ITV orders full series of male midwife sitcom Delivery Man
Darren Boyd and Aisling Bea are amongst the stars of a new ITV sitcom about a male midwife.
Piloted earlier this year, ITV has now ordered a full six-part series of The Delivery Man (working title), a brand new sitcom following Boyd as Matthew, a "disiillusioned" policeman who decides to change his career and become a midwife.
Responding to the British Comedy Guide's earlier news story on Twitter today, Boyd commented "Series ordered. Dry cleaning my scrubs...".
Aisling Bea, who will also star in the new comedy series, added: "Yay! *Dons gloves, prepares to stick hands into abyss*"
The unbroadcast pilot episode also featured Fay Ripley (Reggie Perrin), Alex Macqueen (The Thick Of It), Dominic Coleman (Trollied), Holli Dempsey (Derek).
Ripley and Macqueen will reprise their roles in the series, alongside Llewella Gideon and Jennie Jacques.
Due to air on the network's flagship channel, The Delivery Man has been written by Robert Harley and James Henry, both of whom were writers on the hit Channel 4 hospital comedy series Green Wing, in which Boyd featured as complementary therapist Jake Leaf.
The Delivery Man was created and will be produced and directed by Green Wing creator Victoria Pile. The series will be produced by the production company she and Harley founded, Monicker Pictures.
ITV is known to be looking to develop numerous new comedies at present, as it seeks to find new titles to go alongside the likes of Benidorm, Vicious, and the hit reprisal of Birds Of A Feather.
Elaine Bedell, Director of Entertainment and Comedy for ITV said: "Monicker Pictures has a great history for producing comedy that feels fresh and funny and The Delivery Man fits into that category seamlessly. We're thrilled ITV will be introducing these characters on the maternity ward to our viewers."
Victoria Pile said: "We're very excited about doing our first show for ITV. We're putting a comedy slant on a very familiar world - there are male buddies, female buddies, intrigue and deception. Loves, labour, lust - The Delivery Man has something for everyone."
Further details about The Delivery Man have not yet been revealed, but the series will be recorded from October and is expected to broadcast in the middle of 2015.