Fleabag

<i>Fleabag</i>

Fleabag

British black comedy television series

Fleabag is a British comedy-drama television series created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on her one-woman show first performed in 2013 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was originally produced by Two Brothers Pictures for digital channel BBC Three in a co-production agreement with Amazon Studios.[1][2] Waller-Bridge stars as the title character, a free-spirited but angry and confused single young woman in London. Sian Clifford stars as Fleabag's sister Claire, while Andrew Scott joined the cast in the second series as 'The Priest'. The protagonist frequently breaks the fourth wall to provide exposition, internal monologues, and a running commentary to the audience.[3]

Quick Facts Fleabag, Genre ...

The show premiered on 21 July 2016 and concluded its second and final series on 8 April 2019.[4][5] It received widespread acclaim from critics, particularly for its writing, acting, and the uniqueness and personality of the title character. Many critics and viewers have called it one of the greatest comedy series of all time. Waller-Bridge won the British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for the first series. The second series received 11 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won six, with Waller-Bridge earning Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series; additional acting nominations were received by Clifford, Olivia Colman, and guest stars Fiona Shaw and Kristin Scott Thomas.[6][7] The series received the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series and Best Actress for Waller-Bridge, and a nomination for Scott.[8][9]

Background

The show is adapted from Waller-Bridge's 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe one-woman play of the same name which won a Fringe First Award.[10][11][12] The initial idea of the character of Fleabag came from a challenge by a friend, where Waller-Bridge was given the task of creating a sketch for a 10-minute section in a stand-up storytelling night.[13]

Cast and characters

Main

  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag (although her name is never mentioned)
  • Sian Clifford as Claire, Fleabag's sister with whom she shares an uneasy relationship
  • Andrew Scott as the priest, with whom Fleabag falls in love (series 2)

Supporting

  • Olivia Colman as Fleabag and Claire's godmother, who began a relationship with their father not long after their mother's death and eventually becomes their stepmother
  • Bill Paterson as father of Fleabag and Claire
  • Brett Gelman as Martin, Claire's aggressive alcoholic husband
  • Hugh Skinner as Harry, Fleabag's on-off boyfriend then eventual ex
  • Hugh Dennis as Bank Manager, approached by Fleabag for a loan (series 1; guest series 2)
  • Ben Aldridge as Arsehole Guy, one of Fleabag's love interests, so named for his taste for anal sex (series 1; guest series 2)
  • Jenny Rainsford as Boo, Fleabag's deceased best friend and business partner

Guest

  • Jamie Demetriou as Bus Rodent, one of Fleabag's love interests (series 1)
  • Fiona Shaw as Fleabag's counsellor (series 2)
  • Kristin Scott Thomas as Belinda, a successful businesswoman who meets Fleabag at an awards ceremony presented by Claire (series 2)
  • Ray Fearon as Hot Misogynist, who serves as Fleabag's lawyer and one of her love interests (series 2)
  • Christian Hillborg as Klare, Claire's Finnish business partner and love interest (series 2)
  • Jo Martin as Pam, who works at the priest's church (series 2)
  • Angus Imrie as Jake, Martin's teenage son and Claire's step-son (series 2)

Episodes

More information Series, Episodes ...

Series 1 (2016)

More information No. overall, Episode ...

Series 2 (2019)

More information No. overall, Episode ...

Distribution and broadcast

The women behind the Fleabag monologue interviewed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013. Performer Phoebe Waller-Bridge is in the centre.

BBC Three was the original broadcast channel for the show with a repeat run broadcast on BBC Two between 21 August and 25 September 2016. The second series was broadcast on BBC One at the same time as being released on BBC Three, by this time only available online.[14]

It was picked up by the on-demand Amazon Prime Video (formerly Amazon Video) service and premiered in the United States on 16 September 2016.[12][15] Fleabag is also available on IFC in the US. In the Netherlands, it was picked up by Net5.[16]

The show has been remade for French television by Jeanne Herry. Titled Mouche [fr] (French for 'fly', the insect), it started airing on 3 June 2019 on pay channel Canal+. Mouche is a close remake, though set in Paris with Camille Cottin in the starring role.[17][18][19]

Reception

Critical response

More information Season, Rotten Tomatoes ...

