[NEW] LEONARD & HUNGRY PAUL – BRAND-NEW COMEDY DRAMA, NARRATED BY JULIA ROBERTS, STARRING ALEX LAWTHER, LAURIE KYNASTON AND JAMIE LEE O’DONNELL
Premiering in the UK in mid-October, and already garnering much critical acclaim, this is a feel-good series about kindness, first loves and the expansion of the universe. The unexpected death of Leonard’s mother, the fast-approaching wedding of Hungry Paul’s sister and the spark of a new romance for Leonard, prompts both men to meet a world that is suddenly wider and full of unfamiliar possibilities.
Paula Warwick, Head of Distribution at Avalon, added: “We are thrilled to have Julia Roberts join the show as narrator. Her warmth, wit, and iconic voice bring a unique magic to this very special show, and we know audiences around the world will be captivated. That such an extraordinarily talented artist has joined speaks volumes about the universal charm and ambition behind this incredible series.”
Early reaction from the UK TV critics:
The Radio Times: “It looks more like a film than a TV sitcom, an impression reinforced by that voiceover… narrated, wonderfully, by Juila Roberts”
The Observer: “A-List narrator – the mellifluous Julia Roberts – this moving adaptation of Rónán Hession’s novel is… Gently paced and satisfying; Lawther has a winsome charm”
The Telegraph: “Julia Roberts makes an impressive, if unlikely, narrator for this… enjoyably gentle comedy”
[NEW] THE TERRORS OF JORDAN MENDOZA – FEATURING GUEST APPERANCES FROM FRED ARMISEN, LAKE BELL, MARC MARON, CLEA DUVALL, THOMAS LENNON, WANDA SYKES AND STEVE BUSCEMI
The live-action series created by and starring Jordan Mendoza that follows a very scared man as he navigates a barrage of absurd, terrifying, and hilarious dreamscapes. The Terrors of Jordan Mendoza blends sharp comedy with surreal horror, diving deep into the subconscious of its protagonist to explore fears that are both deeply personal and strikingly universal.
The series will feature guest appearances from: Fred Armisen, Gregg Turkington, Mark Proksch, Thomas Lennon, Lake Bell, Marc Maron, Mike Mitchell, Martha Kelly, Kate Berlant, Fred Melamed, Toby Huss, Randall Park, Rob Huebel, Tom Scharpling, Chris Parnell, Haley Joel Osment, Milana Vayntrub, Eva Victor, Adam Godley, Kimiko Glenn, Allison Becker, Natalie Mering (Weyes Blood), Teezo Touchdown, Lauren Tom, Clea Duvall, Wanda Sykes and Steve Buscemi.
[NEW] SPITTING IMAGE: THE REST IS BULLS*!T – FEATURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, KING CHARLES III, VLADIMIR PUTIN, ELON MUSK, PRINCE HARRY, TAYLOR SWIFT, MEGHAN MARKLE, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, JD VANCE, KIM JONG UN, ARIANA GRANDE AND MANY, MANY MORE
The specially created, original short-form episodes are for all those wanting to laugh in the face of these anxiety-inducing, squeaky-bum times of global conflict, unhinged world leaders and megalomaniac Fin Tech bosses. The (latex) gloves are off and it’s not pulling any punches. This isn’t just satire. It’s a no holds barred up-to-the-minute assault on the world of politics, pop culture and media control.
From The White House to Windsor, from Putin to Paddington via Silicon Valley – it’s fearless, it’s as disgusting as the real people and it’s as hard-hitting as you remember – ideal entertainment for anyone with a 21st century attention span. Four episodes into the 12-episode series the show has already hit over 12 million views on YouTube alone and over 78 million on official Spitting Image social channels, as well as making hundreds of headlines across the UK news media.
The Radio Times: “Spitting Image 2025 is funny, forensic and, on YouTube, a force for good”
The Sun: “gaspingly funny… sharp takes on the week’s latest event… expect the usual near-the-knuckle humour”
The Mail on Sunday: “It’s punchy stuff… comedy great” ★★★★
TASKMASTER
Recently the official Taskmaster YouTube channel hit over one billion views and 1.98 million subscribers worldwide – making it the biggest British comedy show on YouTube – and it was announced that the 20th season of the BAFTA and Rose d’Or winning show would air online simultaneously in the UK and U.S. for the first time ever.
