Photo: BBC

Another day, another bit of lockdown video gold as the employees of the newly/aptly named ‘Bounce Back Group’ gather to discuss BBC measures regarding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Downton Abbey‘s Hugh Bonneville, Monica Dolan, Sarah Parish, Jason Watkins, and David Westhead reprised their roles from the hit sitcom W1A with Fletcher leading the initial Zoom meeting. Fletcher informs his colleagues that the new group is replacing the Way Ahead Group and that its remit is to “…imagine what the new normal will look like and to begin to plot a path towards it from wherever it is that we are now”.

As part of the original ‘Way Ahead Group’ Bonneville’s character, former Head of Values Ian Fletcher, was tasked to clarify, define, or re-define the core purpose of the BBC across all its functions and to position it confidently for the future. Unfortunately, COVID-19 got in the way of ‘the future’ as mapped out by the Way Ahead Group, henceforth, the Bounce Back Group was formed.

It quickly becomes abundantly clear that the key to survival is programming. Isn’t that always the answer? 🙂