Paxman catches Election fever with Channel 4

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned a night of programming for the upcoming UK election, which ex-BBC presenter Jeremy Paxman and comedian David Mitchell will front.

The pair will lead comedy and comment-themed all-nighter Alternative Election Night, which will include special election-themed episodes of fixed-rig series Gogglebox and magazine comedy The Last Leg.

Talent scheduled to appear includes Richard Osman, Cathy Newman, Gary Gibbon, Aisling Bea, Adam Hills, Kayvan Novak, Romesh Ranganathan, Henning When and Roisin Conaty.

Endemol Shine Group-owned Zeppotron will produce the show alongside ITV Productions. Zeppotron’s Ruth Phillips and Andrew Westwell executive produce alongside ITV’s Chris Shaw and Ian Rumsey.

“This is an unpredictable election and we’ve got a genuinely unpredictable and exciting line up for our take on election night,” said Channel 4’s head of TV events, Ed Havard. “It promises to be very different, and a lot of fun.”

Channel ran an Alternative Election Night in 2010 to good ratings. The UK election this year takes place on May 7, and is expected to be one of the closest in British political history.