Kenneth Branagh will play Boris Johnson in a TV series about Covid-19 – 14 dramatic responses

With so much of the past 10 months having involved lockdowns and other restrictions, people have spent a lot more time working their way through streaming box sets and the cinematic output of various entertainment providers.

One thing it’s hard to imagine anyone saying, during a scroll through Netflix is “I wish they’d make a series about the coronavirus, oh, and if it could revolve around Boris Johnson …”

Yet, here we are.

Kenneth Branagh to play Boris Johnson in five-part drama TV series about the pandemic https://t.co/yFDlNhnZ3Y pic.twitter.com/POKtfi8b3j

— WhatsOnStage (@WhatsOnStage) January 23, 2021

The classically named ‘This Sceptred Isle’ will begin filming soon, so we can expect a lot of cunning shooting angles to make it look like the actors aren’t six feet from each other and never touching the same props.

They should get newly-qualified mirror expert, Robert Peston, in as a consultant.

This is what Twitter thought of the plan.

1.

going to be pretty boring when the first episode is just him on holiday missing 5 meetings about the pandemic https://t.co/hJyOvrb65o

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) January 23, 2021

2.

Kenneth Branagh to play Boris Johnson in a new drama just narrowly beating a sack of potatoes to the part

— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@davemacladd) January 23, 2021

3.

I’m not watching a series about the pandemic during the pandemic. You wouldn’t go to a shark attack ward and screen Jaws. https://t.co/tb1XgQLtxg

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) January 23, 2021

4.

Is it called A Fridge Too Far? https://t.co/Z1RFynYU7L

— Michael Govern Ready (@mikegove12) January 23, 2021

5.

Just to say, Boris Johnson absolutely does not deserve to be played by Kenneth Branagh. If they want to make a serious film about his government and its many failings, that role belongs to Mr Blobby.

— Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) January 23, 2021

6.

So Kenneth Branagh is playing ⁦@BorisJohnson⁩ in Sky Original drama re COVID. Most of the media having failed so spectacularly in its role of holding govt to account, perhaps the arts will do better at exposing deathly incompetence https://t.co/oJV3o5GEF1

— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) January 23, 2021

7.

I'll get round to watching that some time after I watch my own firing squad. https://t.co/JQQdIbByMv

— Stephen Graham (@StephenCVGraham) January 23, 2021