At the end of the previous episode of Douglas is Cancelled, broadcaster Douglas Bellowes (Hugh Bonneville) was about to start a rehearsal with co-star Madeline Crow (Karen Gillan) to get him ready for an upcoming Hay Festival interview, which could turn awkward following his on-going social media scandal.
But it became apparent that Madeline knew more about the sexist joke that Douglas was accused of making at a wedding than she had previously let on…
Now, in episode 3, flashbacks unveil what makes Madeline tick, as we learn about a fateful interview she had to become Douglas’ co-presenter on nightly news show Live at Six.
Here’s everything that happened in episode 3 of Douglas is Cancelled…
The episode begins with a flashback to 20 years ago when a little Madeline Crow is engrossed by an interview that a younger Douglas is carrying out with a politician on TV, but her mum thinks she should be watching cartoons instead!
Then, we cut to 10 years ago when an older Madeline has gone to Douglas’ book signing and tells him she hopes to work in the media and asks him for advice. He tells her to work hard and be incredibly lucky but to give it a go.
As we get to three years ago, Madeline is backstage in the studio nervously watching Douglas on a screen. She tells Morgan (Nick Mohammed), the Live at Six comedy writer, that she might be coming to work there on the presenting side, but she is unimpressed by Morgan’s ‘humour’ and attitude towards women. She is then told that producer Toby (Ben Miles) has asked her to come back tomorrow to meet him before an awards ceremony at London's South Bank.
In Toby’s hotel room the next day, he tells her it’s not an interview, just an informal chat. She is expecting his female colleague, Julie, to be there too but she will apparently be back soon. He says Madeline is overqualified for the job and after she accuses him of being patronising, she apologises for being ‘spiky’. He then asks about her political activity at university, as her dad was a Labour MP but she says she has opinions of her own and when Toby touches her hand, she clearly feels awkward and takes it away. He then says he will be her ally as he is a feminist...
Douglas, who is about to receive a lifetime achievement award at the ceremony, then knocks on the door and says they are ready for Toby in the bar. When Douglas recognises Madeline, they greet each other warmly. She reminds him of when he signed her book. He is pleased that plans are in progress for her to join the show and says they should have a chat. Toby tries to get rid of him and Douglas’ daughter Claudia (Madeleine Power) arrives and says Douglas’ wife Sheila (Alex Kingston) wants him in the bar.
Once Douglas is gone, Toby jokes that Madeline and Douglas will have to keep their chemistry in check if they become co-stars, leaving Madeline embarrassed. She says she doesn’t fancy Douglas, but he is a national treasure and could be a mentor. Toby tells her to look elsewhere and that he, Toby, and Madeline are like minds and have an understanding. He tries to get her to have a drink, which she is very reluctant to do, and he admits that Julie has gone home. He also tells her that she should know that Douglas finds it ‘difficult to restrain his enthusiasm’. Madeline is perplexed as she didn’t feel Douglas was hitting on her and she asks if Douglas cheats on his wife, which Toby denies, but he also declares that he himself isn’t married any more and is available… He again insists he has a drink and he puts a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door.
Downstairs, Douglas asks Sheila what she knows about Madeline, and Sheila says she she is young and smart and there is nothing substantial on her but the picture desk on Sheila’s tabloid newspaper love her. Douglas slightly nervously tells Sheila that Toby is interviewing Madeline in his hotel room. He then chats to his agent Bently (Simon Russell Beale), who says they have to capitalise on the lifetime achievement award. But Douglas is more concerned about whether Bently has heard gossip about Toby and his attitude to women. Bently thought Toby was gay, and Douglas says he has just left his wife after 25 years...
Back in Toby’s room, he is still desperately trying to get Madeline to have her drink and he won’t tell her anything about Douglas until she has a sip. She grudgingly does and Toby says she must be used to male attention and how does she handle it? He touches her shoulder and she gently moves away and says that she deflects attention politely if they have been polite to her.
When Toby starts to run a bath, Madeline gets up to go. But he says the decision whether she gets the job depends on his recommendation and that she has mostly convinced him she is extraordinary. But, given the Douglases of the world, how robust is she? She asks if this is a test and it's clear that Toby's language is making her increasingly uncomfortable.
He then asks if she wants the job enough and she says she wants it far too much, which is why she is asking about Douglas. Toby says Douglas has certain attitudes that aren’t like theirs, because Toby and Madeline are feminists. He then asks her to check his bath and choose some bath salts that will be ‘their’ scent.
As he continues to undress, Toby carries on their discussion about feminism. She tells him to stop undressing and telling her what to think. But he asks her to undo his cufflinks, which she doesn’t feel is appropriate. He calls her a snowflake and tells her that the job needs to be about having a dialogue. Angrily, she advocates for human rights about all else and says she is leaving and won’t mention any of this again.
Mock-outraged, Toby says, ‘You don’t think I am propositioning you?’ and warns her that she might want to think twice, as he couldn’t work with someone who thought that about him. He goes into the bathroom and says they can carry on talking because she mustn’t leave on these terms, it would be unfair to him. When he asks if they are friends again, she reluctantly says yes and he asks her to come closer to the door and bring his papers and drink...
But then Douglas knocks on the door again and asks for Toby but tells Madeline he was really looking for her and asks her to come and have a drink and meet everyone. She says she is not sure it will work out. He says, ‘Don't be stuck with, “Fossil Man’’’, but then he sees the ‘Do Not Disturb' sign on the door and a steely look comes over his eyes. He leaves and wishes her luck and says that it is worth it, whatever you have to wade through – the advice Madeline tells Kate Garraway in episode one that Douglas once gave her. And Madeline goes back into the hotel room…
As we cut back to the present day, Madeline is about to run though the practice interview with Douglas. And Claudia, while at university, gets a direct message from someone who works with her dad. Madeline arrives and tells Sheila it will be fun. As we saw at the end of the previous episode, Sheila and Toby go into the viewing room, and Douglas looks anxious and says to Madeline that it’s ridiculous she is interviewing him and how can there be this fuss over a stupid joke. She says it wasn’t a joke, and, as she covers her mic, she says it was a story and all the men laughed and the story he told was about her. As Douglas frantically shouts for the recording to be stopped, she says she knows exactly what he said...
All episodes of Douglas Is Cancelled are available on ITVX.
