It was the smash hit British comedy that made her a household name and won her a slew of awards on both sides of the Atlantic.
But it seems male Amazon executives ‘tore apart’ the second series of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s acclaimed Fleabag and ‘demanded’ she recast Andrew Scott just days before filming was due to begin.
Following the success of the first BBC-funded series, Amazon swooped in with an injection of cash for its second series but had a number of demands in the writer’s room, a BBC commissioning editor has claimed.
Luckily, Waller-Bridge, 38, – who went on to sign a £47m deal with the US streamer – stuck to her guns and stayed true to her initial vision, which won her a Bafta and a Golden Globe.
Shane Allen, co-founder of Boffola Pictures and the man who initially commissioned Fleabag for the BBC, told the Radio Times she was afforded ‘creative freedom’ when it was being funded entirely by the BBC.
Amazon executives ‘tore apart’ the second series of Phoebe Waller-Bridge ’s acclaimed Fleabag and ‘demanded’ she recast Andrew Scott just days before filming was due to begin
Luckily Ms Waller-Bridge, 38, – who went on to sign a £47m deal with the US streamer – stuck to her guns and stayed true to her initial vision, which won her a Bafta and a Golden Globe
But, he said, after accepting additional funding from Amazon, a ‘whole raft of US male execs turned up to the read-through.’
He said that, bearing in mind ‘this was a piece exploring self-destructive feminism,’ the executives ‘proceeded to tear the show apart and demand Andrew Scott was recast with only four days until the shoot started.’
He added: ‘Anyone less effervescently charming and smart than Phoebe would have buckled.’
Scott, 47, who played the love interest of Fleabag, was an enormous hit with viewers and was dubbed ‘Hot Priest’ by fans.
He has since become an internationally acclaimed acting star, earning a BAFTA nomination for his appearance in this year’s All of Us Strangers and the lead role in Netflix’s The Talented Mr Ripley adaptation.
Fleabag, which aired its first series in 2016 and its second in 2019, became a global phenomenon and was received Golden Globes for Best Television Series and Best Actress for Ms Waller-Bridge.
Allen said that British channels and production companies are forced to turn to international streaming services due to ‘increasing production costs’ and a lack of money in the sector.
‘Channel 4 has advertising woes, the BBC’s licence fee freeze has a huge impact,’ he said.
Shane Allen, co-founder of Boffola Pictures and the man who initially commissioned Fleabag for the BBC, told the Radio Times she was afforded ‘creative freedom’ when it was being funded entirely by the BBC
But, he said, after accepting additional funding from Amazon, a ‘whole raft of US male execs turned up to the read-through.’
‘But comedy punches well above its weight. Ten years ago, it was seen as a high-cost high-fail genre, while reality shows cost a fraction of the price.
‘But broadcasters now know that comedy becomes incredibly good value and reaches young viewers.’
Comedian Lee Mack, 55, said the reason there is a lack of new British sitcoms, is partly due to a lack of working-class comedians coming through.
‘There aren’t younger comics coming through wanting to write them. You can have a whole debate about why. I think part of it might be class-based,’ he said.
