Tracey Ullman's Show

Did You Know?

• The show's first two series feature a laugh track recorded via live screenings before a studio audience at BBC Radio Theatre.
• Ullman assembled a writing team including Veep scribes Georgia Pritchett, Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley, with Jeremy Dyson of The League of Gentlemen as series writer and script supervisor.
• The show is produced by the BBC along with Allan McKeown Presents, the production company of Ullman's late husband, now run by Ullman.
• Filming on Series 2 began on 27 June 2016 and wrapped on 19 August, with guest star Ben Miller playing Rupert Murdoch.
• A sketch from Series 2 that turned the tables on victim blaming in sexual assault cases went viral, viewed over 32 million times.

Background

In late 2014, while promoting the film Into the Woods, Tracey Ullman revealed plans to write something new for television the following year. Her American Showtime series, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union, had run for three seasons, concluding in 2010. That show saw her imitating real people, a departure from playing only original characters, which she had not done since her early BBC days with Three of a Kind. In 2014, BBC One controller Charlotte Moore and head of comedy production Myfanwy Moore invited Ullman to discuss a new project.

The trio developed a concept: a multi-camera show in which Ullman plays a multitude of diverse characters living in or visiting the UK. While visiting, Ullman noted the large number of women now heading the broadcaster, a contrast to her earlier experience of five men in bow ties. She stated that the BBC still provides an environment allowing freedom to create the best shows. Ullman revealed her long-held desire to return to British television in 2015, saying she had lived in America but was never away from England, and was thrilled when the BBC called.

She noted that her last British project was with Michael Palin in 1992, a show about the class system. Ullman added that she enjoys the anonymity of living in London, allowing her to observe people on the tube without being recognised.

Tracey Breaks the News

In late May 2017, the BBC ordered a half-hour topical special for BBC One called Tracey Breaks the News, inspired by the upcoming UK general election. The show features impersonations of Angela Merkel, Nicola Sturgeon, and Ullman’s first portrayals of Theresa May and Melania Trump. Like her earlier series, it blends celebrities and ordinary people reacting to the election’s aftermath and the Brexit vote anniversary, with perspectives from the UK, Europe, and Russia. Ullman said she was thrilled to make the show, noting that fast-moving current events made it an ideal time to impersonate prominent political women.

Reception

Series 1 received generally favourable reviews, with a Metacritic rating of 70/100 based on 7 reviews. Several critics criticised the BBC for giving the show a 'graveyard' time slot; Ullman responded that she did not believe in 'appointment TV' anymore, as people could watch on catch-up. In the second series, a sketch involving Christian discrimination was praised by Christian commentators. A sketch turning the tables on victim blaming in sexual assault cases went viral on social media, even in China, and was viewed over 32 million times.

The show features Ullman impersonating public figures including Theresa May, Judi Dench, Nicola Sturgeon, Maggie Smith, Camilla Parker-Bowles, and Carole Middleton. She received considerable international attention for her portrayal of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On 23 June 2017, BBC One's The One Show received a statement from Merkel's office declining to comment due to her busy schedule.

International distribution

HBO picked up the American rights; the first season began airing 28 October 2016, and the second season on 20 October 2017. On 30 August, HBO announced a third season beginning 28 September 2018. The show made its international premiere in the United States at the 2018 Tribeca TV Festival on 21 September 2018, with a Q&A hosted by Meryl Streep. International distributor DRG also sold the third season to HBO Europe and ITV Choice in Asia as of September 2018.