FUNNY WOMAN Season 2 Trailer (2024) Gemma Arterton

FUNNY WOMAN Season 2 Trailer (2024) Gemma Arterton

FUNNY WOMAN Season 2 Trailer (2024) Gemma Arterton, Comedy Series
© 2024 - Sky TV
Funny Woman season 2 will catch up with lovable Barbara Parker, aka telly comedy star Sophie Straw, played again by Gemma Arterton. Barbara is a working-class woman from Blackpool who in Funny Woman series one managed to make her name in a major TV sitcom in the Swinging Sixties, despite being a woman in a hugely male-dominated world.

As we rejoin Sophie Straw, she’s finding that fame isn’t all it's cracked up to be and she desperately wants to make her own voice heard. But it’s not easy as a woman in the 1970s, particularly a beautiful one when the world sees you as little more than a comic muse.

Here’s everything you need to know about season two of the Sky Max comedy Funny Woman….

How fabulous will things get for Sophie in Funny Woman season 2?

How fabulous will things get for Sophie in Funny Woman season 2? (Image credit: Sky)
Funny Woman season 2 release date
Funny Woman season 2 launches in the UK on Sky Max, Sky Showcase and NOW from Friday September 6 2024 at 9pm, with the six episodes shown weeklyon these channels at the same time, plus as a box set on Sky Box Sets.

Viewers also can catch up on Funny Woman season 1 on NOW, Sky Max and Sky Box Sets, ahead of the new series. NBCUniversal Global Distribution handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.

Is there a trailer for Funny Woman season 2?
Yes Sky has now released its trailer for Funny Woman series 2 which you can watch below...

Funny Woman 2 | Official Trailer | Sky - YouTubeFunny Woman 2 | Official Trailer | Sky - YouTube
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Funny Woman season 2 plot
Funny Woman season 2 sees Sophie Straw frustrated as she's fed up with being the comic muse in old school comedy shows. She tries branching out into art house cinema in the hope it will be more progressive but finds that is not the case either. Undeterred and as determined as ever, Sophie decides to create her own comedy show where she can tell her own stories and get her authentic voice heard.

She is the nation’s favourite TV comedy star — she’s got a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis is full of promise. But trouble is just round the corner: Dennis's divorce will take three years; Sophie’s new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret. Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film opposite a glamorous French movie heart-throb. The film is a hit and Sophie’s slick new US agent offers her a fresh start in Hollywood…

But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life, challenges outdated cultural conventions and proves that she and her mates are Funny Women!

There are romantic ups and downs in Funny Woman season 2.

There are romantic ups and downs between Sophie and Dennis in Funny Woman season 2. (Image credit: Sky)
Barbara (Gemma Arteton) looks through a window in Funny Woman

Sophie Straw (Gemma Arteton) starts off with frustrations in Funny Woman series 2. (Image credit: Sky)
Gemma Arterton on Funny Woman season 2
Gemma says of Funny Woman season 2: "Sophie has what she's always wanted, but she doesn't have her team. She loves Dennis but he’s married and there are problems with his divorce and whether they can be together, as the press are interested in her."

Meanwhile, her relationship with her dad, George (David Threlfall), is under strain following the reappearance of her estranged mother Gloria (Olivia Williams). "She found out her dad withheld letters from her mother,’ explains Gemma. ‘She's furious. But she goes on a journey…

"Sophie has the capability to create her own work. She does a French film and tries to be a serious actress before realising her passion is in comedy. She starts to break new ground and do things her own way."

'Sophie goes on a journey' Gemma Arterton told us.

'Sophie goes on a journey' Gemma Arterton told us. (Image credit: Sky)
Funny Woman — season 1 recap (with spoilers)
Based on Nick Hornby’s bestselling book Funny Girl, series one of Funny Woman saw brash, brainy and beautiful Barbara leave Blackpool and move to London to make it as an actress. However, the 1960s were not the place for a woman to be taken seriously and she faced misogyny (and often worse) at every turn. But with her natural humour and lovable nature, Barbara soon forced her way into a mainstream TV sitcom and her alter-ego Sophie Straw was born. Barbara fell for her egotistic co-star Clive Richardson (Tom Bateman) but left him when he cheated on her. Eventually she realised she was meant to be with her kindly producer Dennis Mahindra (Arsher Ali).

