With Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi

Sir Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi are set to star in a new ITV sitcom about an elderly gay couple.

Vicious Old Queens has been written by Gary Janetti, who previously worked on Will & Grace and Family Guy.

The two veteran thespians will play the couple, who live together in London’s Covent Garden.

A series of six half-hour episodes is being lined up for broadcast from April, according to the Star on Sunday.

Last week, Sir Ian – who previously appeared in Ricky Gervais’s Extras, said that hiding his sexuality for years had been crucial in helping him perfect his acting skills.

This will not be the first time a mainstream gay sitcom has been tried in recent years. BBC One previously piloted the potential primetime show, George And Bernard Shaw, with Robert Lindsay and Richard Griffith playing a middle-aged gay couple. The comedy, which was never intended for broadcast, was written by John Finnemore, the creator of Radio 4’s Cabin Pressure.

Published: 29 Oct 2012