James Acaster and Josh Widdicombe are to host a new panel show for Dave based on ridiculous fictional situations.

Eight episodes of Hypothetical has been commissioned, in which comedians will compete for points based on how well they deal with the scenarios set.

Examples given are: ‘You have to live in a motorway services for a year. How do you cope?’, ‘You have to take a selfie with Nicolas Cage within 48 hours or die. How do you do it?’ and ‘You've been booked for the Royal Variety Performance with an hour to spare. You can't do comedy. What do you do?’

Widdicombe said: ‘I have spent the last decade of my life annoying other comics with these questions in cars and dressing rooms so I am delighted Dave have allowed me to claim that I was in fact researching a show and not just wasting everyone's time.

‘More to the point I cannot wait to work alongside the man who makes me laugh more than anyone else in comedy. I just hope this goes better than our 2009 Edinburgh show (one star, Three Weeks magazine).’

James Acaster said: ‘The only thing that isn't hypothetical about Hypothetical is how awesome it's going to be. It's the show Josh was born to host and the show I was adopted into in order to help out with. The guests are top notch, the questions are first class and answers are guaranteed to be craaaazzzzzzyyyyy!’

Dave’s channel director Luke Hales added: ‘We loved the format when it landed on our desks - in a world of semi-scripted panel shows it really stood out from the pack and felt fresh and different.

‘The format forces improvisation and you get to see the comics thinking on their feet and making it up as they go along. It's really fun, really funny and very smart. ‘

The show is being made by Have I Got News For You producers Hat Trick, who describe it as a ‘very silly, relentlessly funny new show hosted by two comedians at the top of their game’.

And executive producer Stuart Mather revealed that the show was first pitched via a Whatsapp conversation.

Acaster used to be a frequent guest on his friend Widdicombe’s XFM show, where he’d share anecdotes which became known as his ‘scrapes’. A book of those stories was released last year.

Hypothetical will be taped at Pinewood Studios in August and September, and free audience tickets are available here.

Published: 25 Jul 2018