E4 commissions Crashing

E4 has commissioned a six-part sitcom about six 20 to 30-something adults living together as Property Guardians in a disused hospital.

Written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Broadchurch, Bad Education, Fleabag), and produced by Big Talk Productions, Crashing is “about that time in your life when the reality of being an adult kicks you hard in the crotch.”

A blurb for the show reads:

“In an age of unaffordable housing and sky-high rents, becoming a Property Guardian has never been so appealing, with thousands of people paying as little as £25 a week to live in unoccupied buildings in exchange for ‘protecting’ the property from disrepair. Just imagine waking up every morning in your own historic building in the most exciting city in the world. Even if it is an enormous, creepy, derelict hospital.”

As a writer, Waller-Bridge enjoyed success at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her one-woman show, Fleabag. She won a Fringe First Award and The Stage Award for Best Solo Performance.

She has also been nominated for Most Promising New Playwright at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.

Her writing TV credits include Drifters, and acting TV credits include Broadchurch, Henry, Bad Education and The Café, with film credits including Albert Nobbs and The Iron Lady.

Channel 4 Comedy Commissioning Editor, Rachel Springett said: “Phoebe is such extraordinary new writer/performer talent.

“We are thrilled to be making her first ever sitcom on the Channel and we look forward to unleashing her unique voice and humour onto the world!”

Kenton Allen, Chief Executive at Big Talk Productions added: “We’re thrilled to be working with the phenomenally talented Phoebe on her first TV series.

“She is at the forefront of the next generation of female writer/performers and has a unique comic voice so we can’t wait to breathe life into her fabulous scripts.”

The series will go into production over the summer and will be broadcast on E4 next year.