ITV is making a fresh attempt to attract upmarket viewers by signing Paul Merton to host a new Saturday night comedy format from the team behind the X Factor.

The star from the BBC quiz Have I Got News For You? will present Thank God You’re Here, described as a live action version of Mr Benn, the 1970s children’s favourite.

Celebrity guests will walk through a door into an unknown scene, armed only with their wit and props appropriate to the journey. The celebrities will be greeted with the phrase “Thank God you’re here” - and have to ad-lib their way through the scene. The show was a hit in Australia, where the scenarios included a spaceship and a dungeon.

The show is part of a wider attempt to reinvent ITV, now under Michael Grade’s leadership, as an innovative channel appealing to upmarket viewers. Expectations are high for Echo Beach and Moving Wallpaper, two interrelated series produced by Kudos, creators of the hit BBC drama Life on Mars. News at Tenreturns next month with Sir Trevor McDonald and the famous bongs.

ITV is also considering Piers Morgan to replace Michael Parkinson as the channel’s chat-show host.

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