With two series in 2015 and none in 2016 it feels like ages since Catastrophe was last on our screens, but thankfully Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan are back with six more brilliantly funny, incredibly honest and dysfunctional episodes.
Despite 15 months passing between the end of series two and the start of series three, you very quickly forget that it’s been that long as episode one picks up right from the very moment the second series left off.
To recap, Sharon had got drunk, had sex with a stranger and bought the morning after pill - the receipt for which Rob finds, leaving him in shock.
Having found the unexplained receipt, Rob, receipt in hand is has a lot of questions for Sharon at the start of series three.
But Sharon was too drunk at the time to remember what she did, so she has no choice but to dodge Rob's interrogation. Seeking out the truth, Sharon goes to see Nico perform with his band to find out what really happened that night.
Rob’s apparent distrust and Sharon’s growing guilt set the tone for the rest of the series as it appears there are tough times ahead for the couple.
When Sharon is given a promotion at work, Rob is driven closer and closer back to the bottle as he continues to struggle with his unemployment and his weight.
And when their eldest child has an accident, the truth comes out at the hospital, but will it just end up putting further strain on their relationship?
Then there are the rather brilliant secondary characters including the now seperated Fran and Chris, played by Ashley Jensen and the ever wonderful Mark Bonnar, and of course Rob’s mother Mia played by the late Carrie Fisher.
The series marks the final time we’ll see Mia on screen following Carrie's sad passing at the end of 2016. Speaking about the late star at the launch for series three, Sharon said "In the first series and even in the second series, we didn’t have her for very long. She flew in and did her bit over a day or two. Of course we wanted to get to know her better, we idolised her.
So in series three we wrote this chunkier part for her in episode six and got to spend time with her. She was part of the gang and all of the cast got to spend more time with her. We feel very privileged and honoured."
There’s undeniable chemistry both on and off-screen for Rob and Sharon which is one of the main reason why, unlike many other sitcoms, Catastrophe feels authentic.
On-screen they’re the couple who shouldn’t work, but do. They met after a one night stand and now have two children together living as a somewhat dysfunctional family. And off-screen, if it wasn’t for Twitter, the two of them might never have met and Catstrophe would certainly not be on our screens now.
Having been to the launches for all three series, it’s clear that the friendship the two of them have is not something that is forced, they’re not keeping up appearances. They genuinely get on. Their freindship is reminiscent of friends who grew up together, not two strangers who met over a social network a few years ago.
The series has already been green-lit for a fourth run and usually you might worry that it won’t be as good as the earlier series’, but with Delaney and Horgan you know you’re in safe hands and they both want what’s best for Catastrophe, which is the very best.