We Are Not Alone (2022 film): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox television |
{{Infobox television |
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| image_alt = |
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| caption = |
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| genre = Science fiction<br/> |
| genre = Science fiction<br/>Comedy |
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| creator = |
| creator = [[Laurence Rickard]]<br/>[[Ben Willbond]] |
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| based_on = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} --> |
| based_on = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} --> |
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| inspired_by = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} --> |
| inspired_by = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} --> |
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| developer = |
| developer = |
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| writer = |
| writer = Laurence Rickard<br/>Ben Willbond |
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| screenplay = |
| screenplay = |
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| story = |
| story = |
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| director = Fergal Costello |
| director = Fergal Costello |
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| creative_director = |
| creative_director = |
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| starring = Declan Baxter<br/>[[ |
| starring = Declan Baxter<br/>[[Georgia May Foote]]<br>[[Bruce MacKinnon]]<br/>[[Evelyn Mok]]<br/>Laurence Rickard<br/>[[Joe Thomas (actor)|Joe Thomas]]<br/>Ben Willbond<br/>[[Mike Wozniak]]<br/>[[Rob Delaney]]<br/>[[Miles Jupp]]<br/>[[Lucien Laviscount|Lucien Leon Laviscount]]<br/>[[Ellie White]]<br/>[[Dane Baptiste]]<br/>[[Vicki Pepperdine]]<br/>[[Amanda Abbington]] |
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| composer = |
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| country = United Kingdom |
| country = United Kingdom |
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| language = |
| language = English |
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| num_seasons = <!-- Or num_series. Increment when new seasons/series begin. See template documentation for more info. --> |
| num_seasons = <!-- Or num_series. Increment when new seasons/series begin. See template documentation for more info. --> |
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| num_episodes = <!-- Value is incremented when new episodes air. See template documentation for more info. --> |
| num_episodes = <!-- Value is incremented when new episodes air. See template documentation for more info. --> |
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| list_episodes = |
| list_episodes = |
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| executive_producer = Kenton Allen<br/>Matthew Justice<br/>Victoria Grew |
| executive_producer = Kenton Allen<br/>Matthew Justice<br/>Victoria Grew<br/>Laurence Rickard<br/>Ben Willbond |
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| producer = Philip Leach |
| producer = Philip Leach |
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| location = <!-- Nation the series was primarily filmed in, if different from the nation of origin. --> |
| location = <!-- Nation the series was primarily filmed in, if different from the nation of origin. --> |
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| runtime = 90 minutes (exc. adverts) |
| runtime = 90 minutes (exc. adverts) |
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| company = [[Big Talk Productions]] |
| company = [[Big Talk Productions]] |
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| distributor = |
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| network = [[Dave (TV channel)|Dave]] |
| network = [[Dave (TV channel)|Dave]] |
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'''''We Are Not Alone''''' is a 2022 British [[Science fiction comedy|science-fiction comedy]] television film |
'''''We Are Not Alone''''' is a 2022 British [[Science fiction comedy|science-fiction comedy]] television film co-created and co-written by [[Laurence Rickard]] and [[Ben Willbond]]. Starring Declan Baxter, [[Georgia May Foote]], [[Bruce Mackinnon]], [[Evelyn Mok]], Rickard, [[Joe Thomas (actor)|Joe Thomas]], Willbond, [[Mike Wozniak]], [[Vicki Pepperdine]] and [[Amanda Abbington]], it was broadcast on [[Dave (TV channel)|Dave]] on 28 November 2022. It follows a group of aliens who have invaded and conquered Earth as they try to maintain control with their new subjects. |
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== Plot == |
== Plot == |
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== Cast == |
== Cast == |
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* |
*Declan Baxter as Stewart, an unambitious, self-effacing council worker who by chance ends up as the assistant to the three aliens that claim control of Britain |
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*[[Vicki Pepperdine]] as 'Trater', the head of the alien force ruling the United Kingdom, known as 'Territory 78', believing the way to acceptance of their rule is through appealing to the masses. |
*[[Vicki Pepperdine]] as 'Trater', the head of the alien force ruling the United Kingdom, known as 'Territory 78', believing the way to acceptance of their rule is through appealing to the masses. |
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*[[Mike Wozniak]] as 'Gordan', the less hospitable member of the Gu'un clan, determined to rule with an iron fist and take a more militaristic approach to rule. |
