Sharon Rooney, star of the new, and already hugely popular, E4 drama, My Mad Fat Diary, has revealed that one of the shows main objectives was to raise awareness of mental illness.

Rooney, who plays 16-year old Stamford girl, Rae in the E4 show, is actually from Glasgow, though you would never be able to tell whilst watching My Mad Fat Diary, of which she commented to the Metro newspaper: “Everyone’s surprised by the accent. But it’s not the proper Stamford one – though the locals said I got pretty close. Growing up as an only child, I spent a lot of time watching TV and copying accents. But I had friends too – don’t make me sound like a sad loser!”
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Yesterday, Channel 4’s Comedy Commissioning Editor, Fiona McDermott, announced that the channel is producing a new series called Drifters, which apparently a female version of The Inbetweeners.

The channel’s press release about the spin-off reads…

Drifters is a comedy drama about three twenty-something young women experiencing their first slice of the real world post University – making terrible decisions, but having a brilliant time doing it.

For the ‘Drifter’ girls it’s time to start asking some serious questions: What do they do now? Who are they going to be? And is it ok to shag someone with a sweat problem if you haven’t had sex in twelve months?

The sitcom will star Jessica Knappett as Meg, Lydia Rose Bewley as Bunny, and Lauren O’Rourke as Laura… Read more & comment »

The Midnight Beast. Coming to E4 in July.

Now, I have to begin this post by owning up to the fact that I’ve never heard of The Midnight Beast before…

Which, given that the whole concept is something of a sensation in a YouTube kinda way – and I’m meant to be hip and happenin’ on the entertainment scene front, which I’m clearly not – is something of an epic fail.

However, if you are similarly a TMB virgin – that’s short for The Midnight Beast by the way… oh, you knew that. Ok then – fear not for all shall be revealed here as Channel 4 and their BFF E4 have released a sneaky peek look at the forthcoming show, which you can see after the jump.

So, what is TMB? Well, apparently, it’s a British comedy group who’re based in London and who shot to t’interweb fame after they posted a parody of the 2009 hit track TiK ToK by American singer Ke$ha… Read more & comment »

2 Broke Girls, the new hit US comedy that started on E4 last night and we previewed yesterday morning has managed to charm viewers and proved to be a big ratings winner for the channel.

According to overnight viewing figure reports this morning, the New York diner based comedy attracted over 1million viewers for E4 for it’s debut episode. An impressive figure of 1.1 million viewers were intrigued enough to decide to tune into the new show at 9pm and see what all the fuss and hype was about.

The first episode introduced the main characters of streetwise working class diner waitress Max and formally privileged but now disgraced Caroline and followed them as they started to work together in the greasy spoon Brooklyn diner, strike up an unlikely friendship, move in together and then decide to make their ultimate dream of owning a cupcake business a reality. It nestled in amongst established US comedies such as The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your mother which are also big hits on both in America and here in the UK.

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ABC drama Revenge is set to air here in the UK later this year on E4, and one of the show’s stars, Joshua Bowman, reckons the show’s sure to do well here as it has a “similar undercurrent” to hit period drama, Downton Abbey.

Joshua – who formerly starred in Holby City before heading Stateside – expanded on his thoughts about how similar Revenge is to Downton, telling the PA, “It’s got a similar undercurrent to it, where there’s lots of secrets and stuff going on.

“So I think it will work, hopefully it will.”

In Revenge, Joshua stars alongside leading lady Emily VanCamp – who plays Emily Thorne – as her “love interest”, and he revealed that he’s loved working with her.

He said, “She’s fantastic. Extremely talented and I learn from her every day…” Read more & comment »

Channel 4 have announced that American drama ‘Revenge’ – which is made by ABC Studios – is set to air in the UK on E4.

Starring Emily VanCamp and Madeleine Stowe, Revenge is about “an ancient, universal impulse” which is handed down through generations of families who have scores to settle.

Emily Thorne, who’s played by VanCamp, is the latest arrival in the elite Hamptons, and at first glance, she appears to be a friendly and sophisticated girl next door type who fits right in…

But as she’ll discover, the affluent, exclusive set of the Hamptons harbour dark family secrets, and nothing is as it seems.

However, neither is Emily… Read more & comment »

Good news for fans of Channel 4 and E4 comedy today in that C4 is to air a new prank show, entitled, I’m Spazticus, and E4 have renewed sitcom, PhoneShop.

Starting with the announcement of the new show, C4 describe it as “a brand new prank show featuring disabled performers pranking able bodied members of the public.”

There will apparently be, “A mix of hidden camera, moc doc and with a studio based element, the show will feature a number of recurring characters as well as one-offs.”

