| Based On: | Funny Girl by Nick Hornby |
| Director: | Oliver Parker |
| Composer: | Nainita Desai |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 6 |
| Cinematography: | Matthew Wicks |
| Runtime: | 46–47 minutes |
| Network: | Sky Max |
| Last Aired: | present |
Funny Woman is a British drama television series directed by Oliver Parker and adapted for the screen by Morwenna Banks from the best-selling novel Funny Girl by Nick Hornby. It stars Gemma Arterton with an ensemble cast including Tom Bateman, David Threlfall, and Rupert Everett. The first series began airing on Sky Max on 9 February 2023, with all six episodes available on Now.[1] [2] In August, it was renewed for a second series.[3]
The series follows Barbara Parker (stage name Sophie Straw), a Blackpool beauty queen who becomes a comedy star in the male-dominated sitcom industry in 1960s London.
The show includes fictionalized portrayals of personalities from the period including Frankie Howerd (Robert Forknall), Eleanor Bron (Emma Humpston), Val Doonican (Mike Prior), Spike Milligan (Alexander Jonas) and John Fortune (Nathan Chatelier).
Seventy-three per cent of critics reviews for Funny Woman are positive on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[4] It received mixed reviews in the press on the grounds that the title caused some to believe it was intended as a comedy rather than a drama about a comedy actress. This led to reviews of a "mediocre" and "uneven" series.[5] [6] Meanwhile, Funny Woman received three-, four- and five-star reviews from other reviewers, including The Guardian, who considered Arterton's performance "absolutely captivating", and The Independent, who felt "this show feels like a warm hug" with a "plucky, bold heroine".[7] [8] The Upcoming praised Arterton's "flirtatious, witty and charismatic" performance and considered Funny Woman "fast, fluid and incredibly clever".[9]