ITV2's first new sitcom in years, Plebs works on the basis that young single men have always been pathetic and feckless at every single point in history. To prove it, they've taken the dynamic of The Likely Lads and exported it to Ancient Rome, focusing on three men (two plebs and a slave, technically) desperate to get their ends away.

This should rightly set off alarm bells - 'Is ITV2 the kind of place to be attempting nuanced historical comedy?' you might ask. No, of course it's not. Thankfully, Plebs doesn't try. Instantly reminiscent of Mel Brooks's loose adherence to period and historical accuracy (a la Blazing Saddles), characters say words like 'coolio', 'legend' and 'literally' as though they've wandered in from a WKD advert set at a toga party.

Not that this is some kind of charmless lad-fest - this opening double-bill bursts with originality and thankfully doesn't feel the need to make cheap historical gags every ten seconds. Miraculously, it even makes great use of Danny Dyer, who dominates in the second episode as a gladiator.

Tom Rosenthal interview

Tom Rosenthal talks about his role in Plebs, Danny Dyer, and what it was like filming the show...

Tom Rosenthal on Roman orgies

The Friday Night Dinner actor is revealing a lewder side in the new ITV2 comedy billed as 'The Inbetweeners meets Ancient Rome'.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Colosseum

Plebs is set in Ancient Rome, but the sitcom tells timeless truths about life at the bottom of the pile, says its writer Tom Basden

Joel Fry and Ryan Sampson interview

I caught up with two of the stars of the show, Joel Fry who plays Stylax and Ryan Sampson who plays Grumio, after the screening to hear what they had to say about the series...

Rest assured, Plebs is not about Andrew Mitchell and "Plebgate". Instead it might be described as a gentler take on The Inbetweeners - but set in Ancient Rome. At first glance it works because the characters are likeable, the jokes mostly work as does the "yoof" vocabulary. The "plebs" are Marcus (Tom Rosenthal) and Stylax (Joel Fry) and their slave Grumio (Ryan Sampson) and in the opener the neurotic Marcus decides an orgy might be good place to go for a first date.

Tom Rosenthal interview

ITV are betting quite a lot that Plebs, their new ITV2 sitcom, can revive the broadcasters' comedy fortunes.

What have Plebs ever done for ITV?

ITV is set to welcome its first new sitcom in years later this month when Sam Leifer and Tom Basden's Plebs hits ITV2.

All hail Plebs: sitcom with a title Tories should know

The much-loved classicist Mary Beard continues to conquer the airwaves, this time as an advisor on Plebs, a new sitcom set in Ancient Rome.