Despite facing a barrage of criticism this year, ITV sitcom Piglets has been greenlit for a second series.
The show was labelled "highly offensive" by the Police Federation prior to its July release, and critics slammed the programme for being outdated and riddled with stereotypes. Following the first episode, Ofcom was inundated with over 100 complaints.
Nevertheless, ITV is doubling down on the comedy, which features Sarah Parish and Mark Heap, with insiders confirming plans for a second outing.
Ricky Champ, who stars as Daz, expressed his astonishment on the Reading Between The Lines podcast: "Piglets has been commissioned for series two. It's crazy, because we got absolutely slammed. The first series came out and it was met with absolute venom across the board."
Champ, the 44 year old actor from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, admitted he was taken aback by the decision: "Immediately, I thought, 'That's that done'. But it got good figures and ITV obviously noticed that", reports the Mirror.
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Amidst the predominantly negative feedback, one reviewer drew favourable parallels between Piglets and the acclaimed Channel 4 hospital-based sitcom Green Wing.
Notably, the creative team behind Piglets had previously worked together on Green Wing, which enjoyed a successful run from 2004 to 2006.
Set in a fictional police training college in London, Piglets sees Mark Heap, also known for his roles in Green Wing and Friday Night Dinner, playing Superintendent Bob Weekes, an inept instructor guiding the fresh batch of recruits.
Before the premiere of the much-anticipated sitcom, the beloved actor Heap, 67, shared insights into his character, stating: "Bob is the good cop to Julie's (Sarah Parish's character) bad cop; their relationship is like a long, tired marriage - they're just about tolerating each other's annoyances - but it's one that works, until it doesn't. Bob doesn't have any skills and floats in the slipstream of Julie - but he likes to feel important."
"Bob has a love interest, except he's not aware of it. He's completely oblivious to how Melanie feels, bless him. Who knows where that relationship is going to go?".
