Sussex writer Carla Lane has revived her classic comedy Butterflies for a one-off TV special which reveals what happened to the dysfunctional Parkinson family.

Carla, who lives in Horsted Keynes, has penned a new episode which will reunite the cast for the first time since the hit show ended in September 1983.

The show, which starred Wendy Craig as Ria and gave Nicholas Lyndhurst his TV break, returns as part of BBC's Children In Need broadcast on November 17.

Carla, whose other TV successes include The Liver Birds and Bread, said: "I'm really pleased with it. I did it in one day, it just flowed.

"I only hope the viewers like it. They're used to a very different type of comedy now, they might not remember my rather miserable comedy."

She said each of the actors involved in the 15 minute special "leapt at the chance" to work on the show.

"I'm even in danger of giving Ruby the cleaner a line. She was very funny and only ever had one line until the end, so we've got the full quorum," she said.

"I never thought of bringing the characters back for any reason, but the BBC asked me to do it and it fell into a nice little story.

"I can't give too much away, but it revolves around Ria's 60th birthday, which she isn't looking forward to very much.

"It all came back to me as if I was still doing these characters.

"There has always been a great love for Butterflies."

It began in 1978 and ran to 29 episodes, with up to 15 million viewers gripped by Ria's burnt meals and illicit liaisons with charmer Leonard to escape the drudgery of her life.

The series also starred Geoffrey Palmer as her stick-in-the-mud dentist husband Ben, with Lyndhurst and Andrew Hall as their workshy, girl-obsessed sons Adam and Russell.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We don't know a lot about what actually happens at the moment. They are due to begin filming on November 8."