Such Brave Girls

Last updated

Such Brave Girls
Such Brave Girls.jpg
Promotional poster
GenreComedy
Written by Kat Sadler
Directed by Simon Bird
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
  • Phil Clarke
  • Jack Bayles
  • Piers Wenger
  • Kat Sadler
ProducerCatherine Gosling Fuller
Production companies
  • Various Artists Limited
  • A24
Original release
Network BBC Three
Release22 November 2023 (2023-11-22) 
present

Such Brave Girls is a British sitcom about a dysfunctional single-parent family created by Kat Sadler for BBC Three. It stars Sadler, with Louise Brealey and Lizzie Davidson. It is directed by Simon Bird and produced by A24 with Various Artists Ltd. The first series ran from 22 November 2023. It was renewed for a second series in May 2024.

Contents

Synopsis

Sadler has described the series as being a “family sitcom about trauma”, but that it’s also about “being narcissistic losers who are pathetically obsessed with what people think about us.” [1]

Cast

Production

The series was created and written by Kat Sadler, who also stars. It is directed by Simon Bird and was produced for Various Artists Ltd and A24 by Catherine Gosling Fuller, with Phil Clarke, Jack Bayles, Piers Wenger and Sadler as executive producers. [2] It was commissioned after a successful 2021 pilot episode. [3]

Sadler appears in the series alongside her real life sister Lizzie Davidson, and they play sisters on the show. Sadler told The Times that Davidson read the drafts and acted as her “sense check … telling me if I’ve gone too mad”. She described their characters of Josie and Billie as “not us, but they are certainly inspired by bits of us … we have taken some of the worst aspects of ourselves”. She said that their own mother had seen it “and laughed in all the right places”. [4]

Bird wrote to Sadler asking to direct the series after watching the 2021 pilot episode, with Sadler and Bird agreeing to keep the series as a comedy rather than veer towards comedy-drama. [5]

A second six-part series was commissioned in May 2024. [6]

Filming

Filming began in May 2023. [7]

Filming took place across Merseyside with filming locations including The Wirral and Knowsley. [8]

  • Linghams Booksellers, Heswall - Series 1
  • Mini Monster's Funhouse, Gayton - Series 1
  • West Kirby bar “The Wild Inn” - Series 1: episode 2
  • The Mediterranean Kitchen, Higher Bebington - Series 1: Episode 3
  • Wirral Country Park, Thurstaston - Series 1: Episode 4
  • St Michael's Church, Shotwick - Series 1: Episode 4
  • Heswall Hall - Series 1, Episode 5
  • Heswall United Reformed Church, Heswall, Merseyside - Series 1: Episode 6
  • Hooton Hand Car Wash - Series 1: Episode 6

Broadcast

The series started airing in the United Kingdom on BBC Three on 22 November 2023, with all episodes released on BBC iPlayer the same day. [9] It was available in the United States on Hulu from 15 December 2023. [10]

Reception

Critical reception

Lucy Mangan in The Guardian described the show as “properly brutal and properly funny”, saying that she found “particular joy in seeing a woman-led, female-written show that doesn’t pull its punches”. She added that it was “brave – singular, fresh, scabrous and unflinching – but still – or, rather, as a result – hilarious.” [11] Steve Bennett for Chortle gave the show four stars commenting that “elements of pure sitcom” combine with an “earthy, nuanced realism of the dysfunctional characters” with Sadler’s “unique comic sensibilities” combining with an “admirable reluctance to take serious issues seriously” which “makes for an impressively different series.” [12]

Accolades

In February 2024, it was nominated in the Best TV Show category at the Chortle Awards. [13] The series was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy and Sadler and Meredith were nominated in the Best Comedy Performance categories at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards. [14] In May 2024, the series won in the scripted comedy category at the 2024 British Academy Television Awards. [15] The series was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2024 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Herring</span> English comedian and writer (born 1967)

Richard Keith Herring is an English stand-up comedian and writer whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring. He is described by The British Theatre Guide as "one of the leading hidden masters of modern British comedy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Horne</span> British comedian and musician

Alexander James Jeffery Horne is a British comedian. Horne is the creator of BAFTA award-winning TV series Taskmaster, in which he takes the role of assistant to the Taskmaster Greg Davies. He is the host and bandleader of comedic band The Horne Section. Horne hosts the band's eponymous podcast and television series, and has appeared with them on BBC Radio 4, TV channel Dave, and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kat Dennings</span> American actress (born 1986)

Katherine Victoria Litwack, known professionally as Kat Dennings, is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Max Black in the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls (2011–2017) and as Darcy Lewis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision (2021).

Mathew Frazer Horne is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey, The Catherine Tate Show, Horne & Corden, and Bad Education.

<i>Which Way to the War</i> 1994 British television series pilot

Which Way to the War is a British television sitcom pilot episode that was broadcast on 19 August 1994 on ITV. It starred William Tapley, Simon Baker Denny, Terry John and Robert Hands, and was written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.

