Upstart Crow to return for Christmas special
- Upstart Crow is to return to BBC Two for a new Christmas special
- The episode will be a two-hander starring David Mitchell and Gemma Whelan
- The plot sees the plague hitting London, forcing Will and Kate to isolate at home alone
BBC Two has confirmed that Upstart Crow is to return for a Christmas special this December.
The channel says: "Ben Elton's Shakespearean comedy is back for a two-hander Christmas special starring David Mitchell as the bard and Gemma Whelan as Kate.
"The plague has hit London and as Christmas approaches Will and Kate are in wave fifteen of state-enforced home confinement together in Will's London lodgings. As Kate fills endless time with baking, painting, hoarding, clapping and DIY haircuts, Will is doing his absolute best to use the plaguey lock-in to pen a classic for the new King so his head doesn't end up in a basket. The problem is he's got zero inspiration... Can Will come up with the perfect play? And far from their friends and loved ones can he and Kate find a way to create their own kind of Christmas merriment?"
Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow: A Lockdown Christmas 1603 - will be broadcast at a yet-to-be-confirmed date over the Christmas period. It will echo real events of the 17th Century, when the plague - or black death - hit Europe in a series of waves spanning hundreds of years. Although the nature of the disease and its transmission were not known and misunderstood, isolation and social distancing were employed to combat the outbreaks.
This will be the first new episode of Upstart Crow on television since Series 3 concluded in December 2018 with a festive programme.
The hit sitcom was just a few weeks into a run of a new West End stage adaptation when the covid-19 outbreak forced the closure of theatres in March this year. British Comedy Guide understands that producers hope to remount the production when restrictions are lifted in 2021.
Upstart Crow is one of a number of new specials the BBC has revealed today. See more of BBC's Christmas comedy highlights 2020
Upstart Crow - The Complete Series 1-3 And The Christmas Specials
Based on the facts we know about William Shakespeare, Ben Elton's critically acclaimed sitcom is about the life of the world's favourite bard as it just might have been.
This box set includes the complete Series 1 to 3 and the 2017 and 2018 Christmas specials of the hit BBC Two sitcom.
First released: Monday 14th January 2019
- Distributor: BBC
- Region: 2 & 4
- Discs: 4
- Minutes: 592
- Subtitles: English
- Catalogue: BBCDVD4309
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