'Big Mood' Creator On Making a Realistic Comedy About Mental Health
While many Anglophiles may not consider Tubi a destination for British TV content, it may be time to reconsider. The FAST channel streamer has already brought over offbeat shows like Boarders and Dead Hot, but the buzzy comedy Big Mood, which arrived this past weekend, is perhaps the network’s best chance for a genuine word-of-mouth hit.
The series, which stars Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) and Lydia West (It’s a Sin), is funny, heartbreaking, and heartfelt by turns. Centered on a pair of ride-or-die best friends named Maggie (Coughlan) and Eddie (West), the show follows the ups and downs of their relationship through dating problems, bizarre social hijinks, and the struggles of adult responsibilities like careers and finances. But what sets the show apart is that it’s also a story of mental illness and the toll living with a mood disorder can take on more than just the person who’s been diagnosed with it.
That’s what the show’s title refers to, for the record: Big Mood isn’t just a fun bit of internet slang, but a nod to the cycles of Maggie’s mania and depression because she has bipolar disorder. And while her diagnosis often has negative consequences for everyone in her life, it’s tough on Eddie, who frequently finds herself handling Maggie’s various crises rather than dealing with her own needs.
