A senior minister has warned the Prime Minister "is in real trouble here" following the publication of the Sue Gray report into the 'partygate' scandal.
18.05.2022 - 18:41 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A new drama show depicting the Prime Minister's handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been met with a huge wave of criticism with viewers slamming the upcoming release as "tone-deaf" and saying "it's too soon".
The Sky series, called This England, will air later this year with Sir Kenneth Branagh portraying Boris Johnson and Andrew Buchan as former Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Viewers who watched the teaser trailer, released today, also took issue with the title of the show and questioned whether it was "only England that went through the pandemic ".
Others said experiencing it firsthand was already devastating enough and they would not want to go over the events again by watching the show. Twitter user Tim wrote: "Unless this is a jet black trenchant satire (guessing it isn’t even if the teaser hedges its bets) cannot imagine a worse timed drama than this."
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Helen said: "I didn't enjoy this 'drama' the first time around, do I have to go through it again?" Hector commented: "Absolutely tone-deaf in timing and title."
And Chauny questioned: "Haven’t we all suffered enough? Crikey."
In the trailer, a jubilant voiceover by Sir Kenneth as the prime minister can be heard saying: “A new dawn is breaking, 2020 will be a year of prosperity.” The tone of the clip shifts as Mr Johnson’s concern for the pandemic appears to grow as he says: “This Covid virus we need to keep an eye on.”
A montage of clips showing the inside of Number 10 follows as the Covid-19 pandemic escalates with a voice saying “500,000 deaths, that is a worst-case scenario”. An eerie soundtrack plays as the familiar rhetoric to “wash your hands” and “stay at home”
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video snippet of the series.The Sky Original drama is co-written and directed by Michael Winterbottom. The series, first named “This Sceptered Isle,” is based on Boris Johnson’s first months as UK Prime Minister, showing how the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Britain.Alongside Branagh, who won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award for “Belfast” this year, Ophelia Lovibond will star as Carrie, and Andrew Buchan will play Matt Hancock.Highlights of the plot include Johnson’s dealing with COVID-19, Brexit, and the overlapping of his personal and political lives.
How soon is too soon for a COVID-centric miniseries? For Sky Atlantic, not soon enough, as their series on Boris Johnson and the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic “This England” hits small screens this Fall. READ MORE: Michael Winterbottom To Direct A TV Seris About UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s COVID-19 Response Kenneth Branagh stars as the blonde, mop-headed Prime Minister in the five-episode series.
This England, starring Kenneth Branagh as Boris Johnson.The series, co-written and directed by Michael Winterbottom, is based on Johnson’s first months as prime minister and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.A synopsis reads: “The drama takes us inside the halls of power, as Johnson grapples with COVID-19, Brexit, and a personal and political life wracked by controversy.“The events in government are interwoven with first-hand testimonies from around the UK, from the experts and scientists racing against time to understand the virus; the doctors, nurses and care-home workers on the frontline working tirelessly and heroically to contain and overcome it; and ordinary people whose lives were thrown into turmoil.”Alongside Branagh, the show stars Ophelia Lovibond (Feel Good) as Carrie Johnson and Andrew Buchan (The Crown) as former Health Secretary Matt Hancock.While an exact release date is yet to be announced, This England is scheduled to be released on Sky Atlantic and NOW later this year.Branagh was recently cast in Christopher Nolan’s next film Oppenheimer, alongside Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh and Rami Malek.The film follows theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Murphy) and his contributions to the Manhattan Project which led to the creation of the atomic bomb.
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