BBC confirm series based on British comedy legend's much-loved book

The BBC has confirmed a new series based on a British comedy legend's much-loved book.

Six-part series The Reluctant Vampire is based on the novels of Eric Morecambe, and has been written by Rob and Neil Gibbons.

The sitcom will see Tom Davis, Sian Clifford, Charlie Cooper, Asim Chaudhry, Joe Wilkinson, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Esther Smith, Bill Bailey, Ray Fearon, Ellie May Sheridan, Gabriel Nagy and Ross Noble sink their teeth into a world of colourful characters.

BAFTA winner Lenny Rush will lead the cast as Val, who is raised in a conventional vampire family, but not everything is as it seems.

"Life takes a shocking turn when he discovers - after accidentally coming across his own reflection - that he's not a vampire after all and his vampire mum has kept everything secret from him. Until now," the official synopsis teases.

The Relucant Vampire is set in a typical English village which happens to have a vampire castle on the hill, with a bloodthirsty group coming out at night.

After learning his secret, Val must navigate finding out who he truly is, by mingling with the locals to learn the intricacies of their behaviour and what it means to be human.

"Caught between two worlds as he loves his mum and dad (not so much his jealous brother) and has full vampire duties expected of him by his father, whose obsession with the traditional way of life is tricky when they're undead and the villagers despise them," the logline continues.

"[The Reluctant Vampire] is a heart-warming show about finding your own identity while longing to fit in, and the tensions between family life and social life, and the struggle between conformity and kicking out against the path that's been prescribed for you."

Lenny Rush shared his excitement in a statement, saying: "I couldn't be more thrilled to be surrounded by this bunch of comedy legends. If vampires had a dream team, this would be it."

Shane Allen, executive producer at Boffola Pictures, added: "This is a world of vampires, invisible ghosts, werewolves & gargoyles following in the dead funny footsteps of GHOSTS to deliver high-spirited hilarity for all the family.

"The response to Neil and Rob's scripts has sent shivers up our spines with the cream of British comedy signing up."

At only 16 years old, Lenny Rush has already made his mark starring alongside Daisy May Cooper in Am I Being Unreasonable?, as well as appearances in Doctor Who, and Best Interests.

The Reluctant Vampire doesn't have a release date yet