Such Brave Girls

Sometimes it is worthwhile to remember that British comedy tends to set the bar, and then other countries belatedly copy the best of the best for their own audiences. This is an example of razor-sharp comedy that both explores brand new territory and yet, at the same time, will be extremely hard to copy or imitate. Because the writing is not only based on the real life experiences of its creator, but in fact the stars (Sadler and Davidson) are real life sisters. WOW. No matter how much you think you know about comedy writing and snappy dialog, this show will teach you a lot of new tricks. The 25 minute episodes move so quickly you will invariably be left wanting more. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

If it hadn't been for a brief iPlayer promo of this series after a tribute to Caroline Aherne I would never have known it even existed; it's as if the BBC likes to keep some of its best shows well hidden.

It starts off as warped, then progresses through some very black comedy into filth; sheer, utter filth, but very, very funny. At times it strays into territory that even The League of Gentlemen (or Something About Mary if you're American) might have shied away from, but the writing is so incredibly sharp and witty that it casts aside the usual boundaries with ease.

It wasn't until I looked them up on here that I discovered that one of the sisters (Kat Sadler) was actually the writer, with no previous acting credits at all. Then, stranger still, it would appear that Lizzie Davidson, who plays her sister Billie, has never previously featured in anything of any kind. Completing this wildly dysfunctional family is the rather desperate mum, wonderfully played by Louise Brealey, who somehow seems incredibly familiar to me, but not from in anything that I recognise.

Paul Bazely, as mum's prospective suitor Dev, seems one of those characters who you have seen pop up in minor roles for years, without ever really taking much notice. His character is a seriously creepy widower/divorcee/fraudster/murderer - who knows? With his odd lifestyle and strange behaviour, he is the one thread which remains loose and unexplained.

This is of of those very British comedies which could almost certainly never be shown in America, where exploding heads are fine, yet subjects such as abortion within the context of comedy are completely out of bounds. Also ruling out a US showing is the absence of a laughter track, which is thankfully absent here and would have killed it stone dead.

There are probably enough loose ends to make a second series if there was sufficient demand, but I feel it might be better to leave this as a true classic of a one-off (see also Bridget Christie's The Change). I feel that one thing we can be sure of though is that we certainly haven't heard the last of those involved.

There's plenty of dark humour in 'Such Brave Girls', the story of mother and her two daughters trying to make sense of their lives and loves; and I smiled fairly often while watchig it. But great sitcom (as opposed to a quick sketch) doesn't just need a set of self-sabotaging characters: it also needs something they can sabotage. And if they're deluded, it helps if this delusion is in essence believable. In 'Fawlty Towers', Basil is always so close to, but also so far from, running his idea of a quality hotel. Black comedy is best when you recognise that something like it could happen to you. But in 'Such Brave Girls', the failings of our trio (and also those of their menfolk) are so front and centre that disaster feels inevitable; the most telling moments are foreshadowed by the essence of the setup, while spritely music connecting individual scences invites us not to take the story too seriously. The script does have merits; but the feeling of pervasive cheapness lets it down.

I binge watched this in two days. It's the type of comedy that us Brits do really well. There is nothing 'polished' about it. It's down and dirty and very real. The relationship between the two sisters is brilliant. A combination of disdain, toxicity, combined-delusion and affection. And then I found out that they're sisters in real life! I think it's the raw honesty that makes this so funny. The acting from the whole cast is spot-on. From Louise Brealey as mum, Deb, who plays favourites in the most narcissistically manipulative way, to Freddie Meredith as Seb, the wet-dishcloth 'boyfriend' of Josie. As for Lizzie Davidson who plays one of the sisters, Billie, and Kate Sadler as Josie. Just wow! No doubt the honesty and chemistry between Billie and Josie came from the actresses being sisters in real life. Yet, even so, the acting is top notch. In some ways, I imagine it could be more difficult to play out what was, undoubtedly, certain real scenarios or feelings from their own personal lives. But they put it all on the line in the most endearing, gross, watchable and compelling way. This makes you feel so many emotions. It's laugh-out -loud funny and it definitely makes you cringe at times. These characters should be unlikable, but they're not. And that's because such a good job is done of exposing their vulnerabilities amid the humour and self-serving actions of the sisters and their mum. Each character is multi-dimensional - even Dev (mum's boyfriend). As a viewer, it's hard to get a grasp on his motivation. He's a combination of wet, weird, sympathetic and odd. And it's impossible to know who's playing who as Deb desperately tries to work her way into moving her and their girls into Dev's huge house, yet seems to end up always paying for everything (including his petrol). This is up there as one of the best comedies in recent years. And I think that's because it doesn't 'try' to be funny - it just is. It takes brilliant writing, as well as acting, to pull that off; so I was in awe when I found out Kate Sadler, who plays Josie, also wrote this. And she's still in her 20s! I literally can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Such Brave Girls is a return to the best of British comedy. With clear inspiration from Peep Show and The Inbetweeners, it is fresh, dark, clever, and hysterical from start to finish. Every character is unique, weird, and hilarious - I have genuinely never seen a show where each character adds so much value like Such Brave Girls. The sisterly love/hate between Billie and Josie is relatable and loveable, and every other line is quotable.

I have not laughed at a show like I did for SBG in about 5 years. Got my girlfriend, her housemates, my family, even my grandparents watching this and every single person has LOVED it. You will be in hysterics!!