Yahoo News Patrick Stewart's Anchor Role In New Comedy
Sir Patrick Stewart will star in a new comedy from the creator of Family Guy about a British journalist who becomes an anchorman for a US news channel.
The show, which has been co-created by Seth MacFarlane, will be called Blunt Talk according to Variety, after the main character who will be called Walter Blunt.
It is not the first time Sir Patrick has teamed up with MacFarlane, who has used the actor to voice some characters in Family Guy and its sister show American Dad!
Although MacFarlane will be executive producer, the writer will be Jonathan Ames, who created the HBO comedy Bored to Death.
Sir Patrick, 73, who hails from Yorkshire, has spent the last few years filming the X-Men series in Hollywood.
He is probably as well known for the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV programmes and films, which transformed him from a Shakespearean actor on the British stage into one famous around the world.
His character in Blunt Talk is expected to be a plain speaking and tough news man who has little time for the neuroses of those around him at the American TV station.
Several commentators reacted by pointing out the similarity between the character and Piers Morgan, who was a British former tabloid editor before joining CNN.
Morgan replied to a tweet sent to his Twitter feed making him aware of the new show, saying only: "Erm.. RT @alexweprin Starz order new comedy about TV news. Patrick Stewart plays British TV anchor who comes to US to conquer cable news."
The show will be aired first on the American premium cable channel Starz, which has commissioned 20 episodes over two series.
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht told Variety: "In the character of Walter Blunt, Seth, Jonathan and Patrick have found the alchemy that makes a borderline alcoholic, mad-genius-Brit the man you want fighting in America's corner.
"Seth and Jonathan have struck the right balance between biting wit and outright absurdity in building this world, and we cannot wait for Patrick to breathe life into Walter."
