Karen Gillan and Hugh Bonneville’s “punchy” British drama lands new UK streaming home

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The drama Douglas Is Cancelled, featuring Karen Gillan (known from Guardians of the Galaxy) and Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), is now available to stream on Disney+. The series originally aired on ITV in 2024 and was written by Steven Moffat, who previously worked on Doctor Who and Sherlock.

The new series, Douglas Is Cancelled, is a fast-paced comedy-drama starring Hugh Bonneville as Douglas Bellowes, a well-known news anchor. The story begins when he’s publicly accused of telling a sexist joke at a wedding, sparking a social media backlash.

The situation quickly escalates due to the actions of Madeline Crow, Gillan’s character and co-anchor on the Live at Six news program.

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The show’s cast features several well-known actors, including Alex Kingston, who starred in Doctor Who alongside Karen Gillan, Nick Mohammed from Celebrity Traitors, Ben Miles of The Crown, and Simon Russell Beale, known for his work in House of the Dragon.

In a 2024 interview with Radio Times, Bonneville described his initial reaction to the script as hilarious. However, he explained that the humor eventually gave way to a more unsettling feeling as the show’s deeper, more serious themes became apparent.

Okay, so at first, this game was hilarious – seriously, I was laughing out loud at some of the stuff that happened. But then, things took a really dark turn, and the fun just… disappeared. It was one of those experiences where I couldn’t look away, even though it was super unsettling to play through. I ended up finishing it in one go because it was so gripping, but honestly, it left me feeling a little uncomfortable.

Critics generally responded positively to Douglas Is Cancelled, though The Guardian noted some awkward phrasing and a sense that the writer, Moffat, seemed to be intentionally addressing a range of sensitive topics.

“But it is overall fast, funny and absolutely furious.“

According to the Evening Standard, this show is excellent across the board – the acting, writing, and overall series are all top-notch. They describe it as a thrilling comedy that perfectly captures the current moment, leaving viewers feeling energized.

However, The Independent offered a less favorable critique, stating that the topic needed nuance and challenging questions, but instead received simplistic moralizing and easy solutions.

All four episodes of Douglas Is Cancelled are now available to stream on Disney +.

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2026-02-22 14:19