James Nesbitt joins new BBC One comedy Hopley Hall as filming begins

It's centred around an historic and slightly shabby Grade 1 listed house in the Northern Ireland countryside.

As filming begins in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland on BBC One and BBC Northern Ireland's new comedy Hopley Hall, it has been announced that James Nesbitt has joined the six-part comedy alongside previously announced Jamie-Lee O'Donnell.

Written and created by Daniel Peak, Hopley Hall is centred around an historic and slightly shabby Grade 1 listed house in the Northern Ireland countryside.

It follows the ensemble of staff and volunteers who keep the house running: a motley group of enthusiasts, innocents, idiots and sociopaths.

For generations, the home of the Hopley family, its current sole resident is the ancient, bewildered and very English Lady Hopley, and the estate’s survival depends on tourism. Not quite as popular as the castle down the road (where they filmed some of the House of the Dragon series, the jammy beggars). Hopley Hall still has plenty to offer, or so they think.

At Hopley Hall, the heating rarely works, the history is questionable and the gift shop sells mostly tea towels. The Grade A listed masterpiece, located in a fictional town on the Coast of County Antrim, is held together by damp, optimism and a deep-seated resentment for the tourist attraction down the road.

We follow the team of eccentric, dysfunctional volunteers and staff including a freshly appointed community engagement officer who struggles dealing with actual human beings, an over-enthusiastic guide with no sense of irony and a disgruntled gardener.

Hopley Hall is described as a workplace comedy about people who have absolutely nothing in common, except the desperate, daily struggle to keep the roof on and the public out of the private toilets.

Also joining the cast are James Martin, Leela Harris, Georgie Glen, Tommy Belshaw and Jeany Spark.

On joining the cast of Hopley Hall, James Nesbitt said "To be going back to the coast of Antrim, where my mother grew up and where I spent much of my childhood is an absolute treat. Hopley Hall is an innovative and funny series that will show off the beauty of Northern Ireland. The scripts have a uniquely Northern Irish sense of humour running through them and I’m looking forward to working alongside some truly great local talent."

Co-produced by Nice One Productions and Birdie Pictures, backed by STUDIOCANAL, and supported by Northern Ireland Screen, Hopley Hall is written and created by Daniel Peak with additional material from new Northern Ireland comedy writers, including Oisin Kearney, Michael McCullagh, Shannon Welby, Susannah McKenna-Strathern, the late Michael Patrick, Eileen Tracey and Caitlin Magnall-Kearns.

It's directed by Tom Marshall, produced by Chris Martin, and executive produced by Chris Jones for Nice One and Phil Temple for Birdie Pictures.

Hopley Hall will air on BBC One