*[[Mike Wozniak]] as 'Gordan', the less hospitable member of the Gu'un clan, determined to rule with an iron fist and take a more militaristic approach to rule. |
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== Production == |
== Production == |
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{{expand section|date=November 2022}} |
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Commissioned in November 2021, filming took place in Castlegate, Clitheroe in December 2021,<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGee |first1=Sarah |title=PICTURES: New comedy TV show being filmed in Ribble Valley |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/19782909.pictures-new-comedy-tv-show-filmed-ribble-valley/ |website=The Lancashire Telegraph |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=14 December 2021}}</ref> with the casting released later that month.<ref>{{cite web |title=We Are Not Alone alien comedy reveals top cast |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/6653/we-are-not-alone-cast/ |website=British Comedy Guide |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=17 December 2021}}</ref> |
Commissioned in November 2021, filming took place in Castlegate, Clitheroe in December 2021,<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGee |first1=Sarah |title=PICTURES: New comedy TV show being filmed in Ribble Valley |url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/19782909.pictures-new-comedy-tv-show-filmed-ribble-valley/ |website=The Lancashire Telegraph |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=14 December 2021}}</ref> with the casting released later that month.<ref>{{cite web |title=We Are Not Alone alien comedy reveals top cast |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/6653/we-are-not-alone-cast/ |website=British Comedy Guide |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=17 December 2021}}</ref> |
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It was confirmed in October 2022, that, for creators Rickard and Willbond, the film is effectively a pilot for a potential further run of episodes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Richardson |first1=Jay |title=Dave sci-fi comedy We Are Not Alone being piloted for series |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/7053/we-are-not-alone-series-plan/ |website=British Comedy Guide |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=26 October 2022}}</ref> Some ideas for the programme had to be shelved when the pitch for the show "changed from a conventional sitcom pilot to a feature-length special", but are "sitting ready" in case of a series order.<ref name="RT">{{cite web |last1=Craig |first1=David |title=Ghosts co-creators on their Dave satirical comedy We Are Not Alone |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/we-are-not-alone-dave-interview-exclusive/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=28 November 2022}}</ref> |
It was confirmed in October 2022, that, for creators Rickard and Willbond, the film is effectively a pilot for a potential further run of episodes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Richardson |first1=Jay |title=Dave sci-fi comedy We Are Not Alone being piloted for series |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/7053/we-are-not-alone-series-plan/ |website=British Comedy Guide |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=26 October 2022}}</ref> Some ideas for the programme had to be shelved when the pitch for the show "changed from a conventional sitcom pilot to a feature-length special", but are "sitting ready" in case of a series order.<ref name="RT">{{cite web |last1=Craig |first1=David |title=Ghosts co-creators on their Dave satirical comedy We Are Not Alone |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/we-are-not-alone-dave-interview-exclusive/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=28 November 2022}}</ref> |
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The creators were "keen" for prosthetics to be used in terms of what would be applied to actors to engender an alien |
The creators were "keen" for prosthetics to be used in terms of what would be applied to actors to engender an alien appearance, as they "knew that world and knew what you could and couldn't get away with," according to Rickard, who employs a "similarly elaborate get-up" for his character on ''[[Ghosts (2019 British TV series)|Ghosts]]'', which he co-writes, along with Willbond. He then added that prosthetic usage means that "there's so much you can still see, you capture the performance, which is obviously so important in comedy," although how it would look on-screen was an initial concern during filming.<ref name="RT"/> |
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In June 2023, it was confirmed that UKTV had passed on ordering a full series from the pilot film.<ref>{{cite web |title=WE ARE NOT ALONE NOT GOING TO SERIES ON DAVE |url=https://www.tvzoneuk.com/post/wana-axedrep1exc |website=TVZone |access-date=20 June 2023 |date=20 June 2023}}</ref> |
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== International broadcast == |
