David Schwimmer joins Julia Davis comedy

David Schwimmer (Friends) has joined the cast of the new Julia Davis sitcom Morning Has Broken, due to air in 2016 on Channel 4.

Since audiences saw Ross and Rachel finally end up together, David has done a raft of other projects, including directing Simon Pegg Brit flick Run Fatboy Run, voicing Melman the giraffe in the Madagascar films and doing a cameo in former co-star Matt LeBlanc’s show Episodes.

The series is expected to echo the dark humour of Davis’s previous series, such as BBC’s caustic comedy Nighty Night about a narcissistic sociopath, Jill Tyrell.

Schwimmer, who has mainly been working behind the camera and on stage since his 10-year stint on Friends ended, added: “I’ve been a massive fan of Julia’s for years, and I’m thrilled to be able to finally work with her and Nick on this fantastic comedy”.

Channel 4 has confirmed that the Hunderby creator is making a new sitcom set behind the scenes at a struggling breakfast television show. The role of the show’s host, the “Queen of Daytime”, is taken by Julia Davis, who co-wrote “Morning Has Broken” with Nick Mohammed.

ITV’s breakfast troubles are more recent, with Good Morning Britain, fronted by Susanna Reid – the broadcaster’s big-money signing from the BBC – replacing the short-lived Daybreak a year ago.

Separately, Channel 4 announced a new E4 comedy, Wasted, about four friends “wasting their 20s” in a west country village.

The show will hit our screens in 2016.

Roisin Conaty’s sitcom GameFace will return for a six-part series.