Viewers of BBC comedy Twenty Twenty Six have reacted to the first episode of the brand new series, as the hit show made a comeback twelve years after W1A, and fourteen after Twenty Twelve. It sees Hugh Bonneville reprise his role as Ian Fletcher, now the Director of Integrity behind an international football tournament, while Hugh Skinner returns as Will Humphries, his PA.
The entire series is now streaming on BBC iPlayer, while episodes will continue to air weekly on BBC Two. And the good news is that the early reviews on social media are overwhelmingly positive.
“Just watched the first episode of #twentytwentysix and it is absolutely f***ing brilliant,” wrote one viewer on X.
BBC
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“Watched 1st ep of #TwentyTwentySix & am pleased to report it is wonderful,” said someone else; while a third posted simply: “This is f***ing perfect.”
Jokes about FIFA went down particularly well, with one post summarising: “Already laughing every time they say F-bleeeep-A!”
Critics’ reviews have also been positive, with The Times awarding four stars and saying “we have another very funny comedy on our hands.”
The Telegraph gave the same rating, praising “more of the same satire and buffoonery”, while a three-star review from The Independent – though a little more mixed – called the “the two Hughs” a “delight”.
BBC
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On his favourite moments in the upcoming episodes, Bonneville told the BBC: “There’s a debate over a micro-chip in a football, which of course, is based on real life, but it all gets a bit out of hand. And there’s a slip of the tongue – live on radio – by one of Ian’s colleagues, which spirals and goes viral.”
Skinner, meanwhile, mused of his own character: “Will hasn’t really changed in between W1A and Twenty Twenty Six nor does he throughout the new series and that is part of the glorious thing about John Morton’s characters – they don’t ever really change that much.
“But one of the things I really liked in the new series, is the fact Ian takes Will aside and tells him not to apologise for himself and to have a bit more confidence, and it’s fine to be how he is. I thought it was such a beautifully different scene and I found it very moving when I read it.”
All episodes of Twenty Twenty Six are now streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online; specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who’ll listen.