News Round Up
The BBC have revealed that a missing episode of their hit sitcom Till Death Us Do Part has been discovered. The episode -Series 1, Episode 4 – Intolerance – was identified and returned to the BBC earlier this month. With the return of this episode it leaves fewer than 20 of the original 56 still remain unaccounted for, including two short sketch specials originally broadcast during Christmas Night With The Stars. Of course there is still the episode – A Woman’s Place Is In The Home – that will be broadcast as part of the BBC Landmark Comedy Season in September. This of course is a remake of a missing episode and features an all new cast headed by Simon Day as Alf, with Lizzie Roper as Else and Sydney Rae White and Carl Au as Rita and Mike. More on that a little later in this post.
Peter Pan From BBC Comedy ?
BBC One is to show Peter Pan Goes Wrong, a TV version of the award-winning West End comedy show. The hit farce has been highly praised and won several awards.
The BBC sources explain: “This Christmas, Peter Pan is coming to BBC One but it might not be what you expect. Straight from the West End stage, the Olivier Award winning Mischief Theatre bring their smash hit play, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, to television.”
Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Peter Pan Goes Wrong is a play within a play. Audiences are invited to watch a performance by an amateur theatre group – and in their show, nothing goes to plan; from dodgy props to bad acting and staging mishaps.
The hugely successful farce is a sequel to The Play That Goes Wrong. The BBC added: “Both ‘Goes Wrong’ productions are renowned for their highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned farce and Buster Keaton-inspired slapstick delivered with split-second timing.”
BBC2 Take Their Turn With New Comedy
Back in March when the BBC annonuced it’s Landmark Comedy Season they announced that iyt would be shown accross the network, including three brand new sitcom pilots screened on BBC2. The BBC have now revealed three new sitcom pilots to air on BBC2. These are: We The Jury, written by James Acaster, focuses on a man who has always wanted to do jury duty, Our Ex-Wife stars Robert Webb as a divorcee in a new relationship who can’t shake his ex-wife and The Coopers Vs The Rest stars Tanya Franks and Paterson Joseph as a couple who adopt children.
These three new sitcom pilots will join the previously announced Home From Home (which stars Johnny Vegas as a man who has bought a lodge in the Lake District), and Motherland (a comedy about ‘middle-class motherhood’ written by Graham Linehan, Helen Linehan and Sharon Horgan), to form the ‘New on Two’ strand.
More Landmark Comedy Season News
As part of the much anticipated Landmark Comedy Season Goodnight Sweetheart will return for a one off special as already reported. The BBC have now revealed casting details
Nicholas Lyndhurst will be reunited in the programme with on-screen wives Elizabeth Carling and Emma Amos, returning to their roles of mid-century Phoebe and contemporary Yvonne, respectively.
Christopher Ettridge also returns to the show as the much-loved dim-wit P.C. Reg Deadman, whilst Victor McGuire is back as Gary’s best friend in modern Britain, Ron Wheatcroft.
Joining the cast for the one-off special are Tim Preston as Gary and Phoebe’s son Michael Sparrow, a returning character from the original series now a teenager; and Esme Coy as Yvonne Sparrow’s 21st century daughter, Ellie.
Esme is also Emma Amos’s real-life daughter and they are appearing on screen together for the first time.
Also making their debuts in the sitcom are Liam Jeavons as Gary’s (young) father, George; and Khali Best as Kyle, a phone shop salesman whom Gary encounters on his return to modern London.
We will put together a series of posts on this season as soon as we can pin down full details for all the classic remakes.