Hugh Bonneville to star in Twenty Twelve BBC spin-off

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The Olympics may be long gone, but Ian Fletcher - the head of the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission from BBC spoof Twenty Twelve - will be returning in a new sitcom in which the corporation pokes fun at itself.

Downtown Abbey star Hugh Bonneville will be reprising his role as the man trying to fight his way through a forest of bureaucratic red-tape in W1A (title taken from the postcode of BBC Broadcasting House), but this time his job title is BBC's Head of Values.

In his new position, Fletcher will be expected to 'clarify, define or redefine the core purpose of the BBC across all its functions and to strengthen its future position, in particular for Licence Fee Renegotiation and Charter Renewal in 2016 and 2017'.

Yes, we're just as confused as you are...


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Hugh Bonneville in 2012 (THE INDEPENDENT) I PRAY THIS COMES ON IN AMERICA!!!

On 14 March last year, the Olympic countdown clock was unveiled at a grand ceremony in Trafalgar Square. Less than 24 hours later, it had ground to an embarrassing halt, which became known as the "Olympic clock-up".

In a spooky coincidence, that very same evening the climax of the first episode of Twenty Twelve, a mockumentary about the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission written several months earlier, featured an Olympic clock, which had – you've guessed it – ground to an embarrassing halt.

A (real-life) London 2012 spokesman was forced to release a statement saying, "It could be a case of life imitating art."

Twenty Twelve, which returns to BBC2 at 10pm on Friday, is full of these spot-on satirical moments. In fact, it could win a gold medal for prescience. This spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary, which won the Best Sitcom gong at the British Comedy Awards last year, tracks the confederacy of dunces who tie themselves in increasingly complex knots attempting to prepare for the biggest event this country has ever hosted.

The ODC is run by the hapless Ian (played by Hugh Bonneville). He is hindered by his gloriously inept team, who include the spectacularly un-self-aware PR chief, Siobhan (Jessica Hynes). It is entirely appropriate that the show's theme tune is "Let's Face the Music and Dance" (There may be trouble ahead...").

 READ MORE:  http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/twenty-twelve-back-on-track-with-hugh-bonneville-the-lord-of-office-jargon-7594951.html