Nicola Shindler’s Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios) has named Katherine Parkinson and Youssef Kerkour as the leads in new ITVX comedic-drama Significant Other.

ITV has also released further information on its current comedy slate. See below for more details

Significant Other “explores the unromantic-romance of two people whose drastic, but fateful, first meeting turns their lives around.”  The series starts filming in Manchester next month and will air on ITVX in 2023.

Adapted from yes Studios’ award-winning Israeli series of the same name, Significant Other was created by Dana Modan, Assi Cohen and Ram Nehari, and it has been adapted and written by Dana Fainaru (Vikings: Valhalla, The Last Czars, Death in Paradise), and Hamish Wright (Mr Selfridge, Casualty, The Secret Life of Us), who also serve as executive producers alongside Nicola Shindler (It’s a Sin, Stay Close, Years and Years, Ridley Road, Happy Valley). David Sant (Spitting Image, Hitmen, Jack and the Beanstalk: After Ever After, Benidorm) is directing and Debbie Pisani (Flack, Back to Life, Peep Show) is series producing the new 6 x 30-minute comedic-drama, which marks the second production for Shindler’s Quay Street Productions.

Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, Hitmen, Defending the Guilty) and Youssef Kerkour (Stay Close, House of Gucci, Home), play Anna and Sam, two lonely neighbours in their mid-40’s, who embark on a hesitant, obstacle-filled relationship after drastic life events bring them together.  “Anna, who has given up on love, is defensive and closed off, and Sam, a newly separated father-of-two, is reactive and emotionally vulnerable. But as this strange love story unfolds with wryly observed wit and warmth, could these deeply flawed individuals – both at a time in their lives when change is difficult and rarely expected – influence each other for the better?”

Katherine Parkinson said: “Significant Other is a beautifully unconventional love story, and I’m so thrilled to be bringing it to life with Nicola Shindler and her team. It deals with loneliness and the messiness of love and I hope the scripts will resonate as much with an audience as they did with me. I can’t wait to get started!”

Youssef Kerkour said: “I’m overjoyed and very grateful to be teaming up with Nicola Shindler once again and to have the privilege of working with Katherine Parkinson whom I’ve been a fan of for so many years. The real value of a career is the outstanding people one gets to work with and the love and joy which that work brings to an audience… (and vice versa). Significant Other is a beautiful story with a wickedly funny centre, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”

Writers Dana Fainaru and Hamish Wright said: “This story of two battle-scarred, isolated characters who find a connection in the most unusual and hilarious way has spoken to us from the very start. We feel so lucky that Nicola Shindler believed in us and the idea and put us together with the most amazing team. It’s going to be a joy to see how director David Sant and the incredible cast bring the scripts to life.”

Nicola Shindler said: “From the moment Dana and Hamish started talking to me about the idea of Significant Other I loved the idea of a romance built from such dark foundations, both very funny and very real.  I’m incredibly happy to have such a brilliant cast in Katherine and Youssef as our pairing to bring these very flawed, very lovable characters to life, along with our skilful director David Sant to create our world, and our partners in ITVX.”

Significant Other was commissioned by Nana Hughes as part of ITVX’s comedy slate and will be made available in 2023. Executive producers are Nicola Shindler and writers Dana Fainaru and Hamish Wright.  Significant Other is based on the hit Israeli comedy of the same name, produced by July August Productions and yes TV.  yes Studios is the format distributor.

Significant Other is in association with, and distributed internationally by, ITV Studios.

ITV has also released further details of its comedy slate for ITV and ITVX alongside Significant Other

ITVX – Plebs: Soldiers Of Rome

After five successful series, multi award-winning comedy Plebs ends with a feature-length 85 minute special that will premiere on ITVX.

Marcus, Grumio, Jason and Aurelius join the army in peace-time, hoping to win respect, romance and discounts at participating restaurants. But when war’s declared, they’re sent to fight on the front line for a cause they don’t believe in. Now their main interest is the struggle for survival…

The journey takes our new recruits from their humdrum lives in Rome to the army garrison and tribal villages on the Empire’s edge.