Gemma Arterton in a white coat and holding a script as Barbara and Arsher Ali in a dark waistcoat and glasses as Dennis in Funny Woman

Gemma Arterton as Barbara (pre Sophie) and Arsher Ali as Dennis in the first series of Funny Woman. (Image credit: SKY TV Ltd)
Funny Woman season 2 — returning cast
Gemma Arterton, who plays lead character Barbara Parker again, shot to fame as Strawberry Fields in the Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. She’s also been in The Boat That Rocked, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Their Finest, Black Narcissus and The King’s Man.

Arsher Ali is back as producer Dennis while Alistair Petrie returns as Ted Sargeant, plus David Threlfall and Rosie Cavaliero played Barbara’s father and aunt, George Parker and Marie Parker. Alexa Davies is back as Marjorie Harrison as are Matthew Beard Bill Gardiner, Leo Bill as Tony and Clare-Hope Ashitey as Diane.

On Season 2, Arsher Ali reveals: "Dennis and Ted Sargent have fallen out. They've had a master and apprentice relationship. The apprentice, Dennis, turned on him because he really wanted to fight to have Sophie in the show and respects her ideas and vision. In series 1, Sophie convinced him to give her a show called ‘Just Barbara’. But unbeknownst to Dennis and the boys, Tony and Bill, Dennis goes off to sign a contract with the rival network. Then, at the end of series 1, Dennis finds the courage to tell Sophie how he feels, and there's a nice moment where they kiss for the first time. So, we're coming straight off the back of that… they're not working together. There's the major spanner in the works of Dennis’ divorce – to all intents and purposes, he is still a married man.

"In the first episode of series 2, the wheels are in motion. Dennis and his wife, Edith, visit a lawyer. Edith is the one who's been adulterous to all intents and purposes but can't admit it. It would be quite devastating for her in a societal way as in this era it would absolutely ruin her career and reputation. There were no such things as no fault divorces back then. The only way to get around it is to be legally separated for three years and then it warrants a kind of automatic divorce.

"Sophie's character is a bit like ‘who cares? Let's just do it anyway’ – but then for Dennis, he thinks ‘if I do this, if you were ever seen with me – a married man, it would ruin your career’. Dennis worries Sophie would be dragged down. He does not want to do that, as much as he loves her. There’s an element of self-sacrifice, of true love, which is great to play."

Funny Woman key art featuring Gemma Arteton in character sitting on a number of retro TVs

Gemma Arterton as Barbara Parker, aka comedy star Sophie Straw. (Image credit: Sky)
Funny Woman season 2 — new cast joining this second series
Funny Woman season 2 includes plenty of new cast joining the series including Steve Zissis (The Changeling, Togetherness), Marcus Rutherford (The Wheel of Time, Obey), Tim Key (The Witchfinder, This Time with Alan Partridge), Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, Cristóbal Balenciaga, The Tower) and Roisin Conaty (GameFace, Man Down).

Gemma Whelan as journalist Prudence Glynn in Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Gemma Whelan as journalist Prudence Glynn in Cristóbal Balenciaga. (Image credit: Disney Plus)
Thomasine Gooch (Daisy May Cooper) and Gideon Bannister (Tim Key) on horseback in The Witchfinder.

Tim Key with Daisy May Cooper in The Witchfinder. (Image credit: BBC/Baby Cow Productions/Pete Dadds)
Behind the scenes and more on Funny Woman season 2
Funny Woman series 2 is produced by Potboiler and Rebel Park Productions, in association with Sky Studios. Creative director of Comedy Anil Gupta is Executive Producer for Sky Studios. The new series is executive produced by Nick Hornby, Morwenna Banks, Gemma Arterton, Andrea Calderwood, Gail Egan, Jessica Parker and Jessica Malik. Ross Williams is series producer. The series is written by multi-award-winning writer Morwenna Banks (Slow Horses), BAFTA and Emmy winning writers Kevin Cecil (Veep) and Andy Riley (Veep). BAFTA nominee Oliver Parker (The Great Escaper) directs.

