She creates new sitcom down under

Caroline Aherne has created a new BBC2 sitcom based in Australia.

Production on the new show, called Dossa and Joe, is set to start next month, and it's expected to be aired in the UK early next year,

The sitcom will star Neighbours actress Anne Charleston, and Michael Caton, star of hit Australian comedy film The Castle.

Aherne moved to Sydney in June to escape the pressures of fame, and vowed not to appear on TV again.

But it hasn't stopped her writing, and she is also believed to be directing the six half-hour episodes, made by Granada Productions Australia.

When Aherne moved down under, she said: " I like writing about families. People don't know me here, so I will be able to study them and write about them, which is the whole point of me being here."

Published: 18 Sep 2001