UKTV has slated a new escape room comedy entertainment series for U and U&Dave, adapted from the format created by Roses Are Blue for VTM and distributed by Be Entertainment.
The Way Out is being produced by Tuesday’s Child and fronted by Mel Giedroyc, with Ed Gamble and Nish Kumar as team captains. Local development was led by James Donkin at Curious Cat. The show was commissioned by Mark Iddon, senior commissioning editor, and Jason Dawson, commissioning executive, and ordered by Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning, and Gerald Casey, director of programming, comedy and entertainment.
“The Way Out reflects our ambition to deliver bold, distinctive comedy on U and U&Dave,” Iddon said. “What we loved straight away was how instantly gettable the idea is, and how much comedy it creates. You’re watching very smart people make terrible decisions under pressure, which is always a joy. It feels playful, a bit anarchic and genuinely competitive, and with Mel’s mix of warmth and mischief, she is the perfect person to hold it all together.”
Casey added, “Escape rooms have exploded in popularity because they tap into something universal—we all love solving puzzles and trying to outsmart the unexpected. So, throwing comedians into that pressure cooker felt like a no‑brainer. The chaos of escape rooms mixed with the quick wit of some of the funniest people in the UK is television our viewers will love.”
Steph Harris at Tuesday’s Child added, “We’re extremely excited to be on this journey with UKTV who are just as enthused as us to be bringing this format to a UK audience. The show is riotiously funny viewing from start to finish. Helmed by the brilliantly funny Mel, self-confessed escape room addict, Ed and Nish put their 20-year friendship to test as their teams race to escape a series of fantastical worlds—and the results are quite literally explosive.”
