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The return of ‘Catastrophe’ on Channel 4 later this month is bittersweet. Sweet because the hilarious and filthy Hackney comedy is one of the best shows on TV. But sad because the new season will be the last TV appearance of Carrie Fisher, who died in December just days after filming wrapped in London.
As the mother-in-law from hell, Fisher appeared briefly in seasons one and two – popping over from America to pass judgement on her daughter-in-law Sharon’s parenting. But according to the show’s co-creator Sharon Horgan, this time around Fisher role is ‘bigger and chunkier’. Horgan also described her co-star as the ‘sexiest, funniest woman’ at press conference yesterday to launch the new series.
‘The first and second series, we didn't have her for very long,’ Horgan said. ‘She flew in and did her bit in about a day and a half. We idolised her. Of course, we wanted to get to know her better, but just didn’t really have a chance to.’ Horgan stars in the show with her co-writer Rob Delaney, the pair playing a couple who barely knew each other when they got hitched in season one, after a mostly drunken seven-night stand ended up with her being pregnant.
Channel 4's head of comedy Phil Clarke added that Fisher appears in ‘very emotionally powerful scenes’.
Fisher agreed to take on the role of Mia in season one when Delaney contacted her via Twitter, after seeing her present an award to Graham Norton. ‘We didn’t think for a minute she’d do it,’ Horgan admitted later. ‘We still to this day, couldn’t believe she said yes.’
The third series of 'Catastrophe' starts on Channel 4 on February 28.