The TV channel E4 will shut down for 12 hours on the day of the general election to encourage more youngsters to vote . Cult US sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother will be taken off air for 12 hours – with viewers tuning in on 7 May shown instead an advert telling people to go to the polls . The specially-produced advert will be played , featuring 'Darren ' – the man fictionally in charge of keeping E4 on air , sitting in the channel 's control room . Scroll down for video . A specially-produced advert will be played on E4 on May 7 featuring 'Darren ' – the man fictionally in charge of keeping the programme on air . The radical move could have a significant impact on the election with the advert set to be seen by millions of potential voters . E4 is the most popular channel for younger viewers , reaching 8.7 million 16-34 year olds every month – ahead of BBC2 and Channel 5 . Its regular schedule will be suspended from 7am , when polls open , to 7pm , three hours before polling closes , when the channel will return to normal with Hollyoaks . Dan Brooke , Channel 4 's chief marketing officer said : 'Less than half of under-25s voted at the last election so we 've engaged the most powerful weapon that we have at our disposal to try and boost that number - switching off their favourite TV channel for the day . ' E4 's sister station Channel 4 will also run a special advertising campaign encouraging youngsters to vote . Voters aged between 18-24 and 25-34 are by far the least likely to take part in elections , prompting fears that politicians have given up trying to appeal to their concerns . The adverts will ask viewers : 'How many times have you missed life-changing events because you wanted to watch your favourite show ? 'May 7 is election day and Darren is going to turn E4 off so you might as well go and vote . You wo n't forget will you Darren ? ' But viewers will only be able to take advantage of the TV switch-off if they have already registered to vote – with the deadline having already passed . Meanwhile , Channel 4 will present an 'alternative ' to the election night coverage on the BBC and ITV , with a programme co-anchored by Jeremy Paxman and comedian David Mitchell . Paxman , who left BBC Two 's Newsnight last June , said : 'Elections matter . But that does n't mean the coverage has to be dull . I hope there 'll be room for both insight and laughter . ' The election-day shut down on E4 will see programmes including 'How I Met Your Mother ' ( pictured ) taken off air for 12 hours . Fans of the US sitcom The Big Bang Theory will also be hit by the E4 decision to switch off its coverage between 7am and 7pm . Mitchell added : 'Our aim is to keep people watching much later than they intended and we will be judged by the dip in the nation 's productivity on Friday 8 May . ' The show will also include special election-themed episodes of Gogglebox and The Last Leg . The BBC 's coverage of the election will be anchored by David Dimbleby , while Tom Bradby presides over ITV 's election show and Adam Boulton anchors Sky 's coverage .
Cult US shows like The Big Bang Theory will be axed for 24 hours on May 7 . Instead , E4 will show a special advert ##ising people to vote . The radical move will have a significant impact on the election . E4 is the most popular channel for 16 - 34 year olds , watched by 8.7 million .