Power Couple

- Joanna Berry

Catastrophe became an instant hit for C4 in 2015 with its BAFTA winning storyline about a London primary-school teacher and an American advertising executive whose one-night stand turns into marriage when she gets pregnant.

In the new season, Sharon and Rob – played by Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, who also write the series – are now parents of two young children. They’re dealing with the fallout from the previous season’s finale, in which Sharon admitted a minor infidelity and Rob – an alcoholic who had secretly returned to the bottle – had a car accident while drink-driving.

IN TROUBLE

‘They decided they couldn’t function without each other, no matter what,’ explains Horgan. ‘Then Rob revealed he was secretly drinking and he almost died. So in series four, it is about the struggle of staying together – because they have no other option.’

As well as successfully blending comedy with such dramatic storylines, the series is known for its realistic (and hilariously crude) sex scenes, which Horgan explains was always intentional.