Nicola Walker Is Trading Crime Drama For A “Gloriously Absurd” New BBC Comedy — And The Cast Is Seriously Impressive. The Unforgotten star joins Bill Nighy, Nick Mohammed, Meera Syal and Jim Broadbent in Greatest Living Writer, Richard Curtis’ first sitcom project in decades. At the centre is a hugely celebrated writer whose genius may be easier to admire than his personality — with family chaos, literary fame and plenty of awkward comedy following close behind. And with this cast, BBC Radio 4 may have something very special on its hands.

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Nicola Walker Joins Richard Curtis’ New BBC Comedy Greatest Living Writer

Nicola Walker is heading into unexpectedly comic territory with Greatest Living Writer, a new BBC Radio 4 sitcom from Richard Curtis featuring an impressive cast led by Bill Nighy.

The 10-part audio comedy marks Curtis’ first sitcom for radio and his first sitcom project in decades, following his work on Blackadder, The Vicar of Dibley and Mr Bean. The series is set to arrive on BBC Sounds as a complete box set on December 14, before beginning its Radio 4 broadcast on Boxing Day, December 26, at 11pm.

Alongside Walker and Nighy, the cast includes Nick Mohammed, Meera Syal, Jim Broadbent and Madelyn Smedley.

close-up of blonde woman smiling at photo call

What is Greatest Living Writer about?

At the centre of the series is John Westlake, played by Bill Nighy, a hugely celebrated literary figure whose extraordinary talent has earned him international admiration — but whose social skills leave considerably more to be desired.

The comedy follows the people around Westlake as they deal with the consequences of his enormous reputation and difficult personality. Its story explores creativity, literary celebrity, family relationships and the uneasy gap between being exceptionally talented and being pleasant to live or work with.

Nicola Walker’s exact role has not yet been revealed, adding another layer of mystery to an ensemble that already brings together some of Britain’s best-known comedy and drama performers.

Richard Curtis returns to sitcoms

Nicola Walker đứng trước một phông nền đầy màu sắc, mặc một chiếc váy hoa đen trắng.

For Curtis, the series represents a significant return to sitcom writing. Best known for films including Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral, he has not created a sitcom since The Vicar of Dibley.

The writer said he has particularly enjoyed working within the show’s compact 15-minute format and writing for performers he already knows and admires.

He also described the series as a chance to explore the creative world he knows personally, while examining what happens when that world collides with family dynamics.

Emma Freud, who serves as script editor, has described the project as one of Curtis’ most personal pieces of writing, saying it is closely connected to his own life, world and experiences.

A star-studded BBC Radio 4 cast

Richard Curtis trong chiếc áo khoác đen

Walker joins Nighy, Mohammed, Syal, Broadbent and Smedley for the 10-episode series, with additional celebrity cameos still to be announced.

Julia McKenzie, BBC Radio 4’s Comedy and Entertainment Commissioner, has teased the series as a funny and lively addition to the station’s comedy lineup.

John Scott Dryden, director at Goldhawk, which produces the show, described Curtis’ creation as “gloriously absurd, painfully recognisable and full of heart.”

The series is produced by Emma Hearn, John Scott Dryden and Alex Hollands, with Emma Freud serving as script editor.

Nicola Walker’s other shows to watch

While Greatest Living Writer is still on the way, fans of Nicola Walker can currently find her in several other notable productions.

In Alice & Steve, she stars alongside Jemaine Clement in a Disney+ comedy-drama about a long friendship that turns into a bitter feud after Steve begins dating Alice’s 26-year-old daughter.

She also leads Annika as Detective Inspector Annika Strandhed, who heads Glasgow’s Marine Homicide Unit and investigates murders connected to Scotland’s waterways.

Walker also appears in River, Abi Morgan’s acclaimed crime drama starring Stellan Skarsgård as detective John River. The investigation begins with the murder of his colleague and friend, DS Jackie “Stevie” Stevenson, played by Walker.

With its unusual premise, accomplished cast and Richard Curtis returning to sitcom writing, Greatest Living Writer is shaping up to be one of BBC Radio 4’s notable comedy launches this Christmas.