We live in an age of cancel culture – and one tweet can spark an internet pile-on. At least, that’s the premise of ITV’s new drama Douglas is Cancelled.
Starring Hugh Bonneville and Karen Gillan, the show is an exploration of what happens when Douglas, a non-PC, ageing news anchor, falls foul of his viewership when he makes an off-colour joke at a wedding.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s the plot?
Though we don’t know too much about the plot yet, we do know that it stars Hugh Bonneville as Douglas Bellowes, a primetime news anchor alongside his co-presenter Madeline (Karen Gillan).
“His life is privileged as he’s regarded as a national treasure and apparently, can do no wrong,” the show’s synopsis states. That is, until he makes an ill-advised joke at a wedding, which is captured on camera by somebody who threatens to post it on social media. “Speculation is rife and during the on-going hysteria and digital storm, Douglas’s alleged indiscretion is dissected, analysed and blown out of all proportion.”
It’s also been written by Steven Moffat – of Doctor Who and Sherlock fame – so expect plenty of witty jokes and hairpin plot twists.
When’s it out?
The show is set to air on ITV1 at 9pm on Thursday 27 June, though it’ll also be available on catchup afterwards.
Is there a trailer?
Yes indeed, and it’s juicy: we’ve popped it at the top of the page.
Who’s in the cast?
Hugh Bonneville as Douglas Bellowes
Douglas Bellowes is the middle-aged news anchor of Live at Six. Though he’s riding high in his professional life, he finds himself in the middle of a furore after the joke he makes at a wedding goes viral.
“Just as the dinosaurs didn’t know they were a dying breed, Douglas is blithely unaware that the next generation is smarter, more streetwise and capable of sheer ruthlessness when the chips are down,” Bonneville said in a recent Q&A.
Bonneville is an English actor who’s been appearing in TV shows and films since 1990. He’s best known for playing Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham in the ITV hit series Downton Abbey, and for playing Mr Brown in the hit Paddington films.
Karen Gillan as Madeline Crow
Madeline is the co-anchor, who seizes her chance for the limelight as Douglas’ career flounders. “Madeline learned in her earliest days in the business how the game is played and rather than complain about it, just decided to play it better. She’s faultlessly charming, lethally professional and an enigma to everyone she works with,” the show synopsis states.
Gillan herself is a Scottish actor who is best known for appearing in Doctor Who as companion Amy Pond, alongside Matt Smith, and for playing baddie-turned-hero Nebula in the Marvel cinematic universe. She’s called Douglas is Cancelled “my favourite project of all time. I think that’s partially because it's the hardest thing I've ever done.”
Alex Kingston as Sheila Bellowes
Sheila is the editor of a newspaper tabloid who is also Douglas’ wife – and who gets caught up in events as they start to unfold. After all, she’s the one whose job it is to publish the kinds of stories the Bellowes family would rather stay hidden.
Kingston is an English actor who got her big break playing Dr Elizabeth Corday in the NBC medical drama ER, which ended in 2004. However, Steven Moffat fans might better recognise her for playing the Doctor’s on/off wife River Song in Doctor Who.
Nick Mohammed as Morgan
Morgan is the joke writer for the Live at Six show – not that it needs many jokes, being a news show. Mohammed, who plays him, is an actor and comedian who got his start in the Cambridge Footlights – despite going to Durham University. He’s appeared in Stath Lets Flats, Reggie Perrin and as Nate Shelley in the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, which ended in 2023.
Ben Miles as Toby Patterson
Toby is Douglas’ producer and boss. “He prides himself on his sophisticated grasp of newsroom politics, but in truth he’s an angry cynic who is so busy pretending to understand what’s going on he never finds time to actually understand it,” reads his character explainer.
Ben Miles has been consistently working since 1989. He’s best known for starring as Patrick Maitland in the TV comedy Coupling, he also played Peter Townsend in Netflix mega-hit The Crown, and appeared as Montague Dartie in The Forsyte Saga between 2002 and 2003. On stage he was Thomas Cromwell in the adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.
Simon Russell Beale as Bently Cassock
Aka Douglas’ agent. Selfish, shameless and ruthless when it comes to cutting loose rogue clients, he’s only stayed in the business so long because he’s perfected the art of making people feel guilty for sacking him.
Not so for the man who plays him, Sir Simon Russell Beale. Described by the Independent as “the greatest stage actor of his generation”, Russell Beale has two BAFTA awards, three Olivier awards, a Tony and a knighthood. He’s appeared consistently on the stage in recent decades and currently he can be seen as Ser Simon Strong in Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon.
Madeleine Power is Claudia Bellowes
The 19 year old Claudia is the daughter of Douglas and Sheila. A social justice warrior who is at odds with her parents about pretty much everything.
Power has been working steadily for years. In 2015, she appeared in historical film The Last Kingdom; in 2016, in Six Wives with Lucy Worsley, she played Queen Elizabeth I.
