The Family Pile is ITV1's new sitcom featuring four spirited sisters who have recently lost their much-loved parents.
Set in Liverpool, the six-part comedy sees Amanda Abbington (Sherlock) play eldest sibling Nicole, who along with her straight-talking sisters, Yvette (Downton Abbey's Clare Calbraith), Ursula (The Trip star Clarie Keelan) and youngest sister Gaynor (former Coronation Street actor Alexandra Mardell), must pack up the family home to sell now that both parents have passed away.
Here we tell you everything you need to know and speak to star Amanda Abbington...
The Family Pile — when does the series air?
The six-part comedy will begin on Tuesday, January 17 2023 at 9.30 pm on ITV1 and will be available as a box set on ITVX after the first episode airs.
The Family Pile — who else stars in the sitcom?
Kieran O'Brien (Ted Lasso), Richard Pepple (Bridgerton and Cobra) and James Nelson-Joyce (The Outlaws) all star as the sisters other halves.
Kieran plays Stuart who is married to Nicole, Richard plays Austin, the husband of Ursula and James stars as Greg who is in relationship with youngest sister Gaynor.
Young actor Sonny Lackey plays Stuart and Nicole's son, Connor.
What does Amanda Abbington, who stars as eldest sister Nicole, say about The Family Pile and what appealed to her most about the role?
Amanda says, "The scripts really made me laugh and I’d worked with the director Fergal Costello on a recent sci-fi show I did, We Are Not Alone and thought he was amazing. Then when I saw that Clare and Claire had been cast, that was it. I’ve always loved their work so the opportunity to play one of their sisters was fantastic."
What are the dynamics like between the four sisters?
"As the eldest of the four sisters Nicole has taken on the matriarchal role", explains Amanda. "She’s very business-like, organised and quite acerbic. She’s happily married to her husband Stuart (Kieran O’Brien) and fiercely protective of her two sons. Family is everything to her and she would kill for her sisters but at the same time they really rub her up the wrong way!"
Where was The Family Pile filmed?
Filming took place in 2022 in Liverpool. Amanda says, "I had to master a Liverpudlian accent for the role. Claire (Keelan) and Clare (Calbraith) are both from the Liverpool area so they were great at giving me tips if I wasn’t sure about pronunciation. It’s always a slightly scary prospect if you're filming in a location where it’s not your native tongue but they were like my wing women."
The Family Pile — what happens episode one?
The four Liverpudlian sisters have emotional upheaval and some major life changes to navigate. Following the recent loss of both parents, oldest sister Nicole has put their mum and dad's family home on the market but the sisters are not exactly aligned on what happens next.
The sitcom opens with Nicole, showing some prospective buyers around the property but she’s in for a shock when she walks in on Yvette in a very compromising situation in an upstairs bedroom!
Which of the sisters would Amanda choose if she had to go on a night out with one of them?
"They all have their flaws but they all have hearts of gold", says Amanda. "I think any of them would be completely riotous on a night out — a couple of tequilas and we'd have a great time."
Talking about her co-stars Amanda continues, "I'm an only child so I don’t know what having siblings is like but having these three brilliant and very funny women with me on set, I felt like they really had my back. We were all incredibly supportive of one another and had a lovely chemistry which I hope comes across on screen. Claire Keelan said ‘We are like sisters from another mister’. It was a dream job to do."
The Family Pile — is there a trailer?
Not yet, but as soon as one is released we will add it to this guide.
The Family Pile beings on Tuesday, January 17 at 9.30pm on ITV1 and is available as a box set and on ITVX.
