Hannah Waddingham Will Sing in Apple TV’s ‘The Choir’
James Corden is part of the package deal for 'The Choir,' but the rest of the cast is so good, we're willing to overlook him.
Ted Lasso Season 4 has concluded, but Apple TV isn’t letting star Hannah Waddingham rest just yet. As one of the series secret weapons across all four seasons, Waddingham’s talents include being an amazing singer, something the comedy series has historically loved to find excuses to show off – as has Apple. Waddingham even anchored her own variety-style Christmas special featuring her singing seasonal standards, accompanied by a range of guest star talent. Now, she’ll be the guest star talent in the forthcoming Apple TV series The Choir.
A feel-good comedy series, The Choir is the first joint project from Gavin & Stacey duo Ruth Jones and James Corden since they finally laid their hit series to rest a couple of years ago. Since then, they’ve been off on their own, with Corden joining the cast of Netflix’s Dept. Q for Season 2, while Jones has drawn critical acclaim for her turn in The Other Bennet Sister.
Corden is well-known in the U.S. for singing, having launched Carpool Karaoke during his time on Late Night and co-starring in several musicals with varying levels of success. Jones is less known for her vocal chops in the U.S., but U.K. fans will remember her 2009 Comic Relief charity single “(Barry) Islands in the Stream,” where she held her own against multiple professionals, including Sir Tom Jones.
Here’s the series’ synopsis:
Brother and sister Ben and Lisa haven’t seen each other for several years. Ben has been living abroad, while Lisa has carried on in their small English town, where nothing ever happens. But when events take a sorry turn, Ben is forced to return to a life he never wanted, a town he never liked, and a family he’s estranged from. Can the unlikely healing of a rift with his big sister come through a struggling local choir and the ensemble that sings their hearts out each week?
Corden (Doctor Who) and Jones (The Rapture) star as Ben and Lisa. They are joined by an ensemble cast that includes guest star turns by Waddingham (Tom Jones), James McAvoy (His Dark Materials), and Jim Broadbent (War & Peace). The rest of the main roster includes Jason Watkins (The Game), Alexandria Riley (Death Valley), David Harewood (Sherwood), Rosie Sheehy (The Red King), Tom Davis (A Thousand Blows), Susan Brown (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), Gary Lamont (Rivals), Sylvestra Le Touzel (Dalgliesh), Stephen Leask (The Great Escaper), Emily Lloyd-Saini (Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping), Tom Edden (Starstruck), and small screen newcomers Jo Foster, Luiis Rouf, Evie Jones, and Farrah Abbassy.
Corden and Jones conceived and wrote all eight episodes. Directors Jennifer Sheridan (Extraordinary) and Jim Archer (Big Boys) will split helming duties. Jones and Corden serve as executive producers alongside Phil Clarke and Jack Bayles.
The Choir is officially in production and set to premiere on Apple TV in 2027.
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