Tuesday, 27th
CATASTROPHE, C4, 10pm
In the first series of this sitcom, an Irish woman and American man had a spectacular one-night stand which led to a pregnancy and a very sudden decision to get married. Now the second series begins; they’re still together and yet another baby is due to arrive.
Sharon is nine months pregnant and you might think her profanity and crankiness is due to the impending labour, but then we see that Rob matches her completely in insults and moods, and we remember this is how their relationship works.
In the opening scene, they’re snuggled in bed together watching TV and a fight breaks out over the positioning of Sharon’s legs. Draped across Rob, they’re causing him to cramp so he lifts her ankles and dumps her feet on the duvet. Their swearing hasn’t been subdued by their time as parents and an absurd fight breaks out: “Why’d ye move my legs like that?” “Don’t loom over me! I felt threatened.” “I felt threatened? What, are you a blogger?”
Their needling and bickering, exploding into obscenity, subsides as quickly as it begins, and when they blow kisses at one another, or sigh with love at their new little bundle of joy, there’s no twee aspect as you know a spiky fight could break out at any minute: Don’t sigh in her face! She’s just a newborn!
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