This week saw the launch of new ITV2 apocalyptic comedy Cockroaches – and there was a familiar name or two for regular TVO readers involved.

The show stars Daniel Lawrence Taylor, known on the live circuit as one half of excellent musical storytelling duo Ginger & Black, but perhaps better known elsewhere for his roles in How Not to Live Your Life and Hunderby. 

He’s also appeared in Mongrels, Angelo’s, The Inbetweeners, A Touch of Cloth, The IT Crowd and Uncle, so definitely a man with an enviable resume.

Here he plays Tom – survivor of a nuclear holocaust alongside his on-off girlfriend Suze (Esher Smith) and their daughter Laura, as they struggle to survive in post-apocalyptic Britain.

Tom Davis (soon to be seen guesting in House of Fools), Jack Whitehall and Robert Bathurst are also along for the ride, with later episodes promising guest appearances by Alexander Armstrong, Nigel Planer, Rich Hall and our very own Dan Skinner, marking it as a rarity – a show on an ITV channel worth watching!

Episode One, as we discovered last night, also had the good fortune of being shot by famed cinematographer Laurie Rose – best known for his work with Ben Wheatley on all of his films, including Sightseers, A Field in England and the forthcoming High Rise.

Rose told TVO, however, he was only involved in Episode One, as his work on the latter film called him away from the show, but nevertheless, with the top talent involved, we reckon it may be worth TVO readers checking out the rest of the run.

If you missed it, you can catch Episode One via ITV Player now, and for another 28 days. Episode Two will air next Tuesday at 10pm.