Robert Lindsay, Richard Griffiths 'to play gay couple on BBC sitcom'

Robert Lindsay has been signed up for a new sitcom pilot on BBC One, a report claims.

The 61-year-old actor, who plays dentist Ben Harper in My Family, will appear alongside stage and film star Richard Griffiths, according to The Mirror.

The BBC is hoping that the "quirky and warm comedy about a gay couple", currently with the working title of George and Bernard Shaw, can fill the void left by My Family which will air its final episode this Christmas.

"The BBC have commissioned a pilot and will make the call once it's all wrapped up. But all signs point towards this being a perfect primetime vehicle. The two big names involved show this could be very special," a source claimed.

Filming will apparently begin in the autumn. The insider added: "It's slightly less than conventional in terms of the family set-up but it's the 21st century and things move on."

The BBC is yet to confirm the report.