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The film was distributed internationally by [[BBC Studios]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Frankel |first1=Daniel |title=Roku Channel Acquires Exclusive U.S. Rights to BBC Alien Invasion Comedy 'We Are Not Alone' |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/roku-channel-acquires-exclusive-us-rights-to-bbc-alien-invasion-comedy-we-are-not-alone |website=NextTV |access-date=10 March 2023 |date=23 January 2023}}</ref> It was released in the United States via streaming platform [[The Roku Channel]] on 27 January 2023, with a trailer released on multiple social media platforms two weeks prior.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alien Invasion Comedy "We Are Not Alone" Lands Exclusively on The Roku Channel in the U.S. |url=https://www.bbcstudiospressroom.com/press/alien-invasion-comedy-we-are-not-alone-lands-exclusively-on-the-roku-channel-in-the-u-s/ |website=BBC Studios Press Room |access-date=10 March 2023 |date=23 January 2023}}</ref> The film was made available in [[New Zealand]] on streaming platform [[TVNZ+]],{{when|date=March 2023}} but split into three parts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Watch We Are Not Alone <nowiki>|</nowiki> New Season <nowiki>|</nowiki> TVNZ |url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/we-are-not-alone |website=TVNZ+ |access-date=10 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310182705/https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/we-are-not-alone |archive-date=10 March 2023}}</ref> |
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== Reception == |
== Reception == |
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Steve Bennett's three-and-a-half-star review for ''Chortle'' called the show "thoroughly engaging", and that it "says something about the likability of your cast when Mike Wozniak plays the bad guy", however pointed to how "[o]utright jokes take second billing to the story ... so it's more smileworthy than laugh-out-loud".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bennett |first1=Steve |title=We Are Not Alone |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2022/11/28/52168/we_are_not_alone |website=Chortle |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=28 November 2022}}</ref> |
Steve Bennett's three-and-a-half-star review for ''Chortle'' called the show "thoroughly engaging", and that it "says something about the likability of your cast when Mike Wozniak plays the bad guy", however pointed to how "[o]utright jokes take second billing to the story ... so it's more smileworthy than laugh-out-loud".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bennett |first1=Steve |title=We Are Not Alone |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2022/11/28/52168/we_are_not_alone |website=Chortle |access-date=29 November 2022 |date=28 November 2022}}</ref> |
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===Future === |
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In June 2023, UKTV confirmed they would not be commissioning a full series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/7405/we-are-not-alone-cancelled/|title=We Are Not Alone will not return to Dave|website=British Comedy Guide|date=20 June 2023}}</ref> |
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== References == |
== References == |
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{{Dave original programming}} |
{{Dave original programming}} |
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[[Category:2022 British television series debuts]] |
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[[Category:2022 science fiction films]] |
[[Category:2022 science fiction films]] |
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[[Category:2022 comedy films]] |
[[Category:2022 comedy films]] |
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[[Category:2022 films]] |
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[[Category:2022 television films]] |
[[Category:2022 television films]] |
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[[Category:British science fiction comedy films]] |
[[Category:British science fiction comedy films]] |
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[[Category:British comedy films]] |
[[Category:British comedy films]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Television about alien invasions]] |
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[[Category:English-language television shows]] |
[[Category:British English-language television shows]] |
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[[Category:Dave (TV channel) original programming]] |
[[Category:Dave (TV channel) original programming]] |
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[[Category:2020s British comedy television series]] |
[[Category:2020s British comedy television series]] |
Latest revision as of 21:28, 22 June 2024
We Are Not Alone | |
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Genre | Science fiction Comedy |
Created by | Laurence Rickard Ben Willbond |
Written by | Laurence Rickard Ben Willbond |
Directed by | Fergal Costello |
Starring | Declan Baxter Georgia May Foote Bruce MacKinnon Evelyn Mok Laurence Rickard Joe Thomas Ben Willbond Mike Wozniak Rob Delaney Miles Jupp Lucien Leon Laviscount Ellie White Dane Baptiste Vicki Pepperdine Amanda Abbington |
Country of origin | Vereinigtes Königreich |
Original language | Englisch |
Production | |
Executive producers | Kenton Allen Matthew Justice Victoria Grew Laurence Rickard Ben Willbond |
Producer | Philip Leach |
Running time | 90 minutes (exc. adverts) |
Production company | Big Talk Productions |
Original release | |
Network | Dave |
Release | 28 November 2022 |
We Are Not Alone is a 2022 British science-fiction comedy television film co-created and co-written by Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond. Starring Declan Baxter, Georgia May Foote, Bruce Mackinnon, Evelyn Mok, Rickard, Joe Thomas, Willbond, Mike Wozniak, Vicki Pepperdine and Amanda Abbington, it was broadcast on Dave on 28 November 2022. It follows a group of aliens who have invaded and conquered Earth as they try to maintain control with their new subjects.
