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Horrible snogs. Hideous outfits. Heinous crimes.
That’s how Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson, the real-life sisters behind the BBC comedy “Such Brave Girls,” describe the new season amidst bursts of laughter.
“Being able to have schemes and do twisted things and [to] come from a female perspective, that was really exciting,” says Sadler, who penned the Bafta-winning dark comedy.
“Such Brave Girls” centers on sisters Josie (Sadler) and Billie (Davidson), alongside their mother Deb (Louise Brealey), as they navigate financial struggles and turbulent relationships.
Despite critical acclaim for its first season, the siblings were apprehensive about the series’ reception. “We do talk about a lot of taboo subjects,” Davidson notes, referencing the comedy’s exploration of mental health, parental abandonment, and abortion with a distinctive, unfiltered approach.
In one episode from series one, Billie visits an abortion clinic dressed as a witch, while in another, Deb tells Josie that her “haunting presence” is diminishing her boyfriend’s libido.
The series garnered two Baftas – one for best scripted comedy and another for emerging talent: fiction, awarded to Sadler.
Sadler admits that approaching a follow-up was “nerve-wracking,” adding that the two bronze awards on her bedside table now feel like they’re “judging” her.
However, Davidson believes their prior success allowed them greater creative latitude this time around, a sentiment Sadler echoes: “I’ve really put the characters through the wringer this year. It’s more depressing, but maybe more funny.”
Davidson attributes the series’ inspiration to their upbringing: “Growing up in an all-woman household, it was just us two and Mum, I think that’s the way we see life, like scheming in the bathroom.”
Much of the show’s action unfolds in the bathroom, where the women conspire to generate income or manipulate their partners.
While their on-screen characters often exchange sharp remarks, the sisters are far more sincere off-screen. Sadler explains how Davidson’s casual observations have helped her resolve plot points she had been struggling with for months.
Sadler also expresses her gratitude for having her sister in the show, calling her “the funniest person in the world.”
Visibly touched and slightly teary-eyed, Davidson shares that she reads Sadler’s early drafts under the covers, simultaneously laughing and envying her sister’s talent.
“I hate her. I hate her. I wish it was me. It’s so brilliant how nuanced the writing is,” she says, smiling.
The siblings’ relationship isn’t the sole influence on the comedy. Sadler reveals that their mother frequently sends her ideas for storylines. “She’s really invested,” Sadler explains.
Prior to series one, she reviewed the prospective storylines with her mother.
“It’s not her, but it’s definitely inspired by stories that happened to us. So I wanted her to be happy with it,” Sadler adds.
“She signed off everything – she’s got the darkest sense of humour of all of us.”
Sadler says much of her writing is inspired by online trends and news, such as the “bleak” dating landscape.
In the new series, their mother Deb declares that the girls are “better dead than single,” a sentiment that permeates the series as the sisters fight to maintain their relationships.
Sadler says she became intrigued by the concept of intentional singledom after encountering it frequently on her TikTok feed.
She believes it’s become increasingly common and notes that many of her friends are single.
One recent report found that the four most popular dating apps in the UK – Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and Grindr – all experienced a decline in UK users between May 2023 and May 2024.
The writer says that while there are many empowering aspects to being single, “it’s also very lonely,” and she wanted to satirize this notion in her show by portraying it as the girls’ “worst nightmare.”
With the new series, Sadler aims to continue to “skewer” topical issues and taboo subjects. She says she’s particularly proud of how they addressed Billie’s abortion storyline in series one.
“I’m so sick of seeing stories about pregnancy and that maternal instinct immediately kicking,” Sadler says, adding, “that’s not reality for a lot of people. It’s not how I feel.”
The “most important” thing for Sadler was to keep complex women at the core of the comedy series and to depict how grotesque women can be toward one another.
Many scenes in the series revolve around the siblings and their mother exchanging harsh remarks.
“I think that we haven’t seen it before, really, the truth of being disgusting and the way that we talk about each other.”
You can watch Such Brave Girls on BBC Three and iPlayer on Thursday 3 July.
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