The BBC annual report noted "how difficult it can be to get sitcom right" and mentioned the "disappointing" debut of the Pauline Quirk vehicle Office Gossip.

In another move, the BBC is about to put Auf Wiedersehen, Pet back into production. It was originally seen on ITV.

The new series of Ab Fab will be shown this autumn - and fans of the hit show will find that the world has moved on.

Edina, played by Jennifer Saunders has moved from PR to television production, while Joanna Lunmley's character Patsy has become managing editor of her glossy magazine.

Edina's long-suffering daughter Saffy, played by Julia Sawalha, has become involved with New Labour, and June Whitfield's mother character has taken up salsa dancing and email shopping.

Celebrities

Celebrity guests in the new series include socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, EastEnder Michael Grecco, Boyzone's Stephen Gately, Twiggy, supermodel Erin O'Connor, Sacha Distel, Marianne Faithful and Anita Pallenberg.

Gimme Gimme Gimme, starring Kathy Burke and James Dreyfus will also return to BBC screens, as will Coupling and the Paul Whitehouse comedy drama Happiness.

Unknowns