RAISING Rosie

JESSICA HYNES AND DAVID TENNANT return as a married couple whose daughter has learning disabilities

VIEWERS WENT ON an emotional roller coaster when they first met young Rosie Yates back in 2018, and the second series of moving comedy There She Goes promises more of the same.

Written by Shaun Pye with the help of his wife Sarah, the series is based on their lives with their learning-disabled daughter Jo, and has moved from BBC4 to a new slot on BBC2 after a hugely positive response from viewers and critics.

Rosie’s parents Simon and Emily continue to face plenty of new challenges as we rejoin the Yates family 18 months on, not least when they attend a charity sports day at Rosie’s special school in this week’s first episode.

‘Simon and Emily are finally getting some answers about what Rosie’s condition is,’ says Good

Omens star David Tennant, 49, who plays Rosie’s dad. ‘There are some very tough moments, but this series is definitely less bleak. They’re dealing with what they’ve got rather than staring into the abyss.’

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

As before, the five-part series also includes flashbacks to an earlier timeline, when Rosie was a threeyear-old, and follows Simon and Emily as they struggle to adapt to their new lives. Simon is feeling daunted and seeks out his father Bill (Rab C Nesbitt star Gregor Fisher) for some advice.

It was the show’s honesty about life as a parent that really struck a chord. But Pye admits he found it difficult at first to write about his daughter, who was born with a chromosomal disorder.

HONEST PORTRAYAL

‘The first draft was about this witty bloke who soldiers on without much help from his wife, and I remember Sarah saying, “You’re having a laugh.”’ he says. ‘We rewrote it and decided to be as honest as possible about all the challenges we’ve faced as parents.’

Audiences particularly warmed to Jessica Hynes’ portrayal of Rosie’s mum Emily and her powerful performance as a mother struggling to hold her family together won her a BAFTA.

‘That was such a special night,’ recalls Hynes, 47. ‘For a comedy like There She Goes to get that sort of acknowledgment was amazing.’