Catherine Tate

Queen of Oz – BBC announce new Catherine Tate comedy

Posted by Filed under

The Doctor Who star is set to inherit the fictional Australian throne! 

The BBC have announced that they’re transporting Catherine Tate to Australia. She’s set to star in a new show, Queen of Oz, which she has co-created and will also executive produce.

Here’s the premise:

Princess Georgiana (Tate) is the black sheep of a fictional British Royal Family. A PR disaster, she’s spent her spoilt, party-girl life plastered over the tabloids. On the back of her latest scandal her father, the King, makes the unprecedented move of abdicating his Australian throne in favour of his daughter. It is hoped that giving her some real responsibility will finally be the making of her – and if it isn’t, at least shipping her off keeps her 10,000 miles away from London.

Accompanied by a useless entourage, Queen Georgiana of Australia goes kicking and screaming to a country she has zero interest in beyond the Hemsworth Brothers.

Queen of Oz is a 6-part, 30-minute comedy show. Written by Catherine Tate and Jeff Gutheim, it’s from an original idea by Tate and Borga Dorta. The show’s producers are Michele Bennett and directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren. A co-production with ABC Australia, it comes from Lingo Pictures in association with The Development Partnership.

Queen of Oz will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Back on the BBC

With Tate’s last show Hard Cell a production for Netflix, the BBC’s Head of Comedy Jon Petrie seems thrilled to have the star back:

“It’s time to roll out the red carpet. And hang up the bunting again. We’re excited to have the multi-award-winning Catherine Tate back making another comedy for the BBC. Her work has been enjoyed by millions over the years and we look forward to working with her on another hit for us.”

Filming on Queen of Oz begins in Australia later this year – we’ll keep you posted.

Donna Noble

In the meantime, fans wait patiently for further details of Catherine Tate’s return as Donna for Doctor Who‘s 60th Anniversary in 2023. Presumably, more may become clear after the show’s BBC Centenary Special, which airs this October.