Staged: when the new David Tennant and Michael Sheen lockdown comedy is on BBC 1 - and what it’s about

David Tennant and Michael Sheen are set to appear in new BBC One lockdown comedy, Staged, which airs on Wednesday 10 June

The stars play versions of themselves as actors who have to resort to rehearsing for an upcoming play on Zoom due to lockdown restrictions.

So what can we expect from the new show, how many episodes are there and who else stars in the cast? Here’s everything you need to know.

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David Tennant and Michael Sheen are set to appear in new BBC One lockdown comedy, Staged, which airs on Wednesday 10 June (Photo: BBC)David Tennant and Michael Sheen are set to appear in new BBC One lockdown comedy, Staged, which airs on Wednesday 10 June (Photo: BBC)
David Tennant and Michael Sheen are set to appear in new BBC One lockdown comedy, Staged, which airs on Wednesday 10 June (Photo: BBC)

What is the TV show about?

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Staged focuses on two couples, David and Georgia Tennant and Michael Sheen and Anna Lundberg, who are living in their separate lockdown households, with the storyline following a group of furloughed actors trying to keep up rehearsals remotely.

The concept was devised by Simon Evans and fellow writer Phin Glynn, who both found themselves at loose ends when current projects came to a halt when the coronavirus crisis hit.

Episode one, ‘Cachu Hwch’ introduces Tennant and Sheen, playing exaggerated versions of themselves, as actors who were due to put on a play in the West End before the production was put on hold because of the pandemic.

Director Simon Evans, is worried his big break will pass him by, so tries to convince the actors to carry on rehearsals online.

The two wives, Georgia and Anna, mostly have walk-on parts, as David and Michael frequently spar during video-calls.

Tennant is portrayed as the more affable of the two, whereas Sheen’s character must be flattered before he commits to rehearsing remotely.

What have Sheen and Tennant said about the show?

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Appearing on This Morning via a video call, Michael Sheen explained how he was brought on board for the new comedy.

“Well David Tennant has a lot of dirt on me so he forced me into joining him in doing this,” joked Sheen.

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“He essentially said the director and producer of Staged came to him with the idea and said, ‘Can you call Michael and see if he’ll be in it as well?’

“It’s a bit like the show because that’s what happens in the show. It’s essentially art imitating life.”

Although the plot of Staged is fictional, the actors play versions of themselves.

They reference their previous works and refer to each other and their partners, by their real names.

How many episodes are there?

There are six episodes in total, each 15 minutes long.

When is Staged on TV?

The first episode of Staged is on TV at 10.45pm on Wednesday 10 June, on BBC1.

A new episode will be on every Wednesday on BBC1.

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