James Nesbitt, Fay Ripley & cast to reprise roles.

ITV has confirmed they have commissioned a new 8-part series of comedy-drama, Cold Feet.

The series which ran for five series from 1997 -2003, will reunite series creator and writer, Mike Bullenwill and original cast members James Nesbitt, Robert Bathurst, Hermione Norris, John Thomson, and Fay Ripley.

The story focused on three couples: Adam (Nesbitt) and Rachel, Pete (Thomson) and Jenny (Ripley), and Karen (Norris) and David (Bathurst) – showing the ups and downs of friendships, relationships, parenthood and love. Helen Baxendale‘s played Rachel, who was killed off at the end of the fifth series.

We rejoin the characters in 2016, it’s been 13 years since Rachel’s untimely death. How has Adam coped without his soulmate, raising their son on his own? Do Pete and Jenny still spend their evenings on the sofa, except now they watch Endeavour instead of Morse? And what of David and Karen? They’d split up, but with three children between them, are the ties that bind still strong?

When we saw them last, our heroes were on the cusp of change, growing up and settling down. They’d hoped that by the time they were approaching 50, life would be simpler. Well, now they’re there, to discover that it isn’t. The issues they face are different but just as challenging. They still have many years to live, but can’t escape the niggling fear that their futures are behind them.

Creator of Cold Feet, Mike Bullen, said: “This feels like the right time to revisit these characters, as they tip-toe through the minefield of middle age. They’re 50, but still feel 30, apart from on the morning after the night before, when they really feel their age. They’ve still got lots of life to look forward to, though they’re not necessarily the years one looks forward to!”

Cold Feet is produced by Big Talk Productions and directed by Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, The Street). Filming on the new series will begin in Manchester in February 2016, with further casting yet to be announced.