The Abbey gets full series

ITV have ordered a full series of Morwenna Banks's rehab comedy The Abbey according to Digital Spy.

A pilot episode of the comedy, which is produced by Baby Cow, was shown on ITV1 in February. The sitcom is based around a rehab clinic for the notorious, the dysfunctional and the publicly shamed. Opened by shambolic ex-rock star Marianne Hope (Morwenna Banks) following a very public nervous breakdown, the rambling country retreat offers new age therapy to the tired and emotional including a drug addicted DJ (Russel Brand playing a part close to home), a sex addicted pensioner (Liz Smith) and the suicidal wife of a disgraced MP (Miranda Hart). The all-star cast in the pilot also included Omid Djalili and Reece Shearsmith.

ITV bosses were clearly happy with the generally positive reception the pilot episode got and so have now given Baby Cow the green light to film a full series. Rasmus Hardiker, who appeared in the pilot as the rehab centre's dogsboby, told Digital Spy that filming on the full series would begin in January and then broadcast on ITV1 later in 2008.

Our guide to the pilot episode of The Abbey is here.

Morwenna Banks and Rasmus Hardiker also appear in Saxondale which starts its second season tomorrow night.

Hardiker is appearing in the news a lot at the moment - in an interview with The Sun the Saxondale star reveals he is currently looking for a girlfriend. The Sun's interview