Stepping Up: Josh Pugh’s New Comedy Begins Filming in the West Midlands

By Jon Donnis

Filming has officially begun in the West Midlands for Stepping Up, a brand-new six-part comedy series written by and starring Josh Pugh, known for Sneakerhead and How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge). The series is directed by Jack Clough, whose credits include People Just Do Nothing and Things You Should Have Done, and produced by Roughcut Television, behind hits such as Big Boys and We Might Regret This, for Channel 4.

Pugh leads the ensemble as Josh, an over-enthusiastic stepdad striving to juggle his role as a devoted partner, a mentor to his stepchildren, and the all-round 'Good Bloke'. Alongside him, Denise Welch plays Sue, Josh's no-nonsense mum, while Sophia Di Martino stars as Becky, Josh's patient partner, and Tom Hanson takes on Sean, Becky's ex-husband. Lucia Keskin appears as Kelcie, Josh's best friend, with Jeff Mirza rounding out the main cast as Dev, a local curry house legend.

The series also introduces fresh talent, including Artie Dobson as Nathan, Becky and Sean's son, Oscar Hewitt-Richards as Nathan's best friend Lloyd, and Eadie Johnson as Izzie, Nathan's younger sister.

Stepping Up explores the everyday comedy of stepdad life, navigating awkward family dynamics, love triangles, and the endless attempts to impress everyone who doesn't actually need impressing. Josh is determined to be the perfect stepdad and partner, often creating chaos with his over-enthusiasm rather than resolving it.

Charlie Perkins, Head of Comedy at Channel 4, said, "We're thrilled to have started filming on Stepping Up in Josh's hometown and getting to see his brilliant writing come to life with a mighty comedy ensemble. We can't wait for audiences to see the show."

Josh Pugh added, "It's a brilliant and surreal experience to have started filming. The cast is incredible and it's hard not to feel guilty for dragging Denise Welch and a member of the Marvel cinematic universe to an Indian restaurant in North Warwickshire. There're also some exciting new Midland faces that we've managed to find, it all feels magic."

Ben Worsfield, Series Producer at Roughcut TV, said, "Everyone at Roughcut is very proud to be shooting in Josh's hometown. His brilliantly funny scripts have attracted an amazing cast. We couldn't be more thrilled with how the shoot's going and can't wait for Stepping Up to hit screens."