Even after ending his long run on “Saturday Night Live,” Andy Samberg isn’t entirely ready to leave the small screen behind.
BBC Three announced on Tuesday (June 12) that Samberg has signed on to star with Greg Davies in the new comedy “Cuckoo.”
Created by Robin French and Kieron Quirke, the six-part comedy focuses on Midlands-based parents Ken (“Inbetweeners” vet Greg Davies) and Lorna (“Cold Feet” and “Friends” vet Helen Baxendale) who are surprised to pick up their daughter (Tamla Kari) after a year away to discover that she’s now married to a “spiritual ninja” named Cuckoo (Samberg).
The BBC Three release describes Cuckoo as “a slacker full of outlandish, New Age ideas” and suggests that he wreaks havoc on his new in-laws.
Blurbs BBC Three Controller Zai Bennett, “BBC Three continues to break new comedy. Cuckoo is both original and unique. We’re delighted to be announcing this exciting new sitcom with such an illustrious cast from two of my favourite new writers.”
Adds producer Ash Atalla (“The IT Crowd”), “The best of British meets the toast of Hollywood. We hope Cuckoo cements the special relationship between our two great countries. I imagine Obama and Cameron will be watching closely.”
“Cuckoo” will begin production later this summer and will premiere later this year. Or at least it will premiere in the UK later this year. “Cuckoo” does not currently have US distribution.
Is it becoming a new trend for the stars of long-running American TV shows to head Across the Pond for a little addition series work after the completion of their domestic runs? “Trend” may be an overstatement, but Jeremy Piven followed up his “Entourage” run with ITV1’s “Mr. Selfridge,” which also has yet to earn American distribution.