British Comedy Guide

Birds Of A Feather lockdown special mooted

Saturday 23rd May 2020, 3:37pm

Birds Of A Feather. Image shows from L to R: Tracey Stubbs (Linda Robson), Dorien Green (Lesley Joseph). Copyright: Retort
  • Birds Of A Feather could return for new episodes
  • Ideas for a lockdown special have been mooted, featuring Lesley Joseph and Linda Robson
  • The most recent series is enjoying a ratings-winning repeat run on Friday evenings

A new TV special of sitcom Birds Of A Feather has been mooted.

Stars Linda Robson (Tracey) and Lesley Joseph (Dorien) revealed in a podcast discussion that a possible new one-off episode could see the girls embracing lockdown.

However, it seems co-star Pauline Quirke (Sharon) would be unlikely to take part.

Robson said: "There was talk of me and Lesley - Tracey and Dorien - in lockdown, but we're waiting to hear on that."

Joseph continued: "There's a really funny episode, or even a whole series, to do on that, 'cause the characters would just work so well with it. It could happen. Let's keep our fingers crossed - I'd like to do that one."

British Comedy Guide understands that the creators and primary writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran feel they could pen a fitting lockdown series, however ITV bosses have not commissioned the project and it remains at an ideas stage.

The long-running comedy first aired on BBC One for nine series between 1989 and 1998 before a successful live stage tour in the early 2010s brought about a revival on ITV.

The commercial broadcaster aired three further full series from 2014 as well as two hour-long Christmas specials, but the sitcom has not aired since the last of those, in December 2017.

ITV has been understood to want further series of the female-centric comedy, but scheduling and production challenges between the cast and crew have proven significant obstacles.

Birds Of A Feather. Image shows from L to R: Sharon Theodopolopodous (Pauline Quirke), Dorien Green (Lesley Joseph), Tracey Stubbs (Linda Robson). Copyright: BBC

Meanwhile, the channel is currently repeating the sitcom's most recent series - its 12th, and third with ITV - on Friday nights.

First aired in January 2016, Episodes 1 and 2 were shown back to back last week (Friday 15th May, at 8pm), attracting 2.57 and 2.48 million viewers, respectively. The episodes were only narrowly beaten as the hour's most-watched programmes by a cooking contest final on BBC Two.

Episode 3, aired last night, was the most-watched programme in its 8pm time-slot, with more than 2.92 million viewers tuning in.

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