Catherine Tate was one of the best Doctor Who companions in recent memory, playing the role of Donna Noble opposite David Tennant’s portrayal of the 10th Doctor. Already well known in the UK for The Catherine Tate Show, the British comedy performer has created a created six-part women’s prison mockumentary Hard Cell for Netflix.

Here’s the logline: “Tate plays multiple characters as a documentary crew follows the inmates and staff of HMP Woldsley capturing the penal system at its brutal humorous best.”

Hard Cell is produced by Argonon-backed Leopard Pictures, which is behind Mackenzie Crook’s BBC show Worzel Gummidge.

Executive producer Kristian Smith said: “We cannot wait to show audiences on Netflix the inside of HMP Woldsley, our fictional prison occupied by the fantastic creations of Catherine Tate. This series is funny and touching all at once, revealing what life might be like in a British women’s correctional facility.”

Catherine Tate performed on Doctor Who as Donna Noble for 17 episodes between 2006 and 2011, but since then she’s been in all sorts of things. She was on The Office, a favorite of geekdom, between 2011 and 2013, playing the role of Nellie Bertam. She was the voice of Baba Yaga in the animated adventure Monster Family, and even had a turn at playing a magical duck as Magica de Spell in Disney’s Ducktales reboot between 2017 and 2021.

She is prolific, with 62 credits to her name as an actor, and 8 writing credits as well.

There’s no information yet on when Hard Cell will be viewable on Netflix, or who else might be starring in it.

Watch this space.

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