Funny Woman season 2 writer, Executive Producer, Morwenna Banks says: “It’s a thrill to dive back into the world of 1960’s London - with the extraordinary cast and crew of Funny Woman series 2. Thanks to the genius of Gemma Arterton as Nick Hornby's heroine Sophie Straw - a whole host of new guest stars have joined us. We welcome stellar performances from Steve Zissis, Marcus Rutherford, Tim Key, Gemma Whelan, Roisin Conaty and many more …Tune in Turn On and don’t Drop Out.”
Nick Hornby’s 2014 novel Funny Girl was about a woman with the mind of a comedy nerd and the looks of a pin-up model: Barbara Parker may have been crowned Miss Blackpool, but she was desperate to escape her home town and follow in the footsteps of her idol, Lucille Ball. It’s no spoiler to reveal that she becomes a star – albeit in the musty world of mid-century British sitcom rather than its glamorous US counterpart.

Funny Woman, the Sky adaptation of that novel, stripped away this fixation with comedy. In series one, Parker – who changes her name to Sophie Straw at the behest of a sleazy agent (Rupert Everett, in an off-puttingly hammy performance) – moves to London simply to “be someone”, ending up a TV sitcom star mainly by chance. It was slightly disappointing to see the book’s USP played down in favour of something more generic, but – ironically – Funny Woman did improve on its source material in one crucial way. In the book, we are told Sophie is hilarious, although we rarely witness it. Gemma Arterton actually managed to imbue our deceptively daffy protagonist with quick wit and exemplary comic timing.

Now Sophie is back, and after the success of her odd couple sitcom, Barbara (and Jim), she is fast approaching national treasure status. When she switches on the Blackpool Illuminations, she has the audience in the palm of her hand. She sidesteps into music, too, with a TV special called Sophie Sings. She is in love with her buttoned-up producer Dennis (Arsher Ali), who – obviously – loves her back. In fact, everyone wants a piece of her: at a boho party, she is even approached by a Hollywood agent.

While series one traded charmingly on the culture-clash comedy of a working-class naïf finding her groove in the hallowed halls of the BBC, Sophie’s newfound self-assurance and celebrity means this second outing struggles to find much conflict, class-based or otherwise, to propel the plot along. It tries: the return of the mother who abandoned Sophie as a child results in many a mournful stare. Her relationship with Dennis is complicated by a delayed divorce in a storyline mired in dreary legal technicalities. After a rather unbelievable mix-up with TV bosses, Sophie ends up making a dud sitcom without Barbara (and Jim) writers Bill and Tony, but it’s so short-lived it barely tarnishes her reputation.

Arsher Ali with Gemma Arterton in series two of Funny Woman.
View image in fullscreen
Arsher Ali with Gemma Arterton in series two of Funny Woman. Photograph: Sky UK
Funny Woman might not have any compelling problems, but it does have one fundamental flaw: Sophie herself has become tediously perfect. Not only is she unbelievably stunning – each scene offers an opportunity for her to don another eye-catching outfit – but she seems to have a faultless character, too. She never betrays any irritation with the noncommittal Dennis; she does her damnedest to inject life into even the weakest comic material; she proves to be a loyal friend by refusing to swap her shared bedsit for a swankier pad. In the book, Sophie is coldly ambitious. Here, she helps other women through the hole she has neatly cut out of the glass ceiling, casting a random barmaid (an underused Roisin Conaty) in another sitcom, a two-hander called Flat Birds.

Perfection is never funny, and this series is lighter on laughs than the first. When brainstorming titles for Flat Birds, Sophie’s suggestion is Two Funny Fannies. “You should never have funny in the title,” says Tony, in a meta aside. “It’s just asking for a kicking.” That doesn’t apply to this series. The retro sitcoms the team produce are clearly not meant to tickle modern viewers (I understand why: it would be very difficult to create a plausibly classic comedy that could also amuse 21st-century audiences), but even off set, Funny Woman never strains for laughs.

Instead, the overriding effect is gentle warmth – and on an ambient level, the world of Funny Woman remains an inviting one. The sets are a vision of cosy nostalgia. The rehearsal-room camaraderie is infectious. It has a feelgood sentimentality, too: the show is, perhaps anachronistically, fixated on progressive values. When Bill is arrested for soliciting sex in a men’s toilet, it is Sophie’s witness-box testament to his friendship and humanity that helps him dodge jail time (of course it is). Sophie’s flatmate, gloriously down-to-earth Croydonite shop girl Marj (the brilliant Alexa Davies), becomes involved with the women’s movement, while her friend Diane fights back against racist double-standards at work.

