The hit US show Impractical Jokers, which first arrived on screens in 2011, featuring four members of the New York sketch group The Tenderloins attracted over 32 million viewers in its first season.

A year later in 2012 it was brought to the UK by the BBC featuring four stand-up comedians. Although it continued for two seasons it didn’t get a great reception, largely because there wasn’t enough relationship between the four comedians involved.

2015 sees the show switch over to Comedy Central who are producing a pilot with an entirely new line-up following the footsteps of its US counterpart, featuring four members of the British sketch group Late Night Gimp Fight.

Four members of the five-man sketch group; Lee Griffiths, Matt Ralph, Paul Biggin and David Moon will star in the test episodes. The fifth member Richard Campbell, who is a professional lawyer and who has previously taken a sabbatical from the group, is not taking part.

Robert Gray who heads up Yalli Productions the indie behind the British version, added “We are thrilled to be making Impractical Jokers UK with Comedy Central UK. Lee, Matt, David and Paul have known each other for 12 years.”

“During all this time they have performed award winning comedy on stage, as well as constantly pranking each other off it – something which makes them the perfect choice for Impractical Jokers UK.”

In a new lease of life for the show truer to its original form, the pilot of Impractical Jokers is written jointly by the producers and the members of the sketch group.

The Impractical Jokers UK pilot comes as part of the broadcaster's remit to commission more original content.