“As the voiceover of a generation he’s [Stirling] become a national sensation”
The Evening Standard
“Bugeja has an eye for original comic detail that’s all his own’”
The Guardian
21st July 2021 – The brand new 6-part sitcom Buffering, created, written by and starring BAFTA-winning comedian Iain Stirling (Love Island, CelebAbility, Taskmaster), with co-creator and writer BBC New Comedy Award winning Steve Bugeja (The Russell Howard Hour, CelebAbility, Economics with Subtitles), is set to air with a double episode on ITV2 at 10pm on Thursday 5th August, with the entire box set landing on ITV Hub immediately after.
Buffering follows Iain (Iain Stirling), a children’s TV presenter with an aversion to kids and in an up and down relationship (mainly down) with TV producer Olivia (Elena Saurel – Around the World in 80 Days, Killing Eve, Gold Digger). Iain’s housemates Rosie (Jessie Cave – Harry Potter, Trollied, Black Mirror),Greg (Paul G Raymond), Ashley (Rosa Robson – The Offenders, Inside No. 9) and Thalia (Janine Harouni – Modern Horror Stories, Patrick Melrose, Stand-Up Sketch Show) alongside Ashley’s old flame Robbie (Sean Sagar– Fate: The Winx Saga, The Gentleman, Our Girl), are all navigating that age where they’re too old for nightclubs but too poor for mortgages. Part of a generation who are told they must live the perfect life, these friends discover it’s not only ok but healthy to fail, over and over again.
Special guest stars Lolly Adefope (This Time With Alan Partridge, Shrill, Ghosts), Vicky Pattison (I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Celebrity Masterchef), Michael Spicer (The Room Next Door, The Late Late Show with James Corden), Joel Dommett (The Masked Singer, The Masked Dancer, Joel & Nish vs The World), Sam Womack (The Kingsman, Game On, The Girl On The Train), Alistair Green (Mandy, Flowers, Stath Lets Flats), Nigel Ng (Uncle Roger, Rice To Meet You) and Phil Fletcher (Hacker T Dog) will feature.
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Buffering is created and written by BAFTA winning Iain Stirling with BBC New Comedy Award winning Steve Bugeja, while the director is Martin Stirling (Inside No. 9, The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk, Steen Raskopoulos’s Horror: Scare BnB). Episode 1 is produced by Serena Cullen (Mount Pleasant, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Me and Mrs Jones) and Jane Bell (The Reluctant Landlord, Morgana Robinson’s Dreamland, Beep), episode 2 is produced by Serena Cullen and episodes 3-6 are produced by Jane Bell.
Buffering has been commissioned for ITV2 by Paul Mortimer, ITV’s Head of Digital Channels and Acquisitions and Nana Hughes, ITV’s Head of Scripted Comedy. The series is a Comedy 50:50 production with Eleanor Tiernan and Christine Robertson co-writing some episodes. Produced by Avalon and Executive Produced by Richard Allen-Turner and Jon Thoday.
Episodes 1-3 available to watch on ITV Press Previews
Images available from ITV Pictures
For more information, please contact Victoria Wedderburn on VWedderburn@avalonuk.com or Perrine Davari on PDavari@avalonuk.com at Avalon or Janice Troup on Janice.Troup@itv.com or Gary Smith on Gary.Smith@itv.com at ITV
Notes To Editors:
The full cast includes: Iain Stirling, Jessie Cave, Elena Saurel, Janine Harouni, Paul G Raymond, Rosa Robson, Lolly Adefope, Vicky Pattison, Michael Spicer, Joel Dommett, Sam Womack, Nigel Ng, Phil Fletcher, Steve Bugeja, Alistair Green, Tom Stourton, Rachel Denning, Emily Lloyd-Saini, Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Amy Booth-Steel, Angela Yeoh, Brona C. Titley, Bruce Mackinnon, Daniel Barker, Ed Coleman, Ellie Goffe, Jade Ogugua, Jessica Alade, Lauren Douglin, Phoebe Sparrow and Tommy Finnegan.
About Avalon
Avalon is a multi-award-winning talent management, television production and live promotion group with offices in London, Los Angeles and New York.
Avalon, Artist Rights Group (ARG) and The Agency represent a prolific roster of artists including comedians, actors, presenters, writers and directors. Avalon’s numerous ground-breaking returning television shows currently in production include: Not Going Out (BBC), the UK’s longest running sitcom on air; Taskmaster (Channel 4), the BAFTA-winning hit entertainment format showing in 100 countries; multi Emmy-winner, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO); The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), the network’s most successful entertainment show launch since 2010; Starstruck, a new sitcom from the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Rose Matafeo (HBO Max/BBC); Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, from creator Josh Thomas (Freeform); Breeders, a sitcom starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard (FX/Sky); a new series of the iconic British satirical puppet show, Spitting Image (BritBox UK); and multiple comedy specials for Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Netflix.
Other landmark Avalon shows include BAFTA winning and multi Emmy nominated Catastrophe (Amazon Prime Video/Channel 4), Fantasy Football League (BBC/ITV), multi BAFTA-winning TV Burp (ITV), and Workaholics (Comedy Central USA). Avalon also distributes its catalogue of programmes to over 150 countries worldwide. Avalon has produced many globally successful podcasts and is at the top of the UK iTunes chart with the multi-award-winning Shagged. Married. Annoyed by Chris and Rosie Ramsey.
As a leading promoter of live comedy, Avalon produced Newman and Baddiel: Live at Wembley, the UK’s first arena comedy show; Jerry Springer: The Opera, the first West End show to win all four UK ‘Best New Musical’ awards; and has continued to produce and promote live shows globally, as well as promoting more winners and nominees of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award than any other company.
For Avalon news visit: www.avalonuk.com/press or follow @avalonent
