BBC starts shooting Dickens-era comedy

The BBC says it has begun production of the new comedy adventure "The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff," which will be aired in Britain over the Christmas holidays. The Victorian-period mini-series stars Stephen Fry and the comedy duo Robert Webb and David Mitchell, and will debut as a 1-hour Christmas special followed by three 30-minute episodes. BBC Two said the show will take place in a Dickensian world and will mark the bicentenary of Charles Dickens' birth. The chief writer is Mark Evans, who wrote a popular Victorian-era comedy on Radio 4 called "Bleak Expectations," The Daily Telegraph noted. "Mark Evans's already well-loved Victorian comic world is a wonderful way to celebrate the bicentenary of Dickens' birth," said Mark Freeland, who heads up development of comedies for BBC Two. "He probably wouldn't have agreed, but I am very excited."