tamsin Greig as Beverly Lincoln, Stephen Mangan as Sean Lincoln, and Matt LeBlanc as a stylised version of himself - will enter production in London and Los Angeles next year and will again be written by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik. As with the second series, it will comprise nine episodes.
In the second series we saw the aftermath of Beverly's one-night stand with Matt. Her marriage was over and Matt's friendship with Sean was beyond repair but all were forced to work together as their sitcom, Pucks, was about to premiere.
As the series progressed we were plunged deeper into the twisted world of making television and were given an insight into the hilarious and bitter-sweet portrait gallery of megalomaniac network executives, surgically-enhanced actresses, and naked stalkers. The final episode of series two saw all the skeletons come out of the closet as affairs were uncovered and true feelings revealed.
BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow said: As the series progressed we were plunged deeper into the twisted world of making television and were given an insight into the hilarious and bitter-sweet portrait gallery of megalomaniac network executives, surgically-enhanced actresses, and naked stalkers. The final episode of series two saw all the skeletons come out of the closet as affairs were uncovered and true feelings revealed.
I'm delighted that the critically-acclaimed Episodes is returning for a third series to BBC Two. The last season ended with a thrilling finale and like the rest of the audience I can't wait to find out what happens next.
Gregor Sharp, executive editor for comedy, said: David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik are supremely-talented comedy writers and we're thrilled they'll be bringing their amazing cast back to the BBC for another series of Episodes.
Series 2, which aired in the UK between 11th May and 6th July 2012, averaged a consolidated audience of 1.1 million (5.17 per cent share). In January this year, LeBlanc won a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series - Comedy or Musical for the seven-part first series of Episodes, which was shown in the UK from 9th January to 20th February 2011. The programme was nominated for Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical but lost out to Modern Family.
The show, which is a Hat Trick/Crane Klarik production for the BBC and Showtime Networks, will be executive-produced by Jimmy Mulville, Crane, Klarik, and Sharp.