Larry Lamb, Hayley Mills Star In New Acorn, BBC Drama ‘Pitching In’

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Larry Lamb and Hayley Mills will star in “Pitching In,” a new family drama for the BBC in the U.K. and the Acorn TV streaming service in the U.S. Lamb (“Gavin & Stacey”) and Mills (“The Parent Trap”) started shooting scenes this week as production got underway.

The series is set around a caravan park on the north Wales coast. It follows three generations of the same family, struggling to make the best of a complicated set up, with returning daughter and other family. Lamb plays Frank, who runs the park. He said the show will be a “funny and romantic story and a fascinating glimpse of life on the north Wales coast.”

“Broken” producer LA Productions is making the show, with Acorn Media Enterprises the U.S. and Australian copro partner. ZDF Enterprises will distribute the series outside of the BBC and Acorn territories.

Colin McKeown from LA Productions noted it is important that drama is socially relevant but there is also room for feelgood fare. “’Pitching In’ provides an audience with a lovely feeling of wellbeing and hopefully provides a warm smile,” she said.

In the U.K. it will play on BBC Wales in Wales and in the BBC’s daytime schedule in the rest of the U.K. For Acorn it is the latest original scripted project for U.S. viewers and follows on from recent orders for “Queens of Mystery,” “London Kills,” and “Sando.”

Catherine Mackin, the former UKTV executive and now managing director of Acorn Media Enterprises added: “With a stellar cast led by Larry Lamb and Hayley Mills, gorgeous setting, and highly enjoyable script, we know ’s subscribers will enjoy this new series.”