BBC Two Commissions Arthur Mathews Unique Take on Brexit
4 January 2019
BBC Two has commissioned The Road To Brexit from Objective Fiction, a satirical look at Britain’s troubled relationship with Europe. The show will be written by Arthur Mathews (Toast of London, Father Ted) and star his long-time collaborator, comedy actor Matt Berry (Toast of London, The IT Crowd, What We Do in the Shadows). It will be produced and directed by Hannah Mackay.
The one-off special is due to air in Spring 2019, to mark the planned date of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. Through creative use of archive footage and filmed interviews, the show will give viewers a unique take on the UK’s current situation, spanning the decades from the 1970s, right up to the present day and the UK’s imminent divorce from Brussels.
Arthur Mathews said: “I'm very pleased to be tackling the monumental subject of Brexit. I'm a long-time fan of Michael Cockerell's documentaries, so I aim to mimic that style. The show will be a mixture of old existing footage and newly filmed interviews. Some of it's real, some of it isn't. There'll be a lot of playing loosely with facts - a bit like Brexit itself.”
Matt Berry said: “It’s always an honour to work with Arthur Mathews and if anyone can make this subject actually entertaining and look more ridiculous - it’s him.”
Kate Daughton, Commissioning Editor, BBC Comedy said: “There’s a theory in comedy that you can’t send up something that’s already self-satirising or farcical. These two ludicrously inventive BAFTA winning heavyweights rise to the challenge to provide a comedy tonic on a subject we’re all feeling incredibly worn out by.”
Objective Fiction’s CCO, Ben Farrell added: “Arthur and Matt are such a unique and complimentary comic partnership, making this show is a real treat.”
The 1 x 30 programme was commissioned by Patrick Holland controller BBC Two and Shane Allen Controller Comedy Commissioning at the BBC. It will be produced by Objective Fiction, part of Objective Media Group. Ben Farrell is Executive Producer and the Commission Editor for the BBC is Kate Daughton for the BBC
