Mrs Brown's Boys star's BBC sitcom special with "shed full of laughs" gets first look amid major production update

The BBC has released a first-look image from the behind-the-scenes of new one-off comedy special Shedites, as production has begun.

Shedites, which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, has been created and written by Mrs Brown's Boys star and writer Paddy Houlihan, while he has brought a host of his cast mates from the hit sitcom across to star in the project.

Brendan O’Carroll, Danny O’Carroll, Simon Delaney and Houlihan himself will all appear in the project, along with Trying star Phil Davis, The Young Offenders actor Shane Casey and Small Town, Big Story's Deirdre O’Kane.

It has also been confirmed that the special will be part of the BBC’s festive offering this Christmas, meaning it's on a tight turnaround.

The synopsis for Shedites says that it is about "a place where men can make themselves useful building and repairing things, and along the way find company through unlikely friendships, a sense of purpose, and a mug of strong tea".

The synopsis continues: "The half hour comedy sees Jimmy (Brendan O’Carroll), Harry (Davis), Gavin (Delaney), Cheesy (Danny O’Carroll), Paul (Casey) and Paddy the Liar (Houlihan) set out to build a new bike from recycled parts to try and win the local 'Santa Spin' race.

"If they succeed, it’ll be a rare triumph for the lads. And if they don’t, Councillor Orla (Deirde O’Kane) will make sure they hear about it."

Houlihan said in a statement: "It’s a privilege to see actors I’ve admired for years bring real depth to characters that began in my imagination. Alongside a crew who’ve poured skill and graft into every frame, they’ve taken what was on the page and lifted it to the screen with humour, honesty, and heart. Watching Shedites come to life has been a surreal experience."

Meanwhile, Brendan O’Carroll added: "It’s inspiring and exciting to be filming Shedites. I saw this as a germ of an idea in Paddy’s head. To see it come to fruition is everything his talent deserves."

The fifth season of Mrs Brown's Boys aired earlier this year on BBC One and iPlayer, while the long-running show will also soon be back for its annual festive specials.

Shedites will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.