More 4 plans to make its first original comedy series, picking up the David Cross sitcom The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret.

A pilot aired during Channel 4’s Comedy Showcase season in November, and now the digital sister channel is reportedly in talks with a US co-producer to bring it to a full six part-series.

Arrested Development star Cross, who co-wrote the show with Shaun Pye, plays the title character: a hapless American office drone who flukes his way into a top management job in Britain.

Fellow cast members including Sharon Horgan, Russell Tovey and Will Arnett are set to return for the full season.

Channel 4 comedy head Shane Allen told trade magazine Broadcast that More 4 was the show’s natural home, alongside Curb Your Enthusiasm. He said: ‘It’s a real passion piece for David, who’s been feverishly writing away since the pilot.’

It is not the only Comedy Showcase pilot to have been picked up.

The university-set Campus, from by Green Wing creator Victoria Pile, is to be extended from the half-hour format into six 45-minute episodes to air this autumn.

Allen told Broadcast: ‘It felt constrained as a 30-minute sitcom.’

Fellow Comedy Showcases Pete v Life and Phoneshop have already been picked up for series by Channel 4 and E4 respectively.

Channel 4 has now commissioned all its comedy shows for 2010.

Here is a clip from The Increasingly Poor Decisions Of Todd Margaret

Published: 21 Jan 2010