Cleese returns to sitcom in BBC’s Edith

Fawlty Towers star John Cleese is returning to TV sitcom in a six-part family comedy ordered by the BBC.

Shane Allen

Edith, produced by BBC Studios, is written by Oscar-nominated Charles McKeown and features Cleese alongside Alison Steadman and Jason Watkins.

The show follows a widowed woman who is poised to marry her neighbour until her 50-year-old son returns to live at home after divorcing his wife.

It was commissioned by Shane Allen, controller of comedy commissioning, who said the show offered “the cream of British talent giving the BBC1 audience the very best comedy on television.”

The executive producers are BBC Studios’ head of comedy Chris Sussman and Moira Williams, while Humphrey Barclay produces and Sandy Johnson directs.

In related news, BBC2 has commissioned a three-part documentary series from UK prodco Raw about Ikea, the world’s largest furniture retailer.

Flatpack: The World’s Biggest Furniture Store (3×60′) will examine Ikea’s distinctive work culture and philosophy, filming inside stores, factories and design studios around the globe.