3 months ago
Comedian Harry Deansway is suing Steve Coogan’s accumulation institution Baby Cow complete a drama bid called “Live astatine nan Moth Club,” which he claims rips disconnected his YouTube show “Shambles.”
In his filing, Deansway, whose existent sanction is Joshua Rinkoff, describes “Shambles” arsenic a sitcom “centered astir a unrecorded drama night” astatine a run-down nine struggling to make ends meet. The show blends truth and fabrication by combining a sitcom group down nan scenes of nan nine pinch existent drama performances successful beforehand of a unrecorded audience.
“Shambles,” which featured appearances from well-known comedians including Aisling Bea and Dan Schreiber, was released connected YouTube successful 2013 arsenic a six-part series, followed by a 2nd play successful 2015.
Deansway has accused Baby Cow of copying nan bid pinch a show called “Live astatine nan Moth Club,” which aired connected UKTV past December. According to nan comedian, “Live astatine nan Moth Club,” which stars Jamie Demetriou, Natasha Demetriou and Phil Wang, among different acts, bears a number of similarities to “Shambles,” including nan setting, nan format and characters specified arsenic a shambolic promoter.
His ineligible filing besides lists a number of jokes he claims were ripped off, including 1 astir nan lights astatine nan nine not moving and different successful which an intern ends up penning worldly for 1 of nan comedians.
Deansway successful nan filing says he is acquainted pinch Baby Cow’s caput of development, Rupert Majendie, who is credited arsenic nan creator and executive shaper connected “Live astatine nan Moth Club,” and erstwhile sounded him an “embryonic” type of “Shambles” erstwhile Majendie was moving astatine nan BBC.
A root adjacent to Baby Cow told Variety that while nan parties’ lawyers are successful communication, nan accumulation institution regards nan similarities betwixt nan 2 shows arsenic “quite light,” comparing them to nan closeness of soaps specified arsenic “Coronation Street” and “Eastenders.”
Baby Cow was founded by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal successful 1999. Coogan stayed connected arsenic a shareholder aft BBC Studios took a mostly liking successful nan institution successful 2016.
A spokesperson for nan accumulation institution told Variety: “We powerfully refute this claim, which has nary ineligible merit.”
