If the rest of the UK were not listening before about the rise and rise of Cheltenham as the capital of all things cyber perhaps a new television show could change that.

Former star of the hit American television series Friends, one David Schwimmer, has been revealed as a lead character in a new series due to show on Sky One from early next year.

Anyone who lives in the county will know Cheltenham is home to GCHQ, and that the town's profile is already fast on the rise, not least because of major plans to make it the focus of a huge private sector cyber business park close to the Government listening post.

And if they are reading this they will now also know the situation was enough to inspire British comedian Nick Mohammed, the writer behind the forthcoming sitcom, Intelligence.

Sky Media describes the six-part series as "a workplace comedy series based in Cheltenham and set in the UK's highly regarded Government Communications Headquarters.

"When a power-hungry, maverick NSA agent (Schwimmer) comes over to join an inept and tactless computer analyst (Mohammed) and a newly-formed team tackling cybercrime, everything they know is shaken up," said Sky Media.

Jon Mountague, head of comedy, Sky Entertainment, is quoted as saying: "Nick Mohammed has written a brilliantly funny comedy series in Intelligence. David and Nick are hilarious together and so perfectly represent the special relationship between our two great nations. I can't wait."

In an article on Digitalspy.com Mr Schwimmer, an executive producer of the series alongside Mr Mohammed, is quoted as saying: "I think you'll find this is the best TV comedy made in the last two hundred years. You can't see my face, but I'm super serious."

Whether the brave souls who beaver away on our behalf at GCHQ for the nation's good will enjoy the British Comedy Guide's description of the show is another thing.

"Sitcom set in the UK's Government Communications Headquarters, a weedier, geekier, more bureaucratic version of MI5 and MI6," so reads its brief summary of the series, due to screen on Sky One and streaming service NOW TV from February 18.

Mr Schwimmer and Mr Mohammed are no strangers. They recently worked together at the Baftas, presenting the 2019 Virgin Media #BAFTATV Awards for present Best Comedy Entertainment Programme.

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