Top Telly - BBC series Jam & Jerusalem

It's all change for the residents of small West Country town Clatterford as Jennifer Saunders's comedy, Jam & Jerusalem, returns for a third series. Jennifer stars alongside Sue Johnston, Pauline McLynn, Sally Phillips, David Mitchell, Maggie Steed, Dawn French, Susie Aitchison and Rosie Cavaliero, as the villagers face new challenges and try to deal with the credit crunch.

Here, Sally Phillips, Jennifer Saunders, Sue Johnston, Rosie Cavaliero and Maggie Steed give Programme Information the low down on the new series.

Sal's daughter, Tash, married in the last series and has moved out ... but only to the converted mobile library which Sal gave her to go travelling in, and which is now parked in Sal's back garden.

Sally Phillips, who plays Tash, says: "Tash has told her mother that she and Spike will live off the land as 'urban foragers', by finding free food – but they have the problem that it's now spring and therefore nothing is growing yet. So she is stealing food and eating from supermarket bins."

Writer Jennifer Saunders reveals that the inspiration for the turn of events in Tash's life was the current credit crunch. "Tash's character was based on the fact that a lot of stuff was coming out in the papers as soon as the credit crunch hit, based around these stories of everyone getting into that whole hippy lifestyle, growing food in gardens and saving odd bits and pieces – so Tash was born from that."

Jennifer's character, Caroline, has some challenges to face up to herself when her son goes to Afghanistan. "Caroline is much the same, shouting a lot, misappropriating language and hanging out with rock bands," she reveals. "The character was originally based on a sketch that Dawn [French] and I created in which I played Chris Martin's mother.

"One of the episodes is based on the fact that one of her sons is now in the Army and has been sent to Afghanistan. She is completely emotionally uninvolved, and while everyone else is crying she isn't, explaining that it will be good for him and it will toughen him up."

Meanwhile, a builder is planning on developing a barn in Sal's back garden, much to Sal's dismay. Sue Johnston, who plays her, says: "Sal is rather feistier this series and also is swearing a lot, which is down to the fact that she is a lot angrier this time around, as someone is starting to renovate a barn on the piece of land she looks out on."

However, it's not all bad news for Sal, who could possibly find love in Clatterford in the new series: "Sal has this small teenage crush on one of the new characters, Jock [played by Clive Russell, who is building on the land behind her house]," reveals Sue.

Also finding love in the new series is Kate, played by Rosie Cavaliero.

And an appearance from Charles Dance excites members of the Women's Guild. Maggie Steed, who plays Eileen, says: "Well, Eileen has lots of things to organise; she has the busiest job in the town, being chair of the guild. She becomes obsessed when she hears this rumour that perhaps Charles Dance is going to move to the village. From that, Eileen begins to act like it is the second coming, and makes every effort to get Mr Dance to be a guest speaker for the guild."

Homepage ► Jam & Jerusalem

BBC’s Jam & Jerusalem starring Jennifer Saunders

Lives and adventures of the folks from Clatterford

Starring Jennifer Saunders, Sue Johnston, Pauline McLynn, Sally Phillips, David Mirchell, Maggie Steed & Dawn French

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