A guessing game began today over which real-life star inspired a new ITV cancel culture comedy after its writer Steven Moffat refused to reveal their identity.
Douglas is Cancelled tells the story of a ‘national treasure’ news presenter who is left fighting to save his career after being accused on X of making a sexist joke at a wedding.
While the main character, Douglas Bellowe (played by Hugh Bonneville), is fictional, Moffat said his idea for the series came from a story about ‘a person who I will not divulge’.
The four-part series delves into Bellowe’s relationship with Madeline Crow – his younger, more dynamic colleague portrayed by Karen Gillan – and how it changes after news of his alleged wrongdoing first emerges.
Douglas is Cancelled tells the story of a ‘national treasure’ news presenter who is left fighting to save his career after being accused on X of making a sexist joke at a wedding. Hugh Bonneville plays Douglas Bellowe while Karen Gillan appears as Madeline Crow
While Bellowe is fictional, Moffat said his idea for the series came from a story about ‘a person who I will not divulge’
Referring to the real-life character who inspired the comedy drama, Moffatt told the Royal Television Society Magazine: ‘It’s not the main part of the plot, but he was caught misbehaving and thought it might come up in an interview, so he had to have a rehearsal interview with a junior colleague.
‘I was fascinated with the idea of how on earth that would work.’
Moffat is one of Britain’s best-known screenwriters, with hits including Doctor Who and Sherlock.
In another interview promoting his new ITV show, he said the topic of cancel culture was worthy of dramatic attention.
‘We’re outraged when someone who thinks the way we do is cancelled, but we’re perfectly happy to cancel someone else,’ he told The Sunday Times.
‘But cancellation only works on people who are capable of shame and wish to be well thought of. In other words, it only really works on quite good people.
‘It’s a smart bomb that can only take out people who at least aspire to virtue: you can’t cancel Hitler, you can’t cancel Donald Trump — you can’t, and they won’t care.
Steven Moffat (left) with Ben Miles on the set of ‘Live 6’, the fictional news programme that Bellowe and Crow present
The four-part series delves into Bellowe’s relationship with his younger, more dynamic colleague
‘What is the point in a smart bomb that only afflicts and affects the civilised?’
Douglas is Cancelled, which airs on June 27, features an impressive cast including Ben Miles from The Crown, Doctor Who’s Alex Kingston and the actor and comedian Nick Mohammed.
Moffatt previously revealed that viewers wouldn’t know what Douglas actually said until the end of the series, letting them make up their own minds on whether he should have been cancelled or not.
- Douglas Is Cancelled will air later this month on ITV1 and ITVX.