'W1A' Sporting Revival Reportedly in the Works
Hugh Bonneville as Ian Fletcher and Sarah Parish as Anna Rampton in 'W1A'
BBC
If the Olympics are coming around again, then so are the inevitable questions: “Will there be more W1A to go with them?” The comedy series, which initially began as a one-off film Twenty-Twelve, a BBC Four mockumentary, following the BBC’s attempts at organizing the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, airing as part of the run-up to the opening ceremony. The spoof proved so popular that it was made into a series that launched in 2014 and ran three seasons, ending not long after the 2016 Olympics. The BBC brought it back in 2020 as a webisode during the pandemic (in which it commented on the postponed 2020 games), and while there was a 2024 Comic relief special, it seems the series is returning for more.
That’s according to cast member Sarah Parish, who played Director of Output Anna Rampton in the first two seasons before being promoted to Director of Better. During her guest appearance on That Gaby Roslin Podcast, she spilled the beans that the BBC planned to bring the beloved show back for a new round of episodes after the Comic Relief special was so well received. However, it was not in production yet, “It’s being written — maybe I’m talking out of turn, I don’t know.”
Parish didn’t give a lot of details, but she did confirm that lead Hugh Bonneville would return for the new special as the always brilliantly incompetent Ian Fletcher, the BBC’s own Head of Values; she also suggested co-star Jessica Hynes, who plays BBC Brand Consultant and Head of Perfect Curve Siobhan Sharpe, and whose never ending job seems to be cleaning up Fletcher’s constant PR messes, could be back as well. There's just one twist: They won't be working for the BBC.
Fletcher is apparently taking on a new role, leaving for a brand new institution desperate for a Head of Values: FIFA, the global governing body for the World Cup.
Parish confirmed original writer Joe Morton would be penning the new episodes, praising his ability to "pick out the subtleties of the horror of working in an institution that big." As she put it:
"So Ian Fletcher will continue. And I thought probably Siobhan could go with him because wherever Ian goes, Siobhan goes as well and does all his PR, really badly. So I’m hoping that those two characters will have another rebirth in another series."
Other possible cast members who could return for the new special in addition to Bonneville, Hynes, and Parish include Jason Watkins (McDonald & Dodds), Monica Dolan (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), Nina Sosanya (Good Omens), Hugh Skinner (Poldark), Rufus Jones (Paddington), and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton).
The BBC has neither confirmed nor denied the reports. If this does get off the ground, filming probably wouldn't be until autumn, as Bonneville is already slated to film the third and final Downton Abbey film in July 2024.
