James R | On 15, Apr 2022

Channel 4 has ordered The Change, a new comedy series from Bridget Christie.

The stand-up comedian, actor and writer is no stranger to the small screen, having released her special Stand Up for Her straight to Netflix and appeared on shows such as Have I Got News for You, Alan Davies As Yet Untitled and Ghosts. She can currently be seen in Channel 4’s Taskmaster, where she is competing in the 13th season alongside Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted), Chris Ramsey (The Chris Ramsey Show), Judi Love (Loose Women) and Sophie Duker (Live at the Apollo).

But before her Taskmaster debut last night, the broadcaster announced the commissioning of a new six-part comedy-drama from Bridget. Produced by Expectation, it will follow Linda (Christie), a 50-year-old working class married mother of two. Who is she? What is she? Is this it? Convinced she’s got early onset dementia after forgetting what a shoe is called, Linda’s GP informs her it is, in fact, the menopause. Feeling invigorated and empowered by this information, Linda decides to claw back some of the time she’s spent doing “invisible work” over the years (not all 3.5 million minutes, just 131,500 of them) to do something for herself… for a change.

Dusting off her old Triumph motorbike that she hasn’t ridden in 30 years, Linda sets off alone to The Forest of Dean – in search of an identity, a purpose and a tree she climbed as a child. Along the way she meets an array of eccentric locals, including the infamous Eel Sisters, an angry local radio presenter and a mysterious man who lives in the woods with the wild boar. What could possibly go wrong?

Christie commented: “I’ve got a Channel 4 series??? Are you joking? I’m sorry I don’t know anything about this. Unless I’ve forgotten? I am having terrible trouble remembering things at the moment because of the menopause. What’s it about?”

Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy at Channel 4, said: “Bridget pitched the show with the tag line ‘Shirley Valentine meets Deliverance. With Pigs.’ She had us at ‘pigs’. We’re so thrilled to be working with her and Expectation and be able to hero a woman like Linda at the centre of a show that so brilliantly tackles big themes – feminism, health, identity, class and the natural world – but wraps them up with Bridget’s signature charm, curiosity and comic expertise. It’s a timely show from a comic at the height of her powers.”

The Change was commissioned for Channel 4 by Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy and Laura Riseam, Commissioning Executive for Comedy. The executive producers are Bridget Christie, Nerys Evans and Morwenna Gordon. The series will be produced by Lisa Mitchell.

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