Iconic BBC sitcom set to return with Downton Abbey star back in lead role
Star of the sitcom W1A Hugh Bonneville will return for its spin-off after a seven year hiatus. The mockumentary, which ran for three series, saw Hugh play lead character Ian Fletcher who became the Head of Values at the BBC.
Jessica Hynes starred as Ian’s hapless PR, Siobhan. Also appearing across the show were the likes of Jason Watkins, Monica Dolan, Hugh Skinner, Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey and David Tennant as the narrator.
Rather than the BBC, the show will be set in the football governing body, Fifa. Hugh will be returning in his role as Ian and there are high hopes that Jessica will be back too.
Hugh Bonneville as Ian Fletcher and Jessica Hynes as Siobhan Sharpe
Jonathan Bailey, Izzy Gould and Hugh Skinner also appeared in the series
Talking on That Gaby Roslin podcast, the news was revealed by actress Sarah Parish who played Anna Rampton on the show.
Sarah said: “It’s being written — maybe I’m talking out of turn, I don’t know.
“John Morton, the writer, is so brilliant and so fabulous at picking out the subtleties of the horror of working in an institution that big, but he did it brilliantly. It was a joyful thing to be in. So Ian Fletcher will continue. And I thought probably Siobhan, could go with him because wherever Ian goes, Siobhan goes as well and does all his PR, really badly.
“So I’m hoping that those two characters will have another rebirth into another series.”
The series ran from 2014 to 2017, it also had a webisode where Ian chaired the first virtual meeting of the BBC’s COVID-19 Bounce Back Group. And another episode aired in 2024 for a Comic Relief sketch.
Inside No. 9’s Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith have revealed that it’s
Meanwhile, BBC Inside No. 9’s Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are bringing their dark comedy series to an end after 10 years.
On the series coming to an end, Reece said: “We didn’t know we’d be doing it for 10 years. Every series was a surprise to us. We’ve done so many different things – a lifetime of ideas. We just wish it was Inside No 2, then we’d have been done years ago!”
Steve added, “We’re not treating it too differently to any of the series really – it’s always manic. People keep asking us how we feel, but we’re just focusing on making this. I think filming the last episode will be hard.”
Inside No.9 will end on it’s ninth series
With only six episodes left, Steve admits they have tried to get through as many pitches as possible. “We’ve been talking about one episode called The Curse Of The Ninth for a long time – it’s about a superstition in classical music that once you’ve composed your ninth symphony, you’re going to die.
“We thought it was good thematically to save this one for the ninth series – hopefully we won’t drop dead next week!”