Birds Of A Feather returns with a move to ITV

Classic sitcom, Birds Of A Feather starring, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, is returning to TV after 15 years.

The series which ran for nine years, last aired in 1998 on BBC One attracting over 20 million viewers, will consist of eight new episodes and will be moving to rival ITV who clinched the deal after the BBC only offered a Christmas Special.

The Sun reports interest was piqued when the three stars reunited last year for a successful stage version of the show, sparking interest from telly producers leading show’s creators Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran originally approached the BBC — with the idea of reviving it.

An ITV insider said: “The idea has been kicking around for a while and all the cast were up for it. Top brass heard that the writers had only been offered a one-off special at the BBC, so they decided to strike.

“The scripts are great and still crackling with the kind of gags that made it such a big success all those years ago.

“It’s all very hush-hush right now but ITV are delighted that they’ve managed to land it.”

The sitcom centres on two sisters — hard-up Sharon (Quirke) and well-off Tracey (Robson) — who set up home with each other after their husbands are both jailed for armed robbery. Joseph plays their man-eating neighbour Dorien Green.

Lesley, 67, said recently: “People remember Birds Of A Feather so fondly because it didn’t tail off at the end — the standard of the scripts didn’t deteriorate.

“None of us would want to make a new series that was below standard.”

Birds Of A Feather will begin filming the new episodes in September.