Kenneth Branagh as Boris Johnson in “This England”.

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Boris Johnson is at the center of “This England”, a mini-series about how the Covid pandemic has affected Great Britain. But a few weeks before the premiere, the prime minister resigned.

– In many ways it made the whole thing easier, says director Michael Winterbottom.

It took off on September 6 this year Boris Johnson As Prime Minister of Great Britain. Three weeks later, the first scene Viaplay “This England” is a miniseries about Johnson and his government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

One can imagine the series creators swearing that their series lost relevance when it didn’t depict a sitting head of government.

But Michael Winterbottom Dispels those thoughts immediately.

– It doesn’t matter that Boris resigned. In many ways, this simplifies the whole thing. Had he still been prime minister, Winterbottom says many would have been forced to jump to his defense and continues:

– Now that that era is over, people can watch this series.

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No portrait

Boris Johnson is the protagonist of the series, but Winterbottom emphasizes that it is not primarily a sentimental portrait of him. This is how Winterbottom wanted to portray the Covid pandemic.

Many of Michael Winterbottom’s films were close to documentary, such as his most famous work, “The Road to Guantanamo,” about a British Muslim imprisoned in an American prison camp in Cuba.

“This England” is a drama, but the series tries to be as close to reality as possible in the story of how the Prime Minister’s staff, officials and the health system in Downing Street acted in the first phase of the epidemic.

From the first reports of a mysterious new virus in China to the “lockdown” in Great Britain in the spring and early summer of 2020. All are based on interviews with relevant decision makers.

– We spoke to people at various levels who have worked at Downing Street all the time. We spoke to people from the Ministry of Social Affairs, researchers, doctors, nurses and other health workers. And with patients, Winterbottom says.

The Prime Minister has played a very iconic corpse Kenneth Branagh And much of the prequel talk surrounding the series revolved around his portrayal of the character. Branagh tried to capture Boris Johnson’s irrational mannerisms, slightly clumsy body movements and his unruly hairstyle.

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Johnson as a prankster

He plays him a bit exaggerated, a bit clownish, almost?

– said sternly, Winterbottom replies. But playing Boris is difficult. People have a strong impression of him and he has been known for a long time.

The series shows two sides of the Prime Minister. Johnson’s outgoing persona in public is in stark contrast to how he is portrayed in private as he struggles with his relationship with partner Carrie and children.

– Boris has a buffoonish and clownish personality in public. But we also wanted to show another picture of him alone with his family. But our Boris is, if possible, less of a clown than he really is.

The story being told is how government officials make bad judgments when they fail to understand the gravity of what is happening and don’t take tough enough action. It is easy to interpret the series as a criticism of Britain’s efforts to contain the epidemic.

– Mistakes are made and people will see it. But we try to show what happened without deciding whether it is right or wrong. “We try to avoid that,” says Michael Winterbottom.

TT: The pandemic is just around the corner, isn’t it too soon to make a series about it?

– No, this is something that happens once in a generation or once in a century. We sat alone but felt a sense of unity. Many compared it to wartime experiences. Considering that and the tens of thousands of people who died, it raises a lot of important questions and if we can capture it so close to the events, it feels meaningful.

“This England” premieres on September 30 on Viaplay.