Doctor Who star Catherine Tate to front new BBC comedy Queen of Oz
Tate will star as the black sheep of a fictional British Royal Family.
Catherine Tate is well known for her quirky comedic performances, most recently in Netflix’s prison mockumentary Hard Cell.
And now, she'll be taking on a new challenge in the form of BBC comedy series Queen of Oz.
The six-part series will follow Princess Georgiana (Tate), the black sheep of a fictional British Royal Family, who's shipped off to Australia to take over the throne from her father after her party lifestyle gets plastered all over the tabloids.
"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 ten thousand miles away from London," the official synopsis reads.
"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 will see Tate work alongside producer Michele Bennett (Mr Inbetween) and Executive Producer for Lingo Pictures, Helen Bowden (The Secrets She Keeps, Lambs of God).
Filming is set to kick off later this year in Australia and further casting will be announced in due course.
Jon Petrie, Director of BBC Comedy, said: "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."
Producer Bennett added: "Catherine Tate is such a superb talent and the team at Lingo Pictures couldn’t be more delighted to be working with her on this fabulously witty series. We know that Brits and Australians, as well as audiences around the world, are going to love this riotous take on royalty in Australia."
Tate rose to fame with her BBC sketch series The Catherine Tate Show (2004–2007), which was nominated for six BAFTAs and an Emmy Award.
She then appeared on Doctor Who as companion Donna Noble from 2006-2010 and has also starred in the US version of The Office from 2011-2013, as well as BBC One sitcom Big School from 2013-14.
In 2014, she reprised one of her characters from The Catherine Tate Show in BBC One spin-off series Catherine Tate's Nan.
Earlier this year, her first sitcom, Hard Cell, landed on Netflix, following a documentary crew who film the goings-on within the walls of prison HMP Woldsley.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
