Douglas Is Cancelled

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.

Synopsis
Douglas Bellowes is a widely respected middle news anchor with a co-anchor Madeline and newspaper editor wife Sheila, when he is accused of making a sexist joke at a wedding and encounters cancel culture.

Cast

 * 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.

Production
It 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”.

Filming
Production started on the four-part series in London in November 2023.

Casting
In November 2023, Hugh Bonneville, Karen Gillan, Alex Kingston, Ben Miles, Simon Russell Beale, and Nick Mohammed were confirmed in the cast.

Broadcast
The 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.

Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 12 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."