Both series of Fleabag received widespread acclaim from television critics. At review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, both series received approval ratings of 100%. The first series received an average rating of 8.5/10, based on 42 reviews, with the site's critical consensus reading: "Clever and viciously funny, Fleabag is a touching, wildly inventive comedy about a complicated young woman navigating the aftermath of trauma."[20] The second series received an average rating of 9.3/10, based on 99 reviews, with the critical consensus stating: "Fleabag jumps back into the fray with a bracing second season that upholds its predecessor's frenzied wit and delicate heart, replete with Phoebe Waller-Bridge's indefatigable charisma".[22] At Metacritic, the first series received a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 19 critics,[21] while the second series received a score of 96, based on 21 critics, both signifying "universal acclaim".[23]

Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker described the first series as "a precision black-humour mechanism, a warped and affecting fable about one single woman's existence."[24] Maureen Ryan at Variety called it "scathingly funny", concluding that "long after it's pulled you in with its irreverence and jokes about sex, and beguiled you with its cutting wit and messily human characters, it reveals that it's actually a tragedy".[25] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post characterised it as a "funny, highly profane but surprisingly poignant dramedy".[26] Mike Hale in The New York Times praised the show for its "restless, almost feral energy and its slap-in-the-face attitude."[27] Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times commended its unpredictability, acting, and "clear eye for truth that often becomes, like all good comedy, quite devastating".[28]

The second series received unanimous acclaim and was considered a cultural phenomenon. Serena Davies of The Daily Telegraph lauded the second series as "a near-perfect work of art".[29] Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon praised its "brilliant swan song", finding the series's conclusion satisfying and "well-earned".[30] For Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall wrote that the "tragicomic masterpiece reaches new heights in its second outing".[31] James Poniewozik of The New York Times wrote that "the new season feels immediately confident, if inevitably less groundbreaking. Yet it continues to push its form".[32] Hannah Jane Parkinson of The Guardian described the conclusion as "the most electrifying, devastating TV in years", writing of the second series that "it seems as though many who either did not watch the first series, or who didn't think it lived up to the hype, have been converted".[33]

According to Metacritic's aggregate of decade-end lists, Fleabag was the second-highest ranked show of the 2010s.[34] In 2019, it was ranked 8th on The Guardian's list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century.[35] In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked Fleabag as the fifth-greatest TV show of all time.[36]

Former United States President Barack Obama named the second season of Fleabag among his favourite films and television series of 2019. In his annual list, which he released on Twitter on 29 December 2019, he added a small addendum with the title, "and a quick list of TV shows that I considered as powerful as movies: Fleabag: Season 2, Unbelievable, and Watchmen."[37]

Accolades

More information Year, Award ...

Music

Waller-Bridge's sister, Isobel Waller-Bridge, composed the music for both series.[13][71]

Home media

More information Series, Episodes ...

