Many moons ago, I had an idea for a sitcom. It involved a nursing home which catered exclusively for homosexuals. It was given the unfortunate interim title Old Folks' Homo and then left to gather dust in the annals of wildly amazing stuff I'd never get round to writing.

Now, as luck would have it, the good commissioners at ITV have somehow accessed the recesses of my mind and managed to make a variation of the show called Vicious (it was to be called Vicious Old Queens, but that must've been a bit much for ITV). It doesn't involve a nursing home, rather a small flat which a couple have shared for the last 50 years. I'm glad ITV have done something with it, shame to just let good ideas just fester there.

Penned by Gary Janetti (the mind behind Will & Grace's barbed dialogue), it will star Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Derek Jacobi as the couple in question.

According to Digital Spy, the premise goes thusly: "Retired actor Freddie (McKellen) and ex-barman Stuart (Jacobi) - joined by their feisty best friend Violet (Frances De La Tour) - now spend their days reading books, walking their dog and bickering. However, the trio's life together is turned upside down when young man Ash becomes their new upstairs neighbour."

So it's a little bit of Will & Grace meets Rising Damp, by way of Last of the Summer Wine. Directed by Red Dwarf's Ed Bye, it will presumably start production in the new year.