WiththeimminentreleaseofRoseMatefeo’sbrandnewromcomStarstruckonBBCThreeattheendofA ril,thiscomingyearmarksawatershedmomentinbroadcastinghistorywithmostBBCThreecomedyeitherstarring,writtenbyorcreatedbywomen.BBCThreewillbethefirstUKchanneltoachievethislandmarkinfemalere resentationwith58%oflong-formscri tedcomedywrittenbywomen.U comingtitlesincludeLazySusan,StarstruckandEllieandNatasia lusthesecondseriesofbothInMySkinandBacktoLife.Inadditiontothis,theBBCtodayannouncesfournewBBCComedySlicesforBBCThree,allofwhicharewrittenbyand/orstarfemaletalent:Ladybaby,Amicable,DinosaurandBritney,whichresultsinthemajorityofcomedy rogrammesonBBCThreenowbeingfemaleled.KateDaughton,outgoingHeadofComedyattheBBC,says:“BuildingonthehugesuccessofPhoebeWaller-BridgeandDaisyMayCoo er,thismarksamonumentalachievementandistestamenttothefactthemost ioneeringandexcitingnewvoicesincomedyareincreasinglyfemale.”KateleavestheComedyCommissioningteamtodayhavingmadeatremendousim actoverseeingaraftoffemalefirsttitles.SinceKate’sarrivalin2017shehascommissionedandnurturedFleabag,Mum,Ghosts,Gavin&am ;Stacey:ChristmasS ecial(2019),ThisTimeWithAlanPartridge,BacktoLife,TheGoesWrongShow,OutofHerMind,TwoDoorsDown,InMySkinandManLikeMobeen.AlongsidetheforthcomingWitchfinder,Alma’sNotNormalandSte henMerchantseriesTheOffenders(w/t).ShaneAllen,DirectorofBBCComedy,says:“Fiveyearsagotherewerestillarticlesaskingwhereallthefunnywomenwere.Thathoaryoldnonsensecanfinallybedis ensedwithonceandforall.It’salevel layingfieldwiththemostvibrantanddynamicworkcomingthroughfromfemaleswritersandwriter erformerswhoareelevatingtheartformofcomedyandex andingitshorizons.AsforKateDaughton,nolongerwillshecurseatmeforloudsneezingintheoffice.Partlybecauseshe’sleavingandmostlybecausewe’venotbeenintheoffice.Trulybereft;indenialthatshe’soffandwe’reluckytohavehadherforsolong.”CharlotteMoore,ChiefContentOfficer,says:“Kate’sim eccabletaste,whi smartcomedybrainandbeguilingwayswithtalenthavehadatransformativeim actonthecomedyout utinhertimehere.ThefactthatBBCThreecanclaimtobethefirstUKchannelwithamajorityoffemaleledandwrittenscri tedcomedyisinlarge artdowntohervisionand assionforbackinggenredefiningfemalecreatives.She’llbesorelymissedbutthankfullyleavesbehindaterrificlegacyofshowsahead.