Meet Harvey Easter, a forty-something, sweet-natured, pathological optimist who works as an Assistant Sales Manager at an ailing piano shop, forever battling against a cruel world.

Harvey (MARK BENTON Silent Witness BBC ONE, Early Doors BBC TWO) lives in suburban Weyfleet in North Surrey with his wife of 19 years, Jax (REBECCA FRONT The Thick of It BBC TWO, Lewis ITV1), a part-time ballroom dancing teacher who sometimes wishes he didn't react to every problem or obstacle with the positive philosophy; "It could be worse." Their daughter, monosyllabic 17-year-old Charlie (ANTONIA CAMPBELL-HUGHES Lead Balloon BBC TWO, Spooks BBC ONE, Lewis ITV1) subsists on jelly sweets, goes out with a local grime DJ called Kill-R (JAVONE PRINCE PhoneShop E4, The Bill ITV1) and is on the verge of quitting school to go on benefits. The youngest, Robbie (JOE TRACINI Coming of Age BBC THREE, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps BBC THREE), 16, goes through so many phases he's impossible to keep up with; the culling of urban foxes one day, animal activism the next. While Harvey is happy to let the builder, Rakesh (NAVIN CHOWDHRY New Tricks BBC ONE, Doctor Who BBC ONE), work on their never-ending extension at his own pace. Still, there's always Harvey's best mate Ray (JUSTIN EDWARDS The Thick of It BBC TWO) to bring the mood down, a doleful oncologist who spends his working days telling people it couldn't be worse. But even he can't stop Harvey from looking on the bright side.

New BBC Radio 4 comedy series, Mr Blue Sky, stars MARK BENTON, REBECCA FRONT, ANTONIA CAMPBELL-HUGHES, JOE TRACINI, NAVIN CHOWDHRY, JAVONE PRINCE, JUSTIN EDWARDS, MICHAEL LEGGE, SIMON DAY and is written by ANDREW COLLINS, (EastEnders, co-wrote BBC1's Not Going Out with LEE MACK, BBC2/BBC3's Grass with SIMON DAY.) The four-part comedy series will air from Monday 16th May.

Other shows produced by Avalon Television are BBC Radio 5 Live’s 7 Day Sunday; Absolute Radio’s three times 2011 Sony-Award nominated The Frank Skinner Show, whose bi-weekly podcasts have been downloaded over 1 million times already this year; six series of the highly opinionated Radio 4 panel show Heresy; Living with Mother a four-part comedy series for Radio 4 and Dave Gorman’s Sunday Morning Show for Absolute Radio.
ends

Mr Blue Sky begins on the 16th May at 11.30am on BBC Radio 4

For further information please contact Debra Clavey or Dan Lloyd at Avalon Press & Publicity Tel: 020 7598 7222 Email: debrac@avalonuk.com or danl@avalonuk.com

AVALON TELEVISION

Currently Avalon Television produces: the quadruple-BAFTA and triple British Comedy Award-winning Harry Hill’s TV Burp (ITV1); Russell Howard’s Good News (BBC THREE), recommissioned for series four and five in 2011; four series of the Royal Television Society and Rose D’Or award-winning sitcom Not Going Out (BBC ONE); critically acclaimed topical comedy show Frank Skinner’s Opinionated (BBC TWO), returning for a further two series in 2011; brand new topical programme That Sunday Night Show (ITV 1), hosted by Adrian Chiles; and Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show (BBC THREE), returning for series two in 2011.

In the US Avalon Television is currently producing two series for Comedy Central: the scripted comedy Workaholics and John Oliver’s New York Standup Show. Also an established provider of digital content, The Handlers, starring Bryan Cranston, is currently represented on Atom.com.

Avalon Television also produces: BBC Radio 5 Live’s 7 Day Sunday hosted by CHRIS ADDISON with regular guests SARAH MILLICAN and ANDY ZALTZMAN; Yes it’s the Ashes, ANDY ZALTZMAN’s topical look at the ashes series; Dave Gorman’s Sunday Morning Show for Absolute Radio; and The Frank Skinner Show, Absolute Radio’s Saturday morning’s flagship show, whose spin-off podcasts were the station’s most downloaded of 2009 with over 6 million downloads.

Avalon Television is a leading producer of award-winning comedy and entertainment programmes in the UK and US. Founded in 1993, the independent production house supplies television programming to all the British terrestrial channels and leading cable and satellite stations, in addition to content for radio broadcasters. Avalon Television has produced Fantasy Football League (BBC TWO, ITV 1) with DAVID BADDIEL and FRANK SKINNER; BAFTA nominated Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned (ITV 1); three series of BAFTA award-winning The Harry Hill Show (Channel 4); the first ever UK arena comedy show Baddiel and Newman in Pieces at Wembley and Royal Television Society Award nominated The Frank Skinner Show (BBC ONE, ITV 1), which is widely credited as setting the tone for the modern comedic chat show and ran for nine years, attracting 11 million viewers at its peak.