Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

My Almost Famous Family is a brand new all-singing, all-dancing comedy series set to strike a chord on CΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ this September.

Singing, dancing and doing the chores – it's all in a day's work for the Swann family, stars of the new 11-part high-energy, musical comedy series.

By day the Swanns perform as TV pop group We're In Perfect Harmony; by night they're a big, blended and sometimes harmonious step-family.

When English musician Gary Swann (Andrew Clover) stepped on stage with African-American soul singer Sholandra (Rakie Ayola) in Las Vegas it was love at first verse.

Now their families have come together, moved back to the UK and landed the best gig in TV – house band on everyone's favourite tea-time chat-show, The Totally Annabelle Show, hosted by the nation's top teen presenter.

In front of the TV screens Annabelle is a darling and adored by all but, once the cameras stop rolling, the Swanns soon discover her real persona – she's a nightmare!

But with five children/pop stars living, singing and schooling under one roof, viewers can expect tears, tantrums – and the occasional spontaneous musical number!

First there are Gary's two children: 16-year-old self-styled bad boy of rock and secret softie Hadley (Angus Harrison); and 15-year-old quick-witted, musical genius Toyah (Naomi Battrick).

Then there are Sholandra's children: 15-year-old fame hungry diva-in-the-making Aretha (Dominique Moore); and 14-year-old family joker Isaac (Matt Morgan).

Completing the family is Gary and Sholandra's cheeky, entrepreneur in the making, eight-year-old Martha (Rachel Brady), who is deaf.

"It's a big melodious comedy with a huge heart," reveals series producer Paul McKenzie.

"The Swann family are almost famous but the parents are determined to keep the kids grounded – which is pretty difficult when they've got five million viewers watching them every week."

My Almost Famous Family follows the very funny ups and downs of life in a big, raucous family and the craziness that comes with fame. From stolen pigs and rock star grandads to make-or-break maths tests and crazy teen TV presenters, life with the Swanns may look glamorous on the surface, but there's a lot of frantic paddling going on underneath!

The series is a CΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ production produced by Paul McKenzie with Steven Andrew as executive producer.

Before the series begins, viewers can get an early taster in Backstage, a new series that goes behind the scenes of up-and-coming CΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ shows. Each glossy, bespoke, making-of half-hour combines key interviews from the main cast and crew, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and clips from the main show.

The programme introduces viewers to the story of My Almost Famous Family, setting up the main characters and exploring how the series has been made – from building the sets to creating the music and filming a food fight.

Backstage airs on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August 2009 on CΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ. My Almost Famous Family starts on Saturday 12 September on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two.

VT