Brian Cox preparing to film new Succession series in November

Succession star Brian Cox won't return to the set until November "at the soonest" as producers are still finalising Covid-19 protocols.

The 74-year-old stars as acerbic global media mogul Logan Roy in the HBO drama, which has been a critical smash and has won a host of awards, including Outstanding Drama Series at the recent Emmys.

However, fans are being kept waiting for a third season since most film and TV productions went on hiatus in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Updating devotees on plans for a new series, Brian told Britain's Big Issue magazine: "We have to be careful due to the obvious (Covid-19). HBO wants to protect that show because it's a key show for them.

"People have been really been watching it quite obsessively, sometimes two or three times over. So they're very protective of us and we have to get all the protocols right. We've got our own medical department dealing with the Covid thing. We'll get going, but not until maybe November at the soonest, maybe even not until the beginning of next year."

In March, an HBO spokesperson said: "We are looking forward to resuming production when it is safe and healthy for everyone working on our shows to do so."