Those who hear the name Steven Moffat likely associate him most with his time as showrunner for the long-running BBC series Doctor Who; however, Moffat’s abilities as a creator of television have expanded beyond science fiction and into the realm of drama through his work on such shows as Sherlock and the most recent adaptation of The Time Traveler’s Wife. One of Moffat’s latest endeavors is Douglas Is Cancelled, written by Moffat and directed by Ben Palmer, has now landed on BritBox for Americans to enjoy. The four-part series is a raw, insidious depiction of workplace harassment driven by deeply-set misogynist ideals with a “boys will be boys” mentality.
What Is ‘Douglas Is Cancelled’ About?

Image via ITVX

Douglas Is Cancelled follows primetime television news anchor Douglas Bellowes (Hugh Bonneville) and his co-anchor Madeline (Karen Gillan). Despite their age gap, the pair appear to have great chemistry as co-hosts of their evening newscast Live at Six. Douglas’ life begins to unravel when someone posts a tweet quoting something inappropriate he said at a wedding. When that tweet begins to go viral and Douglas finds out about it, those in his life try to dissect just how “bad” the situation is. That’s how the majority of the reactions go — except for Claudia (Madeleine Power), who is more than ready to condemn her father — but the series doesn’t immediately tell us what Douglas said, or whether his life and career should end up on the chopping block because of it.
Douglas Is Cancelled also reunites Moffat with two of his closest associated Doctor Who stars: Gillan and Alex Kingston (A Discovery of Witches), the latter of whom plays Douglas’s foul-mouthed, sharp-witted, cutthroat newspaper editor wife, Sheila. The cast is rounded out by Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammed as Morgan, a comedy writer for Live at Six, Ben Miles as Douglas’ producer, Toby, and Simon Russell Beale as Douglas’ agent, Bently.
‘Douglas Is Cancelled’ Is a Dynamic, Nuanced Depiction of a Television Newsroom

If there is one area that Douglas Is Cancelled succeeds in, it’s in its depiction of the raw, oftentimes volatile environment of a television newsroom space. Egos abound, and Douglas definitely has one. As the series continues, the tone of the show grows more and more insidious as true motives are revealed. Everyone has an agenda, whether good or bad, while being somehow both nuanced and wholly self-serving, thanks to Moffat’s ability to craft dynamic characters that you can root for one minute and hate the next. Some parts may even go as far as to make certain viewers feel incredibly uncomfortable or potentially triggered, given that they deal with serious, explicit workplace harassment and its effects. Douglas Is Cancelled is a reminder that certain spaces in the world of television news in certain spaces are still a “boys’ club.” Underestimating the strengths and abilities of women, however, is ultimately what leads to certain downfalls.
Initially, Douglas’s comment, both before and after the revelation, is viewed as unacceptable and unsavory by some parties, but the series’ choice to intermix their reactions with the actions of others who attempted to cover it up, or committed even more heinous acts over the course of the four episodes, allows nuance to settle in and more complex questions to emerge. Douglas’s mistake is not brushed off or dismissed, necessarily, but the series showcases that sometimes, consequences happen naturally — and sometimes, there needs to be a more aggressive course of action in holding someone accountable.

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‘Douglas Is Cancelled’ Boasts Tense, Incredible Performances

Image via BritBox

There is no wholly good guy or bad guy in Douglas Is Cancelled, even as Bonneville’s bumbling Douglas gets a reality check that his internalized misogyny is no longer going to fly. He’s spent years brushing off “wokeness” because his daughter Claudia is such a staunch advocate in its favor, and he’s painted her pleas for forward-thinking as white noise. Ultimately, Bonneville’s performance makes room for the viewer to feel sorry for Douglas while also being frustrated and disappointed in him.
As for Alex Kingston’s Sheila Bellowes, her motives are worn on her sleeve. Like her or hate her, you can almost expect exactly how she’s going to react in every scene. Kingston gives a consistent portrayal of a woman who is obsessed with image, slant, and doing damage control, as Sheila attempts much more than she should to control Douglas’ image after the tweet goes viral. Despite it being Douglas’ words, it’s Madeline and Sheila, for part of the story, who end up pitted against one another, an element that once again highlights the misogyny that so often befalls women when a man is the one who’s truly to blame.
Karen Gillan’s Madeline is calculating, but it’s a defense mechanism in response to what she’s had to put up with for years. Gillan’s performance will send chills down your spine as the episodes unfold, playing out through stunning face-offs against Toby, Bently, and Douglas, as well as an incredible showdown with Sheila. Madeline is greatly underestimated throughout four episodes, and Gillan’s greatest strengths as an actor will leave even the most forward-thinking viewer questioning whether they underestimated her too.
A great failing of any show is the gratuitous incorporation of scenes simply for shock value, but every single scene in Douglas Is Cancelled intended to make the viewer uncomfortable is earned. With the show only being four parts, however, some moments feel more rushed than others. If the series had been longer, maybe even doubled to 8 episodes, it could also have provided more context to Madeline and Douglas’ dynamic before that fateful comment was made — as well as more insight into Douglas’ home life with his wife and daughter. Ultimately, Douglas Is Cancelled is a cold slap to the face that both challenges and supports “cancel culture” in bringing nuance to the conversation, allowing the audience to really deeply think about where their own line is and whether it should be changed.
Douglas Is Cancelled premieres March 6 on BritBox. with episodes airing twice weekly.

Douglas Is Cancelled

Douglas Is Cancelled, created by Steven Moffat, feels designed to make you squirm as it tackles cancel culture head-on.

Release Date

2024 – 2023

Network

ITV1

Directors

Ben Palmer

Pros & Cons

Steven Moffat creates a nuanced four-part series on cancel culture.
The main cast delivers profound performances.
The more uncomfortable scenes still feel earned.

The show only being four parts doesn’t allow some situations to adequately breathe.
Not seeing enough moments before the tweet doesn’t allow some emotional scenes to hit as hard as they should later on.