Television series
Break Clause
Break Clause finds humour in the worst-case scenario of modern romance: your relationship has imploded, but your lease hasn't. Lara Ricote and Sam Bottomley navigate the excruciating dance of being exes in shared domestic space, balancing genuine hurt with the absurdist comedy of bumping into each other at the kettle. It's tender and funny by turns, and painfully recognizable.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy sharp, character-led British comedy about awkward domestic standoffs, where the funniest moments come from two people being unable to leave a room gracefully.
Skip it if you want big set pieces or a fast plot; this is a short, dialogue-driven series that lives on small, uncomfortable exchanges between two people in one flat.
What it asks of you: Six episodes, so it's a light commitment, and it moves at the pace of real arguments over tea, staying close to its two leads rather than sweeping outward.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Catastrophe2015
Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney's chemistry made relationship chaos feel both devastating and hilarious. Like Break Clause, it finds the comedy in the wreckage without losing sight of what actually matters.
But It ends on purpose, and it ends sad. If you want your comedies to stay light, this one occasionally refuses to.
Fleabag2016
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's masterpiece proves you can be wildly funny while falling apart. The intimacy with the audience, the messy relationships, the desperate attempts at dignity—it's the energy Break Clause is channelling.
But The second season gets philosophically heavy. Some find it pretentious; others find it perfect. You'll know which one you are by episode three.
Trying2020
Apple TV's gem about a couple learning to be honest with each other after setbacks. It shares Break Clause's gift for finding real emotion in domestic minutiae without ever becoming saccharine.
But It's gentler and more sentimental than Break Clause. If you want sharper comedic edges, this might feel too warm.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Break Clause
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp2015
Both understand that comedy lives in the gap between how people present themselves and who they actually are. One watches connection fracture; the other watches it form. Same machinery, opposite direction.
A prequel that rewound relationships to their beginning. If Break Clause is about endings, this David Wain film (that became a miniseries) is about how people become entwined in the first place—the mirror image of what you're watching.
But It's deliberately absurdist and referential. If you want grounded romance, this is the opposite.
More like this (8)
The After Party
A breakup comedy that respects both the sadness and the absurdity. It knows that exes in the same room is fundamentally funny because it's fundamentally painful.
But It's Australian and has a smaller budget—the production values won't blow you away. The emotional specificity matters more than spectacle.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend2015
Rebecca Bunch's descent into relationship obsession is heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure. It understands that romantic comedy and genuine psychological struggle aren't opposites.
But Musical numbers aren't for everyone. If you find yourself groaning at the concept, stop after episode one.
Betas2013
A startup comedy that's unexpectedly warm about failed ambitions and messy friendships. It has the same acceptance of messiness that makes Break Clause ring true.
But It only lasted two seasons. Unfinished stories frustrate some viewers more than others.
Lovesick2014
Silly and sincere, it traces relationships forward and backward, understanding that breaking up and getting together are the same story told different ways.
But The early seasons are broader than the later ones. If you want consistency of tone, it doesn't quite have it.
Search Party2016
Sarah-Michelle Gellar and the ensemble nail the specific comedy of millennial anxiety and codependency. It's messier and weirder than Break Clause, but shares its emotional honesty.
But It gets very dark and obtuse. Not everyone connects with its specific brand of oblique humour.
Forever Home2026
A British comedy about people stuck together (in a house-share) who didn't choose it. The claustrophobia and accidental intimacy echo Break Clause's premise.
But It's barely found an audience. You might feel like you're discovering something no one watched, which can feel lonely.
Ginny & Georgia2021
Both are fundamentally about people who love each other being forced to keep living in close proximity while things change. The scale is different, but the emotional pressure is identical.
A mother-daughter story wrapped in a soap opera nobody expected to be that good. The central relationship carries real hurt underneath the fun, and the show respects both.
But It's sprawling and melodramatic in places. If you want tight, economical storytelling, it gets away from you.
Scenes from a Marriage2021
The flip side of the same coin. Where Break Clause finds comedy in the absurdity of staying, this finds devastation. Watch it to understand what the silence underneath the jokes in Break Clause actually contains.
Ásgeir Elías Óskarsson's Icelandic miniseries strips away comedy entirely and looks at the same exact thing: two people unpicking their relationship in a space where they can't escape. Terrifying, beautiful, and necessary context for why breakups are actually tragic.
But It's bleak and wordless for stretches. If you're watching Break Clause for the laughs, this will feel like the inverse—it's the film that would happen if the characters stopped joking.
People
Cast
Writing
- Jess BrayCreator
Production
- Jess BrayExecutive Producer
- Josh ColeExecutive Producer
- Laura Mae HardingExecutive Producer
- Mark FreelandExecutive Producer
- Molly SeymourExecutive Producer
- Olly CambridgeProducer