Charlie Brooker is going to turn his acerbic gaze on coronavirus in a special edition of his BBC Wipe brand, which also marks the first commission for his new production venture Broke And Bones.

In a co-production with Endemol Shine UK, the companies will make Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe for BBC Two — a 30-minute look at life in COVID-19 lockdown. Wipe‘s recurring fictional talking heads Philomena Cunk (Diane Morgan) and Barry Shitpeas (Al Campbell) are also set to feature.

Screenwipe first launched in 2006 with Brooker providing a sharp-eyed view on television. The show evolved into the more topical News Wipe and Weekly Wipe, and then end-of-year reviews, the last of which was Charlie Brooker’s 2016 Wipe, in which the presenter reflected on Brexit and Donald Trump’s election victory.

Brooker has been too busy on Black Mirror to make any further episodes since 2016, but the period of self-isolation has provided a window in his diary away from the Netflix drama. Antiviral Wipe was commissioned by BBC Two controller Patrick Holland, comedy boss Shane Allen and Ben Caudell. It will be executive produced by Brooker’s longtime collaborator Annabel Jones, while Alison Marlow is the series producer.

Deadline revealed in February that Brooker had set up Broke And Bones with Jones after leaving their Endemol Shine Group outfit House Of Tomorrow, through which they made Black Mirror. They have been in protracted negotiations with Netflix about an exclusive deal, but to continue making Black Mirror.

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