Derren Litten, the creator of ITV sitcom Benidorm, has confirmed that ITV have ordered a 4th series of the show for 2011.

The ensemble sitcom, which is a big hit for ITV, focuses on the adventures of a group of British holiday makers staying at an all-inclusive resort in Spain. Actors on the programme include Johnny Vegas (pictured), Siobhan Finneran, Steve Pemberton and Janine Duvitski.

Litten has also revealed that a one-off special is planned for later this year, and the production team is also looking into the possibility of filming an episode in 2011 that will be broadcast live.

The comedy writer confirmed this news via his Twitter feed. He tweeted: "I'm writing a one off special for 2010 and a 4th series for 2011. Also planning a LIVE show for 2011!"

Benidorm is currently one of just two hit comedies for ITV1 (the other being Harry Hill's TV Burp), so news that the show has been re-commissioned has been expected for a while now.

Benidorm debut on ITV1 in 2007. To date, there has been 21 episodes of the comedy, with the most recent series extended to hour-long episodes. A healthy 6 million viewers watched the Series 3 finale in November 2009 in which the characters of Madge and Mel revealed a secret to The Garvey family.