Jodie Comer, Martin Freeman, others to star in remake of 'Talking Heads' series

The BBC is bringing back British playwright Alan Bennett's famous series of "Talking Heads" monologues with a star-studded cast, including Jodie Comer, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton. The series is set to get a remake in an attempt to bid some coronavirus blues away, reported Deadline.

The BAFTA-winning show ran for two seasons in 1988 and a decade later in 1998. The idea is to produce 12 episodes, 10 of which will be monologues filmed for the original series and two new stories Bennett sent his longtime collaborator Nicholas Hytner last year.

"Talking Heads" will be produced by London Theatre Company for BBC One, and overseen by Hytner, who staged shows including "The History Boys". Hytner is also attached to direct three episodes. Kristin Scott Thomas, Maxine Peake, and Sarah Lancashire are also part of the cast.

Auditions and rehearsals have already taken place over Zoom but the series will be filmed on ready-made sets at Elstree Studios in the UK's Hertfordshire, with a limited cast and crew observing the country's social distancing measures. Production is set to begin on Tuesday, with filming taking place over two weeks. The series will air on BBC One in the "coming months", the network said.