A SPLASHING BASH
CLASSIC comedy The Fast Show is being revived, we can reveal.
The show will return to TV later this year for a one-off special, which will see the cast reunite for the first time in almost a decade.
A telly insider said: “After years of conversations it’s finally happening – the gang are getting back together. This is something the fans have wanted for years.”
The special, which is to air on a UKTV channel, will feature stars including Paul Whitehouse, 61, John Thomson, 50, and Charlie Higson, 61.
It will be a “celebration” of the show’s legacy with new clips and interviews.
TV favourite John last night promised viewers it will be worth the wait.
He told the Daily Star
Sunday: “Fans have something to look forward to. There’s something in the pipeline.
“I think people want the show back on TV, too.
It’s stood the test of time.
It’s all still relevant.
“You can bring the characters back right now and it’ll still work. “It’s a show with solid sketch work. It’s really funny, and it has really strong characters.”
The Fast Show was a hit with viewers throughout the 90s thanks to its wacky sketches and characters. Favourites included pensioner
Unlucky Alf, tailors Ken and Kenneth and presenters on spoof Spanish network Chanel 9, including the late Caroline Aherne, whose weather girl character had the catchphrase “Scorchio!”.
It was so successful it spawned spin-off shows and live tours.
John and Paul reunited last week at an anniversary performance of Only Fools And Horses The Musical at Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.
They are set to meet up again alongside co-stars to start work on reviving The Fast Show, and filming is due to start within weeks. An insider said: “Everyone is really excited to be bringing back such an iconic show.”
The cast tried to revive the programme on the BBC last year for its 25th anniversary but bosses refused because of costs. At the time, John said: “They went to the Beeb with a budget for everything that wasn’t extortionate for two half-hours and the powers that be said, ‘No.’
“I was very shocked because the demand for a 25th anniversary would be huge.”
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