Frayed (TV series)

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Frayed
Frayed promotional image.png
Promotional artwork
GenreComedy-drama
Created bySarah Kendall
Written bySarah Kendall
Directed by
  • Shaun Wilson
  • Jennifer Leacey
Starring
Country of origin
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • Clelia Mountford
  • Sharon Horgan
  • Morwenna Gordon
  • Rick Kalowski
  • Que Minh Luu
  • Kevin Whyte
ProducerNicole O'Donohue
Running time45 minutes
Production companies
  • Guesswork Television
  • Merman Television
Distributor
Release
Original network
Picture format2160p UHDTV
Original release26 September 2019 (2019-09-26) –
present

Frayed is an Australian and British television comedy drama series on ABC TV and Sky UK. It premiered in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2019, and in Australia on 16 October 2019.[3] The series was created and written by Australian comedian Sarah Kendall, who also stars in it.[4][5] It is produced by Nicole O'Donohue and directed by Shaun Wilson and Jennifer Leacey.[6][7]

In February 2021, it was announced that Frayed was renewed for a second season of six episodes.[8][9] The second season began airing on 29 September 2021.[10]

Plot[]

Frayed is set in 1988 and follows the story of Samantha 'Sammy' Cooper, a wealthy housewife in London. She is forced to return to her hometown of Newcastle in Australia after the death of her husband, when she is told his accumulated debts leave her almost penniless. She returns to Newcastle with her privately-educated teenage son and daughter, who have never visited Australia before. She moves in with her mother, a recovering alcoholic, and infantile brother Jim in her childhood beachfront home. She seeks work as the kids attend the local High School. Sammy revisits her past and the events that led her to flee the town as a teenager. She soon realises that everyone in her hometown hates her and she tries to get back to London, but she finds it difficult with numerous personal and financial obstacles along the way.[11] Series Two sees the family finally returning to London, but in very reduced circumstances. Sammy embarks on trying to prove her lawyer swindled her on settling her husband's estate, since he now occupies her grand house in the London suburbs. Back in Newcastle, the accidental killing of a violent neighbour in Sammy's mother's house, the day before the family's departure for the UK, is investigated by an under-resourced pair of police.

Cast[]

  • Sarah Kendall as Sammy Cooper
  • Kerry Armstrong as Jean, Sammy's mother
  • Ben Mingay as Jim
  • George Houvardas as Chris
  • Frazer Hadfield as Lenny
  • Maggie Ireland-Jones as Tess
  • Diane Morgan as Fiona
  • Matt Passmore as Dan
  • Robert Webb as Rufus
  • Doris Younane as Bev
  • Trystan Go as Bo
  • Alexandra Jensen as Abby
  • Christopher Stollery as Terry
  • Pippa Grandison as Trish
  • Jane Hall as Sandy
  • Hamish Michael as Fairbank
  • Georgina Symes as Deanne
  • Maggie Dence as Mrs Atkins
  • Shaun Anthony Robinson as Dean Farrell
  • Dalip Sondhi as Peter
  • Lukas Whiting as Jude

Episodes[]

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1626 September 2019 (2019-09-26) (UK)
16 October 2019 (2019-10-16) (AU)		31 October 2019 (2019-10-31) (UK)
20 November 2019 (2019-11-20) (AU)
2629 September 2021 (2021-09-29) (AU)3 November 2021 (2021-11-03) (AU)

Season 1 (2019)[]

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
11"Episode 1"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall26 September 2019 (2019-09-26) (UK)
16 October 2019 (2019-10-16) (AU)		0.155 (UK)[12]
0.440 (AU)[13]

Sammy Cooper, a wealthy London housewife is forced to return to her hometown in Newcastle, Australia, with her two children, following her husband's sudden death. Having no option but to move in with her estranged family, there it is revealed that her background was not as elegant as she had everyone believe.

Guest cast: Sarah Aubrey as Mrs Potter, Gina Bramhill as Mae, Cass Cumerford as Beach Tramp, Alan Dearth as Headmaster Fletcher, Kerry Godliman as Bambi, Sharon Horgan as Norma Staircastle, Chantelle Jamieson as Eleanor, Rufus Jones as Wilco, Paul Putner as Bailiff, Shaun Robinson as Dean, Christopher Stollery as Terry, Georgina Symes as Deanne
22"Episode 2"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall3 October 2019 (2019-10-03) (UK)
23 October 2019 (2019-10-23) (AU)		0.147 (UK)[12]
0.374 (AU)[14]

Sammy struggles to rectify her financial situation and creates more problems by running up a large phone bill to London for which she vows to pay. Tess and Lenny's first day of school is a disaster. Jean accepts a date from a handsome stranger. Bev tries to convince Jim that Sammy is up to no good regarding her current financial troubles. Sammy is having a difficult time with her new boss, Chris, when he puts her to strenuous work and later humiliates her in front of her former school mates. She then seeks forgiveness from a reluctant Dan for breaking his heart.

