Remarkably uncatastrophic

I am not sure how high Channel 4’s ambitions for the show_ Catastrophe_ were. Writers and main actors Rob Delauney and Sharon Horgan sure seemed like a weird couple: Delauney a likeable, tall, American dude and Horgan a dead-pan and sarcastic Irish woman. Together they created a baby-script funny enough to impress the masterminds being what goes on telly, and suddenly it was on. As they appeared on talk-show after talk-show before the release of the series this January, they too seemed surprised to be there, slightly uneasy maybe, because their little story appears far from glamorous enough to make it in the competitive and cruel world of entertainment.

How could we all have doubted this little gem would become a hit? Now we’ve got to know Rob and Sharon (played by Rob and Sharon), it is impossible not to love them. The humour is subtle and modern. Think of the funniest person you know on Facebook: ironic and self-deprecating but also sweet and relatable. This is pretty much the style in which _Catastrophe _is delivered.

The chemistry between the characters is also great, mostly because Sharon is the grumpy woman all women think they are and Rob is the adorable man we’d all want to have close to us. Plus it’s set in lovely London Fields, with Sharon and Rob often sitting at the Market Café, in Broadway Market, overlooking Regents Canal and sipping cappuccinos. This made me as excited as visiting the Central Perk.

A little bit of drama is thrown into the mix as Sharon discovers some pregnancy complications and the couple gradually learn to love and support each other. The plot seems simple, but the strong leading performances give it enough depth and personality to support the whole show.