The Brains Behind 'Fresh Meat' Is Starring In A New BBC Comedy About Richard Branson

However you look at it, the British comedy scene is thriving and being a part of it is a major privilege. The UK has arguably birthed some of the best comedians and comedy writers on the planet. And the two go together like laughing and snorting. Some very talented people manage to do both. One of those people is a comedy actor and writer who has masterminded some serious UK hits. So who is Tom Basden? Because I have definitely seen his face a fair few times.

Basden is an English comedian, actor, and writer and, as The Guardian reports, is one of the many famous alumni of Cambridge's renowned am-dram group Footlights. As per its website, Footlights describes itself as a "student comedy society" and is one of the university's streams of creativity. It has seen the likes of Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, and Rowan Atkinson walk through its doors.

However, the other members that Basden is most associated with are Tim Key, Stefan Golaszewski, and Lloyd Woolf with whom he set up comedy group, Cowards. A group that ended up with not one but two BBC Radio 4 series along with a BBC Three TV show.

Adding to his comedy legend status is the fact that he won the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award for best newcomer with his solo show in 2007. And Basden has gone on to receive lots of positive reviews from shows since then, like his 2014 Edinburgh show Holes which toured the UK.

However, the work he's probably best known for is BBC Roman comedy Plebs (he not only wrote it but also starred in it) as well as huge comedy show Gap Year. He also penned hit Channel 4 coming of age show Fresh Meat which saw lots of students being especially studenty. He also did his bit for Netflix when he played Matt on Ricky Gervais' latest comedy for the streaming service After Life. I'm telling you, this man has been everywhere.

I'll be real though and say my favourite recent glimpse of his talent is in the hilarious new BBC Two show Island Of Dreams in which he stars as actual Daniel Craig. That probably sounds like a bit of a stretch but let me tell you what it's about and you'll totally get it.

Island Of Dreams is a comedy based on the idyllic Necker Island. You know, the island home of Sir Richard Branson? The one that seems to be a celeb and gazillionaire Mecca? Yep that's it. Harry Enfield stars as Branson and is every bit the talented impersonator we know him to be. I'll never forget his turn as Prince Charles in the Windsors. Anyhow, this is the perfect spoof of the island and the lives of the rich and famous who use it as a retreat from the rest of the world.

With all this talent and then some, the question is, what's next for Basden? Whatever it is, I know I'll be tuning in.

Watch Island Of Dreams 10p.m, April 17 on BBC Two.