BBC America commissions first new sitcom - and it's about the royal family (almost)

Ed Gamble and Amy Hoggart to star in Almost Royal - a sitcom about hapless aristos

Ed Gamble and Amy Hoggart will play distant descendants of the British Royal Family (BBC America)

Two young British comedians have been cast as the lead roles in a new US sitcom commissioned by the BBC, as the corporation hopes to cash in on America’s obsession with the English upper classes.

Ed Gamble and Amy Hoggart will star in Almost Royal, BBC America’s first original comedy series, which revolves around two hapless and over-privileged young British aristocrats visiting the US for the first time.

The seven-part series follows the travels of Georgie and Poppy Carlton, distant descendants of the Royal Family and heirs to the Caunty Manor estate in Norfolk.

According to a synopsis issued by the BBC, Georgie (played by Gamble) is using the trip to become more “manly” in the hope of living up to his father’s legacy, while Poppy (Hoggart) simply wants to “raise her profile” in the US.

The BBC said Almost Royal would “not be a straight sitcom” and includes the actors interacting with real Americans with a mockumentary-style film crew in tow.

“The road trip will provide the sheltered siblings with an opportunity to spread their wings and see the world,” BBC America said. “Georgie and Poppy have never worked a day in their lives, driven themselves anywhere or solved any problem more complex than telling their butler to tell their cook what they want for lunch.”

Hoggart, who is the daughter of the late Parliamentary sketch writer Simon Hoggart, is known on the British comedy circuit for her character Pattie Brewster, but has done little TV work until now. Gamble is best known for his Peacock and Gamble podcast with fellow comic Ray Peacock.

The series is set to begin in the US on 21 June.