Yesterday’s Emmy nominations were relatively predictable – Game of Thrones‘ final season cleaned up, as did This Is Us, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Killing Eve. But one show which popped up more than most – 11 times, in fact – was Fleabag, a British comedy series created by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Fleabag‘s first season was released in 2016 and back then, prior to Waller-Bridge making a name for herself as the creator of Killing Eve, the six-part series flew relatively under the radar. However, its second season, released in April, was quite the opposite, quickly gathering rave reviews and being hailed as the new and improved Girls (still love you, Lena Dunham).
Below, everything to know about the Emmy nominated show which deserves to be at the very top of your must-watch list.
Who is Phoebe Waller-Bridge?
Waller-Bridge was the writer of Killing Eve season one and the executive producer of the show’s second season. She was then tapped to polish the script for the new James Bond film after Daniel Craig said he wouldn’t star in it without her. She’s also executive producing a comedy for HBO.
What is Fleabag about?
Fleabag centres around a woman in her early-thirties who runs a hamster-themed cafe in London, which she started with her best friend, Boo. Though it’s primarily a comedy focused around dating, modern families and navigating adulthood (read: stealing bottles of wine from the convenience store because you don’t have enough money to buy them), Fleabag can also be seriously heart-wrenching at times: Fleabag is grieving for her mother, who died of cancer, and her best friend, Boo, who accidentally killed herself by stepping into traffic.
Who stars in it?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge stars as Fleabag (we never learn her name), while Sian Clifford stars as Fleabag’s uptight sister, Claire, and Olivia Colman as their evil Godmother turned stepmother. Hugh Skinner, Hugh Dennis and Bill Paterson also star in both seasons and in season two, we get the addition of Kristen Scott Thomas and Fiona Shaw (who worked with Waller-Bridge on Killing Eve) and Andrew Scott, who plays The Hot Priest.
How did it come about?
Fleabag was originally a comedy skit, which Waller-Bridge performed at the Edinburgh fringe festival in 2013. After winning the Fringe First Award, Waller-Bridge created the first season of Fleabag, alongside her best friend and business partner Vicky Jones, which was released in 2016.
What makes it so funny?
Fleabag has been dubbed the ‘filthiest show on television’ because of its dark humour (and many masturbation references). Throughout the episodes, Waller-Bridge addresses the camera, either giving full-blown commentary about what’s going on, a snide remark (usually directed at her sister), or with just the hint of an eyebrow raise at the perfect moment.
Will there be a third season?
Devastatingly, apparently not. Waller-Bridge told the BBC that the second season would be Fleabag‘s last. “I have thought about it and there isn’t going to be one,” she said of a third instalment. “This is it – this is the final curtain,” she continued before saying, “And yes, I did say that last time.”
How can I watch it in Australia?
Fleabag is available to stream on Amazon Prime. Waller-Bridge’s first show, Crashing, is also available on Netflix.
