PBS's Official 'Brian & Maggie' Trailer Brings Down a Prime Minister

There is an accepted truism about historical period dramas as a way for our culture to process the current landscape more easily than dealing with the present reality. Taking the issues of the day and running them through a funhouse mirror of the past makes it easier for audiences to accept, because they experience it at a remove. However, it also serves as a reminder that, to borrow from Mark Twain, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes." PBS's newest U.K. acquisition, Brian & Maggie, which debuts in October, is a perfect example of past events that are remarkably similar to the present-day political climate. 

The two-part series follows the intertwined careers of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and BBC interviewer Brian Walden, a pair of lower-middle-class kids who made good due to Oxbridge scholarships. Kindred spirits, Thatcher appreciated that Walden took her seriously; Walden loved that she actually answered questions instead of giving glib soundbites. He was also a Thatcherite himself, with genuine, deep-seated conservative values. 

However, with Thatcher winning three general elections in a row, she began to believe herself invincible. She began tacking ever more rightward, refusing to consider joining the new Euro currency plan, and feuding with her longtime advisors. As she edged further into Authoritarianism, those around her became alarmed. She refused to consider any of their warnings to be worth her notice. But when her longtime Treasury Chancellor publicly resigned over policy differences, her detractors saw an opening. 

When the BBC offered her an interview and promised it would be Walden, she thought she was being handed a platform to spin the story to her advantage and win back fading public support. She agreed to it, producing one of the most fascinating television interviews of the 20th century and an example of how to stop a would-be lifetime ruler in their tracks, even when you believe in their cause.

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, aka Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; comedian Steve Coogan (....with Alan Partridge) co-stars in the rare dramatic turn as the titular Brian, aka BBC interviewer Brian Walden, a former Labour politician who was considered Auntie Beeb’s best political interviewer in his day. 

The series features multiple actors playing other real life figures of the time, including Paul Clayton (The Full Monty) as Sir Bernard Ingham, Thatcher's press secretary; Paul Higgins (Victoria & Abdul) as Sir Geoffrey Howe, Thatcher's Deputy Prime Minister; Nick Sampson (The Gold) as Alan Walters, Thatcher's Chief Econonmic Advisor; James Fleet (Tom Jones) as Ronnie Millar, Thatcher's primary speech writer; plus Simon Paisley Day (This England) and Ivan Kaye (Sister Boniface Mysteries) as Tory MPs Ian Gow and Nigel Lawson, respectively.

The series' supporting cast of fictionalized characters includes Emma Sidi (Starstruck), Ross Armstrong (Mr. Selfridge), Karan Gill (The Decameron), and Tom Mothersdale (Bodies).

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 will debut on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET on most local PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Channel, followed directly by the premieres of Maigret Season 1 and The Gold Season 1, and will follow a weekly release schedule with Part 2 arriving on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Both episodes will be available as a binge on PBS Passport for members on premiere day.