BBC reveals details of new Rob Brydon sitcom

Rob Brydon is set to front a brand-new comedy for BBC One and iPlayer

Written by Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen and produced by Baby Cow, Bill’s Included follows middle-aged divorcee Bill Beam (Rob Brydon), who staves off financial ruin by renting his spare rooms to students.

Warm-hearted and eager but neurotic and slightly overbearing, Bill is thrilled by the youthful energy his lodgers bring – but baffled by their indifference to his laminated house rules and colour-coded cutlery. He’s torn between wanting to be part of the gang – sharing banter, keeping up with trends – and clinging to his role as responsible adult.

The students, meanwhile, aren’t exactly living the dream: a 90-minute commute to campus, a strict bin rota, and a man in his 50s who insists on a group vote before ordering a takeaway. Still, the rent’s insanely cheap (please don’t tell Bill), and somehow, through all the awkwardness, this chaotic household starts to gel.

As Bill and his mismatched lodgers navigate heartbreak, reinvention, and emotional upheaval, surprising parallels emerge between university life and midlife crisis. Can they overcome their differences, embrace their found family, and help each other muddle along?

Can Bill learn to be both landlord and land…friend? Probably not, because he’ll get too excited and screw everything up, but let’s see.

Rob Brydon says: “I can’t wait to get started with this, to speak the wonderful words written by Alex and Ben who’ve done such a great job on the script.”

Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen say: “When we first met as students, we bonded over Human Remains and Marion and Geoff. To now be writing a show in which Rob Brydon lives with students is both a dream come true and a weirdly specific full circle moment.

“We’re thrilled to be working with the amazing teams at Baby Cow and the BBC and can’t wait to bring Bill Beam to life. Bill’s Included, you’re invited, we’re excited.”

Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy says: “Rob Brydon has given us some of Britain’s most beloved TV characters over the years and we’re about to get another one! Paired with the razor-sharp writing talent of Ben Ashenden and Alexander Owen, Bill’s Included delivers exactly what audiences want – a warm, character-driven sitcom with genuine laughs and heart at its core. We’re delighted to have this on BBC iPlayer and BBC One and can’t wait for audiences to move in with Bill and his lodgers.”

Rupert Majendie, Executive Producer at Baby Cow productions says: “From the beginning, we knew this was a show we wanted to make – a perfect sitcom set-up with a sharp, contemporary twist. With its mix of heart, originality and beautifully observed characters, it feels like a classic Baby Cow show. Ben and Alex have written something properly special, and with Rob at the centre of a brilliant ensemble, we can’t wait to bring it to life”

The Rob Brydon sitcom is part of an announcement of 10 new and returning comedy commissions.

The 10 new commissions are:

– Diane Morgan sitcom Ann Droid (w/t) about a social humanoid robot designed to keep elderly people company, exploring the hilarious intersection of technology and human connection
– Supernatural family sitcom Reluctant Vampire starring BAFTA winner Lenny Rush
– Bill’s Included stars Rob Brydon as a middle-aged divorcee who staves off financial ruin by renting his spare rooms to students
– Small Prophets, created by BAFTA winner Mackenzie Crook, starring Pearce Quigley, BAFTA winner Sir Michael Palin and BAFTA winner Sophie Willan
– Stuffed, starring Guz Khan as an office worker who gets an unexpected Christmas bonus and takes his family to Lapland, only to find that he has to pay the money back
– The return of Only Child, Funboys, The Young Offenders and Golden Cobra
– Leonard and Hungry Paul, based on the award-winning, best-selling novel by Rónán Hession