Barry Humphries and Sally Phillips join Inbetweeners stars in Sky1 sitcom Chickens

The First World War comedy will see Simon Bird and Joe Thomas, stars of E4 comedy The Inbetweeners, reunite. The pair, who played Will and Simon in the crude coming-of-age comedy, have written and star in the sitcom alongside comedy actor Jonny Sweet.

Set in a sleepy English village, Chickens follows three young men, George (Thomas), Cecil (Bird) and Bert (Sweet) who stay behind with the women when the rest of Britain's young men head off to war. The series begins with the entire village shunning the twenty-something chaps and follows the hapless trio as they try to be accepted back into society.

Legendary comedian Barry Humphries, the creator of comic character Dame Edna Everage, is set to star in the series as Mr Armstrong, the headmaster at a local school. Of his role, Humphries said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for three of the funniest and most talented men in the Northern hemisphere to work with me. I am very proud of my young supporting cast, whose names I cannot remember at the moment..."

Sally Phillips, who plays Tilly in Miranda Hart's hit sitcom Miranda, has been cast as Miss Trimble, an outcast in the village who George invites for dinner.

Sarah Daykin also stars as George's embarrassed fiance Winky while The Lady Vanishes' Emerald Fennell plays Cecil's sister Anges alongside Phone Shop's Emma Fryer, Misfits' Louise Ford, Game of Thrones' Amy Dawson, Getting On's Viki Pepperdine and Sightseers' Eileen Davies

Chickens is written by Simon Bird, Joe Thomas and Jonny Sweet and directed by The Inbetweeners director Ben Palmer.

Of the series, Bird, Thomas and Sweet have said: "It was the war to end all wars, and we hope this will be the comedy to end all comedies."

A Chickens pilot was aired on Channel 4 before a six part series was ordered by Sky. The series will air on Sky1 later this year.

Find out what the other Inbetweeners did after leaving Rudge Park Comprehensive