Big day for me tomorrow…

All comics will write a sit-com. And I mean ALL comics. And almost all of these shows will never get made. And of those that do – most of them are poor and last just one series.

Over the years, I have written many sit-coms and tomorrow – after some 20 years, at 10pm on ITV4 – Warren United will air – the first of the two episodes that I have penned.

I have yet to see it myself – so I will be tuning in tomorrow with a sense of extreme anxiety.

Do please tune in and I hope you enjoy it. Do let me know.

To date the show has been well received

• “Eminently watchable”:

The Guardian says “Watch this”

The Guardian Guide: “The pedigree of the scriptwriters and actors – from Simon Nye to Morwenna Banks – ensures that this one is eminently watchable.”

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/apr/29/tv-highlights-warren-united

• “Pretty damn good… shows tremendous promise”:

Keith O’Sullivan, Sunday Mirror TV columnist, on the Matthew Wright show:

“And along comes Warren United, tucked away on itv4… and it was really pretty damn good… There were lots of good lines in it, lots of good characters… it shows tremendous promise… ”

• “Britain finally produces a potentially viable adult sitcom.”

The Times: *** Three stars

• “Much more fun than most recent conventional sitcoms”:

Sunday Times “Critic’s Choice” and “Pick of The Day”

“… it’s much more fun than most recent conventional sitcoms, with a pair of speaking police horses as the star turn”.

• “A pleasant surprise all round”

Daily Mail Weekend: **** Four Stars

“Simon Nye and David Quantick are among the writers of this new, nicely turned out animated comedy about an obsessive football fan … there are a lot of great details in the script and the animation – especially the talking horses. A pleasant surprise all round.”

• “Plenty to laugh at… moments that are little gems”: Mail on Sunday: PICK OF THE DAY: **** Four Stars:
The Mail on Sunday, 20/04/2014

“Whether you love or loathe football, there’s plenty to laugh at in the new animated comedy written by Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly) and supreme gagmeister David Quantick.
… With comedy stalwarts Johnny Vegas and Morgana Robinson also lining up, there’s a strong cast of voices but it’s the writing that makes Warren United work, thanks to the quirky little details – an ice-cream van with the sign ‘Doldrums Ices’ and moments that are little gems: look out for the talking police horses.”

• “Could Warren United be the British answer to The Simpsons? … the first episode was promising…”
The Independent

• “Looks like a winner”: The People – TV Choice:

“This new animated sitcom about family, football and the passion of being a fan looks like a winner.”

• “Hilarious New Animated Comedy”: Mirror.co.uk (Web) 10/04/2014:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/delve-itv4s-new-football-comedy-3396278

“The team behind Alan Partridge have produced an hilarious new animated football show that is all about supporting a useless team.”

• “ITV4’s hilarious new animated football comedy show Warren United”: Mirror.co.uk

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/exclusive-first-look-itv4s-hilarious-3343286

• “Must-See TV Everyone is Talking About”: The Sun

Here are some extracts pulled from various blogs and online coverage:

Arsenal News:
“Warren United is funny, brave and very engaging! An element of family guy mixed in with football this cartoon is sure to be a hit!”
http://www.arsenalnews.co.uk/tv-review-warren-united-a-new-football-animation/link/750645/

Daily Cannon:
“impossible, as a football fan, not to identify with … the lead character”

“It’s sure to be a hit with fans from all clubs because it’s very well made and the script is excellent”
http://ladyarse.co.uk/2014/04/exclusive-arsenal-inspire-new-itv-animated-sitcom/
Read more at: http://ladyarse.co.uk/2014/04/exclusive-arsenal-inspire-new-itv-animated-sitcom/ | Daily

Read more at: http://ladyarse.co.uk/2014/04/exclusive-arsenal-inspire-new-itv-animated-sitcom/ | Daily Cannon

Turnstile Blues:
“promising new animated sitcom. It has an impressive cast of voice performers”

“the funniest talking police horses I can recall seeing in a British animated sitcom”

The Football Pink:
“some wonderful moments of true comedy”

“Warren amusingly displays all the traits that (we) football supporters’ exhibit”

http://footballpink.net/2014/04/21/united-with-warren-reviewing-itvs-new-animated-football-show/

Does Warren United Warrant Your Attention?

Warren United has a lot more to offer than that and is certainly worthy of your time… there is a great deal of originality to the production.”

With a pedigree of writers, producers, animators and stars, it is difficult to see why such an easy to enjoy show has been buried in the television schedules on ITV4 sat alongside old repeats of television shows and obscure sports events nobody cares about, Warren is a show that is worth so much more than that, so hopefully if it gets recommissioned we will see it promoted to a channel where people can actually find it.

It is a well put together, enjoyable sitcom, which will hopefully set things straight for the future of UK animated sitcom development and give commissioners the confidence to back more shows akin to this one. In short Warren United could be the mouthwash that will get rid of that awful taste of Full English.

http://www.arsenalnews.co.uk/tv-review-warren-united-a-new-football-animation/link/750645/ [Also published on various other football blogs]

Warren United is funny, brave and very engaging! An element of family guy mixed in with football this cartoon is sure to be a hit!

Please tune in to watch Warren United on ITV 4 at 10pm-just after the Champions League semi-final, it’s really worth watching and if nothing else you’ll laugh for 30 mins.

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