'Funny Woman' Returns to PBS in 2025

Despite the awkwardness of the series name, critics and reviewers loved Gemma Arterton's first season of Funny Woman. (So-called because it's adapted from the Nick Hornsby novel Funny Girl, a title already taken by a rather famous musical.) However, viewers, assuming the title was a comedy, were surprised to discover the show had serious things to say. It wasn't until PBS picked up the show for American audiences in the summer of 2023 that a (much shorter) second season was commissioned, down to four installments from Season 1's six. But as the second season heads to America, it's clear Funny Woman has more to say this time around.

Season 1 followed the adventures of Barbara Parker (Arterton), Blackpool Beauty Queen, who decided she wanted more from life and moved to London to break into the BBC's fledging comedy lineup. After being renamed Sophie Straw by a less-than-scrupulous manager, she worked her way into an audition, where her undeniable comedy chops helped her shove open the doors of the Old Boy's Club. But double standards and sexist nonsense (not to mention divorce laws) made her life (and her love life) much more difficult than it should have been.

Season 2 returns with Sophie still plugging away at the BBC, now a major star in her own right. But when live TV goes disastrously sideway, Sophie discovers an offer to make a movie might be just the thing. Check out the trailer from when the show debuted on Sky in September 2024.