A TELEVISION pilot produced with no budget has been shortlisted for an award linked to the Edinburgh TV Festival

The episode of "Freddy and Fuzmo Fix The World" produced by a group of people from in and around Bournemouth is nominated in the Test Card Pilot category at the Debbies Awards, which take place today in London.

If successful, the shows creators will receive a post-production deal and mentorship to embark upon the next stages to get the show commissioned.

The pilot tells the story of human Freddy who lives in a bedsit with two anarchic aliens played by two four-foot tall furry puppets.

After working on the script for six months, first-time writers Chris Murray, Luke Biddiscombe and Matt Rose collaborated with local filmmakers Laura Johnson and Mikel Iriarte.

This involved sourcing the props, building the set, casting the actors, learning to puppeteer and constructing an entire cityscape using recycled cardboard to bring to life their mad-cap capers of Freddy and Fuzmo, akin to popular cartoon Rick and Morty.

Since completing shooting in January, the team rushed through the first assembly edit to enter the Debbies Awards by the February deadline.

Shooting on a shoestring budget, the team had to adapt and contort their bodies into all manner of positions to deliver the strongest performances, particularly as most scenes required two operators for each puppet.

Toby Osmond, puppeteer and voice actor of Fuzmo, said: "During my classical training at drama school, I never thought I'd gain so much joy from sticking my hand up a blue puppet and doing a silly voice - but by Jove I love Fuzmo"

Creator Chris Murray, who sold his car to by the first puppet, added: "It's been such a ludicrous journey from having zero film or puppetry experience to producing a TV pilot in just six months.

"It's been tough and I'm so grateful just to be recognised by such an esteemed programme of events such as The Debbies Awards and the Edinburgh TV Festival. I'm truly overwhelmed."