Iconic noughties BBC sitcom Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps 'set for comeback' - with Sheridan Smith 'signed on for reunion'
An iconic 2000s sitcom that launched the careers of stars such as Sheridan Smith and Will Mellor is reportedly set to return to screens.
Two Pints Of Lager and A Packet Of Crisps originally ran from 2001 until 2011 on BBC Three, following the lives of a group of 20-something friends in Runcorn. The series starred Ralf Little, Sheridan Smith, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey and Kathryn Drysdale.
Now, reports suggest the show could make a comeback 15 years after it was last seen on television. Creator Susan Nickson is said to have obtained the rights from the BBC, with a new version of the series likely to air on a different channel.
A source told The Sun: “Bagging the rights is crucial as it allows the show to be pitched elsewhere. The sitcom is sex-and-booze-heavy and that’s just not where the woke BBC are heading right now. The cast are up for it and hope something can happen this year.”
Despite the low likelihood of a reunion being picked up by the BBC, the broadcaster continues to air repeats on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
The show’s stars have spoken about their desire to reunite for another installment of Two Pints. Mellor previously spoke to the Daily Mail in December 2024 about a potential return.
He said: “I've tried. I even got a script written by Susan Nickson. A first episode draft called Two Pints Last Orders. It was going to be like a final series. Where are they now kind of thing. Johnny isn't dead, he's been on the run on the run from a loan shark or whatever.
“But BBC said no and BBC Three said no. They're repeating the old ones and they're getting the highest ratings on their channel, so you think "what are you doing?’”
He added: “I've said yes, I would do it. Ralph said yes. He would do it even if it was a Christmas special an hour long, just for the fans. It was a cult show that people got behind. Without the support of them the show wouldn't have lasted that long.
“I've said before that we can pay for it ourselves and do it, but then you'd have to put it out as a download stream and then the fans are going to have to pay to watch it and we're in a financial crisis. I can't do that. I'd feel wrong making people pay to watch something that they supported. We shouldn't have to do that. It should be picked up by a channel.
“But as I say, my hands are a bit tied. We need a channel to take it up.”
Sheridan Smith has also spoken about her desire to return to Two Pints in the future. She told The Guardian last year: "I'd love to do that. Especially after seeing Gavin + Stacey, where they all came back together. I think Two Pints was like our uni for people who didn't do uni. It would be a reunion with all your pals. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if everyone wanted to."
