In this political satire, a supermarket manager’s grassroots campaign against a cynical political class unexpectedly propels her into 10 Downing Street.
Ros Pritchard (Jane Horrocks), the manager of a supermarket in Eatanswill, Yorkshire, becomes disgusted with the empty promises of the local parliamentary candidates. In a moment of sheer frustration, she decides to stand for election herself. Her plain-speaking, common-sense platform resonates with a disillusioned public, and her Purple Alliance party gains unstoppable momentum. To the astonishment of the political establishment, she wins a landslide victory and becomes Prime Minister. Ros, along with her supportive but overwhelmed husband Ian (Steven Mackintosh) and their two daughters, must adapt to their new life while she attempts to govern with the same straightforward principles that won her the election, including a radical plan to relocate Parliament to Bradford.
The serial functions as a modern political fable from writer Sally Wainwright, using its fantastical premise to examine public apathy and the perceived failures of the professional political class. Its narrative is a direct challenge to the idea that governance is best left to career politicians, suggesting instead that integrity and pragmatism are the most valuable assets. The production’s tone is defiantly optimistic, presenting a vision of a Britain eager for authentic leadership. This idealism is anchored by a grounded, domestic focus on the Pritchard family, a typical Wainwright strength. The regular use of cameos from real-life BBC journalists such as Jeremy Paxman and John Humphrys gave the fiction a sharp, satirical edge and a veneer of authenticity.
Broadcast: BBC One, 6 Episodes, Tuesdays, 3 October – 7 November 2006
Written by: Sally Wainwright
Directors: Simon Curtis, Declan Lowney
Producer: Karen Lewis
Executive Producers: Sally Wainwright, Nicola Shindler, Gareth Neame
Main Cast: Jane Horrocks (Ros Pritchard), Steven Mackintosh (Ian Pritchard), Carey Mulligan (Emily Pritchard), Holliday Grainger (Georgina Pritchard), Janet McTeer (Catherine Walker), Jodhi May (Miranda Frayle), Selina Cadell (Hillary)
