Gagged

Don Silver, the Vice President of Comedy at Mercury Studios, is in very deep trouble indeed. He''s been behind so many disastrous pilots that he''s earned the nickname ''Buddy Holly''. If he doesn''t find a hit sitcom - and fast - it''ll be goodbye to the bourbon, broads and BMWs of his Beverly Hills lifestyle and he''ll be out on his (freshly irrigated) arse.

Award-winning comedy writer, Melvin Medford, has a plan to help Don out. So he''s nerdier than Bill Gates in a Red Dwarf T-shirt at a Terry Pratchett signing; so he hasn''t pitched an idea in ages; so his plan borders on the psychotic, no matter, at least he has a plan...

Which is where Ben Busby comes in. A young British comic, simply gagging to break into television, he''s just met two Americans who seem very keen on hiring him. Ben''s beside himself with excitement.

However, Melvin''s beside him with a gun...

In the million-dollar world of the American sitcom, you could die laughing. No joke.