In this brand new 6×30 minute series for Comedy Central UK, RUSSELL HOWARD takes his “twinkly eyed smasher of a mum” NINETTE HOWARD on an eye-opening trip around the USA, meeting an array of weird and wonderful characters and experiencing their unusual hobbies and obsessions. Spending hours on the road together in a minivan, RUSSELL’S funny, warm and engaging relationship with his mum is put under the microscope as they discover the eccentricities of the Land of the Free, as well as having to regularly correct the peculiar local assumptions that they are in fact a couple.

On their tour of the USA, RUSSELL and NINETTE join a community of US Armageddon ‘preppers’ in a sleepy Utah suburb, who are readying themselves for a future catastrophe (think financial collapse, natural disaster or even zombie apocalypse). They check out a $200 a night ‘doggy hotel’ where they meet the Instagram celebrity MARNIE (a Shitsu with two million followers) and attend a French bulldog’s luxury third birthday party in the Big Apple. In Nevada, home to infamous Area 51, the pair hang out with alien abductees and learn how to defend themselves against a Martian attack, as well as how to communicate with extra-terrestrials, whilst in hip-hop capital Atlanta, under the supervision of a renowned graffiti artist, they attempt to infiltrate the thriving music scene. RUSSELL and NINETTE also make a pit-stop in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, where they expose themselves to a host of paranormal activities – how will RUSSELL cope staying in a room alleged to be haunted? (Clue: badly) – and venture to South Carolina to experience the touring demolition derby where the aim is simple: to Smash. Up. Every. Single. Vehicle.

On this truly unforgettable adventure, we finally get to meet NINETTE after hearing so much about her in RUSSELL’s stand up – and their hysterical dialogue doesn’t disappoint. During their USA trip they find themselves in truly ridiculous situations, including trying to break from an escape vehicle’s trunk, battling through a house of the walking dead and getting pressured into getting tattoos, proving to be an unlikely but hilarious comic duo throughout.

Russell Howard & Mum USA Road Trip will premiere on Comedy Central UK on Wednesday 19^th October at 10pm – 6 x 30 min

For information on Russell’s upcoming round the world tour, click here www.russell-howard.co.uk

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For more information please contact: Victoria Wedderburn or Dan Lloyd at Avalon on 0207 598 7222 or VictoriaW@avalonuk.com or DanL@avalonuk.co.uk or Amanda Browne Amanda.browne@comedycentral.co.uk on 0203 580 2110 or Katy Sykes katy.sykes@comedycentral.co.uk on 0203 580 2102 at Comedy Central

Episode 1: Alien Hunting In Nevada

Russell and his mum are off in search of alien life, they’re heading to the UFO capital of the USA: Nevada. Russell and Ninette are joining an alien abductee support group, meeting a woman who can show them how to communicate with extra-terrestrials before they venture out to an alien hot spot in a bid to make contact.

Episode 2: Survival Prepping in Utah

Russell and Ninette have come to Utah to meet and train with the Preppers, people who are all set for Armageddon. The Howards are teaming up with a crack team who will prepare them and transform them into action heroes so they are ready to face the Zombie Apocalypse – although it may be Ninette who can teach the Preppers a thing or two.

Episode 3: Hip Hopping in Atlanta

Russell and his mum find themselves in the Hip Hop Capital of the USA: Atlanta, Georgia. Under the guidance of local legend, Dr. Dax, the Howards are attempting to transform themselves into rapping, dancing, graffiti-ing hip hop heroes.

Episode 4: Ghost Hunting in Savannah

Russell and his mum are heading to one the USA’s most haunted cities: Savannah, Georgia in the Deep South. During their stay, the Howards are set for a whole host of paranormal activities; they are booked into a haunted hotel, are training to become Ghost Hunters and have agreed to spend the night at Savannah’s most Haunted House.

Episode 5: Hot-Rodding at the Demolition Derby (South Carolina)

Russell and his mum are in South Carolina, where they have joined the Knights of Destruction, an All-American Demolition Derby, who find new and insane ways to smash up cars.  Russell has signed up to get behind the wheel at the event and Ninette is taking to the mic to commentate in front of the 4000 strong crowd.

Episode 6: Fabulous Dogs of New York

Russell and his mum’s American Adventure has led them to the Big Apple, where they are doing things doggy style. They are getting up close and personal with some of Manhattan’s most pampered and preened pooches, where they will fully experience the New York Dog Scene, including hanging out with its Bona-Fido doggy stars.

NOTES TO EDITORS

• The latest series of Russell Howard’s Good News saw three segments go viral, from a passionate backing of junior doctors and the NHS (7 million views and described by Huffington Post as, “incredible”), an interview destigmatising Tourettes (3.8 million views and described as, “uplifting and hilarious” by The Independent) and demonstrated the absurdity of the tampon tax (8 million views with Metro saying RUSSELL, “nailed how stupid the tampon tax actually is.”

• Russell Howard’s Good News is available around the world via a YouTube channel launched in 2014 – allowing fans to watch full episodes of the show (without piracy) in countries where the show wasn’t already broadcast – and has had over 11 million views and been watched in 180 countries (including North Korea and Vatican City).

