Simon Bird To Star In Channel 4 Comedy ‘Everyone Else Burns’ From ‘Russian Doll’ Producer Jax Media & Universal International Studios

Peter White

May 3, 2022 at 11:00 AM·2 min read

British broadcaster Channel 4 has ordered an apocalyptic comedy series starring Friday Night Dinner and The Inbetweeners star Simon Bird.

The ad-supported, public service broadcaster has handed the six-part order to Jax Media, the company behind series including Netflix’s Russian Doll and HBO Max’s Search Party, and Universal International Studios, the London-led global production arm of the NBCU studio.

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Everyone Else Burns explores life in a hyper-religious community and asks: how does an idiosyncratic family navigating modern day life protect themselves from eternal hell fire?

Bird stars alongside Kate O’Flynn, Amy James-Kelly, Lolly Adefope, Al Roberts, Soph Galustian, Harry Connor, Ali Khan, Lloyd Griffith, Kadiff Kirwan, Morgana Robinson, Arsher Ali, Liam Williams, Kath Hughes, and Seb Cardinal.

It is a coming-of-age comedy about a Mancunian family and the puritanical Christian sect they are devoted to. Will patriarchal David Lewis ever ascend the church ranks and become an Elder? Will dutiful wife Fiona deviate from her own dogmatic moral compass? Will their naïve 17-year-old daughter Rachal be allowed to go to university, and will 12-year-old son Aaron ever fend off his secular bullies? All could lead to damnation.

It comes from newcomers Dillon Mapletoft and Oliver Taylor and will be directed by Ghosts helmer Nick Collett. Jax Media’s Tony Hernandez and Brooke Posch will exec produce with Jax Media’s Molly Seymour, who is heading up the Imagine Entertainment-backed company’s UK drive, will produce the series.

Everyone Else Burns was commissioned for Channel 4 by Head of Comedy Fiona McDermott and Commissioning Executive Laura Riseam.

Riseam said, “Jax Media have made some of the most iconic comedy of recent years and we are so delighted to be working with them, Oli and Dillon on a project they are so passionate about. We can’t wait for audiences to enter the pressure cooker of life with the Lewis family as they righteously try and defend the ideology and logic of a life of purity with the vices of the modern world encroaching fast. It’s a glorious comedy trap; contemporary, relevant and very funny.”

“We are thrilled to announce our first Jax UK original from the brilliant minds of Dillon and Oliver and our partners at Universal International Studios. There is no better home than Channel 4 to champion such a brilliantly fresh and subversive comedy,” added Brooke Posch, President of JAX Media.

Beatrice Springborn, President of Universal International Studios, said, “Everyone Else Burns is an irreverent, hilarious and heart-warming series from the brilliant creative minds of Dillon and Oliver. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Jax Media and Channel 4 to bring this show to life.”

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