Yonderland set to return for a third series
Yonderland, the comedy series set in a fantasy world, looks set to return to Sky1.
British Comedy Guide understands that the writing team have been given the green light to begin writing a third series of the show, produced by Working Title TV.
Yonderland follows the story of Debbie Maddox, an ordinary mum who finds herself transported through a portal in her kitchen cupboard to an extraordinary world inhabited by a collection of eccentric characters.
The show is written by and stars the comedy team who formed the original key cast of CBBC's Horrible Histories: Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond.
News that Yonderland is to return will not come as a surprise to many in the industry as the first two series performed well for Sky, attracting both critical acclaim and a much sought-after family audience to the network's early evening schedule.
The 8-part second series, which was broadcast on Sky1 in an 8:30pm slot in July and August this year, picked up positive press reviews. The Independent noted "It's a rare programme that keeps both kids and parents entertained", whilst The Guardian labelled the show "a brilliantly silly comic adventure".
No formal announcement has yet been made about Yonderland's future and when contacted by British Comedy Guide, Sky declined to comment on the status of the show. However, a production source confirmed that Series 3 script development has begun.
The news comes on the day that the group's debut feature film, Bill, is released in cinemas. Written by Rickard and Willbond, and starring all six cast-mates, the movie tells the tale of William Shakespeare's adventures before he became famous. The early reviews for the project are positive.
The Daily Mail says of the movie: "It's all utterly daft and cheerful, with lots of silly jokes", whilst The Daily Telegraph labels the finished product "unreasonably funny".
Alongside writing the new series of Yonderland, there are hints the team are also working together on another project. In a video interview with BCG to promote Bill, Rickard says "we're working on a couple of things at the moment", with Willbond hinting about a specific project, saying "it's a very fun backdrop, and something I've always wanted to do".
The troupe have been working together since 2008, when they were assembled by producers to make the historically accurate sketch show Horrible Histories. In this clip Howick, Farnaby and Howe-Douglas talk more about how they became friends through the series:
For further video interviews related to Bill, see our guide to the film
