BBC Two has announced three further sitcoms for the ‘New on Two’ strand airing next month as part of the BBC Landmark Sitcom Season. Our Ex Wife, We The Jury and The Coopers Vs The Rest will air alongside the previously announced Home from Home and Motherland.

These five brand new sitcoms will be part of the BBC Landmark Sitcom Season celebrating the heritage and legacy of comedy over the past 60 years. The season across BBC One, Two and Four will be also be revisiting some of Britain’s most-loved and iconic sitcoms such as Porridge, Young Hyacinth, Goodnight Sweetheart and Are You Being Served?

The new titles are:

Our Ex Wife

Robert Webb (Peep Show, Mitchell & Webb) stars as divorcee Jack in this brand new, hate-filled comedy. Jack has finally found real happiness with fiancée Sara (Melanie Lynskey - Togetherness, Two and a Half Men), but his unhinged ex-wife and mother of his kids, Hillary (Victoria Hamilton Doctor Foster, The Crown) is determined to destroy it.  Whilst Jack wants Hillary out of their lives, Sara has made it her personal crusade to build a relationship with her for the sake of children Ava (Holly Earl) and Max (Archie Lyndhurst). Peter Egan (Downton Abbey, Ever Decreasing Circles) guest stars as Jack's phlegmatic father George.

Our Ex-Wife is created and written by former The Simpsons writer Julie Thacker Scully, and directed by Ben Taylor (Catastrophe). The show is developed and produced by James Farrell (Are You Being Served?, Mrs Brown's Boys) and the executive producers for BBC Studios are Stephen McCrum (Mrs Brown's Boys, Josh) and Chris Sussman (Cuckoo, People Just Do Nothing). 

Pictured top - picture by Angus Young.

We The Jury

We The Jury is a comedy about jury duty, something William has dreamt of doing his whole life. He’s always known he was destined to be a juror but he never imagined that when the day finally came he’d land the mother of all jury gigs - an actual murder trial. The jury are a mismatched collection of enthusiastic fools, inconsiderate bullies and self-obsessed weirdos, constantly getting distracted from the case. Add in a demob-happy judge in her final trial and this has all the ingredients of a disaster.

William is played by Ed Easton and his fellow jurors by Sophie Thompson, Diane Morgan, Oliver Maltman, David Schaal, Kenneth Collard, Kae Alexander, Vivienne Acheampong and Samson Kayo. The judge is played by Maggie Steed and the defendant by Ricky Champ. Kerry Howard also stars.

Written by the multi award-winning stand-up comedian James Acaster, We The Jury is directed by Ben Taylor (Catastrophe), produced by Josh Cole (Crashing) and the executive producers are Kenton Allen and Saurabh Kakkar for Big Talk Productions.

Pictured bottom - picture by Idil Sukan.

The Coopers Vs The Rest

Tess, (Tanya Franks Pulling, Mum), was determined to save as many kids as she could from the sort of childhood she had. Along with her husband Toby (Paterson Joseph Peep Show, Green Wing), she now divides just about enough money and nowhere near enough time between their three adopted children Frankie (Erin Kellyman), Alisha (India Brown) and Charlie (Joseph West).  Tess tries to improve Charlie’s popularity by gate-crashing his classmate’s 8th birthday party, while back at home Toby has to deal with Alisha’s sudden interest in religion.

Written by award-winning writer (and adoptee) Andy Wolton, The Coopers Vs The Rest is produced by BBC Studios and directed by Declan Lowney (Moone Boy, Father Ted, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa). The producer is Victoria Lloyd, (Just a Minute). The executive producer is Stephen McCrum (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bluestone 42, Flat TV). 

Shane Allen, Controller, Comedy Commissioning, BBC said, “These three brand new sitcom specials are the fresh out of the oven part of our landmark sitcom season. Underpinning BBC Two’s comedy reputation for the eclectic and diverse, they are sharply written and terrifically cast treats with a very contemporary heart to them, except in the case of ‘We The Jury’ which is just infectiously & joyfully daft!”

Our Ex-Wife, We The Jury and The Coopers Vs The Rest will join the previously announced Home from Home and Motherland on BBC Two.

Pictured middle - picture by Olly Upton copyright Big Talk.

Home from Home

Neil Hackett (Johnny Vegas Benidorm) and his wife Fiona (Joanna Page Gavin & Stacey) finally achieve their long cherished dream of buying a lodge in the Lake District. Their ‘traditional' lodge at Lake View Holiday Park means everything to them, the years of scrimping and saving all now feel worth it. That is until they wake up the next morning to discover their neighbours, The Dillons, Robert (Adam James Doctor Foster) & Penny (Emilia Fox Silent Witness).  The Dillons are effortlessly superior in every way. Fiona enjoys the chance to make friends with her neighbours 'getting to know you' barbecue, but Neil is less convinced, and when night falls and the Sangria flows the atmosphere goes from promising to catastrophic when Neil commits the ultimate faux pas. 

Home from Home is written by Chris Fewtrell and Simon Crowther. It is a BBC Studios production and produced by Rebecca Papworth and executive produced by Gregor Sharp (Count Arthur Strong). 

Motherland

Motherland is a show all about navigating the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood, looking at the competitive side and unromantic take on parenting – not the cute and acceptable public face of motherhood. We meet the 'Alpha Mums' headed by Amanda (Lucy Punch The Wedding Video) who is very much the Queen Bee, everything is organised, clean and sparkly even the kitchen cork board is a statement of success. Yet at the other end of the spectrum, we meet Liz (Diane Morgan Cunk on Shakespeare) who's totally chaotic and feels the kids should enjoy free expression. Somewhere in the middle is Julia (Anna Maxwell-Martin Reg), when she find outs her own mother no longer wants to be the free child sitter and school run  taxi – Julia finds her organisation skills are taxed and nowhere near the level of the ‘Alpha Mums’.   Also in the mix is Kevin (Paul Ready Utopia), he's the stay at home dad, who rather than fighting against that, is embracing it with gusto – much to the irritation of the other mothers.

Motherland is written by Graham Linehan (Count Arthur Strong, Father Ted), Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Pulling), Helen Linehan and Holly Walsh (Dead Boss). It is a co-production between Merman and Delightful Industries and is produced by Richard Boden and directed by Graham Linehan.

The BBC Landmark Sitcom Season will start next month.