The cast of hit BBC spoof comedy W1A reunited for a lockdown special on Wednesday night.
In a new clip posted online, Hugh Bonneville makes his return as Head of Values Ian Fletcher, following the show’s third and probable final season in 2017, to chair a meeting on how to stop the BBC going off air during lockdown.
Joining Hugh in the clip are show favourites Sarah Parish, Jason Watkins, Monica Dolan and David Westhead who make up the newly formed Bounce Back Group.
Brilliant: The cast of hit BBC spoof comedy W1A reunited on Wednesday night, starring in a new clip posted online of the team’s ‘Initial Lockdown Meeting’
Opening the Zoom meeting, after establishing that Head of Output Anna (Parish) hasn’t frozen, Ian tells his colleagues they are no longer part of the Way Ahead Group, but instead the BBC Covid-19 Bounce Back Group.
‘I know we’ve all got used to thinking of ourselves as the Way Ahead Group but in the current circumstances it didn’t seem to ring true somehow whereas the Bounce Back group feels positive, clear and does very much what it says on the tin,’ he declares.
‘The remit couldn’t be more exciting – to try to imagine what the new normal will look like and to begin to plot a path towards it from wherever it is we are now,’ Ian continues before handing over to Senior Communications Officer Tracey Prtichard (Dolan) who has a dire warning.
‘If we take the Olympics, Wimbledon, Euro 2020 football and EastEnders out of the schedule you’re suddenly looking at over 900 hours of programming to fill this summer,’ she reveals.
Zoom call: Hugh Bonneville made his return as Head of Values Ian Fletcher after the show’s third and probable final season in 2017, to chair a meeting on how to stop the BBC going off air
The solution appears to be for repeats, which viewer feedback has shown is popular. ‘Can you blame them? Has anyone seen the Real Marigold Hotel?’ Controller of News and Current Affairs Neil (Westhead) points out, adding that if ‘we run out of repeats, we repeat them again for f***’s sake. That’s how repeats work.’
Ian then pitches his plan, repeating a whole year ‘hour by hour day by day’ with 2012 coming out as a firm favourite.
The clip also includes a nod to W1A’s hapless intern character in its description box, with the caption reading: ‘Will, when you upload this remember to click “Private”‘
Task force: Joining Hugh in the clip are show favourites Sarah Parish, Jason Watkins, Monica Dolan and David Westhead who make up the newly formed Bounce Back Group
Still here Ian: Opening the Zoom meeting, after establishing that Head of Output Anna (Parish) hasn’t frozen, Ian tells his colleagues they are no longer part of the Way Ahead Group
The new clip, titled ‘Initial Lockdown Meeting and uploaded onto a previously unused YouTube channel on Wednesday night, delighted fans of the hit BBC comedy.
BBC journalist Ellis Palmer labelled the clip ‘amazing’ and called the show ‘painfully accurate.’
‘Absolutely HOWLING. I would a whole season of remote #W1A meetings – that’ll help the scheduling issue,’ agreed another fan.
Come back! The new clip, titled ‘Initial Lockdown Meeting and uploaded onto a previously unused YouTube channel on Wednesday night, delighted fans of the hit BBC comedy
Hit: W1A ran for three seasons until 2017. It was created as a follow-up series to the BBC’s popular Olympics parody Twenty Twelve
‘Not being funny of anything, but to be honest’ this made my day,’ echoed another.
One fan pointed out: ‘Surely this is the time for another series. The daily press briefing would give you so much material.’
W1A ran for three seasons until 2017. It was created as a follow-up series to the BBC’s popular Olympics parody Twenty Twelve.
Creator John Morton announced during the third series in 2017 that ‘this is probably going to be its final [series]. It was written to a conclusion and with that I mind I thought, “This has got to be good.”‘
Will! The clip also includes a nod to W1A’s hapless intern character in its description box, with the caption reading: ‘Will, when you upload this remember to click ‘Private’