| Genre: | Comedy |
| Director: | Stephen Frears |
| Composer: | Roger Eno |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 20 |
| Producer: | Amy Jackson |
| Runtime: | 10 minutes |
| Company: | See-Saw Films |
| Network: | Sundance TV |
State of the Union is a British comedy television series that aired on BBC and Sundance TV. It is written by Nick Hornby and directed by Stephen Frears.[1] [2]
The second season premiered in February 2022.
Season 1 of State of the Union follows "Louise and Tom, played by Pike and O’Dowd, who meet in a pub immediately before their weekly marital therapy session. Each episode pieces together how their lives were, what drew them together, and what has started to pull them apart."[3]
On 13 July 2018, it was announced that Sundance TV had given the production a series order consisting of ten episodes running around ten minutes each. The series was expected to be written by Nick Hornby and directed by Stephen Frears, both of whom were set to be executive producers. Production companies involved with the series included See-Saw Films.[3] [4] [5]
Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Rosamund Pike and Chris O'Dowd had been cast in the series' lead roles for season 1.[3] [4] [5]
Principal photography for the series was scheduled to begin in the summer of 2018 in London, England.[3] [4] [5] The pub used for the series was the Thatched House in Hammersmith, London W6.
Roger Eno scored the soundtrack,[6] which was performed by jazz musicians Jack Pinter, Sebastian Rochford (drums) and Steve Watts on saxophone and recorded at AIR Studios in London, according to the trailer.
On 25 January 2021 the series was renewed for a second season,[7] starring Brendan Gleeson, Patricia Clarkson and Esco Jouléy.[8]
On 10 October 2018, a "first-look" image from the series was released.[9] On 28 January 2019, the series received its world premiere during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.[10]
In the UK, the first series aired on BBC Two in September 2019,[11] and the second series followed in May 2022.[12]
In a positive review, Varietys Daniel D'Addario praised the series saying, "State of the Union pulls off a neat trick; given both its short running time and its fleetness of dialogue, we never get tired of hearing this couple's arguments, which could in other contexts be tiresome and circular."[13] In another encouraging criticism, The Hollywood Reporters Daniel Fienberg described the series as a "clever and beautifully acted piece" and declared that "Stephen Frears and Nick Hornby's perceptive two-hander is still well worth seeing."[10]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Nick Hornby, Stephen Frears, Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Iain Canning, and Emile Sherman | [14] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Chris O'Dowd | ||||
| Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Rosamund Pike | ||||
| 2022 | Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Short Form Live-Action Series | State of the Union | [15] | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Brendan Gleeson | [16] | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Patricia Clarkson | ||||
| Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Short Form Series | Kathleen Chopin, John Ort | [17] | ||