• Last Christmas (2015) saw RUSSELL’s first comedy-drama with the premiere of, A Gert Lush Christmas (BBC Two).   As well as co-writing the special, RUSSELL starred for the first time along-side his sister KERRY HOWARD (Him & Her, BBC Three), GREG DAVIES (The Inbetweeners, Man Down, Channel 4), NEIL MORRISSEY (Men Behaving Badly, Waterloo Road, BBC1), and SOPHIE THOMPSON (EastEnders, BBC1).

• Episodes of Russell Howard’s Good News have even been subtitled and uploaded to Chinese video site AcFun, where the show has also been watched over 4 million times.

• RUSSELL HOWARD is the most popular British comedian on Facebook with over 3 million fans and over one million followers on Twitter.

• The last series (S9) of Russell Howard’s Good News in its new home on BBC2 achieved over 3 million viewers each week.

• RUSSELL will have written and starred in 96 episodes of Russell Howard’s Good News by the end of Series 10 in 2015.

• Russell Howard’s Good News is regularly the most watched show on iPlayer across all BBC Channels.

• RUSSELL’s brand new stand-up series – Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central, which aired from April 2015 on Comedy Central (UK) achieved viewing figures of 159% above the slot average for its first episode.

• RUSSELL’s latest 2014 tour, Wonderbox – his biggest tour to date, saw him perform to over 285,000 fans at 40 shows across the UK and Ireland, including four consecutive nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

• RUSSELL extended his 2014 Wonderbox tour across the world following over 17,000 suggestions from his fans after he asked them via Facebook where they’d most like to see him perform. The extra sold out dates saw RUSSELL travel to New York, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Denver, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Auckland.

• His tour in 2011, Right Here, Right Now saw him perform to over 240,000 fans across the country, including three sold out dates at London’s O2 arena.

• RUSSELL has performed to over one million people on his UK and international tours from 2006-2014.

• RUSSELL HOWARD has four bestselling stand-up DVDs, 2014’s Wonderbox Live, 2011’s Right Here, Right Now, 2008’s Russell Howard Live and 2009’s Russell Howard Live – Dingledodies, which have sold over 619,000 DVDs and all been in the top 5 DVD comedy chart.

• RUSSELL was voted Heat Magazine‘s “Weird Crush of the Year 2013″

• RUSSELL HOWARD has made 58 appearances on Mock The Week between 2006 and 2010.

• In addition to being a regular on Mock The Week, RUSSELL has twice featured on Live At The Apollo and appeared on Would I Lie To You (BBC One), Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC Two), and 8 Out 10 Cats (Channel 4).

• In 2010 RUSSELL HOWARD took part in the Sport Relief Million Pound Bike Ride with DAVID WALLIAMS, JIMMY CARR, FEARNE COTTON, MIRANDA HART, PATRICK KIELTY and DAVINA McCALL – cycling 874 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 4 days and raising over £1, 337.099.

• In the same year RUSSELL HOWARD ran the London Marathon, raising money for the National Society for Epilepsy – a condition from which his brother suffers. He completed the 26 mile course in 4 hours and 15 minutes and raised over £7,000.

• RUSSELL HOWARD’S fifth ever stand-up gig got him to the final of Channel 4’s So You Think You’re Funny.

• In 2006 RUSSELL HOWARD was nominated for the Edinburgh Fringe Comedy Award for his show Wandering, which followed with a nationwide sell-out tour.

• From November 2006 to July 2008, RUSSELL co-hosted The Russell Howard Show (BBC 6 Music) with fellow comedian JON RICHARDSON in a Sunday morning slot previously hosted by RUSSELL BRAND.

Avalon Television

Avalon Television is a completely independently owned production house operating out of New York, Los Angeles and London. Avalon Television are currently in production with: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO),Not Going Out (BBC One), Catastrophe (Channel 4),  Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central (Comedy Central UK), Russell Howard & Mum USA Road Trip(w/t Comedy Central UK),  Man Down (Channel 4), Adam DeVine’s House Party (Comedy Central USA),  Unspun With Matt Forde(Dave) and Workaholics (Comedy Central USA).

Comedy Central UK

Comedy Central is a leading Pay TV General Entertainment channel and is part of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN). A joint venture between VIMN (75%) and BSkyB (25%), Comedy Central airs on the Sky and Virgin Media platforms. Comedy Central launched in the UK in April 2008 and has since grown by a phenomenal 53%. The channel broadcasts a mix of hit US acquisitions and original UK productions targeting a 16-34 year-old audience. Popular shows include Two and a Half Men, Mike and Molly, The Middle, The Daily Show, South Park and Friends. In 2012 Comedy Central aired its first local commission Threesome which received both critical acclaim and high ratings. A subsequent series followed as well as the channel’s second commission Alternative Comedy Experience. In 2014 Comedy Central greenlit series production on two international commissions, Brotherhood and I Live With Models, and went into UK series production on Drunk History.  In addition to the main Comedy Central channel are Comedy Central +1, Comedy Central Extra and Comedy Central Extra +1 providing audiences with more viewing opportunities and more fantastic content.