The Advertising Industry Gets The Sitcom Treatment.

LONDON, Wednesday 6th January 2010; From the makers of the award-winning series, The Inbetweeners, and debut screenwriter, Jonathan Thake, comes new British sitcom, The Persuasionists.

Renowned for ‘the slag of all snacks’ campaign for Pot Noodle, Jonathan Thake draws on his experience in the fast paced world of advertising for this six part series.

The sitcom focuses on the lives of five overpaid and underworked employees at fictional advertising agency HHH&H.

The series stars Adam Buxton, (6Music’s – Adam & Joe, Hot Fuzz, Randall & Hopkirk Deceased), Iain Lee (11 O’clock Show, Absolute Radio), Simon Farnaby (Bunny and the Bull, Jam & Jerusalem), Daisy Haggard (Psychoville, Ashes to Ashes) and brilliant stand-up comedian Jarred Christmas.

The uncontrollable urge-bag Keaton (Simon Farnaby) peruses the workplace for new conquests – everyone he hasn’t already had. Billy (Iain Lee), the intelligent underachiever, indulges in his role as the office menace. Spoilt neurotic Emma (Daisy Haggard) would like to break the glass ceiling, but only if it doesn’t damage her lovely hair. Boss Clive (Jarred Christmas), the most Australian man on the planet, exults in his position as the resplendently ridiculous manager. The hopeless, witless and feckless Greg (Adam Buxton) is the eager Account Director desperately aspiring to be as ambitious and amoral as his colleagues.

Over the course of the series viewers will witness the five advertising degenerates battle their way through a variety of scenarios from having to sell a brown smelly ‘cockney cheese’ for disillusioned, aggressive and frightening cockney client, Jim (Lee Ross – The Catherine Tate Show, Eastenders, Secrets & Lies and Press Gang). Issues of beauty are tackled in episode two, as Emma becomes the ‘Head of Handsomeness’ and creates the ‘corridor of beauty’, placing the uglier colleagues in the boiler room. Later in the series Keaton, the Head of Global, becomes impotent as he learns that women are “somehow human too”. Keaton and Billy engage on a war of being impractical and battle it out to prove they are not mature and sensible. Emma embraces the new ‘Diet Stuff’ drink a little too enthusiastically and begins protesting against obesity. Billy experiences the frustration of writer’s block and Keaton sets out to steal his colleagues’ happiness.

Script edited by Andrew Collins (Not Going Out), The Persuasionists follows the underworked and overpaid agency staff who spend all day trying to persuade you to buy things you don’t want with money you don’t have.

Cheryl Taylor, BBC Controller of Comedy Commissioning, said: “As a big fan of inventive comedy characters I’m thrilled to see the bizarre world and twisted logic of the The Persuasionists coming to BBC TWO.”

The series is produced by Bwark, the makers of The Inbetweeners, Angelo’s and Free Agents. The Executive Producers are Simon Wilson for the BBC and Iain Morris and Damon Beesley for Bwark. Directed by Tristram Shapeero (Reggie Perrin, Peep Show) and produced by Jon Rolph (Taking The Flak).

The Persuasionists, 10pm, Wednesday 13th January, BBC TWO

Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR – 0208 206 5151.