Back in early 2017, a good friend of mine who grew up in a small village in the countryside recommended that I watch a new comedy on BBC Three because it was “bang on the money” as a representation of his “hilarious” formative years. That comedy was This Country.
I followed his instructions, as he is a very funny man himself, and it quickly became my favourite show; over the course of the last three years I have waited with baited breath for each new season to be announced and every new episode to be released weekly on iPlayer… generally watching the latest one multiple times whilst waiting for the next – it is that good.
Without giving too much away to those who haven’t seen it, This Country is a mockumentary that follows the lives of young people in modern rural Britain, namely the central characters, cousins Kerry and Kurtan and their lives in a village in the Cotswolds.
Across its three seasons, the show focuses on themes of social awkwardness, the trivialities of human behaviour and the endearing eccentricities of living in rural England as well as the boredom, total lack of professional opportunities and the social isolation of young people in small, remote communities.
Aside from being a truly genius comedy, it is extremely topical in the issues that it addresses and is a real conversation starter around the hot subject of opportunities for young people from different backgrounds in the UK… which is another reason why it is a Sundae top pick; we hold regionality, diversity and opportunity for young people at the heart of absolutely everything we do.
The show’s creators, brother and sister duo Charlie and Daisy May Cooper play the hilarious central characters while filling some of the other core roles with real life family and friends, giving them an opportunity to fulfil their massive potential that they may not have otherwise received. For us at Sundae, this secured our hearts as a forever home for the show as it proves that anything is possible, no matter where you are from or how old you are.
If you find yourself in a position with some spare time on your hands while in self isolation and need some full blown LOLs (alongside a few tears) to get you through, then this little beauty is a binger’s dreamboat.
I for one will be taking full advantage of the fact that the last ever episode was released yesterday evening, giving me carte blanche to hit every season nightly on a b2b basis… on a b2b basis.
Not only is This Country casually hilarious, heartbreaking and socially relevant in equal measures, it joins a stellar stable of shows that have broken out from the BBC Three production line, completing a Sundae endorsed top trio alongside the incredible People Just Do Nothing and Man Like Mobeen (both of which are also more than worth an isolation binge if you haven’t seen them).
At a time when this country needs us to stay inside, we definitely need This Country to help us do it.
Much love and stay safe.
T x
Images and video courtesy of BBC Three
