Channel 4 has ordered a second series of new comedy Catastrophe.
The sitcom, written by and starring Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, follows two near-strangers who find themselves flung together after a week of casual sex leads to an unplanned pregnancy.
Just two episodes into the series Channel 4 announced today that it has already given the green light to a second run, expected to be seen on screens in 2016.
The supporting cast includes Carrie Fisher, Ashley Jensen and Mark Bonnar.
Produced by Avalon Television, the series is described as follows: “A comedy following an Irish woman and an American man who make a bloody mess as they struggle to fall in love in London.
“Clumsy lust, instant pregnancy, and genuine disaster provide the foundation for this flaming hovel of a relationship.
“In a mess of events always in danger of slipping out of their grasp, Rob and Sharon must also learn to deal with her largely awful friend; his eccentric Bostonian mother; and attempt to navigate the choppy waters of their ever-more-complicating lives.”
The first episode of the series, broadcast on Monday 19th January 2015, drew an overnight audience of 870,000 viewers, with consolidated figures across the following week nearly doubling the figure to 1.6 million.
The second episode, broadcast on Monday night, was watched by an estimated 890,000 people, and will be repeated on Friday evening at 11:05pm on Channel 4.
Horgan told RadioTimes.com that she was determined to make a second series despite also being committed to a comedy pilot for American network HBO, starring Sex And The City actress Sarah Jessica Parker.
The programme, titled Divorce, is set in New York and sees Parker play a woman embroiled in a long-running marriage split.
Jay Hunt, Channel 4‘s chief creative officer, said in a statement: “Catastrophe is a real comedy gem. Sharon and Rob have done a magnificent job and we’re already looking forward to series 2.”
Jon Thoday, co-founder of Avalon and an Executive Producer of the series, added: “It’s a real pleasure to be working with such a talented team on such a great show and I’m delighted that we’ll be making more episodes with Channel 4.”
Story Edit, 29th January: Amazon Prime has picked up Series 1 for streaming. US viewers will be able to watch it later this year. [Variety story]
In the following video interview, Horgan and Delaney – who both write and star – talk about Catastrophe:
Source: comedy.co.uk