Barry Humphries, Sally Phillips (Miranda), Sarah Daykin (Dead Boss), Emerald Fennell (Anna Karenina), Louise Ford (Misfits), Amy Dawson (Game of Thrones), Vicki Pepperdine (Getting On), Eileen Davies, (Sightseers) and Emma Fryer (Phone Shop) have all joined the cast of Sky1’s upcoming comedy series Chickens. Production on the series is currently underway in Essex, with Sky1 eyeing an Autumn premiere.
History UK has released two preview clips for the upcoming second episode of Mud Men season 3, which is due to air tonight (March 26th) at 10pm.
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TBS has renewed its comedy series Cougar Town for a fifth season of 13 episodes, which is set to air in 2014. The comedy series, which aired its first three seasons on ABC before segueing to TBS for its most recent run, is set to wrap its fourth season on April 9th.
EXCLUSIVE: BBC Two is getting into business with Heyday Films, the producers behind Warner Bros. Harry Potter feature film series. BBC insiders tell me that BBC Two Controller Janice Hadlow and the BBC’s Head of Drama Ben Stephenson have commissioned a 90 minute film titled The Thirteenth Tale, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Diane Setterfield.
BBC One has given the green-light to two new sitcoms. The first, titled Car Share, will star Peter Kay and is set to premiere on the BBC iPlayer before subsequently airing on BBC One. The second sitcom, titled Pompidou, is a “non-dialogue” comedy series created by Matt Lucas.
To their credit, Sky1 and Kudos have kept the flow of information on upcoming firefighter drama The Smoke very tight. I just got off the phone with one of my regular sources and I’m told that they have locked down the cast and crew for the drama and that they are set to begin shooting in the coming weeks and expect to continue production on the 8 episode series well into the Summer (in fact I’m told that the first table read occurred just this past week).
UPDATE, 10:51 PM: I have now confirmed that those rumblings of a second director on the BBC One/Company Pictures dramedy series Truckers were correct. A production source tells me that Susan Tully will be directing the five episode series alongside Sheree Folkson. That same production source also tells me that casting is currently underway and they expect to start shooting within the month. A former actress, Tully’s previous directing credits include Being Eileen, Getting On and Stella. Given that the series has been described as a dramedy, the pairing of Sheree Folkson (a veteran drama director) and Susan Tully (who has been directing TV comedy projects of late) seems like a perfect fit.
BBC America has signed on to co-produce BBC Four’s 90 minute one-off drama Burton and Taylor. The drama will air as part of the network’s dramaville block later this year. Other UK productions set to air as part of BBC America’s Dramaville block later this year include Spies of Warsaw, Broadchurch and the third season of Luther.