The Trailer for 'Brian & Maggie' Reminds Us of the Power of the Press
Harriet Walter as Margaret Thatcher in 'Brian and Maggie'
Ch4
Over the last decade, there's been a disingenuous argument over whether entertainment has gotten "Too Political," as if telling stories that reflect one's personal experience isn't revolutionary for anyone who is not an upper-class white male from Western civilization. In reality, some of the most political series in the past ten years wound up that way because outside events accidentally occurred near enough to the premiere that they couldn't be ignored. The Handmaid's Tale, for example, seems to be newly relevant every time a new season arrives. Now, the same is happening for Channel 4's rechristened Brian & Maggie.
Initially under the working title Brian & Margaret, the series deep dives into a moment of television history rapidly fading into the past: a key live TV interview of the Prime Minister by one of the BBC's best reporters, which aired in primetime on the BBC in 1989. The answers (and non-answers) given by the Prime Minister of the time, Margaret Thatcher (the "Maggie" of the show's title), were so bad the video went viral (something that in the pre-internet era took a lot of factors to accomplish). She resigned before the year was up.
That kind of power, exposing leaders who are cruel and callow and holding them accountable for their horrible policies that make people's lives worse, is one uniquely held by the press in a free society. It's an incredibly timely reminder, as the 2024 US election results have emboldened Elon Musk, who is now spreading disinformation and slander not just at Americans but in hopes of getting Nazis elected in Germany and Labour thrown out in the U.K. Moreover, most of America's free press is controlled by billionaires determined to kowtow to their dear leader instead of holding him and his cronies to account.
Here’s the series synopsis:
Brian and Maggie looks at the final ever television interview of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and journalist Brian Walden, and asks whether the slow death of full-length political TV interviews puts modern democracy at risk.
1989. When Brian and Maggie came together for their last-ever TV interview, little did they know they were about to embark on one of the most famous political exchanges of all time. The 45-minute showdown became a national talking point and set in train a series of events that ended with Maggie’s resignation. Afterward, they never spoke again…
Dame Harriet Walter (Wolf Hall) stars as the titular Maggie, PM Margaret Thatcher with Steve Coogan (....with Alan Partridge) co-starring as the titular Brian, BBC interviewer Brian Walden, a former Labour politician who was considered Auntie Beeb’s best political interviewer in his day. The stellar supporting cast includes Emma Sidi (Starstruck), Ross Armstrong (Mr. Selfridge), and Karan Gill (The Decameron).
James Graham (Sherwood) wrote both installments, basing his script on political editor and TV producer Rob Burley’s book Why is This Lying Bastard Lying to Me?: Searching for the Truth on Political TV. (The book dedicates two chapters to explaining how the Thatcher interview came together and its aftermath.) Director Stephen Frears (A Very English Scandal) helmed both episodes, with Dan Winch producing. The series is executive produced by Sarah Monteith, Delyth Scudamore, and Rupert Majendie, alongside Baby Cow Productions, Coogan’s production company.
Brian & Maggie is expected to debut on Channel 4 in the first half of 2025. The series does not yet have an American distributor, but I promise I will be in everyone's inboxes asking which streaming service is bringing this to us.
