THE lack of family-friendly, 70s-style sitcoms on TV was no laughing matter for a group of comedy-loving friends.

Fed up with modern actors ‘shouting and swearing’ and tired of waiting for Birmingham to be at the heart of a major networked show, they decided to make one themselves.

Now, after costing just £500 for food during the shoot, Weedkillers is set to take Hollywood by storm.

And the rest of the world... if the internet can take it beyond the south Birmingham suburb where much of it was shot.

Weedkillers was created and written by Jimmy Riddle with friend Allan Gentleman also writing.

Jimmy Riddle is an Equity name used by professional comedy entertainer and father of two, Nigel Walsh.

Ten years ago, he endured an 18-month testicular cancer battle.

Now 51 and based in Coventry, he said: “I was 41 when I was diagnosed and my sister Nicola had just died from a cancer-related blood disorder at the age of 33.

“While I was ill, I thought: ‘Right, I’m going to write either a sitcom or a musical’.

“I have never been more determined.”

Jimmy, who founded Cast & Crew Productions with Hollywood friend Keith Whitehouse four years ago, then began writing scripts about a hapless pair of gardeners and characters like a policeman, a publican, a flirt and a short-sighted man.

“The film is a mixture of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres,” said Jimmy.

“It’s a Carry On style send-up of working class British life with added Glee musical comedy.

“The idea is to make a six-part series, and I’ve already got drafts for episodes two and three.”

With many of the cast having appeared as extras on Doctors, such familiarity convinced Andy Tea from the BBC1 series to shoot Weedkillers on his own Sony NX5 HD camcorder.

Walsall-based Mike Eastman, who plays the short-sighted Mr Maybre, once arrested EastEnders’ Nick Cotton for the murder of Eddie Royle.