By the end of series two, Funny Woman has moved far beyond the scope of the book that inspired it and judging by the final episode’s cliffhanger, a third series is on the cards. But rather than a compelling character study, it now resembles a classy soap: the storylines driving the action along feel superficial and tacked on. The result is a comedy-drama as obviously contrived as the old-school sitcoms it eulogises.The comedy-drama Funny Woman is set to return to Sky this week with a host of new faces joining the cast. Set in Blackpool during the vibrant 1960s, Gemma Arterton reprises her role as the nation's beloved comic actress, Sophie Straw.

In the second season, viewers will see the rising star balancing her career and a budding romance with Dennis Mahindra, played by Arsher Ali. Filmed across Liverpool and the Northwest of England, the series delves into themes of love, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and representation in comedy, all set against the cultural explosion of the swinging 60s.

Several cast members are returning for the second series, with new faces including Tim Key from This Time with Alan Partridge, Game of Thrones and The Tower actress Gemma Whelan, and Steve Zissis.

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming series before its return on Sky Max.

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When is Funny Woman series 2 released?
James Bond and The King's Man star Gemma Arterton returns in Funny Woman, which is set in Blackpool during the 1960s (Image: Sky TV)
The first episode of the second series will be released on Friday, September 6. The entire series will be available on demand on NOW and Sky services.

You can watch a trailer of the latest series above.

Potboiler Productions and Rebel Park Productions are behind the production of Funny Woman in collaboration with Sky Studios. For Sky, Anil Gupta holds the role of Executive Producer as Creative Director of Comedy, with Tilusha Ghelani acting as the commissioning editor.

The series boasts executive producers including Nick Hornby, Morwenna Banks, Gemma Arterton, Andrea Calderwood, Gail Egan, Jessica Parker, and Jessica Malik, while Ross Williams serves as the series producer.

The writing team for the series includes the distinguished Morwenna Banks of Slow Horses fame, alongside BAFTA and Emmy laureates Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley of Veep, under the directorial guidance of Oliver Parker, known for The Great Escaper.

How many episodes are there in Funny Woman series 2?
Gemma Arterton (right) appears with actress and comedian Roisin Conaty (left) in the latest series (Image: Sky TV)
The second season of Funny Woman will consist of six episodes, which are to premiere weekly on Sky Max and made available on NOW.

The synopsis for series two of Funny Woman reveals: "Series two finds Sophie on a high. She is the nation's favourite TV comedy star; she's got a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis is full of promise."

"But trouble is just round the corner: Dennis's divorce will take three years; Sophie's new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret."

"Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film opposite a glamorous French movie heart-throb. The film is a hit and Sophie's slick new US agent offers her a fresh start in Hollywood.."

"But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life, challenges outdated cultural conventions and proves that she and her mates are Funny Women! ".

Who will we see in the latest series of Funny Woman?
The Sky Max series sees Gemma Arterton as Sophie Straw with Arsher Ali as Dennis Mahindra (Image: Sky TV)
Returning to the limelight as the witty Sophie Straw, Gemma Arterton heads the cast once again, with David Threlfall reprising his role as George Parker and Rosie Cavaliero as Aunt Marie Parker. The lineup continues with talents such as Arsher Ali playing Dennis Mahindra, Alexa Davies as Marjorie Harrison, Matthew Beard taking on Bill Gardiner, and Leo Bill as Tony.

Also coming back for the new season are Clare-Hope Ashitey as Diane, Alistair Petrie as Ted Sargeant, Olivia Williams portraying Gloria, Emily Bevan as Edith Mahindra, and Doon Mackichan in the guise of Miss Sykes.

The sequel introduces fresh faces including Steve Zissis from The Changeling, Marcus Rutherford of The Wheel of Time fame, comedian Tim Key, and Gemma Whelan known for her performances in Game of Thrones and The Tower. Comedian Roisin Conaty, Rory Keenan, Lydia Wilson known for About Time, Lydia Leonard from The Crown, Jack Docherty, and Josie Lawrence of Father Brown are among other noteworthy additions to the ensemble.
Funny Woman landed on our screens in February 2023 with a bang. Based on Funny Girl, the best-selling novel by Nick Hornby, Funny Woman stars Gemma Arterton as a feisty heroine who redefines the prevailing attitude to funny women in the male-dominated world of the 60’s.

