Long to reign over us...

Channel 4 renews The Windsors

Channel 4 has ordered a second series of its royal family comedy The Windsors.

A second run of six episodes has been commissioned for next year, with the news coming ahead of the first series finale tonight.

Written by Star Stories co-creators Bert Tyler-Moore and George Jeffrie, The Windsors depicts the Royal as an over-the-top soap opera.

Channel 4’s head of comedy Phil Clarke, who commissioned the series with his deputy Nerys Evans, said: ‘We’re a nation who appears to enjoy poking fun at the institution of the monarchy almost as much as we enjoy staring at a hospital door waiting for a royal baby to be born and I am delighted to welcome The Windsors back to Channel 4 comedy for a second series.’

The series attracted 1.7million viewers when it launched last month, with the overnight figure boosted to 2.2million when consolidated with catch-up views, making it the highest rating comedy series launch on Channel 4 since 2012.

It has so far averaged 1.6 million consolidated viewers per episode.

Outlandish plots include Wills campaigning to abolish the Monarchy, George Osborne becoming President and Prince Charles fathering a love child with one The Three Degrees.

The cast includes Harry Enfield as Prince Charles, Haydn Gwynne as Camilla, Morgana Robinson as Pippa, Louise Ford as Kate, Hugh Skinner as William, Richard Goulding as Harry and Katy Wix as Fergie.

Production on the second series, made by Noho Film and TV, will begin later this year.