Guest cast: George Basha as Teacher, Gina Bramhill as Mae, Olivia Brown as Rebecca, Cass Cumerford as Beach Tramp, Maggie Dence as Mrs Atkins, Pippa Grandison as Trish, Diana Hopwood as Francesca, Genevieve Lemon as Shirley, Nicola Parry as Diane, Susan Prior as Ruth, Yvonne Rae as Old Woman, Natalie Rose as Aged Care Nurse, Tahki Saul as Simon, Christopher Stollery as Terry
33"Episode 3"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall10 October 2019 (2019-10-10) (UK)
30 October 2019 (2019-10-30) (AU)		N/A (UK)
0.311 (AU)[15]
44"Episode 4"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall17 October 2019 (2019-10-17) (UK)
6 November 2019 (2019-11-06) (AU)		N/A (UK)
0.333(AU)[16]
55"Episode 5"Jennifer LeaceySarah Kendall24 October 2019 (2019-10-24) (UK)
13 November 2019 (2019-11-13) (AU)		N/A (UK)
0.368(AU)[17]
66"Episode 6"Jennifer LeaceySarah Kendall31 October 2019 (2019-10-31) (UK)
20 November 2019 (2019-11-20) (AU)		N/A (UK)
0.319(AU)[18]

Season 2 (2021)[]

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
71"Episode 1"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall29 September 2021 (2021-09-29) (AU)252,000[19]
82"Episode 2"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall6 October 2021 (2021-10-06) (AU)229,000[20]
93"Episode 3"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall13 October 2021 (2021-10-13) (AU)239,000[21]
104"Episode 4"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall20 October 2021 (2021-10-20) (AU)240,000[22]
115"Episode 5"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall27 October 2021 (2021-10-27) (AU)203,000[23]
126"Episode 6"Shaun WilsonSarah Kendall3 November 2021 (2021-11-03) (AU)207,000[24]

Reception[]

Critical reception[]

Reviews for the series have generally been mixed to positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a rating of 86% based on reviews from 14 critics. The website's critical consensus states: "Frayed's intentionally cringe humor may be squirm-inducing, but solid performances and a surprisingly sweet center will keep viewers watching - even if it's through their fingers."[25]

In a review for website Chortle, Steve Bennett praised Kendall's performance, commenting that "Kendall, whose winningly dry performance is central to the show's appeal, has said she wanted to offer an alternative view of 1980s Australia than the one portrayed in the sun-soaked scenes of Neighbours and Home And Away, and she’s certainly paints a much less romantic picture." He went on to mention that "Once Frayed’s premise is finally established, it offers plenty to suggest this is worth sticking with".[26]

In a favourable review by Steve Dessau of website Beyond the Joke praised the cast performances and he said "It's not all laughs – some of the best laughs come via pop culture gags about The Thompson Twins – but there is more than enough that is funny and intriguing here to justify setting up a series link in your schedule."[27]

Anthony Morris of Screenhub rated the series 4 stars out of 5 as he was favourable of the opening episode, pointing out that the series gets dramedy right and that it is evident from the first episode. He said that "Frayed isn’t perfect: it slows down a lot once it hits Newcastle and Sammy (initially) is the kind of character it takes time to warm to. Almost all the characters are either angry or ditzy; eventually somebody’s going to have to have something going for them. But unlike a lot of dramedies, it seems likely the characters will be given the chance to grow. This feels more like it’s the start of a story than just setting up a situation."[28]

In a more mediocre review from Jasper Rees of The Daily Telegraph, he criticized the first episode, stating that "[Frayed is] a pungent Eighties-set comedy that doesn’t know how far to take the joke" and gave it 3 out of 5 stars.[29]

Australian ratings[]

Season 1 (2019)[]

No. Title Air date Overnight ratings Consolidated ratings Total
viewers 		Ref(s)
Viewers Rank Viewers Rank
1 "Episode 1" 16 October 2019 440,000 17 118,000 12 558,000 [13][30]
2 "Episode 2" 23 October 2019 374,000 19 106,000 16 480,000 [14][31]
3 "Episode 3" 30 October 2019 311,000 N/A 109,000 18 420,000 [15]
4 "Episode 4" 6 November 2019 333,000 19 107,000 19 440,000 [16][32]
5 "Episode 5" 13 November 2019 368,000 19 85,000 19 453,000 [17][33]
6 "Episode 6" 20 November 2019 319,000 20 106,000 15 425,000 [18][34]

Season 2 (2021)[]

