The Stage

Lindsay set to reprise Tony Blair role

Published Thursday 2 March 2006 at 10:55 by Liz Thomas

Channel 4 is working on a new political drama starring Robert Lindsay as Tony Blair following the popularity of A Very Social Secretary.

The show is a satirical prediction of what the prime minister might do once he steps down from office and is being penned by Alistair Beaton, who also wrote the drama about David Blunkett.

Beaton has already started working on a script and Lindsay has said he would like to reprise his role as Blair. The production would premiere on Channel 4’s digital sister station More4.

Channel head, Peter Dale, said: “Alistair Beaton is writing another script. Robert Lindsay is very keen to do Tony Blair again. It would be a romp about what might happen to the prime minister in the future.”

It is expected to be ready by the end of the year but the broadcaster has said it could be a bit of a race against time to air it before Blair actually resigns. A Very Social Secretary was aired on More4’s launch night to general acclaim and pulled in almost 500,000 viewers.

Dale made the comments at the launch of Channel 4’s spring schedules, highlights of which include dramas All in the Game starring Ray Winstone and tackling corruption in football and Michael Winterbottom’s award-winning Road to Guantanamo. There is also a new US import called What About Brian from Lost creator JJ Abrams.