Shot in Bulgaria and Wales, the backdrop of war allows their adventures to unfold on an epic scale.

Returning as the four Plebs are Tom Rosenthal, Ryan Sampson, Jon Pointing and Tom Basden, along with Karl Theobald as series regular Landlord. Joining them for the finale are Patrick Baladi (The Office/Breeders) as Roman commander General Diomedes, Tori Allen-Martin (London Kill/Here We Go) as warrior queen Barbronelda and Kåre Conradi (Norsemen) as Barbarian leader Segimundus.

Plebs is directed and written by Sam Leifer and co-written by Tom Basden.

ITVX – Deep Fake Neighbour Wars

Deep Fake Neighbour Wars will premiere exclusively on ITVX and will use the latest AI technology to make the UK’s best new impressionists become the world’s most famous celebrities. And they’re all arguing.

Loved up Nicki Minaj and Tom Holland vs Mark Zuckerberg, Billie Eilish and Taekwondo teacher Beyonce, Mark Wahlberg and wannabe strongman Chris Rock. Some of the celebrities, all embroiled in petty silly neighbour disputes.

The 6 x 30 series will be produced by Tiger Aspect Productions, part of Banijay Group.

ITVX – Count Abdulla

Count Abdulla follows Abdulla Khan (Arian Nik, The Bay) – a mid-twenties British-Pakistani Muslim doctor stuck in an identity crisis, caught between his religious mother and his secular, hedonistic friends. But when Abdulla is bitten by a vampire (Jaime Winstone, Four Lives) he suddenly becomes the outsider’s outsider.

This new 6×30 comedy series is written by Kaamil Shah and directed by Asim Abbasi (Churails). Count Abdulla is a Fudge Park production, produced by Hussain Casey Ahmed (Afterlife), with executive producer Phil Gilbert (White Gold).

ITVX – Ruby Speaking

Ruby Speaking is a new scripted comedy from Yellow Door Productions co-created by and starring the award-winning actress and comedian Jayde Adams (Alma’s Not Normal, The Outlaws, Greatest Days) and written by Abigail Wilson (The Larkins, Trollied and Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse).

The Bristol-based series follows Ruby’s misadventures and is inspired by the years Jayde spent working in a call centre.  Ruby is a popular addition to the workforce but puts other people’s problems above her own and definitely above making a sale.

Fellow Bristolian Rosie Gaunt-Mathieson will direct and Jon Macqueen (Sliced, Phone Shop) will produce.

This new 6 x 30’ series will premiere on ITVX in 2023 and Yellow Door founder Lucy Lumsden will Exec Produce.

ITV – The Family Pile 

The Family Pile is a brand new 6 x 30’ comedy from Hat Trick Productions that will air on ITV in 2023.

The series will be a comedic exploration of one of life’s big milestones, via four sisters who have lost their parents and are packing up the family home to sell.

But even in grief their messy lives go on.

The series will star Amanda Abbington (Sherlock, Mr Selfridge), Clare Calbraith (Home Fires, Downton Abbey), Claire Keelan (Nathan Barley, No Heroics), and Alexandra Mardell (Coronation Street) as the sisters with Kieran O’Brien, Richard Pepple and James Nelson-Joyce.

Filmed entirely in the Liverpool City Region with the support of Liverpool Film Office’s Production Fund and to be distributed by Hat Trick International.

Written by Brian Dooley with Phil Warburton-Leach as producer, Fergal Costello as director and Jimmy Mulville and Angela Sinden as Executive Producers.

Nana Hughes, ITV’s Head of Comedy said:

“The arrival of ITVX gives us more opportunities to commission a broad range of comedies and a dedicated place for the genre to call home. We want a huge cross section of contemporary, diverse and inclusive comedy. We want to take risks but most importantly we want our audiences to find shows that reflect them and make them laugh.”

 

Jon Creamer

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