Set against the backdrop of the Swinging Sixties, we follow Barbara Parker’s journey from Blackpool beauty queen to comedy superstar and nation’s sweetheart. And after a hit first series, Funny Woman is returning for a second – coming later this year.

The official synopsis for Series 2 of Funny Woman, as released by Sky, reads:

“Series two finds Sophie on a high. She is the nation’s favourite TV comedy star; she’s got a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis is full of promise. But trouble is just round the corner: Dennis's divorce will take three years; Sophie’s new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret. Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film opposite a glamorous French movie heart-throb. The film is a hit and Sophie’s slick new US agent offers her a fresh start in Hollywood…

But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life, challenges outdated cultural conventions.”

If you’re a fan of an easy-to-watch dramedy – this is one for you!

Watch the trailer
Who stars in Funny Woman?
The main leading cast members from the first series are:

Gemma Arterton (The King’s Man, Summerland) as Barbara Parker / Sophie Straw
Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding, Adult Material) as Barbara’s agent Brian Debehnam
David Threlfall (Shameless) as George Parker
Tom Bateman (Behind Her Eyes, Murder on the Orient Express) as actor Clive
Emily Bevan (The Full Monty, Temple) as Edith Mahindra
Leo Bill (Becoming Elizabeth) as Tony
Matthew Beard (Vienna Blood, Avenue 5) as Bill Gardiner
Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy) as Diane
Arsher Ali (Informer, The Fear Index) as Dennis Mahindra
Alexa Davies (White House Farm, COBRA) as Marjorie Harrison

Returning cast for series two of Funny Woman includes Gemma Arterton, Arsher Ali, David Threlfall, Rosie Cavaliero, Alexa Davies, Matthew Beard, Leo Bill, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Alistair Petrie, Olivia Williams, Emily Bevan, and Doon Mackichan.

The following will be joining the cast for the second series:

Steve Zissis (The Changeling, Togetherness)
Marcus Rutherford (The Wheel of Time, Obey)
Tim Key (The Witchfinder, This Time with Alan Partridge)
Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones, The Tower)
Roisin Conaty (GameFace, Man Down)
Rory Keenan (The Regime, Somewhere Boy)
Lydia Wilson (Requiem, About Time)
Lydia Leonard (Ten Percent, The Crown)
Jack Docherty (Scot Squad, Absolutely)
Josie Lawrence (Father Brown, Midsomer Murders)
Where can I watch Funny Woman?
All episodes of Funny Woman S1 are available to watch on Sky Max and streaming service NOW.

As a Sky Original, Sky Max is where you’ll find the second series when it arrives on 6 September 2024.

Funny Woman is not available to watch on Netflix; it can only be watched on Sky and NOW in the UK.

Will there be a Series 2 of Funny Woman?
Yes. The second series will hit screens on 6 September 2024 – exclusively on Sky Max and NOW.

What is the release date for Series 2 of Funny Woman?
Funny Woman Series 2 will air in the UK on 6 September 2024.

How many episodes are there?
The first series of Funny Woman ran for six episodes, with a running time of around 55 minutes per episode.

The second series – which is debuting on Sky Max and NOW on 6 September – will consist of four episodes.

Funny Woman Series 2 coming 6 September on Sky Max and NOW
Despite its romanticisation in successive decades, the 1960s was far from kind to women. This is a stark actuality depicted with surprising candour in the second season of Funny Woman, Morwenna Banks’s adaptation of Nick Hornby’s best-selling book Funny Girl. Gemma Arterton is back as Sophie Straw, ie Blackpool girl Barbara Parker, discovering that fame is a duplicitous business.

This time around, Sophie is reduced to bawdy Carry On-esque productions in which her anatomy becomes little more than a chauvinistic punch line. Banks and director Oliver Parker are highly adept at depicting the sleaze and sexism of the era whilst being mindful not to partake in the same exploitation they’re critiquing (in contrast to, say, a series like Mad Men, which, for all its eminence, ultimately revelled in sexist transgressions).

