Ruth Jones and James Corden reveal cast and premise of Apple TV series The Choir

Ruth Jones and James Corden have unveiled the cast and premise of The Choir, an eight-episode Apple TV comedy drama now in production. Apple announced the series on 6 October 2026 and plans a global premiere in 2027. It is the pair’s first project together since Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, and will feature Hannah Waddingham, James McAvoy and Jim Broadbent as guest performers.

Jones and Corden created and star in the series, and both are executive producers. They play Lisa and Ben, a sister and brother who have not seen each other for several years. The new project brings them back together on screen after Gavin & Stacey, the comedy they co-wrote and in which they played Nessa Jenkins and Smithy.

What The Choir is about

Ben has been living abroad, while Lisa has remained in their small English town. Apple’s synopsis says events take a sorry turn and force Ben to return to a town he never liked and a family from which he is estranged. It presents a struggling local choir, whose members meet to sing each week, as a possible way for the siblings to repair their relationship.

The synopsis leaves the event that brings Ben home unexplained. It also frames the siblings’ reconciliation as a possibility, rather than disclosing how their story ends. Apple describes the programme as a comedy drama about family, friendship, love and music; the announced premise places the brother and sister’s estrangement alongside the choir’s wider group of singers.

Who is in the cast of The Choir?

Apple has named Waddingham, McAvoy and Broadbent as guest performers but has not identified their characters. BBC Wales highlighted Waddingham’s connection to Ted Lasso, McAvoy’s to the X-Men films and Broadbent’s to the Harry Potter films. Their appearances add three familiar names to a cast led by Jones and Corden, although the announcement does not say how their characters fit into the siblings’ story.

The announced ensemble also includes Tom Davis, Rosie Sheehy, Susan Brown, Jason Watkins and David Harewood. Apple lists Alexandria Riley, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Tom Edden, Gary Lamont and Emily Lloyd-Saini among the performers, along with Stephen Leask, Luiis Rouf, Jo Foster, Evie Jones and Farrah Abbassy. The announcement names the actors without setting out each performer’s role or the relationships between their characters.

Various Artists Limited and TidyTwo are producing the series for Apple TV. Apple names Jennifer Sheridan and Jim Archer as directors, and Phil Clarke and Jack Bayles as executive producers alongside Jones and Corden. The production details confirm who is making the show while leaving its finished episodes, guest characters and full storyline to be revealed closer to its release.

The pair’s first series since Gavin & Stacey

The Choir follows the Christmas Day 2024 finale of Gavin & Stacey. BBC Wales reports that the earlier programme ran for three series and three Christmas specials between 2007 and 2024. Jones and Corden co-wrote that series and played the title characters’ friends, Nessa Jenkins and Smithy. Both the BBC report and Apple’s announcement identify The Choir as the creators’ first project together since the finale.

That history gives the new series a clear connection to their previous collaboration, but The Choir has a different premise and characters. Jones and Corden are now playing estranged siblings rather than returning to their Gavin & Stacey roles. Their comments to BBC Wales place the emphasis on the choir as a meeting place for people whose lives extend beyond their weekly singing sessions.

When will The Choir be released?

Apple says The Choir is in production and will premiere globally on Apple TV in 2027. It has not given a specific release date or an episode schedule. The eight-episode series has yet to air, so its reception remains unknown. For now, the confirmed details are its central family story, the announced cast and production team, and the 2027 premiere window.