Long before The Office, there was This is Spinal Tap.
Now the man behind this enduring wonder big screen mockumentary is bringing his gifts to the BBC.
This is Spinal Tap - never bettered...
Christopher Guest, who played 'up to 11' guitarist Nigel Tufnel as well as penning the exploration of what it is to be a rock god, will be creating a documentary-style comedy series for BBC2.
And he's recruited the popular talents of Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd) for Family Tree, about a man Tom Chadwick looking into his ancestry after losing his job, his girlfriend and his confidence.
Guest is famously mercurial, happy to go for long stretches between projects, but when he does land on something, it is without fail worth watching, and the BBC are suitably chuffed to bring him into their fold.
Just because...
Executive editor for the BBC, Chris Sussman, said: "We are all ludicrously excited about the opportunity to work with Christopher Guest. He has British roots but this is his first ever project over here, and we are very pleased to have it on the BBC."
Guest, US-born and married to Jamie Lee Curtis, is also a British hereditary peer through his family the Haden-Guests, and will be writing the series with British Jim Piddock, his collaborator on Best in Show and For Your Consideration.
It will also be screened by US broadcaster HBO.
To celebrate Christopher Guest coming to the BBC, here's a look at some of the funniest films of the decade... is yours in there?
The Funniest Movies Of The 2000s
The Other Guys (2010)(01 of41)
Captain Gene Mauch: "You know what, I'm going to hang onto the wooden gun."Allen Gamble "To give me back my real gun?"Captain Gene Mauch: "No. I'm going to give you this... It's a rape whistle. You blow that if you're in any trouble, and someone with an actual gun will come and help you out."(via IMDb)
The Hangover (2009)(02 of41)
Alan: "Counting cards isn't illegal. It's frowned upon, like masturbating on an airplane." (Via Fused Film)
Get Him To The Greek (2010)(03 of41)
Aldous Snow: "What you did was very spiteful, but it was also very brave and very honest and I respect you for doing that. But the content of what you said has made me hate you. So there's a layer of respect, admittedly, for your truthfulness, but it's peppered with hate. Hateful respect."(via IMDb)
Anchorman (2004) (04 of41)
Ron Burgandy: "I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly." (Via The Film Stage)
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)(05 of41)
Gene: "Now finish up them taters; I'm gonna go fondle my sweaters." (Via Comedy Central Insider)
Borat (2006)(06 of41)
"I arrived in America's airport with clothings, U.S. dollars, and a jar of gypsy tears to protect me from AIDS." (Via Bumpshack)
Shaun Of The Dead (2004)(07 of41)
Shaun: [To the group] "As Bertrand Russell once said, 'The only thing that will redeem mankind is cooperation.' I think we can all appreciate the relevance of that now."Liz: "Was that on a beer mat?"Shaun: "Yeah, it was Guinness Extra Cold."Liz: "I won't say anything."Shaun: "Thanks." (Via Thoughts On Cinema)
Wedding Crashers (2005)(08 of41)
Jeremy Grey: "Tattoo on the lower back? Might as well be a bullseye." (Via IGN)
Zoolander (2001)(09 of41)
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is." (Via Guardian)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)(10 of41)
Richie: "I wrote a suicide note."Chas: "You did?"Richie: "Yeah, right after I regained consciousness."Chas: "Well what does it say? Is it dark?"Richie: "Of course it's dark, it's a suicide note."Chas: "Can I read it?"Richie: "No."Chas: "Well could you at least summarize it for us?" (Via IMDB)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)(11 of41)
Grandma: "How was school?"Napoleon Dynamite: "The worst day of my life, what do you think?" (Via Fan Pop)
Team America: World Police (2004)(12 of41)
Gary Johnston: "Your skills are fading with age, Mrs. Sarandon."Susan Sarandon: "You will die a peasant's death!" (Via IMDB)
Knocked Up (2007)(13 of41)
Alison Scott: [to Debbie] "What do you think? He's funny, right?"Ben Stone: [to Debbie's kids] "Fetch!"Debbie: [to Alison] "He's playing fetch... With my kids... He's treating my kids like they're dogs."(Via Blogadilla)
Saved! (2004)(14 of41)
Cassandra: "There's only one reason Christian girls comes down to the Planned Parenthood."Roland: "She's planting a pipe bomb?"Cassandra: "Okay, two reasons." (Via MightyGodKing)
Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)(15 of41)
Harold: "Did Doogie Houser just steal my fucking car?" (Via cia)
The Aristocrats (2005)(16 of41)
Sarah Silverman: "Joe Franklin loved The Aristocrats. He was like our rehearsal director when dad and my brother weren't there, and my mother and my nana weren't there. I was on his show... He said it wasn't a taped show, but we, like, did a show... Yeah, it was his office. But he had a bed in it, like a couch... that he called 'Uncle Joe's Bed for Little People', because a couch is like a bed for little people, y'know... Joe Franklin raped me." (Via The Movie Spoiler)
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)(17 of41)
Olive: "I'd like to dedicate this to my grandpa, who showed me these moves."Pageant MC: "Aww, that is so sweet."[Audience applauds]Pageant MC: "Is he here? Where's your grandpa right now?"Olive: "In the trunk of our car." (Via cia)