Plot
[edit]Mild-mannered and hapless council worker Stewart gets enlisted into helping three members of the Gu'un alien race – who have taken over Earth – set up their rule of the United Kingdom in the buildings of the Clitheroe Borough Council, while being tempted by the Anti-Alien Alliance (AAA) determined to overthrow them. Stewart tries to cope between the widely different approaches to ruling along the three Gu'uns, by attempting – with fluctuating success – to ingratiate them to the British people, and avoid at all costs the ultimate fate of getting flushed into space.
Cast
[edit]- Declan Baxter as Stewart, an unambitious, self-effacing council worker who by chance ends up as the assistant to the three aliens that claim control of Britain
- Vicki Pepperdine as 'Trater', the head of the alien force ruling the United Kingdom, known as 'Territory 78', believing the way to acceptance of their rule is through appealing to the masses.
- Mike Wozniak as 'Gordan', the less hospitable member of the Gu'un clan, determined to rule with an iron fist and take a more militaristic approach to rule.
- Joe Thomas as 'Greggs', the hapless, more substantially subordinate, member of the alien clan, who is instructed to shadow Stewart.
- Georgia May Foote as Elodie, the no-nonsense owner of the local pub
- Amanda Abbington as Caroline Grieves, former Defence Secretary prior to the alien invasion
- Evelyn Mok as Hodge, the in-house, apathetic, tech expert at the council, always irritated by the unreliable internet connection in the building.
- Bruce Mackinnon as Wade, the idealist head of the anti-Alien Alliance
- Lucien Laviscount as Robbie, the best friend of Stewart who is killed in the invasion, after being crushed by a Gu'un holographic object
- Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond as Cirsch and Darrenth, two aliens who hold guard of the council building where the Gu'uns have made the capital.
- Dane Baptiste as Jordan Kane, a talk show host that gets the aliens' blame for 'Greggs''s disastrous appearance
- Rob Delaney as Bradel, the alien who becomes head of 'Territory 3', the United States.
- Ellie White as Sredstev, the alien who overthrows, and becomes the head of, the government of 'Territory 1', Russia.