William James Smith is an English stand-up comedian, screenwriter, novelist, actor and producer. He is known for being part of the writing team of the BBC sitcom The Thick of It and its American HBO counterpart Veep (2012–16). Additionally, he starred as Phil Smith in the former. He is also the creator and showrunner of the Apple TV+ drama thriller Slow Horses (2022–).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Millican</span> English comedian

Sarah Jane Millican is an English comedian. Millican won the comedy award for Best Newcomer at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In February 2013 she was listed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and in the same year she married fellow comedian Gary Delaney. Her first book, How to Be Champion, was published in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Richardson</span> English comedian (born 1982)

Jon Joel Richardson is an English comedian and radio presenter. He is known for his appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and his work as co-host with Russell Howard on BBC Radio 6 Music. He presented Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, and also features with his wife Lucy Beaumont in the TV show Meet the Richardsons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Bird</span> English actor and comedian

Simon Antony Bird is an English comedian, actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Will McKenzie in the multi-award-winning E4 comedy series The Inbetweeners (2008–2010), as well as its two films, and Adam Goodman in the Channel 4 comedy series Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Finnemore</span> British comedy writer and actor (born 1977)

John David Finnemore is a British comedy writer and actor. He wrote and performed in the radio series Cabin Pressure, John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme, and John Finnemore's Double Acts, and frequently features in other BBC Radio 4 comedy shows such as The Now Show. Finnemore has won more Comedy.co.uk awards than any other writer, and two of his shows appear in the top ten of the Radio Times' list of greatest ever radio comedies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Rosenthal (actor)</span> English actor

Thomas Alan Smith Rosenthal is an English actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his television roles as Jonny Goodman in Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020) and Marcus Gallo in Plebs (2013–2022). He has written and performed three stand-up comedy shows: Child of Privilege (2011), благодаря (2013), and Manhood (2019–2020), the latter of which received critical acclaim at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roisin Conaty</span> English actor, comedian and writer (born 1979)

Roisin Conaty is an English comedian, actress, and writer. She won the Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010 for her show Hero, Warrior, Fireman, Liar. She played Jo in the Channel 4 sitcom Man Down from 2013 to 2017. In early 2014, the pilot of the sitcom GameFace, of which she is the writer, lead actress and executive producer, aired on Channel 4. The first full series aired in 2017 on both E4 and Hulu in the US. The second series aired on Channel 4 and Hulu in July 2019. Conaty won the Heat magazine's "Unmissables Comedian of the Year" award in 2019. She played Roxy in the first two series of the Netflix comedy-drama series After Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Ryan</span> Canadian comedian, writer, and actor

Katherine Louisa Ryan is a Canadian comedian, writer, presenter, actress and singer. She has appeared on British TV and radio panel shows, including 8 Out of 10 Cats, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, A League of Their Own, Mock the Week, Would I Lie to You?, QI, Just a Minute, Safeword, and Have I Got News for You. In 2015 she replaced Steve Jones as the presenter of Hair on BBC Two. As an actress, Ryan has appeared on several television sitcoms in the UK, including Campus, Episodes, and her Netflix show The Duchess.

<i>The Wrong Mans</i> 2010s British TV series

The Wrong Mans is a British comedy drama television series, produced by BBC Television and Hulu. It premiered on BBC Two on 24 September 2013 and in the United States on 11 November 2013. Considered a critical and ratings success, it was co-created and written by Gavin & Stacey alumni James Corden and Mathew Baynton as an attempt to combine the situation comedy format with the intricate plotting and storytelling tropes of an action-adventure series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Demetriou</span> English comedian and actor (born 1987)

Jamie Demetriou is an English comedian, actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Bus Rodent in Fleabag and for creating, co-writing, and starring in Stath Lets Flats. For the latter, he won Best Male Actor in a Comedy, Best Writer of a Comedy, and Best Scripted Comedy at the 2020 BAFTA Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramy Youssef</span> American actor, comedian, director, and writer (born 1991)

Ramy Youssef is an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. He is known for his role as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu comedy series Ramy (2019–2022), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and a Peabody Award in 2020. He was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

<i>We Are Lady Parts</i> British sitcom

We Are Lady Parts is a British television sitcom created, written, and directed by Nida Manzoor. The series follows a British punk rock band named Lady Parts, which consists entirely of Muslim women.

Mammoth is a British sitcom, written and conceived by Mike Bubbins. Bubbins gave up his teaching job to forge a career in comedy and plays PE teacher Tony Mammoth.

<i>Am I Being Unreasonable?</i> British television series

Am I Being Unreasonable? is a British comedy-thriller television series produced by Boffola Pictures and Lookout Point and written by, and starring, Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli. The series was broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom from 26 September 2022. The series premiered in the United States on Hulu on 11 April 2023. A second series was commissioned by the BBC in October 2022.

Kat Sadler is a British comedian, actress, and writer.

References

  1. "Production begins on new BBC Three comedy Such Brave Girls". The Knowledge. 18 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  2. "Such Brave Girls". Comedy.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  3. "KAT SADLER IS A BRAVE GIRL IN BBC THREE PILOT". Funny Women. 10 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  4. Dowell, Ben (18 November 2023). "Such Brave Girls: my big BBC comedy about anxiety and dysfunction". The Times. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  5. "'I told my sister I'd been sectioned... then we both burst out laughing'". Chortle. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  6. Whittock, Jesse; Goldbart, Max (10 May 2024). "'Such Brave Girls': BBC & Hulu Comedy From Various Artists Ltd & A24 Gets Second Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  7. "Filming starts on Kat Sadler's Such Brave Girls". Chortle. 17 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  8. Nightingale, Chloe (20 November 2023). "New BBC comedy series Such Brave Girls to air this week". Wirral Globe. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  9. Dray, Kayleigh (16 November 2023). "Such Brave Girls: the BBC is gifting us a sitcom about the dysfunctionality of sisters". Stylist. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  10. Dandov, Owen (15 November 2023). "A24 Comedy Such Brave Girls Hypes Its Hulu Debut With Humorous New Trailer [EXCLUSIVE]". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  11. Mangan, Lucy. "Such Brave Girls review – properly brutal and properly funny". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  12. Bennett, Steve (23 November 2023). "Such Brave Girls". Chortle. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  13. "Final Chortle Award nominees revealed". Chortle. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  14. "RTS PROGRAMME AWARDS 2024". RTS.org.uk. 7 March 2024.
  15. Richardson, Hollie (20 March 2024). "Bafta TV awards 2024 nominations: full list". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. "Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 2024 nominees". Comedy.co.uk. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.