Commissioned initially for five episodes, each thirty minutes long, the pilot episode will air to coincide with Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympics this year… Read more & comment »

It’s been revealed today that a special Christmas treat all the way from Chester is arriving on our screens on December 23rd at 9pm on E4…

And that special treat is a bumper ‘Best Bits’ show, which will feature the, “sexiest, funniest, biggest, bestest moments from a phenomenal year in Hollyoaks,” so sayeth a statement from the show’s bosses.

You lurvely Hollyoaks viewers can get in on deciding just which plotline qualify as “sexy best bits” by voting for your favourite. Click here to go to Hollyoaks’ official website to see how to do that.

Also, The Hollyoaks Music Show is set to return to Channel 4 in December for an hour-long Christmas special… Read more & comment »

Channel 4 have announced that they’ve commissioned a new – and apparently, rather gross – show that’s entitled, World’s Greatest Body Shockers.

The World’s Greatest Body Shockers – which will be made by Twofour – is to be presented by comedian Tom Allen, who’s set to add his own funny commentary to the shockers shown.

Juliet Rice, the Executive Producer at Twofour, said, “We’ve had great fun at Twofour making rating grabbing list shows for E4 in the last year…

“And with Tom Allen at the helm of Greatest Body Shockers, we plan to shake up the countdown format delivering another unmissable show.”

And just as it says on the tin, the new show – which was commissioned by the channel’s Commissioning Editor David Williams – will feature some of the world’s most amazing body transformations… Read more & comment »

C4 Entertainment Commissioning Editor David Williams has commissioned Date Me Baby One More Time (working title), a non-TX pilot for E4.

The comedy entertainment show, which aims to encourage estranged couples to rekindle their love, will be produced by Twenty Twenty productions.

The 30-minute format sees stand up comedian Tom Allen set out on a mission to bring exes back together in a series of ever more audacious stunts.

Using anything and everything at his disposal, Allen will take one heartbroken ex under his wing to win the other back… Read more & comment »

C4 Entertainment Commissioning Editor David Williams has ordered a full series of Playing It Straight – the hit dating show that first aired on C4 in 2005.

The 8×60 commission from Lion Television is being filmed in Spain and the new series will be hosted by T4 presenter, Jameela Jamil.

All contestants enter the show believing they are taking part in a new dating show called ‘Dream Date’ until Jameela reveals they are, in fact, on ‘Playing It Straight’.

This leaves one shocked single girl to choose her perfect man from a group of 12 young bachelors; some of whom are gay and must pretend they are straight in order to win the girl’s heart and a cash prize. Read more & comment »

Andrew Jackson

E4 is offering singletons the ride of their lives in brand new series Love Shaft, which takes one lucky singleton from the lobby to the penthouse, meeting sexy singles as their lift stops off at various floors on its way up, taking speed dating to new levels.

The doors of the lift open on each floor on the way up, and the singleton will be met by a waiting suitor. Both will ride together to the next floor and the potential date has to impress quickly; as the doors close on the pair they will be set an ice breaker task. Each task has been designed to help the couple rise to the occasion and make the most of their one-on-one time together.

The duo might get the chance to give each other a sensual massage or partake in some body painting. But will it be enough? Will sparks fly or will it be a close encounter best forgotten? Read more & comment »

What’s On TV magazine report today that the rather sudden exit of Robert Sheehan’s character Nathan, and the entrance of actor Joe Gilgun, in E4′s Misfits will be explained via an online-only “mini movie.”

Entitled, ‘Vegas Baby!’ the movie will give fans a chance to see Nathan – who has a new superpower – “going out in style”.

WOTV adds, “With Marnie and Nathan Jr in tow, he’s planning to use his superpower to scam the casinos in Las Vegas. When it fails, he has to go on the run and call up an old friend…” Read more & comment »

Channel 4 has partnered with US social network GetGlue to offer stickers and rewards for some of E4′s top shows.

Viewers will be able to earn exclusive stickers and rewards for brand new E4 drama series Beaver Falls.

The cross-promotion coincides with the series premiere of Beaver Falls (Thu 27 July, 9pm, E4) but will also include limited edition stickers for upcoming series of Bafta award winning shows such as Skins and Misfits. This is the first time that GetGlue are offering stickers from a network outside the US, and E4 will be the exclusive international launch partner.

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Franklin & Bash, the brand new lawyery-type comedy coming to E4 on July 13th, 2011.
After winning a high-profile case, streetwise, smart-assed lawyer lads (and life-long bromatic chums) Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar – you know, Zack Morris off of Saved by the ruddy Bell) and Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) get new jobs at a big ol’ stuffy law firm. Now it’s time for them to shake things up.

How will these courtroom rebels cope in the buttoned-down world of corporate law? Pretty darn hilariously, that’s how. Watch the trailer after the jump… Read more & comment »