Channel 4 is planning an autumn comedy bonanza with the second series of Catastrophe joining the last ever Peep Show and returns for Fresh Meat, Toast of London and Drifters.


Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s break-out hit about an unlikely couple brought together by a pregnancy has been moved forward in the schedules as C4 aims to “own” the autumn season of comedy, sources have told RadioTimes.com.

The return of the show – which ended in February as Horgan’s character went into labour – is now being slated for this October, rather than early 2016 as had been originally planned, with its “enormous popularity” also cited as a major factor in the decision to bing it back more quickly.

“Viewers have told us they can’t wait a year for the show so they won’t have to,” said the source.

The new series of Peep Show – the ninth and last ever – is also planned for an autumn broadcast, seeing the final appearance of Robert Webb and David Mitchell’s hapless flatmates Jez and Mark alongside co-stars such as Broadchurch’s Olivia Colman.

One of Channel 4’s longest running comedies, Peep Show began in 2003, propelling its stars Mitchell and Webb to mainstream fame and winning critical acclaim and awards including the Rose d’Or, Baftas and RTS accolades.

The latter half of the year on Channel 4 will also see the third series of Toast of London, Matt Berry’s outlandish comedy about hapless actor Steven Toast, and the fourth and final run of university-set comedy Fresh Meat.

Written by Peep Show creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, the final Fresh Meat will reunite flatmates JP (Jack Whitehall) Vod (Zawe Ashton), Howard (Greg McHugh), Oregon (Charlotte Ritchie), Kingsley (Joe Thomas) and Josie (Kimberley Nixon).

And if that’s not enough, the rainy autumn days will be lit up by a new third series of E4’s flatshare comedy Drifters, about three skint and single friends trying to figure out love and life in Leeds.

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