Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais are returning to TV with a brand-new comedy set in the court of Henry IX, the fictitious, present-day King of the United Kingdom.
The show is described as “the almost universal story of a middle-aged man trapped in his life… except this one just happens to be the reigning monarch” and has been commissioned by UKTV’s Gold channel.
Clement and Frenais’s past hits include Porridge, The Likely Lads and Auf Wiedersehen Pet as well as a string of big screen films.
Henry IX is one of three new commissions confirmed today by UKTV bosses.
The others are Marley’s Ghosts, a “high concept single camera sitcom” about a woman who has the rare gift of being able to talk to the dead, which sadly now includes both her husband and her lover, and Bull, about a man who attempts to run his antiques shop aided and hampered in equal measure by his team of dysfunctional staff.
All three shows go into production during spring and summer for transmission later in 2015 and early 2016.
Simon Lupton, Commissioning Editor, commented: “These commissions demonstrate our commitment to working with the brightest and the best, ranging from welcoming the legendary Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais back to British TV, to exciting emerging writers, all of whom have produced classic stand-out comedy characters placed firmly in the 21st century.
“We are offering our audience refreshing and enticing shows they can relate to and fall in love with. It genuinely feels like we have something for everyone, and we can’t wait to share them with our viewers.”