The IT Crowd creator and 6 Music presenter making pilot for show set on a data-hub floating around the Earth

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Graham Linehan and Adam Buxton are writing a sitcom set in space for Channel 4.

The Cloud centres on the crew of a station floating around the Earth.

Cloud Station 13 is described as a place set up to protect the vast amounts of information humanity now hoards on its devices – the majority of which comprises selfies, pictures of kittens and a lot of porn.

The disparate group manning the hub are billed by the makers as being far from technical whizzes which is problematic as the technology – including a largely voice-activated ship - is unreliable.

Linehan is the creator of Father Ted and The IT Crowd, while Buxton boasts credits including Adam & Joe and The Persuasionists.

Nerys Evans, deputy head of comedy at Channel 4, commissioned the pair to come up with the pilot, which is set to shoot in this spring.



Buxton will star alongside Aisling Bea (Trollied) and Jamie Demetriou (Cockroaches) in the pilot produced and directed by The IT Crowd’s Richard Boden.



Boden has an established working relationship with Linehan, sharing directorial duties on previous series The IT Crowd, The Walshes and Count Arthur Strong.

The comedy writing duo have been working together on a space-based idea for some time, according to reports.

Buxton told the British Comedy Guide in 2013 that he was working with Linehan on a show that was sci-fi, describing it as “something I’ve always wanted to do”.

Linehan and Buxton previously teamed to develop East European animator character Pavel, which Buxton rolled out during a spot at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2005. The Cloud is the pair’s first TV project together.



Channel 4 is expected to decide on whether or not to commission a series later this year.