Channel 4 have announced two new sci-fi comedy-dramas coming to E4: Tripped and Aliens. Full details follow:

Tripped

The Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison heads a cast of fresh new talent in E4’s mind blowing new series Tripped; a comedy drama set in parallel universes.

Harrison stars as Danny, an average 24-year-old who has been friends with stoner Milo (played by newcomer George Webster) since they were kids. But then Danny decides it’s time to grow up, settle down and marry long-term girlfriend Kate (played by RTS nominee Georgina Campbell), whereas Milo continues to focus on getting high.

One night Milo takes a particularly strong batch of hallucinogens, and Danny appears in his living room – except the real Danny’s at his engagement party, and the real Danny doesn’t normally carry a sword! This Danny claims to come from another dimension, and he brings a warning – the only problem is that Milo’s too wrecked to remember what it is.

Throughout the series Danny and Milo find themselves tripping to various parallel universes where they encounter different versions of themselves, all the time being chased by a dangerous assassin (Richard Gadd). Will Danny and Milo’s friendship survive their adventure in the multiverse, and will Danny manage to return to his reality and get married to his original Kate?

Tripped was commissioned following an original pilot by Jamie Mathieson (Doctor Who), entitled Alt. The 4×60 minute series is written and co-created by Harry and Jack Williams (The Missing), with Jamie Mathieson a co-creator and co-writer of episode one.

Beth Willis, Deputy Head of Drama at Channel 4: “Jack and Harry’s scripts for Tripped are a breathless and brilliantly funny ride – and we’re so thrilled to have Blake Harrison back on Channel 4, playing Danny and Danny and Danny.”

Blake Harrison: “I’m really excited to be working on Tripped! It’s always frustrating when good actors make me look bad but on this show I get to have a lot of scenes with myself so I should look alright! Also they’ve let me have a sword so if any one brings me a cold steak I can go full medieval Clarkson on their ass!!

Preethi Mavahalli said: “We’re delighted that Mammoth Screen is making its first series for E4. The mind-bending madness of Tripped is unlike anything we’ve ever done before which makes it especially exciting. And it’s great to work with such a wonderful team – extraordinary scripts from Jack and Harry Williams, the insane talent of director Jamie Stone, and stand out performances from a brilliantly entertaining cast.”

The series is commissioned by Piers Wenger, Head of Drama and Beth Willis, Deputy Head of Drama at Channel 4 and is made by Mammoth Screen, whose current productions include Poldark (BBC), Endeavour (ITV), and Agatha Raisin (Sky 1).

Produced by James Dean (This Is Jinsy), and directed by Jamie Stone (The Village), Tripped goes into production this week and will TX on E4 later in the year. Executive Producers are Preethi Mavahalli and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, and Jack and Harry Williams for Two Brothers Pictures.

Aliens

The aliens are here. In fact, they’ve been here for the last 40 years. But though they walk like us, talk like us and look like us, they’re not allowed to live with us. All aliens are forced to live behind a huge wall in a in a segregated community called Troy; a ramshackle and hedonistic ghetto where a criminal sub-culture thrives. It’s a world of mystery, danger and forbidden pleasures.

But when mild-mannered human Lewis, a border control guard at the wall’s check-point, discovers that he is half-alien, his secret threatens to turn his world upside down as he is drawn into the dark underbelly of Troy.

Written by Fintan Ryan (Never Better, In The Flesh), Aliens (6 x 60’) is produced by Clerkenwell Films (Misfits, Scrotal Recall, Not Safe For Work) and will begin filming later this year.

Roberto Troni, commissioner at Channel 4, says: “Scabrously funny, shockingly violent and at times positively hallucinogenic, Aliens is a wry and riotous adventure into a world that is at once entirely familiar and absolutely strange. It’s a culture clash, a gangster epic, but fundamentally it is an all too human search for acceptance and identity.”

Executive Producer at Clerkenwell Films Petra Fried says: “In Aliens, Fintan Ryan has created a world that mixes social commentary, crime genre and comedy in a new and exciting way.”

Fintan Ryan, writer, adds: “Clerkenwell is the only company capable of making this show, E4 is the only place they’d let us make it. This is going to be good.”

Commissioned by Piers Wenger, Head of Drama for Channel 4, and Roberto Troni, Commissioner at Channel 4, and made by Clerkenwell Films, Aliens will TX on E4 in 2016. Charlie Leech is Producer and Executive Producers for Clerkenwell Films are Petra Fried, Matt Jarvis and Murray Ferguson.