ICYHW: Starstruck

my favourite rom com television

Do not ask me how many times I have watched this show — that’s between me and the people at Bell who own Crave and see all my data because Canada is 3 corporations in a trench coat. Anyways, this show is perfect and although I wish it had at least five seasons it is still a beautiful 3-part story.

The Basics:

• You can watch this show on Crave (Canada) or HBO Max if you’re in the US (I think)

• The show is created/developed by New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo. Season 1 is written by Matafeo & Alice Snedden. Seasons 2 & 3 are written by Matafeo, Snedden, and Nic Sampson.

• There are 3 seasons, each with 6 episodes that are about 30 mins.

• Starring: Rose Matafeo, Nikesh Patel, Emma Sidi, and some other recurring folks INCLUDING MINNIE FUCKING DRIVER!!!!!!!

Nikesh Patel as Tom - Rose Matafeo as Jessie

The premise of the show is simple: Jessie (Matafeo) runs into a handsome stranger at a New Years Eve shindig. They go home together. The next morning, Jessie realizes that the handsome stranger, Tom (Patel) is actually a famous actor. He’s like…yeah I told you that? It’s fun! Over the course of a year, they keep randomly running into each other and there is romance and tension and drama and laughs

Jessie is a millennial who is sort of aimless, living her life in London after she had moved there with/for a man who was absolute trash. CLASSIC! She works random jobs, her roommate is funny and a bit high-strung, and they have a group of friends that includes another pal from New Zealand. There are some couples. Jessie has some sexcapades. You get it!

Now as you can tell, this is a very different life than Tom The Famous Actor. THAT’S GONNA CAUSE PROBLEMS! By Season 2, our lovebirds are maybe in different places. But listen, they’re gonna keep running into each other! Season 3 shows us life after things don’t work but — but do they?? No, they don’t. haha unless?

Really, though, what I love about Starstruck is that it plays with the romantic comedy genre in a great way. I’m always interested in what happens after the falling-in-love. This is part of what kept me watching The Mindy Project (a guilty pleasure I can never give up I am SORRY), because Kaling spoke a lot about her interest in what happens after two people do the big grand gesture. Now, to be clear, Starstruck is nothing in tone or content like Mindy, but the post-grand-gesture timeline is explored in such a fun way. Rose Matafeo is genuinely hilarious and her chemistry with Patel is excellent. Not to mention the relationship between Jessie and her roommate, Kate (Emma Sidi) feels genuine, earnest, absurd, and a real reflection of how friends talk to one another. It’s refreshing to see friends on a show be honest with each other in a way that isn’t couched in meanness or resentment — just comfort, love, and maybe a little dry humour. It’s just GREAT.

In three season they manage to capture some great character development and a reflection on the ways that we love and change one another; and the hard truths when love is there but it is isn’t meant to last forever. If you love fun outfits, excellent jokes, romance, kissing, dancing, grand-gestures that go well and also that don’t go well, this show is for you.

Well, I guess it’s time to watch again.