DERRY GIRLS actress Jamie-Lee O'Donnell is to star in a new BBC comedy set in Northern Ireland, which has been written by Not Going Out creator Daniel Peak.
Currently being produced under the working title Hopley Hall, the six-part series is centred around a historic and slightly shabby Grade 1 listed house in the countryside.
It will follow the ensemble of staff and volunteers who keep the house running: a motley group of enthusiasts, innocents, idiots and sociopaths.
"Delighted to be at the forefront of Daniel Peak's new BBC comedy series and looking forward to bringing this fun and exciting project to life," said O'Donnell, who also starred in the BBC comedy, Leonard and Hungry Paul.
"I'll see you soon at Hopley Hall."
For generations the home of the Hopley family, the estate's current sole resident is the ancient, bewildered and very English Lady Hopley.
The estate's survival depends on tourism and while not quite as popular as the castle down the road (where they filmed some of the House of the Dragon series, the jammy beggars), Hopley Hall still has plenty to offer, or so they think.
Peak said he was 'looking forward to opening the gates of Hopley Hall for public viewing'.
"I'm very excited and grateful for this opportunity to write a big, warm-hearted ensemble sitcom for the BBC, and to be doing it with an extremely talented writing team in Northern Ireland and for the UK's best and funniest actors," he added.
Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, praised the combination of O'Donnell and Peak on the new project.
"With Jamie-Lee O'Donnell's impeccable comic acting, Daniel Peak's brilliantly clever writing, fresh material from some exciting new Northern Ireland comedy writers, and Tom Marshall directing, Hopley Hall has all the ingredients for something properly special," he said.
"Expect laughs, warmth, wit and a lot of chaos. We can't wait for BBC viewers to see it."
Meanwhile, Eddie Doyle, BBC Northern Ireland Head of Commissioning, said: "We couldn't have wished for a more brilliantly gifted performer than Jamie-Lee to bring Daniel's hilarious creation to life.
"It's an exciting addition to the BBC's comedy offering and a wonderful platform for local writing talent."
While no release date has yet been announced, the series is being produced for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Northern Ireland.
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