Vicious ~ Six Part Brit Sitcom Starring Ian McKellen & Derek Jacobi Premieres Sunday June 29, 2014 10:30PM on PBS

[PBS Press Release]

VICIOUS to Premiere June 29, 2014 on PBS Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen Star in Boisterous British Sitcom

PASADENA, CA; January 20, 2014 -- PBS announced the addition of a British sitcom, VICIOUS, starring Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) and Derek Jacobi (The King’s Speech) to the summer lineup, premiering Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 10:30 p.m. ET. The six-part VICIOUS will follow the second season of LAST TANGO IN HALIFAX also starring Jacobi, airing at 8:00 p.m., and a second season of MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! “Endeavour,” starring Shaun Evans, at 9:00 p.m., to round out PBS’ star-studded night of British programming.

Following a rich tradition of British sitcoms known for their broad, boisterous humor, VICIOUS tells the story of partners Freddie (McKellen) and Stuart (Jacobi), who have lived together in a small central London flat for nearly 50 years. Constantly picking each other apart and holding on to petty slights for decades, Freddie and Stuart are always at each other’s throats, cracking snide remarks aimed at the other’s age, appearance and flaws. However, underneath their vicious, co-dependent fighting, they have a deep love for one another. Freddie and Stuart are often joined by feisty best friend Violet (Frances de la Tour, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) and Ash, (Iwan Rheon, “Game of Thrones”) their young, upstairs neighbor.

“VICIOUS brings together the talents of two highly regarded British actors — Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen — in this entertaining series,” said Beth Hoppe, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming, PBS. “We’re excited to add it to our lineup on Sunday nights to give audiences a new dose of fun and humor.”

Gary Janetti (“Will & Grace”, “Family Guy”) is the Creator, Showrunner, and Executive Producer of VICIOUS, which is also produced by Gary Reich, known for “Uncle David” (2010), “Dan Clark's Guide to Dating” (2006) and “Dan Clark's Guide to Working” (2007). VICIOUS is a Brown Eyed Boy in association with Kudos and Nickelby Inc. production.

“I couldn't be more delighted for VICIOUS to be airing on PBS,” said Janetti. “Creating the series was a complete joy for all of us involved, and we hope the viewers in the U.S. will have as much fun watching VICIOUS as we had making it.”

VICIOUS was recently picked up for a second season by its original broadcaster, ITV1, in the UK.

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