Last Tango in Halifax creator Sally Wainwright hoping for sixth series

Sally Wainwright is already planning for a sixth series of \'Last Tango in Halifax\'.

The screenwriter is excited for Series 5 airing on BBC One this February after a four-year break from screens but she is already thinking ahead as to what she can do for the next season if the programme does well.

Asked whether viewers could expect another series, Sally told RadioTimes.com: "I mean I hope so. I\'d like to write this show until the cows come home."

The BBC comedy/drama - which was last seen on screens for a two-episode Christmas special back in 2016 - stars Sir Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid as Alan and Celia, a pair of childhood sweethearts who are now in their 70s and fall in love after reuniting through Facebook.

\'Last Tango in Halifax\' also starred Sarah Lancashire as Cecila\'s daughter Caroline and Nicola Walker as Gillian, Alan\'s daughter.

Despite the show\'s hiatus, Sally hasn\'t been able to get ideas for her characters out of her head.

She said: "I think it\'s the things like this kinda slowly cook away in your brain even if you\'re not consciously aware of it. So it\'s like three years but I think they never go away.

"We went out for dinner one night me and Sarah and Nicola in January a year back ... And it was just hilarious. I was just sitting there listening to them [and wanted to] write for them again."

Series 5 came after Derek previously threw cold water over rumours of another run of episodes, as he claimed Sally is too busy writing other shows, such as \'Happy Valley\' and \'Gentleman Jack\' to focus on \'Last Tango in Halifax\'.

He previously said: "She\'s writing so many things. She\'s a wonderful writer, but she\'s got so much work that Tango is finished. It\'s very sad, we all loved it."