Wanted: a dad like Homer and Ozzie

IRISH families hoping to become the next best thing since The Simpsons and star in their very own cartoon series will shortly know if they will be immortalised in celluloid.

TV company Nickelodeon launched a search for a real family in Ireland and Britain earlier this year to provide the inspiration for a new cartoon series. It is to be a blend the Simpsons and the latest cult classic, The Osbournes.

An estimated 2,000 Irish people responded to the challenge and Nickelodeon has confirmed a number of these families are in the running. The winner will be announced in early January.