News Roundup: Inbetweeners Joe Thomas & Simon Bird’s New Sitcom

Joe Thomas, Simon Bird and Jonny Sweet in 'Chickens'

There’s a slight chance that you are reading about something that you will never get to see, so forgive us.

Simon Bird and Joe Thomas, the twenty-something guys who play teen-something guys in The Inbetweeners, have released a pilot for a new comedy show called Chickens, which is essentially about three guys who, for very different reasons, have not gone off to fight in the First World War. They live in a small village, and they’re the only young men left there, and all of the women hate them.

Simon plays the slightly pompous one, Joe plays the love-sick, principled one, and their colleague Jonny Sweet plays the idiotic lustful one. Sound familiar? Yep.

Here they are, talking about the show, which is rather grand:

More news about a US showing when we get it.

Here’s what else is going on in the world of now:

• It has only just premiered at the Venice Film Festival, but the Brit-swamped film Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy has already started to create Oscar buzz. Madonna’s W.E. has had a slightly less ecstatic response, let us say. (via Sky News)

• Speaking of whom, Madonna’s ex, Guy Ritchie and his new girlfriend Jacqui Ainsley are celebrating the birth of their first son together. Madge sent a huge bouquet. (via the Mirror)

• Sting and his missus, Trudy Styler, are to be honored by Bill Clinton for their sterling charity work. (via Star)

• In common with a lot of wives, Gwyneth Paltrow has to wait for her husband to go out before she can listen to Coldplay. Difference is, her husband is IN Coldplay. (via Musicrooms)

• Kate Winslet is too talented for film writers to handle. (via STV)

• George Harrison? The quiet one? Not according to his widow he wasn’t. (via Female First)

• Details have emerged of Cheryl Cole’s full involvement in the Cameron Diaz film What To Expect When You’re Not Expecting. Basically she says “um” and then she says “no,” in a TV talent show scene which may not be essential to the plot. The Academy Awards panel have not been put on high alert. (via Entertainmentwise)

• True fact: Keira Knightley didn’t wear skirts until she was 14 years old. (via Entertainmentwise)

• Joan Rivers says Harper Beckham is an idiotic name. (via Contactmusic)

• And while we’re on celebrity offspring, today’s Adele revelation is that she wants five children, but only if they’re boys. She told Vogue: “I’ve always got on better with boys. Most of my friends are boys. Like, if I have children, I want five boys. Boys love their mothers whereas girls can be so mean to each other.” (via the Guardian)

Yep, it’s true. Brothers never fight. Not ever.