Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney in a scene from Catastrophe. Photo: Screenshot
Run out of stuff to watch? Join us as we dig deep into the streamers' catalogues for shows worth your time. This week's watch: Catastrophe.
A goofy American businessman meets a sardonic Irish schoolteacher while on a business trip to London. They have sex - a lot of it - and then they part ways, promising to remember one another as "an extraordinarily good-smelling woman with a magical ass" and "a sturdy love-maker with a massive chin". All is well, until the man receives a call some 32 days later. Catastrophe has struck: she's pregnant.
Created, written by and starring Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, Catastrophe presents a raw and honest comedy about sex, parenthood, and marriage. The show features the kind of hilarious and crude dialogue only a British-Irish production could get away with, like Sharon on the joys of childbirth: "Push it back in and cut it out!" or Rob on co-habitating: "You let me put my penis in your mouth but you won't let me put my t-shirts in your drawer?"
Rob and Sharon's relationship is a real highlight of the series. It all starts when Rob learns that Sharon is pregnant; instead of running for the hills, his immediate reaction is to leave Boston to be with her in London. The pair then enter into a relationship that - amidst much dark humour, sharp wit, and sarcasm - is full of warmth. They're fiery and have a lot of passion for each other, and eventually, their dynamic builds into something very real.
Carrie Fisher in a scene from Catastrophe. Photo: Screenshot
The show is only strengthened when it dares to put the pair up against some challenging circumstances. For a comedy series, Catastrophe certainly doesn't shy away from the darkness. Rob and Sharon face the dire realities of life over and over; cancer scares, arrests and relapses are just the surface. For one, Rob is introduced to us as a recovering alcoholic, which can only lead to trouble considering the pair meet and hook up in a bar. Midway through the series, another bombshell. Sharon is told that, being 41, she has a much higher than average chance of her baby being born with Down Syndrome. And yet, somehow, the show doesn't lose its comedic edge.
Supported by an equally dysfunctional cast of friends, neighbours and colleagues - including the ever-charming late Carrie Fisher in her final TV role - Catastrophe is abundant in laughs, tears, raunch, and a lot of heart.
Is it worth a watch?
Story: 4/5 (brilliantly written, hilarious and crude)
Production: 3.5/5
Bingeability: 3/5 (four seasons with some heavy arcs, better to pace it out)
If I liked this one, what shall I watch next?
Crashing: Six 20- and 30-somethings live together as property guardians of a disused hospital. Relationships inevitably start to overlap.
Starstruck: New Zealand's Rose Matafeo plays Jessie, a 20-something living in London who accidentally has a one-night stand with a movie star.
Catastrophe is streaming now on TVNZ+.