In addition to being typecast, Sophie is yearning for her former colleague Dennis, with whom she had a fleeting flirtation in season one. Again, the oppressive milieu of the era prevents the star-crossed lovers from being able to openly express their affection for one another, as doing so would destroy Sophie’s career. As she reminds us, it’s always women who bear the brunt of the fallout.

Native Southeasterner Arterton is superb as Sophie, her bubbly Blackpool accent never faltering. She also shows a real adroitness for physical comedy this season, with a labyrinthine swing chair and a telephone cord unexpectedly proving the perfect props for her to exhibit her versatility as an actor. An appearance by Tim Key is another comedic highlight of the first episode, with the Alan Partridge star playing a hapless divorce lawyer who’s like David Brent if he passed the bar.

At times, the humour feels somewhat forced and clumsy, with clichéd gags falling painfully flat. But Funny Woman’s strengths lie in its ability to eschew revisionist wistfulness for the uglier aspects of swinging London, which, in combination with the delightful performances, makes it equal parts charming and eye-opening. Rather than a technicolour nostalgia-fest, the series reminds us of a pervasive truth: some men, it seems, cannot handle a funny woman.
Funny Woman season 2 has confirmed its release date on Sky Max and NOW, as it also drops a selection of first-look images from the upcoming episodes of the hit comedy-drama.

Gemma Arterton leads the cast as actor Barbara Parker, who goes by the stage name of Sophie Straw and attempts to sustain a successful comedy career in the 1960s – a period of great social change.

The first season premiered in February of last year, surprising some viewers by leaning more into drama than outright comedy, in spite of the title which arguably suggests otherwise.

The next chapter in Sophie's life will be revealed when Funny Woman returns for season 2 on Friday 6th September 2024, airing on Sky Max and streaming on NOW.

Season 2 clocks in slightly shorter than the first at four episodes rather than six.

More like this
Never-before-seen images show Arterton and co-star Arsher Ali back in action as Sophie and her love interest, Dennis Mahindra, respectively.

The synopsis reads: "The second series finds Sophie on a high. She is the nation’s favourite TV comedy star; she’s got a group of good friends and her romance with Dennis is full of promise.

"But trouble is just around the corner: Dennis's divorce will take three years, Sophie’s new sitcom flops and she uncovers a devastating family secret.

Sophie Straw smiles as she is surrounded by staff while emerging from a car
Gemma Arterton stars in Funny Woman. Sky
"Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film opposite a glamorous French movie heartthrob. The film is a hit and Sophie’s slick new US agent offers her a fresh start in Hollywood.

"But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show which reflects her real life and challenges outdated cultural conventions."

Barbara Parker aka Sophie Straw and Dennis Mahindra sit across one another at a wooden table, their hands almost touching
Arsher Ali and Gemma Arterton star in Funny Woman. Sky
Man Down, GameFace and Taskmaster star Roisin Conaty is one of several new cast members debuting in season 2, seen below opposite Arterton's Sophie Straw in what appears to be a scene from her TV sitcom.

Other additions to the show include Steve Zissis (The Changeling), Marcus Rutherford (The Wheel of Time), Tim Key (This Time with Alan Partridge) and Gemma Whelan (The Tower).

Viewers can also look forward to seeing Rory Keenan (Somewhere Boy), Lydia Wilson (About Time), Lydia Leonard (The Crown), Jack Docherty (Scot Squad) and Josie Lawrence (Father Brown) join the series.

Sophie Straw holds a frying pan while staring at the ceiling with a friend next to her, implying she may have accidentally flipped something too high
Roisin Conaty and Gemma Arterton star in Funny Woman. Sky
It won't all be new faces, however, with season 1 favourites David Threlfall (Shameless), Rosie Cavaliero (Code 404), Alexa Davies (COBRA), Matthew Beard (Vienna Blood), Leo Bill (Becoming Elizabeth), Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy), Alistair Petrie (Sex Education), Olivia Williams (The Father), Emily Bevan (The Full Monty) and Doon Mackichan (Good Omens) returning.

