THE League Of Gentlemen is set to return to BBC Two, the channel has announced.

The comedy, written by and starring North-East born Mark Gatiss, will be back on screens later this year for three special episodes to commemorate the 20th anniversary since its debut on BBC radio.

The news of has sparked excitement among its fans, who are glad to see the "awesome but terrifying" black comedy back on their screens.

The sketch show, based in the sinister fictional town of Royston Vasey, was a hit following its launch as a radio series in 1997 before running for three series on TV from 1999 until 2002.

Starring Sedgefield-born Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton - who also co-wrote the series along with Jeremy Dyson - The League Of Gentlemen won a TV Bafta award among other accolades.

It was announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Wednesday that the series is returning for three special episodes and fans took to Twitter to share their glee.

One wrote: "I am ridiculously excited for the return of The League of Gentlemen! It always makes me feel less homesick somehow."

Another said: "The League of Gentlemen is coming back. Yaaaaay! Awesome but terrifying. Can't wait."

"A niche comedy but one of my favourites nonetheless. Great to hear The League of Gentlemen is coming back," one fan tweeted, before adding one of the show's catchphrases "You're my wife now...".

One tweeted that they were jealous of the younger and as-yet uninitiated generation.

"Envy all the young'uns who've never heard of The League of Gentlemen who get to be apprehensive, confused but ultimately amused & addicted," they wrote.

Another declared it the "best news of 2017", while one devotee enthused that they were "beside myself".

For some, it was not good news, as one tweeter wrote: "I don't know how to feel about this. The League of Gentlemen was superb but time & time again these returns of classics are awful."

"Unpopular opinion: The League of Gentlemen was never actually all that funny, and the best thing about it was the theme music," another commented.

It also emerged that plans for new episodes about Radio Norwich's best-known broadcaster Alan Partridge, played by Steve Coogan, are in early stages, controller Patrick Holland told the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

Alex Moody, commissioning editor of comedy at BBC Two added: "It's an exciting thing. The BBC is in need and who better? With Brexit and political unrest what broadcaster do we need to make sense of it all, but Partridge?"

BBC Two also announced plans for an eight-part documentary series about people who shaped the course of the last century, titled Icons: The Story Of The 20th Century.

Each episode, presented by a well-known public figure, will focus on a particular field - leaders, scientists, activists, artists, revolutionaries, inventors and entertainers - with the presenter identifying three notable associated people from 20th century.

The historical figures will be chosen by a panel of experts, and the presenters will tell the story of their icons, demonstrating how the world has changed and how the lives and achievements of these people have had a direct impact on our lives today.

At the end of each programme, the public will be asked to vote for their winner in that category and the series will finish with a live final where the presenters will champion the winner of their category, before the overall winner will be chosen in a final vote to be named the ultimate icon of the century.

Holland said: "We are looking for the ability to generate a variety of voices, the ability to generate argument and opinion.

"Throughout the series you have the opportunity to get real debate and passion in history, it's an active thing. I hope it provokes debate."

The series is in pre-production now and will air in 2019.

BBC Two confirmed there will be more episodes of The Real Marigold Hotel, as well as new programmes from comedian Frankie Boyle.

It also provided a look at new satirical news show The Mash Report, fronted by stand-up comedian Nish Kumar.

Pinki Chambers, commissioning editor for entertainment at the channel, said she was motivated to bring the show to the screen, following the success of news comedy shows in the US.

"There was something in the ether where there were a lot of shows like Saturday Night Live doing something that we weren't doing," she said.

Holland added: "What we are not looking for is any more panel shows, anything that feels like it could have been done five or 10 years ago."

He added: "The zeitgeist is the key and being timely and of the moment.

"The channel at its best is alive and vibrant. What we are asking for is intelligent and mischievous."

He also announced documentary series about the Foreign Office and the British Army, as well as a 90-minute film about the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.