ITV has revealed further information on some of its new comedy shows set to debut on ITVX, its upcoming new streaming service, plus one commission which will launch on its main linear channel.
Plebs comes to an end after five successful series and multiple award wins with Plebs: Soldiers Of Rome, a feature-length special that will premiere on ITVX.
Tom Rosenthal, Ryan Sampson, Jon Pointing and Tom Basden return as the four Plebs who join the army in peace-time, hoping to win respect, romance and discounts at participating restaurants. But when war is 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…
ITVX will also debut comedy drama Significant Other from Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios) which stars Katherine Parkinson and Youssef Kerkour and starts filming next month.
Adapted from Yes Studios’ award-winning Israeli series of the same name, the series follows 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?
Count Abdulla follows Abdulla Khan (Arian Nik) – 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) he suddenly becomes the outsider’s outsider.
Written by Kaamil Shah and directed by Asim Abbasi, the six-part series is also confirmed for an ITVX launch.
Set to debut in 2023 is Ruby Speaking, a new scripted comedy from Yellow Door Productions co-created by and starring award-winning actress and comedian Jayde Adams (Alma’s Not Normal) and written by Abigail Wilson (The Larkins).
The Bristol-based series follows Ruby’s misadventures and is inspired by the years Adams 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.
Also coming to ITVX is Deep Fake Neighbour Wars in which ‘the latest AI technology’ will be used to help the UK’s best new impressionists become the world’s most famous celebrities.
Heading to ITV is The Family Pile following 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.
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.”