Douglas is Cancelled

Look to the British press in recent history and it’s easy to think there has been more drama off screen than on screen.

Phillip Schofield, Huw Edwards, Rolf Harris, Jimmy Savile…

Now fuelled by the obsession with social media and clickbait, Douglas is Cancelled draws inspiration from such scandals in a dazzling 4 part ‘comedy-drama’ from writer Steven Moffat (Sherlock, Doctor Who, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Jekyll).

Douglas is Douglas Bellowes (Hugh Bonneville), a respected broadcaster of Live At Six, whose life implodes when a rogue tweet from an obscure account refers to a sexist joke he made at his cousin’s wedding.

For TV producer Toby (Ben Miles) there is still time to minimise the impact, but first he must get his head around what happened. And what united front they will present to the public “once we’ve decided on the facts.”

Douglas insists he can’t remember the joke itself.

So determined to control the narrative is Toby that he disputes Douglas’ version of events, despite not even being at the wedding itself.

“We’re journalists we’re never there. Having opinions about things we didn’t witness is the entire point of our existence.”

Nevertheless, with the possibility of the public losing trust in such a high-profile anchor it’s a PR disaster on the brink of an abyss.

“Your voice is what makes famous people dead!” Toby insists.

But Douglas’ day is about to get a lot worse when wife and newspaper editor Sheila (Alex Kingston) learns of the news. She eats stories like this for breakfast, but now one is on the homefront and she proceeds to tear strips off her husband, adding, “Please delete these messages, I work with people who hack your phone!”

While Douglas seeks to dismiss the joke and tweet, more tabloid-fuelled claims will follow around the family living room from Sheila. “A newsreader’s arse can push a war off the front page!”

Sheila is also concerned about her husband’s younger co-host Madeline (Karen Gillan), with good cause, who presents a facade of support for Douglas, whilst tacitly manoeuvring behind the scenes….

Even Douglas’ doddery agent Bently (Simon Russell Beale) can’t seem to come up with a plan of attack other than an apology press release, and parting company with his client. Ouch.

Through it all Douglas is perhaps the most level-headed of Moffat’s delicious characters, but knee-deep in forces beyond his control, he can but only watch his career slip away from him.

Hugh Bonneville is outstanding in this role, as the blinking, trusting, old-school presenter being torn to shreds by those who feign his best interests at heart.

Alex Kingston, perhaps best recognised as Doctor Who‘s own River Song, is mesmerising in a cyclone of a role as wife and tabloid editor. Scenes with her self-absorbed PA Helen (Stephanie Hyam) could doubtless be ripped straight from Ab Fab were they not Moffat’s creation.

Ben Miles is ruthless as producer Toby, constantly trying to navigate from a position of neutrality and seizing upon “an opportunity to get ahead of the facts.” Just wait for a scene with ‘comedy writer’ Tom (Joe Wilkinson).

Karen Gillan is match-fit for the ambitious Madeline, whose role in all of this, I suspect, won’t be clear until the finale.

The real star of Douglas is Cancelled is Moffat’s script. The dialogue is ripping, rapid-fire brutal and darkly hilarious. It rests so wickedly on its ensemble, it could almost work on stage were it not on screen. The music also evokes feelings of Succession.

If this is truly where modern media is at in 2024 we are probably all doomed. Otherwise, enjoy this from the cheap seats as a glorious takedown behind the scenes of TV. Unmissable.

Douglas is Cancelled 8pm Sunday December 1 on ABC (all episodes on iview)