Fleabag

Sitcoms won't fix gender imbalance, but they're a star

Two sharply observed comedies created and acted by women are rightly being lauded, says Lucy Sweet - but they only serve to highlight the lack of relatable female-driven TV shows.

Fleabag is helping out with an awards ceremony at Claire's work as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's excruciating comedy continues. She is serving canapes and trying really hard not to tell any jokes. So, an opportunity for some sisterly bonding? No, of course not. Instead, the episode's highlight is Fleabag chatting about the menopause over martinis with a guest-starring Kristin Scott Thomas. Although drinking G&T tinnies in the garden with the sexy priest definitely comes a close second.

Review: Fleabag, Series 2, Episode 3

This second series of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag definitely feels as if it has opted for a more conventional comic tone.

Fleabag: rivetingly funny, then suddenly unfunny comedy

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Coleman, Fiona Shaw and Andrew Scott shine.

Review: Fleabag, series 2, episode 2

After last week's slam dunk of an opening episode the second instalment of the second series slips into more conventional comedy territory with Fleabag's main concern being the fact that she has the hots for a hot priest, played by Andrew Scott.

Fiona Shaw interview

'I'm happy to fly all over the world on Phoebe's coat sleeve'. Olivier award-winning Fiona Shaw talks Killing Eve, Fleabag and Brexit.

Why do I get the feeling that Phoebe Waller-Bridge likes trouble? The second series of Fleabag, again written by and starring her, arrived "371 days, 19 hours and 26 minutes later", in a flurry of sex (Fleabag flirting with new character, "cool, smoking priest", played by Andrew Scott), violence (a punch-up between Fleabag and her loathsome, lying brother-in-law, Martin, played by Brett Gelman), and miscarriage - suffered secretly in a restaurant toilet cubicle by Fleabag's sister, Claire (Sian Clifford).

In the end it was almost as much of a bloodbath as the other show Waller-Bridge writes, Killing Eve. Before it all kicked off, our favourite selfish, rude, inappropriate, fag-smoking malcontent (the Dorothy Parker of the Fomo generation?) had, relatively speaking, been behaving herself at the engagement meal of her inadequate father (Bill Paterson) and snaky godmother (Olivia Colman, on fine, forked-tongue form). The show's appeal lies in Waller-Bridge's gift for jumping between casual interaction ("Claire, you've been ages. Are you pissed off, or are you doing a poo?"), to fang-deep venom (Martin to Fleabag: "I'm so intrigued to see how you're going to make this whole evening about yourself"), to surreal pathos ("Get your hands off my miscarriage!"). While I felt the first series flagged slightly towards the end, this was a dark, stylish return - the telly staple of a tense family celebration, but with sudden twists and writing so sharp it could scratch your eyes out.

Fleabag speaks about her fear of being a 'bad feminist'

The co-creator and star of Fleabag says she worries about being labelled a "bad feminist" when writing the TV comedy.

The rise of female-led comedy

I look forward to a time where I won't need to write an article about how great it is that there's more female comedy. It will all just be comedy.

Fleabag season 2 review

Phoebe Waller-Bridge's farcical dinner party is a masterclass in dark comedy.