Plebs: Soldiers of Rome: ITVX release date, trailer, and cast with Tom Rosenthal, Jon Pointing, and Tom Basden

Plebs: Soldiers of Rome, a feature-length finale to historical comedy Plebs, is coming to ITVX on Thursday 8 December.

The film, which stars Tom Rosenthal and Jon Ponting amongst others, sees the Plebs gang join the army during peacetime – and then try their best to survive when war is unexpectedly declared.

Here’s everything you need to know about Plebs: Soldiers of Rome.

What’s it about?

The official ITVX synopsis for Plebs: Soldiers of Rome explains that “Marcus, Grumio, Jason and Aurelius join the army in peacetime, hoping to win respect, romance and discounts at participating restaurants. But when war is declared, they’re sent to fight on the front line for a cause they don’t believe in. Now their main interest is the struggle for survival…”

It goes on to promise that “the journey takes our new recruits from their humdrum lives in Rome to the army garrison and tribal villages on the Empire’s edge.”

In the latest episode of our Screen Babble podcast, we broke down everything you need to know about ITVX - you can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.

Who stars in Plebs: Soldiers of Rome?

Tom Rosenthal plays Marcus. Outside of Plebs, Rosenthal is probably best known for starring in the family sitcom Friday Night Dinner; you might also recognise him from the recreation of the lost episodes of Dad’s Army. He can next be seen in Lloyd of the Flies, which is currently filming.

Ryan Sampson plays Grumio. You might recognise Sampson – or not, that haircut makes a difference – from playing Tommo in Brassic, Luke Rattigan in Doctor Who, Rob in Fresh Meat, and Dudley Moore in The Crown.

Jon Pointing plays Jason. You’re most likely to recognise Jon Pointing from his starring role in Big Boys, but you might also know him from appearances in Starstruck, Pls Like, and London Kills.

Tom Basden plays Aurelius. Basden – who created Plebs and co-writes each episode – has also appeared in The Wrong Mans, The Windsors, and The Last Bus, though he’s probably best known for playing Matt in After Life.

They’re joined by Karl Theobald (Green Wing, The Witchfinder) as the Landlord, Patrick Baladi (The Office, Breeders) as Roman commander General Diomedes, Tori Allen-Martin (London Kill, Here We Go) as warrior queen Barbronelda and Kåre Conradi (Norsemen) as Barbarian leader Segimundus

Who writes and directs?

The film was co-written by Tom Basden (who plays Aurelius) and Sam Leifer, who also directs the film. The pair have created Plebs together, and have written and directed the majority of the episodes of the previous five seasons.

Is there a trailer?

Yes, there is! You can watch it right here.

When and how can I watch it?

Plebs: Soldiers of Rome will be available to watch on ITVX when the service launches in earnest on Thursday 8 December. It will also eventually be available on traditional ITV on television.

What is Plebs: Soldiers of Rome’s runtime?

The Plebs finale is a feature-length film, running to 85 minutes in length.

What else is on ITVX?

ITVX is launching with four new shows immediately: espionage drama A Spy Among Friends, novel adaptation The Confessions of Frannie Langton, YA drama Tell Me Everything, and a feature-length finale to historical comedy Plebs.

In the coming weeks, there are set to be new drama premiers every week, with true crime drama Litvinenko, Vicky McClure thriller Without Sin, and the Succession-esque Riches all arriving across December. ITVX is also set to have a host of ITV archive content, as well as offering exclusive access to hit US shows – you can find a full list here.

Why should I watch Plebs: Soldiers of Rome?

Obviously you’d probably want to check out any of the previous five seasons first, but it’s an entertaining historical sitcom coming to an end.