Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville, Paddington), weary protagonist of London Olympics sitcom Twenty Twelve and its BBC-centred sequel W1A, will return for a third sitcom, the BBC has announced.
Twenty Twenty Six will see Fletcher leave London for Miami, where he’ll be joining the Oversight Team for the 2026 World Cup as Director of Integrity. After previously working on the Olympics and as head of values at the BBC, he’s got plenty of experience. But will it be enough to handle the relentlessly optimistic Americans?
There to help (or hinder) him will be Nick Blood (Day of the Jackal), Chelsey Crisp (Ten Percent) and Paulo Constanzo (Designated Survivor). Rounding out the cast are Stephen Kunken (The Handmaid’s Tale), Jimena Larraguivel (Patience), Alexis Michalik (A Love Story) and Belinda Stewart-Wilson (The Inbetweeners).
“It’s 15 years since Ian Fletcher’s journey started with the run-up to the London Olympics and we are delighted the BBC has given [writer and director John Morton] another chance to capture the universal comedy of people trying to organise something really big in a room, but this time with an outstanding international cast,” said executive producer Paul Schlesinger.
“We’ll miss Ian’s invaluable contribution to the BBC as Head of Values but how could he resist getting the call-up to be a part of one of the most expansive and ambitious sporting events in the world?” said Jon Petrie, BBC director of comedy. “We wish him, and the team, all the best.”
