The new three-part comedy series focuses on a seaside scandal.
Sandylands, Gold’s latest comedy, is set in a coastal town and has a star-studded cast including David Walliams, Hugh Bonneville, and Sophie Thompson.
What is Sandylands about?
Sandylands sees 27-year-old Emily Verma (Natalie Dew) return to her seaside hometown after the apparent death of her father Les Vegas (Sanjeev Bhaskar).
Emily was estranged from her father so her visit to her hometown is a reluctant one, and she soon realises that all is not as it seems.
Les Vegas is declared “lost at sea” after a pedalo last hired by him washes up empty. As a result of this, Emily is tasked with putting his affairs in order, organising the memorial and selling the family home.
She soon finds herself under the constant surveillance of a mysterious one eyed man (Hugh Bonneville), who works for the life insurance company due to pay out over Les’ death.
Who is the cast of Sandylands?
This new series has a vibrant mix of characters, bringing their own quirks and charms to the seaside town of Sandylands.
Bodyguard actress Natalie Dew plays the lead role of Emily and her dad Les Vegas is played by Goodness Gracious Me comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar.
Emily encounters all sorts of people during her trip back home, including her former childhood crush Nathan, played by Inbetweeners star Simon Bird.
David Walliams and Sophie Thompson play married couple and B&B owners Derek and Jeannie Swallows, who quickly end up becoming weird, nosy neighbours obsessed with Emily.
Emily also spends a lot of time with ex-best friend and tour guide Tina, played by Harriet Webb.
Natalie Dew reflected on her time working with the cast, telling British Comedy Guide, "They are all huge comedy names and masters of their art, and I thought they might want to stamp their own character on it.
"But everyone was so collaborative. We just played. If you take yourself too seriously, you kill the comedy. It was such a joyous environment."
Who created the show?
The series was created by comedy writers Martin Collins and Alex Finch.
Speaking about the inspiration behind it, Martin revealed, "Sandylands started off as a sketch show about a seaside town where one day the sea went out and never returned. We used to write a lot of sketch comedy and we were writing stuff on the side for sitcoms as well.
"We always have this rule with our writing which is to keep things grounded in the idea that it could happen. Everything is inspired so much by a reality, but it shouldn't ever go into something too magical."
When can we watch Sandylands?
The first episode will air on UKTV Gold at 10pm on Wednesday 4th March. It will air for three consecutive nights, concluding on Friday 6th March.
It was commissioned by Pete Thornton. He said, "We're thrilled to be working with the hugely talented team at King Bert on this highly original three-parter. As a father/daughter relationship comedy with a twist, this series breaks more ground for comedy originations on Gold.
"The quality of the cast is a testament to the range of brilliantly drawn characters that Alex and Martin have created and we're very much looking forward to diving into the mysterious waters swirling around Sandylands."