No. Title Air date Overnight ratings Consolidated ratings Total
viewers 		Ref(s)
Viewers Rank Viewers Rank
1 "Episode 1" 29 September 2021 252,000 N/A 291,000 19 543,000 [19]
2 "Episode 2" 6 October 2021 229,000 N/A 245,000 17 474,000 [20]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Category Nominee Result Ref
AACTA Awards
2019 Best Television Comedy Series Frayed Nominated [35]
Best Sound in Television Mark Cornish, Ralph Ortner (episode 1) Nominated [35]
Best Original Music Score in Television Bryony Marks (episode 1) Nominated [35]
Best Production Design in Television Fiona Donovan (episode 1) Nominated [35]
Best Costume Design in Television Nina Edwards (episode 1) Nominated [35]
TV Tonight Awards
2019 TV Tonight Award for Best New Aussie Show of 2019 Frayed Nominated [36]
BAFTA TV Awards
2020 British Academy Best Female Comedy Performance Sarah Kendall Nominated [37]
Royal Television Society − Craft & Design Awards
2020 Make Up Design - Entertainment & Non Drama Sheldon Wade Won [38]

International release[]

In May 2020, it was announced that Frayed had been picked up in the United States as an HBO Max exclusive. The series was released on 30 July 2020.[39][40]

Home media[]

"Frayed: Season One" was released on DVD in Australia (Region 4) on 27 November 2019 from Roadshow Entertainment[41] and in the United Kingdom (Region 2) on 2 December 2019 via Spirit Entertainment.[42]

References[]

  1. ^ "FRAYED SERIES 1". Screen Australia. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  2. ^ "FRAYED SERIES 2". Screen Australia. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  3. ^ Knox, David (3 September 2019). "Airdate: Frayed". TV Tonight. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Comedian Sarah Kendall to star in new ABC comedy series Frayed". Australian Television News - TV Blackbox. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  5. ^ White, Peter (30 October 2018). "'Nanette' Producer Guesswork Teams With Sharon Horgan's Merman For Sky Comedy 'Frayed'". Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  6. ^ White, Peter (19 November 2018). "'Peep Show's Robert Webb & 'Motherland's Diane Morgan Join Sky & ABC Australia Comedy 'Frayed'". Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Comedian Sarah Kendall gets 'Frayed' for the ABC and the UK's Sky". 30 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  8. ^ Knox, David (3 February 2021). "Filming begins on Frayed S2". TV Tonight. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  9. ^ "FRAYED SERIES 2". screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  10. ^ Knox, David (1 September 2021). "Returning: Frayed". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Cameras roll on new ABC comedy Frayed". TV Tonight. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Four-screen dashboard". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  13. ^ a b Knox, David (17 October 2019). "Wednesday 16 October 2019". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  14. ^ a b Knox, David (24 October 2019). "Wednesday 23 October 2019". TV Tonight. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  15. ^ a b Knox, David (10 November 2019). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 30 October 2019". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  16. ^ a b Knox, David (7 November 2019). "Wednesday 6 November 2019". Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  17. ^ a b Knox, David (14 November 2019). "Wednesday 13 November 2019". Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  18. ^ a b Knox, David (21 November 2019). "Wednesday 20 November 2019". Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  19. ^ a b Knox, David (30 September 2021). "Wednesday 29 September 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  20. ^ a b Knox, David (7 October 2021). "Wednesday 6 October 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  21. ^ Knox, David (14 October 2021). "Wednesday 13 October 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  22. ^ Knox, David (21 October 2021). "Wednesday 20 October 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  23. ^ Knox, David (28 October 2021). "Wednesday 27 October 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  24. ^ Knox, David (4 November 2021). "Wednesday 3 November 2021". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Frayed: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  26. ^ Bennett, Steve (26 September 2019). "Frayed". Chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  27. ^ Dessau, Steve (26 September 2019). "TV Review: Frayed, Sky One". Beyondthejoke.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  28. ^ Morris, Anthony (15 October 2019). "TV Review: Frayed gets dramedy right". Screenhub.com.au. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  29. ^ Rees, Jasper (26 September 2019). "Frayed, episode one, review: a pungent Eighties-set comedy that doesn't know how far to take the joke". Thedailytelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  30. ^ Knox, David (27 October 2019). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 16 October 2019". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  31. ^ Knox, David (3 November 2019). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 23 October 2019". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  32. ^ Knox, David (15 November 2019). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 6 November 2019". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  33. ^ Knox, David (22 November 2019). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 13 November 2019". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  34. ^ Knox, David (29 November 2019). "Timeshifted: Wednesday 20 November 2019". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  35. ^ a b c d e "2019 AACTA Awards". aacta.org. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  36. ^ Knox, David (7 January 2020). "TV Tonight Awards: Best of 2019". TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  37. ^ "SIAN CLIFFORD - FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME". bafta.org. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  38. ^ "RTS CRAFT & DESIGN AWARDS 2020". rts.org.uk. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  39. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (13 May 2020). "HBO Max Schedules Second Wave of Original Programming". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  40. ^ "Sarah Kendall's Frayed heads to the US". chortle.co.uk. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  41. ^ "Frayed". Jbhifi.com.au. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  42. ^ "Frayed: Season 1 [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2020.

External links[]

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