Veteran UK Phone-in presenter Brian Hayes plays Brian Hughes, a preening, washed-up radio presenter.

Hughes falls on hard times and is forced to share his grandmother's house with six self-centred tenants whilst trying to present a radio show from a studio in his basement.

Harry Shearer plays Nostrils, one of Brian's preposterous tenants who convinces himself that he's so ugly he cannot bear to be seen by anyone – not even himself.

Harry says: "Having grown up listening to the Goons, Hancock and many of the seminal Radio 4 comedy projects in the years since, I'm honoured to be doing a BBC comedy. I hope it means I get to be Steve Coogan when I grow up!"

Andrew McGibbon, writer, producer and ex-Morrissey drummer, who created and wrote Not Today Thank You signed Harry to the cast after meeting him earlier this year.

After Andrew summoned up the courage to send Harry some scripts, he says: "I couldn't believe it when he agreed to take part!"

Brian Hayes also makes his comedy debut in the new series that is part sitcom and part sketch show.

Brian says: "Apparently somebody thinks I can be amusing, so I find myself in a comedy show. Luckily multi-talented Hollywood veteran Harry Shearer is in it too. That should do it."

Caroline Raphael, Commissioning Editor for Radio 4 Comedy, says: "It is a big thrill to have Harry Shearer, one of America's cleverest and wittiest comedy actors, working alongside one of the UK's top speech broadcasters making his comedy debut on Radio 4. It should be a heady mix."

The cast also includes Sheridan Smith, star of BBC THREE's Two Pints of Lager & a Packet of Crisps and Grown Ups and Mark Perry of BBC TWO's Dead Ringers.

Not Today Thank You will be recording in front of a live audience at the Drill Hall in London from mid-July.