Gavin and Stacey creators Ruth Jones and James Corden have unveiled details about their upcoming comedy-drama, The Choir. This eight-episode series, currently in production for Apple TV and scheduled for a 2027 release, marks their first creative collaboration since the Gavin and Stacey finale aired on Christmas Day 2024. Which is now in production and set to air in 2027, jones and Corden are executive producers for the series.
The show stars Corden as Ben, who has been living abroad, and Jones as his sister Lisa, who has remained in their quiet hometown where they feel life is stagnant. The plot follows Ben’s forced return to his roots, where he faces a life and family environment he had long attempted to avoid. The ensemble cast features Tom Davis, Rosie Sheehy, Susan Brown, Jason Watkins, Alexandira Riley, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Tom Edden, Gary Lamont, Emily Lloyd-Saini, Stephen Leask, Luiis Rouf, Jo Foster, Evie Jones, and Farrah Abbassy. But when events take a sorry turn, Ben is forced to return to “a life he never wanted, a town he never liked and a family from which he’s estranged”.
Guest appearances will include high-profile actors such as Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, X-Men actor James McAvoy, and Harry Potter veteran Jim Broadbent. According to the creators, the premise was inspired by their own families, as Corden’s mother and Jones’ sister are both active members of local choirs.
Describing the core theme, Corden explained the series aims to highlight the significance of community and the collective spirit of individuals who gather weekly to sing, finding meaning in their shared experience. Jones noted that amateur choirs possess a unique ability to bridge social divides, bringing together people from varied backgrounds and life experiences. Amateur choirs especially, bring people together in a way that maybe nothing else does, jones previously said: “We both feel that choirs. All sorts of different things going on in their lives, there was just this idea to bring this group of characters together from different backgrounds.
The duo’s professional history dates back to 2000, when they first met while filming Fat Friends in Leeds, forming a bond that eventually led them to write the record-breaking Gavin and Stacey. That series spanned three seasons and three Christmas specials between 2007 and 2024, cementing their roles as Nessa and Smithy. Beyond this latest partnership, Jones has recently starred in the Netflix series Run Away and teamed up with Steve Speirs for the middle-age comedy series Better Later. She also portrayed Mrs. Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister, while Corden has recently completed a run on Broadway. They never imagined it would lead to 22 episodes of a record-breaking TV show, when Jones and Corden first met in 2000. The pair were filming Fat Friends at the Crowne Plaza in Leeds and formed an unexpected friendship. In which they played Vanessa “Nessa” Jenkins and Neil “Smithy” Smith, the best friends of the title characters, they then co-wrote Gavin and Stacey.
