The Witchfinder

[Norton Canes]

The Witchfinder is an original new comedy for BBC Two following a witchfinder and his suspect on a road-free road trip through an England gripped by civil war, famine and plague...

The Witchfinder coming to BBC Two

Starring Tim Key and Daisy May Cooper; written by the Gibbons brothers

[neveragain]

Could well be good.

[bgmnts]

Tim Key is cack but the Gibbons have written the most consistently brilliant Partridge stuff so can't argue. Could be well good.

[waste of chops]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/the-witchfinder-first-look

The Witchfinder is an original new comedy for BBC Two following a witchfinder and his suspect on a road-free road trip through an England gripped by civil war, famine and plague.

Joining the ensemble alongside the previously announced Tim Key and Daisy May Cooper are Jessica Hynes (Spaced, W1A), Daniel Rigby (Landscapers, Flowers), Tuwaine Barrett (Blue Story, The Personal History of David Copperfield), Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9, The League of Gentlemen), Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh, Mindhorn), Ricky Tomlinson (The Royle Family, Cracker), Rosie Cavaliero (Hunderby, Peep Show), Cariad Lloyd (Murder in Successville, Peep Show), Ellie White (The Other One, Stath Lets Flats), Vincent Franklin (The Thick of It, Gentleman Jack), Joplin Sibtain (Avenue 5, White Gold), Allan Mustafa (People Just Do Nothing, The Curse), Seb Cardinal (Cardinal Burns, This Time with Alan Partridge) and Dan Skinner (Shooting Stars, The Angelos Epithemiou Show).

It's the year of our Lord 1645 and fear of witchcraft is rife. Puritanical Christianity, deep-seated superstition and a willingness to scapegoat outsiders have created a tinderbox of suspicion in which few are safe. In this environment, witchfinding has flourished, as self-appointed witch experts achieve hero status by investigating accusations of witchery and extracting confessions.

A failing witchfinder (Tim Key) transports a suspected witch (Daisy May Cooper) across 1640s East Anglia to a trial that could change his fortunes forever. But his captive is the worst possible travel companion: an inquisitive, uncouth woman whose ability to prick his pomposity and ask uncomfortable questions turns a straightforward journey into a life-changing ordeal.

The Witchfinder is a Baby Cow production for BBC Two, written and directed by Neil and Rob Gibbons (This Time with Alan Partridge, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Mid Morning Matters, Veep). The producer is Joe Fraser, and the executive producers are Dave Lambert, Rupert Majendie and Sarah Monteith. The commissioning editor for the BBC is Tanya Qureshi.

The Witchfinder (6 x 30') is coming soon to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

[Mobius]

Wow that's a heck of a cast, and an interesting idea for a comedy. And written by the Brothers Gibbons?!

Sounds great!

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Tim Key is cack.

I'm not having this. As a comic actor he improves everything he's in, and he's one of our best standups of the last decade.

[QDRPHNC]

Yeah, he's great. His Poetry Programme is fantastic.

[zomgmouse]

I'm in

[Better Midlands]

Looks good that.

Put me down as another who always enjoys watching Tim Key.

[Virgo76]

I'm not having this. As a comic actor he improves everything he's in, and he's one of our best standups of the last decade.

Quite right.

[paddy72]

New trailer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bqjwys

I'm all over this – great cast.

[neveragain]

Yes, very much looking forward. (Or backward, to the 1600's.)

[Blinder Data]

Tim Key is cack but the Gibbons have written the most consistently brilliant Partridge stuff so can't argue. Could be well good.

You what? The Gibbons have written "the most consistently brilliant Partridge stuff" - which features lots of Tim Key as Sidekick Simon. Or do you skip those bits?

Looking forward to this.

[Pink Gregory]

Is there a date announced yet?

Never thought of Tim Key in a lead role, so it should be interesting.

Pleased to see Daisy May Cooper again as well, was a little disappointed that she didn't go straight back into a comic acting role after This Country but I suppose this was announced ages ago.

