Named after Sacha Baron Cohen’s popular character Ali G’s Staines hometown, the company will help break a new generation of risk-taking comedy talent with Channel 4 putting in the money. (Source: Reuters)
Actor Sacha Baron Cohen has set up a new production company Spelthorne Community Television along with former Objective Productions CEO Andrew Newman.
Named after Baron Cohen’s popular character Ali G’s Staines hometown, the company will help break a new generation of risk-taking comedy talent with Channel 4 putting in the money, said The Hollywood Reporter.
“After more than a decade away from Channel 4, it’s very exciting to come back home and back to the British TV industry that launched my career and those of many of my contemporaries; Ricky Gervais, John Oliver and those blokes who did The Inbetweeners. “All have gone on to have great success internationally. A little too much success if I’m honest,” Baron Cohen said.
Telling about his aim through the company, the 43-year-old comedy star said, “Ultimately our aim with Spelthorne Community Television is to discover new talent, develop new shows, then test them on UK audiences before we remake them, starring me, for the much more important US market.”