History Series / Staged

''Staged'' is a British TV series that was first broadcast on [[Creator/TheBBC The BBC]] in June 2020, during the [[UsefulNotes/Covid19Pandemic Covid-19 pandemic]]. It is set during the aforementioned pandemic and stars Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/MichaelSheen. It ran for [[BritishBrevity six 15-minute episodes]], which were later released on {{Creator/Netflix}} as significantly extended versions. A second series of eight episodes followed in early 2021.

Season 2's premise is that [[MetaSequel the first season was so popular]] it is being [[TransatlanticEquivalent remade for the USA]], and Michael & David are the last people to find out. Filming is due to take place over there, so David & Michael are keen to make sure it happens with them so that they can break the monotony of pandemic quarantine.

* AsHimself: All but a few characters, although caricatured or parodied somewhat.
** Particularly prevalent in the string of actors auditioning to play David and Michael in the remake:

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Sosanya Nina Sosanya]] as Jo, who is financing the whole thing (series 1 and 2).

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Michael and David are stars in the UK, and behave accordingly. When faced with Dame Judi Dench and Samuel L. Jackson, though, they become deferential ''fast''.

The setup is that all the theatres are closed due to the pandemic. But the cast of a production of Luigi Pirandello's ''Theatre/SixCharactersInSearchOfAnAuthor'' has the idea to rehearse anyway via conference calling so that they will be ready to get into theatres the moment they reopen, and benefit from a theatre audience eager to be back. The plot follows the high-jinx that ensue as the big name stars struggle with keeping focused, and how they live their lives during lockdown.

* OneSceneWonder: Samuel L. Jackson and Judi Dench (twice) both fill this role.

* {{Wangst}}: David becomes increasingly existential and moody as the series continues, leading to a fall out with Michael in Season 2 who is sick of David's whining.

* AsHimself: All but two characters, although caricatured or parodied somewhat.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Sosanya Nina Sosanya]] as Jo, who is financing the whole thing.
* Rebecca Gage as Janine, Jo's assistant. She is never seen onscreen.

''Staged'' is a British TV series that was first broadcast on [[Creator/TheBBC The BBC]] in June 2020, during the [[UsefulNotes/Covid19Pandemic Covid-19 pandemic]]. It is set during the aforementioned pandemic and stars Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/MichaelSheen. It ran for [[BritishBrevity six 15-minute episodes]], which were later released on [[{{Creator/Netflix}} Netflix]] as significantly extended versions. A second series of eight episodes followed in early 2021.

The setup is that all the theatres are closed due to the pandemic. But the cast of a play named ''Theatre/SixCharactersInSearchOfAnAuthor'' has the idea to rehearse anyway via conference calling so that they will be ready to get into theatres the moment they reopen, and benefit from a theatre audience eager to be back. The plot follows the high-jinx that ensue as the big name stars struggle with keeping focused, and how they live their lives during lockdown.

* [[Creator/DavidTennant David Tennant]] as himself, an actor in the play.
* [[Creator/MichaelSheen Michael Sheen]] as himself, an actor in the play.

* [[Creator/SamuelLJackson Samuel L Jackson]] as himself.

* [[Creator/JudiDench Dame Judi Dench]] as herself.

* [[AsHimself As Themself]]: All but two characters, although caricatured or parodied somewhat.

* [[Creator/JudiDench Dame Judi Dench ]]as herself.

''Staged'' is a British TV series that was first broadcast on [[Creator/TheBBC The BBC]] in June 2020, during the [[UsefulNotes/Covid19Pandemic Covid-19 pandemic]]. It is set during the aforementioned pandemic and stars Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/MichaelSheen. It ran for [[BritishBrevity six 15-minute episodes]], which were later released on [[Creator/Netflix Netflix]] as significantly extended versions. A second series of eight episodes followed in early 2021.

''Staged'' is a British TV series that was broadcast on [[Creator/TheBBC The BBC]] between the 10th and 24th of June 2020, during the [[UsefulNotes/Covid19Pandemic Covid-19 pandemic]]. It is set during the aforementioned pandemic and stars Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/MichaelSheen. It ran for [[BritishBrevity six episodes]].

