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Sharon Horgan

BBC Sitcom Season: The Pilots

October 19, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Some of comedy’s hottest names have been busy working on new sitcom pilots for BBC iPlayer, airing in September, with the hope of these creative projects later being picked up for a television series.

First up is The Coopers Vs The Rest, a depiction of the turmoils of adopting within a modern day family, with its difficulties involving fitting in with other families, or getting along with other parents. This young family in particular has a very interesting dynamic, with mum Tess (played by Tanya Franks) and Frankie (Erin Kellyman) partaking in consistently sarcastic back and forth that has the warmness of love still beneath it. The dialogue is quick and often unexpected, with each character giving as good as they get, even little eleven-year-old Alisha.

Other pilots include Chris Fewtrell and Simon Crowther’s Home From Home, which follows the Hackett family as they move to their new lodge at Lake View Holiday Park. With Johnny Vegas playing the lead (father, Neil Hackett), supported by Joanna Page as wife, Fiona, this narrative is one of unspoken judgements and stupid faux pas, making for fraught and funny viewing. Next up is Julie Thacker Scully’s latest writing project, Our Ex Wife, which features Robert Webb’s trademark cutting and sarcastic narration throughout. Although a completely different concept to Peep Show, Webb’s idiosyncratic style of self-commentary still really works within the sitcom format, with the tensions between Jack (Webb), fiancé Sara (Melanie Lynskey) and Jack’s ex wife Hillary (Victoria Hamilton) providing relief from the gruesome slasher elements that punctuate the episode.

© BBC

Motherland

Co-written by Helen Linehan, Graham Linehan, Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh, Motherland is a sitcom that is arguably concerned with the politics of parenthood rather than the essence of childcare itself. Every now and then there is something undeniably funny to be found from shocking or unexpected self-centeredness in human beings, and this feeling is epitomised in this pilot episode about ego-fuelled mothers who, understandably, want to rid themselves of responsibility whenever possible (and this is, of course, hardly ever possible at all).

From the opening scenes it is very much like a disaster movie, with working mother Julia (Anna Maxwell-Martin) frantically rushing to get her young children to school on time, only to realise it is half term anyway and she will have to take the day, and potentially the week, off work. Motherland is an excitingly stressful and busy watch, but Diane Morgan provides important relief from the tension, with her acerbic nonchalance ironically providing much of the drama.

We The Jury

We The Jury

We The Jury is the standout piece for me from this recent batch of sitcom pilots; written by James Acaster, it is reminiscent of his 2015 show Represent, which sees the comic share the ludicrous tales of a recent jury he claims to have taken part in (fictional, undoubtedly). This gradual development of an idea gives the programme a homemade, organic feel, therefore giving an audience the impression of far more depth to the narrative and the characters within it. Acaster has smartly captured his own comic voice within the script, without the need to be physically present (all bar a few unexpected seconds anyway). Visually, We The Jury is bright and snappy, reflecting the excitable energy of the characters, which, somewhat surprisingly, doesn’t grate. There are many interesting characters that Acaster has not had time to establish within a pilot episode alone, from Sophie Thompson who plays Jen 1 to Diane Morgan’s laid back Olivia, proving that this concept could easily develop into a series without any particular risk of stagnancy.

MOTHERLAND HAS ALREADY BEEN COMMISSIONED FOR A SERIES FOR BBC2

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: BBC, Diane Morgan, Graham Linehan, Helen Linehan, Home From Home, James Acaster, Johnny Vegas, Motherland, Our Ex Wife, Robert Webb, Sharon Horgan, Tanya Franks, The Coopers Vs The Rest, We The Jury

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
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