Hugh Bonneville: BBC2 mockumentary W1A to return in 2015

THE GUARDIAN
Tara Conlan
theguardian.com, Monday 15 September 2014 08.00 EDT



Hugh Bonneville has signed up to reprise his role as Ian Fletcher in the second series of BBC's acclaimed mockumentary W1A. Photograph: BBC/Jack Barnes
BBC mockumentary W1A is to return for a second series next year with Hugh Bonneville’s head of values, Ian Fletcher, facing the thorny issue of the corporation’s charter renewal.

Downton Abbey star Bonneville has signed up for another outing of the follow-up to writer John Morton’s acclaimed Olympics comedy Twenty Twelve.

The new four-part series of W1A will begin with a 60-minute episode, followed by three 30-minute ones. It is being produced by BBC in-house comedy.

After the success of the first series of W1A – which featured BBC presenter Clare Balding and creative director Alan Yentob and drew 1.6 million viewers for its opening episode on BBC2 – the corporation was keen to let the cameras into New Broadcasting House for a second time.

Further casting details, storylines and cameos are still being discussed.

Jessica Hynes and Olivia Coleman, fleetingly, reprised their Twenty Twelve roles in W1A. There was speculation that BBC director general Tony Hall – referred to as “Tonyship, Lord director general” in the show – might appear in future episodes.

The BBC said in a statement on Monday: “Until the cameras roll it won’t be known exactly what crisis will be averted or indeed where Ian’s desk will be.”

However, in the second series there is an indication that charter renewal will be covered as the BBC added that “with charter renewal in 2016 getting ever closer, Ian’s job as Chair of the Way Ahead Task Force will be even more important than ever”.

READ MORE HERE: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/sep/15/bbc-mockumentary-w1a-return-hugh-bonneville

Hugh Bonneville: 'Giant C**k Up!': What Went Wrong In W1A Tonight? Check Out The 5 Funniest Moments

E.
BY LYDIA RICHARDSON ON MARCH 26, 2014



W1A the hilarious mockumentary (that's a staged documentary to you and me) is back again and once again tackling the big topics. Tonight the subject was sexism and “institutional anti-West Country bias” in the BBC. Well, naturally.

The second episode of the comedy-doc once again follows Ian Fletcher (played by Hugh Bonneville) as he struggles with his new role as Head of Values at the BBC. With a live radio interview with Woman's Hour looming and an awkward encounter with Carol Vorderman and Clare Balding, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments in this tongue-in-cheek four part series.

1. Justin Bieber Twittergate

With new PR brand advisor Siobhan Sharpe (played by the brilliant Jessica Hynes) nothing was ever going to run smoothly. Whilst on the train to Manchester for the damage control interview for BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour, both Tracey Pritchard (played by Monica Dolan) and Siobhan are at logger heads at how they should handle the sexism situation. Tracey reckon Woman's Hour is the best way to convince women that the BBC has their best interests at heart. Seems sensible right?

Not according to Siobhan who thinks Twitter is the way forward. When asked how many people actually listen to Woman's Hour (3.4 million) Siobhan is very quick to point out that rebellious pop star Justin Bieber has 45 million followers on Twitter, although we'd like to point out that he's currently at 50.5 million, and wants Ian to use the power of the Twitterverse to stop this ageism/sexism debate.

Trust Tracey to throw in some common sense though, we love it when she lets both Ian and Siobhan know that Ian is no J-Beebs: “I'm sorry Siobhan, I don't want to be rude or anything but Ian is not Justin Bieber and to be honest as far as I can see he's never going to be either. Sorry Ian I have to tell you things as they are.” Brilliant!

2. Clare Balding Fiasco

The other main storyline is about new show, Britain’s Tastiest Village. They already have Alan Titchmarsh (who was apparently voted the world’s sexiest man after George Clooney) on board, but they just need to seal the deal with his potential co-host Carol Vorderman.

It all looks like it is going to plan until hapless Entertainment Format Producer David Wilkes (played by Rufus Jones) reveals that their original favourite, Clare Balding is still on board.

Uh oh... with both Voderman and Balding due to come to the office at the same time, how can they keep the two veteran presenters from finding out about each other?

3. David Tennant's Commentary

We couldn't talk about this episode without giving props to David Tennant. He might always be Doctor Who to us (in fact you might recognise a lot of the cast from the Beebs sci-fi drama), but David adds just the right amount of comedy to his mockumentary narration. With lines like “giant and protracted c*ck up” and sometimes the completely obvious (yet somehow very funny) “another thing is about to happen”, we can't stop giggling at David.


READ MORE HERE: http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/144807/Giant-Ck-Up-What-Went-Wrong-In-W1A-Tonight-Check-Out-The-5-Funniest-Moments

Hugh Bonneville on Downton Abbey, W1A and falling foul of BBC security

EVENING TIMES
Wednesday 19/03/2014

Hugh Bonneville, centre, and his W1A co-stars - Jason Watkins, Jessica Hynes, Monica Dolan, Hugh Skinner, Nina Sosanya, and Sarah Parish

But global fame didn't stop Hugh Bonneville falling foul of the BBC's security system while shooting new comedy W1A at the corporation's London headquarters.

"We were filming in the lobby the other day, 20 of us milling around, and the chaps on the doors were chuckling watching us do it. Then I tried to get back inside to get changed and they wouldn't let me because I didn't have the right pass," he recalls.

"People who have worked here a long time will know what I'm talking about; the bureaucracy of the machine is part of the thing that is so lovable about it.

"And so confusing," the actor adds with a laugh.

London-born Bonneville is reprising his role as bumbling boss Ian Fletcher in W1A, a spin-off from the award-winning Olympics mockumentary Twenty Twelve. Filmed amid the bustle of Broadcasting House, W1A sees the BBC turn its satirical sights on itself.

Ian, former head of deliverance for the London Games, has a new and equally vague job title as the broadcaster's head of values as it gears up for charter renewal and a new licence fee settlement.

As with Twenty Twelve, the corporate jargon is rife. There are hot desks, digital handshake sessions, daily senior team damage limitation meetings, and a 'balancing area' which consists of a huge orange see-saw (a prop, not a permanent fixture, presumably).

On the day I visit the set, the BBC's creative director Alan Yentob is sitting near the aforementioned see-saw, preparing to film a cameo.



Fictional crises discussed - and then discussed some more - in W1A range from Jeremy Paxman falling asleep during an interview with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, to claims that Cornwall is under-represented by the BBC.

It seems like a brave move for the corporation to poke fun at itself - indeed, the new show was announced just a day after director of television Danny Cohen hit out at "the daily chorus of BBC-bashing".

Bonneville thinks the organisation is right to show it has a sense of humour.

"It's wonderful. In the same way Sebastian Coe got the joke about Twenty Twelve - that it wasn't actually satirising the notion of the Olympics - and allowed us to film him, we're not having a go at the BBC.

WE are highlighting the strange corporate speak and structures of in any organisation, be it a FTSE 100 or the village hall."


READ MORE HERE: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/entertainment/tv-radio/bonneville-is-a-leader-and-lord-156227n.23663818

Hugh Bonneville to star in Twenty Twelve BBC spin-off

WHAT'S ON TV



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...


Read more at http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/downton-abbey/news/hugh-bonneville-to-star-in-twenty-twelve-bbc-spin-off#1DgaOSJB3C50lHjq.99