Clunes' character is forced to move from the south up to Preston when his partner Anne’s father falls ill. He suddenly finds himself living in an area he doesn’t like, doing a job he’s not emotionally cut out for and looking after two teenage stepsons he never wanted.

Warren loves Anne, and somehow, Anne always sees the good in Warren, but he has a way of knowing best and speaking his mind that inevitably leads to conflict, chaos and disaster for those around him and most especially for himself.

Warren is not growing old gracefully, he’s very much rooted in the now, with a modern voice and sharp edge. There are no happy endings for Warren as he grapples against the problems and misunderstandings of his own making.

Martin Clunes says: “I had kind of told myself that I didn’t want to do another sitcom, but because this came from Hat Trick I thought it was worth a read and the script is just so funny that I didn’t want anyone else to do it.”

Jimmy Mulville, Managing Director, Hat Trick Productions says: “Great scripts attract great actors and this was the case with Warren. Martin plays the central role to perfection and is supported by a fantastic cast. We can’t wait to make it.”

Shane Allen, Controller Comedy Commissioning at the BBC says: “BBC One mainstream comedy is our highest priority and the toughest nut to crack. We have enormous faith in Warren as the pilot displayed the perfect alchemy of well-drawn characters, punchy funny lines, a terrific ensemble cast and in Martin Clunes a heavyweight comedy champion who we’re delighted to see step back in to the ring of a BBC One sitcom.”

Warren is written by Paul McKenna and Jimmy Donny Cosgrove. Paul wrote hit sitcom Brotherhood, the Comedy Central series that went out to over 90 countries. Jimmy is a versatile actor, comedian and writer/performer who studied Comedy Performance at Southampton University. He honed his skills on the stand-up circuit and this is his first television comedy commission.