The first we saw of Phoebe Waller-Bridge was playing a barrister in Broadchurch without knowing that she had won a Critics’ Circle award in 2013 as most promising playwright.

• Read on for reasons including Olivia Colman and Channel 4’s Crashing 

1. It’s the filthiest and funniest thing on television

The rather lovely Ben Aldridge is a former flame of Fleabag‘s known as Arsehole Guy (below) for reasons which will become clear if you watch the clip above.

2. Olivia Colman is in it – and she’s not very nice

Colman was, of course, in Broadchurch with Waller-Bridge and is fast on her way to national treasure status thanks in part to her role in big hit The Night Manager. We loved that she was prepared to do something completely different with Channel Four’s much-underrated recent comedy Flowers and here she’s playing the villain.

3. It switches traditional gender roles

Fleabag is at its funniest when our hero is acting as we would expect a man to. Clue: all of the time.

4. W1A‘s Will is an on/off boyfriend

Hugh Skinner (W1A‘s hapless work experience Will in main pic), who we last saw on the stage at the Young Vic in The Trial opposite Rory Kinnear, is cast perfectly as Fleabag‘s much put-upon on/off squeeze. Fans of Miranda‘s breaking of the fourth wall will also be in for a pleasant surprise.

5. Did we mention Waller-Bridge also wrote Crashing?

Not content with writing the comedy of the year, she also penned another contender for that crown in Channel 4’s Crashing also starring a Broadchurch castmate, this time Jonathan Bailey (above).

We’ve seen five of Fleabag‘s six episodes in this series (it’s currently available on BBC3 only) and there’s no let up in quality. Hugely recommended.

• Fleabag airs on Sundays beginning 21/8 at 10pm on BBC2
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