Taskmaster has seen huge success internationally, with over 92 seasons and 921 episodes being commissioned outside the UK with local versions now in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Croatia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Portugal where it ranked first for most watched entertainment programs on its channel RTP 1. Taskmaster Australia launched on Network Ten where it became the channel’s top new show of the year and received a nomination for Most Outstanding Comedy at the Logies, and Taskmaster New Zealand series 6 launched on TVNZ earlier in 2025, while it won Best Entertainment Show at the NZ TV Awards. The first season of Le Maitre du Jeu for Bell Media, which aired in Canada in September 2022, increased Noovo’s performance in the Thursday time slot by 50%, with Taskmaster Canada now in production for fourth series.
The format has seen huge success in Europe, with the Swedish version reaching ratings of over a 65% market share in a primetime weekend slot on SVT and series 11 and 12 in production for TV4, produced by Avalon Television with Baluba. Norway’s local version of Taskmaster, Kongen Befaler, won the Norwegian TV Academy Award (Gullruten) for Best Comedy Show in 2024, where a twelfth season is in production for Discovery. Finland’s version of Taskmaster, Suurmestari, won Game Show of the Year at the Venla Gaala awards, with five series aired and six more ordered by MTV3, with the channel also launching the first international version of Junior Taskmaster later this year. Stormester, Denmark’s Taskmaster, which is now in its ninth series, won Best Game Show at the 2022 Vindere Awards making it their most successful comedy entertainment series ever with a 50% share of all viewers, with TV2 launching successful Taskmaster spin off series, ‘Champion of Champions’ in 2023 and ‘One More Chance’ 2024, which achieved an incredible 82% share in the 15-34 demo.
The Sunday Times: “The hottest comedy television show on the planet”
The New York Times: “Taskmaster has long been one of my favorite shows… In addition to being silly and enchanting, “Taskmaster” is breathtakingly novel: I’m amazed by its capacity to remain unpredictable to both its viewers and its participants… Season 19 (19!) — is among the best of the best, and it’s an ideal entree for new viewers”
The Observer: “One of British TV’s biggest success stories… Taskmaster conquered the world”
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
A satirical, insightful, and meticulously researched look at current events in the U.S. and around the globe, the 32-time Emmy®-winning series features Oliver’s hilarious, expertly honed perspective on today’s pressing political, social, and cultural issues, as well as lesser-reported topics that both inform and entertain. Shot in New York, this season will continue to feature the show’s weekly topical insights, signature deep dives, and distinctive comedy pieces.
The weekly series has also been honored with three Peabody Awards, two GLAAD Media Awards, seven Writers Guild Awards and nine consecutive PGA Awards.
Avalon’s dedicated distribution arm licenses programmes and formats to global markets. With over 4,000 episodes of programming in its catalogue, and content sold into over 150 countries worldwide, across a range of genres including comedy, entertainment, comedy drama and factual.
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, Artists Rights Group and The Agency together represent a diverse and distinctive roster of artists including actors, comedians, writers and directors, among them Academy Award, BAFTA, Emmy, Tony and Olivier Award-winners.
Avalon is the UK’s largest independent television production company, with over 40 shows in production in the last year including: hit entertainment format Taskmaster (Channel 4 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia, TV4 in Sweden, TVNorge/Discovery+ in Norway); multi-Emmy award winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO); Not Going Out (BBC), the UK’s longest running sitcom on air; Tall Tales & Murder (BBC/RTE), a highly anticipated darkly comedic crime drama; upcoming live-action, sketch comedy series The Terrors of Jordan Mendoza (Adult Swim); a brand new series of the iconic satirical puppet show Spitting Image: The Rest is Bulls*!t (YouTube) and Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly (Channel 5 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia). Avalon has produced over 4,000 episodes of programming for audiences in the UK, US and around the world, winning 39 Emmy Awards and BAFTAs from 100+ nominations.
Other landmark Avalon shows include Catastrophe (Amazon/Channel 4), Breeders (FX/Sky), Starstruck (HBO Max/BBC), Flatbush Misdemeanors (Showtime), Workaholics (Comedy Central), The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), TV Burp (ITV) and Fantasy Football League (BBC/ITV/Sky). Avalon has also produced over 60 comedy specials for various platforms including Amazon, HBO, Netflix and Sky, as well as numerous podcasts and radio shows, including over 300 episodes of the record-breaking, arena-touring podcast, Shagged. Married. Annoyed. with Chris & Rosie Ramsey. Avalon’s dedicated distribution arm licenses its catalogue of programmes and formats to over 200 territories worldwide.
Avalon also produces and promotes live comedy around the world and has promoted more winners and nominees of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award than any other company. Avalon produced Newman and Baddiel: Live at Wembley, the UK’s first arena comedy show, Jerry Springer: The Opera, winner of four Olivier Awards, and is currently producing the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical, Operation Mincemeat in the West End and on Broadway.
For Avalon news visit: www.avalonuk.com/press or follow @avalonent
