Overlooked 10-Year-Old Comedy Gem on Prime Video Rivals Classic Sitcoms with Its Rare 98% Tomatometer

The 2010s ushered in the golden age of television: the production of TV series became more expensive, scripts were on par with high quality feature films, and Hollywood actors forgot the cliché that "acting in TV is the end of a career."

At some point, there were even too many TV shows, and while some of them won the audience's love and achieved hit status, such as Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, others went almost unnoticed.

It is generally accepted that the heyday of sitcoms remained somewhere in the 1990s and 2000s. But such successful shows as Schitt's Creek or, for example, Abbott Elementary prove the opposite. Unfortunately, not every good sitcom has found an audience due to the abundance of projects.

Such a fate befell Catastrophe, which was released in 2015 and received unconditional love from a narrow circle of fans. The sitcom currently has a 98% rating from critics and a 92% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, one of the most iconic sitcoms, The Office, has a lower rating of 81% and 89%.

What is Catastrophe About?

Sharon is an Irish woman who lives in London and works as a teacher. Rob is an American who has come to England on a business trip. One night they meet by chance in a bar and, after getting drunk, spend the night together. In fact, this story could have ended right at that moment for both of them, but Sharon finds out that she is pregnant.

Rob decides to prove himself as a responsible man and goes to London to try to build a relationship with a complete stranger. Surprisingly, their union turns out to be quite viable. Rob and Sharon have many problems, misunderstandings and at the same time funny situations, but a chance meeting in a bar changes their lives forever and gives them both true love.

Catastrophe Is a Realistic Story At The Intersection of Comedy and Drama

An under-the-radar and not the most popular sitcom tells the story of two successful and self-sufficient adults who decide to give each other a chance because of an unexpected pregnancy. It masterfully combines drama and comedy, as well as the striking realism of adult relationships and sitcom twists.

The lead actors also co-wrote the project, so much of it (even the names of their characters) is drawn from real life. For example, Delaney knows firsthand what problems with alcohol are, so in Catastrophe we can see a storyline with Rob’s addiction.

In addition to its thought-out characters, believable situations, and high quality humor, Catastrophe stands out from most similar comedies for its amazing balance: the comedy never descends into absurdity or farce, and the drama, despite all the sometimes tragic events that take place, never overwhelms with hopelessness.

Where to Stream Catastrophe?

All four seasons of Catastrophe are available to watch on Prime Video.