Comedy appears to be the flavour of the month for Australian TV networks, with a number of new light programs in the pipeline.
The Seven Network has announced it's scored English comedian Russell Brand's acclaimed TV show, while pay TV channel Movie Extra has revealed it started filming on a new local comedy series in Sydney on Monday.
They add to a growing number of comedies on Australian TV.
Called The Jesters, the Movie Extra program is a satire about the day-to-day battles of a sketch comedy veteran turned producer.
Australian actor Mick Molloy will star in the lead role of Dave Davies, alongside the likes of Deborah Kennedy and Susie Porter.
It will air in the second half of the year, according to the Movie Network Channels.
"The Jesters is a funny and dark look into the world of television comedy from the writers' room to the network board meetings - loaded with jealousy, pettiness, and treachery - all the things that make show-business so much fun," a statement said.
A spokesman for the Movie Network Channels, Peter Jenetsky, said he believed the "clever" series would win over viewers.
"We think the time is right and viewers will love us taking a poke at the satirical comedy genre," he said.
Rival Seven says it will air Brand's BAFTA-nominated series called Ponderland from the end of April.
No timeslot has been confirmed.
The series uses a mix of stand-up, nostalgia and archival TV and video footage, with each episode taking on a topic like love, family and pets, to holidays, crime and sport.
Meanwhile, Network Ten has announced that funny guy Rove McManus' production team Roving Enterprises will start work on a new program to air in the second half of the year.
There is speculation it will be a comedy but Ten's programming boss David Mott was coy on the details, format and style.
"It is not a drama, it is not a quiz show, it is not a reality format or a repeat sitcom, but it is uniquely Australian," Mott said.
It'll air in the second half of the year in the 7pm timeslot, with more details to be announced soon.
Other anticipated comedy shows to return this year, include the sketch show Thank God You're Here, which moves from Network Ten to Seven, while The Chaser boys will be back on the ABC.
Later this month, a new Australian comedy, Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure will debut on the ABC.
A second series of local comedy Chandon Pictures will air on the Movie Extra channel later this month, while the first series comes to free-to-air for the first time on the ABC.
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