How Steven Moffat’s ‘Douglas Is Cancelled’ Tackles the ‘Heated Topic’ of ‘Cancel Culture’ With Dark Humor: ‘It’s Almost Like a Sport’
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Steven Moffat began working on his new limited series “Douglas Is Cancelled” in 2018, before most people — Moffat included — had even heard of the term “cancel culture.”
It was only later he realized his story — about a distinguished news anchor whose life is turned upside down when an unguarded comment goes viral — exemplified it.
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“At the time I wrote this, I wouldn’t have known the expression,” the screenwriter, best known for his work on fan favorites “Sherlock” and “Doctor Who,” tells Variety. “Obviously, [once I did] I co-opted it straight into the title.”
The show follows the misadventures of Douglas Bellowes, played by Hugh Bonneville of “Paddington” and “Downton Abbey” fame. After a rare verbal misstep at a wedding spirals out of control, he finds himself scrambling to salvage both his personal and professional lives. Karen Gillan (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) also stars as Douglas’ ambitious and internet-savvy co-host Madeline.
“What’s funny about this is you don’t know what he [actually] said until the end,” says Moffat. “So you can make up your mind [along the way] whether he should be canceled or not.”
Having worked on two shows with vocal fan bases (“The tidal wave of vitriol we were subjected to, you wouldn’t even know about it,” he says of his experience on “Sherlock”), Moffat is used to intense reactions from his audiences, so he has no qualms about tackling a subject as febrile as cancel culture. “It’s a heated topic, and isn’t it funny that everyone has exactly the same opinion, really?” he says. Nobody wants to be canceled, but “everybody wants to cancel somebody.”
Executive producer Sue Vertue also knew the show was wading into a controversial topic but that didn’t stop her from getting on board. “You can’t just not do something” for fear of people’s reactions, says Vertue, who is married to Moffat. “It’s a great drama and it’s great comedy.”
There have been two high-profile cancelations of British anchors in the past 12 months: BBC newsreader Huw Edwards, for allegedly paying a teenager for explicit images, and morning show host Phillip Schofield, after he admitted an affair with a young PA. Moffat, who began writing his script back in 2018, says neither inspired the character of Douglas.
But there is a personal aspect to the show, which was made by “Sherlock” producer Hartswood in association with SkyShowtime, and will debut in the U.K. on ITV1 and ITVX (an airdate is forthcoming). “We know some people who have been canceled,” Vertue says. “You know, the stress and the upset and the life-ruining is extraordinary.”
“It’s almost like a sport,” Vertue continues. “But it’s got a horrible ending because sooner or later someone’s going to kill themselves.” (There have been fears for both Edwards’ and Schofield’s mental health in the wake of their respective scandals).
For his part, Bonneville says his performance was less informed by present-day cancelations than 17th century writer Samuel Pepys, who was nearly ostracized after his clerk was accused of murder. “You can pick examples from every generation,” Bonneville says. “Probably, the caveman was chucked out of the cave for saying the wrong thing.” He also didn’t feel any nerves about leading a show that confronts cancel culture head-on. “If anyone’s going to feel responsible for the material it’s Steven,” he says. “I’m just an actor, prancing around in tights.”
Bonneville says that once he read the script, he knew he couldn’t turn it down. “I can’t think of anyone who would, not when you’ve got a character as well written, and drama as tantalizing and as funny and as ultimately dark as this.” Indeed, Moffat delights in peppering the tale with comedic moments even as Douglas’ life slowly falls apart.
That particular blend of comedy and darkness is something Gillan knows well, having worked with Moffat on “Doctor Who.” “His lines are so funny, he can really deliver a zinger,” she says. “But it’s not straight comedy. It’s really emotional at times and it definitely gets darker.”
Gillan jumped at the chance to play Madeline, who sees her co-host as an inspiration — until his downfall. “It’s really such a treat to be able to do seven-minute takes with just people talking in a room,” Gillan says. “I’m normally being chased by some creature.”
Madeline has a key role in the story. With her millions of followers, she can save Douglas or end his career when he finds himself at the sharp end of a digital pitchfork. Gillan, who counts 8 million Instagram followers, is familiar with the outsized power — and privilege — of social media. “It’s [like], ‘OK, this is a really good thing that I can try to use for good,’” she says. “But there’s something terrifying about that, which is that if you make a wrong move, literally millions of people are going to see that wrong move and comment on it.”
Rounding out the top-billed cast is “Hijack” star Ben Miles, who joins as Douglas and Madeline’s producer. “This story takes turns that you don’t expect, there are surprises in it,” Miles reveals. “There are sympathies you have with people that are challenged. It’s a very sophisticated look at a very complex subject.”
And despite the title, “Douglas is Cancelled” is about more than just cancel culture. It also examines both intergenerational and office relationships as well as poking fun at the entertainment industry more generally. Moffat gleefully recounts one comic scene in which Douglas, turning to his agent for support, realizes he’s about to be dropped. “Because the first rats off the ship are the agents,” quips the writer.
The show has already been sold to Arte in France and Germany. Distributor BBC Studios is eyeing U.S. and global buyers at its upcoming showcase event in London this week.
Bonneville, who played the affable Earl of Grantham in “Downton Abbey,” has reason to believe it will travel. “I never thought ‘Downton’ would necessarily translate because it was about particular English values,” he says. “If a creative team are true to the world they’re creating and try and make that as authentic as possible, then something resonates. Because all human behavior across the world is the same.”
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