ITV has announced further information on some of its new comedy commissions that will air on ITV or premiere exclusively on ITVX, its new forthcoming free streaming service.
ITVX - Plebs: Soldiers Of Rome
After five successful series, multi award-winning comedy Plebs ends with a feature-length 85 minute special that will premiere on ITVX.
Marcus, Grumio, Jason and Aurelius join the army in peace-time, hoping to win respect, romance and discounts at participating restaurants. But when war's declared, they’re sent to fight on the front line for a cause they don’t believe in. Now their main interest is the struggle for survival…
The journey takes our new recruits from their humdrum lives in Rome to the army garrison and tribal villages on the Empire’s edge.
Shot in Bulgaria and Wales, the backdrop of war allows their adventures to unfold on an epic scale.
Returning as the four Plebs are Tom Rosenthal, Ryan Sampson, Jon Pointing and Tom Basden, along with Karl Theobald as series regular Landlord. Joining them for the finale are Patrick Baladi (The Office/Breeders) as Roman commander General Diomedes, Tori Allen-Martin (London Kill/Here We Go) as warrior queen Barbronelda and Kåre Conradi (Norsemen) as Barbarian leader Segimundus.
Plebs is directed and written by Sam Leifer and co-written by Tom Basden.
ITVX - Deep Fake Neighbour Wars
Deep Fake Neighbour Wars will premiere exclusively on ITVX and will use the latest AI technology to make the UK's best new impressionists become the world's most famous celebrities. And they're all arguing.
Loved up Nicki Minaj and Tom Holland vs Mark Zuckerberg, Billie Eilish and Taekwondo teacher Beyonce, Mark Wahlberg and wannabe strongman Chris Rock. Some of the celebrities, all embroiled in petty silly neighbour disputes.
The series will be produced by Tiger Aspect Productions, part of Banijay Group.
ITVX - Significant Other
Katherine Parkinson and Youssef Kerkour are the leads of Significant Other, a brand new comedic-drama from Nicola Shindler's Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios).
The series, written by Dana Fainaru and Hamish Wright, starts filming next month and will air on ITVX in 2023.
Adapted from yes Studios’ award-winning Israeli series of the same name, the 6 x 30-minute series will follow two lonely neighbours who embark on a hesitant, obstacle-filled relationship after drastic life events bring them together. As this strange love story unfolds with wryly observed wit and warmth, could these deeply flawed individuals – both at a time in their lives when change is difficult and rarely expected – influence each other for the better?
Significant Other is in association with, and distributed internationally by, ITV Studios.
ITVX - Count Abdulla
Count Abdulla follows Abdulla Khan (Arian Nik, The Bay) - a mid-twenties British-Pakistani Muslim doctor stuck in an identity crisis, caught between his religious mother and his secular, hedonistic friends. But when Abdulla is bitten by a vampire (Jaime Winstone, Four Lives) he suddenly becomes the outsider’s outsider.
This new comedy series is written by Kaamil Shah and directed by Asim Abbasi (Churails). Count Abdulla is a Fudge Park production, produced by Hussain Casey Ahmed (Afterlife), with executive producer Phil Gilbert (White Gold).
ITVX - Ruby Speaking
Ruby Speaking is a new scripted comedy from Yellow Door Productions co-created by and starring the award-winning actress and comedian Jayde Adams (Alma's Not Normal, The Outlaws, Greatest Days) and written by Abigail Wilson (The Larkins, Trollied and Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse).
The Bristol-based series follows Ruby's misadventures and is inspired by the years Jayde spent working in a call centre. Ruby is a popular addition to the workforce but puts other people’s problems above her own and definitely above making a sale.
Fellow Bristolian Rosie Gaunt-Mathieson will direct and Jon Macqueen (Sliced, Phone Shop) will produce.
This new series will premiere on ITVX in 2023 and Yellow Door founder Lucy Lumsden will Exec Produce.
ITV - The Family Pile
The Family Pile is a brand new 6 x 30’ comedy from Hat Trick Productions that will air on ITV in 2023.
The series will be a comedic exploration of one of life’s big milestones, via four sisters who have lost their parents and are packing up the family home to sell.
But even in grief their messy lives go on.
The series will star Amanda Abbington (Sherlock, Mr Selfridge), Clare Calbraith (Home Fires, Downton Abbey), Claire Keelan (Nathan Barley, No Heroics), and Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) as the sisters with Kieran O'Brien, Richard Pepple and James Nelson-Joyce.
Filmed entirely in the Liverpool City Region with the support of Liverpool Film Office’s Production Fund and to be distributed by Hat Trick International.
Written by Brian Dooley with Phil Warburton-Leach as producer, Fergal Costello as director and Jimmy Mulville and Angela Sinden as Executive Producers.
Nana Hughes, ITV’s Head of Comedy said: “The arrival of ITVX gives us more opportunities to commission a broad range of comedies and a dedicated place for the genre to call home. We want a huge cross section of contemporary, diverse and inclusive comedy. We want to take risks but most importantly we want our audiences to find shows that reflect them and make them laugh.”
