MoodyComedy

Catastrophe

TV Review: Catastrophe, Series 2

November 23, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Catastrophe is back with a bang. Written by Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, time has moved on since the dramatic events of the last episode we saw back in January of this year.

Sharon’s baby bump, the reason that the pair are now married and living permanently in the UK, is now a toddler. Time has actually progressed to such an extent that episode one of the new series sees the pair welcome a second baby into the world: Moirin (assuming that this is the correct spelling; a suspecting extended family are assured that it’s an Irish name, and that she is not in fact called ‘Moron’). The humorous social and cultural ignorance shown towards the baby’s name, when teamed with the sudden, crude death of the family dog, certainly sets the tone for series two of this dark-humoured sitcom.

© Channel 4

© Channel 4

The ‘loser’ status of both characters, though particularly Sharon’s, seems to have elevated since series one but this serves as a surprising relationship strengthener for the couple who stand united against various bitchy false friends and family members (clearly showing that if the company is right, it doesn’t matter how small said company is). The onscreen connection has also cemented, showing that this fictional couple are genuinely friends as well as lovers, which is a great credit to Horgan and Delaney’s writing if nothing else and arguably serves as a platform for the darker humour scattered throughout the dialogue. It shouldn’t make us laugh, but somehow Rob referring to Sharon as a “psycho bitch” in French definitely does.

It is surprising, perhaps, that the children don’t play all too big a role in this comedy; Sharon and Rob are still, arguably rightly so, the integral focus of the narrative. In fact, it feels in many ways as though the majority of the characters in Catastrophe are inconsequential add-ons to the storyline, it often seems as though the couple don’t even notice when others are around, but this doesn’t mean to say that the extended cast do not bring their own elements of hilarity with them. Mark Bonnar and Ashley Jensen return to series two as fraught and bitter Scottish hardly-couple, Chris and Fran, and this pairing undoubtedly brings another dark element to the programme, which seems to be a recurring theme with Catastophe.

Catastrophe is a sitcom brimming with suppressed and entirely inappropriate giggles, with Horgan and Delaney effortlessly capturing the essence of what it means to be human; namely, being innately and irrepressibly self-centred.

CATCH UP WITH SERIES TWO OF CATASTROPHE ON ALL 4

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Catastrophe, Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan, Sitcom

TV Review: Catastrophe

February 24, 2015 by Becca Moody 1 Comment
Catastrophe

Photo: The Guardian

Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan have written and starred in a hilarious new Channel 4 sitcom about a couple expecting a baby despite only knowing each other for a few months. Here we have a comedy that is truly innovative; it is upbeat, contemporary and bold.

Doll & Em-like in its tone, Catastrophe is one of those programmes that warms the heart as well as making you laugh, which is a wonderful quality to have. Rob and Sharon’s onscreen relationship is endearing and it is a joy to watch the characters blossom into a well-rounded comedy unit. The episodes build in tension as Sharon and Rob and their various family members and friends often miscommunicate and keep things from each other, but the reactions of the characters are never what we expect. The typical format is entirely reversed.

Sharon Horgan brings her charming personality to the character of Sharon, effortlessly slipping into a much darker humour throughout which is a fiendish delight (like muttering “I hope he hits her” when the pair encounter a young arguing couple). Rob’s character borders on socially inept in some respects which, paired with his almost-freakish height (note his constant ducking through door frames) means he frequently looks and presents himself as comically awkward, but not slapstick, which is skilfully avoided.

© Tim Bret Day

Photo: Tim Bret Day

The incredible Carrie Fisher stars in a smaller role as Rob’s straight-talking American mother, along with the actresses very own dog (who is, by the way, brilliantly named Gary Fisher). Catastrophe has an excellent cast that fit together well, with Mark Bonnar and Ashley Jensen playing interesting and often antagonistic roles that create a hilarious dynamic. The show also picks up on many awkward communication difficulties faced within families, which adds to the personal feel of the programme as a whole.

I adored watching the first series of Catastrophe and the critical response has been incredibly promising. I’m confident that the second series will be even better than the first and look forward to watching the characters develop and their relationships evolve.

Catch up with this fantastic sitcom on 4OD now.

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Carrie Fisher, Catastrophe, Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan, Sitcom
Tweets by @moodycomedy

Categories

  • Ask The Expert
  • Books
  • Comedian Of The Month
  • Comedians
  • Comedy Catch Up
  • Comedy Circle
  • Edinburgh
  • Films
  • Interviews
  • Live Comedy
  • News
  • Podcasts
  • Previews
  • Quarantine Questions
  • Radio
  • Reviews
  • Revisited
  • Seven Questions With…
  • Television Shows
  • Top 5 Moments
  • Uncategorized
  • Web Series

Recent Posts

  • Step into the surreal with Vic Reeves Big Night Out
  • Interview: Johnny White Really-Really (Lunchwatch
  • Interview: Zoe Tomalin and Charlie Dinkin (SeanceCast)
  • Podcast Picks: Cuddle Club
  • Interview: Kevin James Doyle, The 30 Year Old Virgin

Archives

Instagram

[instagram-feed]

Copyright © 2025 MoodyComedy.

Omega WordPress Theme by ThemeHall