The era of the Twitter-made superstar is over. Welcome to the age when celebrity is captured through Instagram shots and clever Snaps. But before the DJ Khaleds of the world won over the masses with major keys and workout videos, there were those select few who rode 140-character thoughts to stardom. One of those people was Rob Delaney, a comedian whose Tweets garnered him well over a million Twitter followers and and the title of “Funniest Person on Twitter” from Comedy Central. His bite-sized jokes helped him secure a Netflix stand-up special, a book deal, and, most importantly, the lead in Catastrophe, a British comedy series that can be seen on Amazon Prime Instant Video. Simply put: It’s the best show you’re not watching.
The comedy, whose second season premieres Friday (April 8) on Amazon Prime Instant Video, is about an unlikely relationship between Rob Norris (Rob Delaney) and Sharon Morris (Sharon Horgan), a pair who decide to give it a go after Sharon gets pregnant following a brief fling. Does that sound like a sitcom that could follow The Big Bang Theory during a CBS big block of comedies? Yes—but we assure you it is not. The reason: Delaney is one of the writers, producers, and creators of the show. The dialog feels, in a sense, like it’s punctuated with his Tweets, like his 140-character jokes are sprinkled atop the story line.
As the duo navigate the formation of their relationship in the first season, they interact more like a pair of college bros than a romantically involved couple. They fight. They call each other names. They swear like sailors. But, like a pair of kids flirting, there’s almost always a playful undertone. It’s a tone not unlike the one from many of Delaney’s 140-character jokes (example), a tone that suggests what you are about to hear is in jest. This allows Delaney and Horgan to get away with some pretty stellar lines, which provide for the funniest moments of the show. The slow-moving plot takes a backseat to the pair’s sharp quips.
And as mentioned, Delaney does not carry Catastrophe alone—far from it. Horgan, who won awards for her work on the British comedy Pulling, is also one of the writers, producers, and creators. The two work well both on the screen and behind it, crafting jokes and executing them. A cast of unique characters surround the pair, populate the spaces they travel, and bring a roundness to the production. They’re goofy and full of quirks, but at its core, Catastrophe is a two person affair, and few duos are better than Horgan and Delaney—both in the writer’s room and on set.
We recommend you start catching up now.