[waste of chops]

Is there a date announced yet?

Tuesday 8th March, 10pm.

[holyzombiejesus]

Is that Reece Sheersmith in the trailer? Wouldn't have thought he'd be cast in something like this.

[studpuppet]

Is that Reece Sheersmith in the trailer? Wouldn't have thought he'd be cast in something like this.

Weirdly, my first thought was that this looked like a comedy version of A Field In England, because I thought Tim Key was in that as well (he wasn't, but Sheersmith was).

[dissolute ocelot]

It seems the sort of thing that would be easy to turn out unfunny, but then I remembered that there have been funny things set in the past.

[Natnar]

I wonder why it's taken so long to air, anything to do with Covid?

[Utter Shit]

@Ballad of Ballard Berkley, you seen this yet?

[Ignatius_S]

I wonder why it's taken so long to air, anything to do with Covid?

Production was disrupted by the pandemic. Filming started in March 2020 and was then suspended after the first day.

There was a recent interview with Key, talking about his new book and how much of his time had been spent writing as his stage/acting work has g been possible.

[MigraineBoy]

IIRC correctly in He Used Thought As A Wife a few of the early Zoom conversations have people enquiring as to his filming schedule disruptions, or him explaining that the beard he's sporting is for a part.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

@Ballad of Ballard Berkley, you seen this yet?

I've seen and enjoyed the first two episodes. Here be mild spoilers...

Spoiler alert

It's perhaps inevitable that Key's character sort of comes across as a combination of Alan and Simon ‐ a pompous fool riddled with insecurities and a desperate need for validation ‐ but that doesn't bother me. Key is excellent, he's a naturally funny person, and the Gibbons give him lots of good material to work with.

Daisy May Cooper and Jessica Hynes are also great as, respectively, a sardonic woman accused of suckling from the Devil's teet and the hapless witchfinder's long‐suffering yet loyal assistant (a 17th century Lynn, basically).

It's pretty much what you'd expect really ‐ a vaguely Partridge‐esque farce with a touch of Blackadder and Python. That makes it sound amazing, I know. It's not amazing. But it's fun, likeable and consistently amusing. Would recommend.

[close]

[Jumblegraws]

Tim Key is cack

Utter faeces, delete your account.

[Utter Shit]

I've seen and enjoyed the first two episodes. Here be mild spoilers...

Spoiler alert

It's perhaps inevitable that Key's character sort of comes across as a combination of Alan and Simon ‐ a pompous fool riddled with insecurities and a desperate need for validation ‐ but that doesn't bother me. Key is excellent, he's a naturally funny person, and the Gibbons give him lots of good material to work with.

Daisy May Cooper and Jessica Hynes are also great as, respectively, a sardonic woman accused of suckling from the Devil's teet and the hapless witchfinder's long‐suffering yet loyal assistant (a 17th century Lynn, basically).

It's pretty much what you'd expect really ‐ a vaguely Partridge‐esque farce with a touch of Blackadder and Python. That makes it sound amazing, I know. It's not amazing. But it's fun, likeable and consistently amusing. Would recommend.

[close]

Can always rely on the big dog to come up with the early preview!

[MigraineBoy]

Q&A with Tim and Daisy over on the BBC press office:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/the-witchfinder

[gilbertharding]

Looking forward to this. Hope it's more Ghosts than Upstart Crow (to pluck two recent 'history based but otherwise completely unconnected' sitcoms at random).

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Can always rely on the big dog to come up with the early preview!

Hell yeah!

[Thosworth]

Unless that logo is only for the trailer, the fact they didn't use a ligature on the 'fi' in the title is going to upset me far more than it should every single time I see it.

(OK, and another one: Once again, apparently everyone in East Anglia has a West Country accent. Thank you BBC, is this what we pay our license fee for?)

[holyzombiejesus]

There's a really bad review in The Guardian.