AN ANDOVER comedian’s new series, starring Martin Clunes, is coming to BBC One.

Jimmy Donny Cosgrove, who grew up in the Andover area, has created Warren with his writing partner Paul McKenna with the six-part series to debut on BBC One at 9pm from Monday.

The show will see Mr Clunes play the title character Warren Thompson, a pedantic driving instructor who thinks the whole world is against him.

Mr Clunes said: “What I love about the show is that in essence it’s got the ingredients of everything I loved about the sitcoms I used to watch when I was growing up. It’s a really funny script.”

Jimmy lived in Weyhill as a youngster, attending Kimpton School and then Harrow Way where he studied GCSE drama.

“He then went to do comedy writing and performing at Southampton Solent University,” said proud younger sister Vikki Cosgrove.

“He lived in the area until he moved to London to pursue his passion.

“It’s always been his passion. He is so naturally funny, he always has been.”

After university, Jimmy honed his comedy skills on the stand-up circuit before eventually trying his hand at sitcom writing.

Warren is his first television comedy commission. It is backed by Hat Trick, one of the UK’s leading independent production companies which produces the likes of Dinner Date and Have I Got News For You.

As well as Mr Clunes, the cast features Lisa Millet as Warren’s wife, Anne, and Tim Preston and Oscar Morgan as his two teenage stepsons, Charlie and Danny.

The younger actors had high praise for the show and in particular Mr Cosgrove’s script-writing.

“I loved working on the show,” said Mr Morgan. “Mainly though, it’s so good not having to worry about being funny yourself because the script will do it for you. Jimmy and Paul the writers are non-stop geniuses.”

Mr Preston added: “It was the best TV script I’d read for a long time just because it was so naturalistic and subtle.”