Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston reunite for More4 road trip series
- The Royle Family stars Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston are reuniting for a new road trip series for More4 in which they visit landmark places from their lives and special destinations that they've always wanted to visit
- Three-part series Ricky, Sue & A Trip Or Two will see the pair travel to Shrewsbury Prison, where Tomlinson was unjustly jailed in the 1970s and returning to Brookside Close, the setting for their iconic Channel 4 soap opera
- "Ricky and I feel so honoured to have had shared 40 years on screen together and a firm friendship for all of that time, so it's particularly special to be taking a trip of a lifetime with him around this beautiful country for More 4" said Johnston
The Royle Family stars Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston are reuniting for a new road trip series for More4 in which they visit landmark places from their lives and the special destinations the pair have always wanted to see together, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
In the three, hour-long episodes of Ricky, Sue & A Trip Or Two, the pair will travel to Shrewsbury Prison, where Tomlinson was jailed in the 1970s for unjust charges of conspiracy to intimidate that Johnston, coincidentally, took to the streets to campaign against. The show will also reveal how they ended up on Brookside Close, where the pair first acted alongside each other in the iconic Channel 4 soap opera.
"Sue and I have had a lot of laughs and a lot of memories over the years" said Tomlinson. "This new series will give us a chance to put the world to rights as we explore places treasured to us and to many others around Britain."
Johnston added: "Ricky and I feel so honoured to have had shared 40 years on screen together and a firm friendship for all of that time, so it's particularly special to be taking a trip of a lifetime with him around this beautiful country for More4. Channel 4 will have a job to do keeping us both on our best behaviour along with the friends we meet along the way."
Having played Jim and Barbara Royle for three series of Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash's iconic BBC sitcom between 1998 and 2012, Tomlinson and Johnston have recently paid homage to their television-obsessed characters by appearing on Channel 4's Celebrity Gogglebox.
Ricky, Sue & A Trip Or Two is a commission for More4 from Nine Lives Media in Birmingham and LA Productions in Liverpool, resulting from Channel 4 and Create Central's More4 the West Midlands development fund.
The executive producers are Jazz Gowans and Cat Lewis for Nine Lives and Colin McKeown, who was co-creator of Brookside, for LA Productions. The series was commissioned by Channel 4's Jayne Stanger, commissioning editor for daytime and features, and Jo Street, head of daytime and features.
"We love having some of the nation's most cherished personalities on More4 and who is more cherished than The Royle Family themselves?" said Street. "It's a delight to have Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston back in the Channel 4 family. It's made all the better by working with Nine Lives and LA Productions and talented creatives from both the West Midlands and the North West, to produce a unique travelogue around Great Britain."