Diane Morgan, Sue Johnston, Bobby Ball, Nigel Havers and Kim Cattrall are to star in a new three-part comedy series for UKTV’s Gold written by David Earl & Joe Wilkinson (Rovers).
Wilkinson stars as Simon, who is taking girlfriend Donna (Morgan) back home to the Isle of Wight for the very first time. There they’ll spend a long weekend as guests of his ever-doting mother Sue (Johnston) and controlling stepdad Ray (Ball).
Simon has been persuaded to mark the occasion of his 40th birthday back at the Cockfield family home and there’s a fair amount of Isle of Wight “fun” in store for the pair of them, alongside interruptions from Simon’s Alan Titchmarsh-obsessed stepbrother David (Ben Rufus Green, Alan Partridge’s Scissored Isle) and the Cockfields’ oddball handyman neighbour Andre (Jeff Mirza, Man Like Mobeen).
If that wasn’t enough, Simon’s father Larry (Havers) and his new American girlfriend Melissa (Cattrall) are causing tensions to rise. Can Simon survive a long (very long) birthday weekend with his biological and extended family without losing his cool, or his girlfriend?
Joe Wilkinson said: “David and I adore writing about this oddball family who, despite their faults and differences, love each other. We can’t wait to see our dream cast bring The Cockfields to life.”
David Earl said: “We’re both chuffed and incredibly thankful to UKTV for giving us this opportunity to share The Cockfields with the Gold audience. On a personal note, I’ve had to endure many months staring at Joe Wilkinson’s face over Skype whilst writing the scripts – he usually has food in his beard – so, after all that, I bloody hope everyone likes the show.”
Pete Thornton, UKTV head of scripted, said: “Hats off to David and Joe, scripts this good are very hard to come by and they’ve helped Yellow Door attract an incredible cast for our latest scripted adventure on Gold.
“The Cockfields is a thoroughly modern family comedy about a relatable shared experience – that weekend back at home when your no doubt well-meaning relatives just get more and more annoying with every passing hour.
“We’re delighted to be working with such a talented team – both in front of and behind the camera – on this charming, beautifully observed three-parter.”
Lucy Lumsden, Yellow Door Productions, said: “I can’t wait for the audience to meet The Cockfields, we love working with Joe and David and have been thrilled that their brilliant scripts have attracted such a well-loved cast for Gold.”