Nearly an entire calendar year since we entered a state of widespread lockdown around the globe in an attempt to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, the day-to-day lives of people around the globe continue to be inhibited by the restrictions said lockdown has imposed. From social distancing mandates to the closure of a variety of public settings, ranging from restaurants to retail stores, most people’s idea of normal has been seismically disrupted since the beginning of 2020. As time passes on, it becomes increasingly clear that this is a time period that will resonate throughout world history for decades, if not centuries, to come. As a result, more and more parties are attempting to document the pandemic and the impacts it has had around the globe, with Sky TV in the United Kingdom being next in line.
While more and more individuals attempt to cash in on the pandemic, Sky TV will be next in line as they have announced plans to produce a 5-part series about the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts around the globe. This new special will be titled The Sceptered Isle and will focus on the U.K.’s response to COVID-19 since the beginning of 2020 and how the pandemic has been handled on all levels. Much of the focus will be put upon British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government however, as it has been reported that Kenneth Branagh is set to play Johnson in the upcoming special. Branagh’s name is especially notable in this context as a film he starred in this past summer, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, was one of few films to actually make it to theaters in 2020, giving the actor a nuanced and interesting perspective regarding the current pandemic. The series is set to be directed and written by the talented English filmmaker Michael Winterbottom whose resume in film and television dates back to 1988, ensuring he has the historical perspective to bring a project like this to light and do it justice.
The U.K. has certainly felt the impacts of COVID-19, currently ranked as the 5th country in the world with over 3 million confirmed cases of the illness since this all began. While the darkest days are, hopefully, behind us, there is still much ground to cover to put an end to COVID-19 once and for all. With that being said however, we can only continue down the path we are on and continue to put our best foot forward in combating COVID-19. As more vaccines continue to hit the shelves and distribution becomes more widespread, slowly but surely we can make COVID-19 a thing of the past. Sky TV does not plan on releasing their special until Fall 2022, and hopefully by then we are reflecting upon history instead of living in it.
