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Taking The Flak. Image of Jane (Doon Mackichan). Image credit: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Taking The Flak
Taking The Flak. Image of Jane (Doon Mackichan). Image credit: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

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Taking The Flak

This new show is currently in development. Details are not complete and may change.

Sitcom coming in 2009 about a team of journalists reporting on a small African war

AKA:
The Calais Rules (Working Title)
Genre:
Sitcom
Broadcast:
2009  (BBC Two)
Episodes:
6 (1 series)
Starring:
Martin Jarvis, Doon Mackichan, Bruce Mackinnon, Rhashan Stone, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, George Alagiah, Sophie Raworth, Dermot Murnaghan
Writers:
Tira Shubart, Sandra Jones, Jon Rolph
Production:
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

An acerbic, authentic and caustic comedy that covers the entire progress of a small African war, as seen through the eyes of a team of journalists sending back the nightly reports for the BBC News at Ten.

The team includes the smooth, veteran correspondent; the harassed, but infinitely resourceful, producer; and the green and gauche rookie stringer, dropped into a hotel and forced to choose between a room on 'the shooting side' and 'the mortar side'.

Journalists in war zones live in a state of perpetual bloody war - with themselves, their organisation, their colleagues, their competitors and their loved ones. So, if they can't get themselves embedded with the invading forces, they'll get embedded with each other.

In the first true synthesis of news and narrative comedy, Taking The Flak is shot by an award-winning news cameraman entirely on location in Kenya and created, co-written and co-produced by experienced, award winning journalists. It will also include cameo appearances from real BBC News anchors George Alagiah, Sophie Raworth and Dermot Murnaghan.

Our Review: This comedy was originally announced as part of BBC Two's Winter/Spring 2008 line-up, but will now appear on BBC Two in the New Year. The main bulk of the series is being filmed in East Africa in early autumn.