Hullraisers, season 2, Channel 4, review: zingy sitcom loses heart

The show’s secret weapons are Rana and her Botox-enhanced mother, Nima (Victoria Wood veteran Shobna Gulati). As the brilliantly deadpan Nima dispensed sage advice about “Lady Menopause” (night sweats and “turkey neck” featured highly), it sent her daughter into a tailspin about the invisibility of older women. When the rosé-swilling pair shared a fist bump of feminine solidarity, it was a small but sweet gesture. 

Hullraisers could do with more similarly quiet moments. If there’s a criticism of the pacey script by Caroline Moran (whose previous credits include the similarly girl-powered Raised By Wolves and Henpocalypse!), it’s that the dialogue is almost too stuffed with zingers. Comedian Lucy Beaumont, currently busy stealing scenes on Channel 4 stablemate Taskmaster, adapted Hullraisers from an Israeli series. However, Beaumont has departed the writing team for this second series. It seems some of its heart has gone with her.

The show’s other flaw is its loose format. Sitcoms usually thrive on confined settings, which become a comedic pressure cooker. Because the “sit” here is so loose – three friends and their extended families – the action ends up split over too many residences and workplaces, leading to a lack of focus. 

Comedies about northern, working-class women are all too rare on our screens nowadays. Comedies that crack unflinching jokes about pregnancy, miscarriage and the menopause are even rarer. On multiple fronts, Hullraisers is a welcome breath of fresh air. I just wish it was slightly better.  

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