10 Best One Season Wonder TV Shows

Before Sharon Horgan became the major deal she is today, she starred in another beautifully pitched sadcom alongside Stephen Mangan. Free Agents was a foul-mouthed but sweet-hearted story of two colleagues at a talent agency cautiously striking up a relationship after taking a serious kicking from the boot of life.

The two leads were broken down and lost: his wife recently left him; her boyfriend died not long before they were due to marry. Vulnerable and lost, they fall into bed together, but while there’s a spark of potential there, both are frightened to get into anything more serious lest their wounds open up all over again.

Mangan particularly is a revelation here. His stock in trade is brash oafs, so to see him so open and raw is a delight. Horgan, meanwhile, is great as ever, a tough exterior protecting her from the hardships of life with which she’s all too familiar. The great Anthony Head delivers consistent laughs as their profane boss.

Sadly, despite strong reviews, the viewing figures swiftly dwindled, and while there was hope for a second series, it never materialised. The same fate befell the high quality US remake, which is a shame - there was plenty of life left here.