TV’s Most Famous Door Gets Its Own Sit-Down: Steven Moffat Unleashes Political Comedy-Drama
Steven Moffat has found a brand-new obsession, and this time it isn’t time travel, Victorian detectives, or morally complicated puzzles. Instead, he’s turned his attention to the most recognisable front door on Earth. Number 10 is Moffat’s upcoming comedy-drama set inside Downing Street, promising political chaos, workplace absurdity, and the kind of sharp dialogue that makes you laugh before you realise it’s uncomfortably close to reality.
This is not a documentary, nor is it a satire of any real political party. The government at the heart of Number 10 is entirely fictional, allowing the show to focus on the timeless madness of power rather than the headlines of the day. According to Moffat, it’s about “the madhouse that runs the madhouse” — a single building attempting to contain the ambitions, egos and caffeine dependencies of modern governance.
One House, Infinite Chaos
Set entirely within the Prime Minister’s residence and workplace, Number 10 treats the building itself as a character. The Prime Minister may technically be in charge, but the house has other ideas. Somewhere above, the PM is trying to run the country. Below, in the basement, a conspiracy-minded café manager is quietly convinced the real decisions are being made near the milk fridge. In between, over-stretched advisers argue over office space, crisis meetings collide with lunch orders, and even the famously resident Downing Street cat becomes part of the daily circus.
It’s a single location, but one that reflects the whole country under pressure — Britain condensed into corridors, stairwells, and rooms where history is made five minutes after someone spills coffee on a policy document.
Who’s Running the Country This Time?
At the centre of the storm is Rafe Spall, taking on the role of the fictional Prime Minister. Known for moving effortlessly between drama and comedy, Spall plays a leader whose biggest mistakes sometimes happen after a long lunch — with consequences that can escalate far beyond a mild headache.
Alongside him is Jenna Coleman, reuniting with Moffat after their Doctor Who collaboration. She plays the Deputy Chief of Staff, a role that requires equal parts political instinct, emotional intelligence, and the ability to keep a straight face while everything collapses around her. Katherine Kelly rounds out the leadership trio as the formidable Chief of Staff, a character who understands that power is less about speeches and more about knowing where the metaphorical (and literal) bodies are buried.
Together, the cast brings a distinctly British blend of competence, panic, sarcasm and quiet despair to the inner workings of government.
Moffat, Doors, and Disaster
Steven Moffat has joked that he’s always been fascinated by famous buildings. After 221B Baker Street and the TARDIS, Number 10 Downing Street was the next obvious step. What excites him isn’t policy or politics, but proximity — the way world-changing decisions are often made in rooms where someone is worrying about a broken printer or an over-steep teabag.
While the show leans heavily into comedy, it doesn’t shy away from the emotional and ethical weight of leadership. The laughs come from the systems, the misunderstandings, and the very human flaws of people tasked with impossible responsibility. It’s less about mocking politics and more about exposing the chaos that naturally arises when flawed humans attempt to run a country from a single building.
When Can We Watch?
Number 10 has been commissioned by Channel 4 and is produced by Hartswood Films, the company behind Sherlock and Dracula. Filming is underway, with a broadcast expected in 2026. Direction comes from Ben Palmer, whose experience balancing character-driven comedy with grounded storytelling makes him an ideal match for Moffat’s tone.
Final Word
Number 10 looks set to be one of those rare shows that manages to be sharp without being cynical, funny without being flippant, and absurd without losing its sense of reality. It’s a reminder that behind every grand political gesture is a cramped office, a stressed adviser, and someone desperately trying to remember where they left their notes.
The door at Downing Street has seen a lot over the years. In 2026, it’s finally going to tell its own story — and judging by Moffat’s track record, it’s going to be loud, clever, and very, very British.