References

  1. [1]
    Bullimore, Emma (19 July 2016). "Seven reasons why feminist comedy Fleabag will be your latest TV addiction". Stylist. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  2. [2]
    Day, Elizabeth (7 July 2016). "Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge on female anger, emotional honesty and fancying Barack Obama". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  3. [3]
    Wilson, Benji (25 March 2019). "Fleabag, episode 4 review: another superb, poignant episode that was both shocking and shockingly good". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  4. [4]
    Rees, Jasper (16 September 2016). "Fleabag: a gloriously rude, and far funnier, update of Bridget Jones – review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  5. [5]
    Hunt, El (9 April 2019). "Fans react to the final episode of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's 'Fleabag'". NME. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  6. [6]
    Nguyen, Hanh (16 July 2019). "'Fleabag': Season 2 Is Truly Blessed With 11 Emmy Nominations, Five for Actresses Alone". IndieWire. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  7. [7]
    "Game of Thrones takes best drama as Fleabag wins big at Emmys – as it happened". Guardian. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  8. [8]
    "Winners & Nominees 2020". www.goldenglobes.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  9. [9]
    Horton, Adrian (6 January 2020). "Golden Globes 2020: Fleabag and 1917 lead British invasion with major wins". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  10. [10]
    MJ (20 April 2016). "Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag coming to BBC Three". BBC. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  11. [11]
    "Drywrite and Soho Theatre present Fleabag". Soho Theatre. May 2015. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  12. [12]
    Barraclough, Leo (19 May 2016). "Amazon Acquires Comedy Series 'Fleabag' From 'Broadchurch's' Phoebe Waller-Bridge". Variety. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  13. [13]
    Jung, E. Alex (20 September 2016). "Phoebe Waller-Bridge on Her Amazon Show Fleabag, Sex Jokes, and Ryan Gosling Feminism". Vuture. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  14. [14]
    Waterson, Jim (20 February 2019). "New series of Fleabag will be released weekly as BBC decides against boxset". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  15. [15]
    Schwartz, Ryan (7 August 2016). "Transparent Season 3, High Castle Season 2, Woody Allen Comedy and Others Get Amazon Premiere Dates". TVLine.
  16. [16]
    "De TV van gisteren: Topserie Fleabag begint dramatisch op Net5" [Yesterday's TV: Top series Fleabag starts dramatically on Net5]. TV Gids (in Dutch). 13 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  17. [17]
    Fournier, Audrey (3 June 2019). "Camille Cottin excelle dans « Mouche », version française de la série télé britannique « Fleabag »." Lemonde.fr. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  18. [18]
    Scott, Sheena (10 February 2019). "Fleabag: A Second Series And A French Remake." Forbes.com. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  19. [19]
    Cappelle, Laura (4 June 2019). "The French Version of 'Fleabag' Is Exactly the Same. Until It’s Different." The New York Times. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  20. [20]
    "Fleabag: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  21. [21]
    "Fleabag - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  22. [22]
    "Fleabag: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  23. [23]
    "Fleabag - Season 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  24. [24]
    Nussbaum, Emily (26 September 2016). ""Fleabag," an Original Bad-Girl Comedy". The New Yorker. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  25. [25]
    Ryan, Maureen (7 September 2016). "TV Review: 'One Mississippi' and 'Fleabag'". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  26. [26]
    Stuever, Hank (8 December 2016). "Fall TV 2016". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  27. [27]
    Hale, Mike (15 September 2016). "Review: 'Fleabag,' Biting, Bitter and Pushing Boundaries". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  28. [28]
    McNamara, Mary (15 September 2016). "Not just a millennial Bridget Jones, 'Fleabag' gives the female narrator a whole new voice". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  29. [29]
    Davies, Serena (9 April 2019). "Why Fleabag's second series is a near-perfect work of art". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  30. [30]
    Williams, Mary Elizabeth (20 May 2019). ""Fleabag" gets a brilliant swan song: Who says there are no great finales?". Salon. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  31. [31]
    Sepinwall, Alan (14 May 2019). "'Fleabag' Season Two Review: A Heaven-Sent Sequel". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  32. [32]
    Poniewozik, James (16 May 2019). "Review: As She Was Saying, Brilliantly, in a New 'Fleabag'". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  33. [33]
    Parkinson, Hannah Jane (9 April 2019). "Farewell Fleabag: the most electrifying, devastating TV in years". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  34. [34]
    "Best TV Shows of the Decade (2010-19)". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  35. [35]
    "The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century". The Guardian. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  36. [36]
    Sepinwall, Alan (26 September 2022). "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  37. [37]
    Nyren, Erin (29 December 2019). "Barack Obama's Favorite Movies and TV Shows of 2019". Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  38. [38]
