EXCLUSIVE: John Morton’s British sitcom series that has satirized the 2012 Olympics and the inner workings of the BBC is heading Stateside for a fictional soccer tournament.
The BBC has officially greenlit Twenty Twenty Six, with Hugh Bonneville reprising his iconic role as Ian Fletcher from previous shows Twenty Twelve and W1A.
He’ll be joined by a cast mixed with British and North American talent featuring Paulo Costanzo (Designated Survivor, Royal Pains), Chelsey Crisp (Fresh off The Boat, Ten Percent), Stephen Kunken (Billions, The Handmaid’s Tale), Nick Blood (Day of The Jackal, Slow Horses), Jimena Larraguivel (Patience and RSC), Alexis Michalik (A Love Story) and Belinda Stewart-Wilson (The Inbetweeners, Stay Close).
Bonneville has previously played Fletcher in Twenty Twelve and W1A, which satirized the organizers behind the London 2012 Olympics and the the working culture at the BBC via a pair of critically-acclaimed, BAFTA-winning comedies. Clarkson’s Farm maker Expectation has taken over producing from BBC Studios for the new show.
In Twenty Twenty Six, former BBC Head of Values Fletcher heads to the U.S., Canada and Mexico to help with a highly anticipated soccer tournament. He takes on a new role as Head of Integrity for the Twenty Twenty Six Oversight team, made up of a set of new and colorful characters played by the fresh cast.
Big names attached include Kunken, who played Ari Spyros in Billions; Costanzo, who has been in Road Trip and Joey; and Crisp, who played Honney Ellis in ABC’s Fresh off the Boat.
Given the setting and American talent attached, Twenty Twenty Six could be ripe for landing a U.S. co-production partner, but no word on that front yet.
Twenty Twenty Six was first mentioned by W1A star Sarah Parish on a podcast last year. No clarity on whether W1A favorites such as Parish, who played the robotic Head of Output Anna Rampton, or Jessica Hynes, who played Brand Consultant Siobhan Sharpe, will return for the Twenty Twenty Six series as of yet.
Creator Morton said: “I’m thrilled and hugely grateful to the BBC for giving me the chance to follow Ian again, this time all the way to Miami, and I literally can’t wait to see what happens.”
Nerys Evans, Creative Director, Scripted at Expectation, added: “I’ve been a fan of John’s writing for such a long time, especially seeing the different challenges he creates for poor Ian Fletcher, so beautifully portrayed by Hugh Bonneville. We’re thrilled to be collaborating on Twenty Twenty Six, I can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for Ian this time.”
Twenty Twenty Six is being made for BBC One and iPlayer with additional support from OKRE regarding climate and health expertise. The series was commissioned by Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy. The series is written and directed by Morton. The producer is Catherine Gosling Fuller, and the executive producers are Paul Schlesinger, Evans and Morton. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Emma Lawson.
BBC Studios, which has a minority investment stake in Expectation, will handle global sales.