Funny Woman season 2 premieres on Friday 6th September 2024 on Sky Max and NOW.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
PBS' newest addition to the period drama lineup, Funny Woman (based on the novel Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, with the title altered for obvious reasons), was commissioned for a Season 2 by producer Sky around the same time it landed an American distributor. As luck would have it, the six-episode first season premiered in the U.S. just before filming for the next round of episodes began, a silent promise to U.S. fans that the wait between seasons wouldn't be that long. (Assuming that Season 2 comes to PBS, which is not yet officially confirmed.) However, if PBS is picking it up, that confirmation will come soon, as Season 2 is gearing up to air on the U.K. side of the pond in September 2024, and the first images take Gemma Arterton's character Barbara Parker/Sophie Straw to France.

For those who don't remember Season 1, Arterton stars in the series as Blackpool Beauty Queen Barbara Parker. She decides that living in a small northern town is for the birds and heads south to London to break into television. She lands a sleazy agent, Brian (Rupert Everett), who decides "Barbara Parker" is not a glamorous enough name, rechristens her Sophie Straw, and pretends he's going to get her a career.

Barbara goes around him double quickly and gets herself cast in a new series co-starring the handsome Clive Richardson (Tom Bateman). She and Clive wind up having an affair until she discovers he's cheating on her. After she dumps him live on TV, her career looks like it's about to go up in flames, but the writers decide to reconfigure the series so she becomes the sole star, which becomes a massive hit.

Gemma Arterton as Sophie Straw with new co-star Roisin Conaty in 'Funny Woman' Season 2
Gemma Arterton as Sophie Straw with new co-star Roisin Conaty in 'Funny Woman' Season 2 © Potboiler Productions; © Sky UK Limited
Here's the Season 2 synopsis:

The second series finds Sophie on a high. She is the nation’s favorite TV comedy star; she’s got a group of good friends, and her romance with Dennis is full of promise. But trouble is just around the corner: Dennis's divorce will take three years; Sophie’s new sitcom flops, and she uncovers a devastating family secret. Sophie escapes the turmoil by taking a leading role in a film opposite a glamorous French movie heartthrob. The film is a hit, and Sophie’s slick new US agent offers her a fresh start in Hollywood…

But Sophie returns to London, determined to get the gang back together and to create a new show that reflects her real life and challenges outdated cultural conventions.

Arsher Ali as Dennis and Gemma Arterton as Barbara in 'Funny Woman' Season 2
Arsher Ali as Dennis and Gemma Arterton as Barbara in 'Funny Woman' Season 2 © Potboiler Productions; © Sky UK Limited
Arterton will once again be joined by the Season 1 ensemble that includes Clare-Hope Ashitey (Top Boy) and Alexa Davies (COBRA) as BFFs Diane and Marjorie, Matthew Beard (Vienna Blood) and Leo Bill (Becoming Elizabeth) as Bill and Tony, Arsher Ali (Everyone Else Burns) as boyfriend Dennis, Emily Bevan (The Full Monty) as Dennis soon-to-be-ex-wife Edith, Alistair Petrie (Sex Education) as BBC boss Ted Sargeant, David Threlfall (Passenger) as father George Parker, Olivia Williams (Dune: Prophecy) as mum Gloria, Rosie Cavaliero (Gentleman Jack) as Aunt Marie, and Doon Mackichan (Good Omens) as Miss Sykes.

Season 2 adds an entire roster of new faces to the cast, including Gemma Whelan (D.I. Ray), Marcus Rutherford (The Wheel of Time), Lydia Leonard (Ten Percent), Tim Key (Wicked Little Letters), Roisin Conaty (After Life), Rory Keenan (The Regime), Lydia Wilson (Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue), Jack Docherty (Monarch of the Glen), Josie Lawrence (Father Brown), and Steve Zissis (The Changeling).

Gemma Arterton as Sophie Straw in 'Funny Woman' Season 2
Gemma Arterton as Sophie Straw in 'Funny Woman' Season 2 © Potboiler Productions; © Sky UK Limited
All four of Funny Woman's Season 2 installments are written by Morwenna Banks (Slow Horses), with Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (Veep). Oliver Parker (The Great Escaper) directs all episodes. The new series is executive produced by Banks, Arterton, and Hornby, with Andrea Calderwood, Gail Egan, Jessica Parker, and Jessica Malik.

Funny Woman Season 2 will debut on Sky in the first week of September 2024. PBS has not yet confirmed when Season 2 will come stateside, but it is expected to arrive sometime in early 2025.