    "Broadcast Awards Shortlist 2017". Broadcast Magazine. 24 November 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  39. [39]
    Lincoln, Ross A. (14 November 2016). "Critics' Choice TV Nominations Unveiled". Deadline. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  40. [40]
    "CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2016". Royal Television Society. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  41. [41]
    "Bafta Television Awards Shortlist 2017". BAFTA. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  42. [42]
    "Bafta Television Craft Awards Shortlist 2017". BAFTA. 26 March 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  43. [43]
    "The Night Manager, The Crown, Planet Earth II and Desert Island Discs take top prizes at 43rd Broadcasting Press Guild Awards". Broadcasting Press Guild. 17 March 2017.
  44. [44]
    Dry, Jude (28 January 2017). "'Moonlight' Sweeps Gay and Lesbian Critics Association's Dorian Awards - IndieWire". indiewire.com.
  45. [45]
    "2017 Gold Derby TV Awards winners: 'Big Little Lies' and 'SNL' sweep, while 'Stranger Things' takes Best Drama". GoldDerby. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  46. [46]
    "Palmarès des Nymphes d'Or 2017" (in French). Monte-Carlo Television Festival. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  47. [47]
    Erbland, Kate (19 October 2017). "'Get Out' Leads 2017 Gotham Awards Nominations". IndieWire. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  48. [48]
    "'Fleabag' named Best TV Series supported by Domino's at the VO5 NME Awards 2017 - NME". NME. 15 February 2017.
  49. [49]
    "Rockie Awards Program Competition". Banff World Media Festival. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  50. [50]
    "RTS Awards 2017". Royal Television Society. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  51. [51]
    Stanhope, Kate (19 June 2017). "'Handmaid's Tale,' 'This Is Us' and 'Atlanta' Lead 2017 TV Critic Awards Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  52. [52]
    "Writer's Guild Awards 2017". writersguild.org.uk. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  53. [53]
    "Gold Derby TV Awards 2019 nominations: 'Game of Thrones' and 'Veep' lead, while 'Pose' is the top new show of the year". GoldDerby. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  54. [54]
    Mitovich, Matt Webb (22 September 2019). "Emmys 2019: Game of Thrones Ties Record and Leads TV Pack; Fleabag, Chernobyl and Mrs. Maisel Win Big". TVLine. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  55. [55]
    Hill, Libby (14 September 2019). "Complete Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2019 Winners List: 'Game of Thrones' Torches Competitors". IndieWire. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  56. [56]
    Satellite Awards - 2019 Nominees
  57. [57]
    "CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2019". Royal Television Society. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  58. [58]
    Goldberg, Lesley (3 August 2019). "'Fleabag' Dominates TV Critics Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  59. [59]
    Tangcay, Jazz (9 December 2019). "'The Irishman,' 'Once Upon a Time,' 'The Mandalorian' Among Art Directors Guild Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  60. [60]
    "BAFTA TV 2020: Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy TV Craft Awards". BAFTA. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  61. [61]
    Giardina, Carolyn (10 December 2019). "'Ford v Ferrari,' 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Sound Mixers Among CAS Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  62. [62]
    Weinberg, Lindsay (10 December 2019). "Costume Designers Guild Awards: 'Hustlers,' 'Rocketman' Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  63. [63]
    Critics’ Choice Awards
  64. [64]
    Nordyke, Kimberly (8 January 2020). "'Parasite' Tops Dorian Awards With 5 Wins". The Hollywood Reporter.
  65. [65]
    Golden Globe Awards - Winners & Nominees 2020
  66. [66]
    Schneider, Michael (10 June 2020). "'Stranger Things,' 'When They See Us,' 'Watchmen' Among This Year's Peabody Award Winners". Variety. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  67. [67]
    "Nominations Announced in Motion Pictures and Television Programs Categories – 2020 Awards". Producers Guild of America. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  68. [68]
    "RTS Programme Awards 2020 in partnership with Audio Network". Royal Television Society. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  69. [69]
    Screen Actors Guild Awards - Nominees & Recipients
  70. [70]
    Olivier Awards 2020
  71. [71]
    Nguyen, Hanh (29 May 2019). "'Fleabag': Of Course Isobel Waller-Bridge Wrote That Divine Score With Dirty Greek Lyrics". IndieWire. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  72. [72]
    "Fleabag Series 1 (DVD)". Australian Classification. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  73. [73]
    "Fleabag: Series 1 (BBC)". Amazon.co.uk. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  74. [74]
    "Fleabag Series 1". Amazon.co.uk. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  75. [75]
    "Fleabag - Series 1". Sanity.com.au. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  76. [76]
    "Fleabag: Series 2 (DVD)". Amazon.co.uk. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  77. [77]
    "Fleabag: Series 2 (Blu-ray)". Amazon.co.uk. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  78. [78]
    "Fleabag: Series 1 & 2 (DVD)". Amazon.co.uk. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  79. [79]
    "Fleabag: Series 1 & 2 (Blu-ray)". Amazon.co.uk. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Fleabag.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Fleabag, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.