James R | On 05, Apr 2022

BBC Two has snapped up the rights to Season 2 of State of the Union.

See-Saw Films’ Emmy-winning shortform series, written by Nick Hornby and directed by Stephen Frears, explores the travails of romantic relationships and the human experience in tiny, bickering portions.

“This bite-sized comedy charting the breaking down and making up of a marriage is a hilarious, heartfelt gem,” we wrote in our review of Season 1, which starred Chris O’Dowd and Rosamund Pike as an unhappy couple who meet up every week for 10 minutes before going to their marital therapist.

Season 2 will moves stateside and star Patricia Clarkson as Ellen, Brendan Gleeson as Scott and Esco Jouléy as Jay. Liberal campaigning Ellen (Clarkson) drags her traditional, self-made husband Scott (Gleeson) out of his comfort zone and into a hipster Connecticut coffee shop, where they have 10 minutes before their marriage counselling session to drink a coffee, gather their thoughts and argue. Among the bickering they also start to deconstruct their 30-year marriage, discuss betrayals from their past, how they’re changing as people, and what the future of their relationship might look like in a changing world.

Sue Deeks, Head of Programme Acquisition, BBC, says: “Season Two and another treat for BBC viewers as an impeccable cast bring to life Nick Hornby’s insightful, nuanced and pleasurable dissection of a relationship on the brink.”

The 10-episode second season will air on BBC Two in the UK and stream on BBC iPlayer.

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