Sky orders Channel 4 pilot Chickens to full series

Pay TV channel Sky 1 HD has picked up Chickens, the comedy series previously piloted by free-to-air broadcaster Channel 4.

The 6x30mins series will be produced by UK indie Big Talk (Rev, Friday Night Dinner) and was written by and stars Simon Bird and Joe Thomas, two of the lead actors from hit comedy series and movie The Inbetweeners.

Jonny Sweet was the third writer of the comedy, which follows three young men who remain in their sleepy English village during World War One.

The show will go into production in December and debit on Sky next summer.

Sky noted that Chickens is part of its commitment to increase its investment in original UK content by 50% over the next three years. By 2014, it says it will invest £600 million a year in British programmes across its portfolio of channels.