Piglets: Sarah Parish Leads a Comedy Crew of Juvenile Recruits

Sarah Parish stars in a new ITV comedy series, "Piglets," as a straight-talking Superintendent navigating a police academy filled with youthful recruits.

Parish, known for her roles in shows like "Cutting It" and "Mistresses," is almost unrecognizable in her new character, Superintendent Julie Spry. Sporting a frumpy grey wig, comedy teeth, and a shapeless police uniform, she embodies a far cry from her usual glamorous roles.

"The scripts are just so funny," says Parish, "and I’ve never really done anything like this before, this absurd humour and this kind of character. I really wanted to have a go at playing Julie Spry because she’s so ‘out there.’ I really hope people will enjoy the daftness of it, and how quick and clever the dialogue is."

"Piglets" was created by Victoria Pile, known for her work on sketch shows like "Smack The Pony" and the hospital comedy "Green Wing." The six-part series centers around a group of trainees at a police college, played by up-and-coming actors, as they navigate the world of law enforcement under the tutelage of eccentric bosses.

Joining Parish is a cast of comedy veterans, including Mark Heap, known for "Green Wing" and "Friday Night Dinner," as Superintendent Bob Weekes, Rebecca Humphries, known for her role in the "Partygate" saga, as Head of Admin Melanie, and Ukweli Roach and Ricky Champ from "Blindspot" and "EastEnders" respectively, as trainers Mike and Daz.

The inspiration for the series struck Pile when she encountered a group of incredibly young police recruits. "Rob [Harley, her husband and co-writer] and I were in the park walking the dog, and there was all sorts kicking off with youths in hoodies," she recalls. "I was thinking the police would come along any minute to chase these guys. Then I heard some crackling and realized these youths had walkie talkies on them, and that they were the police! They were literally about 12 years old; it was insane. These were ‘the piglets’, as Rob put it."

Pile explains, "So we went back to our fellow writers and chatted about how young they are these days. We thought it would be a cool thing to explore in an ensemble comedy, so I pitched Piglets as ‘Green Wing set in a police academy.’"

Parish's willingness to embrace the comedic challenge delighted Pile. "I was absolutely staggered that she was so game!" says Pile. "My only reservation in casting her was that she’s so beautiful. So we asked if she could de-beautify herself a bit for the role, and boy did she run with it, even using fake teeth. I wouldn’t have recognized her."

Mark Heap, who plays the incompetent Superintendent Weekes, was also drawn to the project. "Victoria’s style is so recognizable, and we’d just worked together on a project so it was great to start something new," says Heap.

Weekes, he explains, "is not very bright but is biding his time. He and Spry are the authority figures – we’re superintendents but we’d like to be chief superintendents. There’s an irritation between them, and she’s more dominant. Bob is sort of the good cop to her bad cop."

Parish admits her biggest challenge was containing her laughter during scenes. "I struggled to keep a straight face opposite Mark," she says. "We had to do a burping competition, and Mark is really good at it. He made me laugh so much, I couldn’t finish the scene."

Rebecca Humphries, who plays the grumpy Head of Admin Melanie, enjoys tormenting the young recruits. "When they come to her with reasonable requests, she punishes them with all the tools at her disposal, including passive aggression, insults and just chucking stuff at them," she says.

While the Police Federation expressed concern about the show's title, ITV defended their choice, stating that "Piglets" is meant to be "just a bit of fun." Pile further clarifies that the series is a workplace comedy focused on the characters, not a critique of the police institution. "We know the crisis the force is in right now, but we’re not sending that up," she says. "We’re out to take on characters not the institution."

"Piglets" premieres on Saturday, 9.30pm, on ITV1 and ITVX.