Jason Sudeikis

Despite adhering to an overused setup (two lovers cope with an unwanted pregnancy), Channel 4 comedy Catastrophe overcame its hoariness because, frankly, it was funny and well-performed by writer-stars Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney. They played, um, Sharon and Rob--middle-aged, transatlantic lovers who become expectant parents following a crazy week of passionate sex after meeting in a London bar.

Horgan's loathe to stray from her comfort zone (there's scant difference between her roles in Pulling, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and Dead Boss), while Twitter-star Delaney's a cut-price Jason Sudeikis with added facial hair, but they work fantastically well together and have strong chemistry. I grew slightly bored once the premiere's plot progressed into a dinner party scenario with dumb homeopath Fran (Ashley Jensen) and her taciturn husband Chris (Mark Bonnar), but Catastrophe's leads are so strong that I'm aboard for the ride.

Although I hope the remainder of the series takes the story down a path that justifies the bleak title, because I don't see what's so catastrophic about these two soulmates having a child together.

Dan Owen, Dan's Media Digest, 23rd January 2015