Alma's Not Normal, season two: 'hilarious' sitcom is 'pretty much perfect'
The second instalment of Sophie Willan's semi-autobiographical comedy is a 'triumph'
Sophie Willan's "sharp, silly" sitcom, "Alma's Not Normal", has returned to BBC Two for a second season and it's "just as delightful and off-the-wall as ever", said Emily Baker on the i news site.
The first instalment of the hit comedy saw the hugely likeable Alma Nuttall (loosely based on Willan and played by the comedian) on the verge of swapping her "frequently grim job as an escort" for a tour with a local theatre group, said Rachel Aroesti in The Guardian.
But "sadly for our hero", Alma ends up being "lumped with the role of a tree" and, this season, returns to her home town of Bolton, where her mother's boyfriend is being held "semi-captive" by her "imperious" grandmother, Joan (Lorraine Ashbourne). "Blacklisted" from the sex industry, she gets a job with her best friend Leanne (Jayde Adams) who has opened a bar in the back of a lorry.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The show is an excellent example of a small British comedy that's been able to "flourish" among the "global juggernauts", said Benji Wilson in The Telegraph. Despite a 36-month gap between the seasons ("an ice age in TV time"), we should be glad that the "home-spun, northern-and-proud-of-it" show has made it to our screens at all. Willan has "both an ear for dialogue and an eye for a zinger", and the show is "first and foremost a triumph of writing and performance".
Alma's "mentally ill, drug-addicted" mum, Lin, is the "star of the show", thanks to Siobhan Finneran's "funny but never mean-spirited" performance, said Baker on the i news site. And while you get a sense of the show's "exasperation" with the chronically underfunded welfare state, it never "shoves its politics down your throat". By adding a layer of "societal awareness" to her "genuinely funny" sitcom, Willan has created something that's "truly special".
While the second season "radiates rage and devastation", it also manages to capture the first instalment's "life-affirming vibe", added Aroesti in The Guardian. As a "furiously real yet incorrigibly hilarious sitcom, it's pretty much perfect".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Mary Poppins tour: 'humdinger' of a show kicks off at Bristol Hippodrome
The Week Recommends Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers are 'true triple threats' as Mary and Bert in 'timeless' production
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
These 7 touring theater productions are ready to carry you through the holidays and into the new year
The Week Recommends Your favorite movie-turned-musical might be coming to a city near you
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Kimpton Everly Hotel: the perfect base to explore Hollywood
The Week Recommends Escape the bustle of LA at this laidback bolthole
By Caroline Dolby Published
-
The best TV spy thrillers
The Week Recommends Brilliant espionage series, packed with plot twists to keep you hooked until the end
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Magnificent Tudor castles and stately homes to visit this year
The Week Recommends The return of 'Wolf Hall' has sparked an uptick in visits to Britain's Tudor palaces
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Vegetable cocktails are having a moment
The Week Recommends Wild carrot margarita? Mung bean old-fashioned? 'Allotment-inspired' tipples are appearing on drinks menus
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published