ITV series returning for season 2 despite being labelled ‘worst sitcom ever’-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

An ITV comedy series that was slammed by viewers will be returning for a second season (Picture: ITV)

A comedy series viewers described as ‘appalling and offensive’ has been recommissioned by ITV for a second season.

Piglets premiered in July and followed a newly recruited group of six would-be cops and the key staff ‘whose thankless task it was to knock them into some kind of shape’.

The six-part series starred Sarah Parish and Mark Heap as Superintendent Julie Spry and Superintendent Bob Weekes, whose job it was to oversee the training of the new recruits.

Even before it hit screens, the series was slammed for its title, with the Police Federation, calling it ‘disgusting’ and ‘highly offensive’.

Meanwhile viewers said it was ‘insulting’, ‘disgusting’ and even ‘diabolical’.

Things didn’t fare much better when the episodes actually aired, with one person going so far as to say it was ‘the worst sitcom to ever appear on British TV screens’.

Piglets, which starred Sarah Parish and Mark Heap, aired during the summer (Picture: ITV)

Despite this all, the show will be returning.

Ricky Champ, who played Sergeant Daz Black, has revealed ITV are willing to give the series another go, and filming will get underway next year.

‘Piglets has been commissioned for series two. It’s crazy, because we got absolutely slammed,’ he said.

‘The first series came out and it was met with absolute venom – across the board.

Many were unimpressed with the title of the show (Picture: ITV)

‘Immediately, I thought, “That’s that done”. But it got good figures and ITV obviously noticed that,’ he added when speaking on the Reading Between The Lines podcast.

Earlier this year Tiffany Lynch, Acting National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales said the title of the show was ‘inflammatory against a landscape of rising threats and violence against officers’ and was putting officers ‘at further risk for viewing numbers

Their sentiment was echoed by members of the public as well, with Ofcom later reporting it had received 106 complaints.

However, ITV’s head of comedy Nana Hughes said there were no plans to change the name and that it was not meant to cause offence.

Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV for comment.

Piglets is streaming on ITVX.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More