Ben Willbond and Laurence Rickard, stars of Horrible Histories and Ghosts, discuss their latest project We Are Not Alone, a feature-length comedy exploring humanity through the eyes of aliens. They examine taboo topics, develop new characters, and consider the future of the series. They also talk about their fascination with central London selfies, a visit to a castle, and their upcoming projects, including one of them playing the lead role in Matilda.
The podcast discusses the concept of 'We Are Not Alone', a feature-length alien invasion comedy that explores humanity through the eyes of aliens who have recently conquered the planet and prompts awkward questions about human life and choices.
The creators emphasize the importance of humor in their work and highlight how comedy can be used to deliver messages while still maintaining a balance between humor and human drama.
Deep dives
Overview of the Podcast Episode
In this podcast episode, the hosts interview Ben Will Ronde and Lawrence Rickard, known for their work on Horrible Histories and Ghosts. They discuss their latest project, We Are Not Alone, a feature-length alien invasion comedy for UK TV. The duo explains that the show explores humanity through the eyes of aliens who have won the invasion and are trying to understand human eccentricities. They touch upon societal issues and how the aliens ask awkward questions about humanity's choices and its impact on the planet. The podcast explores the challenges and excitement of creating a feature-length comedy and the unique tone and style they bring to their shows.
The Characters and Themes in We Are Not Alone
The hosts delve into the characters and themes of We Are Not Alone. They discuss how the show uses comedic elements to explore relatable themes and social issues. The aliens' perspective allows them to ask probing questions about war, conflict, and humanity's treatment of the planet. The creators highlight that while there is drama in the story, comedy remains central, and they strive to strike a balance between humor and human drama. They emphasize the importance of humor in their work and how it can deliver messages while making people laugh.
The Process of Creating We Are Not Alone
The hosts inquire about the process of creating We Are Not Alone. Ben and Lawrence discuss how they initially pitched the idea as a sitcom but expanded it into a feature-length format. They express gratitude that UK TV embraced the concept and urged them to give it more space and time. They mention the challenges of finding the right tone for a comedy film while still maintaining the pacing and structure of a sitcom. They also highlight the importance of character development and how new characters in the show opened opportunities to explore their complexities and relationships.
Future Projects and Potential for We Are Not Alone
The hosts ask about future projects and whether there are plans to continue We Are Not Alone. Ben and Lawrence hint at the possibility of short-form episodes continuing the exploration of the issues raised in the feature-length episode. They discuss the versatility of their work and how different ideas may lend themselves to either long-form or traditional sitcom formats. They also mention that they are currently working on various scripts for future projects, remaining tight-lipped about the details.
Broadcast Behind The Screens has returned for a second series. In this week's opening episode, stars of Horrible Histories and the comedians behind Ghosts and Yonderland Ben Willbond and Laurence Rickard dissect their latest project We Are Not Alone for UKTV channel Dave. The feature-length comedy explores humanity through the eyes of the aliens that have recently conquered the planet and allows the comedy duo to examine some of the odder aspects of human life. During the episode, they discuss how the idea came to fruition, making a feature-length comedy film and tease at the potential of more to come.
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