Douglas Is Cancelled | Preview (ITV1)
A four-part comedy-drama about cancel culture set in the world of television news and starring Hugh Bonneville, Karen Gillan, Ben Miles, Alex Kingston, Nick Mohammed and Simon Russell Beale.
Middle-aged and greying, current affairs news anchor Douglas Bellowes (Bonneville) is a respected broadcaster and raconteur who loves the life he’s created with his newspaper editor wife Sheila (Kingston).
While an experienced broadcaster for Live At Six, Douglas surprisingly needs constant reassurance behind the scenes from his sharper, younger, tech savvy and social media aware co-anchor Madeline (Gillan), who appears to be able to wrap him around her little finger.
Douglas’s life is privileged as he’s regarded as a national treasure and apparently can do no wrong - until he makes an ill-advised joke at his cousin’s wedding which is overheard by a fellow guest who exposes his comments on social media.
Speculation is rife, and Douglas’s alleged indiscretion is dissected, analysed and blown out of all proportion during the ongoing hysteria and digital storm - everyone appears to have an opinion and Douglas is struggling to escape the controversy.
It’s a chaotic and unmanageable situation, but can Douglas count on the support of his agent and colleagues, and what will he do next? Is Douglas a casualty of ‘cancel culture’, and with two million followers, what is Madeline’s motivation to social post on Douglas’s behalf... and is she a friend or a foe? That is the question...
Steven Moffat said: "I just sat down and wrote this - didn’t even tell anyone what I was doing. And now it’s all happening, thanks to the amazing Sue Vertue (renowned tv producer and in a rare moment of weakness, my wife). I can’t quite believe we’ve managed to get the mighty Hugh Bonneville involved as Douglas and that we’ve lured my old friend Karen Gillan back from Hollywood, to play Madeline...
"And like that’s not enough, we’ve got Ben Miles, Alex Kingston, Nick Mohammed and Simon Russell Beale. It’s the kind of cast that makes you terrified about stepping into the room."
Douglas Is Cancelled begins Thursday 27th June on ITV.