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Sharon Horgan has forged an uncategorizable, singular path in television, making shows that are funny, uncomfortable, tragic, dark, and always affecting, often all at once. And at the center of all of them is one ingredient—women who are not afraid to fight. Often playing a main character in her own works, she writes women who know how to express genuine, relatable female rage, whether lashing out at a partner in an accidental pregnancy or murdering a sister’s abusive husband. Just check out her list of titles to get the idea: Catastrophe, Divorce, Bad Sisters.
On the latest episode of We Disrupt This Broadcast, our podcast with the Center for Media & Social Impact, we talk with the Irish creator and actor about the problem with the marriage plot and the intimate details that make for realistic women characters. “Whilst it’s lovely to escape when you watch TV, and to look at something that’s gorgeous and glorious and aspirational,” she says, “I think there’s really nothing better than watching something that reflects how you feel and feeling understood because of that.”
Here’s a closer look at her oeuvre.
Listen to the Sharon Horgan Episode of We Disrupt This Broadcast: PeabodyAwards.org
‘Bad Sisters’
Over two seasons, the Dublin-set Bad Sisters—which Horgan co-created with Brett Baer and Dave Finkel—twists the murder-mystery format into something entirely new. While the first season, for instance, begins by revealing the death of John Paul Williams (Claes Bang, in a fearless performance as an awful man), the timeline rewinds to reveal the ways he controlled and abused his wife, Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), and the vile actions he committed against each of her four tight-knit sisters. We then quickly learn that Grace’s sisters were plotting to murder JP—though a shot of dark humor runs through their bumbling attempts. Along the way, we come to love and root for this messy brood, with Horgan’s Ava, the oldest sister and a childfree and single professional who owns the family home, serving as a mother figure. The Garvey sisters will make you actively root for murder, and marvel at just how hard it really is to kill someone.
Where to Watch: AppleTV+
‘Catastrophe’
This spiky relationship dramedy, which ran from 2015 to 2019, follows an American man, Rob (co-creator Rob Delaney), and a British woman, Sharon (Horgan), who decide to become a couple after she unexpectedly gets pregnant during their fling while he’s on a business trip in London. It’s a standard premise that shines in the execution. Delaney and Horgan have a bracingly real chemistry that allows them to swing from brutally honest fights to moments of embarrassing vulnerability, sweetness, and humor. The two spend four seasons navigating marriage, children, threats of infidelity, parents’ deaths, and addiction—with, against all odds, a poignant and hopeful finale. This series also marks the last on-screen performance of the incomparable Carrie Fisher, who played Rob’s mom just before her 2016 death.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
‘Divorce’
Divorce is unusual for Horgan in that it’s a solo effort without collaborators, she doesn’t appear onscreen, and it’s set in America. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church as Frances and Robert Dufresne, it follows the wealthy Westchester, New York, couple as their marriage dissolves in the wake of her affair. The three seasons chronicle the never-ending process of their divorce, figuring out how to divvy up time with kids and co-exist in their social circle. It’s at turns dark, glum, and biting, often livened up by the couple’s sparkly and neurotic friends, most notably Molly Shannon (who pulls a gun on her husband at a 50th birthday party, as one does). Another example of Horgan’s refusal to pull punches when it comes to the realities of modern relationships, and ability to mix tones with glee.
Where to Watch: Max