Series synopsis
W1A is a British comedy television series that premiered on BBC Two on March 19, 2014. It ended on October 23, 2017. It was created by John Morton. It stars Hugh Bonneville, Monica Dolan, Jessica Hynes and Sarah Parish.
The follow-up to 'Twenty Twelve' as Ian Fletcher takes up the position of 'Head of Values' at the BBC. His task is to clarify, define, or re-define the core purpose of the BBC across all its functions and to position it confidently for the future, in particular for Licence Fee Renegotiation and Charter Renewal in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Premise
The follow-up to 'Twenty Twelve' as Ian Fletcher takes up the position of 'Head of Values' at the BBC. His task is to clarify, define, or re-define the core purpose of the BBC across all its functions and to position it confidently for the future, in particular for Licence Fee Renegotiation and Charter Renewal in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Hugh Bonneville as Ian Fletcher
- Monica Dolan as Tracey Pritchard
- Jessica Hynes as Siobhan Sharpe
- Sarah Parish as Anna Rampton
- Jason Watkins as Simon Harwood
- Hugh Skinner as Will Humphries
- David Westhead as Neil Reid
- Nina Sosanya as Lucy Freeman
Supporting cast
- Jonathan Bailey as Jack Patterson
- Ivan Gonzalez as Jerry Guildencrantz
- Ophelia Lovibond as Izzy Gould
- Max Olesker as Ben Rosenstern
- Rufus Jones as David Wilkes
- David Tennant as Narrator (voice)
Guest cast
- Emili Lagergren-Gemtzell as Waiter
- Simon Greenall as Nigel Trescott
- Karen Ascoe as Sally Wingate
- Salman Rushdie as Self
- Clare Balding as Self
- Jenni Murray as Self
- Carol Vorderman as Self
- Nyasha Hatendi as Reporter
- Nadia Kamil as Woman's Hour B.A.
- Adrian Der Gregorian as Office Guy
- Olivia Colman as Sally Owen
- Matt Addis as Journalist
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 15 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | May 20, 2020 | May 20, 2020 |
| Season 1 | 4 | March 19, 2014 | April 9, 2014 |
| Season 2 | 4 | April 23, 2015 | May 14, 2015 |
| Season 3 | 6 | September 18, 2017 | October 23, 2017 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Initial Lockdown Meeting Ian Fletcher chairs the first virtual meeting of the BBC's COVID-19 Bounce Back Group to discuss the plans for what happens when the BBC runs out of repeats to repeat. |
May 20, 2020 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 Ian Fletcher starts a new chapter in his life as head of values at the BBC. |
March 19, 2014 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Ian Fletcher is interviewed on Woman's Hour about an age discrimination scandal. |
March 26, 2014 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Ian Fletcher's salary comes under intense scrutiny in the press. |
April 2, 2014 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 One year on and head of values Ian Fletcher has finally got his own office. |
April 23, 2015 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Newsnight anchor Evan Davis is rumoured to be a contestant in Strictly Come Dancing. |
April 30, 2015 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Former head of output Anna Rampton has been crowned director of better. |
May 7, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 It is the year of charter renewal and a critical time for the BBC. The renewal group under head of values Ian Fletcher is tasked with identifying what the BBC does best and finding more ways of doing less of it better. |
September 18, 2017 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Cross-dressing ex-footballer Ryan Chelford's appearance on MOTD did not go well. |
September 25, 2017 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 The search for new ways of saving money at the BBC continues - particularly important in the light of charter renewal. |
October 2, 2017 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 19, 2014 |
| Last aired | October 23, 2017 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday at 22:00:00 |