This Way Up (TV series)

This Way Up
Genre	Comedy-drama Sitcom Black comedy
Written by	Aisling Bea
Directed by	Alex Winckler
Starring	Aisling Bea, Sharon Horgan, Tobias Menzies, Aasif Mandvi
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	6

This Way Up is a 2019 British comedy-drama television series which is broadcast on Channel 4. It was written by and stars Aisling Bea. She and Sharon Horgan executive produced the series.

Premise

The series is set in London and is about a young single Irish Catholic woman, Aine (Bea), who has had a nervous breakdown. She teaches English as a second language. Horgan plays Aine's protective elder sister, Shona.

Cast

Main

• Aisling Bea as Aine
• Sharon Horgan as Shona
• Dorian Grover as Etienne, a 12-year-old French pupil of Aine's
• Tobias Menzies as Richard, Etienne's father
• Aasif Mandvi as Vish, Shona's boyfriend
• Indira Varma as Charlotte, Shona's colleague

Recurring

• Chris Geere as Freddie, Aine's ex-boyfriend
• Ricky Grover as Tom, Aine's friend from rehab
• Ekow Quartey as James, Aine's boss

Guest

• Sorcha Cusack as Aine and Shona's mother

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.K viewers (millions)
1	"Episode 1"	Unknown	Unknown	August 8, 2019 (2019-08-08)	N/A
Aine leaves a rehabilitation centre in Archway, London, where she is met by her sister Shona. The sisters are disappointed with the centre due to its lack of facilities and most of the residents having substance use disorders in comparison to the nervous breakdown that Aine had. Four months later, Aine has returned to teaching a class of adult English-language learners. She tells Shona that she will join her at a party. However, after Shona leaves, Aine stays at her flat, where she invites Tom, who had been in rehabilitation with her and whom she is sexually attracted to. She tries to initiate sex with him, which he rejects. He misses the last train home and shares her bed, annoying her with his snoring.
2	"Episode 2"	Unknown	Unknown	August 15, 2019 (2019-08-15)	N/A
Aine's manager James assigns her to tutor a 12-year-old French boy, Etienne, at his house. Etienne needs to learn English after having moved from France to England to live with his father Richard (whom he had not previously known) a month ago because Etienne's mother died. James asks Aine to visit him at his house to introduce herself before their first lesson at 5pm the following day, which she does. One of Aine's students, a young Bulgarian man called Victor, arrives to her class with a moderate cut on his head. After wrongly assuming it to have been caused by a xenophobic attack, Aine takes him to the hospital. Whilst there, she talks to a Bulgarian nurse who translates what Victor says, which is that his injury was caused by a falling brick from the building site which he was working on. Aine's trip to the hospital causes her to be late for her lesson with Etienne, which he and Richard are disappointed by. She arranges with Richard for the lesson to take place there at 5pm the following day.
3	"Episode 3"	Unknown	Unknown	August 22, 2019 (2019-08-22)	N/A
Aine briefly visits Richard and Etienne, arranging the next lesson for Monday. She then goes to Shona's flat, where Vish becomes annoyed at the sisters' conversation as they sit on either side of him on the sofa. Aine tells Shona that there are rats in her flat and stays at Shona's whilst they are killed and removed. Aine goes to a psychic medium. Shona tells Aine that they are going to meet a male cousin of theirs to please their mother. She also tells Aine that she is going to set Aine up on a blind date, despite Aine's reluctance. Shona tells Aine to meet her and Charlotte in the pub. She arrives and sees that they are accompanied by a young man, David, whom Aine assumes to be her date. Shona and Charlotte go to Shona's, leaving Aine and David in the pub. He takes Aine to the café which is below his flat. She finds him boring, but kisses him before telling him that she does not want to see him again. Whilst walking home, she sees her drunken elderly neighbour, Pat, and brings him back to Shona's. Shona is angry with her for doing so. Aine is horrified when she finds out from Shona that David is their cousin rather than her date.
4	"Episode 4"	Unknown	Unknown	August 29, 2019 (2019-08-29)	N/A
5	"Episode 5"	Unknown	Unknown	September 5, 2019 (2019-09-05)	N/A
6	"Episode 6"	Unknown	Unknown	September 12, 2019 (2019-09-12)	N/A

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes season 1 has an approval rating of 90% based on reviews from 20 critics. The site's consensus describes the show as "Devastating, hilarious, and surprisingly light, This Way Up captures the complexities of mental health with an empathetic -- if at times wandering -- eye."

External links

• Channel 4