E4 has commissioned a new sitcom from Marc Wootton, directed by Dave Lambert, called High & Dry.

Wootton is probably best known to TVO readers for his appearances in comedies such as Inside No. 9, Psychobitches, Nighty Night and Drunk History UK. Or if you’re a parent, you might know him as Mr Poppy in the Nativity films! He also recently worked with Julia Davis on Couples, a BBC Radio 4 series.

His new sitcom High & Dry began life as a Channel 4 Comedy Blap in 2015, which you can watch here, and has now been picked up for a full series by E4. Aside from Wootton, the cast includes Vicki Pepperdine (Camping, The Windsors), Harry Peacock (Toast of London, The Kennedys), Asim Chaudhry (Hoff the Record, People Just Do Nothing) and Grace Rex (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty).

E4 describes the premise as follows: “An air steward crash lands into a tropical paradise and puts himself in charge of the palm-fringed island. But remaining survivors won’t be grateful for their lives for too long as they will soon learn they are stranded with the world’s worst human being, Brett Sullivan, and not even the blue tropical waters are enough to make him bearable.”

The six-part series is being made by Baby Cow, the production company behind comedies such as The Mighty Boosh and The Trip, and the shoot, overseen by Alan Partridge director Dave Lambert, is taking place on location in the Seychelles.

Marc Wootton said: “Having helped me develop the project from its infancy, I am honoured to be working with the fantastic team at Channel 4 again. Baby Cow are peerless when it comes to scripted comedy and I can’t think of a finer producing partnership. We are fortunate enough to have attracted the finest of comedy casts who make me laugh daily. The only shame in all this, is that we are being forced to film the entire show in the Seychelles. The commute is nightmarish.”

Jack Bayles, the show’s Commissioning Editor, added: “In High & Dry, Marc has conceived a brilliantly ambitious, yet utterly ridiculous new sitcom. Alongside Brett – truly the air steward from hell – is a fantastic assortment of characters played by a wonderful ensemble cast. It’s totally, totally nuts and we love it.”