Essential television: five fantastic British comedy-dramas created by women
Britain has always seemed to be a cut above when it comes to making television comedies. From Peep Show and The IT Crowd to The Inbetweeners, The Young Ones, The Office and I’m Alan Patridge, to name just a few, British comedy is often regarded as the cream of the comedic crop.
While British comedy isn’t an exclusively male landscape – female-led titles such as Absolutely Fabulous, The Vicar of Dibley and Derry Girls have all proved to be extremely popular over the years – it is important to continually celebrate the shows which prioritise stories about and by women. Many female screenwriters have emerged over the years to tell stories that are both vital and hilarious, such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Michaela Coel.
Listed below are five fantastic British comedy dramas written by and starring women, all of which expertly blend humour with explorations of important issues such as mental health conditions, grief, race, class and the female experience.
From the addicting Starstruck – proof that good rom-coms aren’t dead – to the underrated 2000s Sharon Horgan-penned series Pulling, discover your next evening watch below.
Five great British comedy series created by women:
Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 2016-19)
After performing Fleabag as a one-woman play, Phoebe Waller-Bridge transformed her story of grief, sex and family into a two-season television series in 2016. Put simply, Fleabag is one of the sharpest, wittiest and emotionally devastating series ever made, with each 25-minute episode neatly delving into complex themes with equal doses of humour and heart.
Waller-Bridge is astounding as Fleabag, who is unashamedly messy and complicated as she deals with the loss of her mother and best friend. As relationships bloom and disintegrate, Fleabag uses sex as an unhealthy coping mechanism, leading to both bizarre and upsetting consequences. It is hard not to be enticed by Olivia Colman’s evil godmother character or Andrew Scott’s ‘hot priest’ – Fleabag is television at its finest.
Pulling (Sharon Horgan; Dennis Kelly, 2006-9)
While Pulling was incredibly popular during its heyday on BBC Three in the late 2000s, it seems to have faded into obscurity. Yet, Sharon Horgan and Dennis Kelly’s sitcom is a spectacularly funny (although often bleak) look at the lives of three female best friends navigating themes such as love, sex, addiction, family and work.
Although Horgan has gone on to co-create more successful shows such as Catastrophe, Bad Sisters and Motherland, Pulling deserves to be celebrated. Each character, played by Horgan, Tanya Franks and Rebekah Stanton, has their own issues to deal with, but the power of their friendship remains strong throughout, and it is a joy to watch the trials and tribulations of their comically disastrous lives.
Chewing Gum (Michaela Coel, 2015-17)
Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum offers up a joyously funny exploration of themes less potently explored in other sitcoms of a similar ilk, such as race, class and religion. Coel’s Tracey, a Beyoncé-obsessed virgin, embarks on a journey of self-discovery after she begins sleeping with a kindhearted yet dimwitted poet she meets on her council estate. Surrounded by a cast of unforgettable side characters, such as her uptight sister and her flamboyant best friend, Tracey comes of age.
The show won Coel several Baftas, including ‘Best Female Comedy Performance’, leading her to create her magnum opus, I May Destroy You, in 2020. The latter is a stunning exploration of the effects of rape, which is essential, albeit heavy viewing. Both Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You prove Coel to be one of Britain’s most impressive modern screenwriters.
This Way Up (Aisling Bea, 2019-21)
Irish comedian Aisling Bea plays a woman, Áine, recovering from a nervous breakdown in This Way Up, which features Horgan (also acting as executive producer) as her sexually confused older sister. As Áine gets back on her feet, she must deal with love and family-related matters, including a romance between herself and the father of one of her pupils.
The show is a refreshing look at mental health issues – the fact that Áine has been staying in a rehabilitation centre after trying to kill herself is explored without taboo. Bea is honest, blunt and hugely charming as Áine, and it is a shame the show didn’t get as much appreciation as it deserves.
Starstruck (Rose Matafeo, 2021-23)
There seems to be a dearth of good romantic comedies these days. Luckily, New Zealand-born comedian Rose Matafeo has delivered a glorious slice of fun and romance with Starstruck, which follows her character, Jessie, who lives in London. After she realises that the man she just had a one-night stand with is actually a famous actor, Jessie tries to balance her painfully normal life as a cinema staff worker with a potential Hollywood romance.
Starstruck is much sweeter and more whimsical than other titles on this list, although it doesn’t shy away from getting a little tough at times, as Jessie often finds herself lost and stuck in life. If you want an addictive, witty British rom-com to devour in one sitting, Starstruck might just be your answer.
