*SPOILERS AHEAD*
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s gut-punching tragicomedy Fleabag was one of 2016’s TV highlights. Adapted from her one-woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe, it told the story of a young woman and the irrepressible guilt and mourning that came with the death of her best friend.
It was hilarious. Shocking, clever, spiteful and sad, too. And there was a feeling that we might not ever see a second series, thanks to Waller-Bridge’s rising stock in Hollywood as a writer and actor.
But we were wrong! The BBC has just announced that a follow-up is definitely on the way. Here’s everything we know so far…
We Might Have Seen The Last Of Hugh Dennis’ Broken Bank Manager
The panel show stalwart and Outnumbered star is missing from the official announcement released yesterday. He impressed critics in the first series with a poignant turn as a depressed bank manager who denies Fleabag a business loan.
The rest of the cast intact, however, including a somewhat unexpected return for ex-boyfriend Harry, played by Mamma Mia 2 actor Hugh Skinner.
Sherlock Star Andrew Scott Has Joined The Cast
"I can't believe they let me do this AGAIN. I'm so happy to be back with the incredible Fleabag team and I'm as surprised as anyone about where this series has taken us… thank God for Andrew Scott," Waller-Bridge wrote in the series 2 statement.
You probably know Andrew Scott from BBC One’s Sherlock, in which he plays Benedict Cumberbatch’s arch-rival Moriarty. The Bafta-winning actor earned acclaim in 2017 for his role as Hamlet at the Almeida theatre, for which he received an Olivier Award for Best Actor.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge Has Been Busy
She's received critical acclaim for developing Killing Eve, a BBC America adaptation of Luke Jenning’s 'Codename Villanelle' novella series, which is set for British screens towards the end of the year. She also voiced android L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Filming Has Already Started, But We Don’t Have A Release Date
It’ll air on BBC Three and Amazon Prime some time in 2019, and will once again be produced by Two Brothers Pictures. “We are beyond thrilled to be back in Fleabag’s company,” the company wrote in a statement.“Phoebe has created a show that’s so well loved we can't wait for fans to see what she has in store this time around.”
Things Are About To Get Even Darker
Earlier this year, producer Lydia Hampson revealed that series two would not "retread old ground".
"The whole of the first series, it was a façade. She was shiny and prim on top, but you didn't know she was grieving underneath it all. In that last episode, we saw she was broken. We can't go back to pretending she's fine again," she teased.
Similarly Shane Allen, the head Controller of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC, revealed that the next series will delve into the unexpected.
“The series two scripts are knockout - sparkling with Phoebe’s unique voice that combines a whip smart complexity of character with pin sharp funny lines scattered everywhere.
“The themes of this series are very distinct from the first series which delivers on the challenge Phoebe set herself.
“It’s a superb team and cast from top to bottom and with Fleabag you can never escape a reference to the bottom.”
Nick Pope is the Site Director of Esquire, overseeing digital strategy for the brand.
