SCREEN QUEENS
Here are some of our fave multitasking TV mavens, who’ve been creators, head writers and stars of their very own bingeable series
THIS WAY UP AISLING BEA
Equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious, Bea’s depiction of a witty, single Irishwoman living in London as she picks up the pieces of her life after “a teeny little nervous breakdown” is a searingly honest and shockingly joyful deep dive into loneliness, love and sisterhood.
One for fans of Fleabag.
Now streaming on Stan
I MAY DESTROY YOU MICHAELA COEL
Coel made the brave decision to create a series centred on the aftermath of a rape, loosely based on an assault that happened to her. The result is a gripping 12-episode saga that pieces together the events of one night and takes an unflinching look at the elements that surround it, touching on themes of friendship, family, race, trauma and rebirth. Now streaming on Binge
FEEL GOOD MAE MARTIN
You’d be forgiven for thinking that using comedy to tackle weighty topics such as sexuality, abuse and addiction is bordering on disrespectful. And yet this semi-autobiographical series written and starring Martin (a non-binary comedian) defies all odds, instead delivering a love story that’s warm, charming, insightful and watchable. Now streaming on Netflix
ON THE VERGE JULIE DELPY
Sprinkled with dry French sarcasm and a healthy dose of satire, the Oscar-nominated actor’s sun-soaked slice-of-life comedy about four late-in-life mothers living in Los Angeles proves that women in their forties are just as messy, muddled and reliant on their friends to get through the weeks and months as any 20something millennial. Now streaming on Netflix
THE MINDY PROJECT MINDY KALING
As Kaling’s first project since The Office, and considering her achievements since the series debuted in 2012, it’s high praise that many describe her portrayal of the New York obgyn Dr Mindy Lahiri as her crowning achievement. Kaling strikes the perfect balance of narcissism and humanity, allowing you to laugh at and cry with her romantic lead. Now streaming on Netflix
FLEABAG PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE
What can be said of this masterpiece that hasn’t already been uttered? Waller-Bridge hit a cultural nerve with her blink-andyou’ll-miss-it series about a self-sabotaging anti-heroine who is teetering on the edge of catastrophe and somehow finds her way back. She also managed to make a love affair with a Catholic priest very fucking sexy. Streaming on ABC iView