10 Best British TV Characters Of The Decade

OK, neither of these characters are British. But in a sense, that’s the magic of Catastrophe: it’s so completely universal. Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney play, appropriately enough, Sharon and Rob, and over four self-penned seasons play out one of British TV’s best crafted love stories in recent memory.

What’s great about Catastrophe is that no judgements are passed on the characters. Neither are perfect, neither is given an easy time - but they’re not villainised, either. They’re just two people trying to get by in life, who are lucky to find one another, even if the manner of this wasn’t exactly ideal. This is why you can’t separate the two - Catastrophe is the story of this relationship, warts and all, explored to the fullest.

The two have incredible chemistry, and of course pull aspects of their characters from their own lives, and this all comes together to form one of the most recognisable relationships on TV. Modern sitcoms have a knack for dealing with serious matters without the need for unrealistic moments of high drama (see Aisling Bea’s This Way Up), and it’ll be a while before we see the life of a couple played out with such insight and sensitivity.