David Mitchell and Robert Webb’s new sitcom is “much more middle-aged” than Peep Show

“Well, it’s very early stages,” Mitchell told RadioTimes.com of the project. “It’s a very, very funny script that Simon’s written, a sitcom, and it is our hope that it will be televised.

“We’re developing it for Channel 4 with Phil Clarke, who’s the head of comedy, who produced many series of Peep Show. So, you know, we hope that’ll happen at some point.”

However, despite the potential series including a Peep Show writer, producer and its main stars, Mitchell and Webb were keen to stress the differences between their long-running comedy (which returns for a final series soon) and Back.

“We’re playing Jark and Memory… that doesn’t even work,” quipped Webb, with Mitchell adding that the script existed “in a very different world to Peep Show” and was “very much more middle-aged.”

In fact, the pair said they’d taken pains to make sure the two were never compared – even favourably.

“I’ve made it an explicit requirement that it should be slightly worse [than Peep Show],” Mitchell deadpanned.

“We did ask for that,” Webb agreed.

“It’s bang on a trajectory of artistic decline that I’m determined to stick to,” Mitchell went on, “until my unmourned retirement after a real f***ing turkey. And I’ll just disappear into the woods for three years, and then come back and make documentaries.”

Webb concluded: “I want to celebrate my mid-fifties with the biggest f***ing turkey I can possibly find.”

Sounds like a solid plan. We’re sure the fans can’t wait.

Peep Show returns to Channel 4 next month