Benidorm duo star in new sitcom | Created by Early Doors and Not Going Out writers

Benidorm duo star in new sitcom

Created by Early Doors and Not Going Out writers

 Benidorm duo Denise Welch and Siobhan Finneran are to star in a new Radio 2 comedy.

The duo  – who play Scary Mary and Janice Garvey in the Spanish-set sitcom – are recording a pilot of Just Grand later this month.

Described as ‘a family sitcom about a clash of generations and cultures’, the programme revolves around a working class Stockport couple who become unwilling guardians to their estranged grandchildren - ‘a pair of over-privileged and bewildered siblings from the Home Counties’.

Jason Watkins from W1A and Trollied also stars in the show, which has been written by Phil Mealey, who co-wrote Early Doors with Craig Cash, and Daniel Peak, Lee Mack’s co-writer on Not Going Out.

Just Grand is the second Radio 2 sitcom pilot to be revealed in two days, following Romesh Ranganathan’s semi-autobiographical comedy.

The channel has previously aired Comedy Showcase seasons, which included the radio pilot of Tim Vine’s chat show and the Barbara Nice sitcom, also picked up for a series.

Just Grand will be recorded in front of a studio audience at the BBC Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House on January 24. See our free tickets page for details of how to among them.

Finneran was also a regular on Downton Abbey, appearing as lady's maid Sarah O'Brien from 2010 to 2013; while Welch is also known as Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street, as well as for her private life being frequently splashed across the tabloids.

Published: 4 Jan 2017

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