Will Mellor & Ralf Little embark on Dave travelogue to be better men
- Will & Ralf Should Know Better has been ordered by U&Dave, to air this summer
- The four-part travelogue features Will Mellor and Ralf Little reflecting on their "bromance" and trying to become better men in their 40s
- "Hopefully, we'll come out of it better equipped for the modern world and, ideally, still in one piece" said Mellor
Will Mellor and Ralf Little are reuniting for a new travelogue in which they try to be better men, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
Will & Ralf Should Know Better is arriving on the rebranded U&Dave channel this summer, with four hour-long episodes of the pair, whose "bromance" began on the set of early noughties sitcom Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, contemplating being two middle-aged men in their forties.
Each themed episode will see the two actors, who also host the Two Pints With Will & Ralf podcast together, embark on a series of encounters and challenges that will test their attitudes on everything from embracing their spiritual side, facing their fear of ageing and discovering the perils of living off-grid with no toilet paper. Viewers will be privy to all the action alongside the fly-on-the-wall intimate conversations that only two best friends could have.
"I've wanted to do a series like this for years!" said Mellor, who attracted plaudits for his role in the recent ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. "Going on a journey with Ralf to open our minds and push our limits ... what could possibly go wrong!? We're both in our 40s now and probably a bit set in our ways, so now is the perfect time to see how we could be doing life better. Hopefully, we'll come out of it better equipped for the modern world and, ideally, still in one piece."
The Royle Family and Death In Paradise star Little added: "I am thrilled to be working with Will again as it's always so much fun. We've just finished our podcast tour and I thought I might get a bit of a break from him! This time we get to explore how we should be living in the modern world while educating ourselves and having a laugh at the same time. I can't wait to get going".
Running for nine series on BBC Two from 2001 to 2011, Two Pints focused on the lives and loves of five twenty-somethings in Runcorn, Cheshire. Also staring Sheridan Smith, Natalie Casey, Kathryn Drysdale, Beverley Callard and Luke Gell and created and written by Susan Nickson, the hit series helped launch the careers of several of its young cast.
Mellor and Little have posted a few clips of them filming the travelogue on social media:
Including a visit to the pub that featured in Two Pints:
Both have made similar travelogues, with Little shooting Ricky & Ralf's Very Northern Road Trip with his The Royle Family co-star Ricky Tomlinson for BBC One in 2020, while Mellor paired with Keith Lemon creator Leigh Francis in Albania for an episode of the World's Most Dangerous Roads reboot on Dave last year.
Produced by the Belfast-based Afro-Mic Productions (Soul Singers), Will & Ralf Should Know Better is being made with support from Northern Ireland Screen.
It was commissioned for UKTV by commissioning executive Jason Dawson and ordered by Cherie Hall, U&Dave channel director and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. The executive producers are Alison Foster and Emma-Rosa Dias.
"I think we all get to a point in life where the world feels like it's moving too fast, so making a show that mischievously explores this through the lens of a friendship that's evolved (or not as the case may be) over twenty years feels incredibly timely and relevant to our audience" said Dawson. "We're hugely excited to be working with Will Mellor, Ralf Little and Afro-Mic to bring this to screens later this year."
Dias, of Afro-Mic Productions, added: We are very excited to be producing this new series for U&Dave. We can't wait to get on the road with Will and Ralf, two of Britain's best loved and funniest friends, as they challenge themselves and each other on a journey around the UK to get to grips with the modern world."