Steve Coogan reveals cut Brian and Maggie scene that was "too kind"

Ahead of Brian and Maggie being released, Steve Coogan – who plays Walden and serves as executive producer – told Radio Times magazine that a scene had been cut from the series edit, on account of being "too kind" to Thatcher.

He had said: "In fact, in the edit we cut something because I thought it was a bit too kind and we wanted to remind people that there was this damage."

Well, Coogan was pressed on the scene in question at a screening of the series. When asked what the scene actually was, Coogan revealed: “I think it was the line where [Brian] said 'She’s worth 100 of them', I thought it was too syrupy for him to say that after having stabbed the knife in.

"I thought raising a glass to her, which is what he does, was sufficient without the line. I thought it was best for him to be more subtle and raise a glass.”

Of course, Coogan is referring to the post-interview awkward scene that unfolds after the cameras have stopped rolling.

Having clearly been taken aback by the interview and the way in which Brian quizzed her, Harriet Walter's Thatcher is clearly uncomfortable as he comes to get a drink with her and the rest of the London Weekend Television team.

Making her excuses, Thatcher leaves, and we're to understand that in real life, the pair never exchanged another word to each other.

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While the team behind the series have made plainly evident that they in no way sympathise with Thatcher or agree with her politics, Coogan also admitted that because they were so aware of that, they almost went "the other way" in terms of their portrayal of her.

Speaking about cutting that scene, Coogan also said: "I did [cut a scene], yeah, I won’t deny it. I didn’t want it to be some kind of rehabilitation for Margaret Thatcher. I wanted it to be something that was balanced.

"Even though Brian decided to stick the knife in, it depends the way you look at it – for journalistic reasons or to save his own skin, depending on your own perspective. It was important we got the balance right.

"Funnily enough, lots of people who are broadly speaking on the left of the linear political spectrum – who made this programme – were so determined not to turn this into some heavy-handed polemic, that we were possibly in danger of going the other way."

Also speaking previously to Radio Times magazine, Coogan shared more about Thatcher's legacy, stating: "But her legacy is indisputable – that post-war consensus that she undid was tired and something needed to change, and she came along and made that change very clear.

"She had vision and zeal, but she lacked empathy. Now, she’d probably be diagnosed with some sort of disorder."

Brian and Maggie continues on Channel 4 on Thursday 30th January at 9pm.

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