Sky1 orders more Trollied
Supermarket sitcom Trollied, the first series of which ends tonight, has been renewed by broadcaster Sky1 for two further series, it has been confirmed.
Lucy Lumsden, Head of Comedy at the satellite broadcaster's own-brand channels, has ordered 27 new episodes; a Christmas special for transmission later this year, and two 13 x 30 min series, the first of which will debut in 2012.
Ash Atalla, executive producer and managing director of the production company behind the series, Roughcut TV, said: "We're glad viewers have taken to it so well and we'll be working late, late nights to make sure the next series is even stronger."
Jane Horrocks (pictured), currently filming special anniversary episodes of BBC One's Absolutely Fabulous, will return in the role of deputy manager Julie. It is expected that the rest of the cast will also be confirmed to return to the sitcom, including Mark Addy as butcher Andy and Jason Watkins as the branch manager, Gavin.
Sky1 boss Stuart Murphy, a former head of BBC Three, said: "Trollied debuted as the most successful multichannel comedy ever, and following the tremendous response from customers, we're delighted to announce a second and third season.
"At Sky, we act quickly to reward and recognise great work, and as part of our growing commitment to original content, we will continue to back the creative brilliance of British talent."
Sky's first sitcom launched as part of a renewed committment to original British programming, Trollied began its 8-part run with a double-bill on the 4th of August, attracting an average of just over 1 million viewers. The most recent episode, the seventh in the series, garnered an audience of 410,000, 2.7% of the total audience.