Dark comedy fans, rejoice.
Got a Fleabag-shaped hole in your life? You’re not alone. The genre-defying show ran for just two series and a dozen episodes, but its impact has been profound. Creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s angry, confused and often hilarious protagonist struck a chord with many (and who could forget the ‘Hot Priest’?), and its dark brand of humour isn’t ten-a-penny.
But there are a few shows those hooked on Fleabag will be sure to relish. We’ve detailed them below for you – you’re welcome.
1. Crashing
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Before Waller-Bridge became hot property thanks to the inimitable Fleabag, she wrote and starred in Crashing. The series centres around Lulu (Waller-Bridge), who travels to London to surprise her childhood friend Anthony, who lives as a property guardian in a condemned hospital. Cue tension from Anthony’s fiance Kate, and overlapping personal relationships as Lulu moves into the hospital and the group of twenty-somethings navigate sexual tension and excess personal baggage.
2. Catastrophe
Where can I watch it? Prime
If this hit deadpan comedy has completely passed you by then you're in for a binge – there are four seasons ready to be greedily gobbled up. Its writers – Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney – also star in the main roles. Rob, an advertising executive visiting London from Boston for work, enjoys a week-long tryst with Sharon, an Irish primary school teacher; when Sharon discovers she is pregnant, that is when their relationship – and its many hilarious highs and lows – starts. Prepare to laugh. A lot.
3. Bad Sisters
Where can I watch it? Apple TV+
Sharon Horgan’s (of Catastrophe fame, above) most recent work is set in her native Ireland. It’s centred around five sisters – Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi and Becka – living in Dublin. The series flips between two timelines: one where Grace’s sisters plot to murder her abusive and controlling husband Paul, and another after his actual death, which puts them at the centre of a life insurance investigation. Dark? Yes. But it’s brilliantly witty too.
4. Chewing Gum
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Something of a sleeper hit, this sitcom by Michaela Coel (creator of I May Destroy You – wait, you need to tune into that too!) follows Tracey, a religious, Beyonce-obsessed, shop assistant who wants to lose her virginity and learn more about the world. Fresh and uplifting, it earned Coel multiple BAFTA awards when it came out in 2015.
5. I Hate Suzie
Where can I watch it? Prime
Compelling, stressful and hilarious all at once, each episode of I Hate Suzie (and its sequel, I Hate Suzie Too) is something of an emotional rollercoaster. Lead and co-creator Billie Piper stars as an actress whose personal and professional lives unravel as compromising photos of her are leaked to the world. Unsettling, cringeworthy and occasionally uncomfortable viewing, Fleabag fans will lap this one up.
6. Motherland
Where can I watch it? BBC
Parents of school-age children will find themselves nodding (and howling) at this British series. Following a group of middle-class London mums, the narrative takes in playdate politics and competitive parenting – and all the awkward moments in-between.
7. This Way Up
Where can I watch it? Prime
Equal parts funny and sad, this poignant comedy series has won rave reviews for its depiction of the complexities of mental health. Aine (Ashling Bea) is trying to put her life together after a breakdown, with the help of her sister, Shona (yes – Sharon Horgan, again). Funny and tender, you’ll want to tell all your friends about it.
