Ben Elton's sitcom Upstart Crow is to get a third series. 

The news was confirmed at the end of the final episode of the second series last night, which featured David Mitchell's aspiring bard writing Romeo and Juliet.

There will also be a Christmas special in which Emma Thompson is to play Queen Elizabeth I.

Ben Elton says: ‘I am so pleased that the BBC have decided to commission Upstart Crow Part 3. As Shakespeare himself proved with Henry IV, his very long play cycle about a not very interesting Henry,  if a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing thrice.’

David Mitchell says: ‘I think I’m even pleaseder to be doing a third series of Upstart Crow than I was to be doing the second. In fact, given the choice, I would have done the third one second and saved the second till third. That would have made me pleasedest, but still, this is tremendous news.’

Watch all available episodes here.