The setup is that all the theatres are closed due to the pandemic. But the cast of a play named ''[[Theatre/SixCharactersInSearchOfAnAuthor Six Characters In Search Of An Author]]'' has the idea to rehearse anyway via conference calling so that they will be ready to get into theatres the moment they reopen, and benefit from a theatre audience eager to be back. The plot follows the high-jinx that ensue as the big name stars struggle with keeping focused, and how they live their lives during lockdown.

''Staged'' is a British TV series that was broadcast on [[Creator/TheBBC The BBC]] between the 10th and 24th of June 2020, during the [[UsefulNotes/Covid19Pandemic Covid-19 pandemic]]. It is set during aforementioned pandemic and stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen. It ran for [[BritishBrevity six episodes]].

The setup is that all the theatres are closed. But the cast of a play named ''[[Theatre/SixCharactersInSearchOfAnAuthor Six Characters In Search Of An Author]]'' has the idea to rehearse anyway via conference calling so that they will be ready to get into theatres the moment they reopen, and benefit from a theatre audience eager to be back. The plot follows the high-jinx that ensue as the big name stars struggle with keeping focused, and how they live their lives during lockdown.

* TemptingCookieJar: A rehearsal exercise about a cookie jar bookends the show.

TheAlcoholic: Michael certainly seems to be setting himself up as this, even using having got up in time to paint the dawn as an excuse to start drinking mid-afternoon (and come up with a scheme to dispose of the bottles), though in fairness everyone is drinking a lot under lockdown.

* PrecisionFStrike: David's response to Dame Judi Dench's first appearance.

The setup is that all the theatres are closed. But the cast of a play named [[Theatre/SixCharactersInSearchOfAnAuthor Six Characters In Search Of An Author]] has the idea to rehearse anyway via conference calling so that they will be ready to get into theatres the moment they reopen, and benefit from a theatre audience eager to be back. The plot follows the high-jinx that follows as the big name stars struggle with keeping focused, and how they live their lives during lockdown.

* [[AsHimself As Themself]]: all but two characters, although caricatured or parodied somewhat.

** [[spoiler:The Cookie Jar from the opening episode gets a callback right at the end of the final episodes.]]
* CreditsGag: The arguments David and Michael have over this tend to affect the real life credits.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: the Covid-19 pandemic provides a backdrop for the show, and the motivation for writing it. It also gives a reason for the various characters to only interact through video conferencing, so it can be filmed that way. Also, the writer and director was about to start rehearsing a real play when production was shut down due to lockdown, just like in this show.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: the

** the argument over who gets their name first in the credits. Doubles as TruthInTelevision and spills over into several [[CreditsGag credits gags]]

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: the Covid-19 pandemic provides a backdrop for the show, and the motivation for writing it. It also gives a reason for the various characters to only interact through video conferencing, so it can be filmed that way. Also, the writer and director was about to start rehearsing a real play when production was shut down due to lockdown, just like in this show.
* RippedFromTheHeadlines: the

* RunningGag:
** the argument over who gets their name first in the credits. Doubles as TruthInTelevision and spills over into several [[CreditsGag credits gags]]
** Individual episodes tend to get their own running gags.
* CreditsGag: The arguments David and Michael have over this tend to affect the real life credits.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Writer and director Simon Evans wrote a series where his character is trying to write and direct a play.
* ActorAllusion: Not surprising really. But David and Michael do often talk about their previous acting roles.
* OneSceneWonder: Samuel L. Jackson and Judi Dench (twice) both fill this role.
* BathroomStallOfOverheardInsults: Done over the phone. Deliberately invoked later.

``Staged`` is a British TV series that was broadcast on [[Creator/TheBBC The BBC]] between the 10th and 24th of June 2020, during the [[UsefulNotes/Covid19Pandemic Covid-19 pandemic]]. It is set during aforementioned pandemic and stars David Tennant and Michael Sheen. It ran for [[BritishBrevity six episodes]].

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Evans_(director) Simon Evans]] as himself, the director of the play. He also wrote and directed ``Staged``.