If you prefer romantic comedies with a sweet “will they or won’t they” dynamic, high fashion, and Coldplay on the soundtrack, Fleabag might not be your cup of tea. From its opening scene of an awkward late-night hookup, the pilot immediately lets the viewer know it will not pull a punch. Starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, featured in the upcoming Indiana Jones movie Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Fleabag is a truly one-of-a-kind show.
Fleabag Analysis: A World in One Character
Based on a one-woman play by its creator/star Waller-Bridge, Fleabag arrived on BBC with a bang, cementing Ms. Waller-Bridge (Crashing) as a major league talent. The show aired for only two six-episode “series” (as BBC seasons are labeled) – all penned by Ms. Waller-Bridge – but its mark on modern half-comedies remains indelible.
Fleabag is also part of the trend of writers/performers wearing multiple hats on their TV shows, including Atlanta (Donald Glover), Master of None (Aziz Ansari), Ramy (Ramy Youssef), and the murderous Barry (NYFA alum Bill Hader).
Character
It’s rare for a show to be so completely keyed into one character’s mindset and POV, especially when they are never actually called by a proper name. We only know the character is named Fleabag, thanks to the credits. As Phoebe Waller-Bridge explained, “I wanted something that would create an immediate subtext for the character,” she commented, confirming (the character) was effectively nameless. “So, calling her ‘Fleabag,’ calling the show Fleabag, gives the subtext of ‘Fleabaggy-ness.”
The pilot wastes no time throwing us right into the “Fleabaggy-ness” of its main character. It opens with Fleabag prepping for a late-night rendezvous (though the term “rendezvous” is far too elegant for what’s to follow). From there, we get a thumbnail of Fleabag’s life. She owns a café whose only customer uses the free power/internet without ordering an ounce of tea. Fleabag does connect with a lad on the bus, but it’s pretty far from a meet-cute. (Meet odd, maybe.)
Fleabag’s attempt to acquire a business loan goes from bad to worse when she inadvertently flashes the bank manager. Her date with the dentally-impaired gent from the bus quickly crashes and burns. And her drunken visit to her father and stepmother results in an impromptu stealing of an expensive figurine. In short, Fleabag’s life aptly reflects her name.
World Building
The story is set in modern-day Northwest London, a neighborhood that doesn’t scream poverty or wealth. It’s a touch satirical in tone yet feels realistic in its portrayal of Flebag’s life. Her version of a meet-cute on a bus is less of you’re the one and more of you’ll do… for now.
The pilot cuts away to Fleabag’s often comedic interactions with her best friend / café co-owner, only to sucker punch us when we learn that her best friend died. This important backstory is shared in a drunken speech to a cab driver, revealing that Fleabag is a woman deeply entrenched in grief.
Perhaps the biggest stylistic hook of the world is Fleabag talking directly to the camera. This device has been used in countless shows and movies, but never quite like this. Even during the previously mentioned fling, Fleabag will talk right to us in the middle of being intimate with a partner. Fleabag NEVER stops letting us into her thoughts, be it with a look, a comedic quip, or a monologue. We are fully entrenched in Fleabag’s mind and soul.
Story Engine
Fleabag has a high-concept creative approach to its material, yet its storylines tend to be low-concept, character-based tales. The pilot establishes several story elements which can be explored for multiple episodes: Fleabag’s complicated relationship with her family, trying to run a business that’s always on the verge of closing down and looking for something resembling love in all the wrong places. (In Fleabag’s second series, she’ll even form an unlikely romantic bond with a “hot priest.”).
Fleabag demonstrates that for a show to be built almost exclusively around one character, that character needs to be FASCINATING. The character of Fleabag is more than a proverbial train wreck who steals from her own father – she’s a lost soul trying to find her way through one hysterically bad decision after another. Maybe we all have a Fleabag inside us.
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Learning how to write a pilot that is memorable and engaging is one of the most important skills an aspiring television writer can develop. In the screenwriting programs at NYFA, students learn fundamental concepts and techniques for writing a pilot and television, such as structure, formats, story engines, dialogue, themes, season arcs, show types, WGA format, subtext, and much more. To learn more about our programs, please visit our Screenwriting School page.