When it comes to television sitcoms, producer Jon Plowman (OBE) says the reason audiences tune in is simple: “We like the characters and we want to have a good time with them.”

Plowman’s CV reads like someone has cherry-picked their favourite comedies and placed them in one dream career. He’s produced The Office, Vicar of Dibley, Absolutely Fabulous, League of Gentleman and Little Britain, to name but a few.

“A lot of people think scripts are about jokes,” he adds. “I think they’re about characters.”

In this podcast Plowman takes us behind the scenes to provide an insight into how Jennifer Saunders worked on Absolutely Fabulous, as well as telling the story of how BBC Two gave The Office a second chance.