Steven Moffat is best known as the creator of the BBC’s Sherlock , so it’s apt his new comedy Douglas Is Cancelled (UTV, Thursday, 9pm) should hinge upon a huge, imponderable mystery. How could anyone involved in this limp satire have possibly concluded they were doing justice to the complex issue of cancel culture? It’s not that the topic isn’t ripe for skewering. We’ve all seen social media select a random victim and rip them to shreds.
The problems with Douglas is Cancelled are two-fold: its bumbling execution and the enthusiasm with which it caricatures anyone who dares to be “woke”. “Douglas” is daytime television presenter Douglas Bellowes ( Hugh Bonneville ) – one of those cuddly, national treasure types UK television excels at churning out. He’s widely beloved and has a chortling chemistry with his co-host Madeline (Karen Gillan).
But when someone complains on social media about a “sexist joke” he made at a wedding, everything unravels for the affable anchor (portrayed with a cheery twinkle by the always reliable Bonneville). People squirm in his company. His agent explains that everything will work out fine – as soon as Douglas takes the fall for his gag (which he claims he cannot remember).
Meanwhile, his wife Sheila (Alex Kingston) – an editor at a London newspaper that shines at destroying celebrities – warns the wholesome Madeline may not be as loyal as he thinks. READ MORE Douglas Is Cancelled review: Downfall of a cuddly, nationa.
