Channel 4 docuseries about Grantham Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s defining political interview will star Steve Coogan
One of history's most famous political interviews airs on Channel 4 this week.
Brian and Maggie centres on the 1989 showdown between Brian Walden and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Grantham's divisive daughter.
It was a 45-minute exchange that set the stage for Thatcher's resignation.
Starring Steve Coogan and Harriet Walter, the series explores the friendship and tension between Walden and Thatcher.
Written by James Graham (Sherwood, Quiz), the drama explores the infamous interview and the months leading up to it.
Power struggles within Thatcher’s cabinet, particularly after Chancellor Lawson's resignation, set the stage for her own departure, with Walden's personal doubts creating a charged backdrop.
The series highlights how their friendship blurred the lines between journalist and politician, ultimately resulting in a tense and revealing moment on air.
Coogan, best known as Alan Partridge, portrays the interviewer who challenged Thatcher during her dominance.
"The story to me was a fascinating one, which was this political love story of sorts between a disillusioned Labour politician and Margaret Thatcher,” he said.
Coogan describes their relationship as a 'sparring and dance,' and Thatcher as a divisive figure who, in his view, damaged community values and mutual support, opposing the 'I'm alright Jack' philosophy his parents expressed.
He described her divisive legacy, particularly due to policies that disregarded the post-war consensus.
Coogan, who grew up watching Walden’s interviews, felt natural empathy with his character.
“What really interests me is the paradox that she and Brian Walden were outside of the establishment, which I identify with.
“I feel comfortable being outside the establishment, but I want to succeed in a way that the establishment has to acknowledge, and I think Brian Walden and Margaret Thatcher felt the same – which allows me to have empathy for both of them in that regard."
Walden's style of in-depth questioning made him stand out in an era dominated by shorter interviews.
Coogan believes the story reflects Thatcher’s radical agenda and its long-term effects on society.
"Post-war consensus was interrupted by Margaret Thatcher and her ideology... we can now look at it through the lens of history,” he said.
He draws a parallel to the current control of the establishment and the regression of opportunities for people from modest backgrounds.
Coogan reflects on how the decline of full-length political interviews, in favour of short, soundbite-driven formats, has impacted proper discussion.
He laments the lack of in-depth scrutiny politicians once subjected themselves to.
“The problem is people’s attention span, so therefore it looks unlikely... it makes you look back misty-eyed at a time when people did their homework," he said.
Walter, celebrated for her roles in Succession and Ted Lasso, brings Thatcher’s steely resolve and political prowess to life.
She saw modern relevance, especially in the shift from in-depth interviews like Walden’s to today’s quick soundbites.
Walter views Thatcher’s era as unusual, pointing out the conservative shift in both the UK and the US with Reagan and Thatcher.
She reflected on Thatcher's feminism, noting that, despite being a pioneering woman in power, her policies did little for other women.
She acknowledged the significance of a woman reaching the top of politics but said: “Thatcher was no feminist sympathiser, and I regret that hers has been the role model for other female Tory politicians.”
“However, while shooting this story, I kept seeing things from her point of view, especially as a woman surrounded by men, and that coloured my way into her.
“It was my way into empathising with her, it was my way into understanding her.
“It was being a woman in that situation, and everything about her rigidity and her personality, or her public persona, was about trying to prove to the boys that she could be as tough as them.
“It gave feminism a bad name and didn’t help women really, but as a feminist woman playing her, I couldn’t not see it through that prism.”
Directed by Stephen Frears (A Very English Scandal), Brian and Maggie dives into one of the most compelling political relationships of the late 20th century.
Born Margaret Hilda Roberts in 1925, she grew up at her father’s grocery shop in North Parade.
She was head girl at Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, then studied at Oxford before becoming MP for Finchley.
After becoming PM, she was widely praised for her leadership style, including a steadfast, unflinching determination and a strong will, earning her the name the Iron Lady.
Her policies, including attacking trade unions, closing coal mines, introducing the poll tax, and ending free school milk, brought heavy criticism.
Thatcher’s legacy remains a topic of debate in her hometown, with the statue on St Peter's Hill often at the centre of divided opinions.
Brian and Maggie airs at 9pm on Channel 4 tomorrow (Wednesday, January 29) with the second episode at the same time on Thursday.
Will you be tuning in? Share your views in the comments below.
