There She Goes returning for hour-long special on BBC Two
- There She Goes is returning for an extended special, with David Tennant, Jessica Hynes, Edan Hayhurst and titular star Miley Locke reprising their roles as the Yates family
- Focusing on 13-year-old Rosie's increasingly wild behaviour as she struggles to comprehend puberty, the episode is drawn from the experiences of writers Shaun Pye and Sarah Crawford, whose daughter was born with a rare chromosomal disorder
- The couple recalled: "In early 2020 during a pivotal phase in our daughter's life, our family experienced the most poignantly funny moments, painfully difficult lows and exhilaratingly uplifting highs"
There She Goes is coming back for a one-off special, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Filming begins today on an hour-long episode of the BBC Two comedy drama about a severely learning disabled girl and her family. The core cast of David Tennant, Jessica Hynes, Edan Hayhurst and titular star Miley Locke are all returning to the show, which last aired in 2020.
The special's commission will prompt speculation that it is intended to close the story of the Yates family, which is based on the real-life experiences of writers Shaun Pye and Sarah Crawford, whose daughter was born with an extremely rare chromosomal disorder.
However, BCG understands that no official decision has been made about the comedy's future.
Focusing on 13-year-old Rosie's increasingly wild behaviour as she tries to comprehend puberty, the special will see dad Simon (Tennant) mum Emily (Hynes) and older brother Ben (Hayhurst) struggling as "they search to unlock the secrets of Rosie's chromosomal condition."
Crawford and her husband, veteran comedy writer Pye, whose credits include Have I Got News For You and Frankie Boyle's New World Order, told BCG that "in the space of a few weeks in early 2020 during a pivotal phase in our daughter's life, our family experienced the most poignantly funny moments, painfully difficult lows and exhilaratingly uplifting highs of life with Joey Pye, a child with a rare chromosomal disorder.
"We're so pleased we are getting to share this funny, difficult, but ultimately joyous story of bringing up a child who's different."
Directed by Tom McKay (Bloods, 10 O'Clock Live) and produced by Clelia Mountford (Motherland, Bad Sisters), the special is executive produced by Mountford and Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Frayed) for Merman (This Way Up, Dreamland). It was commissioned by Jon Petrie, the BBC's director of comedy. The BBC commissioning editor is Seb Barwell.
"We are thrilled to return to the story of Rosie and family in a 60-minute special that has the raw honesty, disarming humour and stellar performances we've come to expect from There She Goes, with some fresh developments that will break hearts and uplift viewers in equal measure" Barwell said.
Merman co-founder Mountford added: "It's a privilege to be working so closely with the Pye family and our wonderful team once again and to be able to share the next significant chapter of Rosie's story. At Merman, we're very thankful to Shaun and Sarah and to all those involved in helping bring such an emotive and personal story to our screens".
First airing on BBC Four in 2018 and switching to BBC Two for its second series in 2020, There She Goes has attracted widespread critical acclaim.
It was described as "astonishingly accomplished and affecting, as funny as it is brutally honest" by the Metro. The Guardian hailed its "wonderful writing backed up by excellent performances, and its spiky compassion is a treat".
Disability charities also praised the show, with Mencap calling it "an honest and heart-warming comedy about family life with a child who has a learning disability", while Genetic Disorders UK identified it as "blooming honest, tearjearking and funny".
Hynes won a Bafta for her performance as Emily and the show was nominated for an International Emmy in 2021.
Expected to air later this year, a broadcast date for the special will be announced in due course. Series 1 and 2 of There She Goes are available to view on BBC iPlayer.