Sacha Baron Cohen reunited with Channel 4 as broadcaster invests in comedy production company

The comedian first appeared as Ali G while working on the network in 1998

Channel 4 gave Ali G his television breakthrough (Getty)

Channel 4 is to go into partnership with Sacha Baron Cohen by investing in his new television comedy company, reviving its relationship with the comedian who first appeared as Ali G while working on the network in 1998.

The channel will take a minority stake in Spelthorne Community Television, which Baron Cohen is setting up with former Channel 4 comedy head Andrew Newman, who worked with the comedian on The 11 O’Clock Show, where Ali G made his debut. Spelthorne is the name of the Surrey borough that contains the town of Staines, where Ali G hung out with his homies, the “West Staines Massif”.

Baron Cohen said he had set up Spelthorne to give opportunities to new comedic talent. “This isn’t about people who are at the top of the pile and are coasting – this is a chance to help establish careers for ambitious people who have yet to make a mark in British television – I include amongst these, Andrew Newman, who, let’s face it, hasn't done a lot since he worked with me on The 11 O’Clock Show nearly 20 years ago,” he said.

The comedic actor, who won a Golden Globe for the spoof documentary film Borat, has recently been commissioned by Amazon to make a pilot comedy series called Highston, featuring basketball star Shaquille O’Neal and Flea for the band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He said he was pleased to be working again with the broadcaster which gave him his first major break by commissioning Da Ali G Show in 2000. The comedy later transferred to HBO and was nominated for an Emmy award, making Baron Cohen a star in America.

“After more than a decade away from Channel 4, it’s very exciting to come back home and back to the British TV industry that launched my career and those of many of my contemporaries; Ricky Gervais, John Oliver and those blokes who did The Inbetweeners. All have gone on to have great success internationally. A little too much success if I’m honest,” he said.

The investment is the latest tranche spent from Channel 4’s £20m Growth Fund, which aims to sustain the UK independent production sector by providing money to creative companies with a vision for growth. Channel 4’s portfolio now includes stakes in nine UK based independents, the others being Arrow International Media, Eleven Film, Lightbox Media, Popkorn Media, Renowned Films, True North Productions, Voltage TV Productions and Whisper Films.

The broadcaster says that these companies receive no guarantees for making future Channel 4 shows and that its commissioning teams are not influenced by whether or not projects have received support from the Growth Fund.

Channel 4’s chief executive David Abraham said he was thrilled to have Baron Cohen and Newman working with the organisation again. “Spelthorne Community Television share the Growth Fund’s ambition to support innovative talent and we’re looking forward to working with them as they develop a business which invests in the next generation of unforgettable comedy shows and characters.”

Thrilled: Channel 4 chief executive David Abraham

Newman, who was until recently chief executive at Objective Productions, said his ambitions for Spelthorne were not restricted to conventional television formats. “We want to make top quality television across the board and, with so many emerging platforms, now seems like a brilliant time to do it.”

In further comments suited to his shell-suited alter-ego, Baron Cohen suggested that he and his business partner had ulterior motives. “Ultimately our aim with Spelthorne Community Television is to discover new talent, develop new shows, then test them on UK audiences before we remake them, starring me, for the much more important US market.”