PLEBS has kept me in stitches for years with its clever combination of Up Pompeii! and The Inbetweeners.
But I can reveal ITV2’s award-winning sitcom will NOT return for a sixth series — and will instead come to an end with a feature-length special.
Plebs revolves around Marcus Gallo and his slave Grumio, respectively played by Tom Rosenthal and Ryan Sampson, making their way in ancient Rome.
It has long been a hit with viewers and its makers insist they could have penned more shows.
But the team at production company Rise Films were keen to end the show on a high.
Co-producer Sam Leifer told me: “After five series, we wanted to go out with a bang.
“So we’re sending the plebs off to join the army.
“Unsurprisingly, they won’t cover themselves in glory or return as conquering heroes.
“Personally, I’m looking forward to watching Tom crawling on his hands and knees through the mud.”
Plebs, which last aired in 2019, attracted a number of high-profile cameos during its run, including Blackadder star Tony Robinson and Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden.
Since its debut in 2013, its creators and cast have received a string of nominations and awards — from the Royal Television Society, Bafta and the British Comedy Awards.
Filming on the feature-length episode was set to start this summer, for screening in autumn.
But it now might not be shown until next year.
I am happy to wait . . . but sad to see a great show end.
Ruth: "I'm usually a right Ness"
SHE looks a world away here from her Gavin & Stacey character Nessa but Ruth Jones reckons she is normally too “lazy” to dress up and put on make-up.
The writer and actress, who starred opposite James Corden in the BBC sitcom, made an exception for a photoshoot and chat in the new edition of Woman & Home magazine.
And though she looks sensational, Ruth insists that she wouldn’t alter her whole world for the glamour of a typical celeb lifestyle.
She said: “I still live in Cardiff.
“My family are nearby and my old friends.
“I guess I don’t want the red-carpet lifestyle enough to change that.
“I wouldn’t go out of my way to go to a big celebrity bash.
“You have to make an effort to dress up and I’m a bit lazy, really.
“I can’t be bothered to put make-up on.
“I certainly don’t wear it day to day.
“There’s something more enjoyable about being at a party among your friends.
“That makes me sound ungrateful.
“I’m not. I just don’t do the ‘celebrity hangout’ thing.”
must watch
WHAT? The Real Marigold Hotel, BBC1, 9pm.
WHY? In the new series, celebs including Duncan Bannatyne, Britt Ekland and Paul Chuckle head to India for a more rewarding take on retirement.
Spy who dined me
MEETING a potential partner is nerve-racking enough . . . but a fella wouldn’t normally expect to follow in the footsteps of James Bond.
That is the challenge presented by jet-setting Alexandria, 75, a hopeful in tonight’s season opener of First Dates Hotel.
She said: “I was once taken for dinner up the mountains in Spain by Jimmy Tarbuck and Sean Connery.
“They were playing golf in Marbella.”
Alexandria also revealed she has been held hostage and posed for the saucy Pirelli Calendar.
Her colourful past should at least have made dinner chat easy enough.
The show is on C4 at 9pm.
bizbit
CHANNEL 4 has announced new shows Sex Tips For Lockdown, Ramadan In Lockdown and Snoop Dogs – in which cameras are strapped to celebrities’ pets to film inside their homes, leaving viewers to guess who lives there.
G'night a Blitz hit
NINETIES comedy Goodnight Sweetheart, in which star Nicholas Lyndhurst travels back in time to the Forties, is winning new fans as VE Day’s 75th anniversary approaches.
The retro show is a big hit on Forces TV thanks to how it captures the Blitz spirit.
Network boss Simon Bucks said: “I’m sure our viewers see a parallel between the lives of civilians during World War Two and today’s lockdown.
“Finding humour in those dark days provides a real lift.”
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