Karen Gillan and Hugh Bonneville To Star in a Cancel Culture Dramedy Titled DOUGLAS IS CANCELLED
Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) is set to star alongside Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) in an upcoming cancel culture-themed dramedy titled Douglas Is Cancelled from Steven Moffat (Sherlock, Doctor Who).
Douglas Is Cancelled will see Bonneville play “a middle aged and widely-respected news anchor called Douglas Bellowes while Gillan stars as his canny sidekick Madeline. Douglas lives a perfect life. He enjoys his privileged status as national treasure and host of current affairs show ‘Live at Six’ while off-air he shares a harmonious home with wife Sheila, a newspaper editor.”
But, “their world is turned upside down when, at a family wedding, he’s overheard making an ‘ill-advised joke.’ As a guest threatens to expose Douglas on social media the rumor mill goes into overdrive and sparks off a digital storm that quickly upends his life and career. With her 2 million social media followers, tech-savvy co-anchor Madeline could throw Douglas a lifeline by posting in his defense … but will she?”
Gillan said in a statement: “To torment a man, let alone a man named Douglas, for four episodes — armed with the writing of Steven Moffat — is a great privilege that I’m going to enjoy every minute of.”
Bonneville said: “Working again with a director like Ben, on Steven’s acidly witty script, with an ensemble of this calibre, is as daunting as it is exciting.”
Moffat added: “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.”
Joining Gillan and Bonneville in the limited series are Ben Miles (Hijack), Alex Kingston (A Discovery of Witches, Dodger), Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso) and Simon Russell Beale (Thor: Love and Thunder). Ben Palmer (The Inbetweeners) is directing the series.
The four-part series is currently in production in London.
Source: Variety
