Comedian Joe Lycett is taking the next step in launching his very own pub, The Lycett Arms, by applying for a personal alcohol licence. However, this is no ordinary boozer—it will only be open for one hour each week. During that time, it will serve as the backdrop for his brand new live Channel 4 series, also titled The Lycett Arms, featuring top-quality comedy entertainment and a pub full of celebrity guests.
Licensing Process Underway
For the show to get off the ground, Lycett must be fully qualified with a personal licence to serve alcohol. He is currently completing the required paperwork and studying hard for the approved training course, after which he will sit the compulsory exam to obtain a Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders.
Joe Lycett said: "I've always wanted to run a pub that only exists for an hour a week, for the purposes of a TV concept, and I'm thrilled beyond words to embark on the extended process of applying for a license to sell and serve alcohol. Filling in government-mandated paperwork has always been a passion of mine, and I only hope that at some point it involves the presentation of at least one form of photographic ID."
Comedy and Celebrity Guests
Broadcasting live on Channel 4 every Friday at 10pm, The Lycett Arms takes place inside Lycett's own pub—a technicolour, paisley-carpeted East London boozer where punters can escape the world while putting the world to rights. Frequented by a mixture of regulars, old friends and newcomers, all greeted warmly by Lycett and his weekly celebrity pub manager, the venue promises a vibrant atmosphere.
Each week, The Lycett Arms will be paired with a different pub from around the UK, shining a spotlight on what makes Britain's local watering holes so special. Live, anarchic, and with the wheels perpetually threatening to come off, the show is a heartfelt tribute to the great British pub.
Behind the Scenes
Tom Beck, Head of Live Events & Commissioning Editor, Entertainment & Reality, Channel 4, said: "Enticing Joe Lycett back onto Channel 4 screens has been a long and arduous process, involving months of delicate negotiations, emotional resilience and, in the end, the promise of legally binding admin. Thankfully, Joe's appetite for bureaucracy remains undimmed, and we are delighted that he has agreed to spend Friday nights running a pub that is open for one hour a week, while also reluctantly making what we are legally obliged to describe as a brilliant new live entertainment series."
Emily Hudd and Iain Wimbush of Bango Studios added: "We're delighted that we will be helping to facilitate one of Joe's lifelong dreams; to set up and run his own pub (with extremely limited opening hours), and transmit it live on Channel 4. It's an absolute thrill to be working with Joe again on a show which promises to be an exhilarating slice of live entertainment joy—so long as all the paperwork comes through on time."
Production and Air Date
The programme is a Bango Studios and My Options Were Ltd production, commissioned by Tom Beck for Channel 4. Executive producers are Joe Lycett, Iain Wimbush and Emily Hudd, alongside Beck from Channel 4. The Lycett Arms is scheduled to air on Channel 4 later this year.
