New comedy series featuring Death in Paradise star coming to BBC One

A popular comedy series is set to arrive on BBC One, featuring Death in Paradise star Ben Miller.

The eight-part series, Austin, which initially premiered in Australia last year, will begin airing on Friday, 4th April.

The show revolves around children's author Julian (played by Miller) as he embarks on a tour in Australia, only to discover he has an adult son conceived during a past infidelity at the start of his relationship with wife Ingrid (Sally Phillips).

The cast includes Michael Theo, known for his appearance on Love on the Spectrum, as Austin, alongside Gia Carides as his mother Mel and Roy Billing as his grandfather Bill. Billie Piper also makes a cameo appearance as herself.

Upon its debut, the series instantly resonated with TV audiences and garnered rave reviews from critics, reports the Express.

A review in The Guardian praised the show, stating: "This very funny and sharply executed comedy series has a big heart, underneath a thick layer of dry, cheeky humour. Another season please."

The West Australian also commended the series, saying: "In an age when so much television feels like recycled concepts or stuff we've seen before, it's refreshing to discover a show that is so absolutely of itself, it's impossible to compare it to anything else.

"This is a truly obscure concept for a series and in lesser hands could easily have been woefully unfunny. But this is ridiculously good fun...this is a laugh-out-loud must-see."

Meanwhile, television viewers have praised Austin as an "absolute gem" and given it a perfect "10/10" in rave reviews.

The complete synopsis for Austin states: "When much-loved children's author Julian Hartswood inadvertently causes a social media storm (when reposting a tweet from a white supremacist), his career and that of his illustrator wife Ingrid appears to be over.

"That is until Austin, the neurodivergent son that Julian never knew existed, turns up out of the blue. Could embracing this modern nuclear family be Julian's route back from cancellation?

"Will Ingrid ever forgive him? One thing is for certain: if Julian thinks Austin is going to be a pushover, he's in for a rude awakening."

Austin begins airing on BBC One on 4 April at 9.30pm