Christmas Special Ordered For Two Doors Down

A new series of Two Doors Down, as well as a Christmas special, has been commissioned for the BBC.

Set in the fictional Scottish suburban street of Latimer Crescent, the sitcom's Christmas special will focus on the residents as they prepare for the festive holidays.

Couple Beth (Arabella Weir) and Eric (Alex Norton) hope to have a quiet festive feast on their own, but the Christmas episode will see Cathy (Doon Mackichan) and Colin (Jonathan Watson) turn up after their trip to the French Alps is thwarted by a cancelled flight. Neighbour Christine (Elaine C Smith) also arrives with granddaughter Madison, after daughter her Sophie is delayed in Paris by the same disruption.

Then there's Beth and Eric's son Ian (Jamie Quinn), visiting with boyfriend Gordon (Kieran Hodgson) to drop off presents, only to confess that their other plans have fallen through – so they ask if they can stay for dinner. With a meal for two now stretching to six, Christine and Cathy reveal their own particular take on the spirit of christmas.

The festive special will be followed by a new six-part series of the sitcom in early 2018, where it will be revealed that Christine's daughter Sophie, who has been played by Sharon Rooney, has taken baby daughter Madison to live with a new boyfriend in Wales. There will also be more of newcomer Gordon.

Scottish wrestling and comic phenomenon Grado, whose real name is Graeme Stevely, will also be making a guest appearance in the series alongside Joy McAvoy.

Shane Allen, BBC Controller, Comedy Commissioning, said: "Two Doors Down precisely captures the raucous comedy voice of modern Scotland with these terrific characters and has become a firm favourite with the BBC Two audience."

Steve Canny, Executive Producer, BBC Studios, added: "We're completely delighted to have the writers, cast and crew back and working away on seven new episodes. Two Doors Down is a rare thing – a show that gets richer and finer and funnier as you delve deeper in to the lives of the characters. We have plenty of knock-out funny things in store for the Christmas special and the series that will follow early in 2018."

Having started with a Hogmanay one-off pilot in 2013, this will be the third series for the BBC Two Comedy which is written by Gregor Sharp and Simon Carlyle and produced by BBC Studios. The new series is currently filming on location in the Glasgow area and at BBC Scotland's Dumbarton Studios.

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre

(JP/MH)