Birds of a Feather will return for a Christmas episode with one major difference
It's been three years since the last episode
Last updated 5th Nov 2020
Birds of a Feather started way back in 1989, with an initial run until 1998, starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph. It was then revived in 2014 until 2017 much to fans delight, and now three years later it's been announced that it will be revived once again for a Christmas episode in 2020.
Taking influence from the current climate, the plot of the Christmas episode is set to see Tracey and Dorien getting right on each others’ nervous, while Sharon has escaped to the other side of the world and is stuck on a Covid-cruise!
With Sharon on the other side of the world, it means there is one major difference planned for this revival - it won't star Pauline Quirke. And, as ITV have explained in a statement, 'Pauline Quirke will not be taking part in this Christmas special as she's stepping back from acting to focus on her 200 nationwide performing arts academies.'
However, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph are both set to appear in the episode, with Lesley Joseph who plays Dorien saying, "I'm so excited to be putting Dorien's high heels back on for a Christmas special of Birds.
Lesley went on to reveal Dorien has a new man, which will be played by Les Dennis, "It's been three years since viewers last saw us and Dorien's only gone and got herself a new man! We all need a laugh right now and I promise this special will deliver the festive goods!"
Linda Robson continued, "I'm so happy we have a new Birds adventure. Trace and Dor have been at loggerheads with each other for months, will it be a peaceful Christmas in Essex?! The script for this special is brilliant, I promise we'll have lots of laughs for fans of the show."
Now take a look at old TV shows we'd love to see back on our screens:
SM:TV Live
Our Saturday mornings were made better with three hours of sketches, competitions and cartoons brought to us by a fresh-faced Cat Deeley and Ant and Dec. Remember the "Chums" sketch? Or Wonky Donkey!
Gladiators
Watching pro athletes battle contestants in an epic 'survival of the fittest' was awesome TV. Plus with characters named like Wolf, Storm and Pather, how could it lose?
Footballers' Wives
Broadcasting between 2002-2006, Footballers' Wives followed fictional Premier League football club Earls Park, as well as all of the drama from both the players and their fiery wives!
Friends
It's the question we've all been asking for the last 10 years, but in 2020 all six members of the Friends cast reunited! Thankfully we will get a fresh take on the series soon as the main six cast members are reuniting for a one-off special to look back at the show, although it's been postponed due to the Coronavirus.
Bad Girls
Set inside a fictional women's prison, Bad Girls aired on ITV between 1996-2006 and featured some very famous faces, including Claire King and Debra Stephenson.
The Bill
First broadcast in 1983, police drama The Bill certainly proved popular, airing until 2010. The show focused on the lives and work of police officers and starred well-known actors such as Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole and Mark Wingett.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
She was confident, funny, magical AND she had a talking cat. Sabrina made us all want to be a witch!
Ugly Betty
Believe it or not, it's been a massive 10 years since Ugly Betty last aired on our screens! The show, which featured actress America Ferrera, followed a character called Betty Suarez, who despite her lack of 'style', landed a job at a very prestigious fashion magazine.
Where The Heart Is
The British drama, which was filmed in the Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, proved very popular with viewers between 1997-2006, showcasing the lives of a group of district nurses and their families.
It's a Knockout
It was stupid, it was crazy, but it was certainly fun! It's a Knockout started way back in 1966, but the show made a number of returns on BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Although all episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air are now on Netflix, we'd love to see Will Smith get back into his character alongside Carlton Banks.
Stars In Their Eyes
A true classic! Stars In Their Eyes, originally hosted by Leslie Crowther, first aired in 1990 with Matthew Kelly taking over in 1993. The show did make a return with Harry Hill in 2015, but it didn't quite take off!
The Queen's Nose
Who would have thought that rubbing a 50p coin would be so interesting? We used to love watching the adventures of Harmony as she used up her magic wishes.
Fun House
We used to love watching two schools battle each other in three rounds of madness. Bring back the gunge and Pat Sharp's crazy hairstyles!
Grange Hill
Despite being at school all day, we loved to come home and watch other people be at school. Strange. But gripping story lines and relatable characters had us glued to our screens.
We can't wait for this new episode to land on our TV sets this festive season.