Ghost World (2001)(18 of41)
Rebecca: "This is so bad it's almost good."Enid: "This is so bad it's gone past good and back to bad again." (Via aboutfilm)
Idiocracy (2006)(19 of41)
Woman at Carl's Jr.: "Come on! My kids are starvin'!"Carl's Jr. Computer: [woman kicks the computer, and it sprays a tranquilizer in her face] "This should help you calm down. Please come back when you can afford to make a purchase. Your kids are starving. Carl's Jr. believes no child should go hungry. You are an unfit mother. Your children will be placed in the custody of Carl's Jr. Carl's Jr... 'Fuck You, I'm Eating.'" (Via IMDB)
Snakes On A Plane (2006)(20 of41)
"Enough is enough! I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane!" (Via boston.com)
Up (2009)(21 of41)
"I hid under your porch because I love you." (Via bright lights film)
Mean Girls (2004)(22 of41)
Cady: "Half the people in this room are mad at me, and the other half only like me because they think I pushed somebody in front a bus, so that's not good." (Via room over the garage)
Old School (2003)(23 of41)
Mitch: "True love is hard to find, sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded like a goddamn magic show ready to double team your girlfriend..." (Via fanpop)
Bad Santa (2003)(24 of41)
Sue: "I've always had a thing for Santa Claus. In case you didn't notice. It's like some deep-seeded childhood thing."Willie: "So is my thing for tits." (Via stardust trailers)
Ratatouille (2007)(25 of41)
Django: "Food is fuel. You get picky about what you put in the tank, your engine is gonna die. Now shut up and eat your garbage."(via Movie Mobsters)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)(26 of41)
Joel: "He's seducing my girlfriend with MY words and MY things. He stole a pair of her underwear! Jesus Christ, he stole her underwear." (via Nerdy Heartbeat)
Juno (2007)(27 of41)
Juno: "I think I'm in love with you."Paulie Bleeker: "You mean as friends?"Juno: "No... I mean for real. 'Cause you're, like, the coolest person I've ever met, and you don't even have to try, you know..."Paulie Bleeker: "I try really hard, actually."(via Film School Rejects)
Superbad (2007)(28 of41)
"McLovin? What kind of a stupid name is that, Fogell? What, are you trying to be an Irish R&B singer?" (via EW.com)
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)(29 of41)
Andy: "So none of the girls here eat anything?"Nigel: "Not since two became new four and zero became the new two."Andy: "Well, I'm a six..."Nigel: "Which is the new fourteen."(via ShoeShoeOnline)
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)(30 of41)
Dave: "Of course it's horrible. It's suffering and it's pain and it's... You know, you lose weight and then you put back on weight, and then you, you know, you call them a bunch of times and you try and email, and then they move or they change their email, but that's just love."(via Moviefone)
Pootie Tang (2001)(31 of41)
Biggie Shorty: "Just because a woman likes to dress fancy and stand on the corner next to a bunch of prostitutes don't make her a hooker!"(via Haro-Online.com)
Super Troopers (2001)(32 of41)
Farva: "Gimme a liter o' cola."Dimpus Burger Guy: "What?"Farva: [Annoyed] "A liter o' cola."Dimpus Burger Guy: [into mic] "Litercola? Do we sell litrecola?"Thorny: "Will you just order a large, Farva?"Farva: "I don't want a large Farva. I want a goddamn liter o' cola!"(via Cataland.com)
Black Dynamite (2010)(34 of41)
Black Dynamite: "First Lady, I'm sorry I pimp-slapped you into that china cabinet. I used excessive force. Often times, I cross the line, but I try to do so in the name of what's right. Most of the time, the ends justifies the means. But in this case I feel like I betrayed my own code of ethics. And for that, sugar, I apologize.(via Premium Hollywood)
In The Loop (2009)(35 of41)
Malcolm Tucker: Fucking hung up, haven't you? You fucking hoity-toity fucking... Tourist: Hey, buddy? Enough with the curse words, all right? Malcolm Tucker: Kiss my sweaty balls, you fat fuck.(via IGN)
Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)(36 of41)
Lou: "It's called male bonding okay. Haven't you even seen 'Wild Hogs'?"(via IMDb)
MacGruber (2010)(37 of41)
Col. James Faith: "They were nice funerals."MacGruber: "Yeah. What did you think of my eulogies?"Col. James Faith: "Very touching. I might have cut back on the F-words a little."MacGruber: "Well, they were fucking great guys. And this is a fucking asshole of a day."(via IMDb)
Four Lions (2010)(38 of41)
Omar: "Invisible? Right. Like the time you got on the local news for baking a Twin Towers cake and leaving it at the synagogue on 9/11?"(via IMDb)
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)(39 of41)
Wallace Wells: "If you want something bad, you have to fight for it. Step up your game, Scott. Break out the L-word."Scott Pilgrim: "Lesbian?"Wallace Wells: "The other L-word."Scott Pilgrim: "Lesbians?" (via IMDb)
The School of Rock (2003)(40 of41)
Dewey Finn: "Ok, here's the deal. I have a hangover. Who knows what that means?"Frankie: "Doesn't that mean you're drunk?"Dewey Finn: "No. It means I was drunk yesterday."(via Ace Showbiz)
Tropic Thunder (2008)(41 of41)
Kirk Lazarus: "I know what dude I am. I'm the dude playin' the dude, disguised as another dude!" (Via IMDB)