IAN HYLAND on last night’s telly
I Hate Suzie, Sky Atlantic: ★★★
Based on last night’s opening double bill, Billie Piper’s new comedy drama could be the most aptly named TV show in years.
The problem was that Piper’s startlingly familiar lead character, teen pop star turned sci-fi actress Suzie Pickles, wasn’t the only unlikeable character. This show was full of them. I’m sure there are lots of nice people working in TV, journalism and film. In fact, now I think about it, I’ve definitely met one or two.
However, it would appear that writer Lucy Prebble decided against basing any of her characters on them. Then again, we may have only just scratched the surface.
Perhaps Suzie and her cohorts will turn out to have some redeeming
features underneath all the drugtaking, binge-drinking, backstabbing, questionable parenting and extra-marital affairs.
While we are waiting to find out, we can enjoy the one thing that makes this eight-parter well worth sticking with – the writing.
As you may have noticed when she is allowed to get a word in on Have I Got News For You?, Prebble is very funny. Her scripts here are full of razor-sharp one-liners and searing observations on the
celebrity world – more often than not delivered by Daniel Ings, who plays Suzie’s husband Cob.
Poor Cob was certainly put through the wringer.
Suzie’s phone had been hacked, with leaked photos revealing she had been enjoying relations with an unnamed man who was not her husband.
This led to a darkly comic marriage guidance scene, with Daniel yelling: “Whose **** is it?”
A tenner says Channel 4 is already working on a game show with that title.
Scripts are full of razor-sharp one-liners and searing observations