Critical Condition: Frayed

Frayed | SoHo2, 8.30 Sundays

☆☆☆☆ “Samantha has a dream life in London. But when her husband dies in a sexually compromising situation, she ends up broke, desperate and Down Under … It’s billed as a comedy but for the opening episode the gags thin out. This leaves a drama leavened by the blackly humorous moments that arise as the fan of life continues to spray what’s recently hit it all over you.” — The Guardian.

☆☆☆☆ “A Sky original commission with ABC in Australia, it’s made by Merman — the production company founded by Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford that was responsible for Women on the Verge and Catastrophe. Frayed is rude, direct and often quite painful to watch, rather than readily funny.” — Evening Standard.

☆☆☆☆ “Frayed isn’t perfect: it slows down a lot once it hits Newcastle and Sammy (initially) is the kind of character it takes time to warm to. Almost all the characters are either angry or ditzy; eventually somebody’s going to have to have something going for them. But unlike a lot of dramedies, it seems likely the characters will be given the chance to grow. This feels more like it’s the start of a story than just setting up a situation.” — ScreenHub.

☆☆☆☆ “A bit like Sammy, Frayed doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. Somewhere among the sibling squalls and pungent punchlines, there’s an almost-touching comedy – or comedy-drama? – about the limits of self-reinvention.” — The Telegraph.

☆☆☆☆ “Once Frayed’s premise is finally established, it offers plenty to suggest this is worth sticking with as Sammy’s habitual lies are exposed and she has to knuckle down and start to rebuild her life from scratch while confronting family tensions.” — Chortle.