Fleabag

Fleabag is a TV show I heard a lot about. Everyone seemed to be talking about it. It was cropping up in so many unrelated areas that it gave the impression that everyone was watching and talking about it.

After watching the first season I can see what all the fuss was about.

It is remarkable.

I have jotted down some of the factors that I think make it worth talking about:

The breaking of the 4th wall and talking to the camera, the shock factor, the dark humour, the high frequency of sex scenes, and the overall quick pace.

The thing is though, none of these tactics are new. They have been available to all other TV show makers for years.

Trading places broke the 4th wall and that movie was 30 years ago.

Shocking an audience isn’t new either (see Fight club, Game of Thrones or The Usual Suspects).

Dark humour isn’t rare either (see Ozark).

A quick pace isn’t unusual (see Sherlock).

And humans have been interested in sex since the dawn of time.

But the act of putting it all together around a compelling narrative makes for a unique TV show.

Within the first few minutes you can tell this show is not going to be like Modern Family, The Office, The Simpsons or any other mass approved programme.

I think Fleabag is a success because it is tailored to a specific audience extremely well. It is a TV show for those who are hungry for something different and it delights them.