Will Mellor insists BBC 'weren't interested' in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps reboot in brutal swipe

Will Mellor opened up about the possibility of a Two Pints reboot

BBC/INSTAGRAM
Lauren Williams

By Lauren Williams


Published: 25/08/2024

- 16:49

Updated: 25/08/2024

- 16:50

The BBC sitcom first aired in 2001 and ran for 10 years

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps star Will Mellor, who played Gaz Wilkinson, has opened up about the possibility of a reboot but insisted that BBC bosses "weren't interested" in the revival.

The popular sitcom revolved around five friends in Runcorn, living life together, experiencing love, romance, friendship, overcoming difficulties and learning lessons.


The cast of the show, which was known simply as Two Pints, also included Natalie Casey, Kathryn Drysdale, Ralf Little and Sheridan Smith.

Mellor previously teased its return in 2022 but later added that the BBC had rejected a script for it, though he expressed hope at the time that another broadcaster would pick up the project instead.

He recently spoke to The Mirror about the planned revival whilst promoting his collaboration with Smart Energy GB and shared his thoughts on why he thought the broadcaster passed on revisiting the show.

Mellor, 48, revealed there are currently no ongoing conversations about it, sharing that he's instead pursued other opportunities with pal and co-star Little, 44.

Will Mellor and Ralf Little

Will Mellor has admitted he and Ralf Little would welcome the idea of a Two Pints reboot

BBC

He said: "There's no conversation, really. We spoke about it. It's probably a couple of years ago now, cause me and [Ralf] were doing a podcast, Two Pints with Will & Ralf, that we set up in lockdown, and we try to give fans of the show and people who enjoyed what we did, something.

"And talking about the old days and everything else [and] we've had two really successful tours. We're in talks for doing another one. So have sort of scratched the itch, but also, we did get a script together with Susan Nixon, who was the original creator and writer [of Two Pints], and it was called Two Pints: Last Orders. We had a first draft and we had a story outline, and me and Ralf were up for doing it."

Mellor added that if the revival was picked up, the show would have to reintroduce Little's character Jonny Keogh who was said to have died off-screen in the seventh series of Two Pints.

He added to The Mirror: "They were bringing Jonny back from the dead - cause he obviously apparently died in it, but then we find out he's not dead, he'd actually been in hiding, and we find out why.

Will Mellor and Ralf Little

Will Mellor and Ralf Little revisited the set of Two Pints recently

INSTAGRAM

"We offered it to the BBC - they said no. BBC Three didn't want it. So we just sort of left it. And it's funny now, how reviving shows... I don't understand why they weren't interested but they didn't wanna revisit it and BBC Three I think could have really done with it, to be honest, I think their audiences have not been great.

"Two Pints is probably still the highest-rated show on the channel now, and it's all the reruns, I'm sure they would have liked to have seen a revised 'where are they now?' kind of series. But that was where we left it."

Touching on whether he kept in touch with everyone else from the cast, Mellor revealed: "Not as much, no. It's one of them [things]. In our industry, it's very strange. When you work together, you become very close, and we were all very close, but [then other] work takes over and family takes over."

As well as touching on the hope of a Two Pints return, Mellor has also revealed that he will not be returning to Coronation Street as villain Harvey Gaskell.

Will Mellor

Will Mellor admitted he will not be returning to Coronation Street as Harvey Gaskell

ITV

He told the same publication: "I don't like to overdo things and when I first played Harvey it was going in for [the special]. And I thought that was gonna be the end.

"[Then] they said 'We want him to come back for a bit' so I looked at the storyline and it was about [Sam] wanting to ask questions why he'd killed his mum and why he behaved the way he behaved. I thought that was really interesting.

"It was like this tough exterior guy and he gets unpacked by this young kid, and he makes him look at himself."

You may like