Douglas Is Cancelled is a 2024 British comedy-drama television miniseries created and written by Steven Moffat, directed by Ben Palmer and starring Hugh Bonneville, Karen Gillan and Alex Kingston. It was first aired weekly from 27 June 2024 on ITV1, with all four episodes made immediately available on ITVX on that date.[1]
| Douglas Is Cancelled | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Steven Moffat |
| Written by | Steven Moffat |
| Directed by | Ben Palmer |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Lawrence Till |
| Running time | 40-45 minutes |
| Production company | Hartswood Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV1 |
| Release | 27 June – 18 July 2024 |
Synopsis
editDouglas Bellowes is a widely respected television news anchor, whose life begins to unravel when he is accused on social media of making a sexist joke at a wedding.[2]
Cast
edit- Hugh Bonneville as Douglas Bellowes, lead presenter for Live at Six news.
- Karen Gillan as Madeline Crow, Douglas’s co-presenter.
- Alex Kingston as Sheila Bellowes, Douglas’s wife and a newspaper editor.
- Nick Mohammed as Morgan, a comedy writer working for Live at Six.
- Simon Russell Beale as Bently, Douglas’s agent
- Ben Miles as Toby, Douglas’s producer.
- Madeleine Power as Claudia Bellowes, Douglas’s daughter and political activist.
- Joe Wilkinson as Tom, Toby’s driver.
- Kirsty Wark as Interviewer.
Episodes
edit| No. | Episode | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | Ben Palmer | Steven Moffat | 27 June 2024 |
| 2 | Episode 2 | Ben Palmer | Steven Moffat | 4 July 2024 |
| 3 | Episode 3 | Ben Palmer | Steven Moffat | 11 July 2024 |
| 4 | Episode 4 | Ben Palmer | Steven Moffat | 18 July 2024 |
Production
editIt is written by Steven Moffat, directed by Ben Palmer, and produced by Hartswood Films in association with SkyShowtime and BBC Studios Distribution. Moffat also serves as executive producer alongside his wife Sue Vertue, with Lawrence Till as producer. Moffat described writing the script “in secret”.[3][4]
Filming
editProduction started on the four-part series in London in November 2023.[5]
Casting
editIn November 2023, Hugh Bonneville, Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston, Ben Miles, Simon Russell Beale, and Nick Mohammed were confirmed in the cast.[6]
Broadcast
editThe entire series was available in the UK on ITVX from 27 June 2024, and was aired weekly on ITV1 from 27 June to 18 July 2024.[7][8]
Critical reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, 62% of 13 reviews are positive for the miniseries, and the average rating is 6.7/10. The critics consensus on the website states, "While this satire's scattershot aim at thorny topics doesn't hit every target, Hugh Bonneville's expertly hapless performance makes it a squirmy pleasure to watch."[9]
References
edit- ^ Cooke, Rachel (26 June 2024). "Douglas Is Cancelled: finally, a funny cancel culture comedy". New Statesman. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
- ^ Richardson, Jay (17 November 2023). "Hugh Bonneville & Karen Gillan lead ITVX comedy from Steven Moffat". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Yossman, K.J. (17 November 2023). "Karen Gillan, Hugh Bonneville to Star in New Cancel Culture Dramedy From Steven Moffat (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Hugh Bonneville to star in new comedy-drama about cancel culture". Chortle. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Mensah, Katelyn (17 November 2023). "Doctor Who's Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston reunite for Steven Moffat series". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Lewis, George (17 November 2023). "Doctor Who boss's new show reveals cast including Ted Lasso star". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Godfrey, Jake (17 November 2023). "Douglas Is Cancelled - Steven Moffat makes a return to television comedy". Film Stories. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Lawson, Mark (17 June 2024). "'And today's news is … I'm cancelled': Hugh Bonneville, Alex Kingston and Steven Moffat on their cancel comedy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "Douglas is Cancelled: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
