Well I'm not surprised they're splitting up but it should be him wanting to leave her, not the other way round. Not because of her Brexit views but her whole attitude.
I don't know if it's because I don't think she plays the part very well or she's playing the part of an annoying bitch very well.
Isn't this a drama rather than a sitcom?
I'd like State of the Union a lot more if either of the main characters were to be replaced by somebody the other might reasonably have married.
I know mismatched partners are the basis of many a great comedy but, in such comedies, the partners have usually been pushed together: I don't think I can remember a comedy where two woefully mismatched partners have chosen to pair up with somebody they don't stand a cat in hell's chance of ever getting along with.
Yes, Tom might well have married Louise because she was beautiful, intelligent, eloquent, elegant and likely to be pulling in more than £100,000 per annum for most of her working life but, given their radically different personalities, what on earth would the two of them talk about?
As for Louise ever being attracted to Tom, that's just hilarious (and not in a good way): in real life, there's no way a woman like her would look once - never mind twice - at a man like him.
Replace Chris O'Dowd with Miles Jupp or replace Rosamund Pike with Aisling Bea and we might be looking at a great little series.
As it is, however, we're looking at something mildly amusing - nothing more.
Technically an American show - but what a grey area.
Anyway. I caught up with the four episodes aired to date yesterday, and enjoyed it hugely. Episode 1 had a slightly on-edge feel to it and certain elements from setting up their marital predicament left a bitter taste, but there are some beautifully observed and comedically crafted interactions between the pair. And the odd big laugh-out-loud moment, too.
I'm looking forward to watching the rest.
State Of The Union has just won three Emmy awards in Los Angeles.
The show won the award for "outstanding short-form comedy or drama".
Chris O'Dowd won the award for "outstanding actor in a short-form comedy or drama" for his portrayal of Tom.
Rosamund Pike won the award for "outstanding actress in a short-form comedy or drama" for her portrayal of Louise.
Clearly, the state of the union is looking pretty good. 
Quote: Rood Eye @ 17th September 2019, 9:24 PMState Of The Union has just won three Emmy awards in Los Angeles.
The show won the award for "outstanding short-form comedy or drama".
Chris O'Dowd won the award for "outstanding actor in a short-form comedy or drama" for his portrayal of Tom.
Rosamund Pike won the award for "outstanding actress in a short-form comedy or drama" for her portrayal of Louise.
Clearly, the state of the union is looking pretty good.
I wonder what they were up against?
Quote: Chappers @ 17th September 2019, 11:23 PMI wonder what they were up against?
It was competing against:
Special (Netflix)
It's Bruno! (Netflix)
Hack Into Broad City (Comedy Central)
An Emmy For Megan (independent).
This happened to come on the other day and I assumed it was at least a half hour thing and thought they're surely not going to go on like this for half an hour? meaning I thought they would and turned it over after a few mins. I didn't know until now that I only had a minute or two left to watch.
Surely Frank Skinner did exactly the same thing on Radio a couple of years back? It reminded me of it with the wordplay dialogue straight away and now I find out it used a similar short time format - This is just a shameful lifting of it imo. I thought Skinner's was far better btw, really snappily written and amusing. He should be getting a credit at least, 'inspired by Don't Start' as it clearly is.
Quote: Chappers @ 15th September 2019, 12:27 AMWell I'm not surprised they're splitting up but it should be him wanting to leave her, not the other way round. Not because of her Brexit views but her whole attitude.
I don't know if it's because I don't think she plays the part very well or she's playing the part of an annoying bitch very well.
Totally untrue. Aside from the (enormous) fact that she had had an affair, she generally came across as much the more sympathetic of the two.
And surely he was the one wanting to leave her anyway?
Excellent. Well acted and well written. Funny though often painful.
I'm really enjoying this, looking forward to the rest of the episodes.
Quote: Chris Hallam @ 19th September 2019, 7:45 AMTotally untrue. Aside from the (enormous) fact that she had had an affair, she generally came across as much the more sympathetic of the two.
And surely he was the one wanting to leave her anyway?
Excellent. Well acted and well written. Funny though often painful.
I don't think she was acting well even though she is supposedly a great actress.
Like Roodeye said I'm not sure she's the best casting for it. Can do the job on screen but in reality would a posho like her marry an ordinary bloke like him? They don't tend to in real life. If she'd tone down her toff accent I could imagine them being together more, as she must have done for World's End because she didn't sound half this posh from memory. The role suits him better probably because he looks very comfortable in a pub, like most Irishmen.
Quote: Sitcomfan64 @ 15th September 2019, 12:45 PMIsn't this a drama rather than a sitcom?
My thought exactly. Chris O'Dowd is a comedian, doesn't mean this is a comedy.
Quote: Sitcomfan64 @ 15th September 2019, 12:45 PMIsn't this a drama rather than a sitcom?
The problem is that there's the writer's vision and there's the broadcast reality.
I'm absolutely astonished that the writer ever consented to the casting of Chris O'Dowd and Rosamund Pike in the leading roles.
Keep Rosamond, put some posh bloke in the role of Tom, combine the scripts into a feature-length production and you've got a beautifully written seriocomic drama.
Alternatively, keep Chris, put a naturally funny actress in the role of Louise, write a few 30-minute scripts and you've got a beautifully written sitcom series.
However, with Chris and Rosamond in the lead roles, I honestly don't know what you've got! 
I had no problem with the casting. Pike was funny in An Education, also written by Hornby. O Dowd is also good in straight and - more often - comedy roles.
It was a comedy drama. At the end of day, it worked.