- Miles Jupp as the deposed British Prime Minister
Production
[edit]Commissioned in November 2021, filming took place in Castlegate, Clitheroe in December 2021,[1] with the casting released later that month.[2]
It was confirmed in October 2022, that, for creators Rickard and Willbond, the film is effectively a pilot for a potential further run of episodes.[3] Some ideas for the programme had to be shelved when the pitch for the show "changed from a conventional sitcom pilot to a feature-length special", but are "sitting ready" in case of a series order.[4]
The creators were "keen" for prosthetics to be used in terms of what would be applied to actors to engender an alien appearance, as they "knew that world and knew what you could and couldn't get away with," according to Rickard, who employs a "similarly elaborate get-up" for his character on Ghosts, which he co-writes, along with Willbond. He then added that prosthetic usage means that "there's so much you can still see, you capture the performance, which is obviously so important in comedy," although how it would look on-screen was an initial concern during filming.[4]
In June 2023, it was confirmed that UKTV had passed on ordering a full series from the pilot film.[5]
International broadcast
[edit]The film was distributed internationally by BBC Studios.[6] It was released in the United States via streaming platform The Roku Channel on 27 January 2023, with a trailer released on multiple social media platforms two weeks prior.[7] The film was made available in New Zealand on streaming platform TVNZ+,[when?] but split into three parts.[8]
Reception
[edit]Viewership
[edit]Across its two-hour runtime, the special recorded an average overnight audience of 163,000 (1.3%), below the 230,000 (1.8%) slot average.[9] After a week's worth of catch-up, it improved to 267,000 viewers, becoming Dave's third most-watched programme of the week.[10]
Critical reception
[edit]In a three-star review for The Daily Telegraph, Anita Singh praised Baxter, calling him "charming as the bewildered lead", but opined that the "central gag [of] aliens in a mundane British setting ... wears thin quite quickly", and accuses the writers of being "left casting around for a plot to keep things moving", with subplot storylines, including one which explores a potential romance between Stewart and Elodie, not "get[ting] out of second gear, but Baxter's likeability keeps things chugging along".[11]
Laura Vickers-Green from Den of Geek was more positive, in a four-star review, commenting that "[t]here is so much humour packed into [the show that] it really feels like they were ruthless with the script: there's simply not a line wasted. From wry observations on the general daftness of human behaviour to clever digs at politics ... plus superb physical comedy ... it's just one big laugh after another, with "forays into more scatalogical humour ... almost undermin[ing] just how clever the rest of the show is". Vickers-Green did critique the ending, saying the show came "crashing to a halt without a whiff of a resolution", and, without further episodes being commissioned, "could be an awkward end for an otherwise triumphant effort".[12]
Steve Bennett's three-and-a-half-star review for Chortle called the show "thoroughly engaging", and that it "says something about the likability of your cast when Mike Wozniak plays the bad guy", however pointed to how "[o]utright jokes take second billing to the story ... so it's more smileworthy than laugh-out-loud".[13]
Future
[edit]In June 2023, UKTV confirmed they would not be commissioning a full series.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ McGee, Sarah (14 December 2021). "PICTURES: New comedy TV show being filmed in Ribble Valley". The Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "We Are Not Alone alien comedy reveals top cast". British Comedy Guide. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ Richardson, Jay (26 October 2022). "Dave sci-fi comedy We Are Not Alone being piloted for series". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ a b Craig, David (28 November 2022). "Ghosts co-creators on their Dave satirical comedy We Are Not Alone". Radio Times. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "WE ARE NOT ALONE NOT GOING TO SERIES ON DAVE". TVZone. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ Frankel, Daniel (23 January 2023). "Roku Channel Acquires Exclusive U.S. Rights to BBC Alien Invasion Comedy 'We Are Not Alone'". NextTV. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "Alien Invasion Comedy "We Are Not Alone" Lands Exclusively on The Roku Channel in the U.S." BBC Studios Press Room. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "Watch We Are Not Alone | New Season | TVNZ". TVNZ+. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ McHugh, Marian (29 November 2022). "BBC2's Trailblazers overpowered by Police Custody". Broadcastnow. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "Top programmes report - week 48, November 28 - December 04 - Dave". Thinkbox. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- ^ Singh, Anita (28 November 2022). "We Are Not Alone, review: alien sitcom has out of this world talent but earthbound jokes". The Telegraph. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ Vickers-Green, Laura (28 November 2022). "We Are Not Alone Review: Ghosts' Naughtier, More Grown-Up Sibling". Den of Geek. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ Bennett, Steve (28 November 2022). "We Are Not Alone". Chortle. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "We Are Not Alone will not return to Dave". British Comedy Guide. 20 June 2023.
External links
[edit]- 2022 science fiction films
- 2022 comedy films
- 2022 films
- 2022 television films
- British science fiction comedy films
- British comedy films
- Television about alien invasions
- British English-language television shows
- Dave (TV channel) original programming
- 2020s British comedy television series
- 2020s British science fiction television series