VisionTV adds classic series Birds of a Feather to its lineup of “viewer approved” Britcoms

Sisters Sharon and Tracey Stubbs thought they had nothing in common – until the day their husbands both were convicted of armed robbery.

So begins Birds of a Feather, one of the most smashingly successful BBC comedies of the 1990s. The long-running series joins VisionTV’s Britcom lineup on Mondays, starting May 31, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

As the series begins, the two sisters are living very different lives. Sharon (Pauline Quirke) is stuck with her waste-of-space husband Chris in a dreary council estate, while Tracey (Linda Robson) basks in nouveau-riche suburban splendour with her spouse Darryl, a seemingly successful builder.

All that changes when Chris and Darryl run afoul of the law. Sharon moves into Tracey’s luxurious home for companionship and mutual support, and the series follows the pair as they struggle to get on with life minus their husbands.

Help and hindrance come, in roughly equal shares, from Tracey’s flamboyant neighbour Dorien Green (Lesley Joseph), a ravenous man-eater whose overactive libido makes Sex and the City’s Samantha look like a Benedictine nun.

Writers Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks (Goodnight Sweetheart, The New Statesman) created Birds of a Feather for Quirke and Robson, who had been friends since childhood and had studied theatre together. The result was a landmark: one of the first female-centered comedy series to become a massive ratings success for the BBC.

The chemistry and comic timing of its leads was key to the popularity of the show, which ran for nine seasons and more than 100 episodes. At its peak, Birds of a Feather attracted some 15 million viewers a week, earning a BAFTA nomination and a British Comedy Award for Pauline Quirke.

Fans continue to clamour for a Birds of a Feather reunion, and the show’s stars have said they would love to revisit their characters.

“We did 101 episodes over 10 years,” Pauline Quirke told London’s Daily Mirror last year. “Not bad for a show that was basically three women sitting around a table, talking. I’m very proud of it.”

Birds of a Feather is one of several "viewer approved" titles that VisionTV has added this season to its popular prime time British comedy block (airing weeknights from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET).

In 2009, VisionTV launched a contest inviting Canadians to offer program suggestions. More than 4,000 viewers took part, filling out an online questionnaire and casting their votes for a number of Britcom titles under consideration.

The other “viewer approved” Britcoms currently airing are Only When I Laugh (Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET), Open All Hours